Kulezi zinsuku ngihamba ngeCuba, lapho ngihambe ngedwa ngiphethe incwajana enkulu nepeni lokuthi ngesikhathi ofunda ngayo kungenzeka ukuthi seyiphelile. Ngaleso sizathu, futhi ngoba ngihlala ngikwenza lapho ngingakwazi ukubhala in situ, Angicabangi ukuthi iyiphi indlela engcono yokukukhuthaza ukuthi unqamule kunangezincwadi, ikakhulukazi ngezincwadi ozozihambela. Indaba elandelayo, 21 Princess Street, yabhalwa ngesikhathi sohambo oluya eNdiya, lapho sahlangana khona nabantu abaningi, kufaka phakathi indoda enegama elingelona elingumlingisi ekufundeni okulandelayo.
Sihamba?
U-Iravan wayengenamfazi noma izingane. Okuwukuphela kokuzilibazisa kwakhe wayegqolozele emgwaqeni engabhekile lutho futhi emomotheka nge-beta, uhlobo olungakaze luphele. Ungikhuthaze ngesisa nangokudabuka okuthile, kepha bengingazi ukuthi kungani. Ngemuva kokungitshela ngesiphepho kanye neNtshonalanga ayibubule ngasese ngasendleleni, wangimemela endlini yakhe, washiya umnyango uvulekile. Ingaphakathi lendlu belibukeka njengesitolo sakwa antique esinuka umashi. Kwakunebhayisikili elifihlekile ekhoneni lekamelo, isithombe esibunjiwe sikaLakhsmi, nosofa okungenzeka ukuthi esinye isikhulu saseNgilandi uRajil sasikukhohliwe engadini yaso exotic emakhulwini eminyaka adlule. Ikhethini le-magenta livikele ukwakhiwa okufihliwe okumnyama ekugcineni kwephaseji.
Umninikhaya akazange angibuze ukuthi ngifuna ukuphuzani, wavele weza nezingilazi ezimbili zewhiskey namanzi engiwaphuza kancane kancane ngenkathi ethatha ama-slugs amade. Ungitshele ukuthi eminyakeni eyedlule wayehambe njengomatilosi emkhunjini owawuthutha ukhukhunathi emazweni aseMedithera nokuthi wayethandana neBarcelona. Ukubukeka kwakhe kwakubonakala kundiza, manje kunanini ngaphambili, kwezinye izindawo. Ngemuva kwalokho waqala ukungitshela ama-anecdotes ngempilo esemkhunjini, ngabantu bezizwe eziningi abasebenza kulo mkhumbi nangomngane wakhe, ogama lakhe angisalikhumbuli, asheshe wangikhombisa isithombe. Bobabili bavele, bebancane futhi bejabule, begqoke umfaniswano omhlophe wasolwandle ngenkathi ngamunye ephethe ukhukhunathi esandleni ngasinye. "Mngani omkhulu," wayelokhu esho njalo. Futhi amehlo akhe ayesegquma ngaphezulu. Ngokushesha washintsha isihloko, mhlawumbe ngemuva kokubona injabulo yesikhashana, futhi waqhubeka engibuza ngeSpain. Sisebenzise leli thuba ukuqhathanisa izindinganiso ezweni ngalinye, waqala ukubanga isizukulwane esisha samaHindu lapho ubudlelwano babantu babusengaphansi kwemithetho yokuziphatha engasasebenzi. Ukumbuka ekhuluma, wayebonakala njengendoda ehlanzekile kunazo zonke emhlabeni, eyazi isikhathi nendawo ayehlala kuyo. Ngambuza ukuthi kungani engacabangi ngokuhlala eYurophu, kodwa akazange aphendule, mhlawumbe ngenxa yokwesaba ukuvuma ukuthi uyisigqila senkambiso yakhe, yingakho ehlala elele yedwa emgwaqeni, ekhokhelwa ithuba elisha lokungena endlini yakhe.
Ngaphambi kokuba ngihambe, waphinde wasibheka isithombe wangitshela ukuthi umngani wakhe ushadile, unezingane futhi uhlala eMadras. Ungitshele ukuthi sekuphele iminyaka engamboni. Wayengasakhali, kepha wayesadabukile, futhi isizathu kwakungeyona indaba elula yebanga.
Wangihambisa emnyango ngemuva kwengxenye yehora yengxoxo yobungani futhi washiya umnyango uvulekile futhi, mhlawumbe elinde ukuthi izinguquko zizomthola ngaphambi kokuba kwephuze kakhulu.
Ngiyethemba uyithandile.
Iyiphi incwadi ovame ukuphendukela kuyo lapho ufuna ukuhamba?
Ukugona,
A.