Into Endiyifunde KuBawo: Ayinaxesha Langa

Umxholo

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Ekukhuleni kwam, utata, uPedro, wayeyinkwenkwe efama kwiilali zaseSpain. Emva kwexesha waba ngumrhwebi waselwandle, kwaye kangangeminyaka engama-30 emva koko, wasebenza njengomkhandi weNew York City MTA. UPapi wam, njengoko ndimbiza njalo, akaqhelekanga kwimingeni enzima ngokwasemzimbeni. Ngokwemvelo (nangorhwebo), i-5-yeenyawo-yesi-8 yendoda ihlala ixhomekeke kwaye ithoniwe. Kwaye nangona wayengazange abe mde, emi ecaleni kwenkosikazi yakhe eneenyawo ezi-5 uVioleta kunye namantombazana amancinci amabini, wazithwala njengengxilimbela enokwenza nantoni na. Wajika igumbi elingaphantsi komhlaba elise-Queens, NY, ekhaya laba ligumbi losapho elisebenza ngokupheleleyo kwaye wakha neshedi yekhonkrithi ngasemva kwegaraji-ukubaleka kwakhe kwindlu ezele ngabafazi.

Kodwa kubawo, ukwenza umthambo kwakuyindlela yokugqiba umsebenzi owawulungiselela intsapho awayeyithanda. Sekunjalo, wayekuqonda ukubaluleka kwawo. Nangona wayengazange azifundele ngokwakhe, wasifundisa indlela yokukhwela iibhayisekile. Kwaye nangona engenakunyathela amanzi, wasisayinela izifundo zokudada kwi-YMCA yendawo. Wade wasisa kwiiseshoni zentenetya ze-6 kusasa ngeMigqibelo emva kokufika ekhaya evela emsebenzini ophindwe kabini emva kobusuku obungaphambili. Kwakhona abazali bam basibhalisela ukwenza umthambo, ikarati nomdaniso.

Inene sasingamantombazana akhutheleyo endandiwazi. Kodwa ukufika kwethu kwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo, mna noMaria sayeka imisebenzi yethu ngenxa yokuba sishumi elivisayo elinomtsalane ngokusisigxina. Akukho namnye kuthi owabuyela emzimbeni wakhe de kwadlula iminyaka elishumi kamva xa sasikwiminyaka yethu yama-20 kwaye ndaqala ukusebenza njengomncedisi womhleli kuphehlelelo lwephephabhuku elitsha lesizwe labasetyhini elibizwa ngokuba Impilo yabasetyhini. NgoSeptemba 2005, sobabini sabhalisela i-sprint triathlon yethu yokuqala.

Ukubuyela kwiingcambu zam ezisebenzayo, ngenxa yembewu abazali bam ababeyityale ngobulumko kwangoko, ndaziva ndilungile. Emva kwetrayethloni yam yokuqala, ndaye ndenza ezinye ezisithoba (zombini i-sprint kunye ne-Olimpiki imigama). Xa ndaba yintatheli ezizimeleyo ekwindla ka-2008, ndafumana ixesha elininzi lokuhamba ngebhayisikile kwaye ndifezekisile izinto ezinkulu zokuhamba ngebhayisikile, kubandakanya nokuhamba ngenyawo ukusuka eSan Francisco ukuya ku-LA ngoJuni ophelileyo (jonga ikliphu yohambo lwam lweemayile ezingama-545, uhambo lweentsuku ezisixhenxe). Kutshanje, ndiyigqibile iNike yaBafazi yesiqingatha seMarathon eWashington, D.C.-ngolunye usuku, inokuthi ikhokelele ngokupheleleyo.

Endleleni, abazali bam baye bema ecaleni baze bagqibezele ugqatso lwam. Emva koko, utata wabuyela kwishishini njengesiqhelo, nto leyo kuye yaba kukuthatha umhlala-phantsi ngobuvila. Kodwa kungekudala-kwaye ngakumbi kuba ebengaphindanga wahlala ngokuzola ixesha elide-uPapi wam wakruquka, enomsindo kancinci, kwaye ebuhlungu kukungabikho kwentshukumo. Indlu yaqala ukunuka uBengay kwaye wayebonakala emdala kakhulu kuneminyaka yakhe engama-67.

NgoDisemba ka-'08, ndaxelela abazali bam ukuba ngeKrisimesi, into endiyifunayo yayikukuba bazibandakanye nejim. Ndiyazi ukuba ukubila kunye nokuzonwabisa kuya kubenza bonwabe. Kodwa ingcamango yokuhlawula imali yokuhamba kwi-treadmill yayibonakala ingekho ngqiqweni kubo. Babenokuhambahamba nje ebumelwaneni, nto leyo ababeqhele ukuyenza. Enyanisweni, kwakukho ngenye yalezi zihlandlo zasekuseni apho uPapi wam wakhubeka kwi-tai chi ekhululekile kwipaki eseduze. Waqaphela ummelwane wakhe, uSanda, kunye nommelwane wakhe ngaphaya kwesitalato, uLily, waza wahamba. Ukugqiba kwabo, wababuza malunga naloo nto. Kwaye eziva engazithembi malunga nesisu sakhe emva kokuthatha umhlalaphantsi, wagqiba ekubeni ajoyine.

Kungekudala ngokwaneleyo, uPapi wam waqala ukudibana nabamelwane bakhe abaneenwele zesilivere phantse yonke imihla ukwenza umthambo wamandulo waseTshayina. Ngaphambi kokuba siqonde, wayehamba iintsuku ezintlanu ukuya kwezintandathu ngeveki. Waqala ukuthetha ibinzana, "Ukuba awusebenzisi, uyaphulukana nalo," kunye ne-aksenti yakhe eshinyeneyo yaseSpain. Waqala ukuziva kwaye ujongeka engcono. Abahlobo kunye nosapho balubonile utshintsho kwaye baqala ukumjoyina-nangona kwakungekho namnye unokuqhubeka nokuziphatha kwakhe kunye nophawu lomsebenzi wakhe. Xa waya kutyelela udadewabo eSpeyin ngelo hlobo, wayesebenzisa i-tai chi ngasemva apho akhulela khona.

Ukufumana izibonelelo kuguqule iPapi yam ukuba ibe sempilweni ngakumbi. Xa kwavulwa ichibi lendawo, yena nomama wam babhalisela i-aerobics ephezulu nangona wayengazange akhululeke emanzini. Baqala ukuhamba kathathu ngeveki kwaye bazifumana benamathela emva kweklasi, besebenza kubuchule babo. Baye baqala ukumane besiya kwindawo yokuzivocavoca yasekuhlaleni edityaniswa nephuli, ke yena uyenzile hlawula (nangona kuncinci kakhulu ukubulela kwisaphulelo esiphezulu) ukuhamba kwi-treadmill. Kungekudala, phakathi kwe-tai chi, ukufunda ukudada, kunye nokubetha indawo yokuzivocavoca, yonke imihla yeveki-kufana nobuntwana bam-yayigcwele imisebenzi eyonwabisayo. Ngethuba lokuqala ebomini bakhe, wayenomdla wokuzonwabisa kwaye wayebathanda.

Ngothando lwakhe olutsha lwazo zonke izinto zokufaneleka kunye nebhongo elingenakuphikiswa lokufunda ukuqubha ngasekupheleni kweminyaka engama-60, uPapi wam wagqiba ekubeni lixesha lokufunda ukukhwela ibhayisekile eneminyaka engama-72. inyathelo eliphantsi-ngesakhelo kunye nesali ye-cushy eyayilungele iinzame. Mna nodadewethu sa-odola amavili oqeqesho lwabantu abadala kwaye sasibafaka umatshini wangaphambili (uPapi wam!). Ngomhla wokuzalwa kwakhe, samsa kwisitrato esizolileyo, esinemithi kwaye sahamba ecaleni kwakhe njengoko wayenyoba ngononophelo kwaye ecotha, ekhwela okokuqala ebomini bakhe. Wayenexhala lokuwa, kodwa asizange sishiye icala lakhe. Wayekwazi ukukhwela esihla ngesitrato iyure epheleleyo.

Amandla akhe okhalipha awaphelanga apho. UPapi wam uyaqhubeka nokucela umngeni kumzimba wakhe ngeendlela ezimangalisayo. Kwiveki ephelileyo ngomhla wakhe wokuzalwa wama-73, wabaleka (ngokukhawuleza kakhulu, ngokwenene!) Ngekhayithi ephaphazelayo epakini. Kutshanje uphathe "itotshi" kumnyhadala weplani yakhe yeOlimpiki, apho iqela lakhe laphumelela uthotho lwemiceli mngeni kwiqela. Nanini na xa ndijongana ne-FaceTime noPapi wam, uyathanda ukuphakama, abuye umva kancinci ukuze ndibone isithomo sakhe esipheleleyo, kwaye andiguqulele. Iyenza iphuphume intliziyo yam kwaye uncumo lwam lube banzi.

Inkwenkwe yasefama yangaphambili, ulwandle, kunye noomatshini bakwimo entle yobomi bakhe phakathi kweminyaka yama-70s-ugqirha wakhe ufunge ukuba uza kuphila aye kwi-100 (oko kukuthi iminyaka engaphezulu kwe-27 yokufika komzimba!). Njengombhali, ndihlala nditsaleleka kwiingcaphuno zabanye ababhali, njengo-CS Lewis, owathi, "Awusemdala kakhulu ukuba ungazibekela enye injongo okanye uphuphe iphupha elitsha." (U-Lewis wabhala owakhe umsebenzi othengisa kakhulu, IziKronike zaseNarnia, kwii-50s zakhe!) Kwaye kum, loo nto ishwankathela-ngaphezulu kwayo nantoni na-enye yezifundo ezininzi zobomi, ezimnandi endifundiswe nguPapi.

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