Endikufundileyo kuBawo: Uthando alunamida

Umxholo

• Uphengululo lwe

Ukuba ngutata kunokuthetha into engaphezu kwenye njengoko uJessica Long owafumana imbasa yegolide yeParalympic izihlandlo ezili-12 Ubume. Apha, i-superstar eneminyaka engama-22 ubudala yabelana ngebali elifudumeleyo malunga nokuba notata ababini.

Ngomhla weLeap ngo-1992, ndazalwa sisibini esingatshatanga eSiberia saza sandithiya igama lokuba nguTatiana. Ndazalwa ndine-fibular hemimelia (okuthetha ukuba andinayo i-fibula, amaqatha, izithende, kunye namanye amathambo ezinyaweni zam) kwaye bakhawuleza baqonda ukuba abanakukwazi ukundikhathalela. Oogqirha babacebisa ukuba bandincame ukuze ndikhuliswe ngabanye abantu. Bemamela bekrikriza. Kwiinyanga ezilishumi elinesithathu kamva, ngowe-1993, uSteve Long (okusemfanekisweni) weza esuka eBaltimore eze kundilanda. Yena kunye nenkosikazi yakhe uBeth sele benabantwana ababini, kodwa befuna usapho olukhulu. Kwakuyi-kismet xa umntu ecaweni yabo ekhankanya ukuba le ntombazana encinci eRashiya, eyayineziphene zokuzalwa, yayifuna ikhaya. Bayazi kwangoko ukuba bendilapho intombi, uJessica Tatiana njengoko bebeza kundibiza.

Ngaphambi kokuba utata am akhwele inqwelomoya esiya emva kweMfazwe ebandayo eRashiya, babesele benze amalungiselelo okufumana inkwenkwana eneminyaka emithathu ubudala nayo ukusuka kwikhaya elifanayo leenkedama. Bacinge, "Ukuba siya eRashiya ngomntwana omnye, kutheni ungafumani omnye?" Nangona uJosh wayengenguye umzalwana wam wendalo, wayenokuba wayenjalo. Sasingondlekanga kangangokuba sasilingana—sifana namawele. Xa ndicinga ngento eyenziwe ngutata, ukuhamba kude ukuya kwilizwe langaphandle ukuya kufumana iintsana ezimbini ezincinci, ndibethwa bubukhalipha bakhe.

Kwiinyanga ezintlanu emva kokubuyela ekhaya, abazali bam, bencediswa ngoogqirha, bagqiba kwelokuba ubomi bam buya kuba bhetele ukuba banokundinqumla yomibini imilenze yam ngaphantsi kwedolo. Ngokukhawuleza, ndandinxitywe amalungu afakelwayo, kwaye njengabanye abantwana, ndafunda ukuhamba ngaphambi kokuba ndibaleke-emva koko ndandingakwazi ukumisa. Ndandinomdla okhulayo, ndihlala ndibaleka emva kwendlu kwaye nditsiba itrampolini, eyabizwa ngabazali bam yi-PE iklasi. Abantwana abaLong bafunda ekhaya-sobathandathu kuthi. Yup, abazali bam ngokungummangaliso babenabanye ababini emva kwethu. Ke yayiyindlu entle enesiphithiphithi kwaye kumnandi. Ndandinamandla amaninzi, ekugqibeleni abazali bam bandibhalisa ukuqubha ngo-2002.

Kangangeminyaka emininzi, ukuqhuba ukuya nokubuya echibini (ngamanye amaxesha kwangentsimbi yesi-6 kusasa) yayingamaxesha endiwathandayo notata. Ngexesha leyure ukuya nokubuya emotweni, mna notata wam besiza kuthetha ngendlela izinto ezihamba ngayo, iintlanganiso ezizayo, iindlela zokuphucula amaxesha am, nokunye okuninzi. Ukuba bendiziva ndonwabile, ebehlala endimamela kwaye andinike iingcebiso ezilungileyo, ngendlela yokuba nesimilo esihle. Undixelele ukuba ndingumzekelo, ingakumbi kudadewethu omncinci osandula ukuqala ukudada. Ndayithatha entliziyweni loo nto. Sasondela kakhulu ngokubhukuda. Kude kube namhla, ukuthetha ngayo naye iseyinto ekhethekileyo.

Ngo-2004, kwimizuzu nje embalwa ngaphambi kokuba babhengeze iqela lase-US leParalympic kwiMidlalo yeOlimpiki yeHlabathi eAthens, eGrisi, utata wam wandixelela, "Kulungile, Jess. Uneminyaka eli-12 kuphela. Kusoloko kukho iBeijing xa uneminyaka eli-16." Njengomntwana oneminyaka eyi-12 ubudala, yonke into endiyithethayo kukuba, "Hayi, tata. Ndiza kuyenza." Kwaye xa babhengeza igama lam, wayengowokuqala umntu endimjongileyo kwaye sobabini sineli lizwi ebusweni bethu ngathi, "Owu, nkosi yam !!" Kodwa ke, ndathi kuye, "Ndikuxelele njalo." Ndandisoloko ndicinga ukuba ndingunobuhle. Amanzi yayiyindawo endandinokukhulula kuyo imilenze yam kwaye ndizive ndikhululekile.

Abazali bam baye bazimanya nam kwimidlalo yeHolide yeeParalympic eAthens, eBeijing naseLondon. Akukho nto ingcono kunokukhangela phezulu kubalandeli kwaye ndibone usapho lwam. Ndiyazi ukuba ngendingekho kule ndawo ndikuyo namhlanje ngaphandle kothando nenkxaso yabo. Ngokwenene balilitye lam, yiyo loo nto, ndicinga ukuba, andizange ndicinge kakhulu ngabazali bam bemvelo. Kwangelo xesha, abazali bam zange bandivumele ndilibale ngelifa lam. Sinayo le "Bhokisi yaseRashiya" athe utata wayizalisa ngezinto zohambo lwakhe. Sasidla ngokuyitsala phantsi noJosh rhoqo, kwaye sijonge imixholo yayo, kuquka noonodoli baseRashiya beplanga kunye nentsimbi yomqala andithembise yona ngosuku lwam lokuzalwa lwe-18.

Kwiinyanga ezintandathu ngaphambi kwe-Olimpiki yaseLondon, ngexesha lodliwano-ndlebe, ndathi ngokudlulayo, "Ndingathanda ukudibana nosapho lwam lwaseRashiya ngenye imini." Icandelo lam lalithetha oko, kodwa andazi ukuba ndiza kulilandela okanye nini. Iintatheli zaseRussia ziyibambile le nto kwaye bazithathela zona ukuze baphinde badibane. Ngelixa ndandikhuphisana eLondon kwinyanga ka-Agasti, kwa ezi ntatheli zase-Russia zaqala ukundibhanxa ngemiyalezo ye-Twitter isithi bafumene usapho lwam lwaseRussia. Ekuqaleni, ndandicinga ukuba ndiyadlala. Ndandingazi ukuba mandikholelwe ntoni, ngoko andizange ndiyihoye.

Ukubuyela ekhaya eBaltimore emva kweMidlalo, bendihleli etafileni yasekhitshini ndixelela usapho lwam ngento eyenzekileyo kwaye sagqibela ngokufumana ividiyo ekwi-intanethi yam ebizwa ngokuba yi "Russian family." Ibiphambana nyani into yokubona aba bantu ndingabaziyo bezibiza ngo "family yam" phambi kosapho lwam lwenyani. Ndandidinwe kakhulu emoyeni kukukhuphisana eLondon ukuba ndiyazi ukuba mandicinge ntoni. Ke kwakhona, andenzanga nto. Kwakungekho kude kube ziinyanga ezintandathu okanye emva koko, xa i-NBC yasondela kuthi malunga nokufota ukuhlangana kwakhona kosapho lwam ukuze lujikeleze i-Olimpiki ye-Sochi ye-2014, ndayinika ingcamango yokwenyani kwaye ndavuma ukuyenza.

NgoDisemba 2013, ndaya eRashiya kunye nodadewethu omncinci, uHannah kunye neqela le-NBC ukuya kubona ikhaya leenkedama apho ndamkelwa khona. Sadibana nalo mfazi wayeqale wandinikela kubawo kwaye wathi uyakhumbula ebona uthando olukhulu emehlweni akhe. Malunga neentsuku ezimbini kamva, saya kudibana nabazali bam bokwenene, endathi kamva ndafumanisa ukuba batshatile yaye banabantwana abathathu. "Wow," ndacinga. Oku kwakuqala ukufumana i-crazier. Ayizange ithi qatha kum into yokuba abazali bam basahleli kunye, ndingasayiphathi ke eyokuba ndide ndibenaye Kaninzi abantwana bakowenu.

Xa ndisiya ngakwikhaya labazali bam abandizalayo, ndabeva bekhala ngaphakathi. Malunga nabantu abangama-30 abohlukeneyo, kubandakanya nabathwebuli beekhamera, bebephandle bendibukele (kwaye besenza iifilimu) kum ngalo mzuzu kwaye konke endinokukutsho kum noHannah, owayelapha emva kwam eqinisekisa ukuba andiwa, yayingu "Sukulila. Sukutyibilika. " Kwakuyi-20 degrees ngaphandle kwaye umhlaba ugqunywe likhephu. Xa abazali bam abancinci abangama-30 baphuma ngaphandle, ndaqala ukulila kwaye ndabawola ngoko nangoko. Ngalo lonke eli xesha kwakusenzeka oku, i-NBC yabamba utata wam ekhaya eMaryland esosula amehlo kwaye ewola umama.

Kwiiyure ezine ezizayo, ndabelana ngesidlo sasemini nomama wam wendalo, uNatalia, notata wendalo, u-Oleg, kunye nodadewethu onegazi elipheleleyo, u-Anastasia, kunye nabaguquleli abathathu kunye nabathwebuli kule ndlu exineneyo. UNatalia wayengakwazi ukundigcina ejonge kum kwaye engandiyekeleli isandla sam. Bekuswiti ngenene. Sabelana ngeempawu ezininzi zobuso. Sajonga esipilini kunye saza sabakhomba kunye noAnastasia. Kodwa ndicinga ukuba ufana kakhulu no-Oleg. Ndandiqala ngqa ebomini ukungqongwa ngabantu abafana nam. Kwakungaphezulu.

Bacele ukubona ii-prostheses zam kwaye bahlala bethetha kaninzi ukuba abazali bam eMelika ngamagorha. Babesazi, kwiminyaka engama-21 eyadlulayo, ngebabengazange bakhathalele umntwana okhubazekileyo. Baye bachaza ukuba ndinethuba elingcono lokusinda kwikhaya leenkedama- okanye ubuncinci yile nto oogqirha babebaxelele yona. Ngasihlandlo sithile, u-Oleg wanditsalela ecaleni kunye nomguquleli wandixelela ukuba uyandithanda kwaye wayezingca ngam. Emva koko wandanga waza wandanga. Yayilixesha elikhethekileyo.

De sibe nokuthetha ulwimi olunye, ukunxibelelana nentsapho yam yesiRashiya ekumgama omalunga neekhilomitha ezingama-6 000 kuya kuba lucelomngeni. Kodwa okwangoku, sinobudlelwane obukhulu kuFacebook apho sabelana ngeefoto. Ndingathanda ukubabona kwakhona eRashiya ngenye imini, ngakumbi ngaphezulu kweeyure ezine, kodwa eyona nto ndijolise kuyo ngoku kukuzilungiselela iMidlalo yeParalympic ka-2016 eRio, eBrazil. Siza kubona ukuba kwenzeka ntoni emva koko. Okwangoku, kuyandithuthuzela ukwazi ukuba ndinamaqela amabini abazali abandithanda ngokwenene. Kwaye ngelixa u-Oleg engutata wam, uSteve uya kuhlala engutata wam.

Uphengululo lwe