Gore rakazotevera, mhuri yeBheteri yakapiwa chiziviso chekuti pari kudiwa vanhu vanozvipira kuti vaende kunoshandira kubazi rekuSouth Africa, nekuti kwaizoiswa muchina mutsva wekuprinda. Ndakanyoresawo zita rangu pavanhu vaizvipira uye ndakafara kuti ndakasarudzwa. Dzimwe hama nhatu dzinoti Dennis Leech, Bill McLellan naKen Nordin dzaishanda paBheteri dzakasarudzwawo. Takaudzwa kuti patichaenda kuSouth Africa taizonogarako kwemakore akati wandei!

Ndakafonera amai vangu ndichibva ndavati: “Mhamha ndine zvandinoda kukuudzai. Ndava kunoshandira kuSouth Africa!” Amai vangu vaiva munhu akanyarara asi vaiva nekutenda kwakasimba. Saka havana havo zvakawanda zvavakataura asi ndaiziva kuti vainditsigira. Vese vari vaviri nababa havana kupikisana nechisarudzo chandakanga ndaita, kunyange zvazvo zvakavarwadza kuziva kuti ndaizenge ndava kure navo.

Takatanga nekuenda kuBheteri rekuBrooklyn, kwatakanoita mwedzi mitatu tichidzidziswa kushandisa mumwe muchina wekuprinda. Takabva tazokwira ngarava takananga kuCape Town, kuSouth Africa. Panguva iyi, ndakanga ndava nemakore 20. Takasimuka manheru kubva kuCape Town tichienda kuJohannesburg nechitima. Pakwakanga kwava kuedza chitima chakambomira munzvimbo inonzi Karoo, iyo yakaita kunge gwenga. Nzvimbo iyi ine guruva rakanyanya uye inopisa. Taidongorera nepamahwindo uye tainetseka kuti nzvimbo iyi yakamboita sei. Chimwe chatainetseka nezvacho ibasa redu idzva rataizonoita. Pashure pemakore akati wandei, taimbopota tichidzoka kuzoshanyira nzvimbo iyi uye takaona kuti vanhu vacho vanofara uye vanogarisana nevamwe zvakanaka.

Makore ekutanga ndaishanda pamuchina unonzi Linotype waigadzira zvinhu zvaishandiswa pakuprinda Nharireyomurindi neMukai! Hofisi yebazi yaiprinda mabhuku mumitauro yakawanda, ayo aizotumirwawo kune dzimwe nyika dzemuAfrica. Muchina mutsva uyu wakanga watiunza kuno kuAfrica wakanga uri kunyatsoita basa rawo!

Nekufamba kwenguva, ndakazoshanda mudhipatimendi rinoona nezvekuprinda, kutumirwa kwemabhuku uye kushandura. Ndaigara ndakabatikana asi ndainakidzwa nekuita basa racho.

Muna 1968, ndakaroora mumwe musikana aipayona ainzi Laura Bowen aigara pedyo nepaBheteri. Aiitawo basa rekutaipa achibatsira Dhipatimendi Reshanduro. Makore iwayo, munhu waiti ukaroora kana kuroorwa zvakanga zvisingaiti kuti ugare paBheteri, saka takabva tanzi tiende kunoshanda semapiyona chaiwo. Ndainetseka kuti zvino ndichanozvigona here. Ndakanga ndava nemakore 10 ndiri paBheteri ndichiwana zvekudya uye pekugara, asi iye zvino ndaizenge ndava kufanira kuzvitsvagira zvekurarama nazvo ndichishandisa mari shoma yandaipiwa sapiyona chaiye. Pane nhamba yemaawa yataitarisirwa kuti tisvitse, yedzokerero uye yemabhuku ataipa vanhu. Mumwe nemumwe wedu aipiwa 25 rand pamwedzi, iyo yaienderana neUS$35 kare ikako, kana achinge asvitsa maawa aitarisirwa, dzokerero uye mabhuku aanenge apa vanhu. Saka mari iyi ndiyo yataishandisa kubhadhara rendi, kutenga zvekudya, kufambisa, uye kutenga mishonga nezvimwewo zvataida.

Takanzi tinopayona neboka diki raiva pedyo neguta reDurban. Kwaiva nevanhu vakawanda verudzi rwechiIndia. Vanasekuru vavo vakanga vauya vachitsvaga basa muminda yenzimbe mumakore ekuma1875. Iye zvino vakanga vava kuita mamwe mabasa asi vakaramba vaine tsika dzavo uye vaizivikanwa nekubika zvekudya zvinonaka zvine mhiripiri. Chimwe chakaita kuti zvitiitire nyore kuvaparidzira ndechekuti vaitaurawo Chirungu.

Mapiyona chaiwo aitarisirwa kuti aparidze kwemaawa 150 pamwedzi, saka ini naLaura takaronga kuti zuva rekutanga tiparidze kwemaawa 6. Kwaipisa zvisingaiti. Takanga tisina dzokerero kana zvidzidzo zveBhaibheri saka maawa 6 acho taifanira kuzoaita tichiparidza paimba neimba. Pandakatarisa nguva kuti ndione kuti takanga taparidza kwenguva yakareba sei, ndakashamisika pandakaona kuti takanga tangoita maminitsi 40 chete! Takatanga kunetseka kuti tichakwanisa here kuramba tichipayona?

Asi takazoronga kuti tingazviita sei. Zuva rimwe nerimwe taienda nechingwa uye taiisa kofi yedu muflask kuti irambe ichipisa. Pataida kuzorora, taienda kunoisa mota yedu pasi pemumvuri uye dzimwe nguva taiunganirwa nevana vechiIndia. Vaititarisa vachishamisika nekusiyana kwatakanga takaita navo. Mumazuva mashomanana akatevera, takazoona kuti pataingoparidzira maawa maviri kana matatu taisazoona kuti zuva rapera sei.

Takanakidzwa chaizvo nekuparidza chokwadi cheBhaibheri kuvanhu vemunharaunda iyi! Vanhu ava verudzi rwechiIndia, vanoremekedza vamwe, vane mutsa uye vanoda Mwari. Vakawanda vechitendero chechiHindu vakagamuchira mashoko akanaka ataivaparidzira. Vaida chaizvo kuziva nezvaJehovha, Jesu, Bhaibheri, nyika itsva yatinovimbiswa mune ramangwana, uye kumutswa kuchaitwa vanhu vakafa. Pakazopera gore, takanga tatova nezvidzidzo zveBhaibheri 20. Zuva rega rega masikati, taiva nemhuri yataidya nayo pamwe chete pavanhu vataidzidza navo Bhaibheri. Tainakidzwa zvisingaiti.

Pasina nguva takabva tanzi tinotanga kuita basa remudunhu tichishanda ndima yaiva pedyo neIndian Ocean. Vhiki rimwe nerimwe taiva vaenzi uye tainakidzwa nekushanda pamwe chete nevaparidzi tichikurudzirana. Pamhuri dzese dzataigara nadzo taitonzwa sekuti titori vanhu vepamba ipapo uye tainakidzwa nekutamba nevana vavo, nembwa dzavo nekiti dzavo. Takaita makore maviri tichiita basa iri. Rimwe zuva imwe hama yaiva kuhofisi yebazi yakabva yatifonera ichibva yati, “Tiri kuda kuti mudzoke kuBheteri.” Ndakabva ndati, “Tiri kunakidzwa kuno.” Kunyange zvazvo tainakidzwa, taiva tisina dambudziko nekuendeswa chero kwatainzi tiende.

Ndakanzi ndinoshanda kuDhipatimendi Rebasa uye ndakafara kushanda nehama dzakawanda dzaiva dzakakura pakunamata uye dzaiva neruzivo. Makore iwayo, mutariri wedunhu aiti akapedza kushanyira ungano aitumira mashoko kuhofisi yebazi uye Dhipatimendi Rebasa raizotumira tsamba kuungano. Tsamba idzi dzaibva kuhofisi yebazi dzaiva dzekukurudzira uye kupa mirayiridzo. Mishumo yaibva kuvatariri vematunhu yaiva muchiXhosa, Zulu, nemimwewo mitauro saka  yaifanira kushandurwa kuti iende muChirungu. Tsamba dzaizonyorwa nehofisi yebazi dzainyorwa dziri muChirungu, saka dzaifanira kuzoshandurwawo kuti dziende mumitauro inoshandiswa mudziungano. Ndinotenda chaizvo hama idzi dzaiita basa rekushandura nekuti dzakandibatsirawo kunzwisisa matambudziko aisangana nehama nehanzvadzi dzedu dzechitema.

Panguva iyoyo, muSouth Africa makanga muine rusaruraganda. Rudzi rumwe nerumwe rwaiva nenzvimbo yarwainzi rwaifanira kugara uye vakanga vasingabvumirwi kushamwaridzana nerumwe rudzi. Hama dzedu dzechitema dzaitaura mitauro yadzo uye dzaiparidzira nekupinda neungano dzemitauro iyoyo.

Ndakanga ndisingazivi hama dzakawanda dzechitema nekuti ungano dzandaipinda nadzo dzaiva dzeChirungu. Asi iye zvino ndakanga ndava kukwanisa kuzivawo tsika nemagariro avo. Ndakanga ndava kuziva matambudziko avaisangana nawo. Ndakabayiwa mwoyo neushingi hwairatidzwa nehama nehanzvadzi pavaisiya zvinhu zvisingatsigirwi neMagwaro uye pavaipikiswa nevanhu vemumhuri kana kuti vemunharaunda nemhaka yekuti vakanga vasingadi kuita zvinhu zvine chekuita nechidhimoni. Vanhu vaigara kumamisha vakanga vari varombo zvakanyanya. Vakawanda vakanga vasina kuenda kuchikoro asi vaida chaizvo kudzidza Bhaibheri.

Ndakawana mukana wekushanda panyaya dzemumatare dzaiva nechekuita nerusununguko rwekunamata uye kusatsigira zvinhu zvenyika. Kutenda kwangu kwakawedzera kusimba pandakaona ushingi uye kuvimbika kweZvapupu zvechidiki izvo zvakadzingwa chikoro nemhaka yekuramba kuita minamato uye kuimba nziyo dzechitendero.

Hama dzakasangana nerimwe dambudziko munyika yaimbonzi Swaziland iyo yava kunzi Eswatini mazuva ano. Mambo Sobhuza II paakafa, vanhu vese vane zvavakanzi vaite kuratidza kuti vairemekedza mufi. Varume vese vakanzi vagere muparavara uye vakadzi vagere ravo vosiya riri pfupi. Hama nehanzvadzi dzakawanda dzakatambudzwa nemhaka yekuti vakaramba kuita tsika iyi yekuremekedza munhu anenge afa. Kuvimbika kwavo kuna Jehovha kwakatikurudzira! Takadzidza zvakawanda nezvekuvimbika uye mwoyo murefu zvairatidzwa nehama dzedu dzechitema, uye izvi zvakatisimbisa pakutenda.

Muna 1981 ndakadzokera zvakare kubasa rangu rekuprinda uye ndakakumbirwa kuti ndibatsire kuona kuti makombiyuta angashandiswa sei pakuprinda. Ndakafara zvisingaiti. Nzira dzaishandiswa pakuprinda dzakanga dzichichinja. Imwe kambani yakapa hofisi yebazi muchina mutsva wekugadzira mabhuku. Vaida kuona kuti unoshanda sei uye vakatipa mahara. Nekufamba kwenguva, takazoiwedzera kuti isvike 5 tichibva tabvisa michina 9 yeLinotype yataishandisa.

Kushandiswa kwemakombiyuta kwakatibatsira kuti tishandise Multilanguage Electronic Publishing System (MEPS) iyo yakatibatsira kuti mabhuku edu abude achitaridzika zvakanaka. Kugadzira kwataiita mabhuku tichishandisa michina yeLinotype raiva basa rakakura chaizvo uye rainetesa. Asi nekufambira mberi kwaita zvigadzirwa zvemazuva ano, basa iri rareruka. (Isa. 60:17) Panguva iyoyo tese tiri 4 takanga tatoroora vasikana vaipayona. Ini naBill takanga tichiri kushanda paBheteri. Ken naDennis vakanga vatova nevana, asi vaigara pedyo neBheteri.

Basa repaBheteri rairamba richiwedzera. Mabhuku akanga achishandurwa uye achiprindwa achitumirwa kunyika dzakasiyana-siyana mumitauro yakawanda akaramba achiwedzera. Saka pakanga pava kudiwa nzvimbo yakakura. Hama dzakavaka bazi idzva rakanaka nechekumavirira kweJohannesburg, uye rakatsaurirwa muna 1987. Ndakafara chaizvo kuona kukura kwebasa uye kushanda pamwe chete neDare Rebazi rekuSouth Africa kwemakore akawanda.

Ndakashamisika muna 2001 pandakanzi ndiende kunoshanda muDare Rebazi kuUnited States. Kunyange zvazvo takarwadziwa kusiya basa neshamwari dzedu kuSouth Africa, takanga tichifara kunotanga upenyu hutsva nemhuri yeBheteri yekuUnited States.

Tainetseka kuti tichaita sei sezvo taizova kure naamai vaLaura avo vainge vakura. Takanga tisina zvakawanda zvataikwanisa kuzovabatsira nazvo kana tava kuNew York, asi vanin’ina vatatu vaLaura vakati vaizobatsira pane zvese zvavaida. Vakati, “Isu hedu hatikwanisi kupinda mubasa renguva yakazara, asi kana tikachengeta amai, zvichaita kuti mukwanise kuramba muchiita basa renyu.” Tinovatenda chaizvo nezvavakatiitira.

Panguva iyi, mukoma wangu nemudzimai wake, avo vaigara muToronto, kuCanada, ndivo vaichengeta amai avo vakanga vava chirikadzi. Vakanga vatova nemakore anopfuura 20 vachigara naamai. Amai vakashaya tichangosvika muNew York uye tinotenda chaizvo zvakaitwa namukoma namaiguru pakuvachengeta. Chikomborero chaicho kuva nevamwe mumhuri vanokutsigira uye vanozvipira kuita zvimwe zvinhu pamwe pacho zvisiri nyore!

Ndakamboita makore akati kuti ndichishanda mudhipatimendi rinogadzira mabhuku uye iye zvino kwava kushandiswa michina yemazuva ano pakuita basa uye zviri kuita kuti zvinhu zvireruke. Iye zvino ndiri kushandira ndiri kuDhipatimendi Rinoona Nezvekutengwa Kwezvinhu. Ndinofara chaizvo kuti ndava nemakore 20 ndichishanda pabazi rakakura kudai, uye iye zvino mhuri yeBheteri yava kusvika 5 000, kwozoitawo hama nehanzvadzi dzinoshanda dzichibva kumba dzinosvika 2 000!

Ndikafunga makore 60 apfuura, handina kumbofunga kuti ndingadai ndiri pano nhasi. Mudzimai wangu Laura anditsigira nemwoyo wese kwemakore ese aya. Kutaura chokwadi, takava neupenyu hunofadza! Takanakidzwa nemabasa akasiyana-siyana ataiita uye hatikanganwi hama nehanzvadzi dzatakashanda nadzo kusanganisira vaya vari mumapazi akasiyana-siyana ataishanyira. Sezvo iye zvino ndava nemakore anopfuura 80, ndakaderedzerwa basa randinoita, nekuti kune hama dzechidiki dzichiine simba rekumhanya-mhanya.

Munyori wepisarema akati: “Runofara rudzi runonamata Jehovha saMwari warwo.” (Pis. 33:12) Mashoko aya ndeechokwadi! Ndinofara chaizvo kuti ndakakwanisawo kushumira Jehovha pamwe chete nevanhu vake vanofara.