Ndandisoyika Ukufa—Ngoku Ndilindele ‘Ubomi Obuyintabalala’

Kubalisa uPiero Gatti

INGXOLO etsholo phantsi yayisiya ivakalela phezulu. Yayikhatshwa zizandi ezilumkisa abantu ukuba bazimele. Emva koko kwalandela izithonga ezival’ iindlebe zokuqhushumba kweebhombu ezazitshabalalisa.

Oko kwakusenzeka eMilan, eItali, phakathi kowe-1943 nowe-1944. Njengoko ndandilijoni eliselula elisebenza kuloo ndawo, ndandisoloko ndiyalelwa ukuba ndiqokelele izidumbu zabantu abaye bavaleleka ngoxa bezimela iibhombu, ezo zidumbu zabo zazidlakadla yaye zingenakufaniswa. Ndandingaphelelanga nje ekuboneni abanye abantu besifa. Maxa wambi nam ndandisinda cebetshu ekufeni. Ngezo zihlandlo ndandithandaza, ndithembisa uThixo ukuba, ukuba ndingasinda kuloo ndyikityha yokufa, ndiya kwenza ukuthanda kwakhe.

Ukuyeka Kwam Ukoyika Ukufa

Ndakhulela kwilali ekwiikhilomitha ezilishumi ukusuka eComo, eItali, kufuphi nakumda weSwiss. Xa ndandisemncinane, ndajamelana nentlungu nokoyika ukufa. Isifo soMbathalala sabulala oodadewethu ababini. Kwaza ngowe-1930, xa ndandineminyaka emithandathu ubudala, ndafelwa ngumama, uLuigia. Ekubeni ndandikhule ndingumKatolika, ndandithobela imithetho yecawa ndisiya veki nganye eMthendelekweni. Kodwa ukuze ndiyeke ukoyika ukufa ndancedwa kungekhona ecaweni kodwa kwivenkile yokucheba iinwele.

Ngowe-1944, iMfazwe Yehlabathi II yayiqengq’ ugodo. Ndandingomnye wamajoni aseItali angamashumi amawaka awabaleka emfazweni aya kutsho eSwitzerland. Ekufikeni kwethu apho sasiwa kwiinkampu eziliqela. Ndasiwa kweyayikufuphi naseSteinach, emntla-mpuma welo lizwe. Apho saba nenkululeko ethile. Umnini-venkile yokucheba iinwele eSteinach wayefuna umntu owayeza kumnceda okwexeshana. Ndamsebenzela ndaza ndahlala naye inyanga enye kuphela, kodwa kwelo xeshana ndaqhelana nomntu owatshintsha ubomi bam.

Omnye wabantu ababesiza kucheba kule venkile yayinguAdolfo Tellini, umTaliyane owayehlala eSwitzerland. Wayengomnye wamaNgqina kaYehova. Andizange khe ndeva ngeli qela, kodwa ke phofu yayingamangalisi kangako loo nto xa ucinga ukuba kwakukho amaNgqina angaphezu nje kwe-150 kulo lonke elaseItali. UAdolfo wandixelela inyaniso yeBhayibhile emangalisayo, ithemba lokuphila ngoxolo ‘nobomi obuyintabalala.’ (Yoh. 10:10; ISityhi. 21:3, 4) Ndaba nemincili ndakuva ngesigidimi sekamva apho kungasayi kubakho mfazwe nakufa. Ukubuyela kwam enkampini yeembacu, ndaxelela omnye umfana ongumTaliyane, uGiuseppe Tubini, ngeli themba yaye naye wachukumiseka. UAdolfo namanye amaNgqina babedla ngokusityelela enkampini.

UAdolfo waya nam eArbon, ekumgama omalunga neekhilomitha ezilishumi ukusuka eSteinach, apho iqela elincinane lamaNgqina laliqhuba iintlanganiso ngesiTaliyane. Kwandichukumisa  oko ndakuvayo kangangokuba ngeveki elandelayo ndahamba ngenyawo ukuya apho. Kamva, ndaya kwindibano yamaNgqina kwiholo yendibano eZurich. Yandothusa gqitha intetho eyayibonisa imifanekiso yeenkampu ekwakubulawa abantu kuzo nemfumba yezidumbu. Ndeva ukuba amaNgqina amaninzi aseJamani aye abulawa ngenxa yokholo lwawo. Kuloo ndibano, ndadibana noMaria Pizzato. Ngenxa yemisebenzi awayeyenze njengeNgqina, wagwetywa iminyaka eli-11 ngamagunya aseItali angamaFasi.

Ekupheleni kwemfazwe, ndabuyela eItali ndaza ndanxulumana nebandla elincinane laseComo. Isifundo sam seBhayibhile ndandingasiqhutyelwa rhoqo, kodwa ndandiyazi kakuhle inyaniso esisiseko. UMaria Pizzato naye wayekwelo bandla. Wandixelela ngokubaluleka kokuba ndibhaptizwe njengomKristu waza wandikhuthaza ukuba ndityelele uMarcello Martinelli, owayehlala eCastione Andevenno, kwiphondo lase Sondrio. UMarcello wayengumzalwana othanjisiweyo nothembekileyo owagwetywa iminyaka eli-11 ngurhulumente onguzwilakhe. Kwafuneka ukuba ndihambe ngebhayisekile iikhilomitha ezingama-80 ukuya kumtyelela.

UMarcello wasebenzisa iBhayibhile ukundicacisela oko kufunekayo ukuze umntu afanelekele ukubhaptizwa, emva koko sathandaza saza saya kumlambo iAdda, apho ndabhaptizelwa khona. KwakungoSeptemba 1946. Elo yayilusuku olukhetheke ngokwenene! Ndandingaziva yimincili ngenxa yesigqibo endisenzileyo sokukhonza uYehova nokuba nethemba elomeleleyo ngekamva, kangangokuba ndayiqonda kamva into yokuba ngaloo mini ndihambe ngebhayisekile iikhilomitha ezili-160!

NgoMeyi 1947, indibano yokuqala eyabakho emva kwemfazwe eItali, yayiseMilan. Kwakukho abantu abamalunga nama-700, kuquka noninzi lwabo babekhe batshutshiswa ngamaFasi. Kuloo ndibano kwenzeka into engaqhelekanga. UGiuseppe Tubini, endashumayela kuye kwinkampu yeembacu, wanikela intetho yobhaptizo—emva koko naye waya kubhaptizwa!

Kuloo ndibano, ndaba nelungelo lokudibana noMzalwan’ uNathan Knorr, owayevela kwiBheteli yaseBrooklyn. Wakhuthaza mna noGiuseppe ukuba sichithe ubomi bethu enkonzweni kaThixo. Ndagqiba kwelokuba kwinyanga elandelayo ndiqalise inkonzo yexesha elizeleyo. Ekubuyeni kwam ekhaya, ndaxelela intsapho yakowethu ngesigqibo endisenzileyo, yaye bonke bazama ukundidimaza. Sekunjalo, ndandizimisele ukubambelela kuso. Ngoko emva kwenyanga ndaqalisa inkonzo yam yaseBheteli eMilan. Kwakukho abathunywa bevangeli abane ababekhonza apho: UGiuseppe (Joseph) Romano nomfazi wakhe, uAngelina; uCarlo Benanti nomfazi wakhe, uCostanza. Ilungu lesihlanu laloo ntsapho lalinguGiuseppe Tubini, owayesandul’ ukufika ndaza mna ndaba lelesithandathu.

Emva kwenyanga ndiseBheteli, ndamiselwa njengomveleli wesiphaluka wokuqala oyinzalelwane yaseItali. UMzalwan’ uGeorge Fredianelli, umthunywa wevangeli wokuqala ukufika eItali evela eUnited States ngowe-1946, wayesele ekumsebenzi wokuhambahamba. Wandiqeqesha kangangeeveki ezimbalwa ndaza emva koko ndaqalisa ukusebenza ndodwa. Ndisalikhumbula nangoku ibandla lokuqala endalityelelayo—eFaenza. Khawufan’ ucinge! Kaloku de kube ngoko ndandingekanikeli nentetho le ebandleni! Sekunjalo, ndakhuthaza abo babekho, kuquka nolutsha oluninzi, ukuba bacinge ngokuba kwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo. Kamva, abanye kolo lutsha bafumana iimbopheleleko ezinkulu kwintsimi yesiTaliyane.

Ngoku ubomi bam babuza kubangel’ umdla njengomveleli wesiphaluka. Kwakukho izinto ezimangalisayo, ezifuna ukuhlengahlengiswa, ezilucelomngeni nezibangel’ uvuyo yaye abazalwana noodade abathandekayo babendiphatha ngothando gqitha.

Isiphendu Esabangelwa Ngabantu Bonqulo Emva Kwemfazwe EItali

Makhe ndikuthele tshuphe ngemeko yonqulo eItali ngaloo minyaka. Kwakukhonya iCawa yamaKatolika. Nangona umgaqo-siseko omtsha waqalisa ukusebenza ngowe-1948, kodwa imithetho yobuFasi ethintela amaNgqina ekushumayeleni ngokukhululekileyo yapheliswa  ngowe-1956. Ngenxa yengcinezelo evela kubefundisi, iindibano zesiphaluka zazidla ngokuphazamiseka. Kodwa maxa wambi imigudu yaba befundisi yasiwa phantsi, ibe yiloo nto kanye eyenzeka ngowe-1948 eSulmona, idolophana ekumbindi weItali.

Indibano yayiqhutyelwa kwiholo yemiboniso. Ngentsasa yangeCawa, ndandingusihlalo yaye uGiuseppe Romano wayenikela intetho yesidlangalala. Abantu ababezile babebaninzi gqitha xa ucinga ngenani labavakalisi elalikho ngelo xesha. Abavakalisi ababekho babengafikanga nakuma-500 kulo lonke elo lizwe, kodwa loo holo yayizaliswe ngabantu abangama-2 000. Ekupheleni kwentetho, omnye umfana owayeqhutywa ngabefundisi ababini ababelapho, wakhwela eqongeni. Ezama ukwenza isiphendu, waqalisa ukukhwaza ekhupha lonke ilizwi lakhe. Kwangoko ndathi kuye, “Ukuba kukho into ofuna ukuyithetha, qasha eyakho iholo, uze uthethe nantoni na oyithandayo.” Abantu abazange bayithande le nto ayenzayo baza bamhewula. Ngenxa yoko, lo mfana wehla eqongeni waza wanyamalala.

Ngezo mini, umsebenzi wokuhambahamba wawubangel’ umdla. Maxa wambi ndandihamba ngenyawo ukusuka kwelinye ibandla ukuya kwelinye, ndikhwele ibhayisekile yam, ndikhwele iibhasi ezigxokogxoko nezizele zama ngeembambo okanye ndihambe ngololiwe. Maxa wambi, ndandilala esitalini okanye kwindawo ehlala izixhobo zokusebenza. Kwakusandul’ ukuphela imfazwe yaye amaTaliyane amaninzi ayehlwempuzekile. Babembalwa abazalwana ababekho yaye babengathathi ntweni. Sekunjalo sasiphila kamnandi enkonzweni kaYehova.

Ukufumana Uqeqesho EGiliyadi

Ngowe-1950, mna noGiuseppe Tubini samenyelwa kwiklasi ye-16 yesikolo saseGiliyadi sabathunywa bevangeli. Zisuka nje, ndabona ukuba ndiza kutsala nzima ukufunda isiNgesi. Ndazama konke okusemandleni am, kodwa lo yayingumnqantsa. Kwakufuneka siyifunde yonke iBhayibhile ngesiNgesi. Ukuze ndikwazi ukwenjenjalo, maxa wambi ndandingayi kwisidlo sasemini ukuze ndiqhelisele ukufundela ngaphandle. Ekugqibeleni, lade lafika ithuba lokuba ndinikele intetho. Ndisawakhumbula amagqabaza enziwa ngumhlohli wethu ngokungathi ebewathetha izolo, xa wathi, “Izimbo zomzimba nentshiseko yakho zisemagqabini, kodwa isiNgesi sakho asivakali!” Nangona kunjalo, ndakwazi ukuzigqiba ngempumelelo izifundo zam. Emva koko, mna noGiuseppe sathunyelwa eItali. Olu qeqesho longezelelekileyo, lwasixhobisa ngakumbi ukuba sikwazi ukukhonza abazalwana.

Ngowe-1955, ndatshata noLidia, ibe intetho yokubhaptizwa kwakhe yanikelwa ndim kwiminyaka  esixhenxe ngaphambilana. Uyise uDomenico, wayengumzalwana othandekayo nowayencede bonke abantwana bakhe abasixhenxe ukuba babambelele enyanisweni nangona wayetshutshiswe lulawulo lobuFasi waza wagxothwa kwelo iminyaka emithathu. ULidia naye wayesilwela inyaniso. Kwafuneka aye enkundleni izihlandlo ezithathu ngaphambi kokuba ilungelo lethu lokushumayela kwindlu ngendlu lamkelwe. Emva kweminyaka emithandathu sitshatile, kwazalwa izibulo lethu, uBeniamino. Ngowe-1972 saphinda saba nomnye unyana, uMarco. Kuyandivuyisa ukuba bobabini neentsapho zabo bakhonza uYehova ngenkuthalo.

Ukuqhubeka Ndisebenza Enkonzweni KaYehova

Ebudeni beminyaka evuyisayo yokukhonza abanye, ndiye ndafumana amava angenakulibaleka. Ngokomzekelo, ebutsheni beminyaka ye-1980, uyise wenkosikazi yam wabhalela lowo wayesakuba ngumongameli waseItali, uSandro Pertini. Ebudeni bolawulo lobuFasi, bobabini bagxothelwa kwisiqithi saseVentotene, apho babethunyelwa khona abo babegqalwa njengeentshaba zolu lawulo. Wacela ukuthetha nalo mongameli ukuze anikele ubungqina kuye. Xa isicelo sakhe samkelwayo, ndamkhapha, yaye samkelwa ngobubele—into esasingayiqhelanga kwaphela. Umongameli wambulisa ngobubele waza wamanga. Emva koko sathetha ngokholo lwethu saza samshiyela iimpapasho ezithile.

Ngowe-1991, emva kweminyaka engama-44 ndingumveleli ohambahambayo, ndawushiya umsebenzi wesiphaluka, yaye ndandisele ndityelele amabandla akulo lonke elaseItali. Kwiminyaka emine elandela leyo, ndakhonza njengomveleli weHolo yeNdibano de kwafuneka ndiphungule eminye yemisebenzi yam ngenxa yempilo. Noko ke, ngenxa yobubele bukaYehova obungasifanelanga, ndisekwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo. Ndenza konke okusemandleni am ukushumayela nokufundisa iindaba ezilungileyo, ibe ndiqhuba nezifundo zeBhayibhile. Xa ndinikela iintetho, abazalwana basaqhubeka besithi, “ndiyavutha” yintshiseko. Ndiyambulela uYehova ngokuba ndisaqhubeka ndomelele nangona iminyaka ihambile.

Ngoxa ndandisemtsha, ndandihlala ndisoyika ukufa, kodwa ukuba nolwazi oluchanileyo lweBhayibhile kundinike ithemba eliqinisekileyo lobomi obungunaphakade—ubomi ‘obuyintabalala,’ njengoko uYesu wabubiza njalo. (Yoh. 10:10) Ngoku ndijonge phambili kuloo nto—ubomi obuzaliswe luxolo, unqabiseko nolonwabo neentsikelelo ezivela kuYehova ezingenakubaleka. Ngamana lonke uzuko lungaya kuMdali wethu onothando esinelungelo lokuthwala igama lakhe.—INdu. 83:18.

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 22, 23]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

SWITZERLAND

BERN

Zurich

Arbon

Steinach

ITALY

ROME

Como

Milan

River Adda

Castione Andevenno

Faenza

Sulmona

Ventotene

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 22]

Xa sasisiya eGiliyadi

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 22]

Ndikunye noGiuseppe eGiliyadi

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]

Ngemini esatshata ngayo

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]

Umfazi wam endimthandayo ebesoloko endixhasa kangangeminyaka engaphezu kwama-55