AMABHUKU la ayebizwa ngokuthi ngumchilowamakhosikazi. Ngathi ngiwahlola ngabona imifanekiso emihle kakhulu engayithandayo. Lokhu kwangenza ngalambela ukuzwa ulwazi lweBhayibhili olwalutholakala emabhukwini la kusukela ngimncane.

Impilo yami yantshintsha ngendlela ebuhlungu ngesikhathi iMpi Yomhlaba Yesibili iqala elizweni le-India. Abazali bami behlukana futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi bachitha umtshado. Ngangingakuzwisisi ukuthi kungani abazali bami behlukana ngoba ngangibathanda kakhulu. Ngahlukuluzeka kakhulu emoyeni njalo ngasengizibona ngilahlelwe iganga. Lanxa ngangizelwe ngaba ngedwa kangizange ngiyithole induduzo lokusekelwa engangikudinga.

Ngalesosikhathi mina lomama sasesihlala edolobheni okuthiwa yiKarachi. Ngelinye ilanga ngekhaya kwafika omunye udokotela okhulileyo okwakuthiwa nguFred Hardaker. Laye wayenguFakazi kaJehova njengomnali lowana owanika abazali bami amabhuku engikhulume ngawo. Udokotela lo wacela ukufunda lomama iBhayibhili kodwa umama wala wasesithi engxenye mina ngingakuthanda. Ngeviki elandelayo ngaqalisa ukufunda lomzalwane uHardaker.

 Ngemva kwamaviki amalutshwane ngaqalisa ukungena imihlangano yebandla eyayisenzelwa eklinika kamfowethu uHardaker. KwakulaboFakazi abakhulileyo abangaba ngu-12 ababengena imihlangano endaweni le. Babengiduduza futhi benginakekela njengendodana yabo. Ngilokhu ngisayikhumbula indlela ababengiphatha ngayo, babehlala lami nxa sisemihlanganweni, bekuthanda ukuxoxa lami futhi baba ngabangane beqiniso engangibadinga ngalesosikhathi.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi umfowethu uHardaker wangicela ukuthi ngihambe laye ekutshumayeleni. Wangifundisa ukusebenzisa igramafoni ukuze sidlalele abantu amarekhodi alezinkulumo zeBhayibhili ezimfitshane. Ezinye izinkulumo zakhona zazingakhekhelezi futhi abanye abantu abazange bazithande. Lanxa kunjalo ukutshumayeza abanye kwakungithokozisa. Ngangilithanda iqiniso eliseBhayibhilini futhi ngangikukhuthalele ukutshela abanye ngalo.

Ngesikhathi ibutho leJapan liqala ukuhlasela e-India izikhulu zeBritain zabathwalisa nzima oFakazi bakaJehova. NgoJuly 1943 lami ngehlelwa yibunzima ngenxa yomumo lo owawukhona. Umphathisikolo owayengumfundisi we-Anglican wangixotsha esikolo ngoba wayesithi kangenzi lokho ababekukhangelele. Watshela umama wathi ukuzihlanganisa kwami laboFakazi bakaJehova kwenza ngibe yisibonelo esibi kwabanye abantwana. Lokhu kwamzondisa umama wasengivimbela ukuthi ngihlangane laboFakazi. Ngokuya kwesikhathi wangigadisa isikepe ngaya kubaba ePeshawar idolobho elalisenyakatho futhi elalikhatshana ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-1 370. Ubungane bami loJehova baqala ukwehla ngoba kwasekunzima ukukhonza kanye lokuhlangana labanye.

Ngo-1947 ngabuyela eKarachi ngisiyadinga umsebenzi. Ngathi sengifike khona ngahamba ngayavakatshela udokotela uHardaker eklinika yakhe. Wangamukela kuhle kakhulu.

Wangibuza wathi: “Ukhathazwa yini wethu?” ngoba wayecabanga ukuthi ngilande ukuzokwelatshwa.

Ngamphendula ngathi: “Dokotela, kangiguli. Ngifuna ukufundiswa iBhayibhili.”

Wangibuza wathi: “Ufuna ukuqalisa nini?”

Ngamphendula ngathi: “Ngingaqalisa lakhathesi uma kusenza.”

Saba lengxoxo yeBhayibhili emnandi ngaleyo ntambama. Kwangiduduza kakhulu ukuphinda ngihlangane labantu bakaJehova. Umama wazama sibili ukungivimbela ukuthi ngihlangane laboFakazi kodwa kaphumelelanga ngoba ngasengizimisele ukukhonza uJehova. Ngazinikela kuJehova futhi ngabhabhathizwa mhlaka 31 August 1947. Ngathi sengileminyaka engu-17 ngahle ngaqala ukuba liphayona lesikhathi sonke.

Ngaqalisa ukuphayona eQuetta. Indawo le yayike yaba lenkamba yamabutho aseBritain. Ngo-1947 ilizwe leli lehlukaniswa kwabunjwa i-India lePakistan. * Isenzo lesi senza kwaba lokulwisana emasontweni njalo sabangela ukuthi abantu bachithekane ngendlela emangalisayo besiya ezindaweni ezitshiyeneyo. Abantu abangaba ngu-14 miliyoni basuka bayaphephela kwezinye izindawo. AmaMuslim ayese-India asuka aya ePakistan kwathi amaHindu lamaSikh ayesePakistan athutha ayahlala e-India. Ngesikhathi sobunzima lobu ngasuka eKarachi ngagada isitimela esasigcwele nswi ngaya eQuetta, umango wonke lowo nganginombele ensimbini ezingaphandle.

Ngesikhathi ngiseQuetta ngahlangana lomzalwane owayeleminyaka edlula 20 okwakuthiwa nguGeorge Singh owayeliphayona eliqakathekileyo. UGeorge wanginika ibhayisikili elidala ukuze ngilisebenzise nxa ngitshumayela emangweni lo olezindawo eziqansileyo. Izikhathi ezinengi ngangitshumayela ngedwa. Kungakapheli izinyanga eziyisithupha ngasengifunda iBhayibhili labantu abangu-17 njalo abanye babo balamukela iqiniso. Omunye wabo nguSadiq Masih owayelisotsha. Indoda le yasincedisa mina loGeorge ukuthi sihumutshe amabhuku eBhayibhili ngolimi lwesi-Urdu olukhulunywa ePakistan. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uSadiq waba ngummemezeli wezindaba ezinhle okhutheleyo.

Ngemva kwesikhathi ngabuyela eKarachi ngayasebenza loHenry Finch loHarry Forrest abanali ababesanda kufika bevela eSikolo seGiliyadi. Abazalwane laba bangiqeqetsha kakhulu. Ngesinye isikhathi ngahamba lomfowethu uFinch sisiyatshumayela enyakatho yePakistan. Endaweni le sathola abantu abathobekileyo ababekhuluma ulimi lwesi-Urdu ababekulambele  ukuzwa iqiniso eliseBhayibhilini. Ngemva kweminyaka emibili ngaya eSikolo seGiliyadi, sengiqedile ngabuyela ePakistan njalo nganikwa umsebenzi wokubambela umbonisi wesiqinti. Ngangihlala emzini wabanali owawusedolobheni leLahore ndawonye labazalwane abathathu ababengabanali.

Okudanisayo yikuthi ngo-1954, kwaba lokungezwani phakathi kwabanali eLahore okwabangela ukuthi igatsha libabuyisele kibo. Lami ngaphiwa iseluleko esilamandla ngoba ngathatha uhlangothi engxabanweni le. Lokhu kwangiqeda amandla njalo ngazibona ngiyisehluleki. Ngabuyela eKarachi futhi ngemva kwalokho ngaya edolobheni leLondon eNgilandi ngilethemba lokuthi ukuba sendaweni entsha kuzangisiza ukuthi ngilungise isimo sami.

Ebandleni engangikulo eLondon kwakulabazalwane abanengi ababesebenza eBhetheli. Umfowethu uPryce Hughes owayeyinceku yegatsha wangisondeza eduze wangiqeqetsha. Ngelinye ilanga wangixoxela ngalokho okwenzakala kuye aze aphiwe iseluleko esilamandla ngumfowethu uJoseph F. Rutherford owayekhokhela umsebenzi wokutshumayela emhlabeni wonke. Ngesikhathi umfowethu uHughes ezama ukuzivikela umfowethu uRutherford wamvuthela ngeseluleko. Ngamangala ngibona umfowethu uHughes ebobotheka ngesikhathi engilandisela indaba le. Uthi indaba le yamcaphula ekuqaliseni. Kodwa ngemva kwesikhathi wananzelela ukuthi wayesidinga iseluleko esiqinileyo lokuthi ukusiphiwa kwakutshengisa ukuthi uJehova uyamthanda. (Heb. 12:6) Amazwi akhe angithinta inhliziyo futhi anginceda ukuthi ngiqalise ukukhonza ngentokozo.

Ngalesosikhathi umama wathuthela eLondon futhi wavuma ukufunda iBhayibhili lomfowethu uJohn E. Barr owacina elilunga leQula Elibusayo. Umama wathuthuka kuhle kakhulu wasebhabhathizwa ngo-1957. Ngaphinda ngezwa ukuthi ubaba engakatshoni wayesefunda iBhayibhili laboFakazi bakaJehova.

Ngo-1958 ngatshada lodade okuthiwa nguLene owayedabuka eDenmark. Ngomnyaka olandelayo sazibula ngendodakazi yethu uJane futhi ngemva kwakhe kwalandela abanye abantwana abane. Kanti njalo ngaphiwa amalungelo enkonzo ebandleni esasingena kulo eFulham. Ngokuya kwesikhathi kwadingakala ukuthi sithuthe siye endaweni etshisayo ngenxa yokuthi uLene wayengasaphilanga. Yikho ngo-1967 sathuthela edolobheni le-Adelaide e-Australia.

Ibandla esasingena kulo e-Adelaide lalilabagcotshiweyo abangu-12. Lanxa basebegugile babekhuthele kakhulu emsebenzini wokutshumayela. Akusithathanga sikhathi ukuhlela kuhle izimo zethu ukuze sikhonze uJehova sikhululekile.

Ngo-1979 uLene wabeletha umntanethu wesihlanu uDaniel. UDaniel wazalwa elomkhuhlane obuhlungu  okuthiwa yi-Down syndrome * njalo kwakungathembisi ukuthi angaphila okwesikhathi eside. Lakhathesi kunzima ukuthi ngichaze ubuhlungu esabuzwayo. Sasisenza konke okusemandleni ethu ukuze simnakekele uDaniel ngapha sinakekela labanye abantwabethu abane. Ngezinye izikhathi sasimgijimisela esibhedlela esentshintshe umbala waba luhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ngenxa yokuswela i-oxygen okwakubangelwa yizikhala ezimbili ezazisenhliziyweni yakhe. UDaniel wayekhaliphile futhi elothando lanxa nje wayengaphilanga kuhle. Wayemthanda kakhulu uJehova. Nxa sikhuleka singakadli wayehlanganisa okuyizandla kwakhe okuncane, anqekuze ikhanda lakhe abesesithi, “Ameni” ngokusuka enhliziyweni. Ngemva kwalokho abe sezidlela ukudla kwakhe.

UDaniel wathi eseleminyaka emine wahlaselwa ngumhlobo wemvukuzane okuthiwa yi-leukemia. Saphela amandla futhi sadana kakhulu. Ikhanda lami laseliduma sengiswele lokuthi ngenzeni. Kwathi ngobunye ubusuku sidane kakhulu kwafika umfowethu uNeville Bromwich owayesihambela. Wehluleka ukuzibamba, zehla zodwa wasesigona, sakhala sonke. Amazwi akhe alothando lozwelo asiduduza kakhulu. UNeville wasuka endlini yethu ngo-1 ebusuku. UDaniel watshona ngalobobusuku futhi ukufa kwakhe kwasitshiya sisebuhlungwini obukhulu. Lanxa kunjalo, sabubekezelela ubuhlungu lobu silethemba lokuthi akula lutho olungehlukanisa uDaniel lothando lukaJehova. (Rom. 8:38, 39) Sisilindele ngabomvu isikhathi lapho esizahlangana laye esevusiwe emhlabeni omutsha.—Joh. 5:28, 29.

Kulezinsuku angiphilanga emzimbeni ngenxa yokuthi ngatshaywa yi-stroke kabili. Lanxa kunjalo lokhu ngingumdala ebandleni. Ubunzima engidlule kubo bungifundise ukuba lesihawu lozwelo ikakhulu kulabo abaphakathi kwezinhlupho. Ngiyazama ukuthi ngingabahluleli. Nxa ngibasiza ngijayele ukuzibuza ukuthi: ‘Izinto abahlangane lazo empilweni ziyintshintshe njani imizwa yabo kanye lendlela abacabanga ngayo? Ngingatshengisa njani ukuthi ngiyabakhathalela? Ngingabakhuthaza njani ukuthi balandele izindlela zikaJehova?’ Ngiyawuthanda kakhulu umsebenzi wokwalusa ibandla. Ukududuza abanye lokubaqinisa ekukhonzeni kuyangiqinisa njalo kungiduduze.

Lami ngivumelana lomhubi owabhala wathi: “Nxa ukunqineka kwase kungikhulela, induduzo yakho [Jehova] yaletha intokozo emphefumulweni wami.” (Hubo. 94:19) Zinengi inhlupho engihlangane lazo ezigoqela ukuphikiswa ngamalunga emuli, ukuzisola ngenxa yamaphutha ebengiwenza, ubunzima obehlela imuli yami kanye lokuhlaselwa ngumkhuhlane wokuhlulukelwa. UJehova ubengisekela kubo bonke ubunzima lobu futhi ngingatsho ngiphinde ukuthi unguBaba sibili.