Umbhali wamabhayisikili u-Peter Foot uhamba nathi ukuze sigibele ibhayisikili elimangalisayo njengoba engena emizileni ethule nasemigwaqweni ewubhuqu e-Dandenongs Ranges, empumalanga ye-Melbourne, e-Australia. Njengoba uzofunda, lokhu bekungeyona indlela yakho yokugibela ibhayisikili – bekuyithuba lokuhlehla futhi ubheke umhlaba osuhlanyayo, nokuzwa ukubonga ngezinto ezisho kakhulu.
Umthunzi odabukile wenza kube nzima ukubona amatshe ukude. I-track engela phansi futhi ngiphakamisa isivinini. Ngizwe kuheleza umoya egolo, ngizwe isivunguvungu se freehub.
Abashaneli abasheshayo abambalwa. Ngibheka phambili ukuze ngibone umugqa, bese ngibheka phansi ukuze ngihlole amatshe, bese ngibuyela emugqeni. Kukhona ibhayisikili, nokuxhumana kwami kulo, kanye nomzila, kanye nephunga elimnandi lehlathi. Ngimisa izinqe ukuze amasondo alume abese ekhukhuleka ngokulithinta nje futhi lonke ibhayisikili lizwakale liqhakazile okomnsalo ohlehlayo futhi ungidubula ngendlela ephumayo. Yebo. Nakho-ke.
Kukhona okungajulile ngakho, lokhu okuhlangenwe nakho kwe-kinetic. Uma ubhalansisa ngokweqile, lapho unyawo olulodwa lumi esiphithiphithini, lukubuyisela emuva. Ngiyakudinga lokho manje. Ngiboshwe njengewashi lezinsuku eziyinkulungwane, ukuze ngiboleke amazwi kaowayengundunankulu wase-Australia uPaul Keating. Kube unyaka ongajwayelekile.
Futhi ngikhathele. Ukukhathala kakhulu. Ngaphandle kokuthatha isinqumo nginakile ngiyayeka ukupeda. I-freehub ishona phansi bese ichofoza ukuze ime, bese ngikhetha indawo engahleliwe eduze kwethrekhi bese ngilala phansi. Ngikhumule isigqoko sami bese ngidedela ikhanda lami emhlabathini bese ngivala amehlo ami.
Kube unyaka ongajwayelekile. Ubhubhane, kunjalo. EVictoria, enye yezindawo ezikhiya kanzima emhlabeni. Ubani owayengabikezela, ngonyaka owedlule, ukuthi ebusika buka-2020 uzodinga iphepha - empeleni ipasipoti - ukuhamba amakhilomitha angaphezu kwamahlanu ukusuka ekhaya? Ukuthi kusihlwa ngingene phakathi nomgwaqo ngaphandle kwendlu yami - ngokwephula umthetho wewashi - futhi ngingaboni mphefumulo. Akekho umuntu ohambayo, akukho zimoto, akukho msindo, njenge-apocalypse. Futhi okuxakayo kukho konke, ukuthi uhulumeni wobumbano uzophinda kabiliInkokhelo yabafuna umsebenzi.
Kwabe sekuvela izinto ezingajwayelekile ezavele zaba inkimbinkimbi. Izibalo zobungozi ozenzayo mayelana nokwanga ilungu lomndeni, noma ukuxhawula umngane womshado. Indlela obudlula ngayo, kwesinye isikhathi ngokuzixaka, ukuthi lowo muntu ukhwehlele kanjani eduze kwakho esitolo esikhulu, noma ucikicile iso lakho ungekho? Ngephutha elincane, elingenacala, ungabeka kanjani engozini ukuphepha kwabathandekayo bakho? Kwesinye isikhathi kuzwakala sengathi u-2020 ubewumsebenzi wokulawula ukukhathazeka. Okungenani sengingcono manje.
Kancane kancane ngivula isikhala esingizungezile. Ukuhwashaza kwamaqabunga kuheleza nomoya ohelezayo we-cockatoo emhlophe. Ngijabulela ubumnandi obupholile bomthunzi. Izintuthwane ezimbalwa zikhasa kimi. Ukukitaza okuncane eqakaleni, okunye engalweni yami. Impukane eyinqaba iduma nxazonke. Ngizwa ubuchopho bami budonswa phansi amandla adonsela phansi. Ngincike ekukhathaleni. Iyawa...
… ukuhlaba okubukhali edolweni lami. I-spasm ezenzakalelayo ingenza ngiqonde. Aimashi indiza. Ngiyishaya ngengemuva lesandla. Kunini ngilapha? Ngifuna ukuphumula okwengeziwe, njengomuntu owomile ufuna amanzi. Kodwa sengiphapheme manje. Uhlobo oluyaluzayo. Kwangathi futhi ukuqhubeka. Ngigibela ibhayisikili lami ngokukhathala.
Ngihamba ngengoma elula ekabili ye-Dandenong Creek Trail ngize ngifike ku-Zig Zag Track. Ibizwa kanjalo ngoba ihlehla inyuka ibheke esicongweni seNtaba iDandenong. Ngihlale ngigaye, ngigcine isisindo sami siphansi naphambili. Isondo langaphambili liphakama kancane lisuka phansi bese ngishwiba kwesokunxele nakwesokudla ukuze ngilinganise. Umjuluko wenza isikibha sami sinamathele kimi. Umuntu ogijimayo uyangidlula ngiyehla bese sishintshana ngokubingelela.
Ngiphinde ngifinyelele kuleveli encane yethrekhi, bese ngiyehlisa umqansa ojabulisayo oqondile namatshe ambalwa. Ngiyibambe emgqeni bese ngikala izimfoloko. Ngigibela phezu kwamatshe futhi ngizwe amaqhubu esebenza kuwoyela kanye negumbi lomoya futhi akhuphuke ngamahedisethi namathambo ezingalweni zami. Yebo, sekukhona futhi. Kukhona injabulo ekuhambeni. Injabulo.
Kuneqeqebana labantu eligiyayo emzileni ongaphambili. Ngehlisa ijubane futhi uma ngiseduze kwabo uhlaza olungakwesobunxele lwami luyayeka futhi kunalokho kunombono wedolobha. Ibanzi futhi ayivinjwanga, njengokuma amafidi ambalwa ukusuka kusikrini se-IMAX.
I-CBD iyiqoqo elincane lezinti kude. Amadlelo ahamba aze ayofika phansi kwentaba engaphansi kwami. Ngiyakwazi ukubona okuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka okumnyama kwetheku eliseningizimu kanye nokumpunga okufiphele kobubanzi obusenyakatho. Kwakufana nejele elikhulu, esikhathini esingeside esidlule. Lomuzi wonke. Izungezwe ichweba kanye nobubanzi nezindawo zokuhlola amaphoyisa. Uyahlanya.
Umkami wathola umphumela wokuhlola ekuqaleni konyaka. Kodwa kwakungeyona eye-COVID. Wayekhulelwe ingane yethu yokuqala. I-COVID-19 ibingakafiki ogwini lwethu, kodwa lapho ikwenza kwaba izinto eziyinkimbinkimbi, njengakho konke ukuxhumana nohlelo lwezokwelapha oluhilelekile ekukhulelweni nasekuzalweni. Izibalo zobungozi ezengeziwe, izinqubo ezintsha eziyinqaba. Kwenye yama-ultrasounds, ozakwethu baxoshwa egunjini lokulinda. Ngama phandle emzileni nabanye obaba ababili engizoba nabo, ngibuka umkami engibhacile engilazini. Omunye wabafana owayesenengane wangitshela kancane ngobubaba.
Ukungaqiniseki kwaqina njengoba amagagasi ezifo eziwumshayabhuqe eza edlula. Kwanqunywa ukuthi abalingani bazovunyelwa kuphela ukuthi bahlale esibhedlela ngemva kwamahora amabili bezelwe. Kwanqunywa ukuthi abesifazane abasebenzayo bangase bangasebenzisi ukugeza noma ishawa, isu elivame kakhulu elisetshenziselwa ukuphumula nokulawula ubuhlungu. Yimiphi eminye imithetho engase imiswe ngokuzumayo? Kuthiwani uma kwenzeka nginomkhuhlane? Bengizovunyelwa ukungena? Umkami angasebenza yedwa na? Ingabe ngingakukhumbula ukuzalwa kwengane yami? Ekugcineni sakhetha ukuzalwa ekhaya.
Ngishiya umbono wedolobha ngemuva futhi isikhashana kamuva umzila usuka endaweni eyisicaba futhi ubanzi uye endaweni eyinqaba, enamatshe. Ngima phezulu ngibheke phansi. Ibhola lomugqa. Kwelinye ibhayisikili lami ngeke ngingabaze. Kodwa anginayo i-dropper, futhi nginobude besiqu obuningi kunohambo lwemfoloko. Eminyakeni embalwa edlule ngadlula izinsimbi zaleli bhayisikili futhi ngaphuka ingalo. Lokho ngeke kwenzeke manje, nengane nakho konke.
Ngehla futhi ngigibele phansi nebhayisikili lami. Ukunyakaza kwami kunesineke futhi akuqondile. Angikho lapha ngempela. Umqondo wami ubambeke ezintweni ezincane, njengokuthi le mpukane yangivusa kanjani ngaphambili. Ngiyazikhuza ngokucabanga into ewubulima kangaka. Ngiyalumosha lolu suku oluhle, futhi lokho kuvele kungiqinise. Ngiboshwe njengewashi lezinsuku eziyinkulungwane.
Ngemva kwemizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu ngifika ekhefi. Ngi-oda i-foccacia yemifino eyosiwe kanye ne-mango smoothie. Ngisadla ngiyaphefumula. Vele uphefumule. Ngibheka phansi ububanzi nasemanzini amnyama e-Silvan Resevoir, imbobo ejulile engaphakathi kwe-canopy eluhlaza yehlathi. Ngiyahlafuna futhi ngiyaphefumula.
Ngemva kwesidlo sasemini ngithola indawo enomthunzi eduze kwe-gazebo bese ngilala phansi emhlabathini oswakeme. Sengizophumula ngokwanele manje. Akukho okungangiphazamisa. Imicabango eddie and swirl. Ageza ogwini lwengqondo yami, futhi ngiwabuke ehlehlela emanzini. Ngizwa umoya ohelezayo esikhumbeni sami. Ngemva kwesikhashana ngiphinde ngivule amehlo ami futhi ngichithe imizuzu embalwa ngibuka indlela ilanga elikhanyisa ngayo amanye amaqabunga aluhlaza okotshani, kuyilapho amanye esethunzini. Umoya ohelezayo wenza ukukhanya kulokoze futhi kugxume.
Ngigcoba i-sunscreen ezingalweni zami nasebusweni nasentanyeni. Ngiphinde ngijikise umlenze wami ngiphinde nginyakaze ngilandele ingoma eyodwa ebushelelezi. Ngigibela ihlathi lezihlahla ezinde kunawo wonke engake ngawabona. Kwelinye elikhulu likagamthilini elifile, othile ufake isicabha esincane. Ngiyivule nansi i-mask yokuhlinza ngaphakathi.
Ngiphumela ku-Olinda Creek Road. Yehla ohlangothini olungasempumalanga lobubanzi. Ngiphakamisa isivinini. Ngindiza ngidlula i-cobalt eluhlaza okwesibhakabhakai-agapanthus, amakhanda abo ahubhukile afinyelela eceleni komgwaqo, sengathi aqaqe izintamo ukuze angibuke ngidlula. Yeka igama elihle:i-agapanthus.Yeka indlela okujabulisa ngayo ukuthi zikhona, futhi zinegama elihle kangaka, nokuthi ilanga liphumile.
Ekupheleni komgwaqo ngibheka imephu yami, futhi ngathatha ithrekhi engingayijwayele. Futhi ngenza lokhu engize lapha ukukwenza. Emahoreni ambalwa alandelayo ngaqala phansi amathrekhi engingawajwayele futhi ngigijimisa amehlo ami phezulu naphansi ezihlahleni futhi ngiyakhala. Ngithola i-singletrack engavamile ukusetshenziswa enamalogi amancane phansi phezu kwayo. Ngikala ingaphambili nesikalo phezu kwawo futhi ngezinye izikhathi isondo langemuva ligudla amagxolo, futhi ngezinye izikhathi ngiwasula ahlanzeke ngomnyakazo owodwa.
Kamuva nginyathela ithrekhi ebanzi, eyisicaba futhi ngidlula umuntu ohamba ngezinyawo futhi ngibuka amagxolo kagamthilini. Kamuva ngigaya umzila oqondile, okhule kakhulu odlula endaweni yezihlahla ezinamaqabunga abanzi. Inomthunzi omuhle futhi ingikhumbuza ihlathi laseNyakatho Melika. Okwesikhashana ngikhohlwa yonke into futhi nginomuzwa wokuthi empeleni ngingaba ngakolunye uhlangothi lwezwe. Ngima umzuzu ngibone ai-lyrebirdukunwaya emhlabathini. Ama-Dandenong anqamule ngezindlela ezinjalo. Kufanelekile ukuthatha usuku ukuze uzihlole.
