Ngenxa yami – ngineminyaka engu-14 – ngangithola ubuBhritani – Kwakuyindaba yangempela

Kwakuwuhambo lwesikole eNgilandi. Ngezinga eliningi lesikole kwakuyohambo lokuqala eNgilandi. Sasisebenza kancane, sinomoya wokufuna ukwazi, futhi iLondon yayiyindawo enkulu kubo bonke. Indawo esihlanganyela kuyo phakathi uhambo lwasezindaweni yabe iyisi Trafalgar Square, eyodwa yezindawo ezidume kakhulu emadolobheni. Lapha bekumele sihlangane njalo ngaphambi kokuthi sibe nomphakathi olandelayo.

Ngaleso sikhathi ngineminyaka engu-14. Ngaphambilini kwaba nezinhlobo ezimbili zomhlaba: iPoland kanye neJalimane. Njengomnyakazo wasePoland kanye nabasekela abavakashelayo, ngithole lezi zimbili. EJalimane – noma kunjalo ngezinga lami lesikhathi – bekukhona kuphela inani elilinganiselwe lezizwe. Okuningi kunokukodwa kwakungavamile.

Ngosuku olunjalo sahlala isikhathi eside eTrafalgar Square. Abavakashi babhuka phansi, izimoto zazidlula, izingulube zidalela ngaphezulu kwephalamende. Bekuyisici futhi kubonakala.

Umfundi wami wenza isibindi sami sikhathaza ngomuntu othile.

Ibhokisi elikhulu lifuduka khona – phansi kwendawo – lingazange likhishwe ngumnikazi.

Ibhokisi bekungeluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Ngokufana nesipho. Bekuyinselelo futhi beyingxenye enkulu, kanti akekho obheke ukusebenzisa. Akekho umnikazi eduze, no muntu obheka ngaso.

Eminyakeni yama-1990 eNgilandi bekuyisikhathi lapho izigameko zokuhluphelela kwenzeka nge Provisional Irish Republican Army. Izimemezelo ze-bombe zaziyimpahla.

Ngangibheka ibhokisi futhi ngathi ngengqondo yokuzijabulisa, ngithi: “Kumele kube i-bombe.”

Umfundi wami uthembisa ukuthi ibhokisi alifani nakunini.

Kunjengoba abafana abancane be-13 noma 14, abanye basemkhakheni wabafundi bekungakhathaleli kahle. Bekhula phambi kwendawo yokuhlala, bagwaza “Bombe!” futhi balahlekelwa yizikhathi ezithokozisayo. Kubona njengomdlalo. Umsebenzi.

Lo mdlalo waba nendlela yokufunda ngesiZulu esikhathini esizayo.

Nge-15 imizuzu, kwavela amaphoyisa kanye nabantu abahlolile. I-situation yahlala ingakhethi. Ama-Siren, i-Barrier, umkhumbulo. Abaholi bexazulula.

Kwabonakala ukuthi bekunobumnyama obuncane eLondon. Kungenzeka kube ngaphezulu kwamathathu. Okunye kwakuyibombe elithinta iBar yeninga eliqondile. Idolobha lonke lihlale linqaba, izindlela zilandelwe, futhi abaholi babhuka phansi.

Isikole sethu sikhumbule ukuthi sihlangane esiteji. Sifinyelela ekugcineni kwe-train yehleli eLondon.

Kodwa lokhu akuyona yonke into.

Ngesikhathi sifika ezindlini zethu, bekukhona konke okudinga ukuhlanganiswa. Abaholi bafika endlini. Wonke umuntu kumele abhalwe ngamunye.

Ngakha iminyaka yokugcina.

Esigabeni, abantu abaningi bebhala phansi izimvo zomsebenzi. Bayakwazi ukuxoxa: Okuyibambelela kuzo zonke izinto eziningi. Kusebenza njengokuthola isiqinisekiso. Kusebenza njengolwazi lokuqaphela okungakwenza.

Ukhuluma isikhathi eside.

Ngesikhathi sokuhlola, bekubonakala ukuthi ngikhuluma kahle kakhulu isiNgisi kunabanye abafundi bami. Bayakwazi ukukusebenzisa kabili. Nokuthi abanye abafundi bezama ukuxhumana kube nzima.

Ngakhipha idatha yami yobuntu futhi ngibonisa isiqinisekiso sami se-Child. Kwathi kuhlelekile, futhi kwenzeke kancane ngaphandle kwekhaya.

Emva kwemizuzu eminingi, bekhula konke. Izihlobo zami nezinye izifundo zikwazile ukuvuka ebusuku.

Kukugcina ngithola isipho: i-portfolio. Kukhona incwadi yokubhala, lapho ngikufaka khona amakheli kanye nezimvo ezisemqoka. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kwenziwe imali ukuze ngithenge izinto zokuhlala.

Umuntu obhalayo bekhula kakhulu ekushicileleni kwale ncwadi – isihloko sami sokubhala sasingaluleki kahle ukuthi abanye bazokwazi ukufunda ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.

Kodwa lokhu akuyona yonke into.

Ngesikhathi ngifika, bekhona i-British Identity Card evela eUnited Kingdom.

Lokhu kwenzeka ukuze ngikwazi ukukhetha ukuthi – noma kunjalo ngokuzithola nokufaka isiqinisekiso – ngabe ngizobamba iqhaza ekuxhumaneni nezwe.

Kodwa lokhu akuyona yonke into.

Kufanele kube yindaba yangempela yokuhlola esikhathini esilandelayo – okungaphansi kwe-British Identity Card.

Okungase kungenzeke ngaphambili, kanti ukuxhumana kwenkanyezi.