Ukuya eHolland (Emily Perl Kingsley)
Ngivame ukucelwa ukuba ngichaze isipiliyoni sokukhulisa ingane ekhubazekile--Ukuzama ukusiza abantu abangabelananga ngalokho okuhlangenwe nakho okuyingqayizivele ukuthi bakuqonde, bacabange ukuthi bekuzozizwa kanjani. Kunjena . . .
Uma uzoba nomntwana, kufana nokuhlela uhambo oluhle kakhulu - oluya e-Italy. Uthenga inqwaba yezincwadi zokuqondisa futhi wenze izinhlelo zakho ezinhle. I-Coliseum, uDavid kaMichelangelo. Ama-gondolas eVenice. Ungafunda imishwana ewusizo ngesi-Italian. Konke kujabulisa kakhulu.
Ngemva kwezinyanga zokulangazelela, usuku lwagcina lufikile. Upakisha izikhwama zakho, futhi uhambe. Ngemva kwamahora ambalwa, indiza iyahlala. Umphathi uyangena futhi athi, "Siyakwamukela e-Holland!"
"Holland?!?" usho. "Usho ukuthini i-Holland? Ngibhalisele i-Italy! Kufanele ngibe se-Italy. Impilo yami yonke bengiphupha ngokuya e-Italy." Kodwa kube noshintsho ohlelweni lwendiza. Sebefikile eHolland futhi lapho kufanele uhlale.
Okubalulekile ukuthi abazange bakuthume endaweni embi, enengekayo, engcolile, egcwele izifo eziwumshayabhuqe, indlala nezifo. Yindawo ehlukile nje. Ngakho-ke kufanele uphume uyothenga izincwadi ezintsha zomhlahlandlela. Futhi kufanele ufunde ulimi olusha ngokuphelele. Futhi uzohlangana neqembu elisha labantu obungeke uhlangane nabo.
Yindawo ehlukile nje. Ihamba kancane kune-Italy, ikhanya kancane kune-Italy. Kodwa ngemva kokuba usulapho isikhashana wabamba umoya, uqalaza. . . futhi uqala ukuqaphela ukuthi iHolland inama-windmill. . . kanti iHolland inama-tulips. IHolland inama-Rembrandts. Kodwa wonke umuntu omaziyo umatasa uyaphuma e-Italy. . . futhi bonke bayaziqhayisa ngesikhathi esimnandi ababenaso lapho. Futhi impilo yakho yonke, uzothi, "Yebo, yilapho engangifanele ukuya khona. Yilokho engangikuhlelile."
Futhi ubuhlungu balowo mthombo abupheli, naphakade. . . ngoba ukulahleka kwalelophupho kuwukulahlekelwa Okukhulu kakhulu.
Kodwa uma uchitha impilo yakho yonke ulilela iqiniso lokuthi awufikanga e-Italy, ungase ungalokothi ukhululeke ukujabulela izinto ezikhetheke kakhulu, izinto ezinhle kakhulu . . . mayelana neHolland.
Isithombe ngu- Malcolm Lightbody ku- Unsplash
