U-Ayanda namawele bagijima eceleni komfula ogeleza ngamandla. Ukulahlekelwa nokushaqeka kwabo kuphelele – kuhamba phambili kunabo kuqhelise izixuku eziningi ezigcwele onqenqemeni lomfula. Bagijima ngezinyawo, bexova udaka, ngesivinini esidlula umfula othathe isithandwa sabo, uSthembiso. Basagqoke izingubo zokulala ezimanzi te – zinamathele emzimbeni.
“Baba!” kukhala amawele.
“Sthe!” kuhayiza u-Ayanda.
Izinhliziyo zabo zisalelwe ingcosana yethemba njengoba begijima beqonde ebhulohweni elimazansi nomfula. Banethemba lokufica uSthembiso ephila, ebambelele kokuthize – mhlawumbe isihlahla noma insika yebhuloho. Kodwa liphela lonke ithemba uma befika lapho kufanele ngabe babona khona ibhuloho ngoba umfula ulimbhozile, ugeleza ngaphezulu kwalo. Bayaqalaza, bebheka, bengakholwa ukuthi umfula ulimbhozile ibhuloho. Bekukhona imizi eduzane nebhuloho kodwa umfula ugeleza kuyo lendawo ekade kumi khona imizi emahoreni ambalwa adlule. U-Ayanda, uSthembiso kanye namawele badla isidlo sasebusuku nomndeni wakwaNdlovu emuva kokubuya esontweni ngoLwesihlanu lwePhasika. Kodwa manje babona umfula ogelezayo kuphela lapho ekufanele ngabe kukhona umuzi wakwaNdlovu.
U-Ayanda namawele bayavevezela emvuleni. Bashaqekile. Bayabona manje ukuthi akekho umuntu ongasinda uma emuka nomfula onolaka namandla amangaka. Bakhihla isililo, izandla bezinekile – zikhombha emfuleni. Kuba sengathi bayazincengela emfuleni. Ubuhlungu bezinhliziyo zabo nemizimba kudabukisa ngendlela yokuthi ngisho kungathiwa umfula ungumuntu onenhliziyo elikhuni kangakanani ungabazwela uguqule umqondo ubabuyisele uSthembiso. Kodwa umfula lo. Ugcwele futhi ngeke uwuvimbe uma ugcwele.
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U-Amahle kanye nabasebenzi base-KZN Emergency Services basiza abantu abakhe eduzane nemifula. Baqhubekela phambili uma sebabasusile abantu bababeka ezindaweni eziphakeme, eziphephile. KwaG, emuva kwemizuzu embalwa bebasusile abantu, umfula ugcwala ugugule yonke imizi. Umsakazo uletha umlayezo ngesikhathi abasebenzi bebuyela elolini.
“Ngidinga niyosiza ePower njengamanje!” kusho izwi emsakazweni.
“Sizoqonda khona! Kodwa nathi sidinga ukusizwa ngoba umonakalo mkhulu! Biza i-sea rescue kanye neSANDF!” uNolwandle umemeza ocezwini lomsakazo alubambe ngesandla.
“Kulungile ngizokwenza kanjalo!” kuphendula izwi emsakazweni.
UNolwandle uphendukela emuva elolini, athi, “Ngidinga wonke umuntu azimisele. Siya ePower manje. Kuthiwa isimo sibucayi kakhulu khona!”
Bawuzwa umsindo wokugeleza komfula kusasele ikhilomitha bafike kuwo. Kufanele bawele ibhuloho kodwa bafika bathole ukuthi umfula ulimbozile ibhuloho. Ayikho indlela yokuwela. Badilika elolini, basuse abantu abamile eduzane nomfula. Umsindo wokugeleza komfula ukhala emaweni ungena unamathele engqondweni ka-Amahle. Uyazi ukuthi ngeke aphinde awukhohlwe lomsindo. Nawo umfula uqobo lawo – unsundu, ugeleza, unamagagasi sengathi uwulwandle – okunye okungasoze kwaphuma engqondweni yakhe. Umfula ubukeka sengathi ungukucasuka uma kungathiwa ukucasuka uyakuthatha ukwenze into ephilayo, ebonakalayo futhi ethintekayo.
Ngaphezu kwayo yonke lemisindo kukhona omunye umsindo angeke aphinde awukhohlwe u-Amahle: Ukuhayiza kukamama nezingane zakhe ezimbili. Amawele abambelele kunina – bobathathu bahayiza eduzane nomfula.
“Baba!” kukhala amawele.
“Sthe buyela kuthina!” umama uhayizela umfula.
Lokhu kukhala kuyalandelana, kunanela namawa. Abasebenzi besifazane ababili bakwa- Emergency Services basusa uAyanda namawele eduzane nomfula. Babambathisa ama-emergency blankes asiliva ngombala, babanike ukwelulekwa kosizo lokuqala. U-Amahle uyabona ukuthi lo mndeni awuwasusi amehlo emfuleni. Uyabona nokuthi amehlo abo asagcwele ukufisa, ukuthemba kanye nokulindela ukuthi uSthembiso wabo uzophuma emfuleni ephila engenamyocu.
U-Amahle uthatha izithombe ngekhamera ephezulu elolini. Ukubuka u-Ayanda namawele kwenza avukelwe umunyu. Ususa ikhamera kubona, athwebule okunye okwenzakalayo. Kukhona imoto ecwilile emanzini evele ngokhakhayi kuphela. Akaboni kahle ngekhamera njengoba ethwebula. Uthinta izinkinobho ezama ukulungisa ikhamera. Uyisula ngendwangu eyomile, aphinde abuke ngekhamera kodwa aziveli izithombe ezicacile. Kuthatha isikhashana ukuthi u-Amahle abone ukuthi akuyona ikhamera enenkinga. Into edala ukuba angakwazi ukubona kahle ukuthi amehlo akhe agcwele izinyembezi. Uthatha imizuzu embalwa ekhala ngaphakathi elolini.
Iyaphela imvula. U-Amahle usula izinyembezi, ehle elolini asondele kuNolwandle kanye nabanye abasebenzi abamile eceleni komfula. Ufica isimo esishubile, kukhona okubalulekile abakudingidayo.
“Umfula uthatha abantu phezulu ubashiye la,” kusho omunye wabasebenzi, ekhomba ijika emfuleni. “Ngesikhathi kukhona izikhukhula ezinyangeni ezintathu ezidlulile satakula imizimba eminingi kule ndawo.”
“Ngempela futhi sizotakula izidumbu kuphela la,” kusho uNolwandle. “Akekho umuntu ongasinda emuka emfuleni onamandla kangaka.”
Umfula wehla ngokushesha emuva kokuma kwemvula. Kuvela imilenze nezingalo odakeni olusemhlangeni. Abasebenzi be-Emergency Services bagumba imizimba ngezandla odakeni. Bathola imizimba yezingane ezimbili, abantu besifazane ababili kanye nomuntu wesilisa oyedwa. Imizimba idlula emanzini omfula othathe imiphefumulo yabo. Awukho umzimba onesibazi. Njengoba imizimba idlula emanzini kubukeka sengathi labantu abashonile bazokhuluma. Kodwa umzimba womuntu ophilayo awuqini unganyakazi kanjena, awunakho ukuthula okunjena.
Ukuhayiza kwemindeni eshonelwe kuyamthinta u-Amahle nabo bonke abasebenzi be-emergency services, kodwa bayaziqinisa. Emuva kokuba imoto yezidumbu kahulumeni isihambile nezidumbu, abasebenzi be-Emergency Services bangena elolini. Bonke babhekisa amakhanda phansi, bakhale.
U-Amahle uthwebula izithombe. Usula izinyembezi. Umfula wehlile kakhulu manje, usubuyele ekubeni umfudlana ongenzi nomncane umsindo njengoba ugeleza.
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Sitshele: Wake wafunda noma wacabanga ngomsebenzi wosizo lokuqala uwubuka ngohlangothi lwabantu abawenzayo lomsebenzi, njengakulendaba? Wena ungawenza lomsebenzi?