Ekuzalweni kwam, sasihlala kwifama encinane eseGalicia, kumntla-ntshona weSpeyin. Ndandingowesine kubantwana abasibhozo, ibe sasonwabile ekhaya. Ngelo xesha kwakuyinto eqhelekileyo eSpeyin ukuba kuthunyelwe nokuba ngumntwana mnye entsatsheni kwisikolo sobufundisi okanye kwikhaya loonongendi. Eyasekhaya intsapho yathumela abantwana abathathu.

Xa ndandineminyaka eyi-13 ndalandela ekhondweni likasisi wam ndaya kwikhaya loonongendi eMadrid. Ukuba kwelo khaya kwakungaqheleki tu. Abantu babengenabuhlobo—kwakuphilwa nje ngemithetho, kuthandazwa oko yaye kuphilwa ubomi obungqongqo. Ngenj’ ixukuxa, sasidibana kwigumbi lenkonzo ukuze sicamngce, kodwa ingqondo yam yayidla ngokubhadula. Emva koko, sasiye sicule iingoma zecawa kuze kwenziwe uMthendeleko, konke oko kusenziwa ngesiLatin. Enyanisweni ndandingazi kwanto, ngokungathi uThixo ukude nam. Lalingekho nethuba lokuncokola. Naxa mna nosisi wam sidibana, sasiye nje sithi, “Makadunyiswe uMariya ongcwele.” Kweli khaya loonongendi sasivumeleke ukuba sincokole nje ithuba elingangesiqingatha seyure emva kokuba sityile, nto leyo eyahluke ngokupheleleyo kubomi basekhaya! Ndaba yinkom’ edla yodwa, ibe ndandide ndilile nokulila.

Nangona ndingazange ndizive ndisondele kuThixo, ndathatha isigqibo ndaza ndaba ngunongendi xa ndandineminyaka eyi-17. Ewe kona ndenza oko kwakulindelekile kum, kodwa ndandizibuza enoba yayilubizo lwam ngokwenene na olo. Oonongendi babedla ngokuthi abo baluthandabuzayo ubizo lwabo babeya kuphelela esihogweni somlilo! Sekunjalo, awazange aphele wona amathandabuzo endandinawo. Ndandisazi ukuba uYesu Kristu wayesoloko ephakathi kwabantu, ebafundisa yaye ebanceda. (Mateyu 4:23-25) Ndathi ndakuba neminyaka eyi-20, ndagqiba ekubeni ndiyeke ukuba ngunongendi. Into emangalisayo kukuba, umama owayesinyamekela wathi kum, ukuba andisafuni kuba ngunongendi, kubhetele ndihambe ngokukhawuleza. Ndiyaqonda ukuba wayesoyika ukuba ndiza kuphembelela nabanye. Ngoko ke ndemka kwikhaya loonongendi.

 Xa ndabuyela ekhaya, abazali bam bandamkela ngomoya omhle. Kodwa ekubeni wawunqabile umsebenzi wempangelo kwilali yasekhaya, ndaya kuhlala nomntakwethu eJamani. Wayekwiqela lobuKomanisi elalibunjwa ngabantu baseSpeyin. Ndaziva ndisekhaya phakathi kwelo qela elalilwela amalungelo abasebenzi nawabafazi. Ngoko nam ndaba ngumKomanisi ndaza ndatshata nomntu owayekwelo qela. Ndandicinga ukuba ndenza into ebhadlileyo, njengoko sasisasaza iincwadi zobuKomanisi yaye simatsha siqhankqalaza.

Noko ke, ekuhambeni kwexesha ndaphinda ndaba namathandabuzo. Ndandivakalelwa kukuba amaKomanisi ayengakwenzi oko akuthethayo. Amathandabuzo endandinawo akhula ngakumbi ngo-1971 xa ulutsha olukwiqela lethu lwatshisa iOfisi Yoonozakuzaku baseSpeyin eseFrankfurt. Lwaluqhankqalazela ulawulo lobuzwilakhe lwaseSpeyin. Kodwa ndandikholelwa ukuba leyo yindlela ephosakeleyo yokubonisa ukucaphuka kwalo.

Xa ndafumana umntwana wam wokuqala, ndaxelela umyeni wam ukuba ndandiza kulishiya iqela lobuKomanisi. Ndandililolo, kuba akukho namnye kwabo bahlobo bam bangaphambili owakha wandityelela mna nosana lwam. Ndandifuna ukwazi ukuba iyintoni injongo yobomi. Ngaba ngokwenene kwakuyimfuneko ngam ukulwela amalungelo abantu?

Ngo-1976 satyelelwa ngamaNgqina amabini athetha iSpanish, aza asinika iincwadi zeBhayibhile. Xa atyelela okwesibini, ndawapheka ndiwophula ngemibuzo emayela nonobangela wokubandezeleka, ukungalingani, nokungekho sikweni. Ndamangaliswa kuba ayiphendula ngeBhayibhile yonke loo mibuzo! Ndasamkela ngoko nangoko isifundo seBhayibhile.

Ekuqaleni, ndandinomdla nje wokufumana ulwazi. Kodwa izinto zatshintsha xa mna nomyeni wam saqalisa ukuya kwiintlanganiso eziqhutywa kwiHolo yoBukumkani yamaNgqina kaYehova. Ngelo xesha, sasinabantwana ababini. Ngobubele amaNgqina ayesilanda ngeemoto zawo, ibe ayesinceda nasekunyamekeleni abantwana bethu ebudeni beentlanganiso. Ndaziva ndiwathanda amaNgqina.

Nakuba kunjalo, ndandisenawo amathandabuzo. Ndagqiba ekubeni ndityelele intsapho yethu eSpeyin. Utatomncinci ongumfundisi, wazama ukundiyekisa ukufunda iBhayibhile namaNgqina. Kodwa amaNgqina asekuhlaleni andinceda kakhulu. Ayiphendula ngeBhayibhile imibuzo yam, kanye njengalawo aseJamani. Ndagqiba ekubeni ndiqhubeke ndifunda iBhayibhile kunye nawo ekubuyeleni kwam eJamani. Nangona yena umyeni wam wagqiba ekubeni angaqhubeki nokufunda iBhayibhile, mna ndanamathela kwisigqibo sam. Ngo-1978, ndabhaptizwa ndaba liNgqina likaYehova.

Ukuyazi kwam inyaniso efundiswa yiBhayibhile kuye kwabuphucula ubomi bam. Ngokomzekelo, eyoku-1 kaPetros 3:1-4 ikhuthaza abafazi ukuba ‘bawathobele’ amadoda abo yaye babonise ‘nentlonelo enzulu’ kuwo, baze babonise ‘umoya wobulali oxabiso likhulu emehlweni kaThixo.’ Loo migaqo indincedile ndakwazi ukuyiphumeza kakuhle indima yam njengomfazi.

Ngoku sekuyiminyaka eyi-35 ndiliNgqina. Ndikuvuyela gqitha ukukhonza uThixo kunye nabanye abazalwana noodade, ibe iyandivuyisa into yokuba nabantwana bam abane kwabahlanu bakhonza kunye nam.