U-Jennifer B. Knizel, umbhali wezincwadi ze-yoga nokudla kwemifino, ubhala ngohambo lwakhe lwasePolynesia.
Ukuthuthela eziQhingini zaseTonga kuye kwashintsha impilo yami ngendlela engangingakaze ngiyicabange. Ngicwile esikweni elisha, ngaqala ukubona ithelevishini, umculo, ezombangazwe ngendlela ehlukile, nobudlelwano phakathi kwabantu babonakala ngendlela entsha phambi kwami. Kodwa kimina akukho okujikile njengokubuka ukudla esikudlayo. Kulesi siqhingi, izingulube nezinkukhu zizulazula emigwaqweni ngokukhululeka. Bengilokhu ngiwumthandi wezilwane futhi sengineminyaka emihlanu ngidla imifino, kodwa ukuhlala phakathi kwalezi zidalwa kubonise ukuthi ziyakwazi ukuthanda njengabantu. Esiqhingini, ngabona ukuthi izilwane zinomuzwa ofanayo nowabantu - ukuthanda nokufundisa izingane zabo. Ngahlala izinyanga ezimbalwa phakathi kwalabo ababizwa ngokuthi “izilwane zasepulazini”, futhi konke ukungabaza okwakusahlala engqondweni yami kwaqedwa ngokuphelele. Nazi izifundo ezinhlanu engazifunda ngokuvulela izakhamuzi zendawo inhliziyo yami negceke lami.
Ayikho into engivusa ekuseni kakhulu ngokushesha njengengulube emnyama okuthiwa uMo engqongqoza emnyango wethu nsuku zonke ngo-5:30 ekuseni. Kodwa okumangalisa nakakhulu, ngesinye isikhathi, uMo wanquma ukusazisa enzalweni yakhe. UMo wahlela amazinyane akhe amibalabala kahle ekhapheni elingaphambi komnyango ukuze siwabone kalula. Lokhu kwafakazela izinsolo zami zokuthi izingulube ziyaziqhenya ngenzalo yazo njengoba nomama ezigqaja ngengane yakhe.
Ngokushesha ngemva kokuba amazinyane engulube elunyuliwe, saqaphela ukuthi udoti kaMoe wawushoda ngezingane ezimbalwa. Sacabanga okubi kakhulu, kodwa kwavela ukuthi akulungile. Indodana kaMo uMarvin kanye nabafowabo abambalwa bagibela egcekeni ngaphandle kokugadwa umuntu omdala. Ngemva kwaleso sigameko, yonke inzalo yaphinde yasivakashela ndawonye. Konke kukhomba eqinisweni lokuthi lentsha ehlubukayo iqoqe iqembu layo ngokumelene nokunakekelwa kwabazali. Ngaphambi kwaleli cala, elibonisa izinga lokuthuthukiswa kwezingulube, ngangiqiniseka ukuthi ukuhlubuka kwentsha kwenziwa kuphela kubantu.
Ngolunye usuku, samangala lapho embundwini wendlu kwakukhona amazinyane engulube amane, ayebukeka enezinsuku ezimbili ubudala. Babebodwa, bengenamama. Amazinyane engulube ayemancane kakhulu ukuthi azi ukuthi angathola kanjani ukudla kwawo. Sabaphakela ubhanana. Ngokushesha, izingane zakwazi ukuzitholela izimpande zodwa, futhi uPinky kuphela owanqaba ukudla nabafowabo, wema embundwini wafuna ukuphakelwa ngesandla. Yonke imizamo yethu yokumthuma ohambweni oluzimele iphele ngokuthi ame ecansini ekhala kakhulu. Uma izingane zakho zikukhumbuza ngoPinky, qiniseka ukuthi awuwedwa, izingane ezonakele zikhona nasezilwaneni.
Okumangazayo ukuthi izinkukhu nazo zingomama abanakekelayo nabanothando. Igceke lakithi laliyindawo ephephile kubo, futhi esinye isikhukhukazi esingumama sagcina sesingumama. Ukhulise izinkukhu zakhe ngaphambi kwegceke, phakathi kwezinye izilwane zethu. Usuku nosuku, wayefundisa amatshwele ukumba ukuze athole ukudla, ukukhuphuka nokwehla ezitebhisini eziwumqansa, ukucela ukudla ngokuqhwanda emnyango wangaphambili, nendlela yokugwema izingulube ekudleni kwazo. Ngokubuka ikhono lakhe elihle lokuba ngumama, ngabona ukuthi ukunakekela izingane zami akulona ilungelo lesintu.
Mhla ngabona inkukhu ibhodla egcekeni ikhala ikhala ngokuthi ingulube idle amaqanda ayo, ngadela unomphela. Inkukhu ayizange yehlise umoya futhi ngakusasa, yaqala ukubonisa izimpawu zokucindezeleka. Lesi sigameko singenze ngabona ukuthi amaqanda ayengahloselwe ukudliwa abantu (noma izingulube), avele ayinkukhu, kuphela ngesikhathi sokukhula kwawo.