Kuthe lapho iningizimu isiheleza kahle, bacabanga ukuthi inhloso yabo isifezekile, base bekhuphula ihange, bagudla iKhrethe. Kungakabi yisikhathi esingakanani, kwasuka isivunguvungu okuthiwa i-Ewurakhiloni, sazithola sesiphakathi kwaso, kwathi ngenxa yokuthi umkhumbi wawungasalawuleki ngoba ubhekene nomoya, sawudedela wadudulwa ngumoya. Kwathi sisagudla ngezansi kwesiqhingana okuthiwa iKhawuda, sakwazi ukubamba isikebhe somkhumbi kunzima. Sebesikhuphulile bafaka okokuweseka ngaphansi, kwathi ngoba babesaba ukuthi umkhumbi ungase ushayeke esihlabathini esisogwini eSirti, kwehliswa iseyili, umkhumbi wadudulwa ngumoya. Sasilokhu sishukunyiswa kanzima yisivunguvungu saze ngosuku olulandelayo saphonsa ngaphandle umthwalo; kwathi ngolwesithathu balahla izimpahla zomkhumbi ngezandla zabo. Kwaphela izinsuku eziningi ilanga nezinkanyezi kungasabonakali.
Kwase kuyisikhathi eside bengadli lutho, uPawula wasukuma phakathi kwabo, wathi: “Madoda, ngabe nalalela mina, anasuka eKhrethe, naphepha kule ngozi nakulokhu kulahlekelwa. Manje ngiyaneluleka ukuba nime isibindi, ngokuba akuzukufa namunye phakathi kwenu, kodwa umkhumbi kuphela. Ngokuba ngalobu busuku bekumi ngakimi ingelosi kaNkulunkulu engingowakhe nengimkhonzayo, yathi: ‘Ungesabi, Pawula, kumele ukuba ume phambi kukaKhesari. UNkulunkulu ukuphile bonke abahamba nawe kulo mkhumbi.’
“Ngakho-ke yimani isibindi, madoda, ngiyakholwa nguNkulunkulu ukuthi kuzakuba njengokuba ekhulumile kimi. Kepha kufanele ukuba siphumele esiqhingini esithile.”
Kwathi ebusuku, phakathi kwamabili, ngolwe-14 silokhu sintanta olwandle e-Adriya, ababesemkhunjini bacabanga ukuthi sebesondela ezweni thizeni, base bephonsa intambo yokukala, bathola ukuthi ngamafathome angama-20. Baphinda baqhubeka kancane, bayiphonsa futhi, base bethola ukuthi sekungamafathome ali-15. Besaba ukuthi hleze singase sishayeke ezindaweni ezinamadwala, base bephonsa amahange amane ngemuva, bafisa sengathi ngabe sekusile. Ababegibele emkhunjini base befuna ukubaleka kuwo, behlisela isikebhe olwandle, kwaba sengathi bazakuphonsa amahange enhlokweni yomkhumbi, uPawula wathi enduneni yekhulu nasemabuthweni: “Uma laba bengahlali emkhunjini, anisoze nasinda nina.”
Amabutho anquma amagoda esikebheni, asidedela sawa.
Kwathi sekuzokusa, uPawula wabancenga bonke ukuba badle. Wathi: “Namuhla wusuku lwe-14 nilindile, nilokhu nizilile, ningadli lutho. Ngiyanincenga ukuba nidle, ngokuba lokhu kuzakuba ngukusinda kwenu, akuyukulahleka nwele ekhanda nakoyedwa phakathi kwenu.”
Esekushilo lokho wathatha isinkwa, wabonga uNkulunkulu phambi kwabo bonke, wasihlephula, waqala ukudla. Bonke base bema isibindi, nabo badla. Sesisonke emkhunjini sasingama-276. Kwathi lapho sebesuthi, bawulahla olwandle ukolo ukuze umkhumbi ungasindwa.
Kuthe sekusile, abaze balazi izwe, kepha babona itheku elithile elinesihlabathi, abanquma ukuba baqhubele kulo umkhumbi, uma kungenzeka. Banquma amahange, bawashiya olwandle; bathukulula izintambo zamaphini okuqondisa umkhumbi; indwangu engaphambili bayiphakamisela emoyeni, base beqonda ogwini. Kepha bafika endaweni enolwandle nxazombili, umkhumbi waphahlazeka. Inhloko yawo yagxumekeka, yema, ayaze yanyakaza, kodwa ingemuva lephulwa ngamandla amaza.
Amabutho ayehlose ukuzibulala iziboshwa, ukuze kungabi bikho nasinye esihlambayo siphunyuke, kodwa induna yekhulu ithanda ukusindisa uPawula yawavimba enhlosweni yawo. Yayaleza ukuba labo abakwaziyo ukuhlamba baziphonse kuqala emanzini, baze bafike emhlabathini. Ababesele balandele, abanye ngamapulangwe, abanye ngezinye izinto zomkhumbi. Kwenzeka kanjalo-ke ukuthi bonke baphumele emhlabathini bephephile.
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