Njengoko ndandiwela ngaphaya kwe-volcano kwihelikopta, isibhakabhaka sasinomoya wepeyinti yamaRoma, eyoyikisayo kodwa eyoyikisayo. Kwakukho umsi omkhulu omnyama ophuma kwi-cone yeVolcán de Fuego (ngokoqobo iVolcano yoMlilo), amaza ayo amnyama, angadibaniyo enza umahluko omkhulu kumafu amhlophe athambileyo ngasentla nangaphantsi. Njengabanye abakhweli, ndithathe iifoto kunye ne-iPhone yam, kwaye ndacinga kancinci malunga nembonakalo yendalo. Nokuba umqhubi wenqwelomoya waseGuatemala akazange azikhathaze ngokuphawula. Sonke sicinge ukuba yinto ekhutshwa rhoqo eFuego, ethi ibhalise umsebenzi rhoqo emva kweeveki ezine ukuya kwezintandathu. (Yenye yelizwe kunye neapos: iintaba-mlilo ezintathu ezisebenzayo; kukho ezinye ezingama-35 ngaphezulu eGuatemala, apho amacwecwe amathathu eteknoloji ahlangana khona, kodwa ayaphela okanye alele).
Akukho namnye kuthi onokuqikelela ukuba iiyure ezintathu kamva- malunga ne-9 kusasa ngeCawe ephelileyo -U-Fuego uya kuqhuma, ekhupha ulwandle olubulalayo, uthuthu kunye negesi eyityhefu kwiidolophana zaseMeya ezixinene emazantsi aso. Idityaniswe nokuqhuma kwesibini kwi-6.45 pm, abantu abangaphezu kwe-100 babhubhile, kubandakanya abantwana abaninzi. Uluntu lonke lwasemaphandleni luya kutshatyalaliswa, isikhululo seenqwelomoya samazwe onke sivaliwe kwaye imeko kaxakeka yesizwe ibhengeziwe.
Ekubuyiseleni, loo ntsasa yenqwelomoya yenqwelomoya yayiyinxalenye yephupha lokungafunyanwa ngaphambi kwengxaki. Ndisandul 'ukuchitha iintsuku ezininzi ndikhangela iLake Atitlán, edla ngokuchazwa njengeyona nto imangalisayo ngeLake Como, kwaye ndade ndanyuka intaba-mlilo engakhange ibaleke kusuku olungaphambili. Ngelo Cawa, nge-3 kaJuni, bekufanele ndibuyele eNew York, ke ndaye ndagqiba kwelokuba ndithathe inqwelomoya ebhabha kusasa e-Antigua, Guatemala & apos; kwikomkhulu elidala lobukoloniyali. Umbono weFuego Volcano, olinganayo njengowomntwana kunye nomzobo weapos, ibingumboniso omnye kwimizuzu engama-20 yokukhwela ezintabeni, apho amasimi ezolimo aluhlaza afinyelwa kuyo yonke intshi yomhlaba olimekayo.
Umoya wokungakhathali uqhubekile xa ihelikopta yandilahla ngaphandle kweAntigua, yabhengeza indawo yeLifa leMveli le-UNESCO ngobume bayo bobukoloniyali obuhle. Akukho namnye wabahlali obonise umdla omncinci kwintaba-mlilo etshayayo, nangona yayikumgama nje oziikhilomitha ezili-10. Njengoko ndandihambahamba kwizitrato ezintle ezenziwe ngamatye, iintsapho zalapha ekhaya zazizula emva kwentsasa yangeCawa kwaye zihlanganisene ngebrunch ePosada de Don Rodrigo, owayesakuba yindwalutho kunye neapos; indlu enkulu eneentyatyambo ezizele ziintyatyambo zaseSpain. Ndemka ngaphambi kokuba uqhushumbo lokuqala lwenzeke kanye ngaphambi kwemini, kodwa nalapho kwakungekho ngxaki yokuhluza iindaba. Ngentsimbi yesi-2 emva kwemini, emva kokuqhuba kwimvula elula imizuzu engama-45 ukuya eLa Aurora Airport kwidolophu elikomkhulu, kwiSixeko saseGuatemala, bendihleli kwindiza yaseMelika eya eMiami, ndicinga ngesidlo sangokuhlwa esiseNew York.
Kodwa njengokuba ixesha lokuhamba lifika lihamba, abakhweli baseGuatemala baskene ii-smartphones zabo kwaye bangxola ukuba kukho into eyenzekayo kufutshane neAntigua; Iifoto zazithunyelwa kwi-Instagram yeeflakes ezimnyama ezihlamba esixekweni. Emva koko umphathi wenza isibhengezo. Uxolo, bafana, kodwa ngenxa yalo lonke uthuthu lwentaba-mlilo, bavale isikhululo seenqwelomoya. Akukho nto ndinokuyenza. Asizukuya ndawo. Kwakukho uhlobo oluthile lokuqhuma, kodwa kwakungekho ecaleni kweenkcukacha. Kuphela ngoku ndaye ndayijonga le drizzle isabetha kamnandi ngokuchasene nefestile kwaye ndaqaphela ukuba ibijikile imnyama.
Okulandeleyo yenye yeendawo ezingakhange zakha kwimbali yakutshanje yokuhamba, njengoko ikhulu okanye abakhweli bawela phezu kwabo ukubuyela kwikhawuntara yamatikiti ukubuyisa iinqwelomoya. Abanye bahamba ngamandla kwisiphelo esingapheliyo; ukungabi nazintloni kuqhekeze ukubaleka. Umoya woqhushululu wanda njengoko abakhweli babezalisa iifomu ngomsindo bemi kulayini wofuduko kwaye bejijisana ngezikhundla kwimigca yesiko. (Abasebenzi basijonga bedidekile. Isikhululo seenqwelomoya sivaliwe! Ndacacisa. Kunjalo? Baphendula).