LENA ngenye yezinto ezashiwo ubaba ngisemncane engisazikhumbula. Ubaba wayengumuntu onesizotha futhi ekhuthele. Wayebuthanda kakhulu ubulungisa, ngakho isigijimi seBhayibheli samkhanga zisuka nje lapho esizwa ngo-1953. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, wenza konke okusemandleni akhe ukudlulisela lokho ayekufunda kithina zingane. Umama waqale waba manqikanqika ukushiya amasiko esonto lakhe lobuKatolika. Kodwa ngemva kwesikhathi, naye waqala ukwamukela izimfundiso zeBhayibheli.

Kwakunzima ukuba abazali bethu bafunde nathi. Umama wayengafundile kahle futhi ubaba esebenza isikhathi eside kanzima emasimini. Ngezinye izikhathi wayekhathala kakhulu kangangokuthi wayelala phakathi nesifundo. Noma kunjalo, imizamo yakhe yaba nemiphumela emihle. Njengoba kwakuyimi omdala ekhaya, ngasiza ekufundiseni udadewethu nabafowethu ababili. Ngabafundisa nalokho uBaba ayejwayele ukukhuluma ngakho—uthando uNowa ayenalo ngomkhaya wakhe alubonisa ngokulalela uNkulunkulu. Ngangingeve ngiyithanda leyo ndaba eseBhayibhelini. Kungakabiphi, sasesiya sonke emihlanganweni eHholo LoMbuso eliseRoseto degli Abruzzi, idolobha elisogwini lwe-Adriatic lwase-Italy.

Ngangineminyaka engu-11 nje kuphela lapho mina nomama sinqamula izintaba silibangise entshonalanga siya emhlanganweni wethu wesigodi wokuqala eRome ngo-1955. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, le mibuthano emikhulu ngiyibheka njengengxenye enhle kakhulu yokuphila kobuKristu.

Ngonyaka olandelayo ngabhapathizwa futhi ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho ngangenela inkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele. Lapho sengineminyaka engu-17 ubudala, ngaba iphayona elikhethekile eLatina, eningizimu yeRome, eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-300 ukusuka ekhaya. Kwakuyidolobha elalisanda kwakhiwa, ngakho akekho owayekhathazeka kakhulu ngokuthi omakhelwane bacabangani. Mina nalowo engangiphayona naye sasikujabulela ukusakaza izincwadi zeBhayibheli eziningi, kodwa ngenxa yokuthi ngangisemncane, ngangingeve ngikhumbula ekhaya! Noma kunjalo, ngangifuna ukulalela isiqondiso engangisinikiwe.

Kamuva ngabelwa ukuyosiza eMilan ekulungiseleleni uMhlangano Wezizwe wango-1963 owawunesihloko esithi  “Izindaba Ezinhle Zaphakade.” Phakathi nalowo mhlangano, ngasebenza njengevolontiya nabanye abaningi, kuhlanganise noPaolo Piccioli, umzalwane osemusha waseFlorence. Ngosuku lwesibili lomhlangano, wanikeza inkulumo evuthayo eyayikhuluma ngokungashadi. Ngiyakhumbula ngicabanga, ‘Lo mzalwane akasoze ashada.’ Nokho, saqala ukubhalelana izincwadi futhi kwacaca ukuthi sinezinto eziningi esifana ngazo—imigomo yethu, uthando esinalo ngoJehova nesifiso esinamandla sokumlalela. Mina noPaolo sashada ngo-1965.

Ngakhonza njengephayona elivamile iminyaka eyishumi eFlorence. Kwakujabulisa ukubona ukwanda emabandleni, ikakhulukazi ukubona indlela intsha eyayithuthuka ngayo. Sobabili sasikujabulela ukuchitha isikhathi nayo sixoxa ngezinto ezingokomoya sijabulela nokuzilibazisa, okwakusho ukudlala ibhola kuPaolo. Njengoba ungase ucabange, ngangingakujabulela ukuchitha isikhathi esengeziwe nomyeni wami, kodwa ngangibona ukuthi intsha nemindeni yasebandleni yayizuza futhi isidinga kakhulu isikhathi nomusa wakhe.

Kusangijabulisa ukucabanga ngabantu abaningi esabafundela. Omunye wabo kwakungu-Adriana, owaxoxela eminye imindeni emibili ngalokho ayekufunda. Bahlela umhlangano nompristi ukuze kuxoxwe ngezimfundiso zesonto ezinjengoZiqu-zintathu nokungafi komphefumulo. Kwafika izikhulu ezintathu zesonto kulowo mhlangano. Labo esasibafundela basheshe babona ukuthi izincazelo zazo zazidida futhi zingahlangani uma beziqhathanisa nezimfundiso ezicacile zeBhayibheli. Lowo mhlangano washintsha izinto. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi amalungu angu-15 aleyo mindeni aba oFakazi.

Yiqiniso, namuhla izindlela zethu zokushumayela sezihluke kakhulu. Ngaleso sikhathi, uPaolo wayebe “uchwepheshe” wezimpikiswano nabapristi—futhi waba nezimpikiswano eziningi nabo. Ngikhumbula enye impikiswano eyayiphambi kwezilaleli ezingebona oFakazi. Kwacaca ukuthi abaphikisi babehlele kusengaphambili ukuba abathile ezilalelini babuze imibuzo eyayibhekwa njengelukhuni. Nokho, ingxoxo yashintsha. Othile wabuza ukuthi kuyinto elungile yini ukuba isonto lizigaxe kwezombusazwe, njengoba kwase kungamakhulu eminyaka lenza kanjalo. Ngaleso sikhathi, kwavele kwacaca ukuthi abapristi sebesenkingeni. Kungazelelwe kwacima izibani futhi ngenxa yalokho umhlangano wavalwa. Ngemva kweminyaka eminingi sezwa ukuthi kwakuhlelwe kusengaphambili ukuba izibani zicinywe uma kwenzeka ingxoxo ingahambi ngendlela efunwa abapristi.

Ngemva kweminyaka eyishumi sishadile noPaolo, sacelwa ukuba siyojikeleza. UPaolo wayenomsebenzi omuhle, ngakho kwaba nzima ukwenza isinqumo.  Kodwa ngemva kokucabangela le ndaba ngomthandazo, sawamukela lo mkhakha omusha wenkonzo. Sakujabulela ukuchitha isikhathi nemindeni eyayisingenisa emizini yayo. Sasivame ukufunda njengeqembu ebusuku bese uPaolo esiza izingane ngomsebenzi wesikole wasekhaya ikakhulukazi uma kuyizibalo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uPaolo wayekuthanda ukufunda futhi ekukhuthalele nokuxoxela abanye izinto ezithakazelisayo nezakhayo azifundile. NgoMsombuluko, sasivame ukuyoshumayela emadolobheni angenabo oFakazi, simemele abantu enkulumweni eyayizoba ngalobo busuku.

Ngemva nje kweminyaka emibili sijikeleza, sacelwa ukuba siyokhonza eBethel eRome. UPaolo wayezosingatha izindaba zomthetho, mina ngabelwa eMnyangweni Kamagazini. Kwakungelula ukwenza lolo shintsho kodwa sasizimisele ukulalela. Kwakujabulisa ukubona igatsha likhula kancane kancane nokwanda okukhulu kwabazalwane e-Italy. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, oFakazi BakaJehova e-Italy baqashelwa ngokomthetho. Sasijabule ngempela kulolu hlobo lwenkonzo.

Ngesikhathi sikhonza eBethel, kwaphakama impikiswano ngokuma kwethu okusekelwe eBhayibhelini ngokuphathelene negazi e-Italy. Ekuqaleni kwawo-1980 kwakunecala elaliphathelene negazi elasusa umsindo. Umbhangqwana othile ongoFakazi wamangalelwa ngamanga ngokuthi ubangele ukufa kwendodakazi yawo, nakuba empeleni ingane yabulawa yisifo segazi esibi esitholakala ngofuzo kubantu abaningi abahlala kule ndawo yaseMediterranean. Abafowethu nodadewethu emkhayeni waseBethel basiza abameli balaba bazali abangamaKristu. Ipheshana elithile nomagazini okhethekile we-Phaphama! kwasiza abantu ukuba bathole amaqiniso futhi bakuqonde ngokunembile lokho iZwi likaNkulunkulu elikushoyo ngegazi. Phakathi nalezo zinyanga, uPaolo wayevame ukusebenza amahora angu-16 ngosuku ngaphandle kokuphumula. Ngenza konke okusemandleni ukumsekela kulo msebenzi obalulekile ayewenza.

Sasesishade iminyaka engu-20 lapho kwenzeka ushintsho olungalindelekile ekuphileni kwethu. Ngangineminyaka engu-41, uPaolo eneminyaka engu-49 ubudala lapho ngimtshela ukuthi ngicabanga ukuthi ngikhulelwe. Encwadini yakhe yezenzakalo zosuku kwakubhalwe la mazwi: “Umthandazo: Uma kuyiqiniso, sisize sihlale enkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele, singayekethisi ngokomoya futhi sisize sibe abazali abahle ngokuba isibonelo. Ngaphezu kwakho konke, ngisize ngisebenzise okungenani iphesenti elilodwa lakho konke engikukhulume endaweni yesikhulumi kuyo yonke le minyaka engu-30.” Uma sibheka ukuphila kwethu, ngokuqinisekile uJehova wawuphendula umthandazo wakhe—nowami.

 Ukuzalwa kuka-Ilaria kwakushintsha kakhulu ukuphila kwethu. Uma sikhuluma iqiniso, zazikhona izikhathi zokudangala njengoba izAga 24:10 zisho: “Ingabe uzibonise udangele ngosuku losizi? Amandla akho ayoba mancane.” Kodwa, sasekelana ngoba sikhumbula ukubaluleka kokukhuthazana.

U-Ilaria usho kugcwale umlomo ukuthi uyajabula ngokuthi uzalwa oFakazi ababili ababekhuthele enkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele. Akakaze azizwe enganakiwe; ukhulele emkhayeni ovamile. Ngangiba khona emini ukuze ngimsize. Kusihlwa lapho uPaolo ebuya ekhaya, ngezinye izikhathi kwakuba nomsebenzi okufanele awuqedele; noma kunjalo, wayezinika isikhathi sokuba naye, adlale naye futhi amsize ngomsebenzi wesikole. Wayekwenza lokho nakuba kwakusho ukulala ngehora lesibili noma lesithathu ekuseni eqedela umsebenzi wakhe. U-Ilaria wayevame ukuthi, “Ubaba umngane wami omkhulu.”

Njengoba ungase ucabange, kwakudinga ukungaguquguquki—futhi ngesinye isikhathi ukuqina—ukuze sisize u-Ilaria ahlale endleleni yobuKristu. Ngikhumbula ngelinye ilanga lapho edlalisa kabi umngane wakhe. Samchazela sisebenzisa iBhayibheli ukuthi akufanele enze lokho akwenzile. Saphinde sathi akaxolise kumngane wakhe phambi kwethu.

U-Ilaria ukusho ngokungangabazi ukuthi uyalwazisa uthando lwenkonzo abazali bakhe abalubonisa. Manje njengoba eseshadile, usekuqonda ngokugcwele ukubaluleka kokulalela uJehova nokulandela isiqondiso sakhe.

Ngo-2008, uPaolo wathola ukuthi unomdlavuza. Kwaqale kwabonakala sengathi uzosinqoba lesi sifo, futhi wayengikhuthaza kakhulu. Ngaphezu kokufuna iseluleko sezempilo esingcono kakhulu kwezazikhona, sasithandaza kuJehova isikhathi eside sino-Ilaria, simcela ukuba asisize sikwazi ukubhekana nekusasa. Noma kunjalo, ngabona indoda eyayikade iwumqemane futhi ikhuthele iwohloka kancane kancane. Ukufa kwakhe ngo-2010 kwaba buhlungu kakhulu. Nokho, ngithola induduzo enkulu kulokho esakwazi ukukufeza eminyakeni engu-45 sindawonye. Senza konke esasingakwenza ekukhonzeni uJehova. Ngiyazi ukuthi umsebenzi wethu uyohlala njalo. Ngimagange ukubona uPaolo evuswa ngokuvumelana namazwi kaJesu akuJohane 5:28, 29.

Ekujuleni kwenhliziyo yami, ngiseyileya ntombazanyana eyayiyithanda kakhulu indaba kaNowa. Akukashintshi ukuzimisela kwami. Ngifuna ukumlalela uJehova, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ngiyalwa ukuba ngenzeni. Ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi noma yiziphi izithiyo, ukuzidela, noma ukulahlekelwa kuncane kakhulu uma kuqhathaniswa nezibusiso ezinhle ezilethwa uNkulunkulu wethu onothando. Ngizibonele ngawami lokhu—futhi ngiyaniqinisekisa, kuyazuzisa ngempela.