Jordani Iindaba: Ngelanga Lami Lokugcina Ntambama EPetra, Umfana WomBedouin Wanginika Inkomishi YeTiyi—Wangitjhela Ukuthi Umkhulu Wakhe Wahlangana NoLawrence

Imitha yokugcina yeSiq. Umgede omcangathi wedwala, ngemva kwekhilomitha elizeleko eyi-1.2, ngokungajayelekileko uyavuleka — nangu-ke. ITreasury. Akusiso esithombeni, akusiso ekhavenini yeNational Geographic, akusiso efulemeni ye-Indiana Jones — ikhona ngempela, isikwe kabili ngecala lokukhanya kwasekuseni elinzabileko ekuqhekekeni kwedwala, ingxenye eyodwa igolide-nesibhakela, enye ingxenye isafihlwe mthunzini. Ngemva kwami, omunye wahlebeza ngesi-Arabhu ngaphasi kwephefumulo lakhe: Alhamdulillah. Ngema lapho, ngibanjwe phakathi kokubamba iphefumulo nokulibamba, iinkondlo ezinengi.

Ngemva kwalokho ngabheka emuva eSiq — umgede wedwala ebengisanda kuhamba kuwo, ibulongo lawo lipuculwe liphusheleke ziinsela namapahla weenkamela eminyakeni eyizigidigidi ezimbili — ngase ngiqala ukuphindelela emuva ukuthi ngifike kanjani lapha.

Emavekeni amathathu adlulileko, bengihlezi esihlalweni eBeijing ngibukele umdlalo wokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba. IJordan ibhekene nombangi ongikhohlwe ibizo lakhe. Ibhanela yaphaphazela esikrinini — 'The Chivalrous' — ngaphezu kwefulegi ebengingayazi. Bengingazi ukuthi iJordan ikuphi, bengingazi ukuthi bakhuluma limi baphi, bengingazi nokuthi kungenani iqembu lazo lizibiza 'The Chivalrous.' Ikhamera yathwebula umsekeli weJordan, ubuso bakhe bupendwe ngokubomvu, okumhlophe, nokumnyama kwefulegi yesitjhaba, amehlo akhe aphethe into ebengicabanga ukuthi ibonakala kwaphela ngemva kokuphumelela. Angikhumbuli umphumela womdlalo. Kodwana ngiyakhumbula ukuvula umtjhomelo wami ngabhala 'ukuhamba eJordan.'

IAmman lidolobha elakhiwe phezu kwamagquma ayisikhombisa. Itekisi yaqalaza yenyukela isuka esikhumulweni seemoya, umqhubi alungise umsakazo esiteshini saseLebanon esidlala iingoma ezindala zikaFairuz, wase ethayipha i-aphu yokuhumutjha: ‘Iindlela zeAmman nokubekezela kwamaJordanian yinto yinye — ziyazungeleza, kodwana zihlala zifika.’ Wangilahla endaweni yokudlela ebizwa ngeHashem — ivulwe iminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi ayisithandathu, ingakaze ivalwe, inemenyu enezinto ezintathu kwaphela: ihummus, ifalafel, isinkwa esiphaphazelako. Isikhonzi sasilimaza inqwaba yesinkwa phezu kwendwangu yetafula yeplastiki sase siphosa umugqa osheshako wesi-Arabhu. Angizange ngizwisise, kodwana umuntu odlayo eduze kwami wahumutjha ngokuhleka: 'Uthi — dla okokuthoma, khuluma ngemva.'

Ngehora lesithandathu ngakusasa, bengimi esangweni lePetra. Nange unelanga linye kwaphela eJordan, linikela loke ePetra. Amamitha alikhulu woke weSiq linomkhathi omncani owehlukileko — umsindo wezivakatshi esangweni, bese ngaphakathi ngokujulileko, akhuna lutho ngaphandle komoya neenkghathi zeenyawo zakh. Iindawo zokukhonzela zakade nemigudu yamanzi ivela eembondeni zamadwala, ilitshe libatjhiwe ngumoya namanzi libe mumumo wesihlunu. Cishe emamitheni angamakhulu ayisishiyagalombili, umfana womBedouin ogadele idoni wangidlula wajika ihloko: ‘Sekuseduze.’

Ngemva komvuthwandaba ekupheleni kweSiq, ngahlala esikalini selitshe ngibheke ngqo eTreasury. Abavakatshi bebasamatasatasa bathatha izithombe, bathumela i-Instagram, bahlola iinombolo zepheji emabhukwini wabokuhamba. Kwakumuntu munye kwaphela onganyakazi — umfana womBedouin, ngicabanga aneminyaka elitjhumi nathathu namkha elitjhumi nane, i-keffiyeh enamatjhaphutjhaphu abomvu nabamhlophe itjhijwe ehloko, angqinyame ngekholomo. Wangiphosa ihlo, wase uthela itiyi etjhisako ukusuka ethermasi wayinikela kimi. ‘Itiyi yementha,’ kusho yena. ‘Uhambile isikhathi eside. Amanzi wakho aphelile.’ Itiyi beyinambitheka kamnandi, ifakwe iswidi enengi. Ngambuza ukuthi sehlale isikhathi esingangani ePetra. Wathi: ‘Bengihlezi lapha nanyana nini. Nomkhulu wami. Wathi wahlangana noLawrence.’ Wabeka phasi inkomishi yakhe wakhomba kudephaneni — iinkghathi ezingamakhulu ayisishiyagalombili unyukela eMonastery — 'Nange ufuna ukuya lapho, hamba kwanje. Kutjhisa khulu ntambama.'

Isibhakabhaka sasebusuku seWadi Rum asifuni kuhlotjhiswa. Umkhambeli womBedouin walandela umzila wakusasa wejiphu esihlabathini ngenyawo yakhe, wase ungilandisela indaba: umndeni wakhe bewuhlala lapha iinkhathi eziyisikhombisa, kanti isikhathi ngasinye isikhathi besinikela ihlelo amabizo amatjha. 'Ihlelo alitjhuguluki,' kusho yena, 'kodwana abantu ababukele ihlelo bayatjhuguluka. Ngakho namabizo kufanele atjhuguluke.' Wakhanyisa ilambu lepharafini walilengisa ngaphandle kwethende — ukukhanya okungekhona okwemvelo kuphela emkhatsini weekhilomitha ezingamashumi amahlanu — wase ukhomba indlela iMilky Way. 'Uyasibona leso sibhinci seenkanyeti? Thina siyibiza ngeenkophe zekamela.' Ngayibuka isikhathi eside ngaphothula ngathi leli bizo linembile khulu ukudlula 'iMilky Way.'

ILwandle Olufileko alinamagagasi. Ungena, amanzi akuphakamisa, kodwana nasezama ukuma, uzizwa usinda ukwedlula ngaphambili — kungathi woke umdonselaphasi weplanethi uhlangene emankendeni wakho. Ngantanta imizuzu elitjhumi nahlanu, ngibheke ngaphesheya ngibheke i-Israel, ngiphinde ngibheke ngemuva emgwaqweni oya ehlelweni lwami leJordan, ngizama ukuhlanganisa yoke imihlobo yohambo lolu. IJordan lilizwe elingenamafutha elavula imingcele yalo kubahlamuki abangaphezu kwezigidigidi ezintathu. Ikhadi lalo lebhizinisi yiPetra, kodwana amathambo walo kukubekezela. Uhlobo lokubekezela olugaya amatshe abe ziinthempeli, olwenza ihlelo libe likhaya, noluthatha iimbuyhi njengehlonipho.

Ngelanga engisuka ngalo, ngabuyela kuleyo khefi eAmman. Umnikazi wangiphawula wangilethela ikhofi yobu-Arabhu — engenaswidi, ikhofi ejimeneko esezingeni ngetlasi. Wathinta ngalo munwe ekofini ebilaphalalele phezu komphetho wenkomishi wadweda inyekezelelo encani phezu kwetafula. 'Lena yiPetra,' kusho yena. 'Uzakubuya.' Ngabuza ukuthi kungani. Wakhomba ihlelwe yemidlalo yeqembu lesitjhaba leJordan elenga ebhodini: 'Ngombana ngesikhathi esilandelako iJordan idlala, uzakubukela.'