Лев

Imbali ayihlali kwincwadi yesifundo: ukuqonda kuvela kwiinkcukacha ezincinci—umthetho, ileta, isikhalazo sommi. Isitalato sele singumthombo: ububanzi bendlela kunye nokuphakama kwemida zizigqibo zabantu abangekhoyo. Buza "kutheni," hayi "nini." Umhla ukhunjulwa ngosuku, isizathu ngonaphakade. Qala ngesixeko sakho: imbali ayidingi kuhanjwa; ikwiindawo ezimbalwa zokuma.

Kwiminyaka engamakhulu amabini eyadlulayo, umtshato wawusisivumelwano phakathi kweentsapho ezimbini, kungekuphela nje abantu ababini. Izandla zazidityaniswa, kodwa utyikityo lwalusayinwa ngabanye.

Umkhosi wawela iHellespont. Loo nyaka mnye uphawula ukuqala kwento esiza kuyibiza ngokuba lixesha kamva.

Icathedral yavulwa kusasa, kwaye kwakugquma ngathi yindlu yeenyosi. Inyathelo lakhe ngalinye lalivakala kuye wonke umntu—yaye yiloo nto kanye eyayithethwa.

Ngaphambi kombane, iqonga lalikhanyiswa sisibane seenyawo sezibane zeoyile ezivela ngaphantsi. Oku kuchaza izimonyo zemidlalo: ukusuka ngaphantsi, ubuso bubonakala busicaba.

Kwaye kuyacaca ukuba kutheni: abantu babehamba ecaleni kwemilambo, kodwa kunqabile ukuba bahambe ecaleni konxweme. Imephu isoloko ineenkcukacha ezithe vetshe apho abantu babehamba khona rhoqo.

Iimaphu zakuqala zazibonisa unxweme neentaba, kodwa azizange zibonise izixeko. Oku kwakungengenxa yokungakhathali: izixeko zatshintshana, kodwa unxweme lwahlala lukho.

Eyona ndawo inyanisekileyo kwimephu yakudala yindawo engenabantu. Apho amabali abanye abantu aphela khona, umzobi weemaphu wayeka nje usiba lwakhe.

Ezi mephu zasinda kuba zazibiza kakhulu. Ezephepha ezingabizi kakhulu zaguga kwisizukulwana esinye zaza zalahlwa nje.

Ithiyetha yayiyeyona ndawo kuphela apho izihlwele zazivunyelwe ukuba zicinge ngokuvakalayo. Yiyo loo nto yayivalwa rhoqo kuneemarike.

Intsimbi yobunzima betoni yajijelwa ngabantu ababini. Umshayi wentsimbi wasebenzisa ubunzima bomzimba wakhe, kungekhona izandla zakhe—kungenjalo, wayengenawo amandla okanye isingqisho.

Kangangeenkulungwane, ubude betreyini babumiselwa ngumthetho, kungekhona incasa: okukhona ukuzalwa kuphezulu, kokukhona inde. Imitha eyongezelelweyo ingakufaka enkundleni.

Izinto ezinjalo zazingadalelwanga ubuhle, kodwa zazingenzelwanga ukubala: amatye ayeyirejista yemali eyayinokubekwa entlokweni ize ikhutshwe kwilizwe ngobusuku obunye.

Oko kukuthi, umntu owabeka isiseko akazange ayibone i-vault. Bayakhele abazukulwana babo—phantse akukho mntu unokukwenza oko kule mihla.

Bashiya iSpain nge-20 kaSeptemba 1519. Babuya nge-18.

Ngomhla wama-29 kweyoKwindla, ngo-1974, abalimi babemba amanzi. Bemba amajoni angamawaka asibhozo.

Ngomhla wesi-4 kweyeNkanga ngo-1922, umsebenzi wabetha ilitye. Lajika laba lelokuqala kwizinyathelo ezilishumi elinesithandathu.

Apha sifikelela kumbuzo ophambili: kutheni ixesha elidlulileyo lisoloko libonakala linengqondo kunokuba lalinjalo ngokwenene? Impendulo ilula: siyazi ukuba laphela njani.

Iyure phambi kwekhamera ilingana neeyure ezimbini zokuphikisana kwangaphambili. Inguqulelo ehlala iphela kwikhamera yileyo ekugqibeleni siyiqondayo into esithetha ngayo.

Saxoxa kangangeyure enesiqingatha. Savumelana ngento enye kuphela: sazi okuncinci ngobomi bemihla ngemihla bexesha elidlulileyo kuneemfazwe zalo—akukho mntu ubhale phantsi.

Inqanawa yangena echwebeni emva kweminyaka emithathu. Yamkelwa njengommangaliso: wonke umntu wayekholelwa kudala ukuba uhambo lutshabalale ngokupheleleyo.

Isaqhwithi sihlala iiyure ezininzi, inzolo ithatha iiveki. Amanzi nokutya kuyaphela, akukho nxweme, kwaye abasebenzi abanandawo yokuya. Uvukelo lwaqala kanye apho kuthule khona.

Amatye, inkungu, umsinga ohamba phambili. UMagellan wahamba ngenqanawa iintsuku ezingamashumi amathathu anesibhozo waza waphulukana nezimbini kwiinqanawa zakhe ezintlanu.