Umkhumbi Uyabhewuka Esihlengeni

KHANGELA! umkhumbi usengozini! Usubhidlika! Uyababona yini abantu asebeyeqele emanzini? Abanye sebephuma emanzini besiya lapho okulomhlabathi owomileyo. NguPhawuli yini lowayana? Ake sibone ukuthi kade kusenzakalani kuye.

Khumbula ukuthi uPhawuli ubebotshiwe eKhesariya okweminyaka emibili. Ngemva kwalokho yena lezinye izibotshwa bafakwa emkhunjini besebesiya eRoma. Kuba lesiphepho sebedlula esihlengeni saseKhrethe. Umoya wakhona uvunguza ngamandla okokuthi amadoda la kasenelisi ukuqondisa umkhumbi. Abasaliboni ilanga emini ngitsho lezinkanyezi ebusuku. Ekucineni, ngemva kwamalanga amanengi, abasemkhunjini sebebona angani abasoze basinde.

UPhawuli uyasukuma abesesithi: ‘Akula muntu ozakufa lapha; umkhumbi yiwo ozabhidlika. Izolo ebusuku ingilosi kaNkulunkulu ibuye kimi yasisithi, “Ungesabi, Phawuli! Kumele uyethonisiswa ngumbusi weRoma uKhesari. UNkulunkulu uzasindisa bonke olabo emkhunjini.” ’

Phakathi kobusuku ngelanga lesi-14 ngemva kwesiphepho, abasemkhunjini bayananzelela ukuthi lapho abakhona akusatshoni kakhulu! Behlisa izisindo zokumisa umkhumbi ngoba bayesaba ukutshayelela ematsheni emnyameni. Ngelanga elilandelayo ekuseni, babona lapho abangahamba khona. Babona kungcono ukuthi bahambe ngomkhumbi wabo khonale lapho okulomhlabathi.

Sebezafika khonapho, umkhumbi utshayelela esidulini setshebetshebe ubusubhajwa. Amagagasi aqalisa ukuwudutshuza ubusubhidlika. Umphathi webutho uthi: ‘Bonke abakwazi ukubhukutsha lingayeqela olwandle kuqala, beselibhukutsha lisiya emhlabathini. Abanye lingayeqa ngemuva kwabo beselibambelela emapulankeni omkhumbi.’ Yikho kanye abakwenzayo. Ngalendlela, abantu bonke abangu-276 ababesemkhunjini bafika emhlabathini bengalimalanga njengoba ingilosi yayithembisile.

Isihlenge lesi kuthiwa yiMalitha. Abantu bakhona babaphatha ngomusa kakhulu abantu abavele emkhunjini. Umkhathi uba ngcono, uPhawuli abesegadiswa omunye umkhumbi ayiswe eRoma.