Ukubulala Abantu Abaningi ELuby’s Cafeteria
USUKU lwangoLwesithathu, ngo-October 16, 1991, lwaqalisa njengazo zonke ezinye izinsuku ngami nomkami, uPaula. Manje sibheka emuva kulo njengolungafani nanoma yiluphi usuku esake salwazi.
Ngalolosuku ntambama sasiseLuby’s Cafeteria eKilleen, eTexas, lapho indoda esangene yafohla ngeloli layo yangena ngefasitela lengilazi futhi yaqala ukudubula. Yabulala abantu abangu-22 futhi yalimaza abanye abangaphezu kuka-20, ekugcineni yazidubula yona ekhanda. Kwakuwukudubula okwabulala abantu abaningi kakhulu emlandweni waseU.S.
Mina noPaula siyizikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele ezingoFakazi BakaJehova, futhi sasingene eLuby’s ngemva kokuchitha isikhathi sasekuseni enkonzweni. Ngaphambili cishe sasingu-50 esasihlangene endaweni yethu yokukhulekela, iHholo LoMbuso, futhi ngaphambi kokuba siqalise sasixoxe ngomsebenzi wethu esasizowenza ekuseni. Abaningi basikisela ukuba sihlangane eLuby’s ngenjongo yokudla kwasemini, kodwa bonke ngaphandle kukaMaria, uPaula, nami bashintsha uhlelo lwabo.
Safika eLuby’s ngo-12:25 ntambama futhi sema emgqeni wokuthenga. Njengoba wawuhamba kancane, uMaria, okwakufanele ayoqhuba isifundo seBhayibheli ngehora lokuqala, wanquma ukuba ahambe. UPaula waya endlini encane. Ngiyabonga ngokuthi wabuya ngokushesha—ngoba ngemva kwemizuzwana embalwa kamuva, iloli lafohla langena ngefasitela ayesanda nje kudlula kulo.
Umsindo wawunjengokuwa kwezitsha eziningi. Izingilazi, amatafula, kanye nezihlalo kwakundiza yonke indawo. Kwaba-ke nomsindo wokuqhuma. Ngangicabanga ukuthi kwakuqhuma isigubhu sikawoyela wenjini yeloli. Abanye bacabanga ukuthi umshayeli wayenenkinga ngemoto yakhe futhi baya bayomsiza. Kodwa wabadubula. Othile wamemeza ngokungakholelwa: “Udubula abantu!” Waqala ukudubula ngisho nangaphambi kokuba aphume elolini.
Umugqa wokuyothenga wawumise okuka-U. Sasilapho u-U egoba khona. Iloli lema nje ekuqaleni kuka-U lapho kwakukhona indawo yomuntu okukhokhwa kuye. UPaula wangibamba ngesandla, ethi: “Masiphume lapha.” Kodwa ngamdonsela phansi. Lendoda ephethe isibhamu yayiza nganeno emgqeni wokuyothenga, idubula njengoba iza. Ngaso sonke lesikhathi, yayimemeza isho izinto ezinjengokuthi, “Bekufanele yini Bell County? Bekufanele yini Belton?” Yayibuye isho nenhlamba.
Yasondela yaba seduze nathi ngamamitha ambalwa, idubula ingayeki njengoba ihamba. Asizange sibubone ubuso bayo, kodwa yayiseduze kakhulu kangangokuba sezwa phansi kundindizela njengoba izinhlamvu zidubula. Mina noPaula sasithandaza buthule kuJehova. Salala sanganyakaza; labo abanyakaza badutshulwa. Ngangibambe amaqakala omkami ngezandla, ngingazi noma usaphila yini noma usefile.
Khona-ke yaphindela emuva, idubula yonke indlela. Yeza ngakolunye uhlangothi lomugqa wokuyothenga omise okuka-U, yema eduze kwezinyawo zami. Yadedela inhlamvu kowesifazane owayengemuva nje kwami. “Nakhu okwakho,” yasho lokho lapho igalela inhlamvu kuye. Ngaphambi nje kokuba idubule, wayethe: “Uza ngakithi.” Cishe wayephakamise ikhanda lakhe.
Ukuqhuma kwakukukhulu kangangokuba ngacabanga ukuthi ngangidubulekile. Khona-ke ngabe sengizwa lendoda ephethe isibhamu iphenduka futhi iya ngasendaweni yokudlela, eqhele ngamamitha angu-15 noma angu-20. Ngangazi ukuthi kuleyondawo, kwakunodonga olwalusisitha kancane ukuba ingasiboni. Ngakho ekugcineni ngavuka kancane ukuze ngibone ukuthi uPaula wayesaphila yini, naye wenza okufanayo, ethi, “Masihambe!”
Saphuthuma sayophuma ngomnyango wangaphambili, futhi cishe abanye abayisishiyagalombili noma abayishumi benza okufanayo. Isalukazi esithile esasingakwazi ukuhamba ngokushesha sahamba phambi kwethu. Saziphoqelela ukuba sibe nesineke naphezu kokukhathazeka kwethu. Sagijima sayophuma ngomnyango ovulekile ocishe ulingane nenkundla yebhola likanobhutshuzwayo futhi sangena endlini enamakamelo eseduzane. Sashayela umngane wethu ucingo futhi samcela ukuba asihlangabeze ngezansi emgwaqweni.
Lapho siphuma kulesosakhiwo, sabona amaphoyisa eza ngakolunye uhlangothi. Kakade izindiza ezinophephela emhlane zase zifika zizothwala abalimele. Sasisenovalo, singazi ukuthi lendoda ephethe isibhamu yayikuphi. Lapho umngane wethu efika, wayekhala. Wayezwe izindaba emsakazweni.
Ukubhekana Nemiphumela Yakamuva
Saphindela ekhaya, futhi abangane babelokhu befika bezosibona. Yeka ukuthi kwakududuza kanjani ukuba khona kwabo! Ngosuku olulandelayo ekuseni, njengoba kuwumkhuba wethu, saya enkonzweni yethu yasobala. Endleleni, ngathenga iphephandaba, futhi imibiko yasibuyisa ngokucacile engqondweni sonke lesosigigaba. Saqaphela ukuthi sasingakakulungeli ngokomzwelo ukubhekana nomphakathi, ngakho saphindela ekhaya.
Amasonto athile ngemva kwalokho, ukuya ezindaweni zomphakathi kwakusenza sibe novalo. Ngesinye isikhathi saya endaweni okudayiswa kuyo amahamburger futhi othile waqhumisa ibhaluni. Lokho kwasenza saqhaqhazela ngempela! Ochwepheshe bokuphazamiseka kwengqondo nemizwelo bathi ikhambi elingcono kakhulu ngalabo ababhekana nohlobo lwesenzakalo esibuhlungu esifana nesabhekana naso liwukukhuluma ngokukhululekile ngaso. Yeka indlela esabonga ngayo ngokuvakashelwa abangane phakathi nezinsuku ezalandela, okwasenza sakwenza lokhu!
Omunye wabangane bethu watshela uPaula ukuthi: “Inkonzo izonelapha.” Wayeqinisile. Nakuba uPaula ayemadolo-nzima ngalelosonto lokuqala ukuhlanganyela enkonzweni yethu yasobala, waqalisa futhi ngokushesha inkonzo yendlu ngendlu futhi ngemva kwalokho waqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli.
IBhayibheli liqinisile ngempela uma lixwayisa ngokuthi ukuzehlukanisa kudala izinkinga. (IzAga 18:1) Sezwa ukuthi abanye, kuhlanganise nabantu ababengekho ngisho nakuleyondawo yokudlela ngalolosuku, bazehlukanisa. Ngenxa yalokho, ngisho nangemva kwezinyanga ezithile ngemva kokubulawa kwabantu abaningi, babesesaba ukuya emphakathini.
Lokho okuye kwasisiza ngokukhethekile ukuba sibhekane nalesehlakalo ukuqonda iziprofetho zeBhayibheli. Izinsuku zethu eZwini likaNkulunkulu zichazwa ngokuthi ‘izinsuku zokugcina ezinezikhathi ezinzima.’ (2 Thimothewu 3:1) Ngakho izenzakalo ezibuhlungu njengokubulawa kwabantu abaningi eLuby’s Cafeteria, ngokudabukisayo kumelwe zilindelwe. Ngempela, uchwepheshe owaziwayo, uDkt. James A. Fox, waphawula ukuthi ekubulaleni abantu abaningi okukhulu kakhulu okuyishumi emlandweni waseMelika, okuyisishiyagalombili kwenzeke kusukela ngo-1980.
UJack Levin, uprofesa wesayensi yezenhlalo nomsizi womlobi wencwadi ethi Mass Murder, wathi lokhu kubulala abantu abaningi kubonisa ukuwohloka komphakathi kanye nomnotho. Uthi: “Abesilisa asebeqinile abaningi ngokwengeziwe banomuzwa wokuthi ukuphila kubashiye bengaqapheleki. Baye balahlekelwa imisebenzi yabo noma benza isehlukaniso somshado. Izimiso ezisekelayo ezazikhona seziyawohloka, ezinjengomkhaya kanye nesonto.” Ngokusobala kwakunjalo ngombulali, uGeorge J. Hennard, oneminyaka engu-35 ubudala, owayevela emkhayeni ohlukanisile futhi owayesanda kuphucwa amaphepha akhe okuba itilosi ngenxa yokusolwa ukuthi usebenzisa kabi imilaliso.
Yebo, abantu badinga ithemba elisekelwe eBhayibhelini lomhlaba omusha wokulunga othenjiswa uNkulunkulu. (2 Petru 3:13; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4) Ukuqiniseka kwethu kokuthi lonke usizi lwanamuhla ngeke lukhumbuleke kuye kwasiqinisa mina noPaula kulesikhathi esinzima. UNkulunkulu uye wasiduduza ngempela, njengoba iZwi lakhe lithembisa ukuthi uyokwenza kanjalo. (2 Korinte 1:3, 4)—Njengoba ilandiswa uSully Powers.
[Isithombe ekhasini 23]
Amaphoyisa ahlola ingaphakathi leLuby’s Cafeteria lapho indoda ephethe isibhamu yafohla khona ngeloli efasiteleni elingaphambili
[Umthombo]
Courtesy of Killeen Daily Herald
[Isithombe ekhasini 24]
Abesifazane abangaziwa ngaphandle kwendawo yokudlela lapho lendoda eyayiphethe isibhamu yabulala khona abantu abangu-23 kuhlanganise nayo ngokwayo
[Umthombo]
Courtesy of Killeen Daily Herald
Mina nomkami, uPaula