ECuraçao, iNetherlands ayikaze ihambe—ivele yafunda ukugqoka izikhindi

Lapho izindlu ezinemibala zaseWillemstad (Willemstad) zibonakala emanzini eSanta Anna Bay, uzozwa umuzwa wokukhohlisa—uma i-Amsterdam idonswe ngentambo yayiswa eduze kwenkabazwe, futhi ikhohlwa ukuthatha izakhiwo ezinama-gable emfuleni, bese ilinyazwa yilanga laseCaribbean iminyaka engamakhulu amane, lokhu yiwona umphumela.

Lezi zakhiwo zilandela ngokuqinile izilinganiso zaseNetherlands kanye nemihlobiso yama-gable, kodwa imibala—i-lemon yellow, i-coral pink, i-mint green, i-cobalt blue—ayiyona neze eyaseNyakatho Yurophu. Umqondisi wendawo othile uncike emgqeni webhuloho le-Queen Emma, ekhuluma ngocingo ngesiPapiamento. Wangibona ngibuka izindlu, wavala ucingo, wathi ngesiNgisi esinomsindo waseNetherlands: 'Uyazi ukuthi kungani lezi zindlu zinemibala egqamile kangaka? Inganekwane ithi umbusi wangaphambili wayecabanga ukuthi ukukhanya okumhlophe kwakukhanya kakhulu, wayala ukuthi zonke izakhiwo zipendwe ngemibala. Kodwa abantu bendawo bathanda ukusho ukuthi—sifuna nje ukukhumbuza abantu baseNetherlands ukuthi lena ayikho iYurophu.'

ICuraçao iyizwe elakha iNetherlands Kingdom, itholakala eningizimu yeCaribbean Sea, icishe ibe ngamakhilomitha angu-65 ukusuka ogwini lwaseVenezuela. Inani labantu belizwe cishe liyi-160,000. Indawo yalo yomhlaba inquma ikusasa lalo: indawo yomthetho waseYurophu eCaribbean Sea, lapho izimboni zokuhluza uphethiloli kanye nezinqaba zangesikhathi samakholoni zihlala ndawonye emkhathini owodwa.

Ngihamba emigwaqweni yase-Otrobanda (Otrobanda), ngezwa ingxoxo umhambi angayizwa—abesifazane ababili abadala behleli emnyango bexoxa ngesiPapiamento, umusho ngamunye unjengokuthatha umzimba weSpanishi ugcwaliswe ngesikhumba saseNetherlands, bese ungeza isigqi sase-Afrika. IsiPapiamento siyisibuko saseCuraçao: amagama esiNetherlands olimini angumlando wamakholoni, isisekelo seSpanishi siyindawo yomhlaba, isigqi esivela e-Afrika siyisilonda sokuhweba ngezigqila. Umbhali wendawo wake wabhala: 'Lapho sikhuluma isiPapiamento, ngesikhathi ngasinye siqinisekisa kabusha ubunikazi bethu—umuntu waseCaribbean, umbuso waseNetherlands, impande yase-Afrika.'

Ukudla kubonisa umqondo ofanayo wokugqagqana. Isidlo esibizwa ngeKeshi Yena—ukumba igobolondo likashizi waseNetherlands i-Edam, kugcwaliswe inyama yenkukhu, upelepele, iminqumo, namagilebhisi omisiwe, bese kukaliswa kuze kuncibilike ushizi—njengombhalo wokunambitha umlando wamakholoni. Umnikazi wendawo yokudlela wangitshela: 'Amatilosi aseNetherlands aletha ushizi esiqhingini, abapheki base-Afrika bawugcwalisa ngendlela yabo. Eminyakeni engamakhulu amane edlule lokhu kwakuyisidlo sezisebenzi—umnikazi wayedla ingaphakathi likashizi, isisebenzi sifake izinsalela egobolondeni likashizi elisele. Kodwa manje, kuyisidlo sokuqala esikhonzwa emishadweni.'

Ijezi leqembu lesizwe laseCuraçao linombala oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka omnyama nemigqa ewolintshi—umnyama oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ulwandle lwaseCaribbean, iwolintshi umndeni wasebukhosini waseNetherlands. Esitolo sezinto zokusubatha eWillemstad, leli jezi lilenga endaweni ebonakala kakhulu, eceleni kwalo kunesifuba sefulegi esincane saseCuraçao kanye nesithombe esidala—usuku lokuwina iCaribbean Cup ngo-2017, lapho yonke imigwaqo yaseWillemstad igcwele abantu. Umnikazi wesitolo ungumuntu oneminyaka engamashumi amahlanu, wathi: 'Ibhola liyindlela kuphela yokuthi iCuraçao ikwazi ukwenza iNetherlands isibone. Asikhiqizi uphethiloli, asinalo isikhungo sezezimali. Kodwa sinabadlali—uLeandro Bacuna wadlala e-English Premier League, uCuco Martina wayengumdlali wasemuva we-Everton. Abantu baseNetherlands lapho bebona bathi: O, ungumuntu waseCuraçao lowo.' Wathula, wanezela: 'Ngaphambi kwalokhu, abantu abaningi baseNetherlands babengazi nokuthi iCuraçao iyizwe, hhayi nje indawo yokuphumula ebhishi.'

IKlein Curaçao—'iCuraçao encane'—iyisiqhingi esingahlali muntu, esinophawu lwesibani olushiyiwe kanye nohlelo olumhlophe olungafani nomhlaba. Umnikazi wesikebhe wanikeza indodana yakhe eneminyaka eyishumi nambili isiteringi, wena washintsha umsakazo waya esiteshini esidlala izingoma ezindala zaseNetherlands, bese eshintshela ku-reggae. 'ECuraçao,' esho, 'umsakazo awukaze udlale izingoma zolimi olulodwa kuphela. Isivinini okushintsha ngaso isiteshi, yiso isivinini lesi siqhingi esishintsha ngaso ubunikazi baso.'

Lapho ilanga lishona, ngabuyela ebhulohweni le-Queen Emma. Izibani zebhuloho zakhanya. Izithunzi zezindlu ezinemibala emibili emanzini zahlakazwa isikebhe esidlulayo. Ebhulohweni, umuntu wendawo owayebuyela ekhaya emva komsebenzi, umhambi owama ukuze athwebule umkhathi, kanye nomfana owayegibele ibhayisikili edlula ngokushesha—wayegqoke ijezi lokuziqeqesha eliwolintshi leqembu lesizwe laseCuraçao. Izithunzi zalaba bantu abathathu zahlangana kafushane ezingxenyeni zomzimba emanzini. Bese ibhuloho livaleka kancane. Usuku ngalunye eCuraçao lunjengaleli bhuloho: lihlala liphazanyiswa izikebhe, kodwa alikaze liphule ngempela—lilinda nje ukuthi isikebhe sidlule, bese lixhuma kabusha.