Jodane Tindzaba: Ngemva Kwemini Wami Wekugcina ePetra, Umfana weBedouin Wanginika Inkomishi Yetiye—Wase Ungitshela Kutsi Umkhulu Wakhe Wathola ULawrence

Imitha yekugcina yeSiq. Lomhubhe wedvwala lowumngci, emva kwekhilomitha leligcwele nesiyingi, ngekushesha uyahlukana uvuleke — nangu. ITreasury. Hhayi esitfombeni, hhayi ekhasini lekucala leNational Geographic, hhayi emdlalweni we-Indiana Jones — ikhona ngekucinisako, isikwe ngekhatsi situnge leta ekuseni lehlehla ngenkala yeligwadle ledvwala, ingxenye yinye i-rose-gold, lenye ingxenye isafihlakele emtfunyeni. Emuva kwami, umuntfu wahlebeta nge-Arabic ngaphansi kwekulamula kwakhe: Alhamdulillah. Ngema lapho, ngibanjwe emkhatsini wekuhogela umoya nekuwubamba, emizuzwini leminyenti.

Ngase ngibuka emuva eSiq — leyo ndlela yemadwala lebengisandza kuyihamba, indzawo yayo lepholishiwe ibusheleleti ngetinselo temakhulu lamabili eminyaka kanye netinselo temakamela — ngase ngicala kulandzela indlela lebengifike ngayo lapha.

Emaviki lamatsatfu embili, bengihleti esihlalweni eBeijing ngibukele umdlalo wekuhlungela iNdzebe yeMhlaba. IJordan icishe sitha lesingakakhumbuli ligama laso. Ibhena yaphaphama esikrinini — 'The Chivalrous' — ngenhla kwefulegi lebengingalati. Bengingati kutsi iJordan ikuphi, bengingati kutsi bakhulunyaluphi lulwimi khona, bengingati nekutsi kungani lelicembu litibita ngekutsi 'The Chivalrous.' Ikhamera yasika kumlandzeli waseJordan, buso bakhe bupendvwe ngebovu, mhlophe, nemnyama wefulegi lesive, emehlo akhe agcwele lokutsite lebengicabanga kutsi kwavela kuphela emva kwekunqoba. Angiwukhumbuli umphumela walomdlalo. Kodvwa ngiyakhumbula ngivula isiphequluli sami futsi ngibhala 'jordan travel.'

I-Amman lidolobha lelakhiwe etikwemagcuma lasikhombisa. Itekisi yagucuka yenyukela esikhumulweni setindiza, umshayeli alungisa umsakato esiteshini saseLebanon lesidlala emaculo lamadzala aFairuz, wase ubhala kuhlelo lwekuhumusha: 'Imigwaco yase-Amman nekubeketela kwaseJordan yintfo yinye — bayahamba bajikelete, kodvwa bahlala bafika.' Wangilahla endzaweni yekudla lebizwa ngekutsi yiHashem — ivulwe iminyaka lengetulu kwemashumi lasitfupha, ingakaze ivalwe, ineluhla lwetintfo letintsatfu nje: ihummus, ifalafel, sinkhwa lesicaba. Lophakelako washaya sitsumbu sesinkhwa etafuleni leliplastiki waphuma nge-Arabic lehamba ngekushesha. Angizwanga, kodvwa lomakhelwane longena naye wayengihumushela amoyizele: 'Utsite — dla kucala, ukhulume ngemuva.'

Ngehora lesitfupha ekuseni ngelilanga lelilandzelako, bengimi esangweni lePetra. Nangabe unelilanga linye kuphela eJordan, ulinike lonkhe iPetra. Onkhe emakhulu emamitha eSiq anesimo lesehlukile sekushintja kwemoya — incoko yebavakashi esangweni, bese ngaphakatsi kujulile, kute lokunye ngaphandle kwemoya netinyawo takho. Emathempeli lasendvulo kanye netindlela temanti tivela etindongeni temadwala, lidvwala libatjwe ngumoya nemanti esimweni semsipha. Emkhatsini wemamitha langemakhulu lasiphohlongo, umfana weBedouin egibele imbongolo wangidlula waphendvula inhloko: 'Useceleni nje.'

Emva kwesicoco ekugcineni kweSiq, ngahlala esitebhisini selidvwala ngibheke ngco iTreasury. Bavakashi bebanakekela kutsatsa titfombe, kufaka ku-Instagram, kuhlola emakhasil etinombolo emabhukwini abo. Munye kuphela umuntfu longakanyakati — umfana weBedouin, mhlawumbe loneminyaka lelishumi nakutsatfu nobe lelishumi nakune, ligcaba lelibovu nelimhlophe lelikeffiyeh lisongelwe enhloko, ancike emculwini. Wangibuka kancane, wase utshela tiye tase tiyashisa kusuka kuthermos wanginika. 'Tiye lesinemanti,' utsite. 'Uhambe sikhatsi lesidze. Emanti akho aphelile.' Letiye betinemnandzi, tigcwele shukela. Ngabuta kutsi uhlale sikhatsi lesingakanani ePetra. Watsi: 'Bengingihlala lapha. Umkhulu wami futsi. Utsite wahlangana naLawrence.' Wabeka inkomishi yakhe phansi wakhomba bukhashana — titebhisi letinemakhulu lasiphohlongo lenyukela eMonastery — 'Nangabe ufuna kuya lapho, hamba nyalo. Kushisa kakhulu ntsambama.'

Sibhakabhaka sasebusuku saseWadi Rum asidzingi tinkhulumo letinhle. Umhlahlandlela weBedouin wadweba indlela yekusasa yejiphu esihlabatsini ngetinyawo takhe, wase ungitshela indzaba: umndeni wakhe bewuhlala lapha etitukulwaneni letisikhombisa, futsi sito sonkhe situkulwane sinike lugwadule emagama lamasha. 'Lugwadule alushintji,' utsite, 'kodvwa bantfu lababuka lugwadule bayashintja. Ngako-ke nemagama kufanele ashintje.' Wakhenyisa silambu sephalafini wasilengisa ngaphandle kwelithende — kukhanya lokunye lokwenziwe ngemuntfu emkhatsini wemakhilomitha lasihlanu — wase ukhomba iMilky Way. 'Uyawubona lowo mchunge wetinkhanyeti? Sitsi tinkhophe tekamela.' Ngayibuka sikhatsi lesidze futsi nganquma kutsi leligama belinemtsetfo kakhulu kuna 'iMilky Way.'

ULwandle Lolufile alunawo emagagasi. Uyangena, emanti akuphakamisa, kodvwa nase utama kuma, utiva usindvwa kakhulu kunaphambilini — kube shengatsi wonkhe umuntfu wemhlaba uhlangene emakeleni akho. Ngantanta emaminithini lalishumi nesihlanu, ngibuke ngaphesheya e-Israel, ngibuke emuva emgwagweni welugwadule lwaseJordan, ngitama kuhlanganisa tonkhe tincenye zaloluhambo. IJordan live lelingenayo i-oyela lelavula imingcele yalo kubabhaculi labangetulu kwetigidzi letintsatfu. Ikhadi layo lebhizinisi yiPetra, kodvwa ematsambo ayo kukubeketela. Loluhlobo lwekubeketela lokugaya lidvwala lube emathempeli, lokuphendvula lugwadule lube likhaya, kanye nekuphatsa bavakashi njengekuhlonipheka.

Ngelilanga lebengisuka ngalo, ngabuyela kuleyo café e-Amman. Umnikati wangati wangiletsela ikhofi lese-Arabic — kungenawo shukela, lokumunyu lomkhulu kwemakhofi ekuhlela esikhwameni. Wagcobhelisa umunwe wakhe ekhoffini lebesitsele emaphethelweni enkomishi wadweba umbuthano lomncane phezulu kwetafula. 'Le yiPetra,' utsite. 'Utawubuyela.' Ngabuta kutsi kungani. Wakhomba isikheduli secembu lesive laseJordan lesiphinwe elubondzeni. 'Ngoba ngesikhatsi lesitako nase kudlala iJordan, utawubukela.'