IJordan Amabali: Ngemva Kwemini Yam Yokugqibela E-Petra, Inkwenkwe Yase-Bedouin Yandinika Ikomityi Yeti—Yandixelela Ukuba Utatomkhulu Wayo Wadibana No-Lawrence

Imitha yokugqibela ye-Siq. Ipaseji yamatye emxinwa, emva kweekhilomitha ezipheleleyo ezisi-1.2, icandeke ngequbuliso yavuleka — nantsiya. I-Treasury. Hayi efotweni, hayi kuqweqwe lwe-National Geographic, hayi kwifilimu ye-Indiana Jones — ikhona ngenene, icandwe kubini sisikali sokukhanya kwasekuseni esityhudisa kwintanda yelitye, esinye isiqingatha siyi-rose-gold, esinye isiqingatha sisesethunzini. Emva kwam, umntu othile wasebeza ngesi-Arabic phantsi komphefumlo wakhe: Alhamdulillah. Ndema apho, ndiphakathi kokubamba umphefumlo nokuwubamba, imizuzwana eliqela.

Emva koko ndaphinda ndayijonga i-Siq — ipaseji yamatye endandisandula ukuyihamba, umgangatho wayo ugudiwe ngokugqibeleleyo ziimpuphu neentende zeenkamela kwiminyaka engamawaka amabini — ndaza ndaqala ukukhumbula indlela endifike ngayo apha.

Kwiiveki ezintathu ezidlulileyo, ndandihleli esitulweni e-Beijing ndibukele umdlalo wokuhlungela iNdebe yeHlabathi. I-Jordan ichasene neqela endingasakhumbuliyo igama lalo. Ibhena yavela esikrinini — 'The Chivalrous' — ngaphezu kweflegi endingayaziyo. Bendingazi ukuba i-Jordan iphi, bendingazi ukuba bathetha luphi ulwimi apho, bendingazi ukuba kutheni iqela lizibiza ngokuba 'ngabaNesibindi.' Ikhamera yatsibela kumxhasi we-Jordan, ubuso bakhe bupeyintwe ngobomvu, omhlophe, nomnyama weflegi yesizwe, amehlo akhe ephethe into endandicinga ukuba ivela kuphela emva koloyiso. Andikhumbuli isiphumo somdlalo. Kodwa ndikhumbula ndivula isikhangeli sam ndaza ndachwetheza 'tafiya jordan.'

I-Amman sisixeko esakhiwe phezu kweenduli ezisixhenxe. Iteksi yajikajika inyuka ukusuka kwisikhululo seenqwelo-moya, umqhubi elungisa unomathotholo kwisitishi sase-Lebanon esidlala iingoma ezindala zika-Fairuz, emva koko echwetheza kwi-app yokuguqulela: 'Iindlela zase-Amman nomonde wase-Jordan yinto enye — ziyajikajika, kodwa zihlala zifika.' Wandishiya kwindawo yokutyela ebizwa ngokuba yi-Hashem — ivuliwe ngaphezu kweminyaka engamashumi amathandathu, ayizange ivalwe, inemenyu enezinto ezintathu kanye: i-hummus, i-falafel, kunye nesonka esisicaba. Umlungiseleli wabetha isipha sesonka phezu kwetafile yeplastiki waza wadubula uluhlu lwe-Arabic ekhawulezayo. Andizange ndiqonde, kodwa umntu owayesitya ecaleni kwam waguqulela ngoncumo: 'Uthe — yitya kuqala, uthethe kamva.'

Ngeyesithandathu ekuseni ngosuku olulandelayo, ndandimi emnyango we-Petra. Ukuba unosuku olunye kuphela e-Jordan, lunike lonke e-Petra. Zonke iimitha ezilikhulu ze-Siq yimeko yemozulu eyahlukileyo — ingxolo yabakhenkethi emnyango, emva koko nzulu ngaphakathi, akukho nto ngaphandle komoya neenyawo zakho. Iindawo ezingcwele zamandulo nemijelo yamanzi zivela ezindongeni zamatye, ilitye eliqingqwe ngumoya namanzi laba yimo yemisipha. Malunga nomphawuli weemitha ezingamakhulu asibhozo, inkwenkwe yase-Bedouin ekhwele iesile yadlula kum yaza yajika intloko: 'Phantse ufikile.'

Emva kwencopho ekupheleni kwe-Siq, ndahlala kwisinyuko selitye ndijonge ngqo e-Treasury. Abakhenkethi babexakekile bethatha iifoto, befaka kwi-Instagram, bejonga amanani ephepha kwiincwadi zabo zezikhokelo. Mnye kuphela umntu owayengashukumi — inkwenkwe yase-Bedouin, mhlawumbi elishumi elinesithathu okanye elishumi elinesine, i-keffiyeh eneshwangusha ebomvu-namhlophe ibotshwe entloko, ichophe kwintsika. Yandijonga, emva koko yagalela iti eshushu kwi-thermos yaze yandinika. 'Iti ye-mint,' yatsho. 'Uhambe ixesha elide. Amanzi akho aphelile.' Iti yayiswiti, ifakwe iswekile eninzi. Ndabuza ukuba lihleli ixesha elingakanani e-Petra. Yathi: 'Ndihlala ndilapha. Utatomkhulu wam kanjalo. Wathi wadibana no-Lawrence.' Yabeka phantsi ikomityi yayo yakhomba kude — kwizinyuko ezingamakhulu asibhozo ukuya e-Monastery — 'Ukuba ufuna ukuya phaya, hamba ngoku. Kushushu kakhulu emva kwemini.'

Isibhakabhaka sasebusuku sase-Wadi Rum asifuni ntshumayelo. Umkhaphi wase-Bedouin wazoba indlela ye-jeep yentsasa elandelayo entlabathini ngonyawo lwakhe, emva koko wandixelela ibali: usapho lwakhe luhlala apha izizukulwana ezisixhenxe, kwaye isizukulwana ngasinye sinike intlango amagama amatsha. 'Intlango ayitshintshi,' watsho, 'kodwa abantu abajonge intlango bayatshintsha. Ngoko ke namagama kufuneka atshintshe.' Walayita isibane separafini wasixhoma ngaphandle kwentente — ekuphela kwesibane sokwenziwa kumgama weekhilomitha ezingamashumi amahlanu — emva koko wakhomba kwi-Milky Way. 'Uyawubona loo mqolo weenkwenkwezi? Siwubiza ngokuba ziinkophe zenkamela.' Ndayijonga ixesha elide ndaza ndagqiba kwelokuba eli gama lichane ngakumbi kune-'Milky Way.'

ULwandle oluFileyo alunamaza. Ungena, amanzi ayakutyhalela phezulu, kodwa xa uzama ukuma, uziva unzima kunangaphambili — ngokungathi wonke umxhuzulane womhlaba ugxile emaqatheni akho. Ndadada imizuzu elishumi elinesihlanu, ndijonge ngaphaya kwa-Israyeli, ndijonge umva kuhola wendlela wase-Jordan ngasemva kwam, ndizama ukuhlanganisa onke amaqhekeza olu hambo. I-Jordan lilizwe elingenayo i-oyile elathi lavula imida yalo kubantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezithathu zeembacu. Ikhadi layo leshishini yi-Petra, kodwa amathambo ayo ngumonde. Olu hlobo lomonde ocola amatye abe ziitempile, oguqula intlango ibe likhaya, nozithatha iindwendwe njengembeko.

Ngomhla wokuhamba kwam, ndabuyela kuloo khefi e-Amman. Umninimzi wandazi wandiphathela ikofu yase-Arabia — engenaswekile, intlenga yekofu eshinyeneyo emazantsi. Wathixa umnwe wakhe kwikofu eyayichithekileyo ngaphaya komphetho wekomityi waza wazoba isangqa esincinci phezu kwetafile. 'Le yi-Petra,' watsho. 'Uza kubuya.' Ndabuza isizathu. Wakhomba kwishedyuli yeqela lesizwe lase-Jordan eliqhotyoshelwe eludongeni. 'Kuba kwixesha elizayo xa i-Jordan idlala, uza kubukela.'