ECuraçao, iNetherlands ayikaze ihambe—ifunde nje ukugqoka izikhindi

Lapho izindlu ezinemibala zaseWillemstad (Willemstad) zibonakala emanzini eSanta Anna Bay, uzothola umuzwa wokukhohlisa—uma i-Amsterdam idonswe ngentambo yayiswa eduze kwenkabazwe, futhi ikhohlwa ukuthatha izakhiwo ezinama-gable emiselweni, bese ilinywe yilanga laseCaribbean iminyaka engamakhulu amane, yilokhu okuwumphumela.

Lezi zakhiwo zilandela ngokuqinile izilinganiso zaseNetherlands kanye nemihlobiso yama-gable, kodwa imibala—ophuzi lukalamula, opinki we-coral, oluhlaza okwenqina, oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka—ayiyona neze eyaseNyakatho Yurophu. Umhlahlandlela wendawo uncike ocingweni lwe-Queen Emma Floating Bridge, ekhuluma ngePapiamento. Wangibona ngibuka izindlu, wavala ucingo, wathi ngesiNgisi esinomsindo waseNetherlands: 'Uyazi ukuthi kungani lezi zindlu zikhanya kangaka? Inganekwane ithi ngaphambili umbusi wacabanga ukuthi ukukhanya okumhlophe kwakuklwebha amehlo, wayala ukuba zonke izakhiwo zipendwe ngemibala. Kodwa abantu bendawo bathanda ukusho ukuthi—sifuna nje ukukhumbuza abaseNetherlands ukuthi lena ayikho iYurophu.'

ICuraçao iyizwe elakha uMbuso WaseNetherlands, etholakala eningizimu yeCaribbean, ebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-65 ukusuka ogwini lwaseVenezuela. Inani labantu bezwe lonke lingaba ngu-160,000. Indawo yalo yomhlaba inqume isiphetho salo: indawo yomthetho yaseYurophu olwandle lweCaribbean, izintuthu zemboni yokuhluza uwoyela kanye nezinqaba zenkathi yobukoloni zihlala ndawonye emkhathini ofanayo.

Ngihamba emigwaqweni yase-Otrobanda (Otrobanda), ngezwa ingxoxo izivakashi ezingayiqondi—izalukazi ezimbili zihleli emnyango zixoxa ngePapiamento, umusho ngamunye unjengokugcwalisa amathambo esiSpanishi esikhumbeni sesiDashi, kanye nesigqi sase-Afrika. IPapiamento iyisibuko saseCuraçao: amagama esiDashi olimini angumlando wobukoloni, isisekelo sesiSpanishi siyindawo, kanti isigqi esivela e-Afrika siyisilonda sokuhweba ngezigqila. Umbhali wendawo wake wabhala: 'Lapho sikhuluma iPapiamento, siqinisekisa kabusha ubunikazi bethu—abantu baseCaribbean, abaphethwe abaseNetherlands, izimpande zase-Afrika.'

Ukudla kubonisa umqondo ofanayo wokugqagqana. Isidlo esibizwa ngeKeshi Yena—ukumba igobolondo likashizi waseNetherlands i-Edam, kugcwaliswe inyama yenkukhu, upelepele, iminqumo namagilebhisi omisiwe, bese kuyosiwa kuze kuncibilike ushizi—kufana nefayela lokunambitha lomlando wobukoloni. Umnikazi wendawo yokudlela wangitshela: 'Omatilosi baseNetherlands baletha ushizi esiqhingini, abapheki base-Afrika bawugcwalisa ngendlela yabo. Emakhulwini amane eminyaka edlule lokhu kwakuwukudla kwezinceku—inkosi yayidla ingaphakathi likashizi, izinceku zazifaka izinsalela egobolondweni likashizi elisele. Kodwa manje, kuyisidlo sokuqala esiphekwa emishadweni.'

Ijezi leqembu lesizwe laseCuraçao linombala oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka omnyama nemigqa ewolintshi—oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka omnyama ulwandle lwaseCaribbean, kanti iwolintshi ingumndeni wasebukhosini waseNetherlands. Esitolo sezinto zokusubatha eWillemstad, leli jezi lilenga endaweni ebonakala kakhulu, eceleni kwalo kukhona ifulegi elincane laseCuraçao kanye nesithombe esidala—usuku abawina ngalo iCaribbean Cup ngo-2017, lapho wonke umgwaqo waseWillemstad ugcwele abantu. Umnikazi wesitolo, owesilisa oneminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi amahlanu, wathi: 'Ibhola liyindlela kuphela iCuraçao engaqaphelisa ngayo abaseNetherlands ngathi. Asikhiqizi uwoyela, asinalo isikhungo sezezimali. Kodwa sinabadlali—uLeandro Bacuna wadlala kuPremier League, uCuco Martina wayengumdlali wasemuva we-Everton. AbaseNetherlands lapho bebona bathi: O, ungumuntu waseCuraçao.' Wathula isikhashana, wanezela: 'Ngaphambi kwalokhu, abaningi baseNetherlands babengazi nokuthi iCuraçao iyizwe, hhayi nje indawo yokuya ehlwempuzekile.'

IKlein Curacao—'iCuraçao encane'—iyisiqhingi esingahlali muntu, esinophawu lwasendulo olungasasebenzi kanye nolwandle olumhlophe okungathi akulona lomhlaba. Umnikazi wesikebhe wanikeza umfana wakhe oneminyaka eyishumi nambili isiteringi somkhumbi, yena washintsha umsakazo waya esiteshini esidlala izingoma ezindala zaseNetherlands, bese eshintshela ku-reggae. 'ECuraçao,' esho, 'umsakazo awukaze udlale izingoma zolimi olulodwa kuphela. Ijubane oshintsha ngalo amaza, yijubane lesiqhingi esishintsha ngalo ubunikazi baso.'

Ekushoneni kwelanga ngabuyela e-Queen Emma Floating Bridge. Izibani zebhuloho zakhanyiswa. Izithunzi zezindlu ezinemibala ezimbili emanzini zahlakazwa isikebhe esidlulayo. Ebhulohweni kwakunomuntu wendawo obuyela ekhaya ewela ibhuloho, isivakashi esima ukuthatha isithombe somkhathi, kanye nentsha ehamba ngebhayisikili ngokushesha—wayegqoke ijezi lokuqeqesha eliwolintshi leqembu lesizwe laseCuraçao. Izithunzi zalaba bantu abathathu zahlangana kafushane ezingxenyeni zomzimba emanzini. Bese ibhuloho liphinde lavala kancane. Usuku ngalunye lwaseCuraçao lufana nale bhuloho: lihlala liphazanyiswa yimikhumbi, kodwa alikaze liphule—lilinde nje ukuthi umkhumbi udlule, bese luxhumana kabusha.