Jordani Izindaba: Ngentambama Yami Yokugcina EPetra, Umfana OngumBedouin Wanginika Inkomishi Yetiye—Wangitshela Ukuthi Umkhulu Wakhe Wahlangana NoLawrence

Imitha yokugcina yeSiq. Umhubhe omncane wamatshe, ngemuva kwamakhilomitha agcwele angu-1.2, ngokungazelelwe uyavuleka — futhi nanso. ITreasury. Hhayi esithombeni, hhayi kukhava yeNational Geographic, hhayi kufilimu yeIndiana Jones — ikhona ngempela, ihlukaniswe maphakathi yinsika yokukhanya kwasekuseni enqamula ukuvuleka kwetshe, uhhafu wayo ume njengegolide elimbala wamarozi, omunye uhhafu usafihlwe ethunzini. Ngemuva kwami, umuntu wahlebeza ngesi-Arabhu ngaphansi komoya wakhe: Alhamdulillah. Ngama lapho, ngiphakathi kokubamba umoya nokuwubamba emuva, imizuzwana eminingana.

Ngabe sengibheka emuva eSiq — umhubhe wamatshe engangisanda kuhamba kuwo, uphansi lwawo lugudwe ngokubushelelezi yiminyaka eyizinkulungwane ezimbili yezinselo namaphedi amakamela — ngaqala ukulandelela ukuthi ngafika kanjani lapha.

Emavikini amathathu ngaphambilini, ngangihlezi esihlalweni eBeijing ngibuka iWorld Cup qualifier. IJordan ibhekene nezitha igama laso engisakhumbuli. Ibhena laphanyeka esikrinini — 'The Chivalrous' — ngenhla kwefulegi engangingalazi. Ngangingazi ukuthi iJordan ikuphi, ngangingazi ukuthi bakhuluma luphi ulimi lapho, ngangingazi ukuthi kungani iqembu laziqamba nge'The Chivalrous.' Ikhamera yaphendukela kumlandeli weJordan, ubuso bakhe bupendwe ngombala obomvu, omhlophe, nomnyama wefulegi lesizwe, amehlo akhe ephethe into engangicabanga ukuthi ivela kuphela emuva kokunqoba. Angisayikhumbuli imiphumela yomdlalo. Kodwa ngikhumbula ukuvula isiphequluli sami ngibhala 'jordan travel.'

I-Amman yidolobha elakhiwe phezu kwamagquma ayisikhombisa. Itekisi yajikajika inyuka isuka esikhumulweni sezindiza, umshayeli elungisa umsakazo ekusiteshini saseLebanon esidlala izingoma ezindala zikaFairuz, bese ethayipha kwi-app yokuhumusha: 'Imigwaqo yase-Amman nokubekezela kwaseJordan kuyinto efanayo — kuyazula, kodwa kuhlala kufika.' Wangilahla endaweni yokudla ebizwa ngeHashem — evuliwe iminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi ayisithupha, ingakaze ivalwe, nemenyu enezinto ezintathu nje: ihummus, ifalafel, noshukela. Uweta washaya inqwaba yesinkwa etafuleni leplastiki futhi wakhipha uchungechunge lwesi-Arabhu olusheshayo. Angizange ngizwe, kodwa umuntu owayedla eduze kwami wahumusha ngokumomotheka: 'Uthe — dla kuqala, ukhulume kamuva.'

Ngehora lesithupha ngakusasa ekuseni, ngangimi emnyango wePetra. Uma unosuku olulodwa kuphela eJordan, lunike lonke iPetra. Wonke amamitha ayikhulu eSiq ayisimo sezulu esincane esihlukile — ingxoxo yezivakashi emnyango, bese kuthi lapho usungene phakathi, kube ngumoya nezinyathelo zakho kuphela. Izindawo ezingcwele zasendulo neziteshi zamanzi ziyavela ezindongeni zamatshe, itshe elibazwe umoya namanzi laba yisimo semisipha. Cishe emithaneni yamamitha angamakhulu ayisishiyagalombili, umfana ongumBedouin ogibele imbongolo wadlula kimi waphendula ikhanda: 'Usucishe wafika.'

Emuva kwesiphetho eSiq, ngahlala esitebhisini setshe ngqo phambi kweTreasury. Izivakashi zazimatasa zithatha izithombe, zithumela ku-Instagram, zihlola izinombolo zamakhasi ezincwadini zazo zokuhamba. Umuntu oyedwa kuphela owayenganakile — umfana ongumBedouin, mhlawumbe othile oneminyaka eyishumi nantathu noma eyishumi nane, eboshelwe i-keffiyeh enemigqa emhlophe nebomvu ekhanda, encike ensikeni. Wangibuka, wabe esethela itiye elishisayo evela kuthemosi wanginika lona. 'Itiye leminti,' washo. 'Usuhamba isikhathi eside. Amanzi akho aphelile.' Itiye lalimnandi, ligcwele ushukela. Ngabuza ukuthi usehlale isikhathi esingakanani ePetra. Wathi: 'Bengilokhu ngilapha njalo. Umkhulu naye. Wathi wahlangana noLawrence.' Wabeka inkomishi yakhe phansi wakhomba buqamama — izitebhisi ezingamakhulu ayisishiyagalombili eziya eMonastery — 'Uma ufuna ukuya lapho, hamba manje. Kushisa kakhulu ntambama.'

Isibhakabhaka sasebusuku saseWadi Rum asidingi ncazelo. Umhlahlandlela ongumBedouin wadweba umzila wejeep wakusasa esihlabathini ngonyawo lwakhe, wabe esengitshela indaba: umndeni wakhe wawuhlala lapha izizukulwane eziyisikhombisa, futhi isizukulwane ngasinye sasiqambe ogwadule amagama amasha. 'Ugwadule alushintshi,' washo, 'kodwa abantu ababuka ugwadule bayashintsha. Ngakho namagama kufanele ashintshe futhi.' Wathungela ilambu lephalafini walilengisa ngaphandle kwetende — okuwukuphela kokukhanya okungekhona okwemvelo endaweni engamakhilomitha angamashumi amahlanu — wabe esekhomba iMilky Way. 'Uyawubona lowo mzila wezinkanyezi? Thina siwubiza ngamashiya ekamela.' Ngawubuka isikhathi eside futhi nganquma ukuthi leli gama linembe kakhulu ukudlula 'iMilky Way.'

ULwandle Olufile alunawo amagagasi. Uyangenela, amanzi akuphushele phezulu, kodwa lapho uzama ukuma, uzizwa usinda ukudlula ngaphambili — sengathi lonke amandla adonsela phansi omhlaba ahlangene emaqakaleni akho. Ngantanta imizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu, ngibheke kwa-Israel, ngibheke emuva emgwaqeni ogwadule lwaseJordan, ngizama ukuhlanganisa zonke izingcezu zalo hambo. IJordan iyizwe elingenamsoco ongcolile elavula imingcele yalo kubabungazi abangaphezu kwezigidi ezintathu. Ikhadi layo lebhizinisi yiPetra, kodwa amathambo ayo ukubekezela. Lona luhlobo lokubekezela olugaya itshe lube amathempeli, oluphendula ugwadule lube ikhaya, noluphatha izivakashi njengodumo.

Ngosuku lokuhamba, ngabuyela kuleyo ndawo yekhofi e-Amman. Umnikazi wangibona wangiphathela ikhofi lesi-Arabhu — elingenashukela, inzika yekhofi ephansi. Wacwilisa umunwe wakhe ekhofini elalichichime emlonyeni wenkomishi wadweba indingiliza encane etafuleni. 'Le yiPetra,' washo. 'Uzobuya.' Ngabuza ukuthi kungani. Wakhomba uhlelo lweqembu lesizwe laseJordan olwaluphanyekwe odongeni. 'Ngoba ngesikhathi esizayo iJordan idlala, uzoyibuka.'