Engakufunda Kubaba: Uthando alunamingcele

-Delile

• Buyekeza kwe-

Ukuba ngubaba kungasho into engaphezu kweyodwa njengoba kusho indondo yegolide yamaParalympic yamahlandla ayi-12 uJessica Long etshela Umumo. Lapha, inkanyezi enkulu yokubhukuda eneminyaka engu-22 yabelana ngendaba yayo efudumeza inhliziyo ngokuba nobaba ababili.

Ngosuku lweLeap ngo-1992, ngazalwa ngabasha ababili abangashadile eSiberia bangibiza ngoTatiana. Ngazalwa ngine-fibular hemimelia (okusho ukuthi ngangingenayo imicu, amaqakala, izithende, namanye amathambo amaningi ezinyaweni zami) futhi ngokushesha baqaphela ukuthi babengenakukwazi ukunginakekela. Odokotela babeluleka ukuba banginikele ukuze ngiyotholwa. Balalela bengabaza. Ezinyangeni eziyishumi nantathu kamuva, ngo-1993, uSteve Long (osesithombeni) weza eqhamuka eBaltimore ezongilanda. Yena nomkakhe uBeth base benezingane ezimbili, kodwa babefuna umndeni omkhulu. Kwakuyi-kismet lapho othile esontweni labo lendawo esho ukuthi le ntombazanyana yaseRussia, eyayinezinkinga zokuzalwa, yayifuna ikhaya. Babazi masinyane ukuthi ngangikhona indodakazi, uJessica Tatiana njengoba babezongishayela kamuva.

Ngaphambi kokuba ubaba agibele indiza eya ngemva kweMpi Yomshoshaphansi eRussia, babenze amalungiselelo okwamukela umfana oneminyaka emithathu naye ovela ekhaya lezintandane. Bacabanga ukuthi, "Uma siya eRussia ukuthola ingane eyodwa, kungani ungatholi enye?" Nakuba uJosh wayengeyena umfowethu ongizalayo, kungenzeka ukuthi wayengumfowethu. Besingondlekile kangangoba besicishe silingane-besibukeka njengamawele. Uma ngicabanga ngalokho ubaba akwenza, ehamba ibanga elide kangaka eya kwelinye izwe ukuze athole abantwana ababili abancane, ngishaywe umoya ubuqhawe bakhe.

Ezinyangeni ezinhlanu ngemva kokubuya ekhaya, abazali bami banquma, kanye nosizo lodokotela, ukuthi ukuphila kwami ​​kwakuyoba ngcono uma benginqamula yomibili imilenze yami ngaphansi kwedolo. Ngokushesha, ngafakwa izitho zokufakelwa, futhi njengezingane eziningi, ngafunda ukuhamba ngaphambi kokuba ngikwazi ukugijima—ngaleso sikhathi ngangingakwazi ukunqandeka. Ngangikhuthele kakhulu ngenkathi ngikhula, ngihlala ngigijima ngemuva kwendlu futhi ngigxuma ku-trampoline, abazali bami ababeyibiza ngokuthi yi-PE class. Izingane ezinde zazifundelwa ekhaya-sonke siyisithupha. Yebo, ngokuyisimangaliso abazali bami baba nabanye ababili ngemva kwethu. Ngakho-ke kwakuyindlu enhle enesiphithiphithi futhi emnandi. Nganginamandla amakhulu, ekugcineni abazali bami bangibhalisela ukubhukuda ngo-2002.

Iminyaka eminingi kangaka, ukushayela nokubuya echibini (ngezinye izikhathi kusukela ngo-6 ekuseni) kwakuyizikhathi engizikhonzile nobaba. Phakathi nehora lokuya nokubuya emotweni, mina nobaba sasixoxa ngokuthi izinto zihamba kanjani, imihlangano ezayo, izindlela zokuthuthukisa izikhathi zami, nokuningi. Uma ngangizizwa ngikhungathekile, wayehlale engilalela futhi anginike izeluleko ezinhle, njengokuthi ungaba kanjani nesimo esihle. Ungitshele ukuthi ngiyisibonelo, ikakhulukazi kudadewethu omncane obesanda kuqala ukubhukuda. Ngakufaka enhliziyweni lokho. Sasondelana impela phezu kokubhukuda. Ngisho nanamuhla, ukukhuluma ngakho naye kuseyinto ekhethekile.

Ngo-2004, kusasele imizuzu embalwa ukuthi bamemezele iqembu lase-U.S. Paralympic le-Summer Olympic Games e-Athens, eGrisi, ubaba wangitshela, "Kulungile, Jess. Uneminyaka engu-12 kuphela. Kuhlala kukhona iBeijing uma uneminyaka engu-16." Njengomuntu oneminyaka engu-12 onyanyekayo, engingakusho nje ukuthi, "Cha, baba. Ngizokwenza." Futhi lapho bememezela igama lami, wayengumuntu wokuqala engangimbheka futhi sobabili sasinenkulumo ebusweni bethu njengokuthi, "O, nkosi yami !!" Kepha kunjalo, ngathi kuye, "Ngikutshele kanjalo." Ngangihlala ngicabanga ukuthi ngiyisidididi. Amanzi ayeyindawo lapho ngangisusa khona imilenze yami futhi ngizizwe ngikhululeke kakhulu.

Kusukela lapho abazali bami bangijoyine kuma-Summer Paralympic Games e-Athens, eBeijing naseLondon. Akukho okungcono njengokubheka phezulu kubalandeli bese ubona umndeni wami. Ngiyazi ukuthi bengingeke ngibe lapho engikhona namuhla ngaphandle kothando lwabo nokungeseka. Bayidwala lami ngempela, yingakho, ngicabanga ukuthi, angizange ngicabange kangako ngabazali bami abangizalayo. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, abazali bami abalokothi bangivumele ngikhohlwe ifa lami. Sinale "Russia Box" ubaba ayigcwalise ngezinto zohambo lwakhe. Sasiyidonsela phansi noJosh njalo, bese sibheka okuqukethwe kuyo, kufaka phakathi onodoli baseRussia abenziwe ngokhuni nomgexo ongithembise wona ngosuku lwami lokuzalwa lwesi-18.

Ezinyangeni eziyisithupha ngaphambi kwama-Olimpiki aseLondon, ngesikhathi kunengxoxo, ngasho ngidlula, "Ngingathanda ukuhlangana nomndeni wami waseRussia ngelinye ilanga." Ingxenye yami yayiqondile, kodwa angazi noma ngangizowalandela nini noma nini. Izintatheli zaseRussia zibambe umoya ngalokhu zabe sezizibophezela ukuthi ziphinde zihlangane. Ngenkathi ngincintisana eLondon ngalo-Agasti, zona lezi zintatheli zaseRussia zaqala ukungihlasela ngemiyalezo ye-Twitter ethi zithole umndeni wami waseRussia. Ekuqaleni, ngangicabanga ukuthi kwakuyihlaya. Bengingazi ukuthi yini okufanele ngiyikholelwe, ngakho angikunakanga.

Ngiphindele ekhaya eBaltimore ngemuva kweMidlalo, ngangizihlalele etafuleni lasekhishini ngitshela umndeni wami ngokwenzekile futhi sagcina sithola ividiyo online ngalokhu okwakuthiwa "umndeni waseRussia." Kwaba wumsangano ngempela ukubona laba bantu engingabazi bezibiza ngo "mndeni wami" phambi komndeni wami wangempela. Ngangikhathele kakhulu ngokomzwelo ngenxa yokuncintisana eLondon ukuba ngazi ukuthi yini okufanele ngiyicabange. Futhi, angizange ngenze lutho. Kwaze kwaphela izinyanga eziyisithupha noma ngaphezulu kamuva, lapho i-NBC isondela kithi mayelana nokuqopha ukuhlangana komndeni wami ukuze sizungeze ama-Olimpiki weSochi ka-2014, lapho ngacabanga khona futhi ngavuma ukukwenza.

NgoDisemba 2013, ngaya eRussia nodadewethu omncane, uHannah kanye nabasebenzi be-NBC ukuyobona ikhaya lezintandane lapho engamukelwa khona. Sahlangana nowesifazane owanginikela kuqala kubaba wathi ukhumbula ebona uthando olukhulu emehlweni akhe. Cishe ezinsukwini ezimbili kamuva, sahlangana nabazali bami abangizalayo, engathola kamuva ukuthi wayeseshadile futhi enezingane ezintathu. "Hawu," ngicabanga. Lokhu bekuqala ukuthola i-crazier. Kwakungakaze kungifikele ukuthi abazali bami basendawonye, ​​ingasaphathwa eyokuthi nganginaye Okuningi izingane zakwethu.

Ngiqonde endlini yabazali bami abangizalayo, ngibezwe bekhala kakhulu ngaphakathi. Cishe abantu abangu-30 abahlukene, kuhlanganise nabathwebuli bezithombe, babengaphandle bengibukele (futhi bathwebula) phakathi nalesi sikhathi futhi engangingakusho kimina no-Hannah, owayengemuva kwami ​​eqinisekisa ukuthi angiwi, kwakuwukuthi "Ungakhali. Ungasheleli." Kwakungu -20 degrees ngaphandle futhi umhlaba wawumbozwe iqhwa. Lapho abazali bami abancane abangama-30 bephuma ngaphandle, ngaqala ukukhala futhi ngawagona ngokushesha. Kusenzeka konke lokhu, i-NBC yathumba ubaba wami ekhaya eMaryland esula amehlo akhe futhi egona umama.

Emahoreni amane alandela, ngadla isidlo sasemini nomama ongizalayo, uNatalia, nobaba ongizalayo, u-Oleg, kanye nodadewethu owayegcwele igazi, u-Anastasia, kanye nabahumushi abathathu nabathwebuli abathile kule ndlu eminyene kakhulu. UNatalia akakwazanga ukungibhekela amehlo akhe futhi akazange avume ukudedela isandla sami. Kwakumnandi impela. Sabelana ngezici zobuso eziningi. Sigqolozele isibuko ndawonye futhi sabakhomba kanye no-Anastasia. Kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi ubukeka njengo-Oleg kakhulu. Ngokokuqala ngqa empilweni yami, ngangizungezwe abantu ababenjengami. Kwakuyi-surreal.

Bacela ukubona izitho zami zokufakelwa futhi balokhu bephindaphinda bethi abazali bami eMelika bangamaqhawe. Babazi, eminyakeni engama-21 edlule, babengeke banakekele ingane ekhubazekile. Bachaze ukuthi nginethuba elingcono lokusinda ekhaya lezintandane-noma okungenani yilokho odokotela ababatshele khona. Ngesinye isikhathi, u-Oleg wangidonsela eceleni nomhumushi wangitshela ukuthi uyangithanda nokuthi uyaziqhenya ngami. Wabe esengigona futhi enganga. Kwakuyisikhathi esikhethekile.

Kuze kube yilapho sesikwazi ukukhuluma ulimi olufanayo, ukuxhumana nomndeni wami waseRussia, oqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-6 000, kuzoba yinselele. Kepha okwamanje, sinobudlelwano obuhle kuFacebook lapho sabelana khona ngezithombe. Ngingathanda ukuphinde ngibabone e-Russia ngolunye usuku, ikakhulukazi amahora angaphezu kwamane, kodwa engigxile kukho manje wukulungiselela Imidlalo Yama-Paralympic ka-2016 e-Rio, e-Brazil. Sizobona ukuthi kwenzekani emva kwalokho. Okwamanje, kuyangiduduza ukwazi ukuthi ngineqoqo labazali abangithanda ngempela. Futhi ngenkathi u-Oleg engubaba wami, uSteve uzohlala engubaba wami.

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