Ileta yeTyrisiti yeNcwadi

Ngu-2: 00 ekuseni kwaye abaninzi abantu bethu balele emigodini yabo-kodwa andinako ukulala ngaphambi kokuba ndibhale kwiimbali ezimangalisayo ze-Eva yeKrisimesi. Enyanisweni, okwenzekayo kubonakala ngathi kufana nefestile, kwaye ukuba andizange ndibe nayo, ndingenakukukholelwa. Khawucinge nje: Nangona wena kunye nosapho nihlabelela i-carols ngaphambi komlilo e-London, ndenza okufanayo kunye namasoldti abandezeli apha kwimfazwe yaseFransi!

Njengoko ndibhalile ngaphambili, bekukho ukulwa okunamandla kancinci. Iimfazwe zokuqala zemfazwe zashiya abaninzi befile kangangokuba amabini omabili abambelele kwaze kwaba yilapho iinguqu zivela ekhaya. Ngoko sihlale sihlala kwiindawo zethu kwaye silinde.

Kodwa yintoni ekulindeleke kakhulu! Ukwazi ukuba nayiphi na umzuzu iigobolondo zengxowanxu zingaphaya kwaye zixhaphaze kunye nathi emseleni, ukubulala okanye ukulimala amadoda amaninzi. Kwaye emini singakhange sikwazi ukuphakamisa iintloko zethu ngaphantsi komhlaba, ngenxa yokwesaba ibhola le-sniper.

Kwaye imvula-iwele phantse nsuku zonke. Ngokuqinisekileyo, iqokelela ngokufanelekileyo kwimigangatho yethu, apho kufuneka siyikhonze ngeembiza kunye neepane. Kwaye imvula ifike ngodaka-unyawo oluhle okanye olunzulu. I-splatters kunye namaqebelengwane yonke into, kwaye ihlala isondela kwiibhuthi zethu. Omnye umqeshwa omtsha wafumana izinyawo zakhe zinamathele kuyo, kwaye ke izandla zakhe nazo xa ezama ukuphuma-njengaleyo indaba yaseMelika ye-tar baby!

Kulo lonke le nto, asikwazi ukuncedisa ukuqonda malunga namajoni aseJamani. Emva koko, bajamelene neengozi ezifanayo esazenzayo, kwaye baxhamla kwi-muck efanayo. Okona, umsele wabo wokuqala wawungama-yards ye-50 kuphela. Phakathi kwethu bebekho umhlaba woMntu, unxweme emacaleni omabini ngocingo olubiniweyo-kodwa bekunokubakho ngokukhawuleza ngamanye amaxesha saziva amazwi abo.

Ewe, sabazonda xa babulala abahlobo bethu. Kodwa ngamanye amaxesha, sasibetha ngeenxa zonke kwaye sasicinga ukuba sinento efanayo. Kwaye ngoku kubonakala ngathi baziva befana.

Ngomso nje ngezolo-ngoSuku lweKrisimesi-sasinomdla wokuqala. Uhlobo njengoko sasinalo, samkela, kuba ubuncinane udaka luqine. Yonke into yayingcwatshwa emhlophe ngeqabunga, ngelixa ilanga elikhanyayo likhanya ngaphezu kwazo zonke. Imozulu yeKrisimesi epheleleyo.

Ebudeni bemihla, kwakunobuncwane obuncinane okanye umlilo wempuphu ukusuka kwicala. Kwaye kwathi njengobumnyama beza kuKhisimusi wethu, ukudubula kwayeka ngokupheleleyo. Ukuthula kwethu kokuqala ngokupheleleyo kwiinyanga! Sithembele ukuba inokuthembisa iholide enokuthula, kodwa asizange sikuxhomekeke kuyo. Saxelelwa ukuba amaJamani angalima kwaye azame ukusibamba.

Ndaya kwindawo yokucoca ukuze ndiphumle, ndilele emgodini wam, ndimele ndilele. Konke kanye umhlobo wam uJohn wayegungqisekile, wathi, "Woza ubone! Jonga oko amaJamani akwenzayo! "Ndibambe isibhamu, ndikhunjulwe emhadeni, ndaza ndanyamezela intloko yam ngaphezu kwe-sandbags.

Andizange ndibe nethemba lokuba ndibone umntu ongowokungahambi kwaye onothando. Iziqwenga zezibane ezincinci zazikhanyisa yonke i-German line, ezisekhohlo kunye nelokude kwangoko iliso liyakubona.

"Ndiyintoni na?" Ndabuza ngokuphazamiseka, kwaye uJohn waphendula wathi, "Imithi yeKrisimesi!"

Kwaye kunjalo. AmaJamani aye afake imithi yeKrisimesi phambi kweentsika zawo, ikhanyiswe ngekhandlela okanye ilanga njengamabhakoni entando.

Emva koko sava amazwi abo aphakanyiswe ngengoma.

I-Stille nacht, heilige nacht. . . .

Le carol ayinakulwazi nathi eBrithani, kodwa uYohane wayesazi kwaye waguqulela: "Ubusuku obuthile, ubusuku obungcwele." Andizange ndive omnye umthandi-okanye enenjongo ngakumbi, ngobo busuku obumbileyo obukhanyayo kwinyanga yokuqala yokuqala.

Xa ingoma iqedile, amadoda asemathangeni ethu ahlabelela. Ewe, amajoni aseBrithani adla amaJamani! Emva koko omnye wamadoda ethu waqala ukucula, kwaye sonke sajoyina.

U-Nowell wokuqala, ingelosi yatsho. . . .

Enyanisweni, sasingacacanga njengamaJamani, kunye neziphumo zabo ezilungileyo. Kodwa baphendule ngehlombe ngentshiseko yabo kwaye emva koko baqala enye.

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum. . . .

Emva koko saphendula.

Yizani nonke nithembekile. . . .

Kodwa ngeli xesha bajoyina, becula amagama afanayo kwisiLatini.

Iifayile zedeste. . . .

Ibritani kunye neJamani zivumelanisa kwiNdawo yoMntu! Ndingazange ndicinga ukuba akukho nto inokumangalisa-kodwa oko kwenzeka emva koko kwakunjalo.

"IsiNgesi, vela!" Sava omnye wabo ememeza. "Awuyikudubula, asiyikudubula."

Kukho emathanjeni, sasijonge omnye nomnye ngokudibana. Emva koko omnye wethu wamemeza ngokukrakra, "Uza apha."

Ukumangalisa kwethu, sabona amanani amabini aphuma emthonjeni, ekhuphuka kwi-wirebed wire, kwaye aqhubeke engakhuselekanga kwiNdawo yoMntu. Omnye wabo wabiza, "Thumela igosa ukuthetha."

Ndabona enye yamadoda ethu iphakamisa isibhamu sayo, kwaye akungabazeki ukuba abanye benza okufanayo-kodwa umthetheli wethu wamemeza esithi, "Gcina umlilo wakho." Wandula wenyuka waya edibana namaJamani. Sasiva bathetha, kunye nemizuzu embalwa kamva, umphathi wabuyela nge-cigar yaseJamani emlonyeni wakhe!

"Sivumile ukuba akuyi kubakho ukudubula phambi kobusuku bemini," wathetha. "Kodwa abathunywa kufuneka bahlale emsebenzini, kunye nonke, hlalani niqaphile."

Kuyo yonke indlela, singenza amaqela amabini amabini okanye amadoda amathathu avela emithonjeni aze eze kithi. Emva koko abanye bethu bebekhuphuka ngaphandle, kwaye ngemizuzu emibini, apho sasingekho kwiLizwe lomntu, ngaphezu kwekhulu lamajoni kunye namagosa ngecala ngalinye, sagxotha izandla nabantu esasizama ukubulala iiyure ezimbalwa ngaphambili!

Kungekudala kwakhiwa i-bonfire, kwaye sijikeleze ngokujikeleza kwayo-i-british khaki ne-German grey. Ndimele ndithi, amaJamani ayesigqoke kakuhle, eneeniforms ezintsha zeholide.

Kuphela abantu bethu babesazi isiJamani, kodwa amaJamani amaninzi ayesazi isiNgesi. Ndabuza omnye wabo ukuba kutheni.

"Ngenxa yokuba abaninzi baye basebenza eNgilani!" Watsho. "Ngaphambi koku konke oku, ndiyindlalifa kwi-Hotel Cecil. Mhlawumbi ndalindela etafileni yakho! "

"Mhlawumbi wenza!" Ndathi, ndihleka.

Wandixelela ukuba wayenentombi yaseLondon kwaye imfazwe yaphazamisa izicwangciso zabo zomtshato. Ndathi kuye, "Ungakhathazeki. Siyakukubetha ngePasika, uze ubuyele kwaye utshate intombazana. "

Wahleka ngaloo nto. Emva koko wabuza ukuba ndizomthumelela i-postcard eyandinika yona kamva, kwaye ndathembisa ukuba ndiza kuyenza.

Omnye waseJamani wayeyindoda e-Victoria Station. Wandibonisa umfanekiso wentsapho yakhe e-Munich. Udade wakhe omdala wayemthande kakhulu, ndathi ndifanele ndihlangabezane naye ngelinye ilanga. Wayegcoba kwaye wathi wayenokuthanda kakhulu kwaye wandinika idilesi yakhe yentsapho.

Kwaye abo bangenakuxoxa nabo basenokungatshintshana izipho-iigarethi zethu zeguba, i-tea yethu yekhofi yabo, inyama yethu yenkomo ye-sausage yabo. Iibheji kunye namaqhosha avela kwifomu efana nomnini, kwaye enye yezilwanyana zethu yahamba kunye nesihenqo esikhohlakeleyo! Ndathengisa i-jackknife kwisikhwama sempahla yesikhumba-isikhumbuzo esihle sokubonisa xa ndifika ekhaya.

Iimaphephandaba zatshintsha nezandla, kwaye amaJamani aguqulwa ngokuhleka kwethu. Baqinisekisa ukuba iFransi yagqitywa kwaye iRashiya yaphantse ibetha. Sibaxelele ukuba kwakungenasiphelo, kwaye omnye wabo wathi, "Ewe, ukholelwa amaphephandaba akho kwaye siya kukholelwa yethu."

Kucacile ukuba baxoxwa-kodwa emva kokudibana nala madoda, ndiyazibuza ukuba amaphephandaba ethu athembekile kangakanani. Lezi azinjalo "izibhengezo ezimbi" esizifundile kangaka. Ziyindoda enezindlu kunye neentsapho, ithemba kunye nokwesaba, imigaqo kunye, ewe, uthando lwelizwe. Ngamanye amagama, amadoda afana nathi. Kutheni si khokelwa ukuba sikholwe ngenye indlela?

Njengoko bekhula kamva, iingoma ezimbalwa zathengiswa emlilweni, kwaye bonke bajoyina-ngokuba andixolelanga- "Auld Lang Syne." Emva koko sahlukana nezithembiso zokudibana kwakhona ngomso, kwaye kwanezinye iintetho umdlalo webhola.

Ndandisanda kubuyela kwimigxobhozo xa iJalimane elidala lathintela ingalo yam. Wathi, "Thixo wam, kutheni singenalo uxolo kwaye sonke siya ekhaya?"

Ndamtshela ngenyameko, "Ukuze ucele umlawuli wakho."

Wandijonga ngoko, ngokukhangela. "Mhlawumbi, mhlobo wam. Kodwa kufuneka sibuze iintliziyo zethu. "

Kwaye ke, dadewethu othandekayo, ndixelele, ngaba kukho i-Eve yeKrisimesi kwimbali yonke? Kwaye kuthetha ukuthini, akunakwenzeka ukuba ube ngumhlobo weentshaba?

Kuba ukulwa apha, ngokuqinisekileyo, kuthetha ngokunciphisa kakhulu. Amaqabane ahloniphekileyo lawo majoni aya kuba, kodwa alandela imiyalelo kwaye senza okufanayo. Ngaphandle koko, silapha ukuyeka umkhosi wabo kwaye siwuthumele ekhaya, kwaye asisoze sakwazi ukwenza loo msebenzi.

Sekunjalo, umntu akanakunceda ukuba acinge ukuba kwenzekani ukuba umoya oboniswe apha ubanjwe iintlanga zehlabathi. Kakade ke, iimpikiswano kufuneka zihlale zivela. Kodwa kuthekani ukuba iinkokheli zethu ziza kunika izifiso ezilungileyo endaweni yezilumkiso? Iingoma endaweni ye-slurs? Ikhona endaweni yokuhlaziywa? Ngaba yonke imfazwe ayayikuphela ngokukhawuleza?

Zonke iintlanga zithi zifuna uxolo. Nangona kunjalo kule ntsasa yeKrisimesi, ndiyazibuza ukuba siyifunayo.

Ngeli bali

I-Christmas Truce ye-1914 ibizwa ngokuba yi-Arthur Conan Doyle "isiqhelo esisodwa sabantu phakathi kwazo zonke iintlondi." Ngokuqinisekileyo yinto ephawulekayo yeMfazwe Yehlabathi I kwaye mhlawumbi yonke imbali yempi. Ukukhuthaza zombini iingoma ezithandwayo kunye nendawo yokuzonwabisa, uye wanyamezela njengomfanekiso wokuba uxolo uxolo.

Ukuqala kwezinye iindawo kwi-Krismesi no-Ewe kwiKrisimesi imini, i-truce ihlanganiswe ngokuphindaphindiweyo kwisibini se-British-German, kunye nabaFrentshi nabaseBelgi banxaxheba. Amawaka amajoni athabatha inxaxheba. Kwiindawo ezininzi zahlala ubuncinci kwiSigqeba soSuku (uDisemba 26), kwaye kwezinye iphakathi ngoJanuwari. Mhlawumbi ininzi ngokuphawulekayo, ayikhuphuki kwinqanaba elilodwa kodwa linyuka kwindawo nganye ngokuzenzekelayo nangokuzimela.

Engenasiphelo kunye nebala njengengqungquthela, kuye kwabakho okuqinisekileyo ukuba akuzange kwenzeke-ukuba yonke into yenziwe. Abanye bakholelwa ukuba kwenzeka kodwa ukuba iindaba zacinywa. Akunjalo. Nangona encinci yayinyatheliswa eJamani, le ngqungquthela yenza iiveki kwiimaphephandaba zaseBrithani, kunye neencwadi ezipapashwe kunye nezithombe ezivela kumajoni ngaphambili. Kwimiba enye, iindaba zamarhamncwa ezandelelwano zaseJalimane zingabelana ngesithuba nesithombe samajoni aseBrithani naseJamani ahlangene kunye, iifowuni kunye neekotethi zatshintshaniswa, zityumzela ikhamera.

Izazi-mlando, ngakolunye uhlangothi, zibonise inzala encinci ekugqibeleni ngokungabonakali koxolo. Kuye kubekho uphando olubanzi kuphela lwesiganeko: I Khrismesi, ngu-Malcolm Brown kunye no-Shirley Seaton, Secker & Warburg, London, ngo-1984 — iqabane elihamba nabo ekubhaleni i-BBC ye-1981, Uxolo ngaphandle kweLizwe lomntu. Incwadi ibonisa inani elikhulu le-akhawunti yokuqala-manqaku ukusuka kwiileta nakwiidayari. Phantse yonke into echazwe kwincwadi yam yoqhotyoshelweyo ikhutshwa kule akhawunti-nangona ndenze umdlalo ngandlela-thile ngokukhetha, ukulungiselela nokucwangcisa.

Kwileta yam, ndizame ukumelana nemibono emibi eyaziwayo. Enye into yokuba amajoni aqhelekileyo athatha inxaxheba kuwo, ngelixa iipolisi zichasene nazo. (Ambalwa amagosa awachasene nawo, kwaye abaninzi bathabatha inxaxheba.) Omnye ungalindelekanga ukubuyela ekulweni. (Amagosa amaninzi, ngokukodwa aseBritani, isiFrentshi kunye neBelgium, ahlale ezimisele ukulwa nokuphumelela.)

Ngokudabukisayo, kwafuneka ndiyiyeke imidlalo yaseKrisimesi yebhola-okanye ibhola lebhola, njengoko kuthiwa e-US-kaninzi idibaniswa ngetyala. Inyaniso kukuba indawo ye-Land of Man isingabikho kwimidlalo esemthethweni-nakuba ngokuqinisekileyo amajoni athile ajikeleza iibhola kunye nezikhundla zendawo.

Enye ingcamango engafaniyo malunga neengqungquthela ibanjwe nangamajoni amaninzi awayelapho: ukuba yayingqalileyo kwimbali. Nangona iKrismesi iTruce ngumzekelo omkhulu kunabo bonke, uhlobo olungaqhelekanga lwaluyinto yempi ende. Ngethuba leMfazwe yaseMerika, umzekelo, iiRabbeli neeYankees zathengisa icuba, ikhofi, kunye namaphephandaba, zifake uxolo ngamacandelo ahlukeneyo omlambo, zaze zahlanganisana nama-blackberries kunye. Eminye imfesane yovakalelo yayisoloko iqhelekileyo kumajoni athunyelwe ekulweni.

Ngokuqinisekileyo, konke oku kutshintshile kumaxesha anamhlanje. Namhlanje, amajoni abulala kumgama omde, ngokuqhelekileyo kunye ne-push ye iqhosha kunye nokubona kwikhompyutha. Ngaphandle apho amasoldati ahlangana ubuso nobuso, iilwimi zabo kunye neenkcubeko zihlala zihluke kakhulu ukwenza ukuba unxibelelwano olunobungane lungenakwenzeka.

Hayi, asifanele silindele ukubona enye i-Christmas Truce. Nangona kunjalo okwenzekayo kwiKrisimesi ye-1914 ingakhuthaza abenzi bokuthula banamhlanje-kuba, njengokuba njalo, ixesha elihle lokuwenza uxolo lide ngaphambi kokuba imikhosi iya empini.