Uwukhumbula njani uSeptemba 11, 2011?

Umhla kaSeptemba 11, 2001, lusuku ekungekho mntu unokuze alulibale. Kwakungo-4.30 kusasa eHawaii, kwaye utata wam wanditsalela umnxeba evela eJamani, endixelela ukuba iUnited States isemfazweni – lo mbhali uyakhumbula.

eTurboNews ibipapasha yonke imihla ukusukela nge-1 ka-Epreli ka-2001, kwaye sibulela umnxibelelanisi wethu waseNew York, uGqr. Elinor Garely, enkosi kubafundi bethu abaninzi beBig Apple, siye safumana ingxelo yangomhla ngohlaziyo lweyure. UGqr. Garely usabhalela eTurboNews.

UJens Thraenhart, intloko ekhoyo yezoKhenketho lwaseBarbados, wabelane naye ngebali lakhe eTurboNews nabahlobo bakhe bakaFacebook.

Kwiminyaka engamashumi amabini ananye eyadlulayo, ngoSeptemba 11, 2001, ndandihlala kwisiXeko saseNew York kuMntla weMpuma Side (82nd & Park Ave.), ndisebenza njengoMlawuli weSicwangciso se-Intanethi seeHotele zaseFairmont kunye neeNdawo ekuchithelwa kuzo iiholide.

Ngaloo ntsasa ndandisendleleni eya emsebenzini kwintlanganiso nenkampani yeteknoloji eneeofisi zayo kwinqaba yokuqala yeWorld Trade Center. Ngoxa ndandisiya kuloliwe ohamba ngaphantsi komhlaba eLexington Avenue, ndabona umsi weWorld Trade Center, kodwa ndandingazi ukuba kwakusandul’ ukwenzeka ntoni.

Ndathi ndisandokufika kwisikhululo sikaloliwe ohamba ngaphantsi komhlaba, ndafumana i-imeyile kwiBlackBerry yam eyayivela kwinkampani endandiza kudibana nayo icela ukuba siyihlehlisele imva kwemini intlanganiso, njengoko babecelwe nje ukuba baphume kule nqaba.

Ndavuma ndaza ndaya kwiiofisi zokuthengisa zemimandla yaseFairmont Hotels and Resorts ePark Avenue (ngaphaya kweWaldorf Astoria Hotel), apho ndandisebenza khona xa ndandingekho eToronto.

Ngelo xesha ndandingazi ukuba yayiza kwenzeka njani loo mini. Ndibe nethamsanqa lokufumana i-imeyile kanye phambi kokuba ndingene kwisikhululo sikaloliwe ohamba ngaphantsi komhlaba, njengoko umhlobo wam wayevaleleke kuhola wendlela iiyure ezintandathu, engazi ukuba kuqhubeka ntoni kungekho fowuni yeselula.

Ndavuya ukuva kamva ukuba bonke abasebenzi benkampani baphume ngokukhuselekileyo. Ukuphuma kwam eofisini emva kwemini ndigoduka, yayiyenye yezona ntsuku zingacacanga, endingasokuze ndizilibale, zizaliswe zisandi zokukhala kwamapolisa nakwiinqwelo zoncedo. Abantu bebekwimivalo neendawo zokutyela, bebukele iinqaba zidilika kwi-CNN, abanye bephethe iziselo ezandleni, abanye bezama ukufowunela abantu ngeefowuni zabo, abanye bekhala kuba besiva ngokuphulukana nomhlobo.

Ndandingekaqondi ukuba kwenzeka ntoni ngoko, yaye imeko yatshona emva kweentsuku nje ezimbalwa. Kwiintsuku ezimbalwa kamva, ndandikwinqwelo-moya yam yenyanga nenyanga ndisinge eFairmont Hotels and Resorts Headquarters eToronto.

Ukunduluka kwisikhululo seenqwelo-moya saseLa Guardia, ndasibona isiza phezulu, sisenomsi ophuma kwiiruble. Kwiiveki ezimbalwa kamva, ngenxa yomhlobo ohlala eChinatown, safumana indawo ekhethekileyo yokungena kwindawo evaliweyo yaseManhattan esezantsi, njengoko ummandla osemazantsi e-14th Street wawuvaliwe.

Yayisisiganeko endingasokuze ndisilibale, esasifana nommandla wemfazwe, yonke into egqunywe luthuli olungwevu. Kodwa yayilixesha elimangalisayo apho abantu babedibana ngendlela ababengazange bayenze ngaphambili ukuze bancede baphile kwaye badlule kula maxesha.

INew York kunye nabantu bayo bayomelela, kwaye ayizange ibe namandla kuneentsuku ezisemva kwe-9/11.

Ndabanethamsanqa lokuchitha ixesha nabahlobo, ngakumbi endandifunda naye kwiYunivesithi yaseCornell uJason M. Friedman, owayekwisiXeko saseNew York ngelixa ephethe ihotele encinci yevenkile.

Ubomi bubuthathaka, kwaye izinto zinokutshintsha ngokungalindelekanga, oko kuyinyani kula maxesha e-COVID-19. Kodwa nangona izinto zatshintsha yaye zingazange zifane, sanyamezela. Ukhuseleko lwesikhululo seenqwelomoya, ukukhulula izihlangu, kwaye akukho manzi angaphezulu kwe-100ml yaba yinto eqhelekileyo.

Andisokuze ndililibale ixesha lam kwisiXeko saseNew York noko wandifundisa kona. #asisoze silibale #911Khumbula