Andazi ukuba ndinokuthi “mad, izidenge eziphambeneyo” njani ngesiTonga, kodwa ibhalwe ebusweni babantu balapha bejonge kuthi ngapha kwamanzi.
Uninzi lwabo - amadoda, abafazi, amakhwenkwe kunye namantombazana anxibe iyunifomu yesikolo emibalabala, abasacathulayo kunye neentsana - bahamba nathi ngeenqanawa zokuloba ezenziwe ngamaplanga ezipeyintwe ngokukhazimlayo ezibathatha besuka kwiindawo zabo ezikude besiya eNeiafu, ilokishi enkulu yorhwebo eVava. Iziqithi zaseTonga.
Ukungxola okunzulu kwelizwi lomntu othetha isiTonga kwaye ehleka njengoko ethetha, kuthwalwa kuthi kubethwa ngumoya wolwandle, kulandele ngokukhawuleza intsini engakumbi. Bonke bayancwina kwaye bazulise kuthi ngelixa ngokucacileyo basilela ukuqonda ukuba kutheni sifuna ukubheqa xa kukho iimoto ezijikelezayo.
Mna nodade wethu uJo sihonjiswe ngeebhatyi zobomi, sibambe amaphini okubhexa ngamaplanga kwaye sihleli kwiphenyane eliqingqwe kakuhle. Ngasemva ngumnini we-outrigger uBruce Haig. Kwi-helm kwaye uhleli ngaphambili ngumqolo ongabalulekanga we-Tongan Arnie Saimone yasekhaya.
Ukusibona sibheqa ngesingqi kwaye sisiya ndaweni ithile kuyonwabisa abantu basekuhlaleni.
“Mhlawumbi abasiqondi isizathu sokuba uze eVava'u ukuze ube neholide uze wenze wonke lo msebenzi,” u-Arnie usikhumbuza kwakhona. "AmaTonga kudala ezulazula ngamaphenyane, kodwa ukubhexa asiyonto abayenzela ukuzonwabisa."
Kubakhenkethi, nangona kunjalo, inkampani ebizwa ngokuba yi-Outriggers eParadesi isengqiqweni ngokugqibeleleyo, ingqikelelo engaqhelekanga kwaye ngokuqinisekileyo iyonwabisa kakhulu.
Yaziswa kwiisizini ezimbini zasehlotyeni ezidlulileyo, i-Outriggers eParadesi lishishini lokhenketho elilungiselelwe ukunika uBruce Haig kunye nenkosikazi yakhe uJulianne Bell "indlela yokuphila elula".
UJulianne uthi: “Sasisebenza iiyure ezininzi eOstreliya yaye kwakusele kudlule iminyaka embalwa sitshatile. "Siyaluthanda ulwandle, uBruce uyakuthanda ukubheqa ngaphandle kwaye wayezibandakanya kakhulu nomdyarho wezikhephe zedragoni, kwaye ndiyakuthanda ukuqubha elwandle."
Benza uludwe lwazo zonke izizwe ezikwisiqithi ezabhenelayo yaza iTonga yaphelela apho. Bathengisa ikhaya labo eliseOstreliya, kunye nempahla yabo eninzi, baza babuyela kwiparadesi yabo entsha ekuMzantsi Pasifiki ngoJuni 2007.
Ukhenketho lwabo luqhutywa phakathi kukaJulayi noNovemba, luhambelana nokufika kweminenga yase-Antarctica ukuya kumanzi afudumeleyo eZiqithi zeVava'u ukuya kukhwelana okanye ukuzala.
I-Outriggers eParadesi inikezela ngohambo lwemini okanye ngobusuku, olubandakanya ukujongwa phantsi kwiibhegi zokulala elunxwemeni kunye neenkwenkwezi kunye nenyanga njengesilingi yokulala.
Izibini zinokukhetha ukhetho lwe-honeymooners apho umkhokeli abamisela inkampu kwisiqithi esingasese kwaye abashiye apho ubusuku bonke.
Iphenyane lethu lalibhabha phakathi kweziqithi ezishiyiweyo, imingxuma efihlakeleyo kunye nemiqolomba. Saya elunxwemeni kulwandle olushushu apho kwavakala kukhwankqisa ukwenza umkhondo weenyawo zokuqala kwisanti emhlophe, esilika. Imizila yeenyawo zika-Arnie mikhulu – nto leyo iluncedo kakhulu, kuba ubisi olutsha lwekhokhonathi lukwicandelo lesiselo kwisidlo sasemini – kwaye loo nto ithetha ukuba umntu kufuneka afumane iikhokhonathi ezizaliswe lubisi ezantsi kumasimi aphakamileyo endalo.
Iinyawo zika-Arnie zenzelwe yona. Unyamalala kwintshinyela yentshinyela emva kolwandle. Kwimizuzu embalwa kamva, “i-thwump” engathandabuzekiyo yeekhokhonathi ezizele lubisi inokuvakala ifika kumgangatho wehlathi.
Yena noBruce ngobuchule babakrazula bavule ngeemela ezibonakala ziyingozi kwaye banike enye kuJo kunye nam. Sihlala esantini, sityisa ubisi olutyebileyo, oluswiti, ngelixa uBruce egqibezela isidlo sethu sasemini seesaladi zasehlotyeni. Ukuqubha ethekwini - inkitha yeentlanzi ezishushu ezijikeleze imilenze yethu - yinto yethu yokuphumla, emva kwesidlo sasemini.
Ekugqibeleni, sibuyele kwi-outrigger kwaye sibuyela ekhaya e-Neiafu - nangona kunjalo, kungekhona ngaphambi kokufumana imbalasane yosuku lwethu - uMqolomba weSwallow.
Ukubheqa emqolombeni kufana nje nokungena kwicathedral enamanzi nemde. Umgangatho wolwandle ukude kakhulu ezantsi kwethu, awubonakali kakuhle, kodwa ukukhanya kwelanga okuphuma kumnyango womqolomba kukhanyisela amanzi aluhlaza oqaqambileyo kunye nezikolo ezinemibala eqaqambileyo yeentlanzi ezikweleenjiko. Mna no-Jo siphuma kancinci kwizihlalo zethu kwaye sangena emanzini anzulu, sisnorkelling ukuya emqolombeni ovulekileyo kwaye saphumela ekukhanyeni kwemini ngaphambi kokuba sikhwele sibuyele enqanaweni.
Imini iphelile eziqithini, njengoko sibheqa sisiya kumhlaba omkhulu, zonke ezo teksi zamanzi zincinane ziphinda zigqithe ngakuthi kwaye ubuso obunoncumo bamaTonga - busakhangeleka budakumbile - buyasinqwala, ngokungathi sithi: “Kakhulu! Uphambene, abakhenkethi abaphambeneyo babuyile ngokukhuselekileyo.”
