Imililo yequbula eLos Angeles

AbakwaBenn banamathelene ngemva kwemililo yequbula

AbakwaBenn bayingxenye ye-Altadena, eCalifornia, lapho baziwa khona njengomndeni womculo. Izingane zikaLaurie no-Oscar eziyisikhombisa zikhule zicula esikoleni sendawo, esontweni nasemicimbini yomphakathi futhi ziyaqhubeka zicula ndawonye kuze kube namuhla. AbakwaBenn sebehlale e-Altadena kusukela ngawo-1950 futhi babengomunye wemindeni yokuqala yabaNsundu eyathenga izindlu kule ndawo. Izingane zakhulela emgwaqweni owodwa nokagogo nawo-anti nomalume. Zazikha izithelo egcekeni lakhona.

Umama onezinwele ezibomvu umi ephethe usana lwakhe egcekeni elinotshani nomunye wesifazane ngosuku olucwathile.

“Sibe nenhlanhla enkulu ngokuthi sikhulele emphakathini onjalo, nemindeni efana neyethu ebinokwazisa ngokuba namakhaya, nokuthi izizukulwane zibe ingxenye yako,” kusho uLoren Benn, omdala ezinganeni zikaLaurie no-Oscar.

“Ukulahlekelwa yikhaya kunzima. Kodwa kuhlukile ekubeni nomuzwa wokuthi usufelwe yizwe.”

Lapho umlilo i-Eaton uqotha imbokodo nesisekelo e-Altadena, wathatha indlu yomzali kaLoren, indlu kagogo wakhe, nendlu yomfowabo. “Ukulahlekelwa yikhaya kunzima. Kodwa kuhlukile ekubeni nomuzwa wokuthi usufelwe yizwe,” kusho uLoren.

Owesifazane ogqoke ijazi elinsundu nesifonyo umi phakathi namanxiwa endlu eshile ngosuku olucwathile njengoba kubonakala nezintaba.

AbakwaBenn balahlekelwa yikhaya abakhulisele kulo izingane eziyisikhombisa nezinye izindlu eziningana kuleyo ndawo.

Lapho abakwaBenn bebaleka, babecabanga ukuthi bazobuya ezinsukwini ezimbalwa. U-Oscar wayefake umoya-mpilo futhi babeqaphe kakhulu ukuthi bagweme intuthu. Ngokushesha kwacaca ukuthi babengeke baphindele ekhaya, futhi uLoren wafaka isicelo sendawo yokuhlala yezimo eziphuthumayo nge-Airbnb.org ne-211 LA. AbakwaBenn abangu-11, okuhlanganisa abazukulu abathathu baka-Oscar noLaurie, bahlale mahhala ku-Airbnb isikhathi esingaphezudlwana kwenyanga ngenkathi becabanga ukuthi yini ababezoyenza ngokulandelayo.

Intombazane egqoke izibuko zelanga eziphinki iyamomotheka kancane ihlezi esihlalweni egcekeni elinotshani ngaphansi kwesibhakabhaka esiluhlaza.

Ukuhlala ndawonye kwakusemqoka kwabakwaBenn, abajwayele ukuhlanganyela indawo nokusekelana ekuphileni kwabo kwansuku zonke. “Lapho sifika khona, ukuphila kwaba ngcono,” kusho uLaurie. Ngobunye ubusuku benza i-spaghetti. Babeqala ukudla ukudla okuphekwe ekhaya selokhu balahlekelwa yizindlu zabo. Umzukulu omncane waqala ukucathula kuleyo ndlu.

“Siyazi ukuthi ngeke kusafana, kodwa ithemba lethu liwukuthi umphakathi uzohlala ndawonye futhi ubhekane nalesi simo kanye nathi.”

Abesilisa abathathu bancike omunye komunye futhi babheke phambili, omaphakathi ugqoke isifonyo somoya-mpilo.

Phakathi nokuhlala kwabo kwe-Airbnb.org, abakwaBenn bathola indawo yokuhlala isikhathi eside yangonyaka ozayo. Bahlela ukuphindela e-Altadena futhi bangagcini ngokwakha kabusha izindlu zabo kuphela, kodwa nendlela yokuphila ababeyijwayele.