Ukwakha kabusha ngemva kwesiphepho kwenza abantu ongabazi babe ngamaqhawe

I-Old Fort, eNorth Carolina yidolobhana elihle elibheke i-Blue Ridge Mountains. Ngosuku olujwayelekile, umfudlana ugeleza ngaphansi kwamabhuloho amboziwe futhi abagibeli bamabhayisikili nabaqwali bezintaba baya ePisgah National Forest.

"Uma usuhlale lana isikhathi eside, ngeke ufike esitolo ungakababoni abantu abangu-20 obaziyo," kusho uMelissa, isakhamuzi sesikhathi eside esazi cishe wonke umuntu edolobheni.

NgoSeptember 26, 2024, iSiphepho uHelene wadliva ngemvula engaphezu kwamasentimitha angu-15.5 ezinsukwini ezintathu. Imihosho engatheni yaphenduka yaba yimifula edla izindwani, yadonsula amakhaya kumafawundeshi awo yasiphula izihlahla zeminyaka neminyaka. Izikhukhula zodaka zadilika zisuka ezintabeni, zagubezela izimoto, zathela phansi imibhoshongo kagesi neyomakhalekhukwini, futhi zavala ukungena ezindaweni ezizungeze amadolobha—zaze zavalela ukuvakashelana komakhelwane.

"Lowo muzwa ungumuzwa ongeke ukwazi ukuwuchaza—ngokuphazima kweso, impilo yawo wonke umuntu yacekeleka phansi," kusho uMelissa.

Ngomoya ovamile wase-Old Fort, ukusabela komphakathi kwashesha. "Wonke umuntu unemotshwana esagandaganda ahamba ngayo, ngakho-ke emizuzwini engu-30, bonke abantu baqala ukufika namasaha omshini namathuluzi bezama ukususa izinto endleleni."

UMelissa usebe ngumbungazi we-Airbnb iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili. Ungumnikazi futhi umenenja ama-Airbnb amathathu endaweni—ngayinye ese-Old Fort, e-Asheville, naseBlack Mountain. “Ngiyayithanda iWestern North Carolina, futhi ayikho into engijabulisa njengokusiza abantu bazizwe benethezekile—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bazovakasha, noma bazosiza umphakathi wethu.”

Kusukela ngesiphepho, uMelissa usevule iminyango yamakhaya akhe ku-Airbnb.org kwangena amaqembu wamavolontiya angu-24 nemindeni engu-13 ephelelwe yizindawo zokuhlala ngenxa yesiphepho.

Uthi, "Nsuku zonke ungabona iphosti yeqembu ithi isonto labo noma inhlangano engenzi nzuzo iza nokudla okwanele ukondla abantu abangu-2,000. Kusekhona abantu abangenawo ugesi noma imisebenzi."

U-Amanda, oyivolontiya lase-Jamestown, NC, wafika ku-Airbnb kaMelissa imoto yakhe igcwele amanabukeni, ubisi lwezinsana nezinto zezimo eziphuthumayo ukuze aziphe abanye. Lokho okwaqala njengokuhlala okukodwa kwaphenduka indaba yomndeni. U-Amanda waletha izingane zakhe u-Avis, oneminyaka engu-13, noBriggs, oneminyaka engu-10, ohambweni olwalandela, waguqula indawo yokuqashisa kaMelissa yaba yindawo yemisebenzi yosizo.

Ezinyangeni ezintathu ngemva kukaHelene, i-Old Fort isazabalazela ukubuyela esimweni eyayikuso. Kodwa kukho konke lokhu, izindlu zikaMelissa zimi ziwuphawu lwethemba, zinikeza indawo yokuhlala nomphakathi kulabo abasiza ekwakheni kabusha idolobha lakubo eliyintandokazi.

“Sikwazile ukubungaza abantu bendawo abaningana abalahlekelwe amakhaya abo nabanye ababengenawo ugesi namanzi ne-inthanethi—sikwaze ngisho nokuthola iStarlink, okwasiza nakakhulu. Uthini wena ngoba size sabungaza nenqwaba yamavolontiya avela ngaphandle kwesifundazwe ezosiza.”

Izingane zangena ngokuzikhandla emisebenzini yokwakha kabusha. U-Avis wabhala amanothi akhuthazayo awafaka lapho ehambisa ukudla, kuyilapho uBriggs eba "isisebenzi esihloniphekile senyanga" esikhungweni sokunikela, ebingelela zonke izimoto ezazingena. "Angikaze ngimbone esebenza kanzima kangaka," kukhumbula u-Amanda. "Izinto zashintsha ngaleso sikhathi."

Usuku nosuku kwakulokhu kusetshenziwe. "Sasivuka ekuseni ngovivi. Ilanga laliba wukuvela nje, yithi labo siphuma sibheke ekuhambiseni izinto kuze kuyoshaya u-9 PM ngezinye izikhathi," kusho uMelissa.

Kuwo wona lowo monakalo, uMelissa wathola ithemba ezindaweni ezingalindelekile. Njengesikhathi lapho u-Avis anqaba khona ukuhamba, ecashe endlini ukuze abe seduzane noNksz Joyce, isakhamuzi esesikhulile ngeminyaka ayesengumngani naso, noma njengenkathi lapho u-Amanda emtshela ukuthi uBriggs wayezovuka kanjani ngo-6 AM ebuza, "Siya kuMelissa? Senzani namhlanje?"

Maqondana noMelissa, abhekana nakho kwagcizelela isizathu sakhe sokuvulela izivakashi iminyango yekhaya lakhe kwasekuqaleni.

Wathi: "Kuyamangaza ukucabanga ukuthi umuntu ongeyena owalapha wazibophezela ngale ndlela emphakathini wethu." "Ngemva kwesikhashana, baba yingxenye yomndeni wethu. "