Ukwakha ubungane ngemva komlilo

IZindlu Zezinhlekelele manje seziyi-Airbnb.org

Uhlelo lwe-Airbnb lweZindlu Zezinhlekelele seluguquke lwaba yi-Airbnb.org, inhlangano engenzi nzuzo entsha sha ye-501(c)(3). Siyabonga ngokusungula umphakathi weZindlu Zezinhlekelele kanye nathi. Siyajabula ngokuthi ube yingxenye yalolu hambo olusha.

Ekuseni ngo-November 8, 2018, u-Melissa Johnson wayesenezinyanga ezingaphezu kweziyisishiyagalombili ekhulelwe, ecambalele ngesikhathi izingane zakhe zilungiselela ukuya esikoleni. Ukhumbula umyeni wakhe nendodakazi yakhe bekhuluma ngesibhakabhaka—sasibukeka sinombala osawolintshi—futhi becabanga ukuthi mhlawumbe kwakunomlilo edolobheni elingumakhelwane.

Ngemva kwesigamu sehora, indodakazi ka-Melissa yashaya ucingo. “Yathi isikole sikhanseliwe. Ngavuka, futhi ngabona isibhakabhaka—kwakushaqisa,” kusho u-Melissa. “Sasibomvu futhi sinombala osawolintshi, kunjengokungathi liyabhubha. Ngase ngibona umlotha nxazonke.”

U-Melissa nomyeni wakhe, u-Trevor, babehlale eParadise, e-California, iminyaka engu-14—kodwa bathuthela ekhaya labo ngeviki langaphambi kwe-Camp Fire eyalalisa uyaca kuleso sifundazwe. Ngalolo suku ekuseni, “okuthile ngaphakathi kimi kwangitshela ukuthi kudingeka sipakishe sonke bese siyahamba, ukuze nje siphephe.”

Ngaphezu kuka-Melissa, u-Trevor, nezingane zabo ezimbili, elithi “sonke” lalihlanganisa ubaba ka-Trevor, izinja ezimbili ezingama-Great Dane, inja eyi-toy poodle, ikati nonogwaja. Bagibela ezimotweni ezimbili, futhi u-Melissa waphuthuma eyolanda izingane zakhe.

“Abantu babethukile futhi beshayela njengezinhlanya. Kwakuyinto owawungalindela ukuyibuka ebhayisikobho. Wawungenakulindela ukuba ubhekane nalokho futhi ubone into eyethusa kangaka. Umlilo kwesobunxele, kwesokudla, phambi kwakho, ngemuva kwakho. Ngezinye izikhathi nganginomuzwa wokuthi ngingena kuwo umlilo—futhi ngangingazi ukuthi ngenza izinqumo ezifanele zokuthi ngizohamba kanjani. Ngangikhala yonke indlela.”

Umndeni wagcine ufikile e-Chico, e-California, lapho wawungahlala khona nodadewabo ka-Melissa, kodwa kwakuyifulethi elinekamelo elilodwa elibungaza imindeni emine ehlangene. “Sasingabantu abangu-15, nezilwane ezingu-18 noma ezingu-19,” kusho u-Melissa. “Umama wayelele ku-Durango yakhe, kodwa ngisho kunjalo, kwakugcwele kulelo fulethi—cishe elingamamitha-skwele angaba ngu-500? Kwakungelula neze, ikakhulu njengoba mina ngangikhulelwe. Ngakho ngangazi ukuthi kufanele sicabange okunye.”

Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ngemva kokuqala kwe-Camp Fire, u-Cinde Dolphin wayehlezi esontweni, elalele umfundisi ekhuluma ngokusiza ngakho konke onakho. “Wayechaza ukungazigodli nokwenza ukuphila kwakho kube yigugu ngempela ngokuzinikela ngakho konke onakho,” kusho u-Cinde, usomabhizinisi wase-Sacramento, e-California.

Njengoba ukuphila kwakhe konke abeyivolontiya, u-Cinde kakade wayesezibandakanye namaqembu entsha yasesontweni, eqeqesha osemusha esikhungweni sezintandane, futhi elungiselela abangenamakhaya ibhulakufesi, phakathi kwamanye amaphrojekthi. “Kodwa njengoba ngangizwa la mazwi, ngacabanga, uyazi, ‘Ezansi nje nomgwaqo e-Butte County, kunomlilo omubi oqhubekayo, futhi angizinikele ngakho konke enginakho.’ Ukuthumela izingubo zokulala nezikibha kuhle kakhulu, kodwa ngingaba kanjani yingxenye yenqubo yokusiza?”

Wathintana nomnyango wezomlilo wasendaweni yakubo, futhi bamholela eZindlini Zezinhlekelele. U-Cinde wayengakaze abungaze izivakashi ze-Airbnb, futhi uqashisa ikhaya lakhe lase-Sacramento, elihlanganisa nendlu yezivakashi. Ngemvume evela kubanikazi bendlu, wayihlanza le ndawo wabe eseyifaka ekhasini lokuthola usizo leZindlu Zezinhlekelele.

“Lingakapheli ihora,” kusho u-Cinde, wathola umyalezo ovela ku-Melissa. “Into yokuqala ayisho wathi—ngeke ngikhohlwe—‘uNkulunkulu akubusise.’ [U-Melissa] wabe esechaza umndeni wakhe: indodana eneminyaka engu-11 ubudala, umyeni, ubabezala owayekhubazekile. Wathi, ‘Asazi sithatheni sihlanganise nani. Singumndeni omncane onezinja ezimbalwa. Siyazi ukuthi lokho kungase kube inkinga, kodwa uma ungenankinga, singathanda ukuhlala endaweni yakho. Oh, okunye ukuthi ngizobeletha maduze.’ Sonke lesi simo sangithinta enhliziyweni—ngangingacabangi ukuthi kunomuntu owayengamenqabela esimweni ayekuso.”

U-Cinde wasabela ngokushesha, futhi engakapheli amahora angu-24, u-Melissa nomndeni wakhe bafika e-Sacramento. Njengoba ayeqala ukubungaza, u-Cinde ukhumbula ukudideka ayenako. “Ngangikhathazekile, ngoba ngangingakaze ngihlalise umuntu engingamazi. Ngaphambi kokuba ngivule umnyango, ngacabanga, ‘Ngethemba ukuthi ngenza okulungile. Ngingowesifazane ongashadile ohlala kule ndlu futhi mhlawumbe lokhu akuyona into okufanele ngiyenze...’ Kodwa lapho ngivula umnyango futhi ngibona [u-Melissa], ngabona ngaso leso sikhathi ukuthi ngempela ngenza okulungile.”

U-Melissa ukhumbula nokuthi wayenexhala. Uthi, “Awazi ukuthi uzifaka kusiphi isimo, futhi ngenxa yokushaqeka okukhulu kangaka, kwaba nzima ukucabanga kahle ngayo yonke into.” “Kodwa u-Cinde nokumomotheka kwakhe kwenza konke lokho kwaba yize futhi kwasenza sazizwa sikhululekile. Kwakubonakala ukuthi ungumuntu okahle kakhulu.”

U-Cinde wayenze amalungiselelo okusiza lo mndeni uzizwe ukhululekile, wabeka amathawula ahlanzekile, amahitha ambalwa, ne-hot chocolate endlini yezivakashi. “Ngavele ngacabanga ukuthi yini engase idingeke kakhulu lapho uthuthela endaweni entsha futhi uzibuza, ‘Ngizokwenzenjani manje?’”

Laba besifazane ababili bebelokhu bethumelelana imiyalezo mayelana nezinto ezizodingeka, ngakho u-Melissa wayazi ukuthi yini okumelwe ayilindele ngokuqondene nendawo. "U-Cinde wasitshela ukuthi kuzoba nokumpintshana, kodwa wayengenankinga uma nje nathi singenankinga. Futhi nangempela, singenza noma yini iphumelele. Kwakunomunye umbhede esasingawukhipha, indlu yokugezela encane enhle—kwaba kuhle kakhulu. Kwaba sengathi yikhaya elikude nasekhaya.”

Nge-Facebook, u-Cinde watshela abangane ukuthi wayenezivakashi ezilahlekelwe yikho konke ku-Camp Fire. Omakhelwane bapheka isidlo sakusihlwa, futhi abangane baletha amanabukeni, izingubo, nendawo yokudlalela yengane eyayisizobelethwa. “Abangane bami bavele bangisiza,” kusho u-Cinde. “Ngicabanga ukuthi kunegalelo kakhudlwana uma uwazi mathupha umndeni owusizayo—abantu bafuna ukuzibonela mathupha ukuthi bathinta ukuphila.”

Nakuba umndeni ka-Melissa wahlala ubusuku obuthathu nje kuphela ngaphambi kokuthola ifulethi eliphemanenti, isikhathi owasihlala endlini ka-Cinde sawuvumela ukuba aphumule futhi uhlele izinyathelo zawo ezilandelayo. “Ngangicabanga ukuthi bazobe bekhala futhi benexhala,” kusho u-Cinde. “Kodwa empeleni umuzwa ababenawo wawungukuthi, ‘Siyabonga. Izinto zizophinde zilunge, futhi siyajabula ngokuthi sinendawo esingakwenza kuyo lokho.’ [Kwakuyithuba] lokuba babuyise imiqondo, baqaphele ukuthi uma ubhekana nezinkinga zosuku ngalunye, ungaphumelela.”

Namuhla, umndeni ka-Melissa uhlala efulethini e-Carmichael, cishe eliqhele ngemizuzu engu-20 ukusuka ku-Cinde. Umntwana u-Annette wazalwa ezinsukwini ezinhlanu ngemva kokuthutha kwakhe, futhi u-Cinde no-Melissa bahlale bethumelelana ama-SMS, batshelane ezakamuva nezithombe zengane.

Muva nje, u-Cinde uqashe u-Melissa ukuba afundise amakhasimende ngomkhiqizo webhizinisi lakhe elincane, lapho engasebenza khona isikhashana ngesikhathi enakekela umntwana. U-Melissa uthi u-Cinde “ungumuntu okhethekile. Wakushintsha ukuphila kwami. Ngeke ngiwukhohlwe umusa wakhe nendlela asisiza ngayo. Uyaqhubeka esisiza futhi esilekelela noma nini lapho simdinga.”

U-Melissa no-Trevor basacabanga ukuthi bazokwakha kabusha kanjani futhi nini eParadise, kodwa ukuphindela ngokuqinisekile kuwumgomo wabo wesikhathi eside. “Ngeke ngasho ukuthi ikhaya bengilibheka ngale ndlela ngaphambi komlilo njengoba sengilibona manje,” kusho u-Melissa. “Ikhaya, kimi, yilapho umndeni wakho ukhona. Ikhaya ungalenza nomaphi.”

Joyina umphakathi okhulayo ovula amandla okuphana phakathi nezikhathi zobunzima.

Imininingwane ekulesi sihloko kungenzeka isishintshile selokhu sashicilelwa.