Hlanganani nomngani wami uHelen. Ubelethwe endaweni encani yeKaroo ebizwa bona yi Nieu Bethesda. Bekungekho okunengi okwenzakalako endaweni le. Kodwana wenze koke komhlaba lana. Begodu ungenzele lana. Wangithiya ngendlu. Egade ibizwa ukuthi yi "isikhova sendlu."

Abobunti baka Helen abalithoba nabodadwakhe bakhulele lana kodwana ngesikhathi afika bakhamba. Kodwana usese nabodadwakhe abanye u Annie kunye no Alida.  uHelen bekangana bangana bangani labekahlala khona kodwana bekangana ndaba. Sukela ekuthomeni uHelen wenze izinto ezihlukile kunabanye abantu.

Ngemva kokobana udadwakhe akhembe ekhaya, uHelen usale wahlala ayedwa nabazali bakhe. Bekamuthanda umamakhe, kodwana bekazonda ubabakhe. Woke umntu bekavumelana naye kobana ukuyindoda emangazako. Udadwakhe omkhulu uAlida beka khamba umhlaba mazombelele. Ngelinye ilanga udadwakhe wamuthumela iposita karada ase-Egypt. Enqodweni yakhe wabona ikosi kunye namaphiramidi kunye nama kamela esanteni.

 Makakhulako, uHelen bekafunda intori zendaweni ezikude. Kodwana bekathanda inkondlo ezivela ePersia phakathi kwe-East. Wabhudanga avakshele ulwandle ngelinye ilanga, wabeka izinto zelwandlwe eduze kwetafula yakhe, aqabanga bona angezwa ngendlela bezibanga ishada ngayo elwandle. Kodwaba iinkhova bekuzinto azithanda khulu.

UHelen bekathanda incwadi neentori khulu waze wakhetha ukuba ngititjhera. Bakazimisele kuba yititjera. Wahlangana noJohannes Pienaar. Naye bekangu titjhera, angumbali begodu adlala imidlalo yakumabonakude. Wamutjela bona babaleke.

UHelen no Johannes batjhada. Bakhamba indawo ezinengi bafundisa begodu badlala imidlalo. UHelen waqabanga bona ukuthoma umndeni njengodadwabo kuphelile. Kodwana bekungasinjalo yena nomyeni wakhe bebahlala balwa. UMaka Helen wagula khulu ngalokho wabona kuncono abuyele ekhaya.

UHelen bekangakajabuli neze ngombana umamakhe bekagula khulu kodwana ubabakhe bekahlala alwa. Wayiqina kuya angatjeli abantu. Abantu baqabanga bona akusuye umuntu walapha. Ngalobo busuku umamakhe wahlongakala, walisa ikeresi likhanya duze nombede wakhe ubusuku boke. Ngesizo lelo elincani, uHelen zange asabe ukuhlala ebumnyameni. Kodwana ukhumbule bona, thina iinkhova sikhona. Sikuqalile, biza u wooooh.

UHelen wabona kuncono bona azakhele ikusasa elikhanyako, wathoma ngokutjhentjha indawo ehlanukwakhe. Bekafuna isizo. Amadoda ayithathu u-Adams, Piet van Merwe kunye no Koos Malgas, benza zoke izinto azibhudangako ngesamende kunye nedrada. Waya etonini yakhe wafaka iinlwane ezifana nokatsu no mamnomalambo, nekhova ezinengi. Irada leyo bekayifakile wabhala isikhombiso esithi: "lona mhlaba wami."

Emini u Helen wathatha izinto ukuzifundisa ukubamba umkkhanyo. Wathatha amadlazi neempili, khandlela kunye nalamaladi. Yoke into engakhanya. Wakhanyisa yoke indlu. Iimpili zenza umkhanyo. Ngemva kwalokho ubabaka Helen wabhubha wasala ayedwa nendlu. Woke ubusuku bekalala eenkumbeni ezihlukileko. Bekahlala akhetha leli elibonisa inyanga ne neekanyezi kuhle.

Abantu base Nieu Bethesda bebandlula etonini kaHelen baqale zoke iinlwane ezise tonini. Abanye abantwana bendawo leyo bebamlethela amabhodlelo weenlwane zakhe bese bamubize "kosazana Heleni''. Bekahlala abathokoza ngamaswidi. Abanye bebangana musa. Bebamubiza ngamagama bese baphosa ngamatje emazekeni. UHelen wamotjho yoke imali yakhe alungisa indlu waphila ngesinkwa netiye emnyama kuphela. Wabhala encwadini yakhe ukuthi: "Nangingedwa ngiyajabula.

Itoni yakhe yakhula beyakhula, kwaze kwafika lana kungasena ndawo yeenlwane ezinye. Kosazana Helen bekadiniwe nje. Izandla zakhe beziqinile begodu zibuhlungu. Amehlo wakhe bekangasaboni kuhle ngokusebenza ngamadlazi amancani. Bekangasabi ukuhlala ayedwa. Kodwana bekasasaba ubumnyama. Begodu umhlaba wakhe bewuba mnyama mnyama. Bekazi ukuthi maduzane bekangekhe asakghona ukubona.

Kodwana nakavala amehlo wakhe kokuqina, kosazana Helen zakhe abona ubumnyama. Wabona ilanga kunye nenyanga kunye neekanyezi. Wabona indoda ehlakaniphile kunye nommanomlambu, kamela kunye nabokatsu, nabantu abagidako kunye neenkhova ezinamehlo amakhulu anombala wehlabathi angathi ayalila. Kodwana sisajamile lana namhlanje, nangendlela asitjhiya ngayo, etonini ayenzako, siqale etjhona langa.