Imisebenzi.
27.
Sekumisiwe ukuthi sizakuya e-Ithali, uPhawuli kanye lezinye izibotshwa banikelwa ezandleni zomphathi wekhulu owayethiwa nguJuliyasi owaye ngoweButho leSikhosini. 
Sagada umkhumbi e-Adramithiya owawusulungele ukuya emathekwini asemakhunjini esifunda sase-Ezhiya, sahle salungena ulwandle. Sasilo-Aristakhasi, owayesuka eThesalonika. 
Kusisa sakhuphukela eSidoni; uJuliyasi watshengisa umusa kuPhawuli, wamvumela ukuthi aye kubangane bakhe bamenzele lokho ayengabe ekuswela. 
Sesisuka lapho saluqonda ulwandle njalo sagudla ethunzini laseSiphrasi ngoba ukuvunguza komoya kwakuphambana lathi. 
Sathi sesiwele sadabula ulwandle olubanzi malungana lasokhunjini lweSilisiya lePhamfiliya, sakhuphukela eMira eseLikhiya. 
Khonapho umphathi wekhulu wafumana umkhumbi wase-Alekizandriya uwelela e-Ithali, wasingenisa kuwo. 
Sahamba sitotoba okwensuku ezinengi, sathwala nzima ukuyafika eKhinidu. Kwathi ngoba umoya usivalela ukuthi sihambe ngendlela yethu, sawela sayagudla ethunzini laseKhrethe, malungana leSalimoni. 
Sahamba siceza okhunjini kanzima, safika endaweni ethiwa kuseMathekumahle, eduze ledolobho laseLaseya. 
Sasesilahlekelwe yisikhathi esinengi kakhulu, lokuhamba olwandle kwasekuyingozi kabi ngoba ngalesisikhathi kwasekungemva kwesikhathi sokuzila. Yikho uPhawuli wabaxwayisa wathi, 
“Madoda, ngibona ukuthi uhambo lolu luzakuba lengozi lomonakalo omkhulu, kubhidlike umkhumbi lempahla, lempilo zethu lathi.” 
Kodwa umphathi wekhulu, esikhundleni sokulalela lokho okwakutshiwo nguPhawuli, walandela iseluleko somtshayeli womkhumbi kanye lomnikazi wawo. 
Njengoba itheku lalingelihle ukuthi simise khona ebusika, abanengi bakhetha ukuthi siqhubeke ngohambo, bethemba ukuthi sizafika eFenikhe simise khona ebusika lobo. Leli kwakulitheku eliseKhrethe, elalikhangele eningizimu yentshonalanga njalo lenyakatho yentshonalanga. 
Kwathi ngokuphephetha komoya opholileyo waseningizimu, banakana ukuthi basebekutholile ababekudinga; ngakho bawukhulula umkhumbi wawela ugudle iKhrethe. 
Masinyazana nje, umoya olamandla esivunguvungu owawuthiwa “yiNhlampumalanga” wavunguza usuka esihlengeni. 
Umkhumbi watshaywa yilesosiphepho wehluleka ukuqondana lomoya; ngakho wasehlula sasesindenda nje siwulandela. 
Sathi lapho sidlula ekusithekeni kwesihlenge esincane esithiwa yiKhawuda, kwasekusala lokuthi simise kuhle isikepe sokuphephela siqonde. 
Kwathi amadoda esesidonsele phezulu emkhunjini, basebethandela izintambo bebopha umkhumbi ngokwawo ukuze uqine wonke. Bathi ngoba besesaba ukuthi bazatshayeka emhlabathini wetshebetshebe laseSithisi, behlisa iseyili bayekela umkhumbi wazindendela nje. 
Isiphepho sasizunguza kabuhlungu kwaze kwathi ngosuku olulandelayo saqalisa ukujikela umthwalo olwandle. 
Ngosuku lwesithathu baphosela phandle ngezabo izandla izintambo lezinye impahla zokuhambisa umkhumbi. 
Kwathi sekuyizinsuku ezinengi singaliboni ilanga loba izinkanyezi, kodwa isiphepho silokhu sisidla ubhedu, saphelelwa lithemba lokuthi sizaphepha. 
Amadoda ayesehlale isikhathi eside engadlanga, uPhawuli wasesima phambi kwabo, wathi, “Madoda, ngabe lingilalele sangasuki eKhrethe; ngabe kalizifakanga phakathi kwale inhlekenhleke lokulahlekelwa lokhu. 
Kodwa manje ngiyalikhuthaza ukuthi lime isibindi, ngoba kakukho lamunye wenu ozakufa; ngumkhumbi kuphela ozabhidlika. 
Izolo ebusuku ingilosi kaNkulunkulu engingowakhe mina njalo lengimkhonzayo ime phambi kwami 
yathi, ‘Ungesabi, Phawuli. Kumele uyethonisiswa nguKhesari; njalo uNkulunkulu usebe lomusa wokukunika impilo zabo bonke owela labo.’ 
Ngakho manini isibindi, madoda, ngoba ngiyamethemba uNkulunkulu ukuthi kuzakwenzakala njengokungitshela kwakhe. 
Kodwa phela sisezake sitshayeke phansi sikhaphazelwe esihlengeni esithile.” 
Ngobusuku betshumi lane sasilokhu siyaluziswa oLwandle lwe-Adriyathi, lapho okwathi phakathi kobusuku abaqhubi bomkhumbi bezwa kungathi basebesondela emhlabathini. 
Baphosa izintambo zokulinganisa bafumana ukuthi amanzi ayezike okwezingalo ezilikhulu elilamatshumi amabili. Ngemva kwesikhatshana baphinda baziphosa njalo bafumana izingalo ezingamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye ukuzika. 
Bathi ngoba besesaba ukuthi sasizasakazeka ematsheni basebesehlisa insika zokumisa umkhumbi ngemuva bekhalela ukuthi kuse. 
Abaqhubi bomkhumbi bazama ukunyenya babaleke emkhunjini ngokwehlisela isikepe sokusinda olwandle bezenza abafuna ukuyakwehlisa ezinye insika ngaphambili komkhumbi. 
UPhawuli wasesithi kumphathi wekhulu lasemabuthweni, “Nxa amadoda la engahlali emkhunjini, ngeke lisinde.” 
Ngakho amabutho asequma izintambo ezazibambe isikepe sokusinda asiyekela sayagxumukela emanzini. 
Sekubanga emathathakusa, uPhawuli wabakhuthaza bonke ukuthi badle. Wathi, “Okwensuku ezilitshumi lane ezidluleyo belihlezi libambe amaphaphu enu; lisehluleka lokudla; kalizange lidle lutho. 
Okwamanje ngilicela ukuthi lidle. Kumele lidle ukuze liphile. Kakho loyedwa wenu ozalahlekelwa lalunwele ekhanda lakhe.” 
Esekutshilo lokhu, wathatha isinkwa wabonga kuNkulunkulu phambi kwabo bonke. Wasesihlephuna wadla. 
Bonke baqunga isibindi basebesidla labo. 
Sisonke sasingabantu abangamakhulu amabili lamatshumi ayisikhombisa lesithupha (276) emkhunjini. 
Bathi sebedlile basutha, baphungula ukusindwa komkhumbi ngokuchithela amabele olwandle. 
Kwathi sokusile kabawunanzelelanga umhlabathi, kodwa babona itheku elaligcwele itshebetshebe, basebezimisela ukuthi umkhumbi bayewumisa khona nxa kuvuma. 
Baquma insika bazitshiya zicwila olwandle, baphinda banyomula lezintambo ezazibambe okokugwedlisa. Basebephakamisa iseyili yaphambili beyiqondisa emoyeni, basebeqonda ekhunjini. 
Kodwa umkhumbi watshayelela esidulini setshebetshebe olwandle wahle wabhajwa. Isihloko sawo sathi ngxi phansi asabe sisanyikinyeka, ingemuva yona yahlakazeka itshaywa ngamagagasi. 
Amabutho asesithi kungcono abulale izibotshwa ukuze kungabikhona esizantsheza sibaleke. 
Kodwa umphathi wekhulu wayefuna ukuvikela impilo kaPhawuli, yikho wabalela ukuthi bakwenze lokho abasebekumisile. Walaya labo ababelamandla okuntsheza ukuba bazithele olwandle bona kuqala baqonde emhlabathini. 
Inengi lalizandenda ngamapulanka liye khona loba ngasiqa bani somkhumbi. Ngale indlela wonke umuntu wafika emhlabathini ephephile. 
