Angazi ukuthi ngingasho kanjani ukuthi “iziwula ezihlanyayo” ngesiTonga, kodwa kubhalwe ebusweni babantu bendawo esigqolozele ngaphesheya kwamanzi.
Inqwaba yabo - abesilisa, abesifazane, abafana namantombazane abagqoke imifaniswano emibalabala yesikole, izingane ezisacathula ngisho nezinsana - bahamba nathi ngezikebhe zokudoba zamapulangwe ezipendwe ngokugqamile ezibasusa ezindaweni ezikude zibayise e-Neiafu, ilokishi elikhulu lezohwebo eVava. 'U Iziqhingi zaseTonga.
Ukuduma okujulile kwezwi lendoda, ekhuluma isiTonga futhi ehleka njengoba ekhuluma, kuthwalwa kuthina nomoya wolwandle, kulandelwa uhleko olwengeziwe. Bonke bayasineka futhi basiqhweba kuyilapho ngokusobala behluleka ukuqonda ukuthi kungani sifuna ukugwedla uma kunamamotho.
Mina nomkadadewabo u-Jo sigqoke amajakhethi okuphila, sibambe izigwedlo zokhuni futhi sihlezi esikebheni esibazwe kahle. Ngemuva kukhona umnikazi we-outrigger uBruce Haig. Ku-helmen futhi kuhlaliswe ngaphambili kunengemuva elingagqokile elingabalulekile le-Tongan yasendaweni u-Arnie Saimone.
Ukubuka kwethu sigwedla ngesigqi futhi siya ndawana thize kuyajabulisa kubantu bendawo.
“Mhlawumbe abakwazi ukuqonda ukuthi kungani ungafika kude eVava'u ukuze ube neholide bese wenza wonke lo msebenzi,” u-Arnie uyasibiza. "AmaTonga sekuphele izizukulwane elokhu ezulazula ngezikebhe, kodwa ukugwedla akuyona into abayenzela ukuzijabulisa nje."
Nokho, kubavakashi, inkampani ebizwa ngokuthi i-Outriggers in Paradise inengqondo ngokuphelele, iwumqondo ophusile futhi nakanjani ijabulisa kakhulu.
Yethulwe ezinkathini ezimbili zasehlobo ezedlule, i-Outriggers in Paradise ibhizinisi lezokuvakasha eliklanyelwe ukunikeza uBruce Haig nomkakhe uJulianne Bell “impilo eyenziwe lula”.
UJulianne wachaza: “Sasisebenza amahora amaningi e-Australia futhi sase sineminyaka embalwa nje sishadile. “Siyaluthanda ulwandle, uBruce uyazifela ngokugwedla futhi ubezibandakanye kakhulu nomjaho wezikebhe zikadragoni, futhi mina ngithanda ukubhukuda olwandle.”
Benza uhlu lwazo zonke izizwe eziqhingini ezakhalaza futhi iTonga yagcina iphezulu ohlwini. Bathengisa umuzi wabo ose-Australia, kanye neningi lempahla yabo, babuyela epharadesi labo elisha eliseNingizimu Pacific ngo-June 2007.
Ukuvakasha kwabo kuqhutshwa phakathi kukaJulayi noNovemba, okuhambisana nokufika kwemikhomo e-humpback esuka e-Antarctica ukuya emanzini afudumele e-Vava'u Islands ukuze ihlangane noma ibelethe.
Ama-Outriggers ePharadesi anikela ngohambo lwasemini noma lobusuku obubodwa, okubandakanya ukudosela phansi ezikhwameni zokulala ogwini lolwandle elinezinkanyezi nenyanga njengosilingi wekamelo lokulala.
Imibhangqwana ingakhetha inketho ye-honeymooners lapho umhlahlandlela ebabekela khona ikamu esiqhingini esiseceleni futhi abashiye lapho ubusuku bonke.
Isikebhe sethu sasintweza phakathi kweziqhingi ezingenamuntu, amakhova acashile kanye nemigede. Safika ogwini emabhishi asezindaweni ezishisayo lapho kuzwakala kushaqisa khona ukwenza izinyathelo zokuqala esihlabathini esimhlophe, esibusilika. Izinyathelo zika-Arnie zinkulu - okuyinto ewusizo kakhulu, ngoba ubisi olusha lukakhukhunathi luyingxenye yesiphuzo yemenyu yesidlo sasemini - futhi lokho kusho ukuthi othile kufanele ehlise ukhukhunathi ogcwele ubisi emasimini aphakeme emvelo.
Izinyawo zika-Arnie zenzelwe yona. Unyamalala esihlahleni esiminyene ngemuva kolwandle. Emizuzwini embalwa kamuva, “i-thwump” engaqondakali kakhukhunathi ogcwele ubisi ingazwakala ihlezi phansi ehlathini.
Yena noBruce bawavula ngocelemba ocelemba ababukeka bebulala futhi banikeza mina noJo owodwa. Sihlala esihlabathini, siphuze ubisi olucebile, olumnandi, kuyilapho uBruce eqeda ukudla kwethu kwasemini kwesaladi kwasehlobo okusha. Ukubhukuda echwebeni - inqwaba yezinhlanzi zasezindaweni ezishisayo ezizungeze imilenze yethu - isikhathi sethu sokuphumula, sangemuva kwesidlo sasemini.
Ekugcineni, sesibuyile ku-outrigger futhi sibhekisa amabombo ekhaya e-Neiafu - nokho, hhayi ngaphambi kokubona okuvelele kosuku lwethu - Umgede Wenkonjane.
Ukugwedla emhumeni kufana nokungena endlini yesonto enamanzi, ewumbhoshongo. Indawo ephansi yolwandle ikude kakhulu ngezansi kwethu, ayibonakali, kodwa ukukhanya kwelanga okuphuma emnyango womhume kukhanyisa amanzi aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka kanye nezikole zezinhlanzi ezinemibala egqamile zasezindaweni ezishisayo. Mina no-Jo siphuma kancane ezihlalweni zethu bese singena emanzini ajulile, sisnorkel sibheke emhumeni ovulekile futhi siphumele emini ngaphambi kokugibela siphindele emkhunjini.
Seluyaphela usuku eziqhingini, ngakho njengoba sigwedla siya ezweni elikhulu, wonke lawo matekisi asolwandle anombala aphinde adlule ngakithi kanye nobuso obumamathekayo bamaThonga - obusabukeka bubambe ongezansi - busivumela phezulu, njengokungathi sithi: “Kuhle! Niyahlanya, bavakashi abahlanyayo nibuyile ngokuphepha.”
