AIVA mangwanani ndiri kuWest Africa. Ndainzwa kunhuhwirira kwemuto uye mupunga waibikwa. Vakadzi vaifamba vakadengezera mitundu yakakura. Yaingova zhowezhowe yevanhu vaifara kwozoitawo vamwe vaishevedzera vachitengesa zvinhu. Pasina nguva zuva rakanga rava kugocha.

Vana pavakangoona murungu (Yovo mumutauro wavo), vakatanga kuimba karwiyo kavanosiimba ndokutanga kutamba. Karwiyo kacho kanotanga kachiti “Yovo, Yovo, bon soir” kozopedzisira nemashoko okuti, “Hamusi kutipawo chipo here?” Mumwe mukomana akanga asingaimbi. Pandakaramba ndichifamba, akanditevera ndokutanga kufambisa-fambisa maoko. Aiita sokunge ari kutaura nemasaini. Pandaiva kuUnited States, ndakanga ndadzidza kuperetera neMutauro Wemasaini wokuAmerica (ASL), asi nyika yeBenin inotaurwa chiFrench.

Ndakanetseka kuperetera zita rangu nemasaini. Mukomana wacho akanyemwerera chaizvo. Akandibata ruoko achibva anditungamirira tichipinda nomutunzira tuduku kuenda kumba kwavo. Imba yacho yaiva nemakamuri maviri uye yakavakwa nezvidhinha zvekongiri. Vanhu vomumhuri yake vakabva vaungana. Vose vaisaina. Ndaizoita sei? Ndakasaina zita rangu, ndikanyora pabepa kuti ndiri mumishinari anodzidzisa Bhaibheri uye kuti ndaizodzoka zvekare. Vamwe vavakidzani vanonzwa vakauyawo, uye vose vaigutsurira vachiratidza kuti vanozvifarira. Ndakatanga kufunga kuti, ‘Ndichazvigona here?’

Ndava kumba ndakatanga kufunga kuti, ‘Panodiwa mumwe munhu anogona kubatsira vanhu ava kudzidza pamusoro pevimbiso yaMwari yokuti: “Nzeve dzematsi dzichavhurwa.”’ (Isaya 35:5) Patsvakurudzo yandakaita ndakaona kuti kuverengwa kwevanhu kwakanga kuchangoitwa munyika kwakaratidza kuti muBenin mune matsi nevanhu vanonzwira kure vanosvika 12 000. Ndakafara chaizvo pandakaona kuti muzvikoro zvematsi munoshandiswa Mutauro Wemasaini wokuAmerica kwete wokuFrance. Asi ndakarwadziwa nokuti hapana kana mumwe weZvapupu zvaJehovha muBenin aigona ASL. Ndichinetseka, ndakaudza chimwe Chapupu kuti, “Dai pakangova nemumwe munhu anogona ASL anouya kuzobatsira.” Akapindura kuti, “Handiti iwe uripo?” Aitaura chokwadi! Ndakatsvaka bhuku remasaini uye  maDVD eASL akabudiswa neZvapupu zvaJehovha. Minyengetero yangu yakapindurwa mumwe mukadzi Chapupu aiziva ASL paakatamira kuBenin achibva kuCameroon.

Vanhu vakawanda vakanzwa kuti ndiri kudzidzira masaini. Ndakanzi ndishanyire Brice, uyo aiita basa rokupenda. Chivako chaaishandira chaiva chakagadzirwa nemashizha akabatanidzwa emuchindwe uye chaitonhorera zvinozorodza sezvo nzvimbo yacho ichipisa. Madziro acho aiva nemakara akawanda nokuti ndipo paaipukutira mabhurasho ake kwemakore. Akabvisa guruva pazvituro achibva anditarisa achida kuti nditange kusaina. Ndakaisa DVD mukaDVD player kandaiva nako. Akadhonza chituro chake kuti aswedere pedyo aone. Akasaina kuti, “Ndiri kuzvinzwisisa! Ndiri kuzvinzwisisa!” Vana vemuraini vakaungana uye vakatanga kudongorera kuti vaone. Kamwe kamukomana kakabva kati, “Sei vachiona firimu rine vanhu vasiri kutaura?”

Pose pandaidzoka kuti ndizoona Brice, vanhu vaiuya kuzoona DVD vairamba vachiwedzera. Pasina nguva refu Brice nevamwe vakatanga kuuya kumisangano yedu yechiKristu. Kuedza kwandaiita kuvaturikirira kwakandibatsira kuti ndivandudze masainiro angu nokukurumidza. Boka racho zvaraikura vamwe vaitouya vachinditsvaka. Somuenzaniso, rimwe zuva motokari yangu yakatanga kuita ruzha pandakanga ndapinda nomumakomba ndichinzvenga mbudzi nenguruve zvaiva mumugwagwa. Ndakabva ndanzwa kuti guu nechokumashure. Ndakafunga kuti motokari yangu yakanga yafa zvekare. Asi akanga ari mumwe murume matsi aimhanya achirova-rova motokari kuti ndinzwe!

Mapoka eMutauro Wemasaini wokuAmerica akatanga kuumbwa mune mamwe maguta. Pakaitwa gungano redu regore negore, pakarongwa kuti paitwe zvimwe zvikamu nemasaini uye ndaiva mumwe wevaiturikira. Pandakasvika pachikuva ndokumirira kuti mukurukuri ataure, pfungwa dzangu dzakambodzokera kune zvakaitika pandakatanga basa rangu roumishinari. Ndaimbozvibvunza kuti, ‘Chii chimwe chandingaitawo semumishinari kuAfrica?’ Ndichitarisa vanhu vaivapo, ndakaziva kuti mhinduro yomubvunzo uyu ndakanga ndava nayo. Ndaizova mumishinari anobatsira matsi. Handichazvibvunzi kuti, ‘Ndichazvigona here?’