Indlela umbuki zindwendwe ka-Airbnb uBrenda enza ngayo ingeniso ngexesha lomhlala-phantsi
Umbuki zindwendwe wakwa-Airbnb uBrenda wamkela iindwendwe ngobubele kwindlu yakhe yesibini kwingingqi yaseGentilly eNew Orleans. UBrenda wazalelwa waza wakhulela eNew Orleans ibe uyakonwabela kakhulu ukwazisa abahambi abavela emhlabeni wonke kwindlu yakhe nakwisixeko sakhe. “Yonke iminyaka eyi-66 yobomi bam ndiyihleli apha ibe ndineminyaka eyi-32 ndingumnikazi wale ndlu,” utsho. “Ndaya kwizikolo zasekuhlaleni eNew Orleans ibe ndiyakuvuyela ukubonisa abantu isixeko sam.” Xa waya kuhlala nomyeni wakhe wesibini, uBrenda zange afune ukuthengisa indlu awayekhulise kuyo abantwana bakhe. Ukubuka iindwendwe kumvumele wakwazi ukugcina indlu yakhe aze azixhase ngoxa ethathe umhlala-phantsi.
UBrenda wafumanisa uAirbnb xa wayenceda ekuthuthiseni intombi yakhe isiya eSpeyini. “Sahlala kwindlu yomnye usisi ibe wayenobubele kakhulu kuthi. Wanceda nangokusa intombi yam kwindawo eza kuhlala kuyo. Yaba lixesha elimnandi kakhulu, ibe ndandicinga ‘Soze ndikwazi ukumenzela le nto umntu.'” Ngoku uyayenza. Xa iindwendwe zize kundwendwela, uBrenda ubanika isipho sokubamkela esinezimuncumuncu nezinto azicebisayo. Uyaqinisekisa nokuba ziyazi ukuba maziyephi nendlela yokonwabela isixeko sonke. “Ndizinika intetho yam emfutshane ka-‘Miss Brenda’.” Olunye undwendwe lwam lwathi yayingathi luhleli endlini kamakazi walo olumthanda kakhulu.”
UBrenda uyakuthanda ukuchazela iindwendwe ngolwazi lwakhe lweendawo zasekuhlaleni ibe uzithumela kwiindawo zokubuka iNew Orleans ezingaqhelekanga. “Ndisoloko ndicebisa ukuba abantu baye eLakefront Airport apho iipleyini zabucala zifikela khona. Kukho ivenkile yokutyela encinci pha ekuthiwa kuseMessina’s—banezona pancake zimnandi emhlabeni wonke. Oda zibe mbini ibe uza kube uode ezininzi kakhulu kuba zilingana nepleyithi,” utsho uBrenda ehleka. “Ibe ndicebisa iSassafras, apho zinokufumana khona eyona gumbo yokwenene eNew Orleans. Benza i-gumbo yokwenene eqalwa ekuqaleni suku ngalunye.”
UBrenda ubona iindwendwe zakhe zixhasa amashishini asekuhlaleni ngemali eziyongayo ngokuhlala kuAirbnb wakhe. “Abantu abaze kuhlala kwam, kusenokwenzeka abanayo i$600 yokuhlala iintsuku ezintathu ehotele esixekweni kodwa loo nto banayo, baza kuyithatha bayisebenzise yonke eNew Orleans. Ngoko [iindwendwe] zisebenzisa imali yazo ezivenkileni ibe zifaka imali kuqoqosho lwethu.”
KuBrenda, ukubuka iindwendwe yindlela yokugcina indlu yakhe nokubhatalela iindleko zobomi. Emva komonzakalo owatshintsha ubomi bakhe, uBrenda kwaye kwafuneka athathe umhlala-phantsi ngaphambi kwexesha kumsebenzi wakhe. “Ndatyandwa entanyeni ibe ndandingakwazi ukuphinda ndisebenze.” Emva kweNkanyamba uKatrina, i-inshorensi yakhe nerhafu yendlu yeenyuka ngaphezu kokuphindwe kabini. “Amanzi, umbane, i-inshorensi nerhafu yendlu zibiza kakhulu, emva kokuzibhatalela ushiyekelwa yintoni? Ushiyekelwa ngabahlobo nentsapho yakho kuphela.”
Ukubuka iindwendwe kuye kwayindlela ebalulekileyo yokwenza ingeniso yokubhatalela ezi ndleko ziphezulu. “[Ukubuka iindwendwe] kuphela kwendlela endenza ngayo imali, kona nokuncedwa nguRhulumente.” UBrenda unexhala lokuba isixeko sinokugqiba ekubeni siyiphelise le nto. Ukuba isixeko sizivala ngokupheleleyo iimvume zokuqeshisa ngendawo ixesha elifutshane kwizindlu zonke kwiingingqi ezizindawo zokuhlala abantu, “ibinokuba buhlungu kakhulu loo nto ibe ndingalahlekelwa. Ngaphandle kwaloo nto, ndixhalabele kakhulu indlela isixeko esinokuyenza ngayo loo ngeniso, ingeniso esiyifumanayo ngeendawo eziqeshisa ixesha elifutshane. Ingayichaphazela kakhulu ingeniso yam. Kuyadina ukuxhalatyiswa yiyo yonke le nto.”
Ekugqibeleni, uBrenda unethemba lokuba isixeko senza isigqibo esifanelekileyo sokuvumela abantu abafana naye abaneemvume zokuqeshisa ngendawo ixesha elifutshane okanye amakhaya esibini ukuba baqhubeke bebuka iindwendwe kwizindlu zabo zonke. “Ndiyathemba isigqibo saso siza kuba ngakwicala labantu abanezindlu zabo, abantu ebebesoloko behlala apha njengam.” Xa kukho imithetho engakhethiyo nefanelekileyo yokuqeshisa ngendawo ixesha elifutshane, uBrenda angaqhubeka esenza ingeniso ebonakalayo ukuze abhatalele iindleko zakhe aze aqhubeke engummeli osemagqabini wesixeko sakhe esihle.
Inkcazelo ekweli nqaku isenokuba itshintshile emva kokuba lipapashiwe.