U-Tommy Connolly oneminyaka engu-23 ubudala wase-Australian wayenakho konke: ukutadisha eSunshine Coast University eQueensland, abangane abangongqingili, umsebenzi othakazelisayo. Kodwa ingabe lo mfana angacabanga ukuthi umcimbi owodwa wawuzoguqula ngokuphelele impilo yakhe, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uphansi, noma kusukela entanyeni kuya enyaweni?
UTommy wayengumqeqeshi omkhulu weqembu labafundi. Yena kanye naye, wabamba iqhaza emincintiswaneni ngaphandle kwezindonga zaseyunivesithi. Ekuphileni komfana, into eyinhloko kwakuyiphupho lokubamba iqhaza emincintiswaneni kazwelonke nakwamanye amazwe. Kodwa amaphupho akhe ayengahlosiwe ukugcwaliseka.
I-Adrenaline yayiyifutha yakhe yokuphila. Ngaphandle kwakhe, akakwazanga ukuqhubekela phambili, afinyelele imigomo ebekiwe. U-Tommy uthanda imidlalo esebenzayo. Kungaba ukukhwela ngamatshe noma ukuhlanza amanzi amhlophe. Yiqiniso, lo mdlali osemusha akazange ngisho acabange ukuthi le nkinga iyamlungiselela indawo engcono kakhulu ye-adrenaline.
UConnolly waphupha ngezinga eliphezulu lokudlala, kodwa futhi wavula ibhizinisi lakhe. Kuye, umsebenzi oyinhloko kwakuwukuhlanganisa ngokuphumelelayo izintshisekelo zebhizinisi nezemidlalo. Kodwa kamuva wafunda ukuthi unomndeni, okuzodinga ukunakekelwa. Esithombeni esingezansi, ubona uTommy ehambela intombi yakhe u-Olivia Tauro. Yena, njengesoka lakhe, uthanda nezemidlalo. Ngaphambi kokuba baqale ukuphola, le minyaka emibili yayingabangani. Yiqiniso, u-Olivia wamangala lapho ezwa ukuthi uTommy ube nguyise nomkhulu.
Futhi sekuyisikhathi sokuthola konke okujabulisayo. Ngakho-ke, lapho umlingisi wethu oyinhloko ebengumntwana futhi eshaqhamuka efulethini kuzo zonke ezine, umzala wakhe uCarne waphendukela eminyakeni engu-17 ubudala. Ngendlela, babefana kakhulu. Kwadlula iminyaka, intombazane yathuthela kwelinye idolobha. Sekuyiminyaka eyi-10 laba laba bengavumi ukuxhumana, kodwa ngelinye ilanga ucingo ludade lwaphenduka impilo yakhe nxazonke.
Kwavela ukuthi abazali bakaCiarna abakwazi ukunakekela indodakazi yakhe, ngakho-ke intombazane yaphoqeleka ukuba ihlale emgwaqweni. Uvume ukuthi wayevame ukusebenzisa amacala amancane futhi asebenzise kabi izidakamizwa. Ngo-2011, waxoshwa esikoleni, ngakho-ke le ntombazane ayikwazi ukuziqhenya nge-erudition kanye nemfundo. Lapho esenomuntu othandekayo, kodwa wakwazi ukungena ejele. Ngemva kokulalela konke lokhu, uTommy waqaphela ukuthi uyayifuna noma cha, kodwa unesibopho sokusiza udadewabo.
Yiqiniso, kwakungeyona yonke into emangalisa ukuthi isiphetho esilungiselele umfana.
Ngakho-ke intombazane yayingazizwa sengathi ixoshiwe emphakathini, ingane abazali bayo yenqaba, uTommy wenza isinqumo esibalulekile kuye - waba ngumgcini wakhe. Ngokushesha intombazane yaqala ukufunda. Kodwa emva kwesikhashana kwenzeka okwenzekayo ...
Ngolunye usuku, uKearna wavuma uTommy ukuthi ulindele ingane kumfana ofanayo manje okhonza isikhathi sakhe. Futhi, uma ngabe le ntombazane ike yabona ukuthi izothathwa isisu ngenxa yokungabikho kwephahla phezu kwekhanda lakhe, manje wayenesiqiniseko sokuthi umndeni wakwaTommy uzoba nomusa ukusekela umama wesikhathi esizayo.
Futhi manje uTommy angabizwa ngokuphepha ngokuthi umkhulu osemncane. UKearna wazala umntwana onempilo, owambiza ngokuthi uKaydan. Ngesikhathi intombazane ikhulela indodana yakhe, uTommy wahlonipha amakhono akhe ezemidlalo futhi ngesikhathi esifanayo wathola umsebenzi enkampanini edayisa imikhiqizo yasemapulazini.
Ucabanga ukuthi emva kwentombazane enjalo uTommy yamshiya? Cha, akayena kuphela ebuhlotsheni obunzima, kepha usasiza uCarne ukuba aphakamise indodana.
Yiqiniso, uTommy wayengathinteki kalula ekukhuliseni umntwana, ephothula enyuvesi futhi ekwakheni umsebenzi. Kodwa ngokushesha nje lapho izindaba ukuthi le nsizwa encane yaba umkhulu, i-intanethi yonke yahamba, amazwi asekelwa yizinkulungwane zabasebenzisi, ethinteka indaba yakhe, yawela imiyalezo yomuntu siqu kaTommy.
Manje umfana omncane obomvu obomvu uKaidan wayeneminyaka emithathu ubudala. "Umkhulu" wakhe uthi uyathanda ukubiza umfundi "injabulo encane ongayithengi imali." UTommy ufuna ukukhulisa umntwana indoda yangempela futhi amnike ikusasa elingcono. "Ukuze angenzi lutho, ngelinye ilanga uzoba yinkosi yomsebenzi wakhe," kusho uConolly ngokumomotheka.