NAVUTSE mu 1926, mu gasagara kitwa Karítsa mu Bugiriki. Ndi umwana agira indwi mu bana umunani. Abavyeyi bacu bari abantu bakunda cane ibikorwa.

Mu 1925, abavyeyi banje bari baraganiriye n’uwitwa John Papparizos, akaba yari Icabona ca Yehova w’umunyamwete yakunda kuyaga (ico gihe Ivyabona bitwa Abatohoji ba Bibiliya). Abavyeyi banje barakozwe ku mutima n’ukuntu John yabasiguriye neza Ivyanditswe, baca batangura kwitaba amakoraniro Abatohoji ba Bibiliya bagirira mu karere iwacu. Mawe yarizera cane Yehova Imana, kandi naho atari yarize, ntiyagisha akaryo na kamwe ko kubwira abandi inkuru nziza. Ikibabaje ni uko dawe yashize umutima ku tunenge tw’abandi, bica bituma buhorobuhoro aheba kwitaba amakoraniro.

Naho jewe n’abo tuvukana twubaha cane Bibiliya, twaratwarwa n’ibisamaza abakiri bato. Mu 1939, Intambara ya kabiri y’isi yose yaradutse i Buraya. Ico gihe, hari ikintu cabaye mu gasagara iwacu catubabaje cane. Mwene data wacu yitwa Nicolas Psarras, akaba yari Icabona ca Yehova yaheruka kubatizwa, yarasabwe kwinjira mu gisirikare c’Ubugiriki. Ico gihe yari afise imyaka 20. Yabwiye abategetsi ba gisirikare adatinya, ati: “Sinshobora kuja mu ntambara kuko ndi umusoda wa Kristu.” Yaciye arengutswa imbere ya sentare ya gisirikare, aca acirwa umunyororo w’imyaka cumi. Twese twaraguye mu gahundwe!

Igishimishije ni uko mu ntango za 1941, ingabo zari zagize urunani zinjiye mu Bugiriki, Nicolas aca ararekurwa. Yaciye agaruka i Karítsa, maze mukurwanje Ilias aramucucagira ibibazo bijanye na Bibiliya. Ico kiyago naragikurikiranye nitonze. Bidatevye, jewe n’uwo mukurwanje hamwe na mushikanje  mutoyi yitwa Efmorfia, twaratanguye kwiga Bibiliya no kwitaba amakoraniro tudahorereza. Mu mwaka wakurikiye, twese uko turi batatu twariyeguriye Yehova turabatizwa. Mu nyuma, abandi bane tuvukana na bo nyene baracitse Ivyabona vya Yehova.

Mu 1942, ishengero ry’i Karítsa ryari rifise imisore n’inkumi icenda, b’imyaka iri hagati ya 15 na 25. Twese twari tuzi ko twohuye n’ibigeragezo bikomeye. Kugira ngo twikomeze, twarahurira hamwe kenshi kugira ngo twige Bibiliya, turirimbe twongere dusenge. Ivyo vyarakomeje cane ukwizera kwacu.

Igihe Intambara ya kabiri y’isi yose yariko irarangira, Abagiriki b’abakomunisita baragararije leta y’Ubugiriki, bica bikwega intambara ikomeye. Abarwanyi b’abakomunisita baciye bashwara mu banyagihugu, babategeka kubiyungako. Igihe batera mu gasagara iwacu, baranyuruje imisore itatu y’Ivyabona, ari bo Antonio Tsoukaris, Ilias na jewe. Naho twabasiguriye ko twari abakirisu bataja mu vya politike, nticabujije ko badutwara ku musozi Olympe, tukaba twahagenze amasaha nka 12.

Intwazangabo imwe y’umukomunisita yaciye adutegeka kwinjira mu muhari wabo. Igihe twabasigurira ko abakirisu b’ukuri badafata ibirwanisho, iyo ntwazangabo yaciye ishangashirwa, itujana kwa jenerali. Tumaze gusigurira uwo mujenerali vya bindi nyene, yaciye adutegeka ati: “Fata indogobwa rero, muze muraja gutora abakomerekeye ku rugamba mubatwara ku bitaro.”

Twasubijeyo duti: “Abasoda ba leta nibaducakira na ho? Ntibazodufata nk’abarwanyi?” Na we ati: “Basi nimuze murashira ibifungurwa abari ku rugamba.” Twaciye twibaza duti: “Hogira intwazangabo itubona n’iyo ndogobwa, ntiyoca idutegeka gushira ibirwanisho abari ku rugamba?” Nya mujenerali yarazirikanye umwanya utari muto, aca atubwira ati: “Sawa, nibaza ko kuragira intama vyovyo bitobananira! Nimugume ng’aha, muze muraragira intama.”

Kubera ko intambara yariko irabica bigacika hirya no hino, twese batatu twabonye ko kuragira intama ata co vyari bitwaye. Haciye umwaka, Ilias baramuretse arataha kubera ko yari imfura, kugira aje kwitwararika mawe yari asigaye ari umupfakazi. Antonio na we yararwaye baca baramurekura. Ariko jewe barangumanye.

Ico gihe, ingabo za leta zariko zirasugereza abo baroberi. Abaroberi bari bangize imbohe baciye binyuranganya mu misozi bahunga bagana igihugu ca Albaniya. Tugeze hafi y’umupaka, twasanze abasoda ba leta badukikuje. Ba baroberi utanka baciye batungwa n’ayo bameze. Naciye ninyegeza inyuma y’igiti cari catemvye, ni kwo guca nishikana kuri ba basoda navuga mu ntango.

Igihe nabwira abasoda ba leta ko nari nagizwe imbohe n’abakomunisita, baciye banjana kunsambisha mw’ikambi yari hafi ya Véroia, ca gisagara Beroya kivugwa muri Bibiliya. Baciye bantegeka kuza ndimba imifurege abasoda binyegezamwo. Naravyanse, komanda aca ategeka ko banjana mu  kazinga kari gatinyitse cane bapfungiramwo abantu, kitwa Makrónisos (Makronisi).

Ako kazinga ni agahinga katagiramwo amazi, k’ibitandara vyaturagajwe n’uruzuba, kakaba kari hafi y’intara ya Atika, nko ku bilometero 50 uvuye i Atene. Ako kazinga kareha n’ibilometero 13, kakagira n’ibilometero bibiri n’igice vy’ubwaguke. Ariko rero kuva mu 1947 gushika mu 1958, karapfungiwemwo abanyororo barenga 100.000. Aho harimwo abakomunisita be n’abikekwa ko bakorana na bo, abahoze barwanya leta, be n’Ivyabona vya Yehova batari bake.

Igihe nashikayo mu ntango za 1949, abanyororo bari bashizwe mu makambi atandukanye. Jewe hamwe n’abandi bantu amajana twashizwe mw’ikambi itari icunzwe cane. Twarara turakumbagara hasi turi nka 40, mw’ihema ryari rigenewe abantu 10. Twanywa amazi anuka, kandi kenshi twarya inkore n’intore. Ivumbi ryaho n’umuyaga waho vyaza bisongera isibe. Agahengwe tweho twari dufise ni uko tutaja guseha ibibuye, ico kikaba cari ikintu carya umutima imbohe nyinshi kandi kikazisinzikariza ubuzima.

Umusi umwe nariko ngendagenda ku nkengera y’ikiyaga, nca mbonana n’Ivyabona bo mu yandi makambi. Ntiworaba ingene twaryohewe! Igihe cose bishoboka twarahurira hamwe, ariko tukiyubara cane ngo ntihagire uwutubona. Vyongeye, twarabwira inkuru nziza izindi mbohe ku mayeri, kandi bamwebamwe bahavuye baba Ivyabona vya Yehova. Kubigenza gutyo be no kwama dusenga vyaradukomeje mu vy’impwemu.

Inyuma y’amezi cumi ngo yo kudukosora, baciye bavuga ko hageze ko nambara umwambaro wa gisirikare. Naranse, baca banjana kwa komanda w’ikambi. Naciye ndamuha urwandiko nari nanditseko nti: “Nipfuza kuba umusoda wa Kristu gusa.” Ahejeje kuntera ubwoba, yaciye andungika ku cegera ciwe, na we akaba yari umusenyeri w’umworotodogisi yari yambaye umwambaro w’abasenyeri. Abonye ko ndamwishuye ibibazo vyose nkoresheje Ivyanditswe, yaciye akankama ati: “Nkura mu maso iyo ntagondwa!”

Bukeye, abasoda barasubiye kuntegeka ngo nambare umwambaro wa gisirikare. Naranse, baca baranyahuka n’ingumu n’amahiri. Baciye banjana mu kavuriro ko mw’ikambi kugira ngo barabe ko batari bamvunye, mu nyuma baca bansubiza mw’ihema nararamwo. Namaze amezi abiri nkubitwa buri musi.

Abo basoda babonye ko nanse guhemuka, bahavuye bagerageza uwundi mukenyuro. Baramboheye amaboko i mugongo, barankubita inyabirenge ndashaya. Igihe ububabare bwari bundembeje, naributse ivyo Yezu yavuze ati: “Muzoba muhiriwe nibabatuka, bakabahama . . . Munezerwe musimbasimbishwe n’akanyamuneza, kuko impembo yanyu ari nini mw’ijuru; kuko ukwo ari ko bahamye abahanuzi b’imbere yanyu.” (Matayo 5:11, 12) Nahavuye ntakaza ubwenge, inyuma y’ikiringo c’ububabare cambereye nk’umwaka wose.

Natoye ubwenge nsanga ndi mu gasho gakanye cane, ata bifungurwa, ata mazi canke uburengeti. Naho vyari ukwo, muri jewe nari ntekanye. Nk’uko Bibiliya ibivuga, “amahoro y’Imana” yariko ‘ararinda umutima wanje n’ivyiyumviro vyanje.’ (Flp. 4:7) Bukeye, hari umusoda w’umutima mwiza yampaye umukate, amazi n’ikoti y’imbeho. Uwundi musoda na we yarampebeye ibifungurwa yari yandikiwe. Ivyo bintu vyabaye be n’ibindi vyinshi vyaranyeretse ko Yehova anyitwararika cane.

Abategetsi bamfashe nk’umuroberi yananiranye, baca banjana muri sentare ya gisirikare i Atene. Naciriwe umunyororo w’imyaka itatu mw’ibohero ry’i Yíaros (Gyaros), akazinga kari nko ku bilometero 50 mu buseruko bwa Makrónisos.

Ibohero ry’i Yíaros yari inyubakwa amahero y’amatafari atukura, ryarimwo imbohe za politike zirenga 5.000. Ryarimwo n’Ivyabona vya Yehova indwi, bose bakaba bahorwa kutaja mu vya politike. Naho vyari bibujijwe, twese uko twari indwi twarakoranira hamwe mu kinyegero kugira ngo twige Bibiliya. Twaranaronka mu mpisho Umunara w’Inderetsi,  tugaca tuwimura n’iminwe kugira ngo tuwukoreshe mu nyigisho twagira.

Umusi umwe twariko turiga mu kinyegero, maze umurinzi w’ibohero atwubukako aca adutwara ibisohokayandikiro vyacu. Twaciye turengutswa mu biro vy’icegera c’umuyobozi, tuzi ko baca batwongerereza igihano. Ariko rero, uwo mutegetsi yavuze ati: “Mwebwe turazi ivyanyu kandi turabubahiriza. Turazi ko muri abizigirwa. Nimwisubirire ku bikorwa.” Bamwe muri twebwe yaciye mbere abaha ibikorwa vyoroshe. Twarakengurukiye cane Yehova. No mw’ibohero, ukudahemuka kwacu kwaratumye Yehova ashemagizwa.

Ugushikama kwacu kwaravuyemwo n’ibindi vyiza. Umuporofeseri w’ibiharuro umwe twari dupfunganywe, amaze kwihweza ingene twigenza neza, yahavuye atubaza ibijanye n’ivyo twemera. Igihe twebwe Ivyabona twarekurwa mu ntango za 1951, na we nyene yararekuwe. Yahavuye abatizwa, mu nyuma atangura umurimo w’igihe cose.

Aho ndekuriwe, naciye nsubira iwacu i Karítsa. Mu nyuma, nahavuye nja kugerera i Melbourne muri Ostraliya hamwe n’abandi benshi. Naramenyanye na mushiki wacu ameze neza yitwa Janette maze turubakana. Mu nyuma twaribarutse umuhungu n’abakobwa batatu, turaheza tubarera rukirisu.

Naho ubu ndengeje imyaka 90, ndi umukurambere afise vyinshi akora. Rimwe na rimwe imvune zo muri kahise ziramvyuka, nkababara mu mubiri no mu maguru, canecane iyo mvuye mu ndimiro. Naho ari ukwo, nariyemeje kuguma ndi “umusoda wa Kristu.”—2 Tim. 2:3.