Dylan Bettencourt
Imeya endala kunazo zonke eMelika eneminyaka engama-97 uVito Perillom, uwine ukuqokwa kabusha kwehlandla lesibili edolobheni elincane lase-Tinton Falls, e-New Jersey.
Abanye abathathu abebengenele ukhetho bazame ukukhipha uPerillo esikhundleni, kodwa imeya eyawina ukhetho lokuqala ineminyaka engama-93 ubudala, iphume phambili yawina amavoti ayizi-2,209 okhethweni olungakhethi hlangothi.
“Ngiyajabula, ngiyajabula ukuthi ukhetho seluphelile. Sineqembu elihle labantu edolobheni, futhi sisebenzisana kahle. Ngifuna ukwenza okuhle kubahlali besifunda,” kusho uPerillo.
Imeya endala yangaphambilini eMelika kwakunguCharles Long owayeyimeya yase-Booneville, e-Kentucky ngaphambi kokudlula emhlabeni eneminyaka engama-99. Uma esinda, uPerillo uzobe eseneminyaka eyi-101 uma kuphela ihlandla lakhe lesibili.
Ufuna umsebenzi wakhe ube yinto agxile kuyo ngesikhathi eyimeya, hhayi iminyaka yakhe.
Imeya ithe imfihlo yokuphila impilo ende ukuthanda umsebenzi wayo, futhi itshele i-America publication people ukuthi “Ngiyawuthanda umsebenzi wami. Empeleni, ungigcina ngiphila. Ungenza ngiqhubekele phambili.”
UPerillo uthe wabizelwa kwezombusazwe eminyakeni emihlanu edlule ngoba ebona ukuthi intela iphezulu kakhulu kanti nomnyango wamaphoyisa endaweni ubhekene nengwadla kulandela inqwaba yamahlazo.
Ingxenye yesizathu esenza idolobha lase-Tinton Falls lithande uPerillo ukuthi ukhankase okokuqala ngqa ehamba engena umuzi nomuzi engqongqoza kuyo yonke imnyango esedolobheni eyizi-18,000 iyonke. Imeya ichaza umphakathi njengomndeni wayo, hhayi nje abantu ebabhekile.
“Bafana nomndeni kimi? Bafana nabafowethu, odadewethu, namadodakazi ami. Siyezwana. Kunginika indawo yokwenza okuthile, uma ngivuka ekuseni,” kusho uPerillo
UPerillo wazalwa ngonyaka wezi-1924 futhi wafakwa ebuthweni lasolwandle ngemuva nje kokufunda esikoleni esiphakeme futhi wathola umsebenzi wokuba uchwepheshe emkhunjini eNingizimu ne-Pacific.
Umthombo wesithombe: @NJ