Khalai ni msichana mwenye umri wa miaka saba. Jina lake lina maana ya ‘aliye mzuri’ katika lugha yake ya Lubukusu.
This is Khalai.
She is seven years old.
Her name means ‘the
good one’ in her
language, Lubukusu.
Khalai anaamka na kuongea na mmea mchanga wa Mchungwa, “Tafadhali mti wa Mchungwa, kua mkubwa uzae machungwa mengi mabivu.”
Khalai wakes up and
talks to the orange tree.
“Please orange tree,
grow big and give us
lots of ripe oranges.”
Khalai anaenda shuleni na njiani anaongea na Nyasi, “Tafadhali Nyasi, kua kijani zaidi na zaidi na wala usikauke.”
Khalai walks to school.
On the way she talks to
the grass. “Please
grass, grow greener
and don’t dry up.”
Khalai anayapita Maua ya mwituni na kusema, “Tafadhali Maua, endelea kunawiri ili niweze kukuweka kwenye nywele zangu.”
Khalai passes wild
flowers. “Please
flowers, keep blooming
so I can put you in my
hair.”
Akiwa shuleni, Khalai anazunguumza na Mti ulioko katikati ya shule, “Tafadhali Mti, toa matawi makubwa ili tusome chini ya kivuli chako.”
At school, Khalai talks
to the tree in the
middle of the
compound. “Please
tree, put out big
branches so we can
read under your shade.”
Khalai anazunguumza na ua unaoizingira shule yake, “Tafadhali ua, kuwa mwenye nguvu ili uzuie shule yetu kutokana na watu wabaya.”
Khalai talks to the
hedge around her school.
“Please grow strong
and stop bad people
from coming in.”
Anaporudi nyumbani alasiri, Khalai anautembelea mti wa Mchungwa kuangalia kama machungwa yameiva.
When Khalai returns
home from school, she
visits the orange tree.
“Are your oranges ripe
yet?” asks Khalai.
“Machungwa bado mabichi,” Khalai anashusha pumzi. “Nitakuona kesho, we mti wa machungwa. Labda utanipa chungwa bivu wakati huo.”
“The oranges are still
green,” sighs Khalai.
“I will see you tomorrow
orange tree,” says
Khalai. “Perhaps then
you will have a ripe
orange for me!”
