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Tom omusuburi w’ameeru
Tom the banana seller
Humphreys Odunga
Zablon Alex Nguku
Amos Mubunga Kambere
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Tom akaheka endemere y’ameeru.
Tom carries a tray of ripe bananas.
Tom akaghenda omwakathale eriyaghulya ameeru.
Tom goes to the market to sell bananas.
Abandu omwakathale bakaghlha ebitunda.
People at the market are buying fruit.
Aliriryo sihali oyukawulha okwa ameeru a’Tom. Bakathwamo eriyaghulha okwabandi bakali.
But no one is buying
Tom’s bananas.
They prefer to buy fruit from women.
Omwa kyalo kyethu hano abaghole sibobakaghulhaya e’bighuma, kutse amatunda. “ibwa iwe ulimulhumeki?” abandu bakayibulhaya.
“In our community, only women sell fruit,” people say. “What kind of a man is this?” people ask.
Kyonga Tom iyo salithwika mwamukulho. Akahathikana inyanemubirikira athi, “bathami mughule okwamasukali aya, erire kandi akasiha kutsibu”.
But Tom does not give up.
He calls, “Buy my bananas!
Buy my sweet ripe bananas!”
Omughole mughuma akimaya kisaki kighuma erilhusya okwalhughale. Akasamalira amasukali ndeke.
One woman picks up a bunch of bananas from the tray.
She looks at the bananas carefully.
Omughole akaghulha amasukali.
The woman buys the bananas.
Neryo nabandi bandu bamasa okwa kameza ka Tom. Bakaghulha ameeru neriryawu.
More people come to the stall.
They buy Tom’s bananas and eat them.
Katambi kake neryo olhughale lhwamasighalha busa, Tom akatsuka eribara esy’ambulho.
Soon, the tray is empty.
Tom counts the money he earned.
Neryo Tom akaghulha esabbuni, n’esukali haima n’omugati. Mwahirabyo okwalhughale lhwiwe.
Then Tom buys soap, sugar, and bread.
He puts the things in his tray.
Tom akaheka olhughale lhwiwe okwamuthwe neryo akaghenda eka.
Tom balances the tray on his head and goes home.
Written by: Humphreys Odunga
Illustrated by: Zablon Alex Nguku
Translated by: Amos Mubunga Kambere
