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Sakima ti pe viv avek so paran ek so ti ser, ki ti ena kat-r-an. Zot ti pe viv lor terin enn misie ris. Zot lakaz lapay ti trouv dan bout enn ranze pie.
Sakima lived with his parents and his four year old sister.
They lived on a rich man’s land.
Their grass-thatched hut was at the end of a row of trees.
Kan Sakima ti ena trwa-z-an, li ti tom malad ek li ti vinn aveg. Sakima ti enn garson avek boukou talan.
When Sakima was three years old, he fell sick and lost his sight.
Sakima was a talented boy.
Sakima ti pe fer boukou kiksoz ki bann lezot garson si-z-an pa ti pe fer. Par exanp, li ti kapav diskit bann kestion inportan avek bann manb pli aze dan so vilaz.
Sakima did many things that other six year old boys did not do.
For example, he could sit with older members of the village and discuss important matters.
Paran Sakima ti pe travay kot sa misie ris la. Zot ti pe sorti lakaz boner gramatin ek zot ti pe retourne tar aswar. Sakima ti per es tousel kot zot avek so ti ser.
The parents of Sakima worked at the rich man’s house.
They left home early in the morning and returned late in the evening.
Sakima was left with his little sister.
Sakima ti bien kontan sante. Enn zour, so mama finn demann li « Kot to aprann sant sa bann sante-la Sakima ? »
Sakima loved to sing songs.
One day his mother asked him, “Where do you learn these songs from, Sakima?”
Sakima reponn : « Zot zis vini natirelman mama. Mo tann zot dan mo latet, apre mo sante »
Sakima answered, “They just come, mother. I hear them in my head and then I sing.”
Sakima ti kontan sante pou so ti ser, sirtou kan li ti pe gagn fin. So ser ti pe ekout li sant so sante prefere. Li ti pe balanse ler li ti pe ekout sante apezan la.
Sakima liked to sing for his little sister, especially, if she felt hungry.
His sister would listen to him singing his favourite song.
She would sway to the soothing tune.
« To kapav sant li ankor ek ankor, Sakima ? » so ser ti pe sipliy li. Sakima ti pe aksepte ek ti pe sant li ankor ek ankor.
“Can you sing it again and again, Sakima,” his sister would beg him.
Sakima would accept and sing it over and over again.
Enn aswar, kan so paran finn retourn lakaz, zot ti bien trankil. Sakima ti kone ena enn problem.
One evening when his parents returned home, they were very quiet.
Sakima knew that there was something wrong.
« Ki’nn arrive mama ek papa » Sakima finn demande. Sakima apran ki garson misie ris la finn disparet. Misie-la ti bien tris ek li ti pe santi li bien tousel.
“What is wrong, mother, father?” Sakima asked.
Sakima learned that the rich man’s son was missing.
The man was very sad and lonely.
« Mo kapav sante pou li. Kapav li pou re vinn ere » Sakima finn dir so paran. Me so paran finn rezet lide-la. « Li bien ris. To zis enn garson aveg. To vremem krwar ki to sante pou ed li ? »
“I can sing for him. He might be happy again,” Sakima told his parents.
But his parents dismissed him.
“He is very rich. You are only a blind boy. Do you think your song will help him?”
Toutfwa, Sakima pa finn abandone. So ser ti soutenir li. Li ti pe dir « Bann sante Sakima kalme mwa kan mo fin. Zot pou kalme misie ris la si. »
However, Sakima did not give up.
His little sister supported him.
She said, “Sakima’s songs soothe me when I am hungry. They will soothe the rich man too.”
Landemin, demann so ser pou amenn li kot misie ris la.
The following day, Sakima asked his little sister to lead him to the rich man’s house.
Li finn debout anba enn gran lafnet ek finn koumans sant so sante prefere. Dousman-dousman, latet misie ris la finn aparet atraver gran lafnet la.
He stood below one big window and began to sing his favourite song.
Slowly, the head of the rich man began to show through the big window.
Bann zouvriye finn aret seki zot ti pe fer. Zot ti pe ekout Sakima so zoli sante. Me enn misie dir : « Personn pa finn kapav konsol patron-la. Eski sa garson aveg la panse ki li pou kapav konsol li ? »
The workers stopped what they were doing. They listened to Sakima’s beautiful song.
But one man said, “Nobody has been able to console the boss. Does this blind boy think he will console him?”
Sakima finn terminn so sante ek ti pe pare pou ale. Me dimounn ris la finn sorti vit-vit ek finn dir : « Silteple, sant ankor ».
Sakima finished singing his song and turned to leave.
But the rich man rushed out and said, “Please sing again.”
Sa moman presi la, de misie finn vini. Zot ti pe sarye kiksoz lor enn sivier. Zot ti finn trouv garson misie-ris la. Bann-la ti bat li ek ti abandonn li bor lari.
At that very moment, two men came carrying someone on a stretcher.
They had found the rich man’s son beaten up and left on the side of the road.
Misie ris la finn telman kontan pou retrouv so garson. Li finn rekonpans Sakima pou konsolasion ki li finn aport li. Li’nn amenn toulede garson lopital, pou ki Sakima kapav regagn lalimier so lizie.
The rich man was so happy to see his son again.
He rewarded Sakima for consoling him.
He took his son and Sakima to hospital so Sakima could regain his sight.
Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Peris Wachuka
Translated by: Shameem Oozeerally & MIE French Students
Ursula Nafula
Peris Wachuka
Shameem Oozeerally & MIE French Students
Mauritian Creole
Level 3
The audio for this story is currently not available.
