Odongo no Apiyo hela iha sidade hamutuk ho sira nia papa. Sira sempre kontente ba férias. La’ós tanba de’it eskola taka maibé tamba sira ba vizita sira nia avó. Nia hela iha suku peskadór ida besik lagoa boot ida.
Odongo and Apiyo lived in the city with their father.
They looked forward to the holidays. Not just because school was closed, but because they went to visit their grandmother. She lived in a fishing village near a large lake.
Odongo no Apiyo sente kontente tanba to’o ona tempu atu vizita sira nia avó-feto dala ida tan. Kalan antes, sira arruma sira nia pasta no prontu ba viajen dook ba avó nia uma. Sira labele toba no ko’alia kalan tomak kona-ba ferias ne’e.
Odongo and Apiyo were excited because it was time to visit their grandmother again.
The night before, they packed their bags and got ready for the long journey to her village. They could not sleep and talked the whole night about the holiday.
Dadeer tuir mai, sira viajen ba suku ne’e iha sira nia papa nia kareta. Sira halai liu foho sira, animál fuik sira no plantasaun xa. Sira sura kareta no hananu kansaun sira.
Early the next morning, they left for the village in their father’s car.
They drove past mountains, wild animals and tea plantations. They counted cars and sang songs.
Lakleur, labariks sira sente kole no toba.
After a while, the children were tired and fell asleep.
Apa fanu Odongo no Apiyo bainhira sira to’o iha suku. Sira hetan Nyar-Kanyada, sira nia avó-feto, deskansa hela iha biti ida iha ai-okos. Nyar-Kanyada, iha Luo signifika katak ‘oan feto husi ema Kanyada’. Nia feto forte no bonita.
Father woke up Odongo and Apiyo as they arrived in the village.
They found Nyar-Kanyada, their grandmother, resting on a mat under a tree.
Nyar-Kanyada in Luo, means ‘daughter of the people of Kanyada’. She was a strong and beautiful woman.
Nyar-Kanyada benvindu sira ba uma laran no dansa haleu sala hananu ho kontente. Ninia beioan sira kontente atu fó ba nia prezente sira lori husi sidade. “Uluk nanain loke ha’u nia prezente,” Odongo dehan. “Lae, ha’u nia prezente mak uluk!” Apiyo dehan.
Nyar-Kanyada welcomed them into the house and danced around the room singing with joy.
Her grandchildren were excited to give her the presents they brought from the city.
“First open my gift,” said Odongo.
“No, my gift first!” said Apiyo.
Depois de loke tiha prezente, Nyar-Kanyada, fó bensaun ba ninia beioan sira iha maneira tradisionál ida nian.
After she opened the presents, Nyar-Kanyada blessed her grandchildren in a traditional way.
Depois Odongo no Apiyo sai ba liur. Sira duni babebar no manu sira.
Then Odongo and Apiyo went outside. They chased butterflies and birds.
Sira sa’e ai no rega bee ba malu iha lagoa laran.
They climbed trees and splashed in the water of the lake.
Bainhira rai nakaras ona sira fila uma atu han kalan. Molok sira bele han hotu, sira toba dukur tiha!
When it was dark they returned to the house for dinner. Before they could finish eating, they were falling asleep!
Loron tuir mai, sira nia papa viajen fila ba sidade husi sira hela ho Nyar-Kanyada.
The next day, the children’s father drove back to the city leaving them with Nyar-Kanyada.
Odongo no Apiyo ajuda sira nia avó-feto ho servisu uma nian. Sira kuru bee no hili ai. Sira rekolla manu-tolun husi manu no kuu modo tahan husi to’os.
Odongo and Apiyo helped their grandmother with household chores. They fetched water and firewood. They collected eggs from the chickens and picked greens from the garden.
Nyar-Kanyada hanorin ninia beioan sira atu halo ugali atu han ho gizadu. Nia hatudu ba sira oinsá halo etu-nuu atu han ho ikan lalar.
Nyar-Kanyada taught her grandchildren to make soft ugali to eat with stew. She showed them how to make coconut rice to eat with roast fish.
Dadeer ida, Odongo lori ninia avó nia karau atu ba han duut. Sira halai tama ba vizinu ninia to’os. Toos nain ne’e hirus Odongo. Nia ameasa atu kaer metin karau sira tanba han tiha ona ninia ai-horis sira. Depois de loron ne’e, labarik mane ne’e assegura katak karau sira la halo tan problema.
One morning, Odongo took his grandmother’s cows to graze. They ran onto a neighbour’s farm.
The farmer was angry with Odongo. He threatened to keep the cows for eating his crops. After that day, the boy made sure that the cows did not get into trouble again.
Iha loron seluk, labarik sira ba merkadu ho Nyar-Kanyada. Nia iha fatin fa’an modo-tahan sira, masin-midar no sabaun. Apiyo gosta temi presu sasán nian ba konsumidores sira. Odongo mak hatama sasán sira ne’ebé konsumidores sira sosa ona.
On another day, the children went to the marketplace with Nyar-Kanyada. She had a stall selling vegetables, sugar and soap.
Apiyo liked to tell customers the price of items. Odongo would pack the items that customers bought.
At the end of the day they drank chai tea together. They helped grandmother to count the money she earned.
Maibé lakleur de’it feriadu sira ne’e remata ona no labarik sira tenke fila ba sidade. Nyar-Kanyada fó Odongo xapeu ida no Apiyo jaketa ida. Nia arruma hahán ba sira nia viajen.
But too soon the holidays were over and the children had to go back to the city.
Nyar-Kanyada gave Odongo a cap and Apiyo a sweater. She packed food for their journey.
Bainhira sira nia papa too atu foti sira, sira lakohi atu ba. Labarik sira harohan ba Nyar-Kanyada atu ba ho sira ba sidade. Nia hamnasa no dehan, “Hau ferik loos ona ba sidade. Ha’u sei hein imi fila mai ha’u nia suku dala ida tan.”
When their father came to fetch them, they did not want to leave. The children begged Nyar-Kanyada to go with them to the city.
She smiled and said, “I am too old for the city. I will be waiting for you to come to my village again.”
Odongo no Apiyo hamutuk hakohak nia metin no halo despedida.
Odongo and Apiyo both hugged her tightly and said goodbye.
Bainhira Odongo no Apiyo fila ba eskola sira konta ba sira nia belun kona-ba moris iha suku. Labarik sira balun katak moris iha sidade ne’e diak. Seluk sente katak moris iha suku mak diak liu. Esensialmente, ema hotu konkorda katak Odongo no Apiyo iha avó-feto ida ne’ebé diak tebes.
When Odongo and Apiyo went back to school they told their friends about life in the village. Some children felt that life in the city was good. Others felt that the village was better.
But most of all, everyone agreed that Odongo and Apiyo had a wonderful grandmother!
Written by: Violet Otieno
Illustrated by: Catherine Groenewald
Translated by: Aurelio da Costa
Read by: Aurelio da Costa, Vitalina dos Santos, Criscencia R. Da Costa Viana
