Odongo en Apiyo het in die stad by hulle pa gewoon. Hulle het uitgesien na die vakansie. Nie net omdat die skool gesluit was nie, maar omdat hulle by hulle ouma gaan kuier. Sy het in ‘n vissersdorpie op die platteland gewoon naby ‘n meer.
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 en Apiyo was opgewonde omdat dit weer tyd was om by haar te gaan kuier. Die aand voor hulle vertrek, het hulle hul tasse gepak en maak gereed vir die reis na die dorpie. Hulle kon nie slaap nie en het die hele nag oor die vakansie gepraat.
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.
Vroeg die volgende oggend het hulle na die dorpie vertrek in hulle pa se kar. Hulle het verby berge, wilde diere en tee-plantasies gery. Hulle het die motors getel en liedjies gesing.
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.
Na ‘n ruk is die kinders moeg en raak aan die slaap.
After a while, the children were tired and fell asleep.
Pa het vir Odongo en Apiyo wakkergemaak toe hulle in die dorpie aankom. Daar het hulle Nyar-Kanyada, hulle ouma gevind, besig om te rus op ‘n mat onder ‘n boom. Nyar-Kanyada in die Luo-taal, beteken “dogter van die Kanyada “. Sy was ‘n sterk en pragtige vrou.
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 het hulle verwelkom en het in die kamer rondgedans en gesing van blydskap. Haar kleinkinders was opgewonde om die geskenke wat hulle saamgebring het vir haar te gee. “Maak my geskenk eerste oop,” sê Odongo. “Nee, myne eerste!” sê Apiyo.
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.
Nadat Ouma die geskenke oopgemaak het, seën sy haar kleinkinders op die tradisionele manier.
After she opened the presents, Nyar-Kanyada blessed her grandchildren in a traditional way.
Daarna het Odongo en Apiyo buite gaan speel. Hulle het skoenlappers en voëls gejaag.
Then Odongo and Apiyo went outside. They chased butterflies and birds.
Hulle het boomgeklim en geswem in die meer.
They climbed trees and splashed in the water of the lake.
Toe dit donker word, het hulle teruggegaan huis toe vir aandete. Nog voor hulle kon klaar eet, het hulle aan die slaapgeraak!
When it was dark they returned to the house for dinner. Before they could finish eating, they were falling asleep!
Die volgende dag het die kinders se pa teruggery stad toe. Hy los die kinders by Nyar-Kanyada.
The next day, the children’s father drove back to the city leaving them with Nyar-Kanyada.
Odongo en Apiyo het hulle ouma met die huistake gehelp. Hulle het water en vuurmaakhout gaan haal. Hulle het eiers gaan uithaal by die hoenders en groente in die tuin gepluk.
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.
Ouma het haar kinders geleer hoe om sagte papkoekies te maak wat ‘n mens saam met bredie eet. Sy wys hulle hoe om kokosneut rys saam met vis te eet.
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.
Een oggend het Odongo sy ouma se koeie na die weiveld geneem. Hulle hardloop tot op die buurman se plaas. Die boer was baie kwaad vir Odongo. Hy dreig om die koeie vir homself te hou omdat hulle sy oes geëet het. Na daardie dag maak die seun seker dat die koeie nie weer in die moeilikheid kom nie.
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.
Op ‘n ander dag het die kinders saam met hul ouma na die mark toe gegaan. Sy het ‘n stalletjie waar sy groente, suiker en seep verkoop.
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.
Teen die einde van die dag het hulle saam tee gedrink. Hulle het hulle ouma gehelp om die geld wat sy verdien het te tel.
At the end of the day they drank chai tea together. They helped grandmother to count the money she earned.
Maar gou was die vakansie verby en die kinders moes teruggegaan het stad toe. Ouma het vir Odongo ‘n keps gegee en vir Apiyo ‘n trui. Sy het kos vir die reis ingepak.
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.
Toe hulle pa gekomhet om hulle te haal, wou hulle nie weggegaan het nie. Die kinders het vir Ouma gesmeek om saam stad toe te gaan. Sy het net geglimlag en gesê, “Ek is te oud vir die stad. Ek sal vir julle wag totdat julle weer in my dorpie kom kuier.”
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 en Apiyo het haaralbei ‘n stywe drukkie gegee en totsiens gesê.
Odongo and Apiyo both hugged her tightly and said goodbye.
Terug by die skool vertel Odongo en Apiyo vir al hulle vriende van die lewe in die dorpie. Sommige kinders het gedink dat die lewe in die stad lekerder is. Ander het gevoel lewe in ‘n dorpie is beter. Maar die meeste van alles, het almal saamgestem dat Odongo en Apiyo ‘n wonderlike ouma het!
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!
