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One hot Saturday afternoon
Ngomunye Umgqibelo Ntambama Kushisa
Ngenye Imva Kwemini Eshushu Yangomgqibelo
One hot Saturday afternoon
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It was a very hot Saturday afternoon in December.
Ngu Mgqibelo ntambama, ilanga lalikhipa inhlanzi emanzini.
Yayiyeyona mvakwemini eshushu kakhulu ngoMgqibelo kuDisemba.
It was a very hot Saturday afternoon in December.
“Bontle and Mpho and Lerato, go out and play!” Mme said to us. “I don’t want you under my feet.” We ran out of the house.
“Zanele, Nosipho no Sanele. Phumani niyodlala ngaphandle.” Kusho umama. Nangempela saphuma silandelana.
Wonke umntu wayequmbile. “Bontle noMpho noLerato phumani phandle niyokudlala!” Umama watsho kuthi. “Andinifuni endleleni yam.” Sabaleka saphuma endlwini.
“Bontle and Mpho and Lerato, go out and play!” Mme said to us. “I don’t want you under my feet.” We ran out of the house.
“Let’s go to the river,” Lerato said. “It’s cooler there.” “But Mme told us not to swim in the river,” said Bontle. “We won’t swim,” answered Lerato. “We’ll just play in the shade next to the water.”
Khona manjalo kwezwakala uSanele ethi, “Masihambeni siyodlala ngasemfuleni, kupholile lapho.” “Hhayi-bo! Umama wasitshela kahle ukuthi singayi ukuyobhukuda emfuleni.” Kulanda uZanele. “Ngeke sibhukude, sizozidlalela emthunzini eduze namanzi,” kuphendula uSanele.
“Masiyeni emlanjeni,” watsho uLerato. “Kupholile phaya.” “Kodwa utata wasixelela ukuba singaqubhi emlanjeni,” watsho uBontle. “Asiz’ukuqubha,” waphendula uLerato. “Siza kudlala nje emthunzini ecaleni kwamanzi.”
“Let’s go to the river,” Lerato said. “It’s cooler there.” “But Mme told us not to swim in the river,” said Bontle. “We won’t swim,” answered Lerato. “We’ll just play in the shade next to the water.”
But playing libeke is hot work, even when you’re under the trees next to the river. First we took off our shoes. But we were still hot. Then we took off our shirts and skirts. But we were still hot.
Kodwa nokudlala nako, kufakelana ukushisa noma ungahlala emthunzini eduze nomfula. Saqala ngokukhipha izicathulo kodwa ukushisa kwathi ngikhona. Sakhumula amahembe neziketi, kodwa sasisezwela ukushisa.
Kodwa ukudlala ‘ulibeke’ ngumsebenzi obilisayo, nokuba uphantsi kwemithi ecaleni komlambo. Okokuqala sakhulula izihlangu zethu. Kodwa sasiseshushu. Saza sakhulula iziketi neeblawuzi. Kodwa sasiseshushu.
But playing libeke is hot work, even when you’re under the trees next to the river. First we took off our shoes. But we were still hot. Then we took off our shirts and skirts. But we were still hot.
We put our feet in the river to cool off. Then we splashed each other. Soon we were soaked with water.
Ngokushesha safaka izinyawo zethu emfuleni ukuze sizipholise. Sathelana ngamanzi. Kwagcina ngokuthi sibe manzi te!
Safaka iinyawo zethu emlanjeni ukuzipholisa. Saza satshizana, ngokukhawuleza saba manzi tixi ngamanzi.
We put our feet in the river to cool off. Then we splashed each other. Soon we were soaked with water.
“Oh come on! Let’s swim,” said Mpho. “Mme will never know.” We swam and swam and forgot about the time.
“Kumnandi bakithi masivele sibhukudeni. Umama ngeke azi,” kusho uNosipho. Sangena emanzini, sashaya amadamudamu sibhukuda kumnandi. Sakhohlwa.
“O-o! Yizani! Masiqubheni,” watsho uMpho. “Utata akasoze ayazi.” Saqubha, saqubha, salibala ngexesha.
“Oh come on! Let’s swim,” said Mpho. “Mme will never know.” We swam and swam and forgot about the time.
The sun started to go down, and the day began to cool. Where were our clothes?
Lashona ilanga, saqala sagodola. “Ziphi izingubo zethu?” sibuzana sodwa. Sabheka, sabheka, do!
Ilanga laqalisa ukuya ezantsi, saziva sigodola. Zaziphi iimpahla zethu?
The sun started to go down, and the day began to cool. Where were our clothes?
We looked under the trees. We looked on the bushes. We looked everywhere.
Safuna phasi kwezihlahla. Ngubo wawula! Safuna esikhotheni, do! Sabheka yonke indawo.
Sakhangela phantsi kwemithi. Sakhangela emahlahleni. Sakhangela kwindawo yonke.
We looked under the trees. We looked on the bushes. We looked everywhere.
There were some cows near the river, enjoying the sweet grass. Bontle looked up, “Look at that cow! What’s in her mouth?” “She’s eating a red flower,” said Lerato. “It’s not a red flower,” shouted Mpho. “It’s your shirt!”
Eduze nomfula kwakunezinkomo zizidlela, ezinye zizetshisela utshani zinanela ubumnandi botshani. Kwathi lapho uZanele ebheka phezulu, “Hhabe! Yini le esemlonyeni wenkomazi?” USanele waphendula ngokunganaki, “Idla imbali ebomvu.” Ngokushesha uNosipho wamemeza, “Hehehe! Bhekisisa, akuyona imbali, ihembe lakho!”
Kwakukho iimazi zeenkomo kufutshane nomlambo, zonwabele ingca enambithekayo. UBontle wajonga phezulu, “Jonga kulaa mazi yenkomo! Yintoni esemlonyeni yayo?” “Itya intyantyambo ebomvu,” wakhwaza uMpho.
There were some cows near the river, enjoying the sweet grass. Bontle looked up, “Look at that cow! What’s in her mouth?” “She’s eating a red flower,” said Lerato. “It’s not a red flower,” shouted Mpho. “It’s your shirt!”
We looked at another cow who was chewing something blue. “That’s my skirt!” shouted Bontle.
Thushu! Nansi enye inkomo, nayo yayihlafuna okuluhlazana okwesibhakabhaka. “Isiketi sami!” kumemeza uZanele.
“Yiblawuzi yakho!” Saza sajonga kwenye imazi yenkomo. Ihlafuna into eblowu. “Sisiketi sam!” watsho uBontle.
We looked at another cow who was chewing something blue. “That’s my skirt!” shouted Bontle.
We went home in our panties, shivering. But not only because it was cool. “It was the cows,” we cried. “The cows ate our clothes.”
Sizokwenzenjani? Kwakumele siphindele ekhaya. Sahamba ngezimpahla zangaphansi, siqhaqhazela sibheke ekhaya. Sasingasagodoliswa umoya opholile, kodwa sasiqhaqhazeliswa isenzo sezinkomo. Sahamba sikhala, “Izingubo zethu zidliwe izinkomo!”
Saya ekhaya ngeepenti zethu, siqhaqhazela. Kodwa ingasukuba kwakupholile. “Yayiziimazi zenkomo,” Sakhala. “Iimazi zenkomo zitye impahla zethu.”
We went home in our panties, shivering. But not only because it was cool. “It was the cows,” we cried. “The cows ate our clothes.”
But did Mme believe us? Soon our bottoms were very warm. And it wasn’t from the sun.
Ucabanga ukuthi umama wakholwa yindaba esasixoxa ngezinyembezi? LUTHO! Ngokushesha, izinqe zethu zase zifudunyezwe induku.
Kodwa umama ngaba wasikholelwa? Ngokukhawuleza imizimba yethu yaba shushu kakhulu. Kwaye obo bushushu babungaveli elangeni.
But did Mme believe us? Soon our bottoms were very warm. And it wasn’t from the sun.
Written by: Nombulelo ThabaneIllustrated by: Wiehan de JagerRead by: Darshan Soni
