Morwesi le Pule ba ne ba dula le rrabona kwa toropong e kgolo. Ba ne ka gale ba gakalalela malatsi a boikhutso. Eseng fela ka gonne dikolo di ne di tswetswe, mme ka gonne ba ne ya ya go etela nkoko wa bona. O ne a nna kwa motseng wa batshwari ba ditlhapi gaufi le letsha le legolo.
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.
Pule le Morwesi ba ne ba itumetse ka gonne e ne e le nako ya go ya go etela nkoko wa bona gape. Bosigo pele ga leeto, ba ne ba paka dibeke tsa bona go ipaakanyetsa leeto le letelele letsatsi le le latelang. Ba ne ba sa kgone go robala ka ntlha ya boitumelo, mme ba lala ba tlotla bosigo botlhe.
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.
Mo mosong wa letsatsi le le latelang, ba ne ba simolola leeto la bona ka koloi ya rrabona. Ba ne ba feta dithaba, ba feta diphologolo tsa naga le dipolase tsa tee. Ba ne ba bala dikoloi mme ba opela dipina.
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.
Morago ga nako, bana ba ne ba lapile mme ba robala.
After a while, the children were tired and fell asleep.
Rre o ne a ba tsosa fa ba goroga kwa motseng. Ba ne ba fitlhela nkoko Maletsatsi a ikhutsitse mo tlase ga setlhare. E ne e le mosadi yo o tiileng, yo montle.
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.
Nkoko Maletsatsi o ne a ba amogela mo ntlong mme a bina ebile a opela ka boitumelo. Ditlogolo tsa gagwe di ne di itumeletse go mo fa dimpho tse ba neng ba mo tletse ka tsona go tswa toropong e kgolo. “Bula mpho ya me pele,” ga rialo Pule. “Nnyaa, bula ya me pele,” ga bua Morwesi.
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.
Fa a fetsa go bula dimpho, nkoko Maletsatsi o ne a tshegofatsa ditlogolo tsa gagwe ka tsela ya setso.
The next day, the children’s father drove back to the city leaving them with Nyar-Kanyada.
Pule le Morwesi ba ne ba thusa nkoko wa bona mo lapeng. Ba ne ba thusa ka go ya go ga metsi le go ya kgonnyeng. Ba ne ba ya go tsaya mae kwa hokong ya dikoko le go ya go kotula merogo kwa tshimong.
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.
Nkoko Maletsatsi o ne a ruta ditlogolo tsa gagwe go apaya ting go e šabela ka tlhapi. O ne a ba bontsha gore mabele a Setswana a diriwa jang.
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.
Mo mosong wa letsatsi lengwe, Pule o ne a isa dikgomo tsa ga nkoko Maletsatsi mafulong. Dikgomo di ne tsa fetela kwa polaseng ya moagisani. Rapolase o ne a sa itumela. O ne a tshosetsa ka gore o tla gapa dikgomo tseo ka gonne di mo jetse masimo. Morago ga letsatsi leo, mosimane o ne a netefatsa gore dikgomo ga di tsene mo mathateng gape.
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.
Ka lengwe la malatsi, bana ba ne ba ya marekelong le nkoko Maletsatsi. O ne a nale tafole ya go rekisetsa mme a rekisa merogo, sukiri le sesepa. Morwesi o ne a rata go bolelela bareki gore dilwana di ja bokae. Pule ene o ne a phuthela dilwana tse bareki ba di rekileng.
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.
Kwa bokhutlong jwa letsatsi ba ne ba dula ba nwa tee mmogo. Ba ne ba thusa nkoko go bala madi a a dirileng ka letsatsi.
At the end of the day they drank chai tea together. They helped grandmother to count the money she earned.
Mme ka ponyo ya leitlho malatsi a boikhutso a bo a fedile, mme bana ba be ba tshwanetse go boela gae kwa toropong ekgolo. Nkoko Maletsatsi o ne a fa Pule kepisi mme a fa Morwesi sekipa. O ne a ba direla mofago wa tsela.
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.
Fa rrabona a tla go ba tsaya, ba ne ba sa batle go tsamaya. Bana ba ne ba kopa nkoko Maletsatsi go tsamaya le bona kwa toropong e kgolo. O ne a nyeba mme a re, “Ke tsofetse thata gore nka nna kwa toropong ekgolo. Ke tla dula ke lo emetse gore lo tle go nketela gape.”
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.”
Pule le Morwesi ba ne ba mo atlarela thata mme ba laela.
Odongo and Apiyo both hugged her tightly and said goodbye.
Fa Pule le Morwesi ba boela sekolong, ba ne ba bolelela ditsala tsa bona ka botshelo jwa kwa motse-magaeng. Bana ba bangwe ba ne ba re botshelo jwa toropo ekgolo bo monate. Ba bangwe ba ne ba re botshelo jwa motse-magae ke bone bo leng botoka. Mme go feta tshotlhe, botlhe ba ne ba dumelana gore Pule le Morwesi ba nnile le nako e e itumedisang le nkoko wa bona!
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!
