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Tom omusuburi w’ameeru
Tom the banana seller
Tom muuza ndizi
Humphreys Odunga
Zablon Alex Nguku
Amos Mubunga Kambere
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Tom akaheka endemere y’ameeru.
Tom carries a tray of ripe bananas.
Tom anabeba tenga la ndizi zilizoiva.
Tom akaghenda omwakathale eriyaghulya ameeru.
Tom goes to the market to sell bananas.
Tom anaenda sokoni kuuza ndizi.
Abandu omwakathale bakaghlha ebitunda.
People at the market are buying fruit.
Sokoni watu wananunua matunda.
Aliriryo sihali oyukawulha okwa ameeru a’Tom. Bakathwamo eriyaghulha okwabandi bakali.
But no one is buying
Tom’s bananas.
They prefer to buy fruit from women.
Lakini hakuna anayenunua ndizi za Tom. Wanapenda kununua matunda kutoka kwa akina mama.
Omwa kyalo kyethu hano abaghole sibobakaghulhaya e’bighuma, kutse amatunda. “ibwa iwe ulimulhumeki?” abandu bakayibulhaya.
“In our community, only women sell fruit,” people say. “What kind of a man is this?” people ask.
“Kwenye jamii yetu, ni wanawake pekee ndio wanaouza matunda,” watu wanasema. “Ni mwanamume wa aina gani huyu?” watu wanahoji.
Kyonga Tom iyo salithwika mwamukulho. Akahathikana inyanemubirikira athi, “bathami mughule okwamasukali aya, erire kandi akasiha kutsibu”.
But Tom does not give up.
He calls, “Buy my bananas!
Buy my sweet ripe bananas!”
Lakini Tom hakati tamaa. Anaita, “Nunua ndizi zangu! Nunueni ndizi zangu tamu zilizoiva!”
Omughole mughuma akimaya kisaki kighuma erilhusya okwalhughale. Akasamalira amasukali ndeke.
One woman picks up a bunch of bananas from the tray.
She looks at the bananas carefully.
Mwanamke mmoja anachukua kichane cha ndizi kutoka kwenye tenga. Anaziangalia ndizi kwa umakini.
Omughole akaghulha amasukali.
The woman buys the bananas.
Mwanamke ananunua ndizi.
Neryo nabandi bandu bamasa okwa kameza ka Tom. Bakaghulha ameeru neriryawu.
More people come to the stall.
They buy Tom’s bananas and eat them.
Watu wengine wanakuja kwenye kichanja. Wananunua ndizi za Tom na kuzila.
Katambi kake neryo olhughale lhwamasighalha busa, Tom akatsuka eribara esy’ambulho.
Soon, the tray is empty.
Tom counts the money he earned.
Mara, tenga linakuwa tupu. Tom anahesabu pesa alizopata.
Neryo Tom akaghulha esabbuni, n’esukali haima n’omugati. Mwahirabyo okwalhughale lhwiwe.
Then Tom buys soap, sugar, and bread.
He puts the things in his tray.
Tom ananunua sabuni, sukari, na mkate. Anaweka vitu kwenye tenga lake.
Tom akaheka olhughale lhwiwe okwamuthwe neryo akaghenda eka.
Tom balances the tray on his head and goes home.
Tom anajitwisha tenga kichwani na kwenda nyumbani.
Written by: Humphreys Odunga
Illustrated by: Zablon Alex Nguku
Translated by: Amos Mubunga Kambere
