Odongo ak Apiyo te rete lavil ak papa yo. Yo tap tann vakans yo ak anpil enpasyans. Se pa sèlman paske lekòl la te fèmen men tou paske yo te anvi wè grann yo. Grann yo te rete nan yon ti vilaj pechè akote yon gwo basen.
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 ak Apiyo te kontan yo ta pral wè grann yo ankò. Jou lannwit sa sa yo fè malèt yo enpi yo pare pou vwayaj byen long sa a. Yo pate kapab dòmi, yo chita pale tout lannwit lan sou vakans yo.
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.
Byen bonè nan maten, yale nan machin papa yo jis nan vilaj kote grann yo rete. Sou wout la yo travèse mòn ak plantasyon enpi yo kwaze bèt sovaj. Yo konte kantite machin yo wè. Yo chante.
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.
Apre yon titan, timoun yo bouke, yo tonbe dòmi.
After a while, the children were tired and fell asleep.
Lè yo rive papa a reveye Odongo ak Apiyo. Yo jwenn grann yo, Nyar-Kanyada, kouche atè lap dòmi sou yon nat anba yon pyebwa. Nyar-Kanyada vle di “pitit fi pèp Kanyada la » nan lang Luo. Nyar-Kanyada se te yon bèl fanm ak yon bèl karaktè.
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 akeyi yo lakay li enpi li danse ak chante ak yo tèlman kè’l te kontan. Pitit pitit li yo te kontan bay li kado yo te pote pou li. Odongo di “Louvri pa’m anvan ». Apiyo di « Non, se pa’m pou’w louvri anvan!».
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.
Lè li fin louvri kado yo, Nyar-Kanyada beni pitit pitit li yo selon lakoutim.
After she opened the presents, Nyar-Kanyada blessed her grandchildren in a traditional way.
Apre sa a, Odongo ak Apiyo al jwe deyò. Yo kouri dèyè papiyon ak zwazo.
Then Odongo and Apiyo went outside. They chased butterflies and birds.
Yo grenpe pyebwa, yo benyen nan dlo basen an.
They climbed trees and splashed in the water of the lake.
Lè kòmanse fè nwa, yo tounen lakay grann yo pou yo manje men yo tonbe dòmi anvan yo fin manje!
When it was dark they returned to the house for dinner. Before they could finish eating, they were falling asleep!
Demen, papa a tounen lavil li kite timoun you ak grann yo.
The next day, the children’s father drove back to the city leaving them with Nyar-Kanyada.
Odongo ak Apiyo ede grann yo ak kèk ti travay nan kay la. Yo chache dlo ak bwa pou fè dife. Yo pran ze poul yo ak ti pwa vèt nan jaden a.
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 aprann timoun yo prepare ugali pou manje ak bouyon. Li montre yo tou kijan pou yo fè diri kokoye pou manje ak pwason boukannen.
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.
Yon maten, Odongo mennen bèf grann li nan savann pou yo manje. Yo kwaze ak vwazen an ki se yon abitan. Vwazen an te fache anpil ak Odongo. Li menase’l lap kenbe bèf yo paske yo tap manje jaden li yo. Depi jou sa a, ti gason an pa janm mennen bèf yo la ankò pou li pa gen pwoblèm.
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.
Yon lòt jou, timoun yo ale nan mache ak Nyar-Kanyada. Li te gen yon bak pou’l vann legim, sik ak savon. Apiyo te renmen bay kliyan yo pri machandiz yo. Odongo te renmen mete yo nan sache.
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.
Nan fen jounen an yo bwè te chai ansanm. Yo ede grann nan konte lajan li fè pou lajounen an.
At the end of the day they drank chai tea together. They helped grandmother to count the money she earned.
Men, fen vakans ap vini. Fòke timoun yo tounen lavil la. Nyar-Kanyada bay Odongo yon kap ak Apiyo yon chanday. Li mete manje nan valiz yo pou vwayaj la.
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.
Lè papa yo vin chache yo, yo pa te vle ale. Timoun yo mande pou Nyar-Kanyada vini abite lavil ak yo. Men, Nyar-Kanyada souri, li di yo “Mwen twò granmoun kounyè a pou’m ale lavil. Map tann nou isit nan vilaj mwen.”
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 ak Apiyo bo grann yo byen fò pou di orevwa.
Odongo and Apiyo both hugged her tightly and said goodbye.
Lè Odongo ak Apiyo tounen lekòl la yo rakonte zanmi yo kijan lavi a nan vilaj la ye. Gen kèk nan yo ki kwè ke lavil la bon tou. Gen lòt ki santi ke vilaj la pi bon toujou. Men, pi fò nan yo te dakò ke Odongo ak Apiyo gen yon pakèt granmanman!
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: ACE Haiti-University of Notre Dame USA
