Odongo na Apiyo aave kara motjihuro pamwe na ihe. Ovo aave zeri kutja omayuva womasuviro ye ye tjimanga. Kamotjimbe tjokutja ozosikore maze pata, nungwari omena rokutja aave vanga okukaryanga ku ina omukurukaze. Eye wa turire motjirongo meṋe yeo enene mu mu patwa omahundju.
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 na Apiyo aave tjaterwa tjinene tjinga aave sokukavarura ina omukurukaze rukwao. Ongurova yokomurungu wanao, ovo va paka ozondjaṱu zavo nu ave rongerere okuyenda ouyenda oure kotjirongo ho. Ouṱuku mbwo va rara amave nyomborora ohunga nomayuva womasuviro.
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.
Rukuru muhukomunene otji va hinga okuyenda kotjirongo ho mohauto yaihe. Ovo va hinga pokati kozondundu, ave kapita povipuka vyokuti novikunino vyotee mbya ṱaravara. Ovo aave vara ovihauto mbi mave pingasana nokuimbura.
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.
Kombunda yokaruveze okasupi ovanatje va urirwe nu ave rara.
After a while, the children were tired and fell asleep.
Tate wa pendura Odongo na Apiyo tji va vaza motjirongo. Ovo va vaza Nyar-Kanyada, ina omukurukaze, a rangavara pokapapu kehi yomuti. Nyar-Kanyada moLuo, ri heya kutja ‘omusuko wovandu va Kanyada’. Eye wa ri omukazendu womasa nu omuwa.
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 we ve yakura mondjuwo ye ngunda ama imbura nokupunda otja ngwa harukwa tjinene. Ovatekuru ve va ri nondjoroka okumupa oviyandjewa mbi va eterere okuza kotjihuro otjinene. “Otjiyandjewa tjandje ngarire tji wa paturura otjitenga,” Odongo wa tja. “Kako rutenga ngarire ihi otjandje!” Apiyo wa tja.
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.
Nyar-Kanyada tja za nokupaturura oviyandjewa, wa sera ovatekuru ve ondaya otja kombazu yavo.
After she opened the presents, Nyar-Kanyada blessed her grandchildren in a traditional way.
Kuzambo Odongo na Apiyo ave piti pendje. Ave utu okurambera ozombombo nouzera.
Then Odongo and Apiyo went outside. They chased butterflies and birds.
Ovo va ronda komiti nokunyandera momeva weo nokuyetona.
They climbed trees and splashed in the water of the lake.
Tji kwa zorere arire tji va yaruka konganda nokukarya eriro rongurova. Ngunda ave hi ya mana okurya, tjandje va utu okukoṱura.
When it was dark they returned to the house for dinner. Before they could finish eating, they were falling asleep!
Eyuva ependukirwa, ihe yovanatje wa hinga okuyaruka kotjihuro nu ovo ave sewa pu na Nyar-Kanyada.
The next day, the children’s father drove back to the city leaving them with Nyar-Kanyada.
Odongo na Apiyo aave vatere ina omukurukaze noviungura vyoponganda. Ovo aave kateka omeva nokukatyora ozonguṋe. Ovo aave kaeta omai wozohungira nokukapora ovihape motjikunino.
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 wa honga ovatekuru ve okutaka otjisema tji matji riwa pamwe nonyama ndja moṋonwa. Eye wina we ve honga okutereka oruihi rwokokonata ndu riwa pamwe nehundju nda tetisiwa.
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.
Omuhuka omunene umwe, Odongo wa hinga ozongombe za ina omukurukaze okutwara komaryo. Ovo va kapitira mehi romuraranganda. Omuṱuta ngwo wa pindikisiwa i Odongo. Eye otja tanda kutja ma kambura ozongombe ndo orondu za ri ovikunwa vye. Kombunda yanao omuzandona ngwo aa tjiti ouatjiri kutja ozongombe nḓo aze ha kara moumba rukwao.
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.
Eyuva rarwe, ovanatje va ya komaketa pamwe na Nyar-Kanyada. Eye wa ri nokatara paa randisire ovihape mbi terekwa, ouitji noheva. Apiyo aa tjaterwa i okutjivisa ozopereisa zovirandisiwa. Odongo ongwaa paka oviṋa ovandu mbi va randa mozotite.
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.
Komaandero weyuva ovo va pwena pamwe otee yachai. Ovo wina va vatera ina omukurukaze okuvara ovimariva mbya munu.
At the end of the day they drank chai tea together. They helped grandmother to count the money she earned.
Nungwari inga omayuva womasuviro ya kapita tjimanga nu imba ovanatje va sokuyaruka kotjihuro rukwao. Nyar-Kanyada wa yandja okakepa ku Ondogo nokandjesi ku Apiyo. Eye we ve pa ovikurya vyondjira.
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.
Ihe tje ya okuvepaha tjandje kave na okuvanga okuyenda. Ovo va hekena Nyar-Kanyada kutja ma yende pu na vo kotjihuro. Eye wa yorayora na tja, “Ami mba kurupa okuyenda kotjihuro. Ami me mu undju kutja mu kotoke kotjirongo tjandje rukwao.”
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 na Apiyo ve rivaranga mu ye oupame nu ave virikiza.
Odongo and Apiyo both hugged her tightly and said goodbye.
Odongo na Apiyo tji va yaruka kosikore va kaserekarera ohunga nomuinyo wovirongo vyokozombanda. Ovanatje tjiva aave munu kutja omuinyo wotjihuro ombu ri omuwa. Varwe aave munu kutja omuinyo wokozombanda ombu ri omuwa. Nungwari ovengi vavo, va muna kutja Odongo na Apiyo ve na ina omukurukaze omuwa!
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!
