Odongo ne Apiyo baikalanga mutaunyi ne bashabo. Bakebelenga bingi kuya nakukokoloka. Kechi namambo akuuba amba bashinkile sukuulu ne, bino ke kuuba amba bakebelenga kuya nakupempula ba nkambo yabo babakazhi. Ba nkambo yabo babakazhi baikalanga mumuzhi mwafwanga masabi kubwipi nakizhiba kikatampe.
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 ne Apiyo basangalele bingi mambo kyajinga kimye kyakuya nakupempula ba nkambo yabo babakazhi jikwabo. Bufuku bwa kuuba amba kesha bakayanga balongele byola byabo kabiji benengezhele kuya lwendo lwa kumuzhi kwaba nkambo yabo babakazhi. Nanchi abo bufuku kechi balajiile ne namambo akuuba besambilengatu pa mambo moba akukokoloka.
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.
Juuba jalondejilepo lukeelo keelo, banyamukile kuya kumuzhi mu motoka yaba shabo. Bapichile mitumba, mu banyama bamungye nemu jisaka ja bichi byobalengelako masamba. Babajilenga myotoka ne kwimba nyimbo.
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.
Pakupitapo ka kimye, banyike bakokele ne kuponena mutulo.
After a while, the children were tired and fell asleep.
Byobafile kumuzhi ba taata bebabushishe ba Odongo ne Apiyo. Ba ataine ba nkambo yabo babakazhi abo bajizina ja Nyar-Kanyada, saka baikala nakukokoloka pakilalo munshi ya kichi. Nyar-Kanyada mumulaka wa Luo kyalumbulula amba “mwana wamukazhi wabena Kanyada”. Ba Nyar-Kanyada bajinga bainetu bakosa kabiji ba laamba.
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 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.
Panyuma ya kushinkula byabupe, ba Nyar-Kanyada bapesheshe bankana babo mukisho kyabo.
After she opened the presents, Nyar-Kanyada blessed her grandchildren in a traditional way.
Panyuma yakupwisha byonse, Odongo ne Apiyo balupukile pangye. Batendekele kupangisha bipupulwa ne bañonyi.
Then Odongo and Apiyo went outside. They chased butterflies and birds.
Bakanjijilenga kubichi ne kwisupila meema amukizhiba.
They climbed trees and splashed in the water of the lake.
Byopatendekele kufita, babwelele munzubo nakuja kajo kamulajilo. Bino saka bakyangye kupwisha kuja batendekele kukunuka!
When it was dark they returned to the house for dinner. Before they could finish eating, they were falling asleep!
Juuba jalondejilepo, bashabo babwelele ne kutaunyi bino bashile baana babo na ba nkambo yabo abo ba Nyar-Kanyada.
The next day, the children’s father drove back to the city leaving them with Nyar-Kanyada.
Odongo ne Apiyo bakwashishenga ba nkambo yabo mingilo ya pa nzubo. Bachabilenga nkunyi nekutapula meema. Batolawilenga make abanzolo ne kwapa bishu mumashamba.
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.
Ba Nyar-Kanyada bebafunjishilenga bankana babo mwakukumbila nshima yakuja na nyama. Bebafunjishile ne byakuteeka mupunga wakuja namasabi a kusoka.
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.
Juuba jimo lukeelo, Odongo watwajile bañombe baba nkambo yanji nakuja munyemvu. Bañombe bayile nakuja mufwamu yabobekala nabo kubwipi. Bena fwamu bazhingijile bingi na Odongo. Bamuchinyishile amba bakonsha ne kutambula ba ñombe namambo akuja bijimwa byabo. Panyuma yajoja juuba, mwanyike wamwene kuuba amba bañombe kechi bakonshe kuleta lukatazho lukwabo ne.
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.
Juuba jikwabo jalondejilepo, banyike baile kukisankanyi na ba Nyar-Kanyada. Bajinga natebulu pobapoteshelanga bishu, shuka ne sopo. Apiyo watemenwe kubuula bapota mitengo yabintu. Odongo aye walongelanga bapota bintu byobapota.
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.
Panyuma yakupwa juuba batomanga makabekabe pamo. Bakwashangako ba nkambo yabo kubala mali obapoteshamo.
At the end of the day they drank chai tea together. They helped grandmother to count the money she earned.
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.
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 ne Apiyo bakumbachile ba nkambo yabo nekwibashajikapo.
Odongo and Apiyo both hugged her tightly and said goodbye.
Odongo ne Apiyo byobabwelele kusukuulu, babujile bakwabo pa bwikalo bwa kumuzhi. Banyike bamo balangulukile amba bwikalo bwa mutaunyi bwawama. Bakwabo abo amba kumuzhi kwawama. Kukila pa byonse, bonse bakwabo baswile amba Odongo ne Apiyo bajinga naba nkambo yabo bawama.
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!
