Odongo ne Apiyo baikalanga mu taunyi ne bashabo. Batajiljianga ku mooba aku kokoloka. Kechi na maambo akuuba amba sukulu bashinka ine, ke na mambo aku pempula ba nkaambo yabo. Baikalanga ku muzhi wabantu bakwata masabi kwipi na kizhiba 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 Apiya batemenwe biingi mambo kyajinga kimye kyakuya na kupempula ba nkambo yabo jikwabo. Bufuku saka bakyangye kunyamuka, bapaikile byola byabo ne kwinengezha pa lwendo lwalepa lwakuya ku muzhi. Ba kankelwe kulala kabiji be sambilengatu bufuku bonse pa kimye kya ku kokoloka.
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 ja londejilepo lukelokelo, banyamukile nakuya ku muzhi mu motooka yaba shabo. Bapichile munshi ya mitumba, banyama ba mungye ne jisaka ja bichi bya makabekabe. Ba bajilenga myootoka ne kwiimba nyiimbo.
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.
Kapukipatapo ka kimye, baana bakokele ne ku ponena mutulo.
After a while, the children were tired and fell asleep.
Bashabo babushishe Odongo ne Apiya pobafikile pa muzhi. Bataine ba nkambo yabo ba Nyar-anyada, naku kokoloka pa kilalo munshi ya kichi. Nyar-Kanyada mu mulaka wa Luo kyalumbulula amba ‘mwana wamukazhi wabena Kanyada’. Wajinga wamukazhi wakosa kabiji wa lamba mya.
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-Kanyanda wibatambulwijile ne kwiba twezha mu nzubo apa na kuzha mu nzubo saka azhinguluka nakwimba nyimbo ne lusekelo. Bankana babo basekejile bingi nekupana byabupe kwiba nkambo yabo kufuma ku taunyi. “Tendekelaipo kushinkula bupe bwami,” Odongo wa ambile. “Ine, tendekelaipo bwami bupe!” Apiyo waambile.
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.
After she opened the presents, Nyar-Kanyada blessed her grandchildren in a traditional way.
Panyuma yabyonse, Odongo ne Apiya baile pangye. Batendekele kupangisha bipupulwa ne ba ng’onyi.
Then Odongo and Apiyo went outside. They chased butterflies and birds.
Ba kajijilenga bichi ne kwisupila meema amu kizhiba.
They climbed trees and splashed in the water of the lake.
Byo kyaubile ke mfishi, ba bwelele ku nzubo nakuja kajo kamulajilo. Saka bakyangye kupwisha kuja batendekele ku kunuka.
When it was dark they returned to the house for dinner. Before they could finish eating, they were falling asleep!
Juuba ja londejilepo, bashabo ba bwelele ne ku taunyi ne kwibasha ne ba Nyar-Kanyada.
The next day, the children’s father drove back to the city leaving them with Nyar-Kanyada.
Odongo ne Apiyo ba kwashishenga ba nkambo yabo ne miingilo ya pa nzubo. Bayanga naku tapula meema ne kuchaba nkunyi. Batolaulanga make aba nzolo ne kwapa bishu mu majimi.
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 wafunjishe bankana baji mwa kukmbila nshima yakuja na nyama. Wibafunjishe byakuteka mupunga wakuja na masabi ya 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.
Juba jimo lukelo, Odongo watwanjile ba ng’mbe baba nkambo yanji nakuja nsono. Banyemejile mu majimi abena kikala nkulo. Bena majimi bazhingijile biingi na Odongo. Baambile na kuzhingila amba bafwainwa kutambula ba ng’ombe ne kwibalama mambo baja bijimwa byabo. Panyuma ya joja juuba, mwanyike wamwene kuuba amba ba ng’ombe kechi baletele 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.
Pa juuba jikwabo, banyike baile ku kisankanyi na Nyar-Kanyada. Wajinga na tebulo poba poteshelanga bishu, shuka ne sopo. Apiyo watemenwe kubula bantu mitengo yabintu. Odongo aye walonganga bintu byo bapota.
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 ya kupwa juuba batomanga makabekabe pamo. Bakwashanga ba nkambo yabo mkubala mali obapoteshapo.
At the end of the day they drank chai tea together. They helped grandmother to count the money she earned.
Katanda kano kimye kya kukokoloka kya pwile. Banyike ba kebewe kubwela ku taunyi. Nyar-Kanyada wapele Odongo kisochi ne Apiyo sweta. Bapaikile kajo kapa lwendo.
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.
Kimye kyaishile bashabo na kwibasenda, kechi bakebelenga kuya ne. Banyike balombele Nyar-Kanyada kuya nabo ku taunyi. Wamwemwesejile ne kwamba, “Nakota wakuya ku taunyi. Kemu pembelelanga kwiya ku muzhi jikwabo.”
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 bapakachilemo nkambo yabo nekwamba shalaipo.
Odongo and Apiyo both hugged her tightly and said goodbye.
Kimye Odongo ne Apiyo ba bwelele ku sukulu, babujile bakwabo bya bwikalo bwa kumuzhi. Banyike bamo balangulukile amba bwikalo mu taunyi bwawama. Bakwabo balangulukile amba ku muzhi kwa wama. Kukila pa byonse, bonse baswile amba Odongo ne Apiya baji 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!
