Tom wasenda kipe kya makonde apya.
Tom carries a tray of ripe bananas.
Tom waya kukisankanyi nakupotesha makonde.
Tom goes to the market to sell bananas.
Bantu kuki sankanyi babena kupota makonde.
People at the market are buying fruit.
Pano kechi babena kupota makonde a kwa Tom ne. Babena kupota bipangwa kubaba bakazhi.
But no one is buying
Tom’s bananas.
They prefer to buy fruit from women.
“Muno mwetu, babakazhi boba poteshatu bipangwa,” bantu baamba. “Wamulume wamu tunduka awe?” bantu waipuzha.
“In our community, only women sell fruit,” people say. “What kind of a man is this?” people ask.
Pano Tom aye kechi ubena kuleka ne, ke abijike! Makonde! iyayi mupote makonde atobala ne kupya!”
But Tom does not give up.
He calls, “Buy my bananas!
Buy my sweet ripe bananas!”
Wamukazhi umo watolapo makonde. Wiatajisha bulongo.
One woman picks up a bunch of bananas from the tray.
She looks at the bananas carefully.
Wamukazhi wapota ne makonde.
The woman buys the bananas.
Bantu bakwabo baiya ne pakitamba kyanji. Ba pota ne makonde akwa Tom ne kuja.
More people come to the stall.
They buy Tom’s bananas and eat them.
Kipe kyanji kyapwa nekupwa. Tom wabelenga ne mali anji.
Soon, the tray is empty.
Tom counts the money he earned.
Tom wa bwela wapota ne sopo ne shuga ne shinkwa. Wa bika ne pakipe kyanji.
Then Tom buys soap, sugar, and bread.
He puts the things in his tray.
Tom wasenda ne kipe kyanji pamutwe waya ne kuya kunzubo.
Tom balances the tray on his head and goes home.
