Sakima ǃxoana ǀxoa ha nǃauasi kota ha ǃuia ha barashsi o tsan-koh-tsan. Siǃa ǃxoana nǃ’hoan o ǁ’aiha ǁ’a ha kxaǀho. Siǃa ǁ’aisi tjuama koh nǃuhan ǃahin sa gǃhoa nǀae nǃang toansi.
Sakima lived with his parents and his four year old sister.
They lived on a rich man’s land.
Their grass-thatched hut was at the end of a row of trees.
ǁ’Aea Sakima koh o barah nǃani, ha gu ǀkae te ha gǀa’asi ǀoa ǁkoa. Sakima koh nǃobe ǃ’han tcisi.
When Sakima was three years old, he fell sick and lost his sight.
Sakima was a talented boy.
Sakima du tcisa ǂ’hai he nǁaqemhi gesin sa si barahsi ǃ’hun gǃau kota tci nǀe’e xabe ǀoa du. Ko nǃana, ha xoana nǀang ǀxoa tjuǀho juasi ka si nǂoahn tci ǃaeǃae.
Sakima did many things that other six year old boys did not do.
For example, he could sit with older members of the village and discuss important matters.
Sakima ǁ’a ha nǃauasi ku ǁkoa ǁ’aiha ǃhao. Sa ku nǃoma nǂhun ka u ka ku ce tsia tjuǀho ko gǀu lata. Sakima koh nǁah ǀxoa ha ǀ’ae ko ha tshin dima.
The parents of Sakima worked at the rich man’s house.
They left home early in the morning and returned late in the evening.
Sakima was left with his little sister.
Sakima are ku ge’e tzisi. ǀAm nǀui ha taqe tsitsa’a ha, “Kore a nǃaroha ǁama tzi sa ke, Sakima?”
Sakima loved to sing songs.
One day his mother asked him, “Where do you learn these songs from, Sakima?”
Sakima ǁoaq. “Ka-m sin ku tsi, aia. Mi ku tsa’a ka ko mi nǀai nǃang ka sin ku ge’e ka.”
Sakima answered, “They just come, mother. I hear them in my head and then I sing.”
Sakima are ku ge’e ǀ’an ha tshin dima, khoe ko ka ha tsa’a ǁahbe. Ha tshin ku ǂaeǂae tca ha ku oo ge’ea ha tzima o are-are. Ha djxani ge’e ǃahin kxuisi.
Sakima liked to sing for his little sister, especially, if she felt hungry.
His sister would listen to him singing his favourite song.
She would sway to the soothing tune.
“A re koma ceka ge’e ka ge’e ka, Sakima,” ha tshin koe ǀxom kxui ha. Sakima zahin ka ge’e ce-cea khoe ko ka.
“Can you sing it again and again, Sakima,” his sister would beg him.
Sakima would accept and sing it over and over again.
Gǀu nǀui ka ha nǃauase ce tsia tjuǀho, sa koh kaice gǂom. Sakima ǃ’han te tci nǀui ǀoa jan.
One evening when his parents returned home, they were very quiet.
Sakima knew that there was something wrong.
“Hatce re ǀoa jan, aia, mba?” Sakima tsitsa’a. Sakima nǃaroh tca ǁ’aiha ǁ’a ha ǃ’han te nǃaan. Te ǁ’a nǃhoan ha ǃka koh nǃobe ta’m ǀkau te ha sin o nǀe’e.
“What is wrong, mother, father?” Sakima asked.
Sakima learned that the rich man’s son was missing.
The man was very sad and lonely.
“Mi ku ge’e ǀ’an ha, khoe nǀui ha ǃka ceka nǀang,” Sakima koe ǃoa kxui ha nǃauasi. Te ha nǃauasi nǂhuin ha. “Ha nǃobe o ǁ’aiha. A sin o nǃhoan ma jaoh. A re ǂ’ang te ko a ge’esih te hui ha?”
“I can sing for him. He might be happy again,” Sakima told his parents.
But his parents dismissed him.
“He is very rich. You are only a blind boy. Do you think your song will help him?”
Te mara, Sakima ǀoa ǂani. Ha tshin dima hui ha. Ha ko, “Sakima ge’esi ku ǂxami ǁ’aiha.”
However, Sakima did not give up.
His little sister supported him.
She said, “Sakima’s songs soothe me when I am hungry. They will soothe the rich man too.”
ǀAma ku ǁua, Sakima gǂara ha tshin dima ha tani gǃa ha ko ǁ’aiha tjuǀho.
The following day, Sakima asked his little sister to lead him to the rich man’s house.
Ha nǃuan nǁaqbe nǃa’an nǃui din te coacoa te ge’e tzima are-are. ǁ’Aiha ǁ’a ha nǀai nǂaoha ka ǀ’ae ta txuria nǁoqbe nǃa’an khoea.
He stood below one big window and began to sing his favourite song.
Slowly, the head of the rich man began to show through the big window.
ǁKoa kxaosi ǂani ǀxoa tca sih koh du. Si ku ǂaeǂae ge’e tzi nǀanga o Sakima ga. Te nǃoahn nǀui ko, “Ju nǀuia ciniha ǂxami ǁ’aiha koara. Nǃoahn ma djaoa he re ko ha te ǂxami ha?”
The workers stopped what they were doing. They listened to Sakima’s beautiful song.
But one man said, “Nobody has been able to console the boss. Does this blind boy think he will console him?”
Sakima ge’e toan te mani ǁ’a ha ce u. Te ǁ’aiha nǃo’o te gǀai te ko, “Mi ǀxom a nǀang a ce ge’e.”
Sakima finished singing his song and turned to leave.
But the rich man rushed out and said, “Please sing again.”
Te ǁ’a ǁ’ae nǃang nǀe’ea hin to’a, nǁaqe tsan ǃae ju nǀui te ha sin tsxoantsoan cu. Si ho ǁ’aiha ǁ’a ha nǃhan he nǂ’am ha ǀ’ae he cua dao ǃan.
At that very moment, two men came carrying someone on a stretcher.
They had found the rich man’s son beaten up and left on the side of the road.
ǁ’Aiha ǃka nǃobe nǀang ko ceka se ha ǃ’han. Ha ǀ’an Sakima ko ǀxoakxama ko tca nǁae he ha ǂxami ha. Ha tani ua ha ǃ’han kota Sakima ko nǀom tjua nǃa’an nǀang kxoe nǀang Sakima ce nǀang ho khoe.
The rich man was so happy to see his son again.
He rewarded Sakima for consoling him.
He took his son and Sakima to hospital so Sakima could regain his sight.
