Tom mwambata lwalo lwamakonde akuhya.
Tom carries a tray of ripe bananas.
Tom mwaya kumaliketi nakulanjisa makonde.
Tom goes to the market to sell bananas.
Vathu kumaliketi vali nakulanda mihako.
People at the market are buying fruit.
Oloze naumwe wauchi ali nakulanda makonde a Tom. Vasaka kulanda mihako kuli maphwevo.
But no one is buying
Tom’s bananas.
They prefer to buy fruit from women.
Vathu veji kuhanjika ngwavo, “Mungalila yetu, maphwevo kaha vakhiko veji kulanjisanga mihako.” Shikaho nge lunga navahulisa ngwavo, “Lunga muka ou?”
“In our community, only women sell fruit,” people say. “What kind of a man is this?” people ask.
Oloze Tom kecheleko. Mwasanyika, “Landenu makonde ami! Landenu makonde ami ayema akuhya kanawa!”
But Tom does not give up.
He calls, “Buy my bananas!
Buy my sweet ripe bananas!”
Phwevo umwe mwambata mulumba umwe wamakonde halwalo. Mwashishika aze makonde kanawa.
One woman picks up a bunch of bananas from the tray.
She looks at the bananas carefully.
Phwevo mwalanda aze makonde.
The woman buys the bananas.
Vathu vavavulu naveza kuze kukatambo. Navalanda makonde kuli Tom nakulya.
More people come to the stall.
They buy Tom’s bananas and eat them.
Kalinwomu, lwalo lunasale lwamupolongwa. Tom mwalava jimbongo nawanemo.
Soon, the tray is empty.
Tom counts the money he earned.
Jino Tom mwalanda sopo, sukili nachindanda. Mwahaka vize vyuma mulwalo lwenyi.
Then Tom buys soap, sugar, and bread.
He puts the things in his tray.
Tom mwahaka lwalo hamutwe wenyi nakuya kwimbo.
Tom balances the tray on his head and goes home.
