Ti ǁnaos ǃhanab ge kaise oaamsa, sorxam-i, millet-i, tsî kasava hân xa ǀoa hâ. Xawe ge hoan xa oaamsase māoa gu ge banana ga. Ti ǁnaos ge âuna ǁnuriǀgôana ūhâ, xawe ta ge sâusase a an ǁîs tita ǃkhōuibasen basen hâsa.
Grandma’s garden was wonderful, full of sorghum, millet, and cassava.
But best of all were the bananas.
Although Grandma had many grandchildren, I secretly knew that I was her favourite. She invited me often to her house. She also told me little secrets.
But there was one secret she did not share with me: where she ripened bananas.
ǀGuitsē ta ge kaiǃgâ ǀharusa sores ǃnâ ǁîs oms ǃauka ge mûmâ. Dî si ta ge tare-i a sa, o hoarahus ǃereams ǁîsa xu ta ge hōs ge, “Ti ǀō-aisa ǀharus ge.” ǀHarus xōǀkha, gu ge ǀnîkhamakō banana napogu ǁîs xa ge ǁaeba xu ǁaeb ǁga gere dawa-aihe ga ǁgoe. Hīna kai te ge. “Tare-i di napoga, ti ǁnaose?” Tita ge ra dî. “Ti ǀō-aisa naporogu ge.”
One day I saw a big straw basket placed in the sun outside Grandma’s house. When I asked what it was for, the only answer I got was, “It’s my magic basket.”
Next to the basket, there were several banana leaves that Grandma turned from time to time. I was curious. “What are the leaves for, Grandma?” I asked. The only answer I got was, “They are my magic leaves.”
Kaise ge ǀō-aisa i ǁîsa kōsa, bananagu, banana napogu tsî kai ǀharus ona. Xawes ge ǁîsa ti mamas ǁga ra sî te. “Ti ǁnaose, toxoba, a ta toxoba aihomi du ra ǀgausa kō …” “Tā ǃgaridana, ǀgôatse, mîbahets ra khami dī, tis ge ra mî” ǃNoesase ta ge ra ǃkhoe.
It was so interesting watching Grandma, the bananas, the banana leaves and the big straw basket. But Grandma sent me off to my mother on an errand.
“Grandma, please, let me watch as you prepare…”
“Don’t be stubborn, child, do as you are told,” she insisted. I took off running.
Oaǀkhī ta ge o, os ge ti ǁnaosa ǃauga ge nôa i ҭharus tamas ka io bananagu ose. “Ti ǁnaose, ǀharusa mâpa hâ, bananagu hoaga mâpa hâ, tsî mâpa …” Hoarahus ǃereams hîna ta ge hōs ge, “Ti ǀō-aisa ǃkhais ǃnâ.” Kaise i gege tsûtsûsa i!
When I returned, Grandma was sitting outside but with neither the basket nor the bananas.
“Grandma, where is the basket, where are all the bananas, and where…”
But the only answer I got was, “They are in my magic place.” It was so disappointing!
ǀGam tsē ra ǃkharu tsîs ge ti ǁnaosa ǁîs ǁgâibasenhaiba ra sîte ǁîs ǁgoeǃnâǃnā-oms ǁga. Dao-amsa ta ra ǁkhowa-am khama ta ge ǀgaisa ǁamab ǁan ra bananagu dib xa ge ǁkhoreǁharehe. Gangab ǃnā-oams ǃnâs ge ti ǁnaos ǀō-aisa kai ǀharusa mâ. ǃAmkuse sâusase ǀoro nams ǀkhā. Tita ge ūkhâi tsî ge ǃkhapa dans xa ǀoa hâse.
Two days later, Grandma sent me to fetch her walking stick from her bedroom.
As soon as I opened the door, I was welcomed by the strong smell of ripening bananas. In the inner room was grandma’s big magic straw basket. It was well hidden by an old blanket. I lifted it and sniffed that glorious smell.
Ti ǁnaos dommi ge ra ǃhurikaite gaites ra ǁaeb ai, “Tare-ets ra dī? ǃHaese dī tsî hā haiba māte re.” Tita ge ǃhaese ǁîs ǁgâibasenhaib ǀkhā ra oaxa. “Tare-es ra ǀnomba ǀgausa?” tis ge ti ǁnaosa ra dîte. ǁÎs dîs ge ǁkhoaxa ǀnommi dība xu ǃnoesase ra oaǀkhī kaite anuis nē ǀō-aisa sâuǃkhais dis xa hâb dis disa xu.
Grandma’s voice startled me when she called, “What are you doing? Hurry up and bring me the stick.”
I hurried out with her walking stick. “What are you smiling about?” Grandma asked.
Her question made me realise that I was still smiling at the discovery of her magic place.
Sao ra tsēs ge ti ǁnaosa ti mamasa hā ge sari, tita ge ǁîs omsa ǃoa ge ǃkhoe îta banana ga ǁkhawa si gē ga. ǀNîkhamakō gu ge ǀnai ge ǁan hâ i. ǀGuiba ū tsî ta ge ti horokhoes ǃnâ ra sâu. ǀHarusa ganamtoa tsî ta ge oms ǃgâbai naba tsî ǃhaese ge ûbi. ǁKhoaxa hōn bananab hîna ta ge tsâtsâ ge īb ge.
The following day when grandma came to visit my mother, I rushed to her house to check the bananas once more.
There was a bunch of very ripe ones. I picked one and hid it in my dress. After covering the basket again, I went behind the house and quickly ate it. It was the sweetest banana I had ever tasted.
ǁNā tsēs khaoǃgâs ge ti ǁnaosa ǃhanab ǃnâ ǃhanaûna gere hāre, tita ge ǀhurigâ tsî banana ga ge uiǃnâ. ǁAupexa gu ge hoaga ge ǁan hâ i. Huiǁoa ta ge i xui-ao ta ge hakaga ge ū. Dao-ams ǁga ta ra ǀhurioa hîa ta ge ti ǁnaos ra ǁui ǀgausa ra ǁnâu. ǃNoesase ta ge horokhoes ǃnāka ra sâugu tsî ǁîs xōǀkhā ra ǃkharu.
The following day, when grandma was in the garden picking vegetables, I sneaked in and peered at the bananas.
Nearly all were ripe. I couldn’t help taking a bunch of four.
As I tiptoed towards the door, I heard grandma coughing outside. I just managed to hide the bananas under my dress and walked past her.
Sao ra tsēs ge ge ǁamaxūtsē i. Ti ǁnaos ge kaise furuse ra khai. ǁÎs ge hoaǁae ǁan hâ bananagu tsî kasafagu tsîna sī ra ǁamaxū ǁamaxūǃkhaib tawa. Tita ǁîsa ǁnātsē sari tama ge i. Xawe ta ge kaixūse ǁîsa xū ge hâbē ǁoa i.
The following day was market day. Grandma woke up early. She always took ripe bananas and cassava to sell at the market.
I did not hurry to visit her that day. But I could not avoid her for long.
Ega ǁnātsekam ǃuia ra ge ti îra, tsî ti ǁnaos tsîna ge gaite. ǃAromasa ta ge a an. ǁNā ǃuia ta ge ǁgoe o, ta ge ge anǁawo ǁkhawa ta ǃnari tidesa, ti ǁnaosa xū, ti îra xu, tsî ǀnîa khoe-e xū ǃkhaisa.
Later that evening I was called by my mother and father, and Grandma. I knew why.
That night as I lay down to sleep, I knew I could never steal again, not from grandma, not from my parents, and certainly not from anyone else.
Ursula Nafula
Catherine Groenewald
Maureen Merley So-Oabes
Khoekhoegowab
Level 4
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