The small bus stop in my village was busy with people and overloaded buses. On the ground were even more things to load. Touts were shouting the names where their buses were going.
“Tauni! Tauni! Kupita kumadzulo!” Ndinamvela oitanitsa kufuula. Iyo ndiyo basi ndimafuna kukwela.
“City! City! Going west!” I heard a tout shouting. That was the bus I needed to catch.
Basi yakutauni inali pafupi kudzala, koma anthu ambili anali akali kukankha kuti alowe. Ena analonga katundu yao munsi mwa basi. Ena anaika moika katundu mkati mwa basi.
The city bus was almost full, but more people were still pushing to get on. Some packed their luggage under the bus. Others put theirs on the racks inside.
Okwela atsopano anagwila matikiti ao pomwe amafuna-funa pomwe angakhale mu basi yodzala ndi anthu. Azimai a ana ang’ono ang’ono anawakhazika bwino paulendo utali.
New passengers clutched their tickets as they looked for somewhere to sit in the crowded bus. Women with young children made them comfortable for the long journey.
Ndinaziika pafupi ndi dzenela. Munthu amena anakhala pafupi ndi ine anagwilila pulasitiki ya msipu. Anavala nkhwawilo zakale, khoti lakutha, ndipo amaoneka wamantha.
I squeezed in next to a window. The person sitting next to me was holding tightly to a green plastic bag. He wore old sandals, a worn out coat, and he looked nervous.
Ndinapenya kubwalo kwa basi ndipo ndinazindikila kuti ndinali kusiya mudzi wanga, kumalo komwe ndinakulila. Ndinali kupita ku tauni yaikulu.
I looked outside the bus and realised that I was leaving my village, the place where I had grown up. I was going to the big city.
Kulonga kunamalizika ndipo aulendo onse anakhazikika pansi. Azamalonda naonso anali kuzipatikiza kulowa mubasi kugulitsa katundu wao ku aulendo. Aliyense anali kufuula maina azomwe zinalipo zogulitsa. Mau anamveka odabwitsa kwa ine.
The loading was completed and all passengers were seated. Hawkers still pushed their way into the bus to sell their goods to the passengers. Everyone was shouting the names of what was available for sale. The words sounded funny to me.
Aulendo ang’ono anagulako zakumwa, ena anagulako zakudya zotsekemela za zing’ono zing’ono ndipo anayamba kutamfuna. Aja amene analibe ndalama, monga ine tinangopenyelela.
A few passengers bought drinks, others bought small snacks and began to chew. Those who did not have any money, like me, just watched.
Zocita zimenezi zinasokonezedwa ndi kulila kwa huta ya bus, kudziwitsa kuti tinali pafupi kunyamuka. Onenezela anafuulila ogulitsa kuti atuluke kubwalo.
These activities were interrupted by the hooting of the bus, a sign that we were ready to leave. The tout yelled at the hawkers to get out.
Ogulitsa anakankhana wina ndi mnzace kuti atuluke mu basi. Ena anali kupeleka chenji kwa apaulendo. Ena amayesa kugulitsa zinthu zao nthawi yothela.
Hawkers pushed each other to make their way out of the bus. Some gave back change to the travellers. Others made last minute attempts to sell more items.
Pomwe basi imacoka pa sitesheni ya basi, ndinayangana padzenela. Ndinaganizila ngati ndizabwelanso kumudzi wanga.
As the bus left the bus stop, I stared out of the window. I wondered if I would ever go back to my village again.
Pomwe ulendo umacitika, mkati mwa basi munatentha kwambili. Ndinatseka maso anga kuyesa kugona.
As the journey progressed, the inside of the bus got very hot. I closed my eyes hoping to sleep.
But my mind drifted back home. Will my mother be safe? Will my rabbits fetch any money? Will my brother remember to water my tree seedlings?
Mnjila, ndinakumbukila dzina ya malo amene amalume anakhalako mu mzinda ukulu. Ndinali ndikali kung’ung’udzila pamene tulo tunanigwila ndipo ndinagona.
On the way, I memorised the name of the place where my uncle lived in the big city. I was still mumbling it when I fell asleep.
Maola asanu ndi anai atsatila, ndinauka ndi phokoso lalikulu ndi kuitana kwa apaulendo amubasi apita kumudzi kwanga. Ndinatenga cola canga cacing’ono ndi kulumphila kubwalo kwa basi.
Nine hours later, I woke up with loud banging and calling for passengers going back to my village. I grabbed my small bag and jumped out of the bus.
Basi yobwelela kumudzi imadzala mofulumila. Mosacedwa inayamba ulendo wopita kum’mawa. Cofunikila ceni-ceni kwa ine tsopano, cinali cakuyamba kufuna-funa nyumba ya amalume anga.
The return bus was filling up quickly. Soon it would make its way back east. The most important thing for me now, was to start looking for my uncle’s house.
