Na Khalai be dis. She be seven years. D meaning of her name na ‘good one’ for dem dialect, wen be Lubukusu.
This is Khalai. She is seven years old. Her name means ‘the good one’ in her language, Lubukusu.
Khalai wake up begin yan with orange tree. “Abeg orange tree, dey grow oo make we for dey lick plenty orange wen ripe.”
Khalai wakes up and talks to the orange tree. “Please orange tree, grow big and give us lots of ripe oranges.”
Khalai dey tricke go school. For road na so she go dey yan with grass. “Abeg oo grass, grow make u dey fresh and make u no die oo.”
Khalai walks to school. On the way she talks to the grass. “Please grass, grow greener and don’t dry up.”
Khalai waka pass bush flower. “Abeg oo flower, make u grow fine fine oo make I for dey put you for hair.”
Khalai passes wild flowers. “Please flowers, keep blooming so I can put you in my hair.”
For school, Khalai go talk to tree wen dey center of compound. “Abeg oo tree, make ur branches dey spreed oo make we for fit dey siddon read under your shade oo.”
At school, Khalai talks to the tree in the middle of the compound. “Please tree, put out big branches so we can read under your shade.”
Khalai dey yan to flower wen surround her school. “Abeg oo flower, make grow strong oo so yeye person no go fit enter our school.”
Khalai talks to the hedge around her school. “Please grow strong and stop bad people from coming in.”
Wen Khalai come back for school, she go look d orange tree come ask am, Your orange dem never ripe?”
When Khalai returns home from school, she visits the orange tree. “Are your oranges ripe yet?” asks Khalai.
“D orange dem still never ripe oo” hmmmn. “I go see you tomorrow oo orange tree,” “maybe tomorrow go beta and I fit get ripe orange for mysef!”
“The oranges are still green,” sighs Khalai. “I will see you tomorrow orange tree,” says Khalai. “Perhaps then you will have a ripe orange for me!”
Ursula Nafula
Jesse Pietersen
Anthonia Ujene
Nigerian Pidgin
Level 2
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