Sakima hela ho ninia inan-papa no ninia alin feto tinan 4. Sira hela iha ema riku ida ninia rai. Sira ninia uma du’ut mak ikus liu iha liña ai-hun sira.
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.
Bainhira Sakima iha tinan 3, nia moras no lakon tiha ninia vizaun. Sakima labarik mane ida ne’ebé iha talentu tebes.
When Sakima was three years old, he fell sick and lost his sight.
Sakima was a talented boy.
Sakima halo buat barak ne’ebé labarik mane idade neen seluk lahalo. Hanesan, nia bele tuur ho adultu seluk iha suku laran no diskute kona-ba asuntu importante sira.
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 ninia inan-papa servisu iha ema riku ne’e ninia uma. Sira sai husi uma sedu no fila tarde iha kalan. Sakima hela de’it iha uma ho ninia alin feto ki’ik.
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 gosta kanta muzika sira. Loron ida ninia inan husu nia, “O aprende kansaun sira ne’e husi ne’ebé, Sakima?”
Sakima loved to sing songs.
One day his mother asked him, “Where do you learn these songs from, Sakima?”
Sakima hatan “Sira mosu de’it mai, mama. Hau rona sira iha ha’u nia ulun no depois ha’u kanta.”
Sakima answered, “They just come, mother. I hear them in my head and then I sing.”
Sakima gosta kanta ba ninia alin feto ki’ik, bainhira nia sente hamlaha. Ninia alin feto sei rona nia kanta nia kansaun favoritu. Nia sei dansa tuir muzika nia ritmu relaxante ne’e.
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.
“O bele kanta tan no bebeik, Sakima,” ninia alin feto sei husu nia. Sakima sei aseita no kanta tutan bebeik.
“Can you sing it again and again, Sakima,” his sister would beg him.
Sakima would accept and sing it over and over again.
Kalan ida bainhira ninia inan-aman fila uma, sira hotu nonok de’it. Sakima hatene katak iha buat balun ne’ebé laloos.
One evening when his parents returned home, they were very quiet.
Sakima knew that there was something wrong.
“Saida mak laloos, ama, apa?” Sakima husu. Sakima aprende katak ema riku ne’e nia oan mane lakon. Rai nain mane ne’e triste tebes no sente mesak de’it.
“What is wrong, mother, father?” Sakima asked.
Sakima learned that the rich man’s son was missing.
The man was very sad and lonely.
“Ha’u bele kanta ba nia. Nia bele sente kontente fila-fali,” Sakima hateten ba ninia inan-papa. Maibé ninia inan-papa la-rona nia. “Nia ema riku tebes ida. O labarik matan delek ida. O hanoin o nia kansaun bele ajuda nia?”
“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?”
Maske nune’e, Sakima la lakon esperansa. Ninia alin feto suporta nia. Nia dehan, “Sakima ninia kansaun halo ha’u sente kalma bainhira ha’u hamlaha. Kansaun sira ne’e sei halo ema riku ne’e mós sente kalma.”
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.”
Loron tuir mai, Sakima husu ninia alin feto atu lori nia ba ema riku ne’e ninia uma.
The following day, Sakima asked his little sister to lead him to the rich man’s house.
Nia hamriik iha janela boot ida no okos no komesa kanta ninia kansaun favoritu. Neineik, ema riku ne’e ninia ulun komesa atu mosu liuhosi janela boot ne’e.
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.
Ajudante sira hapara sá de’it mak sira halo hela. Sira rona ba Sakima ninia kansaun furak sira. Maibé ida husi sira dehan “Laiha ema ida mak bele konsola ita nia patraun. Labarik matan-aat ida ne’e hanoin nia bele konsola patraun ka?”
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 remata hananu ninia kansaun no fila atu ba uma. Maibé ema riku ne’e halai sai lalais no dehan,” Favor ida kanta tan dala ida.”
Sakima finished singing his song and turned to leave.
But the rich man rushed out and said, “Please sing again.”
Iha momentu ne’e kedas, mane nain rua mai hulan ema ida iha maca leten. Sira hetan tiha ona ema riku ne’e ninia oan ne’ebé ema baku no husik hela iha estrada ninin.
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.
Ema riku ne’e kontente tebes atu haree fila fali ninia oan mane. Nia rekompensa Sakima tanba konsola ona nia. Nia lori ninia oan mane no Sakima ba ospitál atu nune’e Sakima bele hetan fali ninia vizaun.
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.
Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Peris Wachuka
Translated by: Aurelio da Costa
Read by: Aurelio da Costa, Vitalina dos Santos, Criscencia R. Da Costa Viana
