Nagdalamhati si Simbegwire nang pumanaw ang kanyang Nanay. Ginawa ng Tatay ni Simbegwire ang lahat ng kanyang makakaya para alagaan ang kanyang anak. Unti-unti, natutunan nilang maging masaya, kahit na wala na ang Nanay ni Simbegwire. Tuwing umaga ay naupo sila at pinag-usapan ang darating na araw. Bawat gabi ay magkasama silang naghain ng hapunan. Pagkatapos nilang hugasan ang mga pinggan, tinulungan si Simbegwire ng Tatay niya sa kanyang takdang-aralin.
When Simbegwire’s mother died,
she was very sad. Simbegwire’s
father did his best to take care of
his daughter. Slowly, they learned
to feel happy again, without
Simbegwire’s mother.
Every morning they sat and talked
about the day ahead. Every evening
they made dinner together. After
they washed the dishes,
Simbegwire’s father helped her with
homework.
Isang araw, ginabi ng uwi ang Tatay ni Simbegwire. “Nasaan ka na, anak?” tawag niya. Tumakbo si Simbegwire sa kanyang Tatay. Tumigil siya nang nakita niyang hawak ng Tatay niya ang kamay ng isang babae. “Gusto kong makilala mo ang isang taong espesyal, anak. Ito si Anita,” nakangiti niyang sinabi.
One day, Simbegwire’s father came
home later than usual. “Where are
you my child?” he called.
Simbegwire ran to her father. She
stopped still when she saw that he
was holding a woman’s hand. “I
want you to meet someone special,
my child. This is Anita,” he said
smiling.
“Ikinagagalak kitang makilala, Simbegwire. Lagi kang ikinukwento sa akin ng Tatay mo,” sabi ni Anita. Pero hindi niya kinamayan o nginitian ang bata. Tuwang-tuwa sa galak ang Tatay ni Simbegwire. Lagi niyang binabanggit na sama-sama silang maninirahan, at kung gaano magiging kaganda ang buhay nila. “Anak, sana tanggapin mo tanggapin mo si Anita bilang iyong ina,” sabi niya.
“Hello Simbegwire, your father told
me a lot about you,” said Anita. But
she did not smile or take the girl’s
hand.
Simbegwire’s father was happy and
excited. He talked about the three
of them living together, and how
good their life would be. “My child, I
hope you will accept Anita as your
mother,” he said.
Nagbago ang buhay ni Simbegwire. Hindi na siya nakakaupo kasama ng kanyang Tatay tuwing umaga. Masyado nang pagod para gumawa ng takdang-aralin si Simbegwire sa gabi dahil sa dami ng gawaing-bagay na iniuutos ni Anita. Natutulog siya kaagad matapos ang hapunan. Ang makulay na kumot na bigay sa kanya ng kanyang Nanay ang tanging nagbibigay-ginhawa kay Simbegwire. Tila hindi napapansin ng kanyang Tatay na hindi masaya si Simbegwire.
Simbegwire’s life changed. She no
longer had time to sit with her
father in the mornings. Anita gave
her so many household chores that
she was too tired to do her school
work in the evenings. She went
straight to bed after dinner.
Her only comfort was the colourful
blanket her mother gave her.
Simbegwire’s father did not seem to
notice that his daughter was
unhappy.
Makalipas ang ilang buwan, sinabi ng Tatay ni Simbegwire na luluwas muna siya ng matagal. “Kailangan kong bumiyahe para sa aking trabaho,” sabi niya. “Pero alam kong aalagaan ninyo ang isa’t isa.” Nalumbay si Simbegwire, pero hindi ito napansin ng kanyang Tatay. Hindi kumibo si Anita. Hindi rin siya masaya.
After a few months, Simbegwire’s
father told them that he would be
away from home for a while. “I have
to travel for my job,” he said. “But I
know you will look after each other.”
Simbegwire’s face fell, but her
father did not notice. Anita did not
say anything. She was not happy
either.
Lumala ang kalagayan ni Simbegwire. Kapag hindi niya natapos ang kanyang gawaing-bahay, o kapag nagreklamo siya, sinaktan siya ni Anita. Halos ubusin ng babae ang hapunan, at kapiranggot na tira lang ang iniwan para kay Simbegwire. Umiyak si Simbegwire gabi-gabi, yakap-yakap ang kumot ng Nanay niya.
Things got worse for Simbegwire. If
she didn’t finish her chores, or she
complained, Anita hit her. And at
dinner, the woman ate most of the
food, leaving Simbegwire with only
a few scraps.
Each night Simbegwire cried herself
to sleep, hugging her mother’s
blanket.
Isang umaga, tinanghali ng gising si Simbegwire. “Tamad!” sigaw ni Anita. Hinila niya si Simbegwire mula sa kanyang kama. Naipit sa isang pako ang kanyang pinakamamahal na kumot, at napunit ito sa dalawang piraso.
One morning, Simbegwire was late
getting out of bed. “You lazy girl!”
Anita shouted. She pulled
Simbegwire out of bed. The
precious blanket caught on a nail,
and tore in two.
Nabalisa si Simbegwire. Napagdesisyunan niyang maglayas sa kanila. Kinuha niya ang mga kapiraso ng kumot ng kanyang Nanay, nagbaon ng kaunting pagkain, at nilisan ang kanilang bahay. Sinundan niya ang daang tinahak ng kanyang Tatay.
Simbegwire was very upset. She
decided to run away from home.
She took the pieces of her mother’s
blanket, packed some food, and left
the house. She followed the road
her father had taken.
Kinagabihan, umakyat siya sa isang mataas na puno malapit sa ilog at gumawa ng tulugan gamit ang mga sanga. Habang pinatutulog niya ang kanyang sarili, umawit siya: “Maama, maama, maama, iniwan mo ako. Iniwan mo ako at hindi ka na bumalik. Hindi na ako mahal ni Tatay. Nanay, kailan ka babalik? Iniwan mo ako.”
When it came to evening, she
climbed a tall tree near a stream
and made a bed for herself in the
branches.
As she went to sleep, she sang:
“Maama, maama, maama, you left
me.
You left me and never came back.
Father doesn’t love me anymore.
Mother, when are you coming back?
You left me.”
Kinaumagahan, inawit itong muli ni Simbegwire. Nang dumating ang mga kababaihan sa ilog para maglaba, narinig nila ang panaghoy galing sa mataas na puno. Akala nila na hangin lamang ito na pumapagaspas sa mga dahon, at nagpatuloy sa kanilang gawain. Pero pinakinggang mabuti ng isa sa mga babae ang awit.
The next morning, Simbegwire sang
the song again. When the women
came to wash their clothes at the
stream, they heard the sad song
coming from the tall tree.
They thought it was only the wind
rustling the leaves, and carried on
with their work. But one of the
women listened very carefully to
the song.
Tumingin ang babae sa itaas ng puno. Nang makita niya ang bata at ang makukulay na kapiraso ng kumot, umiyak siya, “Simbegwire, anak ng aking kapatid!” Tumigil sa paghuhugas ang ibang babae at tinulungang bumaba si Simbegwire mula sa puno. Niyakap ng kanyang tiyahin si Simbegwire at pinatahan siya.
This woman looked up into the tree.
When she saw the girl and the
pieces of colourful blanket, she
cried, “Simbegwire, my brother’s
child!”
The other women stopped washing
and helped Simbegwire to climb
down from the tree. Her aunt
hugged the little girl and tried to
comfort her.
Dinala si Simbegwire ng kanyang tiyahin sa kanilang bahay. Naghain siya ng mainit na pagkain para kay Simbegwire at pinatulog kasama ng kanyang mahal na kumot. Nang gabing iyon, lumuha si Simbegwire sa kanyang pagtulog. Pero ito ay luha ng ginhawa. Alam niyang aalagaan siya ng kanyang tiyahin.
Simbegwire’s aunt took the child to
her own house. She gave
Simbegwire warm food, and tucked
her in bed with her mother’s
blanket.
That night, Simbegwire cried as she
went to sleep. But they were tears
of relief. She knew her aunt would
look after her.
Nang bumalik ang Tatay ni Simbegwire, nakita niyang walang laman ang silid nito. “Anong nangyari, Anita?” malungkot niyang tanong. Ipinaliwanag ng babae na lumayas si Simbegwire. “Gusto ko lang naman na galangin niya ako,” sabi niya. “Pero marahil ay naging masyado akong mahigpit.” Umalis ang tatay ni Simbegwire at tinahak ang direksiyon ng ilog. Nagpatuloy siya sa nayon ng kanyang kapatid para alamin kung nakita ba niya si Simbegwire.
When Simbegwire’s father returned
home, he found her room empty.
“What happened, Anita?” he asked
with a heavy heart. The woman
explained that Simbegwire had run
away. “I wanted her to respect me,”
she said. “But perhaps I was too
strict.”
Simbegwire’s father left the house
and went in the direction of the
stream. He continued to his sister’s
village to find out if she had seen
Simbegwire.
Nakikipaglaro si Simbegwire sa kanyang mga pinsan nang makita niya ang kanyang Tatay mula sa malayo. Natakot siya na baka galit ito, kaya nagtago siya sa loob ng bahay. Pero nilapitan siya ng kanyang Tatay at sinabi, “Simbegwire, nakahanap ka ng perpektong Nanay para sa sarili mo. Isang Nanay na nagmamahal at nakaiintindi sa’yo. Ipinagmamalaki kita at mahal kita.” Napagsang-ayunan nila na maaaring makitira si Simbegwire sa kanyang tiyahin hangga’t kailan niya gusto.
Simbegwire was playing with her
cousins when she saw her father
from far away. She was scared he
might be angry, so she ran inside
the house to hide.
But her father went to her and said,
“Simbegwire, you have found a
perfect mother for yourself. One
who loves you and understands
you. I am proud of you and I love
you.”
They agreed that Simbegwire would
stay with her aunt as long as she
wanted to.
Araw-araw ay dumalaw ang kanyang Tatay. Dumating ang panahon na isinama rin niya si Anita. Hinawakan niya ang kamay ni Simbegwire. “Patawarin mo ako, anak, at nagkamali ako,” iyak niya. “Puwede mo ba akong bigyan ng isa pang pagkakataon?” Tumingin si Simbegwire sa kanyang Tatay at sa nag-aalalang mukha nito. Pagkatapos ay humakbang siya at dahan-dahang niyakap si Anita.
Her father visited her every day.
Eventually, he came with Anita. She
reached out for Simbegwire’s hand.
“I’m so sorry little one, I was
wrong,” she cried. “Will you let me
try again?”
Simbegwire looked at her father
and his worried face. Then she
stepped forward slowly and put her
arms around Anita.
Sumunod na linggo, inanyayahan ni Anita si Simbegwire, kasama ng kanyang mga pinsan at tiyahin, sa kanilang bahay para sa isang tanghalian. Ang sarap ng handaan! Inihain ni Anita ang lahat ng paboritong pagkain ni Simbegwire, at kumain ang lahat hanggang sila’y nabusog. Naglaro ang mga bata habang nag-usap ang mga matatanda. Nakaramdam si Simbegwire ng kasiyahan at lakas ng loob. Napag-isipan niya na marahil, sa madaling panahon, ay uuwi siya para manirahan kasama ng kanyang Tatay at kanyang madrasta.
The next week, Anita invited
Simbegwire, with her cousins and
aunt, to the house for a meal. What
a feast! Anita prepared all of
Simbegwire’s favourite foods, and
everyone ate until they were full.
Then the children played while the
adults talked.
Simbegwire felt happy and brave.
She decided that soon, very soon,
she would return home to live with
her father and her stepmother.
