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Odongo le Apiyo ba ne ba nna mo toropong le rra bona. Ba ne ba bonela pele malatsi a boikhutso. E seng fela ka ntlha ya gore dikolo di tswadilwe, mme ka ntlha ya gonne ba ya go etela mmemogolo wa bona. O ne a nna gaufi le motsana wa batshwari ba ditlhapi gaufi le noka e kgolo.
Odongo and Apiyo lived in the city with their father.
They looked forward to the holidays. Not just because school was closed, but because they went to visit their grandmother. She lived in a fishing village near a large lake.
Odongo le Apiyo ba ne ba itumetse ka ntlha ya gonne e ne e le nako ya go etela mmemogolo wa bone gape. Bosigo jo o pele, ba baakanya dikgetse tsa bone mme ba ipaakanyetsa loeto lo lo leele kwa motseng wa gagwe. Ga ba kgona go robala mme ba bua bosigo jotlhe ka ga boikhutso.
Odongo and Apiyo were excited because it was time to visit their grandmother again.
The night before, they packed their bags and got ready for the long journey to her village. They could not sleep and talked the whole night about the holiday.
Phakela mo mosong o o latelang, ba tsamaya go ya kwa motseng ka koloi ya rrabone. Ba kgweeditse ba feta dithaba, diphologolo tsa naga le tshimo ya tee. Ba badile dikoloi mme ba opela dipina.
Early the next morning, they left for the village in their father’s car.
They drove past mountains, wild animals and tea plantations. They counted cars and sang songs.
Morago nyana, bana ba ne ba lapile mme ba robala.
After a while, the children were tired and fell asleep.
Rre o ne a tsosa Odongo le Apiyo nako ya fa ba goroga mo motseng. Ba fitlhetse Nyar- Kanyanda, mmemogolo wa bone, a ikhutsitse mo phateng ka fa tlase ga setlhare. Nyar- Kanyada ka se Luo, ‘go reela mosetsana wa batho ba Kanyada’. E ne e le mme yo montle yo o kwenneng.
Father woke up Odongo and Apiyo as they arrived in the village.
They found Nyar-Kanyada, their grandmother, resting on a mat under a tree.
Nyar-Kanyada in Luo, means ‘daughter of the people of Kanyada’. She was a strong and beautiful woman.
Nyar- Kanyada o ne a ba amogela moteng ga ntlo mme a bina a dikologa phaposi ya borobalo a opela ka boitumelo. Ditlogolo tsa gagwe di ne di itumetse go mo naya dimpho tse ba di rekileng gotswa mo toropong,”Bula mpho ya me pele,” go bua Odongo.”Nnya, mpho ya me pele!”go bua Apiyo.
Nyar-Kanyada welcomed them into the house and danced around the room singing with joy.
Her grandchildren were excited to give her the presents they brought from the city.
“First open my gift,” said Odongo.
“No, my gift first!” said Apiyo.
Morago ga a sena go bula dimpho, Nyar-Kanyada o ile a segofatsa ditlogolo tsa gagwe ka mokgwa wa setso.
After she opened the presents, Nyar-Kanyada blessed her grandchildren in a traditional way.
Morago Odongo le Apiyo ba tswela kwa ntle. Ba leleka dirurubele le dinonyane.
Then Odongo and Apiyo went outside. They chased butterflies and birds.
Ba palama ditlhare ba tlolela mo metsing a noka.
They climbed trees and splashed in the water of the lake.
E rile gonna lefifi ba boela lwapeng go ya go ja dijo tsa maitsiboa. Pele ga ba fetsa go ja, ba simolola go otsela!
When it was dark they returned to the house for dinner. Before they could finish eating, they were falling asleep!
Letsatsi le le latelang, rrabana a boela morago kwa toropong a ba tlogela le Nyar- Kanyada.
The next day, the children’s father drove back to the city leaving them with Nyar-Kanyada.
Odongo le Apiyo ba ne ba thusa mmemogolo wa bone ka ditiro tsa mo gae. Ba ne ba ya go tsaya metsi le dikgong tse di gotsang. Ba ne ba phutha mae gotswa mo dikokong mme ba ya go sela merogo mo tshimong.
Odongo and Apiyo helped their grandmother with household chores. They fetched water and firewood. They collected eggs from the chickens and picked greens from the garden.
Nyar- Kanyada o ne a ruta ditlogolo tsa gagwe go dira ugali e e borethe go jela ka merogo e e apeilweng ka nama. O ne a ba ruta gore reise ya khokhonate e dirwa jang go jela ka tlhapi e e besitsweng.
Nyar-Kanyada taught her grandchildren to make soft ugali to eat with stew. She showed them how to make coconut rice to eat with roast fish.
Moso mongwe, Odongo a tsaya dikgomo tsa ga mmemogolo wa gagwe go ya go hula. Di ne tsa tabogela mo polasing ya baagisanyi. Molemirui o ne a galefela Odongo. O ne a mo tshosetsa gore o tla tshegetsa dikgomo jaaka di jele merogo ya gagwe. Morago ga letsatsi le o, mosimane o ne a netefatsa gore dikgomo ga di tsene mo mathateng gape.
One morning, Odongo took his grandmother’s cows to graze. They ran onto a neighbour’s farm.
The farmer was angry with Odongo. He threatened to keep the cows for eating his crops. After that day, the boy made sure that the cows did not get into trouble again.
Ka letsatsi le lengwe bana ba ne ba ya kwa marekisetsong le Nyar-Nnyada. O na le lefelo le o rekisang merogo, sokore le molora teng. Apiyo o rata go bolelela bareki tlhwotlhwa ya dilwana. Odongo o ne a phuthela dilwana tse bareki ba di rekileng.
On another day, the children went to the marketplace with Nyar-Kanyada. She had a stall selling vegetables, sugar and soap.
Apiyo liked to tell customers the price of items. Odongo would pack the items that customers bought.
Kwa bofelong jwa letsatsi bane ba nwa tee ya chai mmogo. Ba thusa mmemogolo go bala madi a o a amogetseng.
At the end of the day they drank chai tea together. They helped grandmother to count the money she earned.
Mme mo nakong e khutshwane nako ya boikhutso e ne e fedile mme bana ba ne ba tshwanetse go boela kwa toropong. Nyar-Kanyada o ne a naya Odongo hutshe le Apiyo jase. O ne a ba phuthela dijo tsa loeto.
But too soon the holidays were over and the children had to go back to the city.
Nyar-Kanyada gave Odongo a cap and Apiyo a sweater. She packed food for their journey.
E rile fa rrabone a tla go ba tsaya, ba ne ba sa batle go tsamaya. Bana ba ne ba rapela Nyar- Kanyada gore a tsamaye le bone kwa toropong. O ne a nyenya mme a re,”Ke tsofetse thata gore nka nna mo toropong. Ke tla lo leta gore lo tle kwa motseng wame gape.”
When their father came to fetch them, they did not want to leave. The children begged Nyar-Kanyada to go with them to the city.
She smiled and said, “I am too old for the city. I will be waiting for you to come to my village again.”
Odongo le Apiyo ka bobedi ba mo tlamparela thata mme ba re a sale sentle.
Odongo and Apiyo both hugged her tightly and said goodbye.
E rile fa Odongo le Apiyo ba boela kwa sekolong ba bolelela ditsala tsa bone ka ga botshelo mo motseng. Bangwe ba bana ba ne ba ikutlwa gore botshelo mo toropong bo siame. Ba bangwe ba ikutlwa gore motse o botoka. Mme se segolo thata mo go tsotlhe, mongwe le mongwe o ne a dumalana gore Odongo le Apiyo ba na le mmemogolo yo o siameng!
When Odongo and Apiyo went back to school they told their friends about life in the village. Some children felt that life in the city was good. Others felt that the village was better.
But most of all, everyone agreed that Odongo and Apiyo had a wonderful grandmother!
