Odongo ne Apiyo ne wɔn papa te kurokɛseɛ mu. Na wɔn anidasoɔ ne sɛ akwamma bɛduru ntɛm. Ɛnyɛ sɛ sukuu a ɛma kwan nkoaa, na mmom sra a wɔkɔsraa wɔn nanabaa. Ɔte akuraa bi a ɛbɛn ɔtadeɛ kɛseɛ bi ho.
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 ne Apiyo ani gyee yie ɛfiri sɛ na ɛberɛ aso sɛ ɔkɔsra wɔn nanabaa bio. Anadwo no a adeɛ rebɛkye ama wɔakɔ no, wɔhyehyɛɛ wɔn nnoɔma guu baage mu yɛɛ ahoboa twɛn akurase akwantu tenten no. Anadwo mu no nyinaa wɔdii akwamma no ho nkɔmmɔ saa a wɔanna.
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.
Ɛda no anɔpatutuutu no, wɔtenaa wɔn papa kaa mu kɔɔ akuraa no ase. Wɔrekɔ no, wɔtwaa mmepɔ, mmoadoma, ɛne mfuo ho. Wɔkenkanee kaa ahoroɔ a wɔhunuiɛ san too nnwom.
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.
Ɛyɛɛ kakra no, na mmɔfra no aberɛberɛ ɛnti wɔdedaeɛ.
After a while, the children were tired and fell asleep.
Wɔduruu akuraa no ase no papa nyanee Odongo ne Apiyo. Wɔhunuu wɔn nanabaa Nobuntu sɛ ɔte kɛtɛ so wɔ dua bi ase regye n’ahome.
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.
Nobuntu maa wɔn akwaaba de anigyeɛ, nnwom ne asa twaa ɛdan no mu hyiaeɛ. Ne mmanananom ani gyee sɛ wɔde wɔn akyɛdeɛ a wɔde firii kurokɛseɛ mu ama no. Odongo kaa sɛ, “Di kan bue m’akyɛdeɛ no so.” Apiyo kaa sɛ, “Daabi, bue medeɛ no so kane.”
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.
Nobuntu buee akyɛdeɛ no so no, ɔhyiraa ne mmanananom.
After she opened the presents, Nyar-Kanyada blessed her grandchildren in a traditional way.
Afei Odongo ne Apiyo firii adi kɔdii agorɔ. Nobuntu ne ne ba barima dii abusua nkɔmmɔ ɛne kaseɛbɔ a ɛbɛhyiaeɛ.
Then Odongo and Apiyo went outside. They chased butterflies and birds.
Ɛduruu anwumerɛ no Odongo ne Apiyo baa fie bɛdii anwumerɛ aduane.
They climbed trees and splashed in the water of the lake.
Wɔanwieɛ adidie mpo na wɔhyɛɛ aseɛ sɛ wɔrededa!
When it was dark they returned to the house for dinner. Before they could finish eating, they were falling asleep!
Adeɛ kyeeɛ no, papa gyaa mmɔfra no maa Nobuntu tuu ne kaa sane kɔɔ kurokɛseɛ mu bio.
The next day, the children’s father drove back to the city leaving them with Nyar-Kanyada.
Odongo ne Apiyo boaa wɔn nanabaa wɔ ɛfie adwuma. Wɔkɔɔ nsuo san kɔtwitwaa egya.
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.
Wɔsesaa nkokɔ nkosua san tetee atosodeɛ frɔmfrɔm firii mfikyifuo no mu.
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.
Da koro anɔpa bi, Odongo de ne nanabaa anantwie kɔɔ adidie. Wɔtuu mmirika kɔɔ wɔn yɔnko bi afuom. Okuafoɔ no bufuiiɛ. Ɔhunahunaa wɔn sɛ ɔremma anantwie no kwan ɛmma wɔnnkɔ ɛfiri sɛ wɔn abɛwe ne nnɔbaeɛ. Ɛfiri saa da no, Odongo yɛɛ n’adwen sɛ ɔremma anatwie no nkɔtɔ amaneɛ mu bio.
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.
Ɛda foforɔ bi nso, mmɔfra no ne Nobuntu kɔɔ ɛdwam. Ɔwɔ apata a ɔtɔn atosodeɛ, asikyire ɛne samina wɔ mu. Ɛyɛ Apiyo anigyeɛ sɛ ɔbobɔ nnoɔma no boɔ kyerɛ atɔfoɔ. Odongo pɛ ne sɛ ɔbɛhyehyɛ nnoɔma a atɔfɔ no atɔ no agu adeɛ mu ama wɔn.
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.
Nanso ankyɛ koraa na akwamma no baa awieɛ. Ɛsɛ sɛ mmɔfra no sankɔ kurokɛseɛ mu na wɔkɔ sukuu.
At the end of the day they drank chai tea together. They helped grandmother to count the money she earned.
Nobuntu maa Odongo ɛkyɛ ɛna ɔmaa Apiyo swoɔta. Ɔhyehyɛɛ nnuane a wɔde bɛkɔ wɔn kurom maa wɔn.
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.
Ɛberɛ a wɔn papa baa sɛ ɔrebɛfa wɔn akɔ no, wɔampɛ sɛ wɔbɛkɔ. Mmofra no paa Nobuntu kyɛw sɛ ɔne wɔn nkɔ kurokɛseɛ mu. Ɔnwenwenee kaa sɛ, “Mabɔ aberewa dodo sɛ mɛtena kurokɛseɛ mu. Na mmom mɛtena ɛha yi ara atwɛn sɛ mobɛma kwan bio na moabɛsra me.”
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 and Apiyo both hugged her tightly and said goodbye.
Violet Otieno
Catherine Groenewald
Agnes Asamoah-Duodu (OLE Ghana)
Asante Twi
Level 4
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