Odongo en Apiyo het in die stad by hulle pa gewoon. Hulle het uitgesien na die vakansie. Nie net omdat die skool gesluit was nie, maar omdat hulle by hulle ouma sou gaan kuier. Sy het in ‘n vissersdorpie naby ‘n groot meer gewoon.
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 en Apiyo was opgewonde omdat dit weer tyd was om by haar te gaan kuier. Die aand voor hulle vertrek, het hulle hul tasse gepak en gereed gemaak vir die lang reis na die dorpie. Hulle kon nie slaap nie en het die hele nag oor die vakansie gepraat.
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.
Vroeg die volgende oggend het hulle na die dorpie vertrek in hulle pa se motor. Hulle het verby berge, wilde diere en teeplantasies gery. Hulle het die motors getel en liedjies gesing.
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.
Na ‘n ruk was die kinders moeg en het aan die slaap geraak.
After a while, the children were tired and fell asleep.
Pa het vir Odongo en Apiyo wakkergemaak toe hulle in die dorpie aankom. Daar het hulle hulle ouma, Nyar-Kanyada, gevind. Sy was besig om te rus op ‘n mat onder ‘n boom. Nyar-Kanyada in die Luo-taal beteken “dogter van die Kanyada stam.” Sy was ‘n sterk en pragtige vrou.
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 het hulle in die huis ingenooi en het in die kamer rondgedans en gesing van blydskap. Haar kleinkinders was opgewonde om die geskenke wat hulle saamgebring het vir haar te gee. “Maak my geskenk eerste oop,” het Odongo gesê. “Nee, myne eerste!” het Apiyo gesê.
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.
Nadat Nyar-Kanyada die geskenke oopgemaak het, het sy haar kleinkinders op ‘n tradisionele manier geseën.
After she opened the presents, Nyar-Kanyada blessed her grandchildren in a traditional way.
Daarna het Odongo en Apiyo buite gaan speel. Hulle het skoenlappers en voëls gejaag.
Then Odongo and Apiyo went outside. They chased butterflies and birds.
Hulle het boomgeklim en in die meer geplas.
They climbed trees and splashed in the water of the lake.
Toe dit donker word, het hulle teruggegaan huis toe vir aandete. Nog voor hulle kon klaar eet, het hulle aan die slaap geraak!
When it was dark they returned to the house for dinner. Before they could finish eating, they were falling asleep!
Die volgende dag het die kinders se pa teruggery stad toe. Hy het die kinders by Nyar-Kanyada gelos.
The next day, the children’s father drove back to the city leaving them with Nyar-Kanyada.
Odongo en Apiyo het hulle ouma met die huistake gehelp. Hulle het water en vuurmaakhout gaan haal. Hulle het hoendereiers gaan uithaal en groente gepluk in die tuin.
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 het haar kinders geleer hoe om sagte papkoekies te maak wat ‘n mens saam met bredie eet. Sy het hulle gewys hoe om kokosneutrys saam met geroosterde vis te eet.
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.
Een oggend het Odongo sy ouma se koeie na die weiveld geneem. Hulle het tot op die buurman se plaas gehardloop. Die boer was baie kwaad vir Odongo. Hy het gedreig om die koeie vir homself te hou omdat hulle sy gewasse geëet het. Na daardie dag het die seun seker gemaak dat die koeie nie weer in die moeilikheid kom nie.
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.
Op ‘n ander dag het die kinders saam met Nyar-Kanyada mark toe gegaan. Sy het ‘n stalletjie gehad waar sy groente, suiker en seep verkoop. Apiyo het daarvan gehou om vir die mense te sê hoeveel die items kos. Odongo het die items wat die mense gekoop het vir hulle ingepak.
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.
Teen die einde van die dag het hulle saam tee gedrink. Hulle het Ouma gehelp om die geld wat sy verdien het te tel.
At the end of the day they drank chai tea together. They helped grandmother to count the money she earned.
Maar gou was die vakansie verby en die kinders moes teruggaan stad toe. Nyar-Kanyada het vir Odongo ‘n pet gegee en vir Apiyo ‘n trui. Sy het kos ingepak vir hulle reis.
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.
Toe hulle pa gekom het om hulle te haal, wou hulle nie weggaan nie. Die kinders het vir Nyar-Kanyada gesmeek om saam te gaan stad toe. Sy het geglimlag en gesê: “Ek is te oud vir die stad. Ek sal vir julle wag totdat julle weer in my dorpie kom kuier.”
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 en Apiyo het haar albei ‘n stywe drukkie gegee en totsiens gesê.
Odongo and Apiyo both hugged her tightly and said goodbye.
Terug by die skool het Odongo en Apiyo vir al hulle vriende van die lewe in die dorpie vertel. Sommige kinders het gedink dat die lewe in die stad lekkerder is. Ander het gevoel die lewe in the dorpie is beter. Maar almal het saamgestem dat Odongo en Apiyo ‘n wonderlike ouma het!
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!
