ChiShona
English
Kugara kwese, Tendai ndiye aingova mwana ega wamai vake. Vakanga vachiri mudiki pavakamuita. Vose nababa vaTendai vakanga vachiri musitandadhi yechisere panguva iyoyo.
Paakanga ava nemakore gumi nemana, Tendai akasangana nenjodzi yepamugwagwa. Akarohwa nemudhudhudhu, achibva atyoka gumbo. Akakurumbidza zvake kunaya, asi paakanga achiri muchipatara vabereki vake vainetseka zvikuru. Tendai ndiye ega mwana wavaiva naye.
Mai Tendai vakazonoti kuna baba Tendai, “Mudiwa, ucharangarira here zvakamborehwa naambuya vaTendai, kuti munhu haangaone neziso rimwe?” Baba Tendai vakagutsurira vachibvumirira.
Tendai had always been the only child to his mother. She was still young when she had him. She and Tendai’s father were both still in standard eight at that time.
When Tendai was fourteen years old he was involved in a road accident. He was hit by a motorbike and broke his leg. He quickly recovered in full. However, when he was still in hospital his parents were very worried. Tendai was their only child.
Tendai’s mother later said to her husband, “Darling, do you remember what Tendai’s grandmother once said, that one cannot see with one eye?” Tendai’s father nodded in agreement.
Kuzoti mumwe musi iri Svondo, mushure memwedzi mitanhatu Tendai abuda muchipatara, amai vake vakavashamisa vese. Vakanotsvoda murume wavo padama ndokuti, “Mudiwa, ndinonzwa kufara zvikuru ndichikuzivisa kuti tichazenge tichikomborerwa nemumwe mwana!”
Baba Tendai vakabva vati vazu kubva pacheya pavaive, ndokunombundira mudzimai wavo. “Mazviita, amai vevana vangu,” vakadaro baba Tendai.
Tendai akanga agere pacheya yake achidya chisvusvuro paakaona nekunzwa zvese izvi. Akashaya kuti onzwa sei. Hongu, aishuvira kuvawo nemunin’ina kana hanzvadzi yekutamba nayo. Asi mumusoro make aingonzwa bedzi izwi reshamwari yake Tungamirai. “Tendai, iwe unenge unowana zvese nokuti uri zai regondo. Hauna waunorwira zvekudya naye. Hapana anopfeka nhumbi dzako asina mvumo yako. Chikuru, hauna nhamo yekugovaniswa rudo rwevabereki vako, uye hapana umwe angavatadzisa kuisa pfungwa dzavo dzese pauri.”
Izvi ndizvo zvakanga zvarehwa naTungamirai. Tendai haana kukwanisa kuzviburitsa mupfungwa dzake.
Then one Sunday, six months after Tendai’s discharge from the hospital, his mother surprised everyone. She went and kissed her husband on his cheek and said, “Darling, I am happy to let you know that we are going to be blessed with another child!”
Tendai’s father flew off the chair on which he was seated and embraced his wife. “Thank you, mother of my kids,” he said.
Tendai was in his chair eating his breakfast when he saw and heard all this. He didn’t know how to feel. Indeed he wished to have a baby brother or sister with whom he could play. Inside his head however, he could only hear the voice of his friend, Tungamirai. “Tendai, you seem to enjoy everything because you are the only child. You don’t fight with anyone over food. There is no one who wears your clothes without your permission. And most of all you do not have to share your parents’ attention and love.”
These had been Tungamirai’s words. Tendai couldn’t get them out of his head.
Mumazuva nemwedzi yakatevera, vabereki vaTendai vaipedza nguva yavo zhinji vachitaura zvekuzvarwa kwemwana wavo, nekumugadziririra. Nguva yega mai nababa Tendai vaitaura naTendai, kwainge kuri kumutsiura, kana kumupomera mhosva.
Kazhinji, Tendai aiona sekunge vaiedza kumunzvenga. Aiti akaudza amai vake zvainge zvaitika kuchikoro musi iwowo, kana zvemutambo wake wekiriketi, sezvaaimbogaroita, vaizvishayira hanya. “Tendai, ndirege ndimbozorora. Unozondiudza zvako mberi.” Vaibva vasimuka voenda. Nekuda kwezvese izvi, Tendai akaramba achifunga mashoko eshamwari yake.
Zvishoma nezvishoma, upenyu hwake hwaaiziva hwakanga hwotoshanduka.
In the days and months that followed, Tendai’s parents spent most of their time talking about and preparing for their unborn baby. The only time Tendai’s mother and father talked to Tendai was when they were reprimanding or blaming him for having done something wrong.
On several occasions, Tendai had a feeling that they were avoiding him. When he told his mother about what had happened at school that day, or about his cricket game, just as he always did before, she would brush his story aside. “Tendai, let me rest a bit. Tell me about it later.” Then she would stand up and go out. Because of all this, Tendai kept recalling his friend’s words.
Life as normal was slowly changing.
Kuzoti rimwe zuva mumwedzi waZvita, mushure memwedzi ingada kuita mipfumbamwe mushure mekutaurwa zvekuuya kwemucheche, mai Tendai vakadzoka kumba nekacheche, kamusikana kaive kakanaka zvikuru. Tendai akaita mwoyo miviri. Akafara zvikuru kuti akanga ava nehanzvadzi, asi kune rimwe divi ainetseka nepamusana pezvaakanga akaudzwa naTungamirai. Mamiriro ezvinhu mumwedzi yakanga ichangopfuura akanga amuratidza kuti Tungamirai aigona kunge aireva chokwadi.
Dzimwe nguva Tendai aiti verevere achipinda mubhedhuru revabereki vake kuti angotarisa mucheche. Matipa aichema nguva zhinji. Dzimwe nguva mai Tendai vaibva vafunga kuti Tendai ndiye ainge achemedza mwana.
Vaituma Tendai kuita chino, vokumbira icho, voda icho – zvese zvichiitirwa Matipa.
Tendai aiti akada kutaurira amai vake zvine chekuita naye, vaimuudza kuti ambomirira kuti mwana akotsire. Vaizomuudza zvakare kuti vaida kuwacha. Dzimwe nguva vaiti vakaneta nemwana, saka vaida kumbozorora.
One day in December almost nine months after the baby announcement , Tendai’s mother came home with a cute baby girl. Tendai had mixed feelings. He was so happy that finally he had a sister, but on the other hand he was worried about what Tungamirai had told him. The way things had been in the past months suggested that Tungamirai could have been right.
Sometimes Tendai would sneak into the his parents’ bedroom just to look at the baby. Matipa cried a lot. Sometimes mother would think that Tendai had done something that made her cry.
She would send Tendai for this, ask for that, need that – all for Matipa.
When Tendai wanted to tell his mother anything related to him, she would tell him to wait until the baby had gone to sleep. Later she would tell him that she had some laundry to do. Sometimes it was that the baby made her tired therefore she needed some rest.
Pakanga pasina musiyano nezvaiitwa nababa Tendai. Pavaizosvika kumba usiku vachibva kumunda vaiwana Tendai atorara kare.
Mumaziso aTendai, upenyu hwake hwakanga hwashanduka zvikuru, zvichikonzerwa nehanzvadzi yake, Matipa.
Tendai’s father was not any better. When he returned home from the fields at night, Tendai would always be long asleep.
In Tendai’s eyes, life in his home had changed so much, and the cause thereof was his baby sister, Matipa.
Tendai akanga ava mukomana aigara akasurukirwa. Akanga asisataure nevabereki vake. Aiva neshungu. Paaitumwa naamai vake aitanga kugunun’una. Akanga asisade kugara nehanzvadzi yake, kana kuiona.
Tendai became a sad and lonely boy. He stopped talking to his parents. He was filled with bitterness. When his mother sent him off for something, he would just grumble. He had stopped sitting with or seeing his sister.
Rimwe zuva achitamba zvake neshamwari yake, Tungamirai, akati, “Ucharangarira here zvawakambondiudza? Ko zvava kuitikaka kwandiri.”
“Unoreva zvipiko?” Tungamirai akabvunza. “Vabereki vangu havachamboda nezvangu,” akadaro Tendai. “Kwavari, upenyu hwangova bedzi izvo zvine chekuita nehanzvadzi yangu. Zvava kuita kunge ndiye mupenyu ega. Havachambondida. Handisisiri mwana wavo.” Tungamirai akabva apindura achiita chana, “Ndakakuudza ini!”
Shamwari mbiri idzi dzakatamba chinyararire, umwe neumwe achiti kutu kutu kufunga, dziri pfungwa dzechipwere chete.
One day while out playing with his friend, Tungamirai, he said, “Do you remember what you once said to me? Well, it is happening to me now.
“What exactly do you mean?” asked Tungamirai. “My parents no longer want to have anything to do with me,” Tendai said. “To them, life is all about my baby sister now. She seems to be the only one alive. They do not love me anymore. I am no longer their child.” Tungamirai answered childishly, “I told you so!”
These two friends played quietly, each deep in immature thoughts.
Shanduko yaTendai haina kupotswa nemeso aamai vake. Saamai vaiva nerudo, vakanga vacherechedza kuti akanga ashanduka.
Mai Tendai vakazivisa murume wavo kuti vainetseka nezvemwanakomana wavo. Baba Tendai vakavimbisa mudzimai wavo kuti vaizotaura naTendai.
The change in Tendai did not escape his mother’s eyes. As a caring mother, she had noticed that he had changed.
Tendai’s mother made her husband aware that she was worried about their son. Tendai’s father promised his wife that he would talk to Tendai.
Mumwe musi uri Mugovera mushure mekudya kwemangwanani, Baba Tendai vakati kuna Tendai, “Ungadewo here kuti tiende tese kumutambo wenhabvu nhasi?” Tendai akasimudza musoro akatarisa vabereki vake, achibva azogutsura.
Nenguva dza2 masikati, vakasimuka vachienda kunhandare yemitambo. Tendai haana chaakataura vari munzira. Aingoteerera baba vake vachitaura pamusoro pechino nechocho.
One Saturday after breakfast, Tendai’s father said to Tendai, “Do you want to come with me to the soccer match today?” Tendai lifted his head, looked at his parents and nodded.
At two o’ clock in the afternoon, they left for the sports ground. Along the way Tendai did not say anything. He just listened to his father talking about this and that.
Mushure memutambo, Baba Tendai vakakumbira mwana wavo kuti agare navo mumumvuri wemuti. Papfuura chinguva vakabva vazoti, “Tendai mwanangu, ko sei wava kugara usina mufaro? Asi uri kurwara? Amai vako vanoti ivo… ” Vakanga vasati vatombopedza kutaura pavakaona misodzi yoti mokoto pamatama aTendai. Vakabva vamumbundira ndokubvunza zvakare, “Chiiko chiri kunetsa nhai mwanangu?”
Vakamborega Tendai achichema. Anyarara, Tendai akabva ati, “Imi naAmai hamuchandida.” Baba vake vakashama. Vakabva vapindura, “Handisi kukunzwisisa ini. Unorevei?”
Tendai akavatsanangurira kuti vakanga vasisina basa naye kubvira kuzvarwa kwakaitwa Matipa. “Hamusisina kana hanya neni, zvachose. Hamuchatombondiziva,” akadaro Tendai. “Pandinoedza kutaura naAmai vanondiudza kuti vakaneta. Vanongotaura neni chete kana zvine chekuita naMatipa. Ndikada kuvaudza zvaitika kuchikoro vanoti ndimbomira. Vanogara vane chavanenge vachifanira kukurumbidza kuita mwana asati amuka. Saka ndava kuona kuti hamuchada nezvangu.”
Kunyangwe zvazvo baba vake vasina kufara nezvavainge vachangobva kunzwa, vakatura femo ndokusekerera. Vakanga vava kuziva dambudziko raTendai, uye vaikwanisa kugadzirisa zvainetsa zvacho.
Baba Tendai vakapfugama, vachibva vatarisa Tendai ndokuti, “Teerera unzwe Tendai mwanangu, ini naamai vako tinokuda zvakanyanyisa. Ndiwe dangwe redu, izvo hazvife zvakashanduka. Hapana chinhu kana munhu akakosha kudarika iwe.”
“Ndinodada nekuremekedza kwaunoita vanhu vakuru. Ndinoziva kuti unochengeta amai vako pandinenge ndiri kubasa. Unofanira kuziva zvakare kuti amai vako vanodada newe, uye vanoyemura rubatsiro rwaunovapa pamba, nepamwana. Asi chikuru, rudo rwaamai vako nerwangu runokukwanirai mese, iwe naMatipa, zvakapfuurikidza! Harufe rwakaperevedza. Uri hanzvadzi yaMatipa, uye ndinoziva kuti iye anokuda semudiro waunomuitawo.”
After the match, Tendai’s father asked his son to sit with him in the shade of a tree. After sometime, he said, “Tendai, my son, why are you unhappy? Are you perhaps sick? Your mom says …” He had not even finished talking when he saw tears rolling down Tendai’s cheeks. He hugged him and asked again, “What is the matter, son?”
He left Tendai to cry. When he had stopped crying Tendai said, “You and Mom do not love me any more”. His father was shocked. He then replied, “I don’t get it. What do you mean?”
Tendai went on to explain how they no longer cared for him ever since Matipa was born. “You do not care about me anymore, at all. You do not even recognise me,” Tendai said. “When I try talking to Mom she tells me she is tired. She only talks to me about things that concern Matipa. When I want to tell her about what happened at school she tells me to wait. She always has something she needs to do quickly before the baby wakes up. Therefore, I can see you don’t want me anymore.”
Even though his father was not happy about what he had just heard, he smiled and sighed with relief. He was now aware of Tendai’s problem, and they could solve it.
Tendai’s father knelt down, looked at Tendai and said, “Please listen to me Tendai my son, your mother and I love you very much. You are our firstborn and nothing can ever change that. There is nothing or no one that is more important than you.”
“I am proud of the respect you show older people. I know that you take care of your mom when I am at work. You should know that your mother is also proud of you and really appreciates your help around the house, and with your sister. Most importantly, my love and your mother’s is more than enough for you and Matipa! It will never run short. You are Matipa’s brother and I know she loves you just as much as you do.”
Tendai akanga akateerera chinyararire baba vake vachitaura. Vapedza kutaura, vakamupukuta misodzi vachisekerera ndokuti “Mwanangu, tingachienda zvedu?” Vaviri vakasimuka ndokugumha-gumha mabhurukwa avo vachibvisa huruva, vachibva vananga kumba.
Pavakasvika kumba, Tendai akanotsvaga amai vake. Aiziva kuti kwavaiva ndiko kwaitingovawo naMatipa. Paakaona Matipa, akamutsvoda padama achibva ati, “Mhoro, hanzvadzi yangu yepamwoyo.” Akabva azotsvodawo amai vake.
Tendai had been listening quietly while his father spoke. When he had finished speaking, he smiled as he wiped off his sons tears and said “Can we go now, son?” They both stood up, brushed the dust from their trousers and went home.
When they arrived home, Tendai went looking for his mother. He knew that wherever she was, Matipa was surely there too. When he saw Matipa, he kissed her on the cheek and said, “Hi, my beloved sister.” He went on to kiss his mother too.
‘Mwana wamai vangu’ is a translation by ZimbOriginal of the original story ‘My Mother’s Child (English),‘ translated by Sara M Mohale, based on original story Umtfwana wamake wami (Siswati), written by Sara M Mohale, illustrated by Vusi Malindi, published by Room to Read (© Room to Read, 2008) under a CC BY 4.0 license on StoryWeaver. Modification of the original work includes a change of the characters’ names, and some changes to the text.