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Die klein bushalte in ons dorpie was bedrywig met mense en oorlaaide busse. Op die grond was nog goed wat gelaai moes word. Busbestuurders het die bestemmings geskree waarheen hul busse sou gaan.
The small bus stop in my village was busy with people and overloaded buses. On the ground were even more things to load. Touts were shouting the names where their buses were going.
“Stad! Stad! Weste toe!” het ek ‘n busbestuurder hoor skree. Dit was die bus wat ek moes haal.
“City! City! Going west!” I heard a tout shouting. That was the bus I needed to catch.
Die stadsbus was amper vol, maar nog mense het probeer inklim. Party het hul bagasie onderin die bus gepak. Ander het hulle s’n op die rakke binne-in die bus gepak.
The city bus was almost full, but more people were still pushing to get on. Some packed their luggage under the bus. Others put theirs on the racks inside.
Nuwe passasiers het hul kaartjies vasgeklem terwyl hulle in die stamvol bus gesoek het vir sitplek. Vroue met klein kindertjies het hulleself vir die lang reis gemaklik gemaak.
New passengers clutched their tickets as they looked for somewhere to sit in the crowded bus. Women with young children made them comfortable for the long journey.
Ek het myself langs ‘n venster ingedruk. Die persoon langs my het ‘n groen plastieksak styf vasgehou. Hy het ou sandale en ‘n verslete jas aangehad en baie senuweeagtig gelyk.
I squeezed in next to a window. The person sitting next to me was holding tightly to a green plastic bag. He wore old sandals, a worn out coat, and he looked nervous.
Ek het uitgekyk en besef dat ek my dorpie, die plek waar ek grootgeword het, verlaat het. Ek was op pad na die groot stad toe.
I looked outside the bus and realised that I was leaving my village, the place where I had grown up. I was going to the big city.
Die oplaaiwerk was klaar en al die passasiers het gesit. Smouse het steeds hul weg in die bus in gebaan om hul produkte aan passasiers te verkoop. Almal het geskree wat hulle gehad het om te verkoop. Die woorde het vir my snaaks geklink.
The loading was completed and all passengers were seated. Hawkers still pushed their way into the bus to sell their goods to the passengers. Everyone was shouting the names of what was available for sale. The words sounded funny to me.
‘n Paar passasiers het drinkgoed gekoop. Ander het versnapperinge gekoop en daaraan begin kou. Die wat soos ek geen geld gehad het nie, het net gekyk.
A few passengers bought drinks, others bought small snacks and began to chew. Those who did not have any money, like me, just watched.
Die bedrywighede is deur die bus se getoeter onderbreek, ‘n teken dat ons gereed was om te vertrek. Die busbestuurder het vir die smouse geskree om uit die bus te klim.
These activities were interrupted by the hooting of the bus, a sign that we were ready to leave. The tout yelled at the hawkers to get out.
Smouse het mekaar uit die pad gestoot om uit die bus uit te kom. Party het kleingeld aan reisigers gegee. Ander het nog ‘n laaste poging aangewend om meer goed te verkoop.
Hawkers pushed each other to make their way out of the bus. Some gave back change to the travellers. Others made last minute attempts to sell more items.
Toe die bus die bushalte verlaat, het ek deur die venster gestaar en gewonder of ek ooit sou teruggaan na my dorpie toe.
As the bus left the bus stop, I stared out of the window. I wondered if I would ever go back to my village again.
Soos die reis gevorder het, het dit baie warm geword binne-in die bus. Ek het my oë toegemaak en gehoop ek kon slaap.
As the journey progressed, the inside of the bus got very hot. I closed my eyes hoping to sleep.
My gedagtes het egter huis toe gedwaal. Sal my ma veilig wees? Sal my hasies geld maak? Sal my boetie onthou om my boompies water te gee?
But my mind drifted back home. Will my mother be safe? Will my rabbits fetch any money? Will my brother remember to water my tree seedlings?
Op pad het ek die plek waar my oom in die groot stad bly, gememoriseer. Ek het dit steeds gemompel toe ek aan die slaap raak.
On the way, I memorised the name of the place where my uncle lived in the big city. I was still mumbling it when I fell asleep.
Nege ure later, het ek wakker geword van ‘n harde gehamer en ‘n geroep na passasiers wat na my dorpie toe wou gaan. Ek het my sakkie gegryp en uit die bus gespring.
Nine hours later, I woke up with loud banging and calling for passengers going back to my village. I grabbed my small bag and jumped out of the bus.
Die bus wat sou teruggaan, was vinnig besig om vol te word. Binnekort sou dit ooswaarts gaan. Die belangrikste vir my, was om te begin soek na my oom se huis.
The return bus was filling up quickly. Soon it would make its way back east. The most important thing for me now, was to start looking for my uncle’s house.
