The audio for this story is currently not available.
Sakima aa kara pu na ovanene ve nokaṱena kozombura ine. Ovo aave kara pehi romurumendu omutumbe. Ondjuwo yavo yomututu wehozu ya ri komaandero yomiti mbya hapere moruteto.
Sakima lived with his parents and his four year old sister.
They lived on a rich man’s land.
Their grass-thatched hut was at the end of a row of trees.
Sakima tja ri nozombura ndatu wa verere na poṱupara. Sakima wa ri omuzandona onongo wotjiyandjewa tjapeke.
When Sakima was three years old, he fell sick and lost his sight.
Sakima was a talented boy.
Sakima aa tjiti oviṋa ovazandona ovakwao vozombura hamboumwe mbi ve ha yenene okutjita. Tjimuna, aa yenene okuhaama pamwe novandu ovanene motjirongo nokuhungirira komapu omanahepero.
Sakima did many things that other six year old boys did not do.
For example, he could sit with older members of the village and discuss important matters.
Ovanene va Sakima aave ungura ponganda yomurumendu omutumbe. Ovo aave i rukuru muhuka nokukotoka mongurova onene. Sakima ongwaa sewa pamwe nokaṱena.
The parents of Sakima worked at the rich man’s house.
They left home early in the morning and returned late in the evening.
Sakima was left with his little sister.
Sakima wa suverere okuimbura. Eyuva rimwe ina we mu pura, “Hapo omaimburiro nga we rihonga pi, Sakima?”
Sakima loved to sing songs.
One day his mother asked him, “Where do you learn these songs from, Sakima?”
Sakima wa zirire, “Owo ye ya oyeni, mama. Ami mbi ye zuva motjiuru tjandje nu e imbura.”
Sakima answered, “They just come, mother. I hear them in my head and then I sing.”
Sakima wa suverere okuimburira okaṱena, tjinene indu tji ka ṱondjara. Okaṱena aake puratene nawa indu tji ma imbura eimburiro re esuverwa. Oko aake pundu okambosiro okanyaṋukise ngo.
Sakima liked to sing for his little sister, especially, if she felt hungry.
His sister would listen to him singing his favourite song.
She would sway to the soothing tune.
“Imbura rukwao na rukwao, Sakima.” okaṱena ke rihekere ku ye. Sakima otjaa yarukire po nokuyarukirapo.
“Can you sing it again and again, Sakima,” his sister would beg him.
Sakima would accept and sing it over and over again.
Ongurova imwe ovanane ve tji va kotoka konganda, nu tjandje va mwina uriri. Sakima wa tjiwa kutja pe notjiṋa tji tji he ri nawa.
One evening when his parents returned home, they were very quiet.
Sakima knew that there was something wrong.
“Mwa hapa vi, tate na mama?” Sakima wa purire. Sakima wa raerwa kutja omuzandu womurumendu ingwi omutumbe wa zengi. Omurumendu ngwi u na oruhoze nu wa sewa erike.
“What is wrong, mother, father?” Sakima asked.
Sakima learned that the rich man’s son was missing.
The man was very sad and lonely.
“Ami me yenene okukemuimburira. Ngahino ma yenene okuyoroka rukwao.” Nungwari imba ovanene ve va panḓa. “Eye wa tumba tjinene. Ove oove okazandona okapoṱu uriri. Mo ripura kutja eimburiro mari mu vatere poo?”
“I can sing for him. He might be happy again,” Sakima told his parents.
But his parents dismissed him.
“He is very rich. You are only a blind boy. Do you think your song will help him?”
Nungwari, Sakima kayarukire ombunda. Okaṱena wina ke mu pere omasa. “Omaimburiro wa Sakima ye ndji wisa omuinyo pehi tji mba ṱondjara. Owo wina maye wisa omuinyo womurumendu omutumbe pehi.”
However, Sakima did not give up.
His little sister supported him.
She said, “Sakima’s songs soothe me when I am hungry. They will soothe the rich man too.”
Eyuva ependukirwa, Sakima wa ningira okaṱena kutja ke mu nane korupangu okuyenda kondjuwo yomurumendu omutumbe.
The following day, Sakima asked his little sister to lead him to the rich man’s house.
Eye wa kakurama kehi yorwiho orunene na utu okuimbura eimburiro re esuverwa. Kouṱiṱiṱiṱi, otjiuru tjomurumendu omutumbe tja uta okuyeruruka porwiho.
He stood below one big window and began to sing his favourite song.
Slowly, the head of the rich man began to show through the big window.
Ovaungure va isire imbi mbyaave ungura. Ovo va puratenene keimburiro ra Sakima ewa. Nungwari omurumendu umwe wa tjere, “Kape nomundu ngwa rora okuhuhumiṋa omuhona wetu. Okazandona okapoṱu nga make munu kutja make mu huhumiṋa?
The workers stopped what they were doing. They listened to Sakima’s beautiful song.
But one man said, “Nobody has been able to console the boss. Does this blind boy think he will console him?”
Sakima wa manene okuimbura na tanauka okuyaruka. Nungwari ingwi omurumendu omutumbe wa utukire na tja, “Arikana imbura rukwao.”
Sakima finished singing his song and turned to leave.
But the rich man rushed out and said, “Please sing again.”
Moiri ndjo, ovarumendu vevari otji ve ya, ava tjindi omundu porwara. Ovo va vazere omuzandu womurumendu omutumbe ngwa tonwa nokuisiwa meṋe yondjira.
At that very moment, two men came carrying someone on a stretcher.
They had found the rich man’s son beaten up and left on the side of the road.
Omurumendu ingwi omutumbe wa yorokere tjinene okumuna omuzandu we rukwao. Eye wa yandja ondangu ku Sakima kokumuhuhumiṋa. Eye wa twarere omuzandu we na Sakima kotjipangero kutja Sakima ma kapangwe na ute okumuna rukwao.
The rich man was so happy to see his son again.
He rewarded Sakima for consoling him.
He took his son and Sakima to hospital so Sakima could regain his sight.
Ursula Nafula
Peris Wachuka
Angelika Tjoutuku & Asnath Mundjindjiri
Otjiherero
Level 3
The audio for this story is currently not available.
