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.
Pa citesheni ca saaca mu mushi wandi pali abantu abengi na basaaca abaiswilemo abantu. Panshi napo ninshi pali ifipe na fimbi ifyakulonga. Abalumendo ninshi baleependilila ukuleya basaaca.
“Taunu! Tauni! Kupita kumadzulo!” Ndinamvera oitanitsa kufuula. Iyo ndiyo basi ndimafuna kukwera.
“City! City! Going west!” I heard a tout shouting. That was the bus I needed to catch.
“Ku kalale! Ku kalale! Abaleya ku masamba!” Naumfwile baleepunda. Eesaaca nalingile ukuniina.
Basi yakutauni inali pafupi kudzala,koma anthu ambirianali akali kukankha kuti alowe. Ena analonga katundu yao munsi mwa basi. Ena anaika moika katundu mkati mwa basi.
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.
Saaca yaaleeya ku kalaale ninshi ili mukwisula, nomba abantu beena ninshi bacili balelwisha ukuniina. Bambi baalongele ifipe munshi ya saaca. Bambi baalongele pa tushimbi twa mukati ka saaca.
Okwera atsopano anagwira matikiti ao pomwe amafuna-funa pomwe angakhale mu basi yodzala ndi anthu. Azimai a ana ang’ono ang’ono anawakhazika bwino paulendo utali.
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.
Abaaleniina baikatiliile utumatikiti lintu baalefwaya apakwikala muli saaca iyaiswile abantu. Banamaayo abaali na baana baafwaile abaana babo apakwikala bwino pa bulendo ubutali.
Ndinaziika pafupi ndi dzenera. Munthu amena anakhala pafupi ndi ine anagwirira pulasitiki ya msipu. Anvala nkhwawilo zakale, khoti lakutha, ndipo amaoneka wamantha.
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.
Naifyantike mupeepi ne windo. Abo naikeele nabo mupeepi baikete akacola ka pulashitiki akakatapakatapa. Baafwele indyato ishakale ne jaketi ilyapwa kabili baaleemoneka mwenso-mwenso.
Ndinapenya kubwalo kwa basi ndipo ndinazindikira kuti ndinali kusiya mudzi wanga, kumalo komwe ndinakulira. Ndinali kupita ku tauni yaikulu.
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.
Naloleshe panse ya saaca elyo caisa mu maano ukuti ciine-ciine naaleefuma mu mushi wandi, incende nakuliilemo. Naleeya ku musumba ukulu.
Kulonga kunamalizika ndipo aulendo onse anakhazikika pansi. Azamalonda naonso anali kuzipatikiza kulowa mubasi kugulitsa katundu wao ku aulendo. Aliyense anali kufuula maina azomwe zinalipo zogulitsa. Mau anamveka odabwitsa kwa ine.
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.
Bapwisha ukulonga na bantu bonse baikala. Abakushitisha ninshi bacili balepitana muli saaca mu kushitisha utwamakwebo yabo ku bantu. Cila muntu alepunda amashina yafyo aaleeshitisha. Aya mashiwi baaleelanda yaaleesekesha.
Aulendo ang’ono anagulako zakumwa, ane anagulako zakudya zotsekemera za zing’ono zing’ono ndipo anayamba kutamfuna. Aja amene analibe ndalama, monga ine tinangopenyerera.
A few passengers bought drinks, others bought small snacks and began to chew. Those who did not have any money, like me, just watched.
Abalendo abanoono baashitile ifyakunwa, bambi bashita utwakulya batampa no kulya. Abashakwete indalama nga ine baletambakofye.
Zocita zimenezi zinasokonezedwa ndi kulira kwa huta ya bus, kudziwitsa kuti tinali pafupi kunyamuka. Onenezera anafuulira ogulitsa kuti atuluke kubwalo.
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.
Ukushitisha no kushita kwapumfyanishiwe lintu uuta ya saacai yalilile, ukulangisha ukuti yaali mukwima. Kondakita epakupundilila bakashitisha bonse ukuti bekile muli saaca.
Ogulitsa anakankhana wina ndi mnzace kuti atuluke mu basi. Ena anali kupereka cenji kwa apaulendo. Ena amayesa kugulitsa zinthu zao nthawi yothera.
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.
Bakashitisha balasunkana pa kufuma muli bashi. Bambi baleebwesesha cenji ku baali pa bulendo. Bambi nabo balelwisha ukushitishako ifyakulekelesha.
Pomwe basi imacoka pa sitesheni ya basi, ndinayangana padzenera. Ndinaganizira ngati ndizabweranso kumudzi wanga.
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.
Cilya saaca yafuma mu citesheni, nalaalolesha pa windo. Nalaatontokanya nga cakuti nkatala nkabwelelemo ku mushi na kabili.
Pomwe ulendo umacitika, mkati mwa basi munatentha kwambiri. Ndinatseka maso anga kuyesa kugona.
As the journey progressed, the inside of the bus got very hot. I closed my eyes hoping to sleep.
Mnjira, ndinakumbukira dzina ya malo amene amalume anakhalako mu tauni yakulu. Ndinali ndikali kung’ung’udzira pamene tulo tunanigwira ndipo ndinagona.
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.
Mu nshila naya ndesungila ishina lya ncende ukwaleikala bayaama mu kalaale. Ncili ndeilumbula mu kapoopo naponena mutulo.
Maola asanundi anai atsatira, ndinauka ndi phokoso lalikulu ndi kuitana kwa apaulendo amubasi apita kumudzi kwanga. Ndinatenga cola canga cacing’ono ndi kulumphira kubwalo kwa basi.
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.
Panuma yansa pabula, nabukila mu congo cabalepunda no kupumpusha ukwita abaleebwekelamo ku mushi wesu. Nasompola akacoola no kufuma muli saaca.
Basi yobwerera kumudzi imadzala mofulumira. Mosacedwa inayamba ulendo wopita kum’mawa. Cofunikira ceni-ceni kwa ine tsopano, cinali cakuyamba kufuna-funa nyumba ya amalume anga.
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.
Bwangu-bwangu saaca yakubwelelamo yayaileisula. Nombalinefye yalaima ukubwekelamo kukabanga. Icaali icikalamba kuli ine pali ii nshita kwamba ukufwaya iŋanda ya bayaama.
