“Bato in Dān eo Erup,” Jera, O̧kwōj 2023, peij–peij.
Bato in Dān eo Erup
Kadie ekar maro. Ekōjkan an Sophi maron̄ jipaņ?
Bwebwenato in ekar bōk jikin ilo Sierra Leone.
Sophia ekar kanooj ron̄jake ke rūkaki eo an ekar kōmeļeļeik math eo ioon blackboard eo.
“Ekwe, ta ruatimjuon alen emen?” rūkaki eo ekar kajjitōk.
Sophia ekar kajutak pein. “Jiln̄uul-jiljino,” liin ekar ba.
Rūkaki eo an ekar ettōn̄ dikdik. “Ejim̧we, Sophia!”
Ālkin kūlaaj eo, ekar iien n̄an ro̧o̧l n̄an m̧weo. Sophia ekar etetal ippān ro m̧ōttan. Raar kwaļo̧ki bato in dān ko nimier n̄an idaake bwe in dān ko nimier. Ekar juon raan ebwil!
Bōtaab Sophia ekar lo juon men eoktak. Eo m̧ōttan Kadie ekar jab idaak dān. Liin ekar etetalļo̧k ilo an ikōn̄.
“Kadie, ewi bato in dān eo nim̧ōm̧?” Sophia ekar kajjitōk. Aolep raar aolep iien maro n̄e ej jem̧ļo̧k jikuuļ.
“Ikar rupe inne, im ijjab maron̄ bōk juon kāāl,” Kadie ekar ba. “Kōn menin kiiō ijjab maron̄ bōktok dān n̄an jikuuļ.”
Sophia ekar reillo̧k n̄an bato in dān eo nimen make. Liin ekar kōņaan leļo̧k nimen! Bōtaab ekar maat nimen dān.
Aolep raan, Sophia ekar lōmņak kōn Kadie im bato in dān eo nimen erup. Ekar jab pidodo n̄an ettein̄ dān erreo ijo raar jokwe ie. Elōn̄ wōt ajri ro ewōr wōt juon aer bato in dān rej kōjerbale aolepān iiō eo. Raar tein̄i jān juon nien dān erreo ekilep ilo m̧weo. Kwomaron̄ nan̄inmej jān idaak jān dān ko jet. Eļan̄n̄e Kadie ejjeļo̧k juon an bato in dān, liin ejjab maron̄ ebbōk dān jān m̧weo n̄an idaak ilo jikuuļ.
Jibbon̄ōn eo juon, Sophia ekar ļōmņak kōn ekōjkan an maron̄ jipan̄ Kadie. Baam̧le eo an Sophia ewōr jet aer bato būļaajtik ko rebooļ kōn dān. Sophia ekar ātļo̧k juon n̄an pākpāk eo an, ippānļo̧k bato aen eo an. Ekar kōm̧m̧an bwe pāāk eo an en eddo jidik, bōtaab liin ekar jab kea.
Ke liin ekar tōparļo̧k jikuuļ, ekar lo Kadie.
“Kadie, kwonan̄in de ke bōk juon bato in dān kāāl?” Sophia ekar kajjitōk.
Kadie ekar kajōboulul bōran ilo an mejān reilaļļo̧k.
“Ekwe Em̧m̧an.” Sophia ekar ba. “Ewōr juon ippa n̄an kwe!”
Liin ekar leļo̧k n̄an Kadie bato in dān eo. Kadie ekar ettōn̄ dikdik.
“Kom̧m̧ool, Sophia!” Kadie ekar leļo̧k n̄an eo m̧ōttan juon atbakwoj ekilep.
Ilo iien kūlaaj, kadie ekar idaak jān bato in dān eo nimen ippān ajri ro jet. Sophia ekar m̧ōņōņō n̄an lo eo m̧ōttan jab aikuj in maro.
Aolep raan ilo wiik eo, Sophia ekar bar bōktok juon bato in dān n̄an eo m̧ōttan. Innām juon jibbon̄, jinen Sophia ekar kotak pāk eo an.
“Mm,” Jinen eaar ba. “Ainwōt eddoļo̧k jān m̧okta.” Liin ekar kōpeļļo̧k pākpāk eo im kwaļo̧ktok bar juon bato in dān.
“Ejim̧we ke kwar koņaan wōt bōk bar juon bato in dan̄ n̄an jikuul, Sophia?” Jinen eaar kajjitōk.
Sophia ekar em̧ajidjid. “Bato in dān eo nimen Kadie ekar rup, im liin ejjab maron̄ bar bōk juon. Kōn menin liin ejjeļo̧k nimen dān ilo jikuuļ.”
“Ewi toon am̧ ebbōk bar dān n̄an e?” Jinen eaar kajjitōk.
“Wiik in wōt,” Sophia ekar ba. “Ijjab kōņaan bwe Kadie ej maro.”
M̧am̧a ekar ettōn̄ dikdik. “Ej juon men em̧m̧an kōn kwe kōn am̧ ļōmņak kōn eo m̧ōttam̧. Ej juon men me Jisōs enaaj kar kōm̧m̧ane. Ij m̧ōņōņō n̄an lo am̧ āinwōt Jisōs.” Liin ekar leļo̧k n̄an Sophia juon atbakwoj. “Im ij ļōmņak ijeļā bar juon wāween jemaron̄ jipan̄.”
Jinen ekar leļo̧k n̄an Sophia juon bato in aibōj aen. “Leļo̧k menin n̄an eo m̧ōttam̧ ijello̧kin bwe en maron̄ kōjerbale wōt. Ilo wāween in kwojjab aikuj bōk juon bato būļaajtik aolep raan.”
“M̧ool ke?” Sophia ekar kajjitōk.
M̧am̧a ekar em̧ajidjid. “Aaet. Baj kajjitōk ippān liin n̄an kōjparoke.”
Sophia ekar bōk bato in dān eo n̄an jikuuļ. Men eo jinoin tata liin ekar kōm̧m̧ane ekar leļo̧k n̄an Kadie bato eo.
“Wow,” Kadie ekar ba. “Kom̧m̧ool, Sophia!” Kadie ekar leļo̧k n̄an liin juon atbakwoj ekilep.
Sophia ekar en̄jake okmeņeņ itulowa. Liin ekar jeļā ekar aikuj in jipan̄ eo m̧ōttan, āinwōt kar Jisōs.
Kōm̧eļeļe ko jān Melissa Kashiwagi