Die vlek - Piet Nell
Henry hears a man speaking rudely (ongeskik/kwaai) to him, asking what’s taking
him so long and the boy feels his guide dog (gidshond) stiffen (verstyf) even before
she stops in her tracks (spore vassteek), growling (knorrend). He lays his hand
calmingly (kalmerend) on her neck where the hackles (vag) are raised to indicate
(aan te dui) her unease. She growls (grom) deep from within her chest (borskas).
Henry speaks softly (sag), soothingly (gerusstellend) to his dog, Aiku, saying that it is
only constable Harms and that he means (bedoel) well. He can feel Aiku shaking
(trillend) under his hand.
Henry wipes (vee) his face, touching the sunglasses (donkerbril) on his blind eyes,
shaking (skud) his head slightly (effens). People are moving (beweeg) around
(rondom) him, cars are grumbling (grom) past, tyres (bande) screeching (skree)
around bends (draai) and in the distance (veraf) a siren (sirene) shrills (skril).
The traffic officer (verkeersman) is really upset (omgekrap), saying that Henry might
think he means well but he is fed up (keelvol) with people who think they know better
and drive like they want (wil). Henry makes a calming (kalmerende) sound (geluid)
that only serves (dien) to anger (ontstel) the cop even more.
Constable Harms tells Henry to cross the street before he helps the dog across with
his foot (met my skoen aanhelp), continuing that things are getting worse (erger) by
the day (daagliks) at the crossing (cruising) of Vryheid Street and Mandela Lane
(Mandelalaan). He vents about not being at the stupid (simpel) meeting
(vergadering) because could you imagine (verbeel) what would be going on at the
crossing without him!
Somebody bumps (stamp) him and he curses (swets), another person shoves
(pomp) Henry in the ribs (ribbes) and Aiku growls (knor) sharply (skerp).
Henry hears someone groan (kreun) about their head before someone stumbles
(struikel) and falls.
Brakes (remme) shriek (krys) and metal rubs (skuur) against metal. Henry almost
(amper) drops (laat val) Aiku’s leash (leiband) when someone almost (byna) bumps
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION
1
OF ANY KIND ALLOWED
, him over (onderstebo loop).
He wonders what is happening and then all of a sudden finds himself in a
wonderland (wonderwêreld) of light and colour (kleur).
He blinks (knip sy oë), takes the sunglasses off and looks around, astounded
(verstom). It’s as if he wants to satisfy (bevredig) the years of hunger (honger) in one
moment (oomblik). How he hasn’t dreams (gedroom) about being able to see! And
now …
What is orange (oranje) and how does green really (regtig) look (lyk)? Gras and
trees are green. But this (só) green? The sky (lug) is blue, and clouds (wolke) are
white and today the sky is so blue that Henry’s head feels dizzy (duisel) whilst he is
staring with his mouth open (oopmond). Bright white (blinkwit) clouds drift up high in
the endless (eindelose) blue-blue-blue.
Henry mumbles (prewel) the color blue and lifts his hand, amazed (verwonderd) as if
he wants to touch (raakvat) the sky. The sun is yellow (geel), and roses are red; oh,
how incredible (ongelooflik) it all is! Then it catches (tref) his eye: the big spot/splash
(blerts) against the skyscraper (wolkekrabber) in front of him. He shivers (ril) slightly
(effens).
He looks at the leather leash (leerband) in his hand, all the way to Aiku who has
been his eyes for so long. The dog stares growlingly (knorrend) at the skyscraper
and it’s as though (asof) she doesn’t even know that Henry is there with her. Two
cars collide (bots) and the owners (eienaars) glare (gluur) at each other (mekaar).
They wave (waai) their hands and one of them makes a fist (vuis). He wonders if the
official (beampte) standing by them is traffic officer (verkeerskonstabel) Harms. He
looks so angry (boos) with his swollen (opgeswelde) face (gesig) and big belly
(maag). All around him (oral) people look upset (ontsteld) and angry (vererg). It’s
only Henry who cannot stop smiling (glimlag) and who wants to skip (huppel) down
the street, dancing. Henry cannot stop looking: shops (winkels), clothes (klere),
people’s faces. But why do they all look so angry (boos)? If only they knew, they
would rejoice (juig) with him. He is suddenly (skielik) in a hurry (haastig) to get home.
Wait until his parents (ouers) hear about what happened …
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION
2
OF ANY KIND ALLOWED
Henry hears a man speaking rudely (ongeskik/kwaai) to him, asking what’s taking
him so long and the boy feels his guide dog (gidshond) stiffen (verstyf) even before
she stops in her tracks (spore vassteek), growling (knorrend). He lays his hand
calmingly (kalmerend) on her neck where the hackles (vag) are raised to indicate
(aan te dui) her unease. She growls (grom) deep from within her chest (borskas).
Henry speaks softly (sag), soothingly (gerusstellend) to his dog, Aiku, saying that it is
only constable Harms and that he means (bedoel) well. He can feel Aiku shaking
(trillend) under his hand.
Henry wipes (vee) his face, touching the sunglasses (donkerbril) on his blind eyes,
shaking (skud) his head slightly (effens). People are moving (beweeg) around
(rondom) him, cars are grumbling (grom) past, tyres (bande) screeching (skree)
around bends (draai) and in the distance (veraf) a siren (sirene) shrills (skril).
The traffic officer (verkeersman) is really upset (omgekrap), saying that Henry might
think he means well but he is fed up (keelvol) with people who think they know better
and drive like they want (wil). Henry makes a calming (kalmerende) sound (geluid)
that only serves (dien) to anger (ontstel) the cop even more.
Constable Harms tells Henry to cross the street before he helps the dog across with
his foot (met my skoen aanhelp), continuing that things are getting worse (erger) by
the day (daagliks) at the crossing (cruising) of Vryheid Street and Mandela Lane
(Mandelalaan). He vents about not being at the stupid (simpel) meeting
(vergadering) because could you imagine (verbeel) what would be going on at the
crossing without him!
Somebody bumps (stamp) him and he curses (swets), another person shoves
(pomp) Henry in the ribs (ribbes) and Aiku growls (knor) sharply (skerp).
Henry hears someone groan (kreun) about their head before someone stumbles
(struikel) and falls.
Brakes (remme) shriek (krys) and metal rubs (skuur) against metal. Henry almost
(amper) drops (laat val) Aiku’s leash (leiband) when someone almost (byna) bumps
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION
1
OF ANY KIND ALLOWED
, him over (onderstebo loop).
He wonders what is happening and then all of a sudden finds himself in a
wonderland (wonderwêreld) of light and colour (kleur).
He blinks (knip sy oë), takes the sunglasses off and looks around, astounded
(verstom). It’s as if he wants to satisfy (bevredig) the years of hunger (honger) in one
moment (oomblik). How he hasn’t dreams (gedroom) about being able to see! And
now …
What is orange (oranje) and how does green really (regtig) look (lyk)? Gras and
trees are green. But this (só) green? The sky (lug) is blue, and clouds (wolke) are
white and today the sky is so blue that Henry’s head feels dizzy (duisel) whilst he is
staring with his mouth open (oopmond). Bright white (blinkwit) clouds drift up high in
the endless (eindelose) blue-blue-blue.
Henry mumbles (prewel) the color blue and lifts his hand, amazed (verwonderd) as if
he wants to touch (raakvat) the sky. The sun is yellow (geel), and roses are red; oh,
how incredible (ongelooflik) it all is! Then it catches (tref) his eye: the big spot/splash
(blerts) against the skyscraper (wolkekrabber) in front of him. He shivers (ril) slightly
(effens).
He looks at the leather leash (leerband) in his hand, all the way to Aiku who has
been his eyes for so long. The dog stares growlingly (knorrend) at the skyscraper
and it’s as though (asof) she doesn’t even know that Henry is there with her. Two
cars collide (bots) and the owners (eienaars) glare (gluur) at each other (mekaar).
They wave (waai) their hands and one of them makes a fist (vuis). He wonders if the
official (beampte) standing by them is traffic officer (verkeerskonstabel) Harms. He
looks so angry (boos) with his swollen (opgeswelde) face (gesig) and big belly
(maag). All around him (oral) people look upset (ontsteld) and angry (vererg). It’s
only Henry who cannot stop smiling (glimlag) and who wants to skip (huppel) down
the street, dancing. Henry cannot stop looking: shops (winkels), clothes (klere),
people’s faces. But why do they all look so angry (boos)? If only they knew, they
would rejoice (juig) with him. He is suddenly (skielik) in a hurry (haastig) to get home.
Wait until his parents (ouers) hear about what happened …
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION
2
OF ANY KIND ALLOWED
