The Village Under the Storm

"Can you tell me how to get there?" Polly asked at breakfast. Follow the coast road west, the sheep said. The village sits behind a bay of pale sand.

"Waweza kuniambia jinsi ya kufika huko?" Polly akauliza wakati wa kifungua kinywa. Fuata barabara ya pwani kuelekea magharibi, kondoo akasema. Kijiji kipo nyuma ya ghuba yenye mchanga mweupe.

An oystercatcher was at the site. Polly asked, "I would like to know the history of this particular monument." People lived here five thousand years ago, he said. Then sand covered the village.

Ndege mmoja alikuwa hapo eneo hilo. Polly akauliza, "Ningependa kujua historia ya ukumbusho huu maalum." Watu waliishi hapa miaka elfu tano iliyopita, akasema. Kisha mchanga ukakifunika kijiji.

The wind took half his words. "Could you please repeat that for me?" Polly asked. Every house is the same inside. A fire in the middle. Beds at each side. A stone shelf on the wall.

Upepo ulichukua nusu ya maneno yake. "Tafadhali, waweza kunirudia hayo?" Polly akauliza. Kila nyumba ni sawa ndani. Moto katikati. Vitanda pande zote mbili. Rafu ya mawe ukutani.

"Could you tell me if the museum is open tomorrow?" Polly asked. She knew she would come back. She looked into one room for a long time.

"Waweza kuniambia kama jumba la makumbusho litafunguliwa kesho?" Polly akauliza. Alijua atarudi. Alitazama chumba kimoja kwa muda mrefu.