Nanzi ku e kolebra Barbakiná ― Nanzi and the snake Barbakiná
Nilda Pinto
From: Pinto, N. (2018, 1st edition). Kuenta di e araña Kompa Nanzi; Stories of the spider Kompa Nanzi. Curaçao: Fundashon Instituto Raúl Römer. (p. 92-97)
Koma Barbakiná tabata pepe di Pegasaya, e yu mas chikitu di Kompa Nanzi. Tur ora e madrina sa manda un kos di grasia pa su ihá. Ku no ta kala, ta pastechi. Si no ta empaná, ta repa. Pasobra Koma Barbakiná tabata kushiná pa hopi trahadó di Shon Arei. Tur dia e tabata traha dushi repa.
Koma Barbakiná was the madrina[1] of Pegasaya, Kompa Nanzi’s youngest son. Often, the madrina would send a small gift for her godchild. If it wasn’t kala,[2] it was a pastechi.[3] If it wasn’t an empaná,[4] it was a pancake. You see, Koma Barbakiná cooked for the workers of Shon Arei, the King. Every day, she made delicious pancakes.
Nanzi a kaba di haña un trabou serka Shon Arei. Tur dia e mester a bari kurá i hiba mèst na un otro kurá. Pa e bai trabou e mester pasa dilanti di kas di su komader. Komo e tabata gusta repa di maishi chikitu mashá, un mainta el a disidí di drenta serka su komader. Barbakiná a risibié mashá bon. Nanzi a haña un kòmchi floriá yen di kòfi i dos repa di maishi chikitu. Nanzi a gosa e kos i el a kere ku e prèt akí por a dura.
Nanzi had just gotten a job working for Shon Arei. Every day, he had to clean the paddocks and then take manure to a nearby garden. On his way to work, Nanzi would walk by the home of Pegasaya’s madrina. Because he loved pancakes made with cornmeal, he decided one morning to visit her.
Barbakiná received Nanzi warmly. Nanzi got a flowered cup filled with coffee and two pancakes made with cornmeal. Nanzi smacked his lips, thinking he would be able to visit her every day.
Ma Barbakiná a komprondé su intenshon. Despues di un siman, komader a laga su kompader sinta te e no por mas, sin ofres’é ni un glas di awa.
Finalmente Nanzi a komprondé, ku Barbakiná no tabata apresiá su bishita. El a studia un otro plan: for di awor lo e bai kumpra repa… ma sin sèn!
But Barbakiná knew exactly what Nanzi was thinking. After a week, the madrina let her friend Nanzi sit until the cows came home, not even offering him a glass of water.
Finally, Nanzi understood that Barbakiná did not appreciate his visits. He then thought of a different plan: “From now on, he’d buy the pancakes from her… but, without money!”
E promé i e di dos dia el a saka su pòtmòni i paga e sèn religiosamente. Ma di tres dia el a bisa ku e no tin sèn largá. Despues el a bisa ku lo e manda un di e yunan ku e plaka. Enfin, kada dia e tabatin un preteksto kla.
Ma kumpra sin paga no tabata kumbiní Koma Barbakiná. El a harta di bèrdè mes. Den su rabia el a grita: “Awe nochi mes mi ta mata Nanzi!”
The first and second day, he reached for his wallet, paying dutifully. But the third day, he explained he didn’t have any small change. Then he said he’d send one of his children with the money. Every day he had another excuse. But Koma Barbakiná wanted none of this, people buying without payment. She got angry. Furious, she screamed: “Tonight, I’m going to kill Nanzi.”
Bisiñanan a kore bai bisa Nanzi. Mesora Nanzi a bisti su paña i el a bai serka Koma Kabritu.
“Ai, Koma Kabritu, mi ta sinti mi malu. Bo no por yuda mi? Bin drumi na mi kas pa bo kompañá Shi Maria. E pober ta trèntu henter dia ku nuebe yu. Ora e pone su kabes abou, ni dònder no ta lant’é. Kaba awe nochi dòkter mes ta bini. Ai, ai, ai …”
The neighbors ran over to tell Nanzi what they’d heard. Quickly, Nanzi got dressed and went to see Koma Kabritu, the goat.
“Ai, Koma Kabritu, I’m feeling sick. Can you help me out? Please spend the night with us to keep Shi Maria company. The poor woman runs herself ragged all day with nine children. When she lays her head down, not even a thunderclap could wake her up. And precisely tonight when the doctor himself is coming over. Ai, ai, ai …”
Koma Kabritu tabata kla pa bisa nò. Nanzi a ripará esei, p’esei el a dal un gritu duru:
“Ai, ousilio, mi ta muri, esta un doló!” Kada be e tabata grita un poko mas duru. Kaba e tabata keha manera ta awor e ta keda aden.
Koma Kabritu a haña duele di dje i el a primintí, ku e anochi ei lo e ta presente na kas di Nanzi. Mirando Nanzi kokochá bai, e di: “E pober, Dios sa kuantu doló e no tin.”
Koma Kabritu wanted to say no. Nanzi saw that, so he uttered a scream:
“Ai, help! I’m dying! So much pain!” He screamed louder and louder. Then he moaned, like someone not able to catch his breath.
Koma Kabritu felt sorry for Nanzi and promised to come over that evening. As she watched Nanzi stumbling away, she said: “That poor guy. God knows how much pain he’s in.”
Ora Koma Kabritu a bati na porta di Nanzi e anochi ei, Nanzi di:
“Koma Kabritu, bai drumi tras di porta, ya bo por tende dòkter bini.”
Koma Kabritu a habri kama abou pa e drumi. Despues di un ratu tur tabata na soño. Ma banda di diesdos or, Nanzi a kuminsá keha ora pa ora mas duru. Koma Kabritu a lanta, puntr’é ta ki ta falt’e.
“Ai, doló ta sera mi. Mi ta muri. Ah, danki Dios, ata dòkter!”
When the goat knocked on Nanzi’s door that evening, Nanzi said:
“Koma Kabritu, please sleep behind the door, that way you can hear the doctor coming.”
Koma Kabritu unfolded her sleeping mat on the ground, turning in. Soon, everyone was asleep. But around midnight, Nanzi started moaning louder and louder. Koma Kabritu woke up and asked Nanzi what was wrong.
“Ai, I can’t stand the pain anymore. I’m dying. Ah, thank God, there’s the doctor!”
Koma Kabritu a habri porta. Barbakiná a weta porta habrí i el a kere ku ta Nanzi tabata pará einan. El a morde Koma Kabritu asina duru, ku e pober a dal abou. Morto!
Despues di un ratu, Nanzi a lanta, bisti paña i bai tira Koma Kabritu na laman.
Su manisé el a bai atrobe ku un kara seku serka Koma Barbakiná pa fia dos repa.
Koma Kabritu opened the door. Barbakiná saw the door open and thought it was Nanzi standing there. She bit Koma Kabritu so hard the poor goat collapsed to the floor. Dead!
Shortly thereafter, Nanzi got up, threw on some clothes, and went to toss Koma Kabritu into the ocean.
The next day, he went to Barbakiná with a blank face to buy two pancakes on credit.
“Ma Nanzi, no t’abo mi a morde mata ayera nochi?” Barbakiná a puntra babuká i desapuntá.
“Si bo a morde mi mihó, lo mi a muri, ma bo mes no ta mira kon tánkatan mi ta?”
“O.k., awe mi ta fia bo, ma mañan no mas.”
Nanzi a komprondé ku mihó e no bai kumpra repa mas. Ma e tabata manda un di su yunan sí òf Shi Maria mes. Ma ningun no tabata bai ku plaka. Tur kos tabata kaba na un fiamentu.
“But, Nanzi, didn’t I bite you last night, killing you?” Barbakiná asked, surprised and disappointed.
“If you had bitten me harder, I would have died. But can’t you see I am alive and kicking?”
“Okay then, today you can buy on credit, but tomorrow it’s over.”
Nanzi realized he’d better not buy any more pancakes.
Instead, he sent one of his children or Shi Maria. But none of them would ever have any money with them. Everything was always on credit.
Barbakiná a sara. Den un di e mannan ei el a kometé e imprudensia di bisa Pegasaya:
“Si Papa no manda paga mi, mi ta mata Papa awe nochi mes. E tin mi pasenshi den un bòter.”
Pegasaya a konta Papa loke su madrina a bis’é. Mesora Nanzi a bai hunga e mésun komedia ku el a hunga ku Koma Kabritu, pero e biaha akí ku Koma Baka. Te ora Koma Barbakiná a mata Koma Baka, Nanzi a keda sosegá.
Barbakiná had enough. One of those times, growing careless, she said to Pegasaya:
“If your papa doesn’t pay me, I’ll kill him tonight. My patience is running out.”
Pegasaya told his papa what his madrina had said. Quickly, Nanzi set into motion the same plan as with Koma Kabritu, but now with Koma Baka, the cow. Not until Barbakiná killed Koma Baka did Nanzi feel safe again.
Di tres biaha el a pidi Kompa Makaku pa bin kompañ’é. Kompa Makaku a bai pa bai drumi na kas di Nanzi pa risibí dòkter. Ma e pèster a subi sinta riba un balki bou di dak. Kiko ku Nanzi a papia no a sirbi. Kompa Makaku di ku e ta un poko ferkout i ku si e drumi tras di porta lo e bira pió. Pasobra bientu ta pasa bou di skref di porta.
The third time, he asked Kompa Makaku, the monkey, to keep him company. The monkey came to spend the evening with Nanzi to receive the doctor.
But that rascal climbed up into the rafters. No matter what Nanzi said, it didn’t make a difference. The monkey said he had a cold and lying behind the door would make it worse, because of the draft under the door.
Ora Barbakiná a yega, el a haña porta será. Rabia a pon’é haña forsa. El a kibra e porta, haña Nanzi drumí den kama ta soda friu di spantu. Komader Barbakiná no a pèrdè pa gana. El a morde Nanzi mas duru ku e por. Esei tabata fin di Nanzi. Promé ku Barbakiná a gana porta, Nanzi a hala su delaster rosea.
Esta un kastigu grandi pa e fiamentu di repa, antó sin paga nunka!
When Barbakiná arrived, she found the door shut. Her rage gave her strength. She broke the door open and found Nanzi asleep in bed, sweating with fear. Komader Barbakiná wasted no time. She bit Nanzi as hard as she could. That was the end of Nanzi. Before Barbakiná reached the door, Nanzi had drawn his last breath.
What a heavy punishment for buying pancakes on credit, without ever paying!
Notes
[1] Madrina: godmother.
[2] Kala: finely ground and seasoned black-eyed peas, rolled into little balls, and fried in oil.
[3] Pastechi: fried pastry, stuffed with seasoned ground beef, chicken, tuna, or cheese.
[4] Empaná: fried pastry, its crust made of yellow cornmeal, stuffed with seasoned ground meat.
