Friday, September 23, 2022

Toti Kalunga owandjeni? (Do you consider God to be from your home?)

 

Toti Kalunga owandjeni? (Do you consider God to be from your home?)

A man from Opuwo residing in Windhoek needed N$100.00 one day, and he has a friend who is a Kwambi woman in Opuwo. To beg her for N$100.00, he chooses to call his buddy, a Kwambi woman. The gentleman referred to his Kwambi acquaintance and said, "Life is not always balanced as they used to say." According to the saying, a good friend is one who assists you in times of need rather than abandoning you to fend for yourself. However, things did not turn out as predicted that day. A man from Opuwo who lives in Windhoek phoned a Kwambi woman on the phone, and despite the fact that one of them speaks Otjiherero and the other Oshiwambo, both of them are able to communicate in both languages.

Even in your darkest mood, when someone welcomes you with a genuine smile and sincerity, most likely you would notice the greeting and reply correctly, the gentle began chatting in Oshiwambo to arrange his friend. Such a greeting has the potential to be so potent that it could even cause you to grin and instantly lift your mood. In response to the woman's initial "ongiini lyamee" (How are you, my buddy) question, a Kwambi woman said, "nawa owala shike." Good, what do you want? She asked. The man replied, "What's up, my dear friend? I suppose greeting is one of the essential roles of communication and generates constructive dialogues. Or maybe you didn't want me to greet you in Oshiwambo or Oshikwambi for that matter.

 I thought greeting will make us feel more personally connected to one another. I apologize for my ignorance; I believed a simple (ngiini) could make someone like you who is alone smile. I had no idea that it would make you upset. I don't have time to continue with those many stories, so just tell me what you want me to do for you, she said. The man responded, "Please lend me N$100.00." Please lend it to me; I need it. What have you ever given me in your life, or just that refreshing drink you bought for me at Spar, the Kwambi woman retorted? The guys countered that I had previously purchased airtime. Do you think Kalunga wandjeni, I won't squander my money, my dear, and sometimes you think maybe God won't care for us as much as care for you? The woman retorted.

According to the Otjiherero proverb "The gentleman wa rasa orutake" (the gentleman licked a stirring stick), the gentleman had very significant issues. The man was at a loss for words once more. In Otjiherero, there is a proverb that reads, "Ehi ra ura ovikombe, ovakazendu va ura ovarumendu" (Wives conquered husbands and dust defeated brooms). i.e., things are in disarray and the situation has altered. The lady did not take into account the Oshiwambo saying, which reads, "The one who gives you little is better than nothing," but she thought the refreshing drink and the airtime were little to her. There are no ladders to go to the sky, so one cannot climb it. In the event that your defender perishes, you are left helpless and stranded. As a result of his shock, the man cut off the phone without saying goodbye.

Written by: The Himbacracy Philosopher

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