Jeļā Kautiej itok wōt jān Un̄n̄are Peid Make

José Alberto Navas (as told to Miriam Sweeney)

San José, Costa Rica

Ikar juon rim̧are, ewōr jilu nejū, im ikar jab juon rijerbal. An ejjeļo̧k aō jerbal ekōm̧m̧an bwe en ejjeļo̧k aō kōjatdikdik. Ikar inepata kōn ineem̧m̧an eo an baam̧le eo aō, im ekar bōjrak aō lōke eō make.

Lio pāleō, Carla, ekar rōjan̄ eō bwe in pād ilo juon kurup in un̄n̄are peid make. Ekar kajokook n̄an eō bwe in kwaļo̧k ke ejjeļo̧k aō jerbal, ak ekar rōjan̄ eō bwe in pād ilo kurup eo bwe in maron̄ kar lale baam̧le eo am̧.

Ikar kattoto ilo aō kar kajjieon̄ kōm̧m̧ane. Ke ij pād ilo kurup in, ikar kile bwe kapeel ko aō ilo English renaaj kar ļap tokjāier ilo jikin jerbal ko. Ikar ekkatak English ilo mijen eo aō, ak ikar jeļā wōt wāween kōnono kōn kabun̄. Ikar bōk kūlaaj in English ko me Kabun̄ in ekar ejaaki n̄an kōkm̧anm̧anļo̧k jon̄ak naan ko aō. Ke ikar jepļaak jān kūlaaj in English eo juon raan, Carla ekar letok cell phone eo.

“Wōn in?” Iaar kajjitōk.

“Ijjab jeļā,” eaar ba. “Rej kōnono ilo kajin English.”

Ekar wōr juon eo ej loloorjake jerbal ko jān juon iaan kom̧pani ko reļļap ilo Costa Rica bwe en intōrpiuiki eō. Ekar ļo̧kjeņaō, ak intōrpiu eo ekar lukkuun em̧m̧an. Ikar ekkatak tokālik bwe Carla ekar kajjejet iien intōrpiu eo.

Ikar tōprak ilo jerbal eo, im ikar keememej wāween an kurup in un̄n̄are peid make kar jipan̄ eō. Innām ikar ļōmņak kōn an em̧m̧anļo̧k aō mour kaki ta ko iaar ekkatak jāni. Ikar jino aō reitoreitak kōn juon jerbal eo em̧m̧anļo̧k im ikar lo juon. Innām ikar jerbal bwe in jino pejnej in ekkal eo aō make.

Ikar jab maron̄ antoone ļo̧k baam̧le eo aō im jon̄an eo in kar tōpare n̄e en kar jab kōn ijjino in em̧ōj aō bōke jān un̄n̄are peid make. Ikar ekkatak bwe in ettā im n̄an kajjitōk jipan̄ ippān Irooj. Ikar barāinwōt ekkatak n̄an kōtļo̧k bwe ro rekōņaan jipan̄ eō n̄an kōjeraam̧m̧an mour eo aō. Jej bōk elōn̄ kōjeraam̧m̧an ko. Ij kiiō jeļā kautiej, im imaron̄ kōjeraam̧m̧an baam̧le eo aō kōn wōņāeō. Ijeļā bwe Jetōb ej kōjeraam̧m̧an kōj n̄e jej ettā bōro.