by Javon
Nga mi sonekena phala ku mi tangela kiebhi kia iibha ku kala “mubhika” mu mbanza ia Jamestown. O diiala dia zele a mu ixanene “John”, muéne ua bhangesa o ima ioso íii kubhita n’eme, iú ua ngi te mu ulungu. O kiama kiki, a k’ixanene “Leão Branco”. Avulu mudietu a a jijidika ku tunda, katé muene eme. Mukonda dia kima kioso-kioso, nange ene a kixana “ukende”. Kioso ki tua zubha o njila íii, tua kexile mu kuenda njila ia mukuá ia lebha, iexile ni athu avulu, mu baluku, a i xanene “O Muboki ua jimbongo”. Athu avulu a bhiti mu njila íii ande dia kuia mu bhanga ubhika mu mbanza ia Jamestown. Kioso ki nga bhixila, nga divu kia iibha. Nga zozele, nga kexile mu kata, maji se-ku muthu ua ngi suu. Ene oso a sangulukile mu kumona o abhika akexile mu kalakala. Etu ki tu mesena ku tu exana mu dijina didi, maji né kiki, ene ka tu bhana valolo, nange ka-nda kolokota ku tu bhana valolo. Nga mesena kuila ngi vutuka ku muiji uami, maji nga tokala ku kala bhabha. Ki ngejiia se nga-nda kala thembu ikuxi mu kididi kiki, maji ngi mona kuila, o kididi kiki, kia fuama phala ku kuna o mixi ia makanha izuua ioso. Né muene se ki ngi tambula kitadi kioso kioso, kioso ki ngi bhanga o kikalakalu kiki kia bhonzo, o idimakaji a thandanganha ngó. Nga sange ué “abhika” a mukuá a mesena ué o mbote iami, ene a tokala ku muiji uami. Nga mono athu avulu mu njila, maji ki nga ejiia kiambote. Etu enioso ki tuene mu zuata kiambote. O mbambi iavulu mu thembu ia kixibhu, ni mbambi iavulu mu thembu ia kalolo, né muene se ki ngi kexile ni izuatu ia soko, maji nga kexile hanji mu tema kiavulu. Nga mono ué athu avulu a a jibha ku athu akua Jamestown, maji mu mbanza íii, o athu akexile uá mu fua mukonda dia uhaxi, kála kia kexile mu bhita mu jixi ja mukuá. Né muene ni ima ioso ia iibha i nga bhiti na-iu m’ukulu, ngi dielela kuila ku hádia o ima ia-nda uabha. Mukonda eme nga tena ku lenga o kididi kiki kia iibha, sé o kikuatekesu kia muthu, ni ku bheka o athu oso nga mesena. Nga mu mona kuila, ngi tena ku tunda bhabha ni kuila, ki kua-nda nangenena, nga-nda ku mi mona dingi. Nange nga-nda kala ni maka, mukonda dia ku soneka o ima ioso íii. Nga mi zolo kiavulu.
TRANSLATION:
Dear family and friends, I am writing to tell you about how bad it is to be a “slave” here in Jamestown. A very white man named “John” is responsible for this to happen to me, and he took me on an awful ship. I think that it was called the “White Lion”. Many of us were forced to go on, including me. For some reason I think they called it a “voyage”. After we went on that “voyage”, we had to go on an even worse, more crowded “voyage” on a ship called the “Treasurer”. A bunch more people passed on the “voyages” then before we all went to Jamestown to become “slaves”. I was very traumatized after arriving there. I was weak and sick, but nobody seemed to care. They all were just more happy that us “slaves” were there, really. We do not like to be called that at all, but again, they do not care and they probably will continue not caring. I just really wish that I was able to come back to all of you, but I am stuck here. I am not sure how long I will be here for, but at least, I guess, Tobacco is in this location, which I am forced to grow every single day. Even if I do not get any money while I am doing this very difficult task, the farmers do not care one bit. There are a bunch of other “slaves” here that I met who wish the exact same thing as well, and they are also the same race as me. I saw most of them on the “voyage”, but I didn’t get to know them while I was there. All of us barely wear clothes over here. It is very awful being so cold in the winter, and so hot during the summer, even if I had a lack of clothes, I still got sunburnt a lot. I have also seen many innocent people being brutally tortured and killed by the people of Jamestown, but death is also mostly caused by diseases here, like everywhere else in the world. Even if all of this bad stuff has happened to me, I think I am still hopeful for the future. Because I could possibly escape this horrible place without any help from a single person, and I might bring everyone I would like to bring with me once I escape. I just really think I will be able to leave and I will see you all again sometime soon. Also I might get in trouble for being able to write all of this. I love you all, and goodbye.