Carlos ta un hòmber di sinkuenta aña ku ta biba na Otrobanda. Tur mainta, e ta kana over di Emma Brùg pa bai traha na Punda. Awe, solo ta briya i awa ta blou. Carlos ta kana trankil, pasobra e tin tempu, i e ta gusta mira e barkunan drenta haf.

Ora e yega Punda, e ta mira un kartera maron riba suela. E kartera ta mustra bieu i e kueru ta kibrá un tiki. Hende ta pasa, pero niun hende ta wak e. Carlos ta hisa e kartera. E ta pensa: "Kisas e doño ta busk'é, e por ta importante." Carlos ta onesto, p'esei e ta habri e kartera pa wak.

No tin plaka di papel aden. Tin solamente moneda bieu i un potrèt pretu i blanku. E potrèt ta di un mucha hòmber riba baiskel ku ta hari masha dushi. Carlos ta wak e potrèt bon. E mucha ta parse konosí. "Ta ken e mucha aki ta?" e ta puntra su mes.

E ta bira e potrèt. Patras tin skirbí: "Carlos, 1985". Carlos ta hari ku emoshon. Esaki ta su mes kartera bieu! E a pèrdè e kartera aki kuarenta aña pasá ora e tabata hunga den Punda ku su amigunan.

Awor, e kartera a bini bèk. Carlos ta pone e kartera den su saku ku alegria. E no a haña plaka, pero e a haña un rekuerdo bunita di su hubentut. E ta bai trabou ku un sonrisa grandi riba su kara. Bida tin hopi sorpresa.

Vokabulario (Vocabulary)

• hòmber: man

• sinkuenta: fifty

• aña: year

• biba: to live

• mainta: morning

• kana: to walk

• brùg: bridge

• traha: to work

• solo: sun

• briya: to shine

• awa: water

• trankil: calm / quiet

• tempu: time

• gusta: to like

• mira: to see / to watch

• barku: boat / ship

• haf: harbor / port

• kartera: wallet

• maron: brown

• suela: ground / floor

• bieu: old

• kueru: leather

• kibrá: broken / cracked

• tiki: little / bit

• hende: people

• wak: to look at

• hisa: to pick up / to lift

• pensa: to think

• kisas: maybe

• doño: owner

• buska: to look for

• importante: important

• onesto: honest

• habri: to open

• plaka: money

• aden: inside

• solamente: only

• moneda: coin

• potrèt: photo / picture

• pretu: black

• blanku: white

• mucha hòmber: boy

• baiskel: bicycle

• hari: to laugh

• dushi: sweet / nice / tasty

• konosí: familiar / known

• ken: who

• puntra: to ask

• patras: back / behind

• skirbí: written

• emoshon: emotion

• pèrdè: to lose

• pasá: ago / past

• hunga: to play

• amigu: friend

• saku: pocket / bag

• alegria: joy

• haña: to find / to get

• rekuerdo: memory

• hubentut: youth / childhood

• sonrisa: smile

• sorpresa: surprise

Yena e Espasionan Bashi (Fill in the Blanks)

Fill in the blanks based on the story.

1- Carlos ta kana over di e _______ famoso tur mainta.

2- E kartera maron ta mustra _______ i kibrá.

3- Carlos ta un hòmber _______ i e no ke keda ku kos di otro hende.

4- Patras di e _______ tin un nòmber i un fecha skirbí.

Preguntanan di Opshon multipel (Multiple-Choice Questions)

Choose the correct choice based on the story.

1- Kuantu aña Carlos tin?

a) Binti aña b) Trinta aña c) Sinkuenta aña d) Sesenta aña

2- Unda Carlos ta traha?

a) Na Otrobanda b) Na Punda c) Riba Emma Brùg d) Den haf

3- Kiko Carlos a haña den e kartera?

a) Plaka di papel b) Un yabi bieu c) Solamente moneda i un potrèt d) Un karta di amor

4- Ken ta e mucha riba e potrèt?

a) Carlos su yu b) Carlos su amigu c) Carlos mes ora e tabata mucha d) Un mucha deskonosí

5- Kon Carlos ta sinti na final di e historia?

a) Tristo b) Kulpabel c) Nèrvioso d) Feliz i ku alegria

Bèrdat òf Falsu (True/False)

Read the statements and decide if they are True (Bèrdat) or False (Falsu).

1- Carlos a haña hopi plaka den e kartera.

2- E kartera tabata nobo i limpi.

3- Carlos a pèrdè e kartera kuarenta aña pasá.

4- E potrèt tabata di un mucha riba baiskel.

English Translation

The Old Wallet in Punda

Carlos is a fifty-year-old man who lives in Otrobanda. Every morning, he walks over the Emma Bridge to work in Punda. Today, the sun is shining and the water is blue. Carlos walks calmly because he has time and he likes to watch the ships enter the harbor.

When he arrives in Punda, he sees a brown wallet on the ground. The wallet looks old and the leather is cracked a bit. People are passing by, but no one looks at it. Carlos picks up the wallet. He thinks: "Maybe the owner is looking for it, it could be important." Carlos is honest, so he opens the wallet to look.

There is no paper money inside. There are only old coins and a black and white photo. The photo is of a small boy on a bicycle who is laughing very sweetly. Carlos looks at the photo well. The boy seems familiar. "Who is this boy?" he asks himself.

He turns the photo over. On the back is written: "Carlos, 1985". Carlos laughs with emotion. This is his own old wallet! He lost this wallet forty years ago when he was playing in Punda with his friends.

Now, the wallet has come back. Carlos puts the wallet in his pocket with joy. He didn't find money, but he found a beautiful memory of his youth. He goes to work with a big smile on his face. Life has many surprises.

Answer Key

Fill in the blanks: 1. brùg, 2. bieu, 3. onesto, 4. potrèt

Multiple Choice: 1. c, 2. b, 3. c, 4. c, 5. d

True or False: 1. Falsu, 2. Falsu, 3. Bèrdat, 4. Bèrdat