May 31, 2025

Polling Pranks and Petals: Pieter's Unexpected Voting Day

14 minutes

Fluent Fiction - Afrikaans: Polling Pranks and Petals: Pieter's Unexpected Voting Day
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/af/episode/2025-05-31-22-34-02-af

Story Transcript:

Af: Die sonlig skyn helder deur die vensters van die stemlokaal in Kaapstad.
En: The sunlight shines brightly through the windows of the polling station in Kaapstad.

Af: Herfsblare lê gestrooi oor die ingang.
En: Autumn leaves are scattered across the entrance.

Af: Die vars herfsbries waai saggies binne toe mense die deur oopmaak.
En: The fresh autumn breeze gently blows in as people open the door.

Af: Dis stemdag, en die energie in die kamer is tasbaar.
En: It's voting day, and the energy in the room is palpable.

Af: Voters beweeg geduldig tussen die stembusse, en onder hulle is Pieter.
En: Voters move patiently between the ballot boxes, and among them is Pieter.

Af: Pieter is in sy vroeë dertigerjare, 'n bietjie vergeetagtig, maar altyd goedhartig.
En: Pieter is in his early thirties, a bit forgetful, but always kind-hearted.

Af: Hy het een doel voor oë: om sy stem vinnig te wys want Anika, die vrou vir wie hy 'n sagte plekkie het, sal dalk sien hoe pligsgetrou hy is.
En: He has one goal in mind: to cast his vote quickly because Anika, the woman he has a soft spot for, might see how dutiful he is.

Af: Sy donker hare hang los oor sy voorkop terwyl hy deur die kamer beweeg, met 'n effense rooi op sy wange.
En: His dark hair hangs loose over his forehead as he moves through the room, with a slight redness on his cheeks.

Af: Maar Jaco, sy dromerige vriend, is ook daar.
En: But Jaco, his dreamy friend, is also there.

Af: Hy het altyd 'n grap in die mou.
En: He always has a joke up his sleeve.

Af: Vandag is geen uitsondering nie.
En: Today is no exception.

Af: Jaco het 'n pen in Pieter se sak gesit wat, in plaas van stemmerke, klein prentjies teken.
En: Jaco placed a pen in Pieter's pocket that, instead of marking votes, draws little pictures.

Af: Nader aan die stembus, begin Pieter sy stem uitbring.
En: Closer to the ballot box, Pieter begins to cast his vote.

Af: Hy druk die pen op die papier, vasbeslote om geen fout te maak nie.
En: He presses the pen to the paper, determined not to make any mistakes.

Af: Skielik merk hy iets vreemds op.
En: Suddenly, he notices something strange.

Af: In plaas van 'n netjiese X, verskyn daar 'n pragtige klein blommetjie.
En: Instead of a neat X, a beautiful little flower appears.

Af: Pieter se oë rek van skok.
En: Pieter's eyes widen with shock.

Af: Hoe gaan hy Anika indruk maak as hy nie eers ordentlik kan stem nie?
En: How is he going to impress Anika if he can't even vote properly?

Af: Klaar ingedagte oor sy dilemma, probeer hy vinnig om die tekens uit te vee.
En: Already preoccupied with his dilemma, he quickly tries to erase the marks.

Af: Maar elke poging veroorsaak net meer prentjies.
En: But every attempt just causes more pictures.

Af: 'n Koddige karikatuur van die hoofkandidaat verskyn skielik op die papier, met 'n oorbekende neus en brutale glimlag.
En: A comical caricature of the main candidate suddenly appears on the paper, with a recognizable nose and cheeky smile.

Af: Anika, wat naby houite, sien die gesukkel en kan nie help om te lag nie.
En: Anika, standing nearby, sees the struggle and can't help but laugh.

Af: Haar lag is klankryk en vriendelik, en dit vul die kamer.
En: Her laughter is resonant and friendly, and it fills the room.

Af: Pieter draai half verleë, half geamuseerd na haar toe, terwyl Anika na hom toe stap met 'n nuwe pen in die hand.
En: Pieter turns, half-embarrassed, half-amused, toward her as Anika steps over with a new pen in hand.

Af: "Kom, laat ek jou help," sê sy met 'n vriendelike glimlag, en hulle begin saam lag oor die hele situasie.
En: "Come, let me help you," she says with a friendly smile, and they start laughing together over the whole situation.

Af: Saam vee hulle die verkeerd getekende penstrepe af.
En: Together, they erase the mistakenly drawn pen marks.

Af: Met Anika se pen stem Pieter toe reg, hierdie keer sonder komplikasies.
En: With Anika's pen, Pieter then votes correctly, this time without complications.

Af: Deur die dolle lag en hulp, voel Pieter skielik gemaklik.
En: Through the hearty laughter and help, Pieter suddenly feels at ease.

Af: 'n Hinderlike stem wys hom dat hy nie hoef te probeer oorskadu nie.
En: An annoying voice shows him that he doesn't need to try to overshadow.

Af: Net sy ware self, en miskien 'n goeie lag, is meer as genoeg.
En: Just being his true self, and maybe a good laugh, is more than enough.

Af: Hulle stap saam uit die lokaal, herfsblare kraak onder hul voete, terwyl die herfssonne hul pad helder verlig.
En: They walk out of the polling station together, autumn leaves crunching under their feet, as the autumn sun brightly lights their path.

Vocabulary Words: