The First Day of Adiria Campbell A novel

Chapter One

B' e Barney am balach marbh. 

Bha fios gu robh e ag ithe tòrr cèic. 

Gu sònraichte seoclaid. 

Chunnaic mi a mhàthair.

'Bha Barney na bhalach math'.

 'An robh e?', dh'fhaighnich mi dhith. 

'Seadh, Adiria', fhreagair i. 

'Bu mhath leam am bàs a rannsachadh'. 

'Pàighidh mi airson a' chùis'. 

'Tha sin math', rinn mi gàire. 

'£50'. 

Bha mi taingeil airson an airgid.

Bhiodh e airson mo mhaoin colaiste.

~~~

(English translation)

The dead boy was Barney.

He was known to eat a lot of cake.

Especially chocolate.

I saw his mother.

'Barney was a good boy'.

'Was he?', I asked her.

'Yes, Adiria', she answered.

'I'd like to investigate the death'.

'I'll pay for the case'.

'That's good', I smiled.

'£50'.

I was grateful for the money.

It would be for my college fund. 

~~~

Leig leam tòiseachadh aig an toiseach. 

'S e Adiria Chaimbeul an t-ainm a th' orm.

 Tha mi 13.Dh'fhàs mi suas ann an Glaschu.

 Bha màthair na bean-taighe, agus na neach-ealain. 

Bha athair na neach-sgrùdaidh.

 Ann an ùine ghoirid, theagaisg mo theaghlach dhomh na sgilean airson fuasgladh fhaighinn air eucoirean san Àrd-sgoil. Agus sin nuair a bhàsaich Barney bho bhith ag ithe cèic seoclaid. B' e seo a' chiad latha de mo chùrsa-beatha fuasgladh eucoir.

~~~

(English translation)

Let me begin at the start.

My name is Adiria Campbell.

I am 13.

I grew up in Glasgow.

Mother was a housemaker, and an artist.

Father was a detective.

In short, my family taught me the skills to solve crimes at High School.

And that was when Barney died from eating chocolate cake.

It was the first day of my crime solving career. 

~~~

Chaidh Barney dhan sgoil. 

Bha e na leughadair sgoinneil. 

Airson dà mhìos, dh'ith e seoclaid. 

Agus sgonaichean le uachdar agus jam.

 Ach thachair rudeigin dha.

 Theagamh gur e trioblaidean teaghlaich a bh' ann; no trioblaidean san sgoil. Bha mi a' smaoineachadh gur e a' chiad fhear a bh' ann.

(English translation)

Barney went to school. 

He was an avid reader. 

For two months, he ate chocolate. And scones with cream and jam. But something happened to him. Maybe it was family problems; or problems at school. 

I thought it was the former. 

~~~

Bha mi san sgoil ro 8 00m, madainn Diluain. 

Bha a 'ghrian soilleir, agus dh' ith mi bracaist.

 Airson dà sheachdain, bha cuideigin a 'cèicearachd a' puinnseadh aig fèilltean, agus tachartasan eile ann an Glaschu. Bha an loch làn de chryptics. B 'e sinn uile a bhith a' coimhead; Bha sinn airson fhaicinn anns an loch reothadh. Ach airson, a-nis cha robh mi a-nis a-steach do cryptozology; Bha mi nam neach-lorg dheugairean. Agus b 'e fuasgladh fhaighinn air eucoir mo phrìomhachas fhèin.

~~~

(English translation)

I was at school by 8:00 AM, Monday morning. 

The sun was bright, and I ate breakfast. 

For two weeks, someone was poisoning cakes at fairs, and other events in Glasgow. The loch was full of cryptids. We all were Nessie watching; we were eager to see it in the freezing lake. But for now, I wasn't into cryptozoology; I was a teenage detective. 

And solving crime was my own priority. 

~~~

Bha Barney na oileanach aig ìre ìre. 

Bha e a-steach do bhiadh. 

Tòrr bìdh, is e sin. Rinn mi agallamhan a phàrantan. 

Bha iad a 'caoineadh cus; Bha cus deòir aca a 'sruthadh sìos an aghaidhean.

 'Is dòcha gun urrainn dhomh a thighinn air ais', thuirt mi.

Agus b 'e sin a rinn mi.

(English translation)

Barney was an A grade student. 

He was into food. A lot of food, that is. 

I interviewed his parents.

 They were crying too much; they had too many tears flowing down their faces. 'Maybe I can come back', I said.

And that was what I did. 

~~~

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