Il-ġurnata tat-tabiba

The doctor's day

Get to know the neighbours and practise what you've learned in a new story.

The storyMonday of festival week, the day you fall ill, seen from the other side of the desk: forty patients for Rita, the village doctor, no lunch, three calls from her mother, and a daughter who is waiting.

New words in the story

eżami an exam
għalliema a teacher (a woman)
pupa a doll

Monday of festival week, the day you fall ill, seen from the other side of the desk: forty patients for Rita, the village doctor, no lunch, three calls from her mother, and a daughter who is waiting.

Tap a word to see what it means.

AutoplayEnglish

Monday of festival week, half past seven in the morning. The waiting room of the Ħal Ġebel practice is already full.
It-Tnejn, it-tlettax ta' April. It-Tabiba Rita diġà fil-klinika. Hi dejjem tiġi kmieni.
Monday, the thirteenth of April. Doctor Rita is already at the practice. She always comes in early.
Sharon
Bonġu, Tabiba! Illum għandna erbgħin pazjent.
Good morning, doctor! We've got forty patients today.
Rita
Erbgħin? Mela naħdmu sas-sebgħa. L-ewwel pazjent, jekk jogħġbok!
Forty? Then we work until seven. First patient, please!
An old man with a walking stick comes in very slowly and sits down with a happy sigh.
is-Sur Ġużeppi
Il-ġurnata t-tajba, Tabiba! Jien mill-ġdid.
Good day, doctor! It's me again.
Rita
Oh, Sur Ġużeppi! Int tiġi hawn darbtejn fil-ġimgħa. Kif tħossok?
Oh, Mr Ġużeppi! You come here twice a week. How do you feel?
is-Sur Ġużeppi
Ħażin. Dahri juġagħni. U riġli. U rasi wkoll.
Bad. My back hurts. And my leg. And my head too.
Rita
Rasek ukoll? Tajjeb. Ħu nifs fil-fond... Darb'oħra.
Your head too? All right. Take a deep breath... Once more.
is-Sur Ġużeppi
Tabiba, it-tfal tiegħi bogħod. Id-dar kwieta wisq.
Doctor, my children are far away. The house is too quiet.
Rita
M'intix marid. Id-dar tiegħek kwieta wisq, dak kollox.
You aren't ill. Your house is just too quiet, that's all.
Rita
Hawn hi r-riċetta tiegħi: kull filgħodu, il-kafetterija ta' Lina. Kafè, kejk u nies.
Here's my prescription: every morning, Lina's café. Coffee, cake and people.
is-Sur Ġużeppi
Kejk, mhux pilloli? Din ir-riċetta togħġobni ħafna!
Cake, not tablets? I like this prescription very much!
He goes off, smiling. The receptionist shakes her head.
Rita
Sharon, hu m'għandux bżonn mediċina. Għandu bżonn in-nies.
Sharon, he doesn't need medicine. He needs people.
More patients: a cough, a cut finger, a baby who will not stop crying. At eleven, a student comes in with a heavy rucksack.
Daniela
Il-ġurnata t-tajba. Rasi tuġagħni. Kuljum.
Good day. My head hurts. Every day.
Rita
Kemm-il siegħa torqod?
How many hours do you sleep?
Daniela
Erbgħa. Il-Ġimgħa għandi eżami, allura naqra bil-lejl.
Four. I have an exam on Friday, so I study at night.
Rita
Erbgħa? Ftit wisq. Ras għajjiena ma titgħallem xejn.
Four? Too little. A tired head learns nothing.
Rita
Ixrob ħafna ilma, u orqod tmien sigħat kull lejl.
Drink a lot of water, and sleep eight hours every night.
One o'clock. The waiting room is still full. The receptionist puts her head round the door.
Sharon
Tabiba, illum ukoll bla ikla ta' nofsinhar?!
Doctor, no lunch again today?!
Rita
M'għandix ħin, Sharon. Forsi iktar tard.
I haven't got time, Sharon. Maybe later.
Sharon
Ommok qed iċċempel. Għat-tielet darba llum. X'ngħidilha?
Your mother is on the phone. The third time today. What shall I tell her?
The doctor sighs, smiles and picks up the phone.
Marija
Rita, mill-ġdid ma tikolx. Naf: Sharon tgħidli kollox.
Rita, you're not eating again. I know: Sharon tells me everything.
Marija
U fl-erbgħa jiġi għandek il-ġar il-ġdid tiegħi. Hu marid.
And at four my new neighbour is coming to see you. They're ill.
Marija
U fl-erbgħa tiġi għandek il-ġara l-ġdida tiegħi. Hi marida.
And at four my new neighbour is coming to see you. They're ill.
Rita
Naf, mama. Jien ukoll naf kollox.
I know, Mum. I know everything too.
Marija
U filgħaxija? Ella qed tistaqsi meta ġejja.
And this evening? Ella is asking when you're coming.
Rita
Fis-sebgħa, mama. Għandek.
At seven, Mum. To your place.
Marija
Int dejjem tgħid: fis-sebgħa. U tiġi fid-disgħa.
You always say seven. And you come at nine.
Afternoon: more patients, more tea, still no lunch. At four, the new neighbour from number 7 comes in, with a sore throat and a story about a trumpet. At half past seven, the last patient goes home.
Eight o'clock, in Marija's living room at number 7. Ella sits at the table with her yellow sketchbook. A dish of baked macaroni is waiting.
Ella
Mama! Issa t-tmienja, mhux is-sebgħa!
Mum! It's eight now, not seven!
Rita
Skużani, Ella. Illum kien hemm erbgħin pazjent.
Sorry, Ella. There were forty patients today.
Ella
Erbgħin pazjent! U lili tarani biss filgħaxija.
Forty patients! And me you only see in the evening.
Marija
Poġġi, binti. Kul. It-tabiba wkoll trid tiekol.
Sit down, my girl. Eat. A doctor has to eat too.
Rita
Mama, jien mhux tifla. Għandi erbgħa u erbgħin sena!
Mum, I'm not a little girl. I'm forty-four!
Marija
Int binti, u għandek bżonn tiekol.
You're my daughter, and you need to eat.
Ella
Mama, għaliex int tabiba?
Mum, why are you a doctor?
Rita
Meta kont żgħira, bħalek, in-nanna kienet għalliema. Kienet fl-iskola l-ġurnata kollha.
When I was little, like you, Grandma was a teacher. She was at school all day.
Rita
Filgħaxija kienet għajjiena ħafna, u jien ma kontx kuntenta.
In the evening she was very tired, and I wasn't happy.
Rita
Allura jien kont it-tabiba. In-nanna kienet il-pazjenta tiegħi, u l-pupa kienet l-infermiera.
So I was the doctor. Grandma was my patient, and my doll was the nurse.
Marija
Iva. U r-riċetta dejjem kienet: te u s-sodda.
Yes. And the prescription was always: tea and bed.
Rita
Jogħġobni meta n-nies iħossuhom aħjar. Għalhekk jien tabiba.
I like it when people feel better. That's why I'm a doctor.
Ella
U s-Sibt, fit-tmintax ta' April, jien inkanta mat-tfal! Ġejja?
And on Saturday, the eighteenth of April, I'm singing with the children! Are you coming?
Rita
Is-Sibt? Is-Sibt naħdem sa...
On Saturday? On Saturday I work until...
Ella
Mama! Int dejjem taħdem!
Mum! You're always working!
Rita looks at her daughter, then at her mother. For once, Marija says nothing.
Rita
Tajjeb. Is-Sibt ma naħdimx. Il-familja kollha tiġi għall-festa, anki ħuk iż-żgħir.
All right. On Saturday I'm not working. The whole family is coming to the festa, even your little brother.
Marija
U jien? Jien dejjem fil-festa. Nara kollox u naf kollox.
And me? I'm always at the festa. I see everything and I know everything.
Marija
U issa kulu! Intom irqaq wisq.
And now eat, both of you! You're too thin.
It-tlieta jieklu imqarrun il-forn. Rita bil-ġuħ ħafna.
All three of them eat baked macaroni. Rita is very hungry.

Il-ġurnata tat-tabiba

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