Bukpi gam a Taudoh Taang louzau a haichite a poupan siuhseuh geuh uhi. Phalvaak kuan huih vot nung hiauhiau in buh poupan siuhseuh khat a phawng a, awl ahakkhia a alawmte a etveel leh kuamah ana thou naikei ua, amah leng a ihmusuk nawn hi. A denlam chiang in aw ngaihtak in a phawng nawn a, ahong kizia a, ateh a daitui limchipen dawn in adangte in akiphiatsiang hi.  Amah phawngtu apaam a tangmaigui sau nailou, tehnih-tehthum khapan leh abul a vaimim poupante leng akiseel uh atawp naikei lai ua, akiseel nilouh uhi. Tangmai kung in va nehlua a, vaimim in kikhiin deuh ding a ana gen leh tangmai kung heh a kiseelkha ahi uhi.  A tangmai lah mang a deihthohtak a tuh ahihlam kihaih louhial ahihman in akideihkhop mahmah hi. Ni bang leng a saang simta a, vaikuante bang leng lou hong tun uh hun kuamta ahihman in alak ua upape’n apaam ua maigui in, ‘Dai un e, loukuante le hong tung ziang ding ahita uh,’ chi in akhou a, ahong daithei vanglak uhi.

Loukuante ahong tung peetmah ua, kuapeuh adai siau uhi. Amau a ding in zingkal tuh diipkuatna ahi a, nitaklam tuh kah-le-mauna ahi. Vaikuante’n lah kua teng bot a, kua teng lou a, kua teng hawi ding uh hiam chih athei ngalkei ua.

Nite hong paizel a, haichite leng ahong pou siausiau ua, poukim leng ahita mai uhi. Huchi in ‘Kiaklet’ mang ding in ahong kisa uhi. Huai tuh kumteng a aman zel uh ahi a, haichi kiak teng in ‘Siatlei,’ kiak’ pathian kiang a kipahthu agen ni uh ahi.  A hun leh ani ding bikhiah ding in nisimtu Gataang asep uhi. Haichite’ chiamtehdan in niguk zoh chiang in a ni sagihni in mihingte lou a hong kuankei uh chih ahi a, tua nisim tuh Gataang’ mohpuak ahi. Haichi teng apan palai khat chiat sawl in vai ding a kikum uhi. Bang teng hileh Gataang in ani ding hon bikhiah peuhmah phot hen achi ua, gataang asam ua, aman leng, ‘Tuni a pan ani li ni in mihingte lou ahong kuankei ding uh,’ ahon chi a, palai paikhawmte’n leng , ‘Hoih e, tua baan ni li ni hi hen,’ chi in ani ding a namkip uhi. Hiai ni athupiit diakkholna bel amaute kumkhat sung makaihtu ding aisaan a ateelkhiat ni uh ahihziak ahi. Kuapeuh tuh kithalawp chiat in ani ding tuh angak uhi.

A ni ahong tung a, phalvaak apan kuamah ihmu thei nawnlou in ani thupi ua ding in akisakhol vengvung uhi. Huchia haichi phe vengvungte en ding a loupanoute ahong diankhiat uleh haichite’n, ‘Eh, loupa na hihlam uh na kimangngilhta ua hia na hong kilaak uh, dong uchin, na kiheem un,’ chi in ahougawp ua, a engbawl zialzial uhi.  Loupate lah a simmoh mahmah ua, louhing muh a leng amuhlouh uh ahi a, loutang (khotang) a akihel uh leng sianglou a aseh uh ahi.

Hichitel a housiatna atuah uh leh deidan a a-om uh theisiamlou in loupate’n a nu uh kiang ah, ‘Banghang a eite amaute lak a kihel theilou i hiam?’ chi in a dong uhi. ‘Amaute zaw mihingte’ tuh ahi ua, huaiziak in tungtung in a kingai uh. Himahleh denzek chiang mahmah in amau tuh mihingte mahmah aatpaih in ahong om pah ding ua, huai chiang in hiai lou chiing na muhphaak tantan uh ei luah ding ahi, lunglel hetlou in thuakzel un,’ chi in anu amaute a khamuan hi.

Haichite’ Pa achih uh, lou a haichi pou masapen tuh amau lak a hausa ding ateel ma uh amaute makaih in apang a, hausa teel ahihzoh chiang in hausa’ thallouhmang in apang hi. Amahmah in hausa kiteelna a makaih zel hi. Tukum a haichite’ Pa tuh maigui ahi a, hun piak a a-om tak in ahong ding a, ‘Khaile, tuni a poukhawm u-le-nau, buhtuh nisa na thuak mualsuah a, zu-le-va neekmang na peel a, tuni ni manpha mute tengteng chibai ka hon buuk hi. Hiai ni muthei ding a hon khotuah i pouna uh siatlei vualzawl in om hen. Tuni a tamtakte zu-le-va’ neekmang hiam, nisa’ haikeu hiam a a omlai ua banghang a ei teng hing-le-dam a dawnkhia i hi uhiam chih i theihlouh uh ka deihkei. Banghang a a vanglian mahmah singkung lian taktakte vaatpaih a om uh a, loupate haaltum a om ua, banghang a amau’ mun eite piak a om i hi uhiam? Eite zaw amaute bang a pou maimai i hikei ua, lam-etna thupitak toh tuh leh suan a om i hi uh. Huaiziak in hiai singkungte, chikmah a i nuaisiahzoh ngeilouh ding hon nuaisiah sakte’ lam-etna i tunlouh ding kuapeuh in i lauhpen uh hihen. Huaiziak in lungvei leh chisia a omlou in, gahpha suah chiat in, i tung ua om lam-etna, i bat uh, huai ngei pichin ding in kuapeuh kisiak ni. Khente tuailai lai a laak in i om ding ua, khente teek-le-vuai nung a laak in i om ding uh. Laak a i om hunhun tuh i mohpuak i zohni ahi. Daitui in hon peel ngeikei henla, van vuahtui in ahun bang zel in hon vaak hen.  I pouna siatlei vualzawl in om hen!’ chi in thugen a khin a, haichite’n khut beng in a awng zuazua uhi. Mipite a hong daih tak un hausa ding aisanna a hon nei ua, ai a hon saan uleh hausa hihna Tangmai’ tung a hong tu in mipite a awng zuazua ua, hausa hihna Tangmai khusak in huaini tuh a zouta uhi.

Hunte hong pai zel in haichite ahong kungpha ua, azaam pawlte a hong zaamzel ua, amau a ding theite leng a hong bukpha zel ua, huchia kizaamkhum tuah leh kideep tuah a a om ziilzeel lai un alak uah kiseelna leh kinakna a hong om zelzel a, thukhen in a buaithei mahmah uhi.  

Ni khat ngial vaimim khung khat dingtang theilou dizen a belawite leh bethulte’n a luaih man un a kal uah kinakna a hong piang a, kilai peetmah ding in a hong kisa uhi. Sawtkhop thulai a gen nung un a tawpthei khong uhi.  Daan a aneih uh, ‘Mahni a khauhtak a dingthei peuhmah in mahni a ding theiloute panpih a, a mung uh hih ding,’ chih tuh haichi khenkhatte’n phaze sa in a khatte’ a dia haksatna tun thei khop in a luai uhi.

Khate hong thakzel in haichite’n paakte a hon suah ua, huchi in amaute laak a aom ni ding uh a hong nai deuhdeuh chih athei uhi. Amaute tuhtu mihingte’n pha asak hun ua alaak uh tuh a hinsan uh ahi chih a kithuhilhna uh ahi. Himahleh laak a om ding uh a ngaklahkei ua, a lau zawsop uhi. Nikhat tuh mihingte’n lou a nutsiat nung un kilkhat ah patauh thawm a hong om a, bangthu hiam chi a a kikan uleh maiteh ziik sih a om ahi a, huchia patau tak a a om khiukheu lai un a hausa uh Tangmai in haichite’ kiang ah, ‘Ni thupi a hong kipanta, eite a ding a ni thupi. Banghang a patau na hi ua, hiai ding him a pou lah i hi a. Tu in na unaupa uh zohna kilawm a a hinkhua zou tuh mangpha khaak unla, amah bang a zohna kilawm na zohsam hun ding uh ngak un,’ chi in hanthawnna thu a gen hi.

Haichite hong gahnou in hong khangzel ua, huchihlai in nikhat tuh kilkhat ah kipahna thawm a hong om leuleu a, a kikantuah uleh tangmai gah khat thelseh a om ana hi hi.  Huai tuh mihingte’n a chii ding chih chiamtehna a nahpateh a khuhzel uh ahi. Thelseh hun zang ding in vai a hon sawm nawn leuleu ua, Gataang’ kiang a a ni ding a dot uleh, ‘Tuni apan ni nih ni in mihingte lou a hong kuankei ding uh,’ achi a, amau leng huai ni lem a sapah uhi.

Thelsehni tuh thupitak in a zang zel ua, alak ua haichi khat pepeuh, tangmai, mazel, dawnpawl, mai leh a dangdang leilak a gahte thel khuh a hih chiang un a zangzel uhi.

Louthual bang khohkhit ahi nawnta a, haichite tuh piching vekta in tamkhop leng laakkhit ahita uhi. Huchihlai in nikhat hausapu Tangmai’ kiang ah thu a hong tung a, ‘Khiang bul a mang a kituh mai in lougii singluang zahtaaklou in lounawl gamlak ah azaam pawt,’ chi in a hong gen uhi. Tangmai in leng tua thu thutak mah ahi chih a chet tak in haichite’ Pa Maigui kiang ah, ‘Khiang nuai a maigui khat in lougii zahtaaklou in lounawl ah a zaampawt chih ka kiang ah thu a hong tung a, ka kansui leh thutak mah ahi chih ka theikhia a, hausa mai a atungthu gen sese akuullouhna ding in nangma’n ana thuhilh mai leteh ahoih di e,’ chi in a gen a, Maigui in leng kisuanglah tak in, ‘Huchi om ahi maw, ka na enkai ding,’ chi in a dawng hi.

Tangmai toh a kihou khit un Maigui in leng a kansui pah a, pawlam a zaamkhia maigui’ kiang ah, ‘Na tungtaang thu ka zaak bang a tamai a le? Zuauthu maimai hive’n teh aw ka chihleh lah ataktak ana hi maimah a. Bang ding a na lungtang khem a om ahia? I daan uleh i zekte uh lah na thei ngal a. Tu in hong kiik inla, siamlouh tang a na omlouhna di’n lou sung ah hong zamluut nawn in,’ chi in deihthoh tak in a va thuhilh hi.

‘I daan uh, i lam-et uh, i zek uh, pu aw zuau vek ahi. Mihingte’ lakmang mai a om maw i lam-et uh ahih ding? En dih, gammang en mah dih, bangmah khuallou in a om ua, ei leng amau bang in i omthei samkei dia hia? Hiai mun neuchik a daan leh zekte’ a kikaanlum ding lel in maw i hin ding uh?’ chi in ana dawng hi.  A valnou’ lungtang lah thathohna leh gamleekna in a dim ngal a. ‘En dih, hiai gammang mial gemgum , ei zaw huai a hing dia pou i hikei uh. Deep in  i om ding u, gamzate’ chil lehneekmang in i om pah ding uhi. I khosuak keihial ding uh. Huaiziak tak in ahi amau gammangte saatpaih a a om ua, haltum a a om ua, amau’ mun a eite suan a i om uh. Ei a ding liauliau a mun bawlsak hilou hile hang nisa i mu ngeikei dia, daitui lah i tuhpha samkei dia, deep gawp in i om pah ding uhi. Huaiziak in bitna mun, mankhawngte’ sunglam ah hong zaamluut nawn in,’ chi in aw neem tak in a kun lailai hi. ‘I sinlouh taak in bangchi’n i hingzou mah dia? Bittak a om a, dawngtak leh gahphatak a i om a bang a i lohtaak? I lut laitak a sihtan a neekmang mai ding lel hilou hia i lohtaak ding uh? Huai ah thupina bang ahi na muh uh? Ke’n zaw ka hinna ding in ka kisuuk ding a, ka pang ding a, ka sih leh leng si ka hi ding, mite’ sihtan ding lel a dawngtak a pou sang in kuamah koihkhaaklouh di’n  haksa tak in ka pou zaw ding a, huai a sihna ah leng thupina ka muzaw hi,’ chi in lungtang khauhtak in adawng hi.

Haichite’ pa Maigui in leng lohdan ding tuan theilou in, ‘Huchia i dan leh zekte zahlou ding na hihleh lah vaihawm hausa in na tungthu ngaihsun hen,’ chi in apaisan hi.

Tua bang a alak ua paupeeng leh phengphi om tuh a ngaikhawk mahmah ua, a tungthu kintak a ngaihsut ding chi in zingchiang mihingte lou hong tunma a ngaihsutkhawm ding in a koih uhi.

Zingkal a tua maigui pengphi’ tungtang a ngaihsut khit un haichi teng zaak ding in ‘…. Nopni leh dahni a tuah hun aleng delhlouh ding ahi. Himahleh a phengphiitna kisiik a, lousung a a hong zaamluut hunhun a tung a thununna om teng phel ahi ding,’ chi in thupuukna gelhluttu Taang in ahon puang hi.

Huai maigui tuh lounawl a azaampawtna ah gahnou a kha a, bii-le-loute’n a sun pailet ua, genthei tak in a om hi. Amahmah ngei leng alang-alang ah lingnei khauguite’n a baat ua, a utlouhna lamlam ah akaai uhi.

Hunte a hong paizel a, theihlouh kaal in phavaang a hong tung hi. Haichi tamzawte laaksiang khit ahita uh. A omsunte leng akeulam ngen ahita ua, a sang mahmah liklik uhi. Mihingte’n leng lou a hong pha vaang deuhdeuhta uhi.  Khate hong thakzel in phalbi gim a hong nam hiauhiauta a, loupate tuh phalbi vuuk kiatma ngei a paakkhit sawm in paak a tha-it mahmah ua, tuma a simmoh leh deidan a a omna uh louzau teng luahdim in apaak pheephua ua, gamteng a a chii uh thehthaang ding in huih a kiluai in munchih-mualchih a zuan uhi.