ELEKSON

By: Vz Vualnam

'Thang, Lianpu hong hoh khalou hia?' 

'Hong hoh khakei veh aw Pa Pau. Hong pai nailou hia?'

'Hong pai nailou a. Tuni'n na mukha hia?'

'Tusun a zaw party ofis a om uhia. Koilam a va vaakkhia a di uam ah. Lunghimohkei le teh hong pai na ve. Ahihkaleh koi hiam kho va giak a diam maw.'

'Huchi khatkhat ahi diam ah. A'ihleh aw.'

'Aw. Lunghimoh luat ngaikei Papau. Mangpha man ni.'

***

Ngulpau ahihleh sepaih penson ahi a, a zi Chiinching in a sihsanna a sawtta hi. Sepaih a a ommang kaal in tapa Lianpu a nei a, a kallak a inn hong pai sung chihlouh a tapapa leng mukha mengmenglou ahihman in Lianpu tuh a nu nuai a khanglian ahi mai hi. Nute' nuai a khanglian chih mahtak Lianpu tuh zalen kisa mahmah a, laisim khawng limsaklou in kholai khawng ah om tamzaw a, chiin tuamtuam khong hon nei in, a nu a sulunggim mahmah hi. 

Ngulpau in tua thute za mahleh a sepaih panna lunglutlua ahihman in sepaih apan tawp a innsung etkol ding vaihawm thei tuanlou a, pang taakdih sawmtou lai hi. Huchih sung in a tapa Lianpu hong tangval a, pilna leh siamna a vual phalou in hong om a, kholai vaak chihlouhngal hihtheih a hon neilawkei maimah hi. 

Major Ngulpau bel sepaih maimai ahikei a, commando unit a om ahi a, mihangsan, vaite'n leng a suan leh a lauh mahmah uh ahi. Ama' telna peuh ah khamuanna om bang in a naupangte'n a thei uhi. Huchia sepaih pan tha-it mahmah a a omlai sangkhat zakua sawmkua kum in a zi Chiinching damlouhna ziak in a hong si a, huai in sepaih a pan hong tawp phet hi. 

Lianpu toh a hong khosatou ua, Lianpu bel thumang thei taktak nawnkei mahleh a nu' sihnung in bel adaan a hong om deuh hi. Apa'n tuh a tapa' ginatlouh pen ama' hihkhelh bang a ngai in a tapa tung ah kamsia leh awkhauh a zang ngeikei a, thuhilh a ut chiang in kamdam in tomchik in gen lel zel hi. A pa'n tai leh sal ngeikei mahleh apa hial toh a om chiang un bel zahtaak mahmah sam ahi ding a, apa mai bang ah zukham-sakham in om ngam hetlou hi. Sepaih hangsan pasalpha himahleh a zi leh a tate hichi bang a amau kia kidoudelh dia kum hiaitan a nutsiat khawng a ngaihtuah chiang in kisiik mahmah a, a zi bang a khonung ngaihlaw phiing a, lungzuang kisa thei mahmah a, kua theihlouh kaal a khitui a nuul ni a tam hi. Hunte sapkiik theih hi henla, a innkuante a ding in a hun tamtheipen pe leh a ut mahmah hi. 

Kum sangnih leh sawm-le-nga August kha a Bills ziak a Lamka zaang a buaina a omlai in inn apan kholai a misi om chih a za a, a tapapa leng huaimun a om ngei dia gingta in a va delh a, Lianpu bel bangmah ana chizenkei hi. Mi bang a tapa muanhuai leh kisaktheihpih huai hikei mahleh a innkuan neih sunsun ahihman in a it mahmah a, a zi ittak melmuhna bang hial a thei ahihman in a khuai ding tuh a ngaingam hetkei hi. 

Huai nung a lampi zuih leh tribal movement toh kisai a vai tuamtuam a a va kihel chiang in leng a lung ana himoh thei mahmah a, inn a paihak chiang bang a om theilou in a tawlthei mahmah hi.

Huchih lai in MLA election a hong hun a, tangval khenkhatte' a dia zu-le-sa muhna leh zattawm ding sum-le-pai tamlou ngah theihna ahihman in Lianpu tuh a hahpan mahmah a, dik leh diklou leng theibaanlou leh a lungtang uh buphai a om ahihman in gin-om tak in hinna phalhial khop in a pang hi. 

***

A sana a en a, dak khat bang a na peeltouta hi. Koi a bang va hih a de aw chi in a kingaihtuah dedu a, va thoukhia in singpi peuh a va bawl a, a dawn hi. Tu tantan a hong pailou zaw hong pai nawn ke'n teh chi in a dawn khit in inn a kalh a, a lumta hi. Himahleh a ihmut a suak hetkei. 

Thakhat in kongkhak kituum ging in a phawng a, a sana a et leh dak nga ana ging a, 'A na ihmu man ka hi maw,' chih toh thohkhiat thuah in kong hong ding in a va pai hi. Kong a hon phet in innkong ah a vengte uh tangvalnou Khualpu naakmoh zen in ana ding a, 'Papau, hong pai ou. Ka ULian mi'n vua uh. Si hia hing hia chihle kitheilou. Dorcas haal kong ah,' chih toh taikhiat a thuah a, Ngulpau tuh a dip a phu dutdut a, om didan tak ngial le theilou in a ding dedu a, mitphiatkallou in a hong halhkhia a, Khualpu tainalam manoh in amah leng a diangtou hi. 

A mun a tun in mipi ana tam mahmah ua, policete leng ana tungta uhi. Lianpu' luang tuh khezot (footpath) kiang ah sisan geep a dim in ana lum dildel a, policete'n lim khawng ala uhi. A thang a pai mahmah a, a khasiat lamlam leng a suakkei zezen hi. Taanglou in Lianpu' luang tuh a en gegu a, a mittui taakkhat leng a kekei. A tapa' min a loukei a, a luang leng a lawngkei. Thangpaihna haa a gawizaw hi.

A kiang ah Dorcas Hall dai a thu leh la kitaakte a en a, 'Banghang a hiai a thuhoih-lahoih kitaak zouzaite'n tuailaite humbit zoulou ahia? Pathian in hiai hun a bang hih a hia?' Chih peuh ngaihtuah in a hatang a thak hi. 

A denchiang in postmortem ding in Lianpu' luang a posuk ua, Ngulpau in a zuisuk a, huai mun a a ngakden hi. Hih ding tuamtuam zoh ahih in YPAte'n a luang a potou ua, a vuikheta uhi. 

Khovel a a innkuan khat neih sunsun hichia uisih-aksih a si mai tuh Ngulpau in a pawthei himhimkei a, a sepaih lungtang a hong suak a, phuba laak utna in a dim a, laak leng a sawm tinten mah hi. 

A thu a suizui a, zansawt nung a Rayburn College kong a Lianpu leh a lawmpa Mangnou, gup kibang, a kiton lai ua gupdang nei tangval hon khat toh kituak ua, 'Hiai a bang hong zong uh e? Kou hauhsakna mun a hihlam theilou umaw?' chia ana vuak uh ahihlam a theikhia hi. A lawmpa Mangnou bel bangchi hiam in taikhe thei a, mun khat ah a kibu nilouh a, paimangta un teh a chihtak in Lianpu va zong a, himahleh muzoulou hi. Kongzing khawnvak a vaaklouh ziak in a vote kuate hiam chih a theikei. 

Ngulthang a di'n bel tua teng a huntawk hi. Huai tengkia a poimoh a, a nnasepna ding in a hun hi. Hunlem masa pen a sem ding in a kisa khol hi. Hun bangtan hiam a kisakkholh nung in hunlem a mukhong.

Nitak khat MLA tuh a kimuang mahmah Khandal tuh lum dia kisa inn kong a zunnawn a omlai a nunglam a pan a kam a hong kihumsak a, a gawl ah temta in a ngim geelgawl hi. Ama' ziak a a tapa suun a thangpai mahmah sepaih comando khat toh kisukha uh ahihlam a thei dekkei. Lau in a liing a, Ngulpau' chih dandan in a om hi. Ngulpau in a khut a nunglehhen a, a kam leh mit a tuamsak a, kelkong a kaipawt in New Lamka Hanmual a a pitou hi. Hansuang khat toh a henbelh a, a mit tuamna a lakhia a, a kamhukna bel a koih tadih lai hi. 

'Bangziak a hiai bang a bawl a om na hihlam na thei hia?' Ngulpau in neem tak in a dong a, Khandal in bel lau leh liing in a lu a pei momolh hi. 'Nang kum nga na lal ut ziak in zanzek in ka tapa ka taan ta. Amah leng ka mohsalou kei. Mihaite lak kho va kihel tuh a haiman mu hilel ka chihna chiang leng a om. Himahleh ka tapa tang neihsun ahi. Ka innkuan neihsun ahi. Ka zi ittak mel ka muhna ahi a, hoih in hoihkei lele ka tapa ittak ahi thouthou. Nou miginaloute ziak in uisih-aksih in a sita. Midangte' hinna nou a sang a thupilouzaw in na sep ua hia? Hinna chiatchiat bang ahia a kibatlouhna?'

Khandal tuh a pau ut in a hawk lawlaw a, a mittui luang toh a chiliing toh hehpihna ngen in a pau phawphaw a, himahleh a kam a kituam ziak in bangmah a gen theikei hi.

'I. Pauna hun ka hon pekei di. Sunitum in mipi mai ah na pau ua, tu hun tomchik sung a ngaikhetu na hi ding. Na dam liaileh zingchiang apan in keikia hilou mipi mai ah pauna hun na nei nawn ding. Huai tungtang ah zaw lungkham ke'n. Gen ding ka haukei. Ka genkhin dia, ka hon paisan ding.'

'Adik-atang a gamta utlou a, lalna ding ahihleh mi' hinna leng bangmah a simlou na hih uleh na deih uh elekson, na nget uh elekson ka hon pe ding. Nang leh asia-le-pha theihna uh ngonggawp na nungzuite na deihlouh zahzah uh elekson ka hon pe ding. Na kipaakna uhiam ah.'

'Ka tapa' sihna tungtang ah nang kigolh khaakna na nei hetkei chih ka thei. Theih leng na theiphakei chih leng ka thei. Himahleh na nungzuite' gamtatna ahihna ah moh ka hon khusaklou theikei. Naakpi tak in ka hon gaam ding. Lamka khozang in pilna a a zat theih khaakleh. Angmasialna leh sum-le-pai in lah kum tampi a bumhaita a.'

'Den chiang sawtlou in si daak a hong ging ding a, na khovel tuh a kilumlet hiilheel ding. Ka innkuan neih sunsun na hon laaksak a, ke'n leng ka hon laaksak ding. Innkuan neihlouh bang chibang ahia chih ka hon chiamsak sam ding.' chi in a ding a hansuang a hensa in a paisan hi. Khandal ahihleh kap kawm in a kikou lawlaw a, lah kua zaak phaak ding ahikei.

A dendeuh chiang in sidaak a hong ging peetmah a, a innsung a bang thil tung hiam chih ngaihsun in a tongkhong mahmah a, a omna mun ah kikou in mau mahleh a va hunkhe ding lah omlou ahihman in kahlouh tuh hihtheih a neikei hi. Mi'n a va muhkhiat ding uh ngak in a kah leh hagawi thuah in a om hi.

Zingkal khovaak in mi'n a va mu phet ua, khosung pumpi amah zong a buai ahihdan a hilh ua, a innsung a thil tung bel a hilh ngamkei uhi. Thil omdan theilah omlou in amah bang a muangmoh maimah ua, himahleh huchi bang a hentomsa a om a muh un a muanmohna uh a beisak hi. Inn ah a pi ua, innsung-innpua ah mi ana dim uhi. Luut ding kihtaak leh ngaklah a thuah a, a beidong mahmah hi. Diphawm kawm in a luut a, innsung a thil om a muh in a dinna ah a tusuk a, zum leh zah khuallou in a kapkhe hawhaw hi. A zi leh a ta lite' luang innsung ah ana kisial hi. 

Mipite diiphawm in a hamhaih mahmah ua, thil omdan thei zawsam lah omlou in thil thei ut in a kidong kheukhou uhi. Awl in thil omdan teng a hon thei ua, khenkhatte'n bel i haiman, i ngongtatman hi ei. Huai mi khat lalna ding lel a hichih tel di zaw hilou hive'n maw. I si-le-nai toh lalsak hang a, a hong lal chiang un lah mipite a hon thusim nawnkei ua, leivui leh hawktui a hon palsak ua. I tuhgah lou i mai ve, kichi in sigalte a houlim kheukhou uhi.

©Siamsinna leh Vakiangbu