Hmoob
"Ci, lawv nrhiav koj.""Kuv los?"
Ci taug kev mus hauv tsev ces mus hauv qab daus. Txhua txhia lub qhov muag ntsia ntsoov Ci mus nram cov mej koob.
"Me ntxhais. Hnub no, tus me tub no lawv tuaj nqis tsev hais koj. Peb kom koj los no. Peb xav paub tias neb puas sib nyiam. Me ntxhais, koj puas nyiam tus me tub, Tsab?"
Ci tsa nws lub taub hau thaum nws hnov Tsab lub npe. Nws thiab Tsab lub qhov muag sib ntsia ib pliag. Tsab ntsais ib sab qhov muag rau Ci tiag ua rau Ci ntxhi me, me.
Ci teb txaj muag caw, "Kuv kuj nyiam Tsab thiab." Nws rov ntxhi me, me. Tsab kuj ntxhi luag nyav.
Mej koob coj Tsab thiab Ci mus txog vaj txog tsev. Lawv pe, qhib kaus, tiam mej koob, thiab tiam tub tshoob tub kos.
Tom qab Ci hloov ris tsho, Tsab coj Ci mus hauv tsheb thiab tsav mus deb, deb.
"Koj coj kuv mus qhov twg?" Ci nug.
"Ib pliag koj yeej yuav paub. Qi koj lub qhov muag os." Ci qi qhov muag thiab tsis hais ib los lus ntxiv.
Tsab nres tsheb.
"Txog lawm los? Kuv qhib-"
"Txhob nrawm mam qhib koj lub qhov muag." Tsab pab Ci tawm hauv tsheb. Nws coj Ci kev mus ib qhov chaw. Nws muaj Ci zaum ntawm ib lub pob zeb loj, loj. "Txog lawm os. Qhib koj lub qhov muag."
Ci qhib qhov muag. Nws saib, saib nkawv no qhov twg. Nws tiag hais luag ntxhi, "Qhov chaw no yog..."
"... qhov chaw wb cog lus." Tsab teb luag ntxhi.
14 Xyoo Dhau Los
"Wb so no ib pliag tso," Tsab hais rau Ci.
"Ib pliag xwb os. Ib tsam wb yog ob tug kawg."
Nkawv zaum ntawm ib lub pob zeb loj, loj ua nyob hauv qab ib tsob ntoo hauv hav zoov. Nkawv zaum ntawv twj ywm tsis hais lus.
Ci tiag noog Tsab, "Koj paus nco qab thaum koj dag tias koj quaj vim kuv tsis kam yuav koj?"
"Nco mas. Vim li cas?"
"Kuv teb xwb. Cia wb cog lus. Yog thaum twg wb muaj... 30 xyoo es wb tsis tau sib yuav; wb mam sib yuav ua ke."
"Tau... Wb sib ntsib ntawm qhov chaw no." Tsab ntxiv, "Yog wb tsis muaj tug xwb. Yog wb ib tug muaj tus ces txhob tuaj. Yog sib nrauj ces tuaj thiab vim tias twb tsis muaj tus lawm."
"Yog." Ci pom zoo. "Tab si, koj hlob kuv."
"Kuv hlob koj..." Tsab xav ib pliag. "...ob xyoo. Ces ua li no. Thaum koj muaj 30 xyoo wb mam sib ntsib."
"Ntawm qhov chaw no... Thaum...?"
Tsab saib nws lub moo thiab teb, "Thaum ob moo."
Ci hais, "Kuv tuaj ces..."
"Kuv coj koj nrog kuv mus xwb."
"Tab si, kuv xav kom cov laus tauj."
Tsab teb, "Yog muaj hnub ntawv kuv mam xav tso."
"Aw. Ces thaum kuv muaj 30 xyoo, wb tuaj sib ntsib ntawm qhov chaw no thaum ob moo. Yog wb tsis muaj tug?"
"Yog lawm." Tsab muaj nws tus ntiv tes kawg tsa rau Ci. Ci kuj muaj nws tus ntiv tes kawg tsa thiab qhaib nrog Tsab tus. Nkawv zoo siab hlo cog lus thiab luag nyav rau ib tug.
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English
"Chee, they're looking for you.""Me?"
Chee walks to the house and heads downstairs. Every eye watches Chee walking to the mej koob.
"Me ntxhais. Today, this man and his family have come here to ask for your hand in marriage. We asked you to come here because we want to know if you two like each other. Me ntxhais, do you like this man, Cha?"
Chee lifts her head when she heard Cha's name. Their eyes look at each other for awhile. Then, Cha winks at Chee causing her to smile a bit.
Chee answers with a little embarrassment, "I do kind of like Cha." She smiles a bit again. Cha also grin.
The mej koob takes Cha and Chee home safe. They finish the wedding.
After Chee changes her clothes, Cha takes her to the car and drives off far.
"Where are you taking me?" Chee asked.
"In awhile, you will know. Close your eyes." Chee closes her eyes and didn't say a word.
Cha stops the car.
"Are we there? I'm opening-"
"Don't open your eyes yet." Cha helps Chee out of the car. He guides Chee to a place and sat her on a very large rock. "We're here. Open your eyes."
Chee opens her eyes. She looks around to see where they are. She smiles, "This place is..."
"...the place where we promised." Cha finished with a smile.
14 Years Earlier
"Let's rest here for a while," Cha said to Chee.
"Only for a bit or we will be the last two."
They sat on a very large rock under a tree in the forest. They sat there quietly without saying a word.
Chee then questioned Cha, "Do you remember when you lied that you were crying because I was unwilling to marry you?"
"I remembered. Why?"
"I just want to answer. Why don't we promise? When we both are... 30 years and we aren't marry; we will marry each other."
"Okay... We'll meet here." Cha added, "Only if were single. If one of us is taken then don't come. Even if divorce, still come because there isn't the other person."
"Yea." Chee agreed. "But, you are older than me."
"I'm older than you..." Cha thought for a moment. "... two years. How about this. When you turn 30 years, we will meet each other."
"This place... at...?"
Cha looked at his watch and responded, "At two o'clock."
Chee said, "I come then..."
"I take you with me."
"But, I want elders to come."
Cha reply, "If there is that day, let me think about it first."
"All right. In that case, when I turn 30 years, we will meet at this place at two. Only if the two of us is single?"
"That's right." Cha putted his pinky up to Chee. Chee also putted her pinky up and swear with Cha. They happily promised and smiled at each other.
---- 16
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Mej Koob - a person, usually 4 people; two from the bridegroom and two from the bride side, who oversee and handle the wedding negotiation
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