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     "Kuv tsis mus! Kuv yuav nyob nrog neb xwb!" Paj Tsua sim mus hauv tsev. Nws thawb lub qhov rooj sib, sib zog. "Kuv tsis mus! Txhob kaw qhov rooj!" Nws lub kua muag pib ntws.

Ob Peb Xos Moo Ua Ntej

     "Koj xa kuv mus ua ntem ob niag ntawv; ib tsam muaj teeb meem," Paj Tsua hais rau Hwm Chim. "Koj puas hnov na?!"
     "Aw... paub lawm mas!" Hwm Chim tsav mus txoj ib lub tsev.
     "Kuv paub puas tag koj lam aw xwb."
     "Paub lawm, ua cas tseem hais thiab mas? Los pab kuv." Hwm Chim tawm tsheb. Nws mus nram qab tsheb. Nws muaj nws tus phooj ywg tsa thiab hais, "Txog koj lub tsev. Tawm lawv." Nws maj mam pab nws tus phooj ywg tawm. "Txhob zaum tos kos. Los pab kuv yog koj xav mus tsev sias." Paj Tsua tawm ib tug chim tsawv mus pab Hwm Chim. 
     Tom qab nkawv xa nkawv ib tug phooj ywg ntxiv mus tsev, Hwm Chim mam xa Paj Tsua mus tsev.
     "Tsum roj!" Paj Tsua hais.
     "Kuv tsum roj cas wb mag vim wb tsw cawv."
     "Tab si, ib tsam--"
     "--muaj teeb meem. Koj twb hais 100 zaus lawm os," Hwm Chim teb ntxiv ntxub tsawv. "Kuv xav mas yeej tsis muaj teeb meem. Koj niam thiab txiv twb saib me nyuam tub ntxhais si laug."
     "Qhov lawv saib si laug yog kev kawm. Lwm yam, me nyuam ntxhais yeej piv tsis tau tub."
     "Cas koj xav li kos?"
     "Vim nws yog qhov tsheeb. Luag hais tias, 'Cuaj lub cub tawg sov tsis cuag ib lub hnub, Cuaj leej ntxhais zoo tsis cuag ib leeg tub'. Puas yog?"
     Hwm Chim ua lub ntsej muag dub txig.
     Nkawv txog Paj Tsua lub tsev. Thaum Paj Tsua tawm tsheb, Hwm Chim tso dag rau nws tias, "Koj tsis caw kuv mus hauv tsev los?"
    "Kab tsim kiav mus tsev!"
     Lub qhov rooj qhib plov. Nws muaj ib lub suab nrov, nrov hais, "Tsam no koj mam los! Koj puas paub nws yog tsawg moo lawm?! Leej twg coj koj los?! Hais kom nws tawm los se!"
     Hwm Chim tua tsheb thiab tawm los.
     "Me tub, Hwm Chim. Koj puas paub hais tias nws yog tsawg moo lawm?! Tab si no, lub hnub twb yuav rov tuaj es koj mam xa Paj Tsua los."
     "Kuv niam los lig me tsij xwb mas."
     "Los lig me tsij li cas? Hnub twb yuav rov tuaj na."
     Paj Tsua txiv txawm los txog ces hais, "Me tub, koj coj kuv tus ntxhais mus ib hmo mam luag tej hnov ces ua chaw txaj muag rau peb saws daws. Koj coj Paj Tsua nrog koj mus. Muaj dab tsi los hais rau koj txiv es peb mam sib tham."
     "Txaj muag li cas? Twb tsis muaj ib lub tsev Hmoob nyob zeb peb," Paj Tsua hais.
     "Los lub ntuj thiab daim av pom."
     "Pom dab tsi? Wb twb tsis muaj--"
     Hwm Chim cheem Paj Tsua ua ntej nws hais ib los lus ntxiv. "Kuv thov zam txim ua kuv xa Paj Tsua los tsev lig." Hwm Chim pes thiab hais ua tsaug.
     "Kuv tsis yog neb yug cas neb muaj kuv yoob yim rau nws."
     "Me ntxhias, koj yeej yog wb yug tab si nws zoo li no lawm," Paj Tsua niam hais.
     "Me ntxhias, koj cia li nrog Hwm Chim mus xwb." Paj Tsua txiv txib. Paj Tsua niam thiab txiv pib kaw qhov rooj. 
      "Kuv tsis mus! Kuv yuav nyob nrog neb xwb!" Paj Tsua sim mus hauv tsev. Nws thawb lub qhov rooj sib, sib zog. "Kuv tsis mus! Txhob kaw qhov rooj." Nws lub kua muag pib ntws.

     "Me ntxhais, cia li nrog Hwm Chim mus," Paj Tsua niam hais. Lub qhov rooj kaw nruj.

     Paj Tsua quaj, "Kuv tsis mus! Qhib qhov rooj!"

     Hwm Chim maj mam rho Paj Tsua deb ntawm lub qhov rooj. Paj Tsua ntaus Hwm Chim sab plhu thiab hais tawm, "Twb yog vim koj xwb nws tiag zoo li no! Vim koj xwb!"

     "Wb mus," Hwm Chim hais tus, tus thiab maj mam rho Paj Tsua.

     "Kuv tsis mus! Koj mus koj!"

    "Wb mus!" Hwm Chim siv nws lub zog muaj Paj Tsua mus zaum hauv tsheb. Hwm Chim liaj cov qhov rooj tsheb tsis pub qhib hauv tsheb tuaj.

     Hwm Chim qhib lub qhov rooj tsheb thiab hais, "Txoj lawm. Tawm los."
     Paj Tsua yeem tsis xav tawm tsheb tiam sis ua tsis tau li cas nws txiav txim siab tawm. Thaum nkawv pib taug kev, Hwm Chim tuav Paj Tsua txhais tes coj nkawv kev. Tab si, Paj Tsua maj mam tso nws txhais tes ntawm Hwm Chim thiab lam lawv Hwm Chim qab xwb. Hwm Chim khob thaum nkawv txoj ntawm qhov rooj. 

     Hwm Chim txiv qhib qhov rooj. "Los lawm los? Koj paub tias koj muaj vaj muaj tsev thiab yos." Nws pom Paj Tsua sawv ntawm Hwm Chim ib sab. "Paj Tsua, koj tuaj los."

     "Txiv coj nyab los," Hwm Chim hais ntshai tsawv.

     "Neb sawv ntawm kos twj ywm." Hwm Chim txiv mus muab peb tug xyab los lwm nkawv.

 
 

English

     “I’m not going! I’m just going to stay with you!” Pa Chua tries to go into the house. She pushes the door hard. “I’m not going! Don’t close the door!” Her tears begin to roll down her cheeks.

A Couple Hours Earlier

     “Take me home before those two or there is going to be trouble.” Pa Chua said to Hue Chi. “Did you hear?!”

     “Okay… I know!” Hue Chi drives to a house.

     “I knew awhile ago, you were just saying okay.”

     “If you knew, why did you say it? Come help me.” Hue Chi gets out of the car. He goes to the backseat. He lifts his friend and said, “We’re at your house. Come out.” He slowly helps his friend out. “Don’t just sit there. Come help if you want to go home faster.” Pa Chua gets out madly to help Hue Chi.

     After they sending another friend home, Hue Chi finally takes Pa Chua home.

     “Step on the gas!” Pa Chua ordered.

     “If I step on the gas, we may get in trouble because we smell like alcohol.”

     “But, there may—“

     “—be trouble. You already said that 100 times,” Hue Chi answered hatefully. “I don’t think there will be any trouble. Your parents view sons and daughters equally.”

     “What they see equally is education. Everything else, a daughter will never be compare to a son.”

     “Why do you say that?”

     “Because it’s the truth.’ Nine fireplaces are not as warm as one sun; nice daughters do not equal a son.’ Right?”

     Hue Chi becomes quiet.

     They are at Pa Chua’s house. When Pa Chua is getting out of the car, Hue Chi jokes, “Aren’t you inviting me in?”

     “Go home!”

     The door suddenly opens. There is a loud voice saying, “You finally came back at this time! Do you know what time it is?! Who sent you home?! Tell them to come out?!”

     Hue Chi turns off the car and goes out.

     “Me tub, Hue Chi. Do you know what time it is?! Right now, the sun is coming up again and you finally sent Pa Chua back.”

     “Mom, I just came back a little late.”

     “Came back a little late? The sun is coming up again.”

     Pa Chua’s dad get there and says, “Me tub, you took my daughter for the night; others around here could hear. It then creates an embarrassment for us. You take Pa Chua with you. If there is anything, say it to your dad and we will talk.”

     “Embarrassment? There isn’t even a Hmong house close to us.” Pa Chua said.

     “Well, the sky and earth saw.”

     “Saw what?! We don’t even have—“

     Hue Chi stops Pa Chua before she says another word. “I’m sorry that I sent Pa Chua so late.” Hue Chi bows and says thank you.

     “Am I not your child? Why did you two give me easily to him?”

     “Me ntxhais, you are our child but this happened,” Pa Chua’s mom explained.

     “Me ntxhais, you just go with Hue Chi,” Pa Chua’s dad commanded. Her parents begin to close the door.

     “I’m not going! I’m just going to stay with you!” Pa Chua tries to go into the house. She pushes the door hard. “I’m not going! Don’t close the door!” Her tears begin to roll down her cheeks.

     “Me ntxhais, just go with Hue Chi,” Pa Chua’s mom said nicely.

     The door shuts tight.

     Pa Chua cries, “I’m not going! Open the door!”

     Hue Chi slowly pulls Pa Chua away from the door. Pa Chua slaps Hue Chi and tells off, “It’s because of you, this happened! Because of you.”

     “Let’s go,” Hue Chi said calmly and slowly pulls Pa Chua again.

     “I’m not going. Go by yourself!”

     “Let’s go!” Hue Chi uses his strength to sit Pa Chua in his car. He locks the door so it can’t be open from the inside.

     Hue Chi opens the car door and says, “We’re here. Come out.”

     Pa Chua didn’t want to get out but she couldn’t do anything so she decides to get out. When they start walking, Hue Chi holds Pa Chua’s hand leading the way. But, Pa Chua slowly let go of her hand from Hue Chi and just hopelessly follow him. Hue Chi knocks when they get to the door.

     Hue Chi’s dad opens the door. “You’re back? So, you know that you have a house.” He sees Pa Chua standing next to Hue Chi. “Pa Chua, you’ve come?”

     “Dad, I brought home your daughter-in-law,” Hue Chi said nervously.

     “You two stand still there.” Hue Chi’s dad grabs three incenses and waves it over Pa Chua and Hue Chi.