New York Diary 6

By L.Keivom* Inpui Columnist

‘Country roads, take me home, To the place, I belong..’

Frederick (Maryland) October 9, 2006 Thawtranni tuk. Zanah Lalhminglien le a ruolnu Eni leh keini nupa chu mi dang an zal hnung, dar 12-ah thrunghmun rem thraa perkhuong leh hla sak a, kan inpawl tran chauh leiin zing tieng chu zal pamchar thaw naw inla khom tho inhmat a harsa leiin dar sawmah ka tho trawk a. Sinthaw pawl chu khuontevika thoa, zing dar ruk, ni suok hma deua sin tran vong an ni leiin, ka hang tho chun khawsawt taka invel invel, ka tupa Paula chauh naw chu in hnuoi tieng chun tukhom hmu ding an um ta nawh. A thaw dan pangngaiin, Lalruotmawi hlasakna video chu thingpui a dawn hma le voksa hmepok a suong tran hmain, a hang thaw tran phot a, zal pumin, mang le mang naw inkarah, kan khuma inthok chun ka lo ngaithlak a.

Ni thum sung kha Lalruotmawi leh sir hrang hranga thu le hla ruoipui threpui a, kan va sukhlim bum kha a na, a ruolin kan suoksan ding a ni leiin, inkhawmpui trumtriek ang elin, a hmuna umhai ta ding chun pangngai aw el thei a ni naw khomin, inthiem an um khop el. Chuleiin, ka zing tho a mi hmu charin ka tupa Paula chun, “Pu Muong, voisun bek chu ka cham ro ie. Nangni in fe bok, Ruotmawi a fe ding bok, a ruola in mi hang maksan chu kan khuo a sawt taluo ding a nih. Lalmuongpui khom zuk fawn ka ta, zingah hung thruoi el cheu lem dingin zuk hril ka tih” tiin a mi thlo ngat ngat a. Cham la chak, ka ruolnu Dari khomin a trapa chu lo thlopin an mi ruolbom a. Inhmangaituo le inngai em em leia inthlo theia Pathienin a mi hang sie el dam hi a ropuiin a va hang hamthratthlak de aw! Amiruokchu, kan fe hmasak khoma Lalmuongpuihai sir ding kan ti kha kan hlen thei ta naw leiin le keini mi lo mikhuol dinga Frank W. Landymore khomin kar khat zet chawl a lak top a ni leiin, cham la nuom hle inlang khom cham thei kan ni ta si nawh.

Iemani chen hnungah a mi thruoia hung Lalmuongpuihai khom an hung tlung a. Frank chu khawbur, damsam mang lo a ni leiin an hung tlung chun in chung tieng khom hung kai tung loin pindan hnuoi tieng chun a zal hadam nghal a.. Keini Sura thlahai po chun mani trong inziet hloka hmangin, voksa hmepok, kel chek inthak thraka chartanga siem le fak ding chi hrang hrang an buotsaihai chu, inhnikti takin kan fak mel mel a. In dang, mel sawmthum laia hlaa tlung, Lalruotmawi khom kan hei hriet vong vong a, a awrizinal ngei hi hung fa phak sien kan ti hle a. Thil ching, ei inthranglienpui, einia kop nghet tlat laia pakhat, ei thlarau le inzom chu ei thil fak nuom zawng le du zawng a nih. Vai milien khuol an inzin changa hmun tina ruoi ropui tak tak buotsaipeka an ko lawnhaiin iemani chen hnunga an ngai tak le thaw an chak tak chu truongah dierkei leh inthrung biel a, mawl taka kut ngeia chutney sehmea dal le chapatti/bu ‘dal bat’ fak a nih. Ieng ang nga khomin rangkachak tuia cheng nekin duma cheng inhoi an ti lem dai.

Suok dinga kan hang inpei fel zet chun chawhnung dar hni a lo ni der ta a. Frederick, Maryland-a inthokin kan fena ding Fredericksburg, Virginia hi highway-a fe chun km 160 chuong, Churachandpur le Pherzawl inkar chen deuthawa hla a nih. Khaw thlir malama lamlien chin hraw ruok chun darkar hni chuong a lak. A ram mawizie le an khawsak dan thlir malamin khaw kar lam (country road) hrawin kan fe a. A ram leilung hi ama dumbel ang topa Frank chun a hriet bel, a tleirawl laia a suk a tunga a lo pal tlang tah a ni leiin, kan thil hmuhai chu a hmatiemin a mi hril pei a. Chuonga titi zing pum chun zan tieng dar 4:30 ah Lalmuongpuihai in, 5900 Danielle Drive, Fredericksburg, Virginia, VA 22407 chu kan tlung tah a nih. Fredericksburg hi mel 11 biel vela lien, mihriem 20,732 chauh umna a nih.

Kan tlung charin Frank chu bu khom fa loin a zal nghal a, a tukah har vukin a hung tho a. Keini ruok chu kan hang inhre fel hnungin lawna insawizoi kan mamaw bok a, an naupang tak Harry Khawmawi chu thruoiin, kan pathumin walking-in kan fe a. An umna veng hi veng inhoi le fienriel tak el, a khaw tlak tieng, lamlienpuia motor ri hriet phak naw tawk chara hlaa um a na, khaw thar a ni leiin a fai a, in tinin kompaun lien tawk tak nei seng dinga an rel a ni leiin an inthawl a, tuol tieng lam awnah kompaun lien tawk tak nei chit thei dingin lampuia inthoka hla reiah in an bawl seng a, Mani tuol senga hlobet chu sipai rongrut lu ang deuthawa namin khawlin an at ruol a, kompaun nei mawi tak le fai tak ni an tum seng leiin a veng phekin a mawi el a nih. In kawl fai lo le trul a um chun City Council-in an suknam a, a thaw man chu in neitu kuomah bill an thon el a nih. Eini laia mani kompaun seng ei inhuon khum bur ang hin kot hma tieng tukhom dai sak an um ve nawh. Vok le ar le ran dang hrim hrim, ui le mengte ti chauh naw chu, a vaina hmuna naw chu sie phal a ni naw leiin, huon dai siem a ngai naw a, an phal bok nawh. Eini ruok chu a letlinga khawsak ei tum a. Ke nei, invaka thil sukse theihai kha a huongah khum loin, ke nei lo, invak hmang thei lo, ei huon le lohai hi dai ei sakkhum lem tlat a nih! Ran leh tuol khat hluoa khawsak hi ei khel pha pha leh eini khomin an thaw ang hin ei la thaw ve dingah beisei inla. Ei invong fel dan le insukthienghlim dan level enin, tu hri hin chu thienghlimna khawpui hluo tlak chu ei la ni nawh.

 

Virginny-Virginia

Virginia hi USA-a State 56 zet laia pakhat, an khawpui Washington D.C le inramria um, mel 39594 biel vela lien, mihriem maktaduoi 7.5 umna a na, an khawpui chu Richmond a nih. A hming hi British Kumpinu thienglam, Queen Elizabeth I, ‘Queen Virgin’ tia hriet hming chawia an phuok a nih. A State changvon (motto) chu ‘Sic Semper Tyrannis’ (Thus Always to Tyrants) a na, chu chu ei trong chun, ‘Neksawrtuhai chu hnawl kumkhuo ding’ tia inlet ding ni awm tak a nih. An State hlapuia 1940-a an pom chu James Allen Bland phuok,

Carry me back to old Virginny

There’s where the cotton and the corn and tatoes grow,

There’s where the birds warble sweet in the springtime,

There’s where this old darkey’s heart am long’d to go

ti hi a nih. A hnungin thu mal threnkhat, entirnan ‘darkey’s’ ti hi dreamer’s ti le tatoes ti hi ‘potatoes’ ti lamtawia ziek a ni leiin a hmaa apostrophe siein ‘tatoes tiin an thleng a, voi tam tak House of Representatives le Senate-ah pom dinga an nor hnung le hnawl hnungin kum 1997 khan an siem thrat chu an pom ta trawk a, ‘Virginny’ ti khom ‘Virginia’ tiin ziek a ni tah. A version hlui chu ‘official song emeritius’ ti a na, a version thar chu ‘official state song’ ti a hung ni tah a nih.

Virginia State hming indik tak chu ‘Commonwealth of Virginia’ ti a na, USA States laia ‘Commonwealth’ hming put um sun ni mei a tih. Hi State-a inthok hin USA Presidents pariet- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James More, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylo le Woodrow Wilson- hai hi an pieng a, a hmasa tak pahni le a nuhnung tak hai lem hi chu khawvel hrieta hmingthang an nih.

Ka naupang laia Virginia hming ka hriet hmasakna tak ruok chu dum bur nal taka ‘Virginia tobacco’ ti inzieka inthok a nih. Hi dum hi kum 1612 khan English mi John Rolfe chun Virginia-a hin a ching tran a, kum sari sungin a ram tharsuok an thon suok rawn tak a hung ni a, kum zahni sung zet chu a ram sum hmuna hnarpui tak a nih. Dum chingnaa thok ding mihriem an dit rawn leiin Africa rama inthokin midum ruol salin an hang tol thlak treuh a ni kha. Tu ruok hin chu, ziel hawp hi hriselna ta dinga hmelma a ni thu le bansan dinga inzirtirna a nasat leiin Virginia sum hnar tak chu sa, bawngnene le thlai zor a ni ta a, duma inthoka an sum lak lut chu 5.7 per cent chauh a ni tah.

Take me home, country roads

October 10, 2006, Thawleni tuk chun a hmaa kan lo remruot lawk angin puk hmingthang, Luray Caverns an ti chu fang dingin zingbu fak khopin kan inthok suok a. Favang tawp tieng, thlasik hung intran dinga thing hna a hung eng tran hun a ni ta a. Blue Ridge Mountain-a motor-a inzin nuomhai fena dinga President Hoover hun laia mel 107-a sei Skyline Drive an siem chu hrawin tlang chu kan kai tung a. Ei nghatna tieng tieng a mawi a, en nghok a um naw a. Ei kai insang po leh thing hna rong chi hrang hranga inthlak chu hmu ding a tam tul tul a. Muol insang deuhai chu rong chi tina chei par huon angin an vul chuk el a. Tlang inhnuoina tieng chun thlasik hung mek kut chu an la tuor nasa naw leiin hring dupin an la’n lang thung a. Kum tluona hna hring zing thing ti naw po chu November thla bulah an hna trilin, saruokin an la ngir fuk ding a nih. Hi sik le sa inthlak, thing hna tril hun hi a nih Americaa ‘The Fall’ an ti chu nih. Edena Adam le Evi tlukna, ‘The Fall’ an ti leh ngai pol ding a ni nawh.

A tlang sip kan tlung hmain, khaw thlirna, tlaitlan inhoi tak el kan tlung a. Sak tieng ei ngha chun Virginia bu thleng, Piedmont phaizawl hring dup el, Atlantic Tuifinriet kam chena inzar duoi chu ei hmu a. Sim tieng chun Blue Ridge Mountain le inzom pei, tlang insang lem hring dum durhai chu inzaum takin an ngir khup a. Thlang tieng ei zuk thlir chun Blue Ridge le Appalachian Mountains inkara phairuom, Shenandoah Valley incham duoi el chu ei hmu bok a. Thlang tieng kawlrawna tlang inzam phei, Appalachian Mountains an ti ruok hi chu West Virginia State tienga um a ni tah. Hi tlang inzam phei hin Georgia State-a inthoka intranin, States pariet zet hraw tlangin, hmar sak kil deuthawa um Maine State chen a hang sun a, mel 2174 (km 3500) vela sei a nih. West Virginia hi a hma chun Virginia State-a um hlak a na, sienkhom kum 1863 khan intum an suok a, an State khawpui chu Charleston a nih.

Hi tlaitlana inthoka khuo kan thlir lai hin, ka hma zawna ka thil thlir le inzomin kum 1997-a fam lo chang tah John Denver hla sak, ‘Take me home, country roads’ ti kha ngaituonaah a hung inlang a, lungrilin a chang khatna le thunon chu ka sak a:

Almost heaven, West Virginia,

Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah river;

Life is old there, older than the trees,

Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze.

Country roads, take me home

To the place, I be-long

West Virginia, mountain momma

Take me home, country roads.

Hi hla, 1971-a a hung puok dar lai dam kha ka ngaituonaah a hung inlang a, lung hlui a’n leng vong vong a. A thu chauha ka lo sak hlak, a tak ngeia ka hang hmu ve chun ka lungril namen loin a deng a. Hi hla 1971-a a hung suok khan thla ruk sung Number One Hit a ni char char a, chu sung chun a kawpi maktaduoi khat an zor suok a nih. A mak nawkna chu, Kawmiunis-hai indaidanna bang nor chimtu hla hmasa tak a nina chu a nih. Hi hla hi Communist China sorkar-in an ramah zalen taka Western music sut le ngaithlak a phal hmasa tak a ni tlat chu tie! Hi hla hin a saktu John Denver khom tu la hriet mang lo kha van zawlah a vor tung a, October 12, 1997-a a vuongna khal tui a bo leia a tlak hlum chen khan a hming a re ta nawh. John Denver hi a hming tak chu Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. a na, West Virginia pieng khom ni loin Roswell, New Mexico-a pieng a ni dai lem. Colorado khawpui, hi lekha ka ziek laia Sielmat pasalthra Rohminglien le an nu Vanrammawi le an nauhai tuol lengna Denver chu a ngainat em leiin hmingin a put top el a nih. Khawvel hmaah a chawimawiin a sukropui hle bok.

Ei hril tah laklaw leiin hi hla hung suok dan hi hang zep sa law law inla. John Denver le a thawpui Bill Denoff le Taffy Nivert hai chu Washington D.C a country club pakhat Cellar Door an tia chun zan khat chu hla an sak a. An trin chun an pathumin John Denver in tienga riek dingin an suok a, lampuiah eksiden an tuok a, Denver kutpui ru a tliek leiin Hospital-ah tuom dingin an thruoi a. In an tlung chun Bill le Taffy chun thla khat sung zet hla pakhat an buoipui tah thu chu John Denver an hril a. Maryland-a um Taffy sunghai hmu dinga an fe trum, khaw kar lampui kawi ngiei ngiei an hraw lai thu chu Bill chun hlain a phuok a. Chu hla chu a hnungin, West Virginia-a lem ziek thiem, Bill-a ruolpa, lekha a hung thon zata West Virginia tlang ram mawizie hung hril hlaktu thu le inmil dingin a her danglam a. A thluk chu a ler deu bakah a chang hninaa chun saruoka um an minuhai an hisapna, zamaw rong kai tieng hret a um leiin radio-a sak ding lem chun an pom an ring naw thu dam chu an hril sa bok a. Bill le Taffy chun an hla thar chu an hang sak a, John Denver lungril a tawk hle a, a trim sur sur a. Chu phing leh anni pathum chun zing dar ruk chen chu hla thu le thluk chu an siem thra ngat ngat a, ei hla hril lai hi a hung pieng ta nol el a nih. John Denver-in album siem nawk hmasa takah hi hla hi a khum nghal a, dang ruol loin khawvelah a puok dar tah a nih.

Chu chu mi chanchin ni sien la. Keima tieng panga ka beidongna ruk hang hril vak ka tih. Ei ram le ei nun mawi hlakzie thlir a, lungril le thlaraua,

Kan tlangram mawi, hring dum dur hi,

Lentu sawl thing tin an vul chiei;

Thlirin a mawi, salung a awi,

Zo thli fimin damten mi thawi

tia ka lo khek suokpui kha, ei ramah hmu ding um ta loin, ram dang mihaiin an lo rochung ta lem daih a nih ti ka hang hmu chang hin, inhnar a na taluo a, lungrilin ka trap inrum hlak a nih. Mi rama chu an thing le hlo hnahai chenin naute duotin an duot a, zalen tak le thlamuong takin an rampui, thel hun hnuoiah ramsa tinreng an tla diel diel a. Thing buk tinah tri ding nei loin vatehan muong takin ra an tlan a, nunkhuo an pham a. Hmun tina vadung luong hok hoka chun ai le nga le thilhring dang dangin tura an vai hlum ve tri der loin hlimin tuol an chai a. Mihriemin a mihriempui a muongpui a. Zalen taka nuom nuoma nawal ei inchawk ang ela silai le a mu inchawk thei a ni vei leh, chuong hriemhrei triumhai chu mihriem pelnaa hmang loin an zalenna humhalna ding le sapel an phal huna sa kapna dingin an hmang lem a nih. Eini ruok chu….

Chuong lai chun ei ramhuoihai hmel dam ka mitthlaah a hung inlang a. Ram hmangaia inhril, rama dawia ina huoi lem si, an hum ding tak hum neka mani unauhai hringna ienga khom ngai lohaiin ka ruol hlui Ngurdinglien hai, K.T.Lala hai, ka tu suong Lalrohlu hai le Isaac Lalmalsawm Intoate hai an that lai dam le chu leia Belzebub a’n nui kuk kuk lai dam ni awm chu ka mitthla a, iengkim hmutu Pathien hmaah inzakin hmai ka hup a. Ka bula motor khala thrung Frank, Pathien tri mi le inza em emtu chun hre pal a tih ti inlauin, ama tieng khom ka ngha ngam nawh. Hieng ang thil hi ei ngaituo pha chun hmun mawi tak khom hi a mawi thei naw a, inhnarna suktamtu an inchang lem hlak a nih. Chu zing sa khom chun ka ram chu ka ram a na, ka mihai chu ka mihai an ni tlat si. Ka hnawl thei naw a, ka zamsan thei bok nawh. Ka hnawl chun keima le keima inhnawl ning ka tih.

 

Fangfar puk hmingthang

Blue Ridge tlangpui sip chu chuong kai ta loin kan kir nawk a, chawlna hmun remchang pakhatah kan sunbu fun chu kan thret a. Chu zoah Shenandoah phairuom panna lampui chu manin, kan fena ding, fangfar puk hmingthang tieng chu kan pan thlak a, darkar chenve hnungah Luray Caverns chu kan tlung tah a nih.

*About the author: Pu L.Keivom is a retired Indian foreign diplomat and a noted Mizo writer. This article is dated October 24, 2006, New York.