“Lillian Wōt,” Jera, Maj. 2023, 40–41.
Lillian Wōt
Lillian ekar jab kōņaan bwe en e wōt ilo Doulul eo an Jiron̄ ro.
Rainin ej raan eo āliktata an Lillian ilo Būraimere. Lillian enaaj būrom̧ōje ajri ro jet ilo Būraimere. Ekar jilu iaer—ruo leddik reddikļo̧k im ļaddik eo jatin, Michael.
“Ej et am en̄jake n̄an wanlōn̄tak n̄an Doulul eo an Jiron̄ ro?” rikaki in Būraimere eo an ekar kajjitōk.
“Ikijooror in etal n̄an kūlaaj ippān leddik ro rōrūttoļo̧k!” Lillian ekar ba.
“Ij m̧ōņōņō bwe kom̧ōņōņō,” rikaki eo an ekar ba. “Wōn ro renaaj pād ilo Doulul eo an Jiron̄ ro ippam̧?”
Lillian ekar ļōmņak kōn leddik ro rōrūttoļo̧k ilo ward eo. Summer im Cova ej kab m̧ōj aer high school. Im baam̧le eo an Melvina rej kab em̧m̧akūt. Kōttar. Epād . . . wōt Lillian.
Enaaj elmen kūlaaj eo an ilo Doulul eo an Jiron̄ ro? Enaaj ke rikaki ro wōt im e? Āinwōt enana—im ajimakeke. Ļōmņak kake ekar kōm̧m̧an bwe Lillian en ikum̧kum̧. Ekar kōjememe. Liin ekar jab kōņaan bwe en e wōt iaan ilo Doulul eo an Jiron̄ ro.
N̄an aolepen raan eo, Lillian ekar ļōmņak kōn an e wōt jiron̄. Ilo kejota eo, ekar kōm̧akūtkūt m̧ōn̄ā ko ilo pilej eo an im jab kan̄i. Ekar alin̄ūrn̄ūr ke ekar an iien n̄an riit ilo ekkatak jeje ko rekwojarjar an baam̧le.
Jinen ekar door laļļo̧k jeje ko an rekwojarjar. Ekar kajjitōk, “eita?”
Lillian ekar būrom̧ōj. “Inaaj make wōt ilo Doulul eo an Jiron̄ ro!”
Jinen ekar jijōtļo̧k iturin Lillian Ekar atbokwoje. “Eban pidodo,” ekar ba. “Ta eo jemaron̄ kōm̧m̧ane n̄an jipan̄ eok?”
Lillian ekar ļōmņak jidik. “Bōlen jen jar bwe bar juon leddik en emakūt tok n̄an ward in. Im bōlen baba en letok n̄an n̄a juon kōjeram̧m̧an.”
Jemān ekar ettōn̄dikdik. “Em̧m̧an ļōmņak kein.”
Baam̧le eo rekar bukwelōlō im jar. “Jemedwōj Ilan̄,” Lillian ekar ijjino, “Ij m̧ōņōņō bwe imaron̄ in em̧akūtļo̧k n̄an Doulul eo an Jiron̄ ro. Ijjab kōņaan makeļo̧k iaaō, ak n̄e ej An kilaam̧, ej em̧m̧an wōt. Jouj jipan̄ eō jeļā ta eo in kōm̧m̧ane n̄an en̄jake aenōm̧m̧an. Im n̄e Kwoj kōņaan im̧we juon baam̧le eo ewōr nejier leddik jon̄an wōt n̄a n̄an itok n̄an ward eo ammim, enaaj bar em̧m̧an.”
Ālkin jar eo, baba ekar likūt pein ioon bōra. “ij kōjeraam̧m̧an eok bwe kwon en̄jake aenōm̧m̧an kōn em̧m̧akūtļo̧k n̄an Doulul eo an Jiron̄ ro.” ekar ba. “Jemedwōj Ilan̄ enaaj kōjeraam̧m̧an eok ilo am kajjitōk kōn jipan̄ eo An.”
Lillian ekar en̄jake aenōm̧m̧an. Ekar jab jeļā ta eo eaikuj in kōm̧m̧ane bwe en pidodo n̄an em̧akūtļo̧k n̄an kūlaaj eo an Doulul eo an Jiron̄ ro. Ak ekar jeļā bwe Jemedwōj Ilan̄ enaaj jipan̄ e.
Ilo Jabōt, Lillian ekar ikum̧kum̧ wōt. Ak eaar keememej aenōm̧m̧an eo ekar en̄jake ālkin an jemān kōjeraam̧m̧an e. Liin eaar jeļā enaaj EM̧M̧AN.
Ilo kweilo̧k in kwojkwoj eo, bisop eo ekar kōjjeļā bwe Sister Barns enaaj būreejtōn eo ekāāļ an Doulul eo an Jiron̄ ro. Sister Barns ekar jutak ke kar kūr etan. Lillian ekar jab jeļā kajjien, ak ekar jouj.
Jinen ekar ba ke ekar iiō eo an Lillian, ritōl ro an ilo Doulul eo an Jiron̄ ro raar ro m̧ōttan rem̧m̧antata. Bōlen Lillian im Sister Barns remaron̄ m̧ōttā! Ekar juon uwaak eo n̄an jar eo an.
Ālkin kweilo̧k in kwojkwoj, Lillian ekar etal n̄an kūlaaj eo an ekāāl. Juon leddik erūtto ekar pād ilo ettōņaak eo.
“Iakwe,” Lilliam ekar ba. “Kwoj lotok ward in?”
Leddik eo ekar kōjōboululi bōran. “Jaab. Baam̧le eo aō rej kab em̧akūtok n̄an ijin.”
Lillian ekar ettōn̄dikdik. “Koruwainenetok n̄an ward in ad. Rainin raan eo kein kajuon ilo Doulul eo an Jiron̄ ro.” E im leddik ro rekar jijōt ilo kūlaajruum̧ eo. “Ekwe, etan in Lillian.”
“Eban!” leddik eo ekāāl ekar ba. “Etan in bar Lillian!”
Lillian ekar ettōn̄. Jemedwōj Ilan̄ eaar bar uwaake jar eo an! Bōlen pād ilo Doulul eo an Jiron̄ ro ejjab ajimakeke ālkin men otemjej.
Bwebwenato in ekar bōk jikin ilo Australia.
Kōmeļeļe ko jān Sue Teodoro