“Fasin Blong Stap Kaen long Lanj Taem,” Fren, Mei 2024, 36–37.
Fasin Blong Stap Kaen long Lanj
?Ol nara boe tu bae oli jikim hem?
Stori ia i hapen long Filipin.
Dave i harem mama blong hem i stap noknok long doa blong rum blong hem. Hem i taem blong girap. Hem i kamaot long bed mo wasem fes blong hem. Afta, hem i joenem Mama, Papa mo ol brata mo sista blong hem long rum we i stap long fored.
“Gud moning,” Mama i talem. Dave i wantem slip yet be i smael. Famli i nildaon mo Papa i talem wan prea blong statem dei blong olgeta.
“Mi wantem serem wan naesfala skripja long moning ia,” Mama i talem. Hem i openem Buk blong Momon blong hem. “Hemia i Moronae 7:45. ‘Mo bigfala lav i save wet longtaem, mo i kaen.’”
Dave i tingting abaot skripja ia taem hem i stap rere blong go long skul. Bifo hem i wokbaot i go aot long doa, hem i talem wan prea. “Plis helpem mi blong stap kaen tedei,” hem i prea.
Long klas, Dave i filim hapi taem hem i mekem skul wok blong hem. Hem i lisim gud taem Tija Frida i givim long olgeta sam niu speling wod blong lanem.
I no longtaem i lanj taem. Dave i pem sam swit poteto mo sam kolkol jus. Hem i sidaon wetem ol fren blong hem mo stat blong toktok.
I no longtaem hem harem sam pikinini long nekis tebol. Tu boe i stap jikim wan niu boe we nem blong hem i Jose. Yia blong Jose i smol, be hem i naes long ol nara man mo i wokhad long klas. Ol nara boe oli gat lanj be Jose i nogat.
“?From wanem yu smol tumas?” ?Yu nogat kakae long haos?” Antonio i askem.
Dave i tanem hem i go long ol boe ia stret long taem we Joaquin i karemaot bag blong Jose mo i sakem i go long Antonio. Jose i ron i go from Antonio blong karem bak ol samting blong hem.
“Plis givim bag blong mi” Jose i talem.
Be Antonio mo Joaquin i no wantem lisin. “!Bag blong yu i olfala tumas mo i no naes!” Joaquin i talem.
Dave i harem evri rabis toktok ia be hem i fraet blong helpem Jose. ?Wanem nao ol nara pikinini bae gat long tingting? ?Bae Joaquin mo Antonio i jikim hem tu?
Afta hem i tingting long skripja we Mama i ridim long moning ia. Bigfala lav hem i kaen. Jisas Kraes bae i wantem hem blong stap kaen. Hem i wan stret samting blong mekem.
Dave i stanap mo lukluk ol nara boe. “Inaf blong jikim Jose. Plis, givimbak bag blong hem.”
“?Wanem problem blong yu?” Joaquin i askem.
“?From wanem yufala i stap jikim Jose? Hem i no mekem eni samting i rong,” Dave i talem. Afta hem i pulum gud win blong hem. “Jisas i lavem yumi evriwan, mo Hem i wantem yumi blong stap kaen. Plis stop blong jikim Jose. Fasin blong stap jik hem i no stret. Sapos yu gohed blong mekem, bae mi go from Tija Frida.”
Antonio i lukluk i go daon long sus blong hem. Hem i givimbak bag blong Jose. “Sori” hem talem slo. Hem mo Joaquin i gobak long ples we tufala i sidaon long hem.
“Tangkyu” Jose i talem.
Dave i tajem solda blong Jose. “Yumitu fren nao.”
Jose i smael.
Long haos, Dave i talemaot long famli blong hem wanem i bin hapen.
“Hemia i no bin isi, be yu bin mekem gud samting,” Papa i talem.
“Mi glad long yu we yu bin kaen,” Mama i talem.
Nekis dei taem Mama i stap help blong mekem rere lanj, Dave i askem, “?Yumi save mekem tu sanwij?”
“?From wanem? ?Yu stap hanggri tumas?” Mama i askem.
Dave i laf. “No, be from yestedei mi luk se Jose i nogat kakae. Mi wantem serem sam kakae blong mi.”
“!Hem ia i wan gudfala aedia!” Mama i karemaot sam moa bred mo Dave i mekem wan moa sanwij.
Long lanj, Dave mo Jose i sidaon tugeta mo kakae sanwij blong tufala. Hem i tekem strong tingting blong stopem ol nara pikinini blong stap jikim Jose. Be Dave i laekem niu fren blong hem, mo hem i save se Papa long Heven i glad we hem i bin jusum blong stap kaen.
Ol pikja droing oli kam long Mark Robison