Penang Hokkien Story: Hermes Chapter 1

In a tiny apartment somewhere in Paya Terubong, the following conversation takes place ...


"Wah₄ gai₃ liau₄!"

"Ah₃ Huat₃, ha₁mik₁ yang₃ gai₃?" Ah₃ Pa₁ ceh₃ khi₄ lai₂. "Lu₄ tharn₃ cit₃-khien₁ lang₂ co₃ lu₄-eh₃ ka₁wan₁, boh₃ ho₄ meh₄?"

"Ah₃ Pa₁, larn₄-eh₃ chu₃ ba₃lu₁ 700 hong₃cheok₃, cat₁ siang₃ka₁ sar₃din₃ hu₂-eh₃ tin₃, Ah₃ Pa₁ kokh₁ chnia₄ cit₃-khien₁ ang₃mor₃ knia₄ lai₃ tua₃ ka₁ larn₄, mana boleh?!"

"Ka₁ lau₃juak₁ gok₃ mah₁?" Ah₃ Pa₁ kong₄.

"Lau₃juak₁? Ah₃ Pa₁ oi₄, mm₃ si₃ cit₃ meh₂, mm₃ si₃ cit₃ leh₁pai₃, tun₁ mm₃ si₃ cit₃-ko₁ goay₁. Cit₁-khien₁ lang₂ kong₃si₁ wah₄-eh₃ pang₃keng₁ cit₃ nie₂ ah₃. Cit₃ nie₂! Ah₃ Pa₁ oi₄, wah₁ boek₁ siau₄ khee₃ liau₄!"

Ah₃ Huat₃ ceh₃ lok₁ lai₂. Ie₁ liam₃ a₁boay₃ liau₄ gok₃.

"Tha₁na₁ ba₁lu₁ wah₄ beng₃pek₁! Wah₄ sniau₃ kong₄, lu₄ haeh₃ norh₃-can₃-eh₃ bin₃cherng₂ tee₁ wah₄-eh₃ pang₃keng₁, wah₄ tharn₁ chnia₄ wah₄-eh₃ peng₃eu₄ lai₃ khoon₁ meh₂. Guan₃lai₂ mm₃ si₃. Ah₃ Pa₁ oi₄, cit₃ nie₂ ah₃!"

"Hai₁ya₃, kuan₁si₃ toh₃ ho₄ liau₄ lah₄!" Ah₃ Pa₁ tap₃.

"Kuan₁si₃ ah₃?"

"Mang₃ kong₄ ka₁ kae₁ liau₄," Ah₃ Mak₃ kong₄, "Kio₃ lu₁-eh₃ chee₄ lai₃ ciak₃ pnui₃."

Ah₃ Huat₃ jiang₄ tua₁-tua₁ sniah₁, "Abby! Abby! Lai₃ ciak₃ pnui₃!"

"Abby?" Ah₃ Mak₃ mui₃, "Cui₃cui₃ lang₂ si₃ Abby?"

Ah₃ Huat₃-eh₃ chee₄ jip₁ lai₂. "Ah₃ Huat₃, lu₄ cin₃ cham₄-eh₂ ah₃! Ha₁mik₁ su₃ kio₃ wah₄ Abby tee₁ Ah₃ Mak₃ ka₁ Ah₃ Pa₁-eh₃ thau₃ceng₂?!"

"Ah₃ Huat₃, mm₃ thang₃ boh₃ tua₃ boh₃ seh₃!" Ah₃ Mak₃ kong₄. "Ee₁ khah₁ tua₃ goay₃ lu₄, kio₃ ee₁ Chee₃ Chee₄! Ee₁ pun₁ mm₃ si₃ mia₃ Abby. Ee₁ mia₃ Ah₃ Bee₄!"

"Ah₃ Mak₃, tee₁ gua₃khau₄, Ah₃ Bee₃ tok₃ mia₃ ... "

"Lu₄ tiam₃ lu₄-eh₃ chui₃!" Ah₃ Bee₄ jiang₄.

Ah₃ Pa₁ mui₃, "Ah₃ Bee₄, tee₃ see₂ lu₄ pien₃ Abby?"

"Ah₃ Pa₁! Mm₃ si₃ wah₄ cit₃ lang₂ nia₃. Cit₁ khien₄, tua₃ gua₃khau₄ mah₃ mm₃ si₃ mia₃ Ah₃ Huat₃. Lu₁ cai₁ ie₁ mia₃ ha₁mik₁ boh₂? Hennnnry!"

"Haaaa! Kokh₁ tiok₃ wah₄ gok₃!" Ah₃ Huat₃ jiang₄. "Ah₃ Pa₁, wah₄ ka₃ lu₁ kong₄. Tua₃ tee₁ wah₄-eh₃ pan₁, ka₃nia₃ wah₄ cit₁ lang₂ uh₃ Hok₁kien₁ mia₂ - chun₁-eh₂ ka₁liau₄ uh₃ Hwa₃ Gu₁ mia₂, lang₃-eh₃ mia₂ uh₃ Z-lah₁, X-lah₁, Q-lah₁, wah₃ cit₃ lang₂-eh₃ mia₂ uh₃ H pu₁lak₁! Ah₃ Huat₃, si₁paek₃ lau₃ya₂, siang₃ka₁ beh₃ ko₃pi₁-eh₃ Ah₃ Pek₃!"

"Hai₄! Ha₁mik₁ sa₃lah₃ uh₃ Hok₁kien₁ mia₂? Larn₄ co₁ Hok₁kien₁ lang₂ mah₁, eng₃kai₁ uh₃ Hok₁kien₁ mia₂ loh₄," Ah₃ Pa₁ kong₄. "Ah₃ Huat₃, lu₁ mien₁ huan₃loh₄. Cit₁-leh₁ ang₃mor₃ knia₄ mae₃ nie₂ ba₃lu₁ lai₂."

"Tha₁na₁ pang₁kae₁, kokh₁ norh₃-ko₁ goay₁ tok₃ si₃ mae₃ nie₂ loh₄," Ah₃ Huat₃ tap₃.

"Kau₁giak₃ tiam₁sniah₁ hor₃ lu₄ cun₁pi₃ mah₁," Ah₃ Pa₁ kong₄. "Nah₃, wah₁ uh₃ ie₁-eh₃ tien₃phe₁ tay₃ci₄ cit₁peng₂. Sia₄ cit₃-tniau₃ tien₃phe₁ huan₁eng₂ ie₁ lai₂."

"Ka₁liau₄ tun₁ si₃ wah₄ tiok₃ co₃!" Ah₃ Huat₃ chan₁.

"Mm₃ si₃ ka₁liau₄ lu₄ tiok₃ co₃," Ah₃ Pa₁ kong₄, "Si₃ ka₁liau₄ lu₄ tun₃ liam₃!"

"Liau₄, ha₁mik₁ si₃ tien₃phe₁ tay₃ci₄?" Ah₃ Huat₃ kong₄. "Tee₁ Penang, ka₁liau₁ lang₂ kong₄ email address, lu₄ cit₃ lang₂ kong₄ tien₃phe₁ tay₃ci₄. Ah₃ Pa₁, lu₄-eh₃ Hok₁kien₁ wa₃ si₁paek₃ tet₁pet₁!"

"Mm₃ si₃ tet₃pet₁," Ah₃ Bee₄ ciap₃. "Si₃ si₁paek₃ ki₃kuai₃!"

"Hah₃ lah₃, hah₃ lah₃, lu₁lang₂ norh₃ khien₄ suan₁ Ah₃ Pa₁," Ah₃ Pa₁ kong₄. "Cit₃ jit₁ Ah₃ Pa₁ sim₃cong₃ pnaeh₃ toh₄ tee₁ thor₃kha₁ ba₃lu₁ lu₁lang₂ ka₁ cai₁!"

"Choi₄, choi₄, choi₄!" Ah₃ Mak₃ maeh₃ liau₄. "Ciak₃ pnui₃! Mang₃ kong₁ wa₃ liau₄!"

"Wah₁ ciak₃ pa₄ liau₄Okay," Ah₃ Pa₁ kong₄. Ie₁ paek₃ khi₄ lai₂. "Wah₁ tiok₃ chu₃ khee₁ ya₃ hoe₃ liau₄. Kin₃ meh₂ uh₃ pasar malam. E₃ki₁ sia₄ heh₁-leh₁ email hah₄?"

"O₁kay₄lah₄ Ah₃ Pa₁," Ah₃ Huat₃ kong₄.

Vocabulary

This is a fictional story. All characters and events in this story are fictional. Any resemblance to actual people and events is purely coincidental.

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