Thu déng kháwngina min den dawt ngaithlatu nih hi a nuam miah lo—August ni 16-a thí-a chhar ni ta Elvis Presley chanchin hnuhnung pawh hi a ngaihnawm teh lua lëm lo… Ngaihnawm lo chu, a chanchin hnuhnung i’n chhui hrâm dâwn teh ang:

August ni 16, 1977 —Memphis, Tennessee a ni. August thla hnáwng churh chuan thil tha lo a pai chiang è—khawvêl thalai mai ni lo, nu leh pa, pi leh pu tena an pathian rawn “Elvis Presley chu thia chhar a ni!” tih a ni.

Hetih lai hian Elvis hi zân lamah a mu ngai mang lo a; chhùnah mut-mu a tuak zâwk thin a. A thih ní—August ni 16-a thil thleng hi i’n sawi zui teh ang:

August zíng dár 1:30 a ni. Elvis-a chu zàn dár 11:00-a a ha doctor (dentist) hnêna a kal chu Graceland lam panin a unaupa (a cousin) Billy Smith leh a Guitarist Charles Hodges-te nèn an hãw ho a. Amah pawh a hlim hle. Zing lam dâr 4:00–5:00 inkârah hian Elvis chuan Graceland-a a khawsakpui ve tho, Billy Smith-te nupa leh hetih laia a kawppui; amah awmpui chawttu, a nupui pahnihna atâna a hual ni bawk—Ginger Alden-te chu Racquetball khelhpuiah sáwmin hlim takin darkár khat vêl, Graceland chhúngah Racquetball an khèlho a. A hnûa a inkhelhpuiten an sawi leh dànin, heta an inkhelhnaah hian Elvisa hian a Racquetin a ngal a vaw palh hlauh mai a; a vung nghe nghe a ni âwm e.

Zing dar nga a ri a: Racquetball an khelhna hmuna an chawlh hahdamna (lounge area)-ah lungléng takin Elvis-a chu a piano tumin a zai vawng vawng mai a. (Mi thenkhat chuan hemi tum hian, hla chuai thei lo, amah ngei pawn studio-a a record ngei hlâ—“Unchained Melody” pawh kha lungkuai êm êm maiin a sa tel a ni,” an ti nghe nghe!)

06:00 a.m. : A kawppui Ginger Alden nen chuan an mutna pindan lamah an chho dun a; a thawmhnaw hak laite a thlak zawh hnu pawh chuan la mu mai chuang loin TV te enin a hah chawl leh rih a; tin, lehkhabute pawh a chhiar leh rih bawk.

7. 08:00 a.m. : Elvis-a chuan, a kianga mú, a nupui hual, Ginger hnênah chuan bathroom leh lounge area lama lehkhabu chhiar tùra a kal thu a hrilh.

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. : Elvis-a chuan a Doctor - Dr. Nichopolous chu mutna damdawi (Sleeping Pills) dìl tumin a office chu telephone-in a bia a. Mahse, a doctor chu office-ah a lo awm lo a; Nurse lo duty lai, Tish Henley nen chuan an inbia a. Nurse chuan mutna damdawi mûm hnih chu Elvis-a tân envelope-ah a thunsak a. Heta Elvis-a nêna an inbiak lai vêla an office-a rawn lût Elvis-a ní chu Elvis-a hawnsak mai tùrin, envelope-a a thun, damdawi chu a thawn ta ngawt mai a ni.

8. 09:30 a.m. : Elvis chuan a awmna bathroom chu a chhuahsan a. In hnuai lamah a chhuk thlâ a. Dâk-Pu-in lehkha a rawn ken, Paul Lichter-a rawn thawn chu a lo dawng ngei a; amah ngeiin a hming a sign hnan nghe nghe.

9. 10:00 a.m. : Chanchinbu semin an bathlàra chanchinbu chu Elvis-a’n a chhar lai tak chu mi thenkhatin an lo hmu. Hemi hnu, chawhnu dar 2:00 thleng Report hriâ tumah an awm lo.

Hemi chhung hian Elvis-a hi a lo berah darkar thum tal nikhaw hre loa a lo awm hman tawh ngei a ni ang … tih chu mi tam ber rin dàn a ni ta!

10. 02:00 – 02:30 p.m. : Ginger Alden-i muhìl chu a rawn harh ve hlawl mai. A thiante a phone kual hmasa tê tê a. A hnuah Elvis-a, bathrom-a lût kha tûn thleng pawn a la rawn lêt leh lo a, a kianga a rawn mut ve leh loh thu a hre chhuak thut.

11. 02:30 p.m. : Ginger chuan hmanhmawh phe-lengin Bathroom lam chu a pan nghal vat. Rock n’ Roll lalpa, a pasal ni mai tur Elvis Presley chu nikhaw hre loa Bathroom Commode hmaa lo tlusawp reng mai chu a va hmu ta mai! Elvis-a chuan engmah a hre tawh lo tih hriat hian thingthi deuha a lehkhabu ken lai chhiar tùr ang deuh hian a lo awm reng tawh a. A khabê chuan a khûp a si tep a; a bán khing hnih inthlep nguih chungin chhuatah a innem khalh a; a hmai pawh chhuat (carpet)-a innghatin a va hmu a ni.

Ginger chî-ãi dàn tùrzia chu! Mangang leh rilru baihvai tak chungin, a rang a rangin in hnuai lamah a tlãn thla nghal a. Elvis-a bodyguard—Al Strada a ko chho nghal. Tin, in hnuaia lo awm ve mi dangte pawh hmanhmawh takin in chung lamah an tlãn chho ve nghal bawk. Tin, in hnuaia lo awm ve tho, a Road Manager leh Joe Esposito pawh chuan thil awmzia a hriat veleh in chung lam panin a tlãn chho ve nghal vat bawk a. A thleng hmasàten Elvis-a taksa chu an lo hmet nawk nawk lai leh Elvis-a dinhmun derthawng lutuk avang chuan a remcháng berin Fire Department a phone nghal a. Elvis-a doctor, Dr. Nichopolous pawh phone-a koh nghal a ni bawk.

… ngawi teh, a tâwp thei dâwn lo. Duh tâwk phawt mai teh ang!
‘Are you lonesome tonight?’

• Zirsangkima