Ko e Kaungāmeʻa FetohiʻakiLelei Tahá
ʻOku nofo ʻa e taha naʻá ne faʻú ʻi Mitileni Hihifo, ʻIngilani.
Na‘e ʻikai ke fie kaungāmeʻa fetohiʻaki ʻa Seini. Na‘á ne fie maʻu pē ke foki mai ʻa Mami ki ʻapi.
Si‘i Faʻē, Na‘e tohi ʻe Seini.
Na‘á ne kiʻi taimi peá ne tātaa‘i ʻene pení ‘i he tēpilé. Na‘á ne sio ki he ʻaisí, ki he feituʻu ne tautau ai ‘a e laʻitā foʻou taha ʻo ia mo Mamí. Naʻá na fakatou maʻu ʻa e kumukumu tatau, ʻa e ʻulu lanu fakapōpōʻuli tatau, mo e malimali lahi tatau pē.
Ko e hā nai haʻane lea ʻe fai? Naʻe fie ongo fiefia mo mālohi ʻa Seini maʻa Mami, ka naʻe ʻikai ke ne fakakaukau ki ha meʻa. Naʻá ne fuʻu loto-mamahi ʻaupito ne faingataʻa ai ke ne tohi ha meʻa ʻe taha.
Ne toki foki mai ʻa Seini, Teti, mo e toenga ʻo e fānaú mei he ʻa‘ahi kia Mami ‘i he uike ʻe ua kuo hili. Naʻe ʻi he fale fakapōpulá ʻa Mami pea ko ia naʻe pau ai ke nau faka‘uli ʻi ha mei ʻaho kakato ʻe taha ke sio ki ai. Koeʻuhi ko e fakaʻuli lōloá, na‘e ʻikai ke nau faʻa sio maʻu pē kiate ia. Kuo laka hake he taʻu ʻe taha ʻa e nofo pilīsone ʻa Mamí, pea kuo tuʻo ua pē ʻenau sio ki aí.
Ko e taimi ko ‘ení, ʻi he ‘aʻahi ki ai ‘a Seiní, na‘e fokotuʻu ange ʻe Mami ke na kaungāmeʻa fetohiʻaki (pen pals). Ka na‘e ʻikai ke fie kaungāmeʻa fetohiʻaki ʻa Seini. Na‘á ne fie maʻu pē ke foki mai ʻa Mami ki ʻapi.
Ne aʻu mai e ʻuluaki tohi ʻa Mami kia Seiní ʻaneafi, ne tohi maau ʻaki ha penivahevahe. ʻI laló, naʻá ne tā ha fakatātā ʻo kinaua toko ua ʻokú na paati fakataha ʻi heʻene foki mai ki ʻapí.
Ne tohi ʻe Seini ha ngaahi laine ʻe niʻihi, peá ne nusinusiʻi ʻa e laʻi pepá. Na‘á ne hili hono ʻulú he funga tēpilé pea kuikui hono matá, ʻo feinga ke ta‘ofi e loʻimatá.
Ne hū mai ʻa Teti mo e ʻū fakataú. “Seini, ʻokú ke sai pē?”
Naʻe ueʻi hake ‘e Seini hono ongo umá mo tukuhifo.
Ne tangutu hifo ʻa Teti peá ne fāʻofua kiate ia. Naʻe falala atu ʻa Seini ki hono fatafatá.
Na‘á ne ʻeke ange, “Ko e hā hano fuoloa?”
“Pea hā leva?”
“Ko e hā hono fuoloa kae lava ke foki mai ʻa Mami ki ʻapi?”
Na‘e fakalongolongo ʻa Teti ʻi ha taimi lōloa. Na‘á ne pehē atu leva, “Mahalo ʻe a‘u ʻo ta‘u ʻe tolu, Seini.”
Na‘e fakakaukau ʻa Seini ʻe pā hono foʻi mafú. Taʻu ‘e tolu! Ko e taʻu kuo ‘osí ne fuʻu fuoloa mo faingataʻa. ʻE anga fēfē haʻane lava ʻo mo‘ui ʻi ha toe ta‘u ʻe tolu ʻo ʻikai ʻi ai ʻa Mami?
“Ko e ʻaho kotoa pē, ʻoku ou fakaʻamu naʻe ʻi heni hoʻo faʻeé,” naʻe talaange ʻe Teti. “‘Oku faingataʻa moʻoni ʻa e ʻikai ke ne ʻi hení, ʻikai ko ia?”
Naʻe kamo pē ʻa Seini.
“ʻOku sai pē ke ongoʻi loto-mamahi,” naʻe talaange ʻe Teti. “Ko e taimi ‘e niʻihi ‘okú ne tokoniʻi au ke u manatu‘i ʻa e me‘a ʻoku ou hounga‘ia aí.”
Ne ki‘i mihimihi pē ʻa Seini. “Hangē ko e hā?”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Teti. “Hangē ko e taimi ‘oku tau lava ʻo tā ai kia Mami ʻi he uike kotoa pē. Pea ʻoku tau malava ke ʻave kiate ia ʻa e ngaahi meʻa ʻokú ne fie maʻú ʻi he uike kotoa pē—mo e ʻū tohí.” Naʻe tātaaʻi ʻe Teti ʻa e pepa faitohi he funga tēpilé. “Mo e … ?”
“Mo e …” Na‘e fakakaukau ʻa Seini ki ai. “‘Oku lahi ʻeku kau faiako mo e ngaahi kaungāmeʻa ‘e lava ke u talanoa ki ai. Pea na‘e ʻave au ‘e he faʻē ‘a ʻEsilií ki ha ‘ekitivitī ʻo e Sāpate Faʻeé. Pea kuó u ako ke hoko ko ha kaungāme‘a lelei ange mo tokoniʻi ‘a e niʻihi kehé.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Teti, “ʻIo, kuó ke fakahoko ia.” “Fēfē kapau ʻe fakahoko haʻata lotu, peá ke toki hokohoko atu pē hono fakakaukauʻi e meʻa ke tohí?”
Na‘e kūnima ʻa Seini. Na‘á ne fakamālō ki he Tamai Hēvaní naʻe lava ke ne sio kia Mami pea ne nau foki malu mai ki ‘api. Hili ia na‘á ne kole kiate Ia ke tokoniʻi ia ke ne ʻilo e meʻa ke tohi ʻakí.
Na‘á ne tangutu ʻi he tēpilé, ʻo fakakaukau mo fakakaukau. Pea na‘e kamata leva ke ne tohi ha meʻa na‘e ʻikai ke ne ‘amanaki ki ai: ko ha lisi ʻo e ngaahi me‘a naʻá ne hounga‘ia aí. Na‘á ne hiki e ngaahi meʻa kotoa pē kuó ne talanoa ki ai mo Tetí, pea mo ha toe ngaahi meʻa kehe, hangē ko e toenga ‘o e fānaú mo hono kaungāʻapí.
‘I he taimi naʻá ne ‘osi aí, naʻe tā ʻe Seini ha fakatātā ʻo ia mo Mami ʻokú na vaʻinga fakataha he vaʻinga papá (board games). ʻOkú ne kei loto-mamahi pē, ka ʻoku ʻi ai ha meʻa ʻe taha ke ne ʻamanaki atu ki ai—ʻi he ta‘u ʻe tolu hono hokó, te ne hoko ko e kaungāmeʻa fetohiʻaki lelei tahá!
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Alyssa Tallent