Ko e Fāmili ʻo Sāloté
“ʻI he taimi ʻe niʻihi ʻoku tau hivaʻi ai ʻa e ‘Ko e Fāmilí Ke Taʻengata,’ ʻOku ou fakakaukau, ʻTukukehe pē au.’”
Naʻe tapuniʻi ʻe Sālote hono ongo telingá ʻaki hono ʻuluʻulutuhú. Ko e konga ʻo e Palaimelí naʻá ne saiʻia taha aí ko e taimi hivá. Ka ʻi he ʻaho ní naʻe ʻikai fie fanongo ia ki he ngaahi hiva naʻa nau hivá. Naʻá ne kole pe ʻe lava ke tangutu ʻi he holó.
Naʻá ne sio fakamamaʻu ki he kāpeti lanu matá, ʻo feinga ke ʻoua ʻe tangi. Naʻe ʻikai ola lelei.
Naʻe lue atu ha taha ki hono tafaʻakí. Naʻe holoholoʻi ʻe Sālote hono loʻimatá peá ne hanga hake ki ʻolunga.
Ko Sisitā Henelī. Naʻá ne fehuʻi ange, “Ko e hā e meʻa ʻoku hokó?”
Naʻe ongoʻi faingataʻaʻia ʻa Sālote. Naʻá ne lea leʻo siʻi ange, “Ko e ngaahi hiva ko ʻená ʻoku fekauʻaki ia mo e ngaahi fāmili fiefia pea mo e nofo fakataha ʻo taʻengatá.”
“ʻOi. ʻOku mahino kiate au.” Naʻe tangutu hifo ʻa Sisitā Henelī he tafaʻaki ʻo Sāloté.
ʻI he ngaahi māhina siʻi kuo hilí, ne ui ai ʻe he ongomātuʻa ʻa Sāloté ha fakataha fakafāmili. Naʻe talaange ʻe Teti ʻe hiki ia.
“ʻA ia ʻoku hangē ʻokú mo vete malí?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Sāloté.
“‘Oku ʻikai ko e hangē,” ko e tali ange ia ʻene faʻeé. “ʻOkú ma fakatou ʻofa ʻiate koe, ka ʻokú ma vete.”
Naʻe manatuʻi ʻe Sālote ʻa e ongo momoko mo vela hono kilí ʻi he taimi tatau. Pea naʻe mālohi hono ngaahi ongó kotoa pea puputuʻu! ʻA e manavaheé, ʻitá, puputuʻú, mo e loto mamahi moʻoní—ʻa ia ko e faʻahinga meʻa ʻokú ne ngaohi koe ke ke ongoʻi puké.
Naʻá ne kei ongoʻi pehē pē he taimi ʻe niʻihi. Hangē ko e taimi naʻe tangutu fehangahangai ai ʻa Mami mo Teti mei he ongo tafaʻaki ʻo e vaí ʻi he taimi ʻo ʻene ngaahi feʻauhi kakaú. Pe ko e taimi naʻe tangi ai hono kiʻi tuongaʻané kia Mamí ʻi he taimi naʻa nau nofo ai ʻi he ʻapi ʻo Tetí.
Pe ko e taimi naʻa nau hiva ai fekauʻaki mo e ngaahi fāmilí ʻi he Palaimelí.
Naʻe pehē ʻe Sisitā Henelī, “ʻI he taimi ne vete mali ai ʻeku ongomātuʻá, ne hangē ʻoku ʻi ai ha taha ʻokú ne tukiʻi hoku keté. Toutou tuki tu‘o lahi.”
Naʻe ʻohovale ʻa Sālote. “Kuo vete mo hoʻo ongomātuʻá?”
Naʻe kamo ange ʻa Sisitā Henelī. “Naʻá na vete ʻi he taimi naʻá ku taʻu tatau ai mo koé.”
Naʻe sio ʻa Sālote ki hono ongo nimá. “ʻI he taimi ʻe niʻihi ʻoku tau hivaʻi ai ʻa e ‘Ko e Fāmilí Ke Taʻengata,’ ʻoku ou fakakaukau, ʻTukukehe pē haʻakú.’” Naʻá ne kuikuinini. “Na‘á ku fuʻu ʻita ʻaupito. Pea ʻoku kovi ia, ʻikai ko ia?”
Na‘e kalokalo ʻa Sisitā Henelī. “ʻIkai. Naʻá ku faʻa ongoʻi puke ʻi he taimi kotoa pē naʻá ku sio ai ki he fānaú ʻoku nau fakataha mo ʻenau ongomātuʻá fakatouʻosi.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Sālote, “ʻIo! “Hangē ʻoku nau ʻi ha feohiʻanga fakafāmili fiefiá, pea ʻoku ʻikai ke u kau ai. ʻOku kehekehe ʻa e meʻa kotoa he taimí ni.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Sisitā Henelī, “ʻOku angamaheni ʻaki pē ke te ongoʻi ʻita, loto mamahi, pe ilifia he taimí ni—neongo pe ko e hā hoʻo ongoʻí. ʻOku faingataʻa ʻa e vete malí. Ka ʻoku ou palōmesi atu te ke ongoʻi lelei ange. ʻOku kei hoko pē ho fāmilí ko ho fāmili, ʻo tatau ai pē kapau ʻoku kehe ia he taimí ni. Ne tokoni lahi kiate au ke u manatuʻi ʻoku kei ʻofa pē ʻeku ongomātuʻá ʻiate au, pea ʻe fai ia ʻo aʻu ki hono kotoa ʻo e nofo taʻengatá.”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Sālote. Naʻá ne saiʻia ʻia Sisitā Henelī.
Ne kiʻi punou ofi atu ʻa Sisitā Henelī kia Sālote. ʻO ne fanafana ange, “Ka ʻokú ke ʻilo ʻa e meʻa naʻe tokoni lahi taha kiate aú?”.
“Ko e hā?” Ko e fanafana ange ia ʻa Sāloté.
Naʻe pehē ʻe Sisitā Henelī, “Naʻá ku ʻilo ʻoku ou kei maʻu pē ha fāmili haohaoa mo fiefia. Pea pehē foki kiate koe. ʻOku tau pehē kotoa pē, ʻo tatau ai pē pe ko e hā e tuʻunga ʻoku ʻi ai hotau fāmili ʻi māmaní he taimí ni.”
Naʻe ueueʻi ʻe Sālote hono ihú. “ʻO anga fēfē?”
“ʻSai, oku ʻikai ke haohaoa hotau ngaahi fāmili fakaemāmaní, ʻo hangē ko hotau fāmili fakalangí. Ko ia, ʻe tatau ai pē pe ko e hā e meʻa ʻe hokó, ʻoku ʻi ai ʻetau mātuʻa fakalangi ʻokú na ʻofa ʻiate kitautolu pea talitali mai kiate kitautolu ha ʻapi fakalangi lelei.”
ʻI he taimi naʻe fakakaukau ai ʻa Sālote fekauʻaki mo iá, naʻá ne ongoʻi ha kiʻi fakatuʻamelie. Naʻá ne fakakaukau pe ʻe anga fēfē ha ʻaho te ne toe mamata ai ki heʻene mātuʻa fakalangí.
Naʻe pehē ʻe Sālote, “Mahalo ko e taimi ʻoku tau hiva ai fekauʻaki mo e ngaahi fāmilí, te u lava ai ʻo fakakaukau ki hoku fāmili fakalangí.” Naʻe kamo ange ʻa Sisitā Henelī.
Naʻe toe ʻi ai ha fehuʻi ʻe taha ʻa Sālote. “‘Oku ʻilonga atu naʻá ku tangi?”
“‘Ikai ʻaupito,” ko e lea ange ia ʻa Sisitā Henelī
Ne tuʻu hake ʻa Sālote ki ʻolunga. “ʻOku ou tui kuó u mateuteu ke hiva.”