2021
Lokaʻi ʻi Tuʻa!
Mē 2021


Lokaʻi ʻi Tuʻa!

ʻOku nofo ʻa e tokotaha naʻá ne faʻú ʻi ʻIutā, USA.

Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoá ni ʻi Hungali Lotoloto, Hungali.

Mahalo ʻe lava ʻa ʻEma ʻo tokoni.

“Falala ki he Laumālie ko ia ʻoku tākiekina ke faileleí” (Tokāteline mo e Ngaahi Fuakava 11:12).

ʻĪmisi
girl sitting on steps outside apartment

Naʻe puna fakalaka ʻa ʻEma ʻi he ngaahi mafahifahi ʻi he laʻisimá. Ko ha ʻaho fakaʻofoʻofa, mo laʻalaʻā ʻeni. Naʻá na lue atu mo Mama ki falekoloa.

“Mama, ko e hā hono mamaʻo ʻo e laʻaá?” ko ʻene fehuʻí atu ia.

Naʻe tali ange ʻe Mama, “ʻOku ʻikai ke u fakapapauʻi.”

Naʻe sio fakakuikui hake ʻa ʻEma ki he langí. “ʻOkú ke pehē ʻe ʻalu nai ha lōketi ki he laʻaá? ʻOkú ke pehē ʻoku vela ange ia ʻi he tapa e ʻuhilá? ʻOkú ke pehē …”

Na‘e kata ʻa Mama. “ʻOku fakaʻau ke faingataʻa ange hoʻo ngaahi fehuʻí!”

Naʻe kata foki mo ʻEma. Naʻe lahi ʻene ngaahi fehuʻí. Naʻe fai maʻu pē ʻe Mama hono lelei tahá ke tali kinautolu. Ko e ʻuhinga ia ʻe taha naʻe saiʻia ai ʻa ʻEma ke ʻalu ʻo ʻeva mo Mamá.

Naʻe sio takai ʻa ʻEma ki honau feituʻú. Ne lele hifo e tekisī he hala maká. ʻAka pasikala atu e niʻihi. Ne lue foki mo ha kakai tokolahi.

Pea fakalaka atu e sio ʻa Emá ki he tafaʻaki ʻe taha ʻo e halá. Naʻe tangutu ha kiʻi taʻahine ʻi he sitepu ʻi tuʻa ʻi ha fale nofo totongi. Naʻe hangē naʻe tangí.

Naʻe māmālie hifo ʻa ʻEma. ʻOku totonu nai ke ne tuʻu ʻo tokoni? Mahalo pē naʻe loto e kiʻi taʻahiné ke tukunoaʻi ia. Taimi ʻe niʻihi naʻe loto ʻa ʻEma ke tukunoaʻi ia ʻi he taimi naʻá ne loto mamahi aí.

Naʻe ʻikai toe lue ʻa ʻEma. Taimi lahi naʻe fie maʻu ʻe ʻEma ha taha ke talanoa mo ia ʻi he taimi naʻá ne fie maʻu tokoni aí. Pea mahalo te ne lava ʻo tokoni!

Naʻá ne piki ki he nima ʻo Mamá. “Mama, sio atu. ʻOku ou tui ʻoku fie maʻu ʻe he kiʻi taʻahine ko eé ha tokoni.”

Naʻe sio atu ʻa Mama ki he kauhala ʻe tahá. “ʻOku ou tui ʻokú ke moʻoni.”

Naʻe piki pē ʻa ʻEma he nima ʻo Mamá ʻi heʻena kolosi atu he halá. Naʻá ne kaka hake he sitepú ki he feituʻu ʻoku tangutu ai e kiʻi taʻahiné. Ne lea atu ʻa ʻEma, “Mālō e lelei.” “ʻOkú ke fie maʻu tokoni?”

Ne mihimihi pē e kiʻi taʻahiné ʻo sio hake kiate kinaua. Na‘á ne kuku hono ongo tuí pea na‘e kula mo pupula hono matá.

“ʻOku … ʻOku lokaʻi au ʻi tuʻa ʻi hoku fale nofoʻangá.” Naʻá ne mānava lōloa. Naʻe tetetete mo leʻo siʻi hono leʻó. Naʻe punou hifo ʻa ʻEma ʻo ofi ki ai ke fanongo lelei kiate ia.

Naʻe lea ange e kiʻi taʻahiné, “ʻOku ʻikai ke u lava ʻo laukonga. “ʻOku ʻikai ke u ʻilo ko fē ʻa e meʻa lomi ke lomiʻi ke u toe foki ki lotó.”

Naʻe sio ʻa ʻEma ki he holisi ʻi tuʻa he fale nofo totongí. Naʻe lahi e fanga kiʻi meʻa lomí. Naʻe ʻi ai ha hingoa ʻi he meʻa lomi takitaha. Naʻe ʻi ai ha sipika he tafaʻaki ‘o e ngaahi meʻa lomí.

“Ko e hā ho hingoa fakaʻosí?” Ko ʻEma ange ia.

Naʻe tali ange ʻe he kiʻi taʻahiné, “Sinaita.”

Naʻe lau kotoa ʻe Mama ʻa e ngaahi meʻa lomí kae ʻoua kuó ne maʻu e “Sinaita.” Naʻá ne lomiʻi ia.

Psst!

Naʻe ongo leʻolahi ʻa e meʻa lomí. Naʻe ongo mai leva ha leʻo he sipiká.

“Ko e fāmili Sinaitá ʻeni. Ko e hā te u lava ʻo tokoni atu aí?”

Naʻe lea ʻatu ʻa Mama ʻi he sipiká. “Mālō e Lelei! ʻOku ou ʻi tuʻa mo ʻeku tama fefiné mo ha kiʻi taʻahine ʻokú ne pehē kuo lokaʻi ia ʻi tuʻa.”

Naʻe tuʻu vave hake ʻa e kiʻi taʻahiné ʻo lele ki he sipiká. Naʻá ne lea atu, “Mama, ʻoku ʻikai ke u lava ʻo lau e meʻa lomí ke u foki atu ki loto, pea ko e ongo meʻa ʻeni ne na tokoniʻi au!”

Na‘e ongo ‘ohovale mai e leʻo ʻi he sipiká. “Leni! Ne u fakakaukau ʻokú ke ‘i ho lokí! ʻOua te ke hohaʻa ki ha meʻa. Te u hifo atu he taimí ni pē.”

Hili ha ngaahi sekoni siʻi, naʻe lele mai ha fefine ki tuʻa. Naʻe lele hake ʻa e kiʻi taʻahiné ʻo fāʻofua kiate ia.

Naʻe tafoki e fefiné kia ʻEma. “Fakamālō atu ʻi hoʻo tokoniʻi ʻeku kiʻi Lení!”

Naʻe malimali ʻa ʻEma. “Naʻe faingofua ke tokoni.”

Naʻá na taʻataʻalo atu peá na lue hifo he sitepú. Naʻe ongoʻi ʻe ʻEma ha māfana ʻi hono sinó kotoa. Naʻe fakakaukau ki ha toe fehuʻi ʻe taha kia Mama.

“Naʻe faingofua pē hono tokoniʻi ʻo e kiʻi taʻahiné. Ko e hā ʻoku ou fuʻu fiefia ai he meʻa ko iá?”

Naʻe kuku ʻe Mama e nima ʻo ʻEmá. “Ko e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ia ʻokú ne talaatu naʻá ke fai ha fili ʻoku leleí.”

Naʻe malimali ʻa ʻEma. Naʻá ne fiefia ʻi heʻene tuʻu ke tokoní.

ʻĪmisi
Friend Magazine, Global 2021/05 May

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