Inu Tī pe Mango?
ʻOku nofo ʻa e taha naʻá ne faʻú ʻi Kalefōnia, USA.
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi Taiuani.
Ko e hā naʻe ʻikai ke ke fie inu tī aí?” Na‘e fehuʻi ange ʻe Silo.
“Tuʻu ʻi he Totonú,” (Tohi Hiva ʻa e Fānaú, 81).
Na‘e lue atu ʻa Sungu ‘i ha hala femoʻuekina ‘i Taiuani. Ne lue ‘i hono tafaʻakí hono kaungāme‘a ko Siló. Ne tokolahi e kakai! Ne vakai ʻa e kau fakataú ki he ngaahi vala fakatau maʻamaʻá, va‘inga e fānaú, pea fakavavevave hake ʻa e kakaí mo talanoa ʻi heʻenau telefoní. Na‘e piki maʻu ‘a Sungu ki heʻene kato akó ke fakapapau‘i ʻe ‘ikai ke tō.
“‘Oku ʻikai ke u tui ‘oku mei ʻosi ʻa e ta‘u fakaakó!” Na‘e lea leʻo lahi atu ‘a Sungu koeʻuhi ke lava ʻa Silo ‘o fanongo.
“Ko ia! ‘Oku ou maau au ke ʻosi e ngaahi kalasí,” ko Silo ange ia.
Naʻe fakalaka atu ʻa Sungu mo Silo ʻi ha ngaahi tuʻuʻanga naʻe fakatau atu ai ha ngaahi meʻakai kehekehe. Naʻe ʻi ai ha fuaʻiʻakau. Ngaahi foʻi tamupilingi (dumplings) ʻoku kei fakapaku. Ngaahi foʻi ‘aisikilimi naʻe vilohi ʻi ha momoʻi pīnati. Na‘e nanamu ifo e feitu‘u kotoa! Ka ko e me‘a pē ne lava ʻa Sungu ʻo fakakaukauʻí ko ʻene ongoʻi ʻafuʻia mo pikipikiʻiá.
“‘Oku ou ongoʻi hangē ‘oku ou ʻi ha loto ‘ōvaní!” Ko Sungu ange ia.
Ne pehē atu ʻe Silo, “Mo au pē. Ta fakatau haʻata inu.”
Na‘á na lue atu ki ha tuʻuʻanga ‘oku fakatau atu ai ha ngaahi inu lanu kehekehe.
Naʻe toʻo hake ʻe Silo ha paʻanga. “Tī popa ʻe ua, kātaki.”
Na‘e ʻilo ʻe Sungu naʻe ʻikai poupouʻi ʻe he lea ʻo e potó ʻa e faʻahinga tī ko ʻení. Naʻá ne kole ange, “ʻE lava ke ʻomai pē haʻaku inu mango?”
Na‘e tafoki hake ʻa Silo ʻo sio atu kia Sungu. Ne kiʻi ongoʻi momou ʻa Sungu. Na‘e fakakaukau nai ʻa Silo ʻokú ne faikehe ʻi he ʻikai ke ne fie maʻu e tií?
Naʻe ʻoange ʻe he fefine faifakataú ha tī popa momoko kia Silo pea mo ha inu mango kia Sungu. Pea na‘e lue atu leva ʻa e ongo tamaiki tangatá ʻi he hala ki hona ongo ‘apí.
Naʻe inu fakavave ʻe Silo ʻene inú. “Ko e hā naʻe ʻikai te ke fie inu tī aí? ʻOku ifo ʻaupito!”
Ne longo pē ʻa Sungu. “ʻOku ‘ikai ke u inu tī.”
“Ko e hā hono ʻuhingá?”
Na‘e fakakaukau ʻa Sungu ki he founga ke ne tali ʻaki ʻa e fehu‘í. Kuo akoʻi ia ‘e he ongo faifekaú kau ki he Lea ʻo e Potó. ʻI he kalasi Palaimelí kuó ne ako ai ko hono tauhi e Lea ʻo e Potó naʻe tokoniʻi ia ke ʻiate ia ʻa e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Sungu, “‘Oku ou tui ki he ʻOtuá, pea ‘okú Ne fie maʻu ke u tokanga‘i hoku sinó. ‘Okú Ne kole mai ke ʻoua te mau inu ‘a e tií pe kofí pe ko e kava mālohí.”
“ʻOkú ke ʻiloʻi fēfē ia?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Siló.
“Naʻá ku ako kau ki ai ʻi he lotú.”
Na‘e toe inu ʻe Silo ʻene inú. “ʻOku ngali fakaoli ia. Ko e tī pē! He ʻikai ke ne uesia koe.”
Hangē ne toe ongoʻi momou ange ʻa Sungú. Te ne tokoni fēfē ke mahino kia Siló? Mahalo ʻe tokoni ange ha taha kiate ia ‘i he lotú ke ne lava ʻo fakamatalaʻi kia Silo.
“Te ke fie ʻalu mo au ki he lotú ha taimi? ʻOku ou ʻalu ki he Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní. Te ke lava ‘o ako ai ki he ‘Otuá mo Sīsū Kalaisi.”
Naʻe kiʻi fakakaukau taimi nounou ʻa Silo. “ʻIkai.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Sungu, “Sai pē.” Na‘á ne kiʻi ongoʻi loto-mamahi ʻi he ʻikai fie ʻalu ʻa Silo mo ia ki he lotú. Ka na‘á ne kei fiefia pē kuó ne vahevahe ʻene fakamo‘oní.
Kimui ange he uike ko iá ‘i he akó, naʻe ui ‘e he faiako ʻa Sungú, Misa Lini, ke tokanga taha ange ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē. “Ko e ‘aho fakaʻosi ‘o e kalasí ‘apongipongi. Koe‘uhí kuo fuʻu ngāue mālohi ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē ʻi he taʻú ni, ʻoku ʻi ai ʻeku kiʻi fakaʻohovale fakafiefia. Te tau takitaha kotoa ha tī popa!”
Na‘e fiefia ʻa e kalasí kotoa. Tokotaha kotoa pē tuku kehe pē ‘a Sungu. Naʻá ne heke hifo ‘i hono seá. ʻE faingataʻa ange hono tala ki heʻene faiakó ʻoku ʻikai ke ne inu tií ʻi hono tala kia Siló! ʻE pehē ʻe he tokotaha kotoa pē ʻokú ne faikehe, ʻo hangē pē ko e fakakaukau ʻa Siló.
Naʻe hiki hake ʻe Silo hono nimá. “Misa Lini? ‘Oku ʻikai inu tī ʻa Sungu. Ko ha konga ia ‘o ʻene tui fakalotú. Ka ʻe lava pē nai ke ʻoange haʻane inu mango?”
Na‘e hanga hake ʻa Misa Lini kia Sungu. “Ko e moʻoni ia, Sungu?”
Na‘e kamo atu ʻa Sungu.
Na‘e malimali atu ʻa Misa Lini. “Lava lelei. Te u kumi mai haʻo inu mango.”
ʻI he tuku ‘a e akó, naʻe lue fakataha ʻa Sungu mo Silo ki ʻapi. Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Sungu, “Fakamālō atu ‘i hono fai iá.”
Na‘e malimali atu ʻa Silo. “Ko hoku kaungāmeʻá koe. Kapau ʻoku mahuʻinga ha me‘a kiate koe, ‘oku mahuʻinga leva ia kiate au.”
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Melissa Manwill