Ko Hoku Tafaʻakí ʻeni, Ko Ho Tafaʻakí ʻena
“Vakai, ki hono lelei pea mo hono fakafiemālie ʻo e nofo fakataha ʻa e kaingā ʻi he feʻofoʻofá ni!” (Saame 133:1)
“Meikeni! ʻKo ho suú ʻoku ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo hoku lokí!” Ko e lea ange ia ʻa Mia mo ʻene manava tamakí.
Naʻe tali ange ʻe Meikeni, “Sai, ko hoʻo ngaahi folofolá ʻoku ʻi hoku tafaʻakí.”
Naʻe hū mai e ʻulu ʻo e Fineʻeikí ki he lokí. “Ongo tamaiki ʻoku ʻikai ke u fanongo ki ha fakamaʻa lahi ʻi lokí ni. He ʻikai ke mo ʻalu ki he pāká kae ʻoua kuo maʻa homo lokí.”
“Ka ko e veve kotoa ʻeni ia ʻa Meikeni!” Ko e tali mai ia ʻa Miá. “ʻOku ʻikai totonu ke u fakamaʻa ia ʻe au.”
“ʻOku ʻikai ko ha veve kotoa ia ʻaʻaku!” Ko Meikeni ange ia.
“Ugh.” Naʻe kūnima ʻa Mia. “Fakaʻamu ange mai ne ʻi ai pē haku loki. Ko e hā hono ʻuhinga ʻoku ou vahevahe ai mo Meikeni? ʻOku ʻi ai pē e loki kakato ia ʻo Maikolo!”
Ne kiʻi fakamānava loloa e Faʻeé. “ʻOkú mo ʻiloʻi ʻoku ʻikai ke toe ʻi ai hatau loki. ʻOku lahi ange ʻa Maikolo. Ko e ʻuhinga ia ʻoku ʻi ai pē hono lokí.”
“Sai, kae tuku pē ʻene ʻū meʻá ʻi hono tafaʻakí.” Naʻe tā ʻaki ʻe Mia hono foʻi tuhú ha foʻi laine fakaangaanga ʻi loto mālie ʻo e lokí. “Sio? Meikeni, ko ho tafaʻakí ē. Ko hoku tafaʻaki ʻeni.”
Naʻe pehē ange e Fineʻeikí, “Hmm.” “Mahalo te tau lava ʻo tau ha puipui ke vahevahe ʻaki e lokí. ʻE tokoni nai ia kiate kimoua ke mo feohi lelei?”
Naʻe mamali ʻa Mia. “ʻIoó!”
ʻI he ʻaho hono hokó, naʻe tuitui ʻe he Fineʻeikí ha tupenu ke ngaohi ʻaki ha puipui. Naʻe lanu valeti pea ʻai mo ha sīpinga ke fakaʻilongaʻi ʻaki. Naʻá ne tuitui mo ha loufau ʻaki ha ngaahi foʻi kula fakaʻofoʻofa ʻi he tafaʻaki ki laló. Naʻe tokoni ʻa Mia mo Meikeni ki he Tangataʻeikí ke tautau ʻaki e puipuí ha konga uaea. Naʻe lele mei he tafaʻaki ʻe taha ʻo e lokí ki he tafaʻaki ʻe tahá.
Naʻe pasipasi fiefia ʻa Mia. “Faifai pea lava! ʻOku hangē ia ʻoku ʻi ai pē haku loki ia ʻoʻokú!”
Naʻá ne toʻo hake ʻene kalá ke valivali ha fakatātā. Kae hili ha ngaahi miniti siʻi, naʻá ne taʻeoliʻia. Naʻá ne fifili pe ko e hā e meʻa ʻa Meikeni ʻoku fai he tafaʻaki ʻe taha ʻo e puipuí. ʻOkú na faʻa valivali fakataha. Naʻá ne ongoʻi tuenoa ʻi heʻene fakahoko toko taha iá.
Naʻe tūʻulutui hifo ʻa Mia he pō ko iá ke fai ʻene lotu mohé. Naʻá ne fakamālō ki he Tamai Hēvaní koeʻuhí ko hono ʻapí mo hono fāmilí. Naʻe hanga ʻe he meʻa ko iá ʻo ʻai ke ne kiʻi ongoʻi taʻelata. Naʻá ne saiʻia he maʻu pē hono lokí, ka naʻá ne taʻelata ʻi he ʻikai ke vaʻinga mo Meikení.
Naʻe kaka hake ʻa Mia ki hono mohengá. Ka naʻe ʻikai ke ne lava ʻo mohe. Naʻá ne tafoki hake ʻi hono tafaʻakí. Naʻá ne lava ʻo sio ki he ʻulu ʻo Meikení ʻi he kiʻi ava ʻi he vahaʻa ʻo e puipuí mo e holisí.
Naʻá ne fanafana ange, “Meikeni! “ʻOkú ke kei ʻā pē?”
Naʻe fanafana ange ʻa Meikeni, “ʻIo.”
“Fēfē kapau te ta faʻu ha kiʻi puha meili?” Ko e fehuʻi atu ia ʻa Miá. “Ke tuku ai haʻata fanga kiʻi tohi.”
Naʻe tali mai ʻe Meikeni, “Ko e fakakaukau lelei ia.” ʻE lava ke ta fakahoko ia ʻapongipongi?
“Ko ia.” Naʻe kuikui ʻa Mia mo malimali. “Mohe ā, Meikeni.”
“Mohe ā Mia.”
ʻI he ʻaho hono hokó, naʻe maʻu ʻe Mia ha kiʻi puha. Naʻá ne tuku ia ʻi he vahaʻa ʻo e ongo tafaʻaki fakatouʻosi ʻo e lokí. Naʻá ne fai leva ha kiʻi tohi peá ne faʻo ia ki loto: Meikeni, ʻokú ke fie vaʻinga mo ʻeku fanga kiʻi tamapua monumanú? ʻOfa atu, Mia.
Naʻe toʻo hake ʻe Meikeni ʻa e kiʻi tohí ʻo lau. “Te u loto lelei ki ai!”
Naʻe kamata ke tuku ʻe Mia mo Meikeni ha fanga kiʻi tohi ʻi heʻene pula meilí maʻa kinaua ʻi he uiké kakato. Pea naʻá na vaʻinga tokoua pē he ʻaho kotoa. Naʻá na vaʻinga he taimi ʻe niʻihi ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻa Miá. Taimi ʻe niʻihi naʻá na vaʻinga ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo Meikení. Ka naʻá na fiefia fakataha maʻu pē.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Mia kia Meikeni ʻi ha ʻaho ʻe taha, “ ʻOku ʻikai ke u ʻiloʻi pau pē ʻokú ta fie maʻu moʻoni e puipui ko ʻení.”
Naʻe tali ange ʻe Meikeni, “Moʻoni ia,” “ʻOku hangē ʻokú ne vaheʻi kitauá.”
Naʻe tokoniʻi kinaua ʻe he Tangataʻeikí ke toʻo hifo e puipuí.
Naʻá ne tala ange, “ʻOku ou fiefia ʻi hoʻomo ako ke feohi leleí.”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Mia kia Meikeni. “Mo au foki.”
Tā fakatātā ʻa Katherine Blackmore