Tangataʻeiki ʻa Taniló
ʻOku lava fēfē nai ʻe heʻene tangataʻeikí ʻo tukunoaʻi ʻenau ngaahi lea taʻeʻofá?
Naʻe fakatovave atu ʻa Tanilo ʻi he holo ʻo e ʻapiakó. ʻI muʻa ʻiate iá, naʻe huaʻi fakamaʻa ʻe heʻene tangataʻeikí ha kapa veve. Naʻe fakaʻamu ʻa Tanilo he ʻikai sio ange ʻene tangataʻeikí kiate ia. Naʻá ne punou hono ʻulú ʻo feinga ke puli he fānau ako kehé. Naʻá ne ongoʻi mā ʻi he hoko ʻene tangataʻeikí ko e tokotaha tauhi fale ʻo e ʻapiakó.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe heʻene tangataʻeikí ʻi he lue hake ʻa Taniló, “Mālō e lelei ki he pongipongí ni, foha.”
Naʻe lue vave ange ʻa Tanilo, ʻo fakangalingali ʻoku ʻikai ke ne ongoʻi ia. Ka naʻe ʻosi fakatokangaʻi ia ʻe he tamaiki tangata kehé.
Naʻe ui atu ha kiʻi tamasiʻi, “ʻEi, Tanilo. Ko hoʻo tangataʻeikí ē, ko e tangata tafi ʻa e ʻapiakó! Mahalo ʻokú ne fie maʻu hoʻo tokoní.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe ha kiʻi tamasiʻi ʻe taha, “ʻOua te ke anga taʻeʻofa kia Tanilo. ʻOku lahi mo ha ngaahi meʻa kehe ʻe lava ʻa Mr. Sanitosi ʻo fakahoko makehe mei he tafí. Sio, te ne lava foki ʻo huaʻi fakamaʻa e kapa vevé!”
Naʻe kata kotoa e tamaiki tangatá.
Naʻe ʻikai faʻa tatali ʻa Tanilo ke hiki ki he ako lotolotó ʻi he taʻu hono hokó. Mahalo pē ʻe ʻosi ai e fakamatalilí. Naʻá ne hila atu ki mui ʻi hono umá. Naʻe ngāue malimali pē ʻene tangataʻeikí. ʻOkú ne lava fēfē nai ʻo tukunoaʻi ʻenau ngaahi lea taʻeʻofá?
Naʻe lele ʻa Tanilo ki he fale fakatahaʻangá. Naʻe fakahoko ha fakataha ʻa e ʻapiakó ke fanongonongo e faiako ʻo e taʻú. Naʻe tuku fakaʻatā mai ʻe hono ongo kaungāmeʻa mamae ko Nātaniela mo Falanisesí ha nofoʻanga moʻona.
Naʻe ʻeke ange ʻe Nātaniela. “ʻOkú mo pehē ko hai naʻe fili ʻe he kau faiakó?”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Falanisesi, “ʻOku ou ʻamanaki pē ko Misi ʻOkamipou.”
Ne pehē ʻe Nataniela, “Ko ha faiako lelei ʻaupito ia. “Ka ʻoku ou saiʻia ange au ʻia Mr. Toalasi. Ko hai ʻokú ke loto ke ne maʻú, Tanilo?”
Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Tanilo ki heʻene kau faiakó. “ʻOku ou saiʻia ʻi heʻeku kau faiakó kotoa. ʻE faingataʻa ke fili pē ha taha.”
Naʻe tuʻu hake e puleakó. Naʻe kamata e fakatahaʻangá!
Naʻe pehē ʻe he puleakó, “Kuo taimi ke fanongonongo e faiako ʻo e taʻú.”. ʻOku tau maʻu ha kau faiako lelei tokolahi ʻi he taʻú ni. Ka ʻi he ikuʻangá, naʻe kiʻi kehe ʻemau filí. Naʻá ne puke hake e papa fakalangilangí. “Ko ʻemau faiako ʻo e taʻú ko Mr. Sanitosi, ko e tokotaha tauhi fale ia hotau ʻapiakó!”
Naʻe ʻikai tui ʻa Tanilo ki he meʻa ne hokó! Ko ʻene tamaí, ʻa e faiako ʻo e taʻú? Ka naʻe ʻikai ko ha faiako ia!
Naʻe lue atu e tangataʻeiki ʻa Taniló ki muʻa ʻi he lokí. Naʻe pasipasi mo fiefia e taha kotoa maʻana. Naʻe puke ʻe he puleakó hono nimá ʻo lulululu ki ai. Peá ne pehē mai leva, “Mahalo ʻoku ʻi ai ha niʻihi ʻo kimoutolu ʻoku ʻikai ke mou fakakaukau ko Mr. Sanitosí ko ha faiako. Ka ʻokú ne akoʻi kitautolu he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻaki ʻene tā sīpingá. ʻOkú ne ʻuluaki aʻu mai ki he akó ʻi he pongipongi kotoa pē, ʻi ha toe taha kehe. ʻI he tuku ʻa e akó, ko ia pē ʻoku faʻa fakamuimui taha ke mavahé. ʻOku fakaʻeiʻeiki ha faʻahinga ngāue pē kapau te ke ngāue mālohi mo ngāue fiefia. Ko e meʻa ʻeni kuo akoʻi mai ʻe ʻEniselo Sanitosi kiate kitautolú. Ko e ʻuhinga ia ʻoku hoko ai ʻa ʻEniselo Sanitosi ko e faiako ʻo e taʻú.”
Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Tanilo ki hono huaʻi fakamaʻa ʻe heʻene tangataʻeikí ʻa e kapa vevé. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi e ngāue mālohi ʻene tangataʻeikí. Pea naʻe ʻikai ke ne tuku e meʻa naʻe lea ʻaki ʻe he niʻihi kehé ke ne maʻu ʻene tokangá. Mahalo te ne lava ʻo tokoniʻi ʻa Tanilo ke ako e founga ke fakahoko ai iá.
Hili e fakatahaʻangá, naʻe tuʻu hake ʻa Tanilo. Naʻá ne talaange ki hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá, “Mou muʻa atu kimoutolu.”
Naʻe lue atu ʻa Tanilo ki muʻa ʻi he fale fakatahaʻangá. Naʻe tuʻu takai ʻa e kakaí ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo ʻene tangataʻeikí, ʻo lulululu mo tātaaʻi ia ʻi hono tuʻá. Ne nau takitaha fakamālō ange ʻi heʻene tā sīpinga leleí. Naʻe tatali ʻa Tanilo ʻi mui he kakaí kae ʻoua kuo mavahe ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē.
Naʻe hanga hake ʻene tangataʻeikí mei heʻene papa fakalangilangí peá ne malimali.
Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe heʻene tamaí, “Ko hai nai naʻá ne mei fakakaukau ʻe malava? ʻA au, ko e tauhi fale ʻo e ʻapiakó.”
“Tangataʻeiki, ʻoku ou laukau ʻaki koe.” Naʻe fakatovave atu ʻa Tanilo ʻo fāʻofua ki heʻene tamaí. Ko ʻene tamaí. Ko e faiako ʻo e taʻú.
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Jimmy Holder