“ʻOku ʻIkai Ke u Fie Fuʻu Lahi Au!”
Naʻe hā ngali fakailifia ʻa e kahaʻú.
Naʻe hiva ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē, “Maʻu ha ʻaho fāʻeleʻi fiefia!”
Naʻe puhiʻi tuʻo taha pē ʻe Sākeli ʻa e ngaahi foʻi teʻelangó kotoa ʻi heʻene foʻi keké. Naʻá ne malimali fiefia ʻi he kaila fiefia ʻa hono fāmilí.
Naʻá ne taʻu 10 he ʻahó ni, pea ko e ʻaho fāʻeleʻi lelei tahá ʻeni!
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe he Fineʻeikí, “ʻOkú ke tupu vave ʻaupito.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe he Tangataʻeikí ʻi hono leʻo matolú, “ʻOkú ke ʻi he mataʻifika ʻe uá he taimí ni!”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe hono taʻokete ko Sanitelé, “ʻE vavé ni pē haʻo taʻu motuʻa hangé ko au.”
Naʻe kiʻi malimali ʻa Sākeli. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “Ka, ʻoku teʻeki ai ke u motuʻapehē ! ʻOku ou taʻu 10 pē.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Sanitele, “Ka ʻi he taʻu kahaʻú te ke ʻi he Kau Finemuí, pea te ke ʻalu leva ki he ako lotolotó. Te ke ako fakaʻuli leva, pea ʻe vavé ni pē haʻo fuʻu lahi!”
Naʻe fakafokifā e ongoʻi ʻe Sākeli ʻoku faikehe hono keté. Naʻe mamahi lahi hono keté kimui ange, tautautefito ki he taimi naʻá ne hohaʻa ai ki he kahaʻú.
Naʻá ne tukunoaʻi pē hono keté peá ne malimali. “Ta kai ha meʻi keke!”
Kimui ange ʻi he pō ko iá, naʻe tangutu ʻa Sākeli ʻi hono mohengá ʻo huke ha taha ʻo ʻene ngaahi tohi ʻoku saiʻia taha aí. Ka naʻe ʻikai tuku ʻene tokangá ki he meʻa naʻá ne laú. Naʻá ne kei ongoʻi pē hangē naʻe mioʻí hono keté.
Naʻe fakakaukau maʻu pē ʻa Sākeli ʻi he hoko hono ngaahi ʻaho fāʻeleʻí ki haʻane fuʻu lahi. ʻI heʻene motuʻa angé, naʻe hangē naʻe fakailifia ange ʻa e kahaʻú. Naʻá ne manavasiʻi ʻi he ʻikai ke ne ʻilo e meʻa ʻe hokó!
Naʻe toutou haʻu e ngaahi fakakaukau hohaʻá ki he fakakaukau ʻa Sākelí.
He ʻikai ke u toe hoko ko ha kiʻi taʻahine siʻisiʻi!
Fēfē nai kapau ʻoku ʻikai ke u poto feʻunga ki he ako lotolotó?
Fēfē nai kapau ʻoku ʻikai ke ʻi ai haku ngaahi kaungāmeʻa?
ʻE liliu kakato ʻeku moʻuí!
Ne tafe hifo e loʻimatá ʻi hono kouʻahé. Naʻá ne holoholoʻi hono matá mo mihimihi.
Naʻá ne fanongo ki ha kiʻi tukituki ‘i he matapaá. “ʻOkú ke tangi?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Mamí. Naʻá ne tangutu hifo ʻi he mohenga ʻo Sākelí. “Naʻe ʻikai ke ke maʻu ha ʻaho fāʻeleʻi fiefia?”
Naʻe kiʻi ʻunuʻunu atu ʻa Sākeli, pea fāʻofua ange ʻene Fineʻeikí.
Naʻá ne falala ki he uma ʻo e Fineʻeikí mo ne pehē ange, “Naʻe fakaʻofoʻofa hoku ʻaho fāʻeleʻí. Ka ʻoku ʻikai ke u fie fuʻu lahi au! ʻOku ou fuʻu ilifia.”
Ne amohi pē ʻe he Fineʻeikí hono (Sākeli) ʻulú. “ʻE lava ke fakailifia ʻa e tupu hake ʻo fuʻu lahí. Ka ʻe lava pē ke fakafiefia foki!”
Naʻe holoholoʻi ʻe Sākeli hono loʻimatá. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “ʻOku ʻikai ke ongo fakafiefia ia.” “ʻOku ongo faingataʻa pē.”
Naʻe kamokamo atu e Fineʻeikí. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “ʻE lava pē ke faingataʻa he taimi ʻe niʻihi.” “Ka te ke lava pē ʻo loto-toʻa! Naʻá ke ʻiloʻi nai naʻe fakataumuʻa hoʻo moʻuí ke ke aʻusia ha ngaahi meʻa ʻi he hala fonongá? Naʻe fekauʻi mai koe ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ki heni ke ke maʻu ha ngaahi aʻusia fakaofo.”
Naʻe sio ʻa Sākeli ki he tohi naʻá ne pukepuké. Naʻá ne saiʻia ʻi he laukonga fekauʻaki mo e ngaahi aʻusia ʻi he hala fonongá. Naʻe teʻeki ke ne fakakaukau kimuʻa ko e moʻuí ko ha ngaahi aʻusia ʻi he hala fonongá.
“Ka te u loto-toʻa fēfē nai ʻi he taimi ʻoku ʻikai ke u ʻilo ai e meʻa ʻe hokó?”
“Ko e ʻuhinga ia ʻoku tau maʻu ai ʻa e tuí.” Naʻe malimali ʻa e Fineʻeikí. “Ko e tuí ko hono tuku ke tataki kitautolu ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní pea ʻiloʻi te Ne tokoniʻi kitautolu ke tau loto-toʻa. Kuó Ne tokoniʻi au ke u loto-toʻa ʻi ha ngaahi taimi lahi ʻi heʻeku manavasiʻi ʻi ha ngaahi meʻa foʻou. Pea te Ne tokoniʻi foki koe.”
“Moʻoni?”
Ne tali ange ʻe heʻene Fineʻeikí “Moʻoni.” “Te ke lava ʻo lotu mo kole tokoni ʻi ha faʻahinga taimi pē.”
Naʻe ongoʻi fiemālie ange ai ʻa Sākeli. “Sai.”
Naʻe tūʻulutui ʻa Sākeli ʻo lotu, kimuʻa peá ne mohé. Naʻá ne fanafana, “Fakamolemole ʻo tokoni mai ke u loto-toʻa. Tokoni mai ke ʻoua te u manavahē ki he kahaʻú.”
ʻI heʻene ʻosí, naʻe ongoʻi fiemālie mo nonga ʻa Sākeli. Mahalo ʻe kiʻi fakailifia ʻa e kahaʻú. Ka ʻi he tokoni ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní, ʻe lava foki ke hoko ia ko ha aʻusia fakaofo ʻi he hala fonongá!
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Natalie Briscoe