Manatua ʻeku Kui Fefiné

Fai ʻe Jane McBride

(Makatuʻunga ʻi ha talanoa moʻoni)

Ko e hā naʻe ʻikai ke faʻa kātakiʻi lahi ange ai ʻe Mele ʻa Kulenimaá?

Panel 1 of 3 1. Illustrated background with flowers. 2. Mari is sitting on a couch alone and looks back at her grandmother. She is sad or irritated. Her grandmother is walking away. 3. Mari and her grandmother are sitting on a couch together and are happy.

Naʻe fakafulofula ʻa Mele. Naʻe fai ʻe Kulenimā ʻa e talanoa tatau. Ko e talanoa tatau ai pē.

Naʻe haʻu ʻa Kulenimā ke nofo mo e fāmili ʻo Melé he ngaahi māhina kuohilí. Naʻe ʻofa ʻa Mele ʻiate ia, ka naʻe faʻa fakaongosia ʻa e feohi mo Kulenimaá. Naʻá ne toutou fai e ngaahi talanoa tatau. Ko e taimi ʻe niʻihi naʻá ne toe kamata foʻou pē ka ʻoku teʻeki ʻosi ʻene fai e talanoá.

Na‘e māpuhoi ʻa Mele. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “Kulenimā, kuó ke ʻosi fai e talanoa ko iá.”

Naʻe sio pē ʻa Kulenimā ki lalo. “Naʻá ku fai ia?”

Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mele, “ʻIo. Naʻá ke toki talanoa mai pē ʻi he ngaahi miniti siʻi atú.”

Naʻe pehē ʻe Kulenimā, “ʻOku ʻikai ke u manatuʻi ʻe au.” Naʻá ne mata mamahi mo puputuʻu. Naʻá ne tuʻu hake leva ʻo foki ki hono lokí.

Naʻe ongoʻi fakaʻofaʻia ʻa Mele ʻi heʻene fakalotomamahiʻi ʻa Kulenimaá. Talu pē mālōlō ʻa e Kulenipaá, kuo fakaʻau ke toe loto-ngalongalo ange ʻa Kulenimā. Naʻe tuʻo taha ʻene tuku moʻui ʻa e sitoú pea kamata ai ke vela ʻene peitó. Ko e taimi ia naʻe ʻomi ai ʻe Mami mo Teti ʻa Kulenimā ke nau nofó.

Naʻe sio ʻa Mele kia Teti ʻi he peitó. “ʻOku ou ʻofa lahi ʻia Kulenimā, ka ʻoku ou foʻi he fanongo ki he talanoa tatau pē. Ko e hā ʻoku ʻikai ke ne manatuʻi ai kuo tuʻo nimanoa miliona ʻene fai mai e talanoa ko iá?”

Ne malimali ʻa Teti. “ʻOku ou tui ʻoku teʻeki ke tuʻo nimanoa miliona. Ka ʻoku ou ʻilo ʻoku faingataʻa. ʻOku puke fakaʻatamai hoʻo kui fefiné pea ʻoku ngalo ai ʻiate ia. Ko ʻene ngaahi talanoá ko e founga ia ʻokú ne feinga ai ke manatuʻi pe ko hai iá.”

Naʻe punou ʻa Mele. Ko e hā naʻe ʻikai ke ne faʻa kātakiʻi lahi ange ai ʻa Kulenimaá? Naʻe ʻofa maʻu pē ʻa Kulenimā kiate ia. Naʻá ne ui ia ko “siʻeku Melé.” Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Mele ki heʻene faʻa tokoni kia Kulenimā ke tō e matalaʻiʻakaú mo huo e ngoué.

Naʻe tukituki atu ʻa Mele ʻi he matapā ʻo Kulenimaá.

Naʻe pehē mai ʻa Kulenimā, “Hū mai.”

Naʻe fakaava ʻe Mele ʻa e matapaá. Naʻe tangutu ʻa Kulenimā ʻi ha sea pea naʻe ʻi hono fungá ʻa e folofolá.

“Kulenimā, kātaki ʻo talanoa mai muʻa pe naʻe founga fēfē hoʻo kau mo Kulenipā ki he Siasí?” Ko e fehuʻi ia ʻa Melé.

Naʻe hanga hake ʻa Kulenimā. Naʻá ne fehuʻi ʻi ha leʻo ʻo e ʻamanaki lelei, “ʻOkú ke fie fanongo kau kia au mo Kulenipā?”

Naʻe tangutu hifo ʻa Mele he tafaʻaki ʻo Kulenimaá. “ʻIo. ʻOku ou fie fanongo ki he meʻa kotoa pē.” Naʻe puke ʻe Mele e nima ʻo ʻene kui fefiné. “ʻOkú ke makehe kiate au, Kulenimā. Te ke pehē maʻu ai pē.”

Panel 3 of 3 1. Illustrated background with flowers. 2. Mari is sitting on a couch alone and looks back at her grandmother. She is sad or irritated. Her grandmother is walking away. 3. Mari and her grandmother are sitting on a couch together and are happy.

Naʻe malimali ʻa Kulenimā, falala ki hono seá, pea kamata ke fai e talanoá.

Kuo tuʻo lahi e fanongo ʻa Mele ki he talanoá, ka ʻi he taimi ní, naʻe ʻikai ke ne ongoʻi ʻita pe siʻi ʻene kātakí. Ka naʻá ne ongoʻi ha loto-ʻofa mo e tanganeʻia. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi kuo feilaulau lahi ʻa Kulenimā mo Kulenipā ʻi heʻena kau ki he Siasí ʻi Siamané. Naʻe hiki ʻene ongo kuí ʻo nofo vāmamaʻo mei honau ʻapí ke na lava ʻo nofo ofi ki he kau mēmipa kehe ʻo e Siasí.

Naʻe fakaʻosi ʻe Kulenimā ʻa e talanoá peá ne malimali. “Ko e taʻahine lelei koe, siʻeku Mele.”

Naʻe fāʻofua ʻa Mele ki heʻene kui fefiné. “Malō ʻaupito, Kulenimā.” ʻOku ou ʻofa atu.”

Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoá ni ʻi he ʻIunaiteti Siteití.

Page from the January 2023 Friend Magazine. Remembering with Grandma

Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Melissa Manwill