Ngaahi Kaungāmeʻa Kuo Mole mo Maʻu Maí

Fai ʻe Maryssa Dennis

ʻŪ Makasini ʻa e Siasí

(Makatuʻunga ʻi ha talanoa moʻoni)

ʻE toe maʻu nai ʻe Lia ha kaungāmeʻa foʻou?

1. Rin, 8 years old, sitting at her desk on the first day of school. She has an anxious look on her face. 2. Rin and Anna jump roping together outside at recess. 3. Anna hanging out with new friends at school. Rin is being excluded. This can happen at lunch time or during recess. 4. Rin and Ellie in a sewing class together, wearing the same pair of glasses. 5. Rin praying on her knees. (Head bowed, eyes closed, arms crossed across chest) 6. Rin hugging Ellie on the first day of school, backpacks on. Ellie wearing glasses, Rin wearing no glasses.

Naʻe vakavakai holo ʻa Lia ʻi he loki ʻo e kalasi tolú. Naʻe fokotuʻutuʻu e ʻū tesí ʻi ha ngaahi ʻotu maau, pea naʻe tautau ʻi he ngaahi holisí ha ngaahi pousitā ngingila. Ko e tokolahi taha ʻo e toenga ʻo e fānaú ne nau talanoa mo honau ngaahi kaungāmeʻá.

Naʻe tangutu hifo ʻa Lia ʻi hono tesí. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne fuʻu ʻilo ha taha ʻi he kalasí ni. Naʻá ne fakaʻamu te ne lava ʻo maʻu ha kaungāmeʻa foʻou ʻi he akó he taʻú ni.

“Hei.”

Naʻe sio hake ʻa Lia. Naʻe tangutu hifo ha kiʻi taʻahine ʻi hono tafaʻakí.

Naʻá ne pehē, “Ko hoku hingoá ko ʻAna.” “ʻOkú ke fie kaungāmeʻa [mo au]?”

Naʻe malimali ʻa Lia. “ʻIo!”

Kimui ange aí, naʻe maʻu meʻatokoni hoʻatā fakataha ʻa Lia mo ʻAna. Lolotonga ʻena mālōloó, naʻá na vaʻinga tā tuʻi [four square] peá na tāfue. ʻI he fakaʻosinga ʻo e ʻahó, naʻe taʻataʻalo fakamāvae ʻa ʻAna kia Lia ʻi he matapā sioʻata ʻo e pasí. Naʻá ne pehē, “Ta toki fetaulaki ʻapongipongi!”

1. Rin, 8 years old, sitting at her desk on the first day of school. She has an anxious look on her face. 2. Rin and Anna jump roping together outside at recess. 3. Anna hanging out with new friends at school. Rin is being excluded. This can happen at lunch time or during recess. 4. Rin and Ellie in a sewing class together, wearing the same pair of glasses. 5. Rin praying on her knees. (Head bowed, eyes closed, arms crossed across chest) 6. Rin hugging Ellie on the first day of school, backpacks on. Ellie wearing glasses, Rin wearing no glasses.

Talu mei ai mo e hoko ʻa Lia mo ʻAna ko ha ongo kaungāmeʻa lelei. Naʻá na vaʻinga fakataha ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē. ʻI he faʻahitaʻu momokó, naʻá na fononga lōloa ʻi he sinoú. ʻI he ʻaisi ʻa e sinoú, naʻá na fakapaheke hifo he halá. Naʻá na hoa ʻi ha taimi ʻe taha ki ha ngāue fakasaienisi fekauʻaki mo e vavaá. Naʻe fiefia ʻa Lia ʻi heʻene faʻu mo ʻAna ha pousitā ʻo e ngaahi palanité.

Ka ʻi ha ʻaho ʻe taha naʻe kamata ke kehe [e anga] ʻo ʻAná. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne taʻataʻalo kia Lia ʻi he pongipongí. Naʻá ne kau ki ha kulupu foʻou ki he ako fiká. Pea ʻikai ke ne faʻa talanoa ʻi he maʻu meʻatokoni hoʻataá.

1. Rin, 8 years old, sitting at her desk on the first day of school. She has an anxious look on her face. 2. Rin and Anna jump roping together outside at recess. 3. Anna hanging out with new friends at school. Rin is being excluded. This can happen at lunch time or during recess. 4. Rin and Ellie in a sewing class together, wearing the same pair of glasses. 5. Rin praying on her knees. (Head bowed, eyes closed, arms crossed across chest) 6. Rin hugging Ellie on the first day of school, backpacks on. Ellie wearing glasses, Rin wearing no glasses.

Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe Lia, “ʻEi, ko e hā e meʻa ʻoku hokó?”

Naʻe māpuhoi ʻa ʻAna. “Sio mai, ʻoku ʻikai ke u tui ʻoku totonu ke ta feohi holo. Naʻe talamai ʻe hoku kaungāmeʻa ko ʻOtileí ʻokú ke faikehe.”

“ ʻIo.” Naʻe fakafulofula ʻa Lia. Naʻá ne fiefia fakataha mo ʻAna. Ko e hā ka tokanga lahi ai ʻa ʻAna ki he fakakaukau ʻa e tamaiki kehé?

Naʻe pehē ʻe ʻAna te na kei lava pē ʻo kaungāmeʻa, kae hili iá, naʻe ʻikai teitei talanoa ia mo Lia. Naʻe feinga ʻa Lia ke ʻoua naʻá ne ongoʻi loto mamahi, ka naʻe faingataʻa ke nofo toko taha pē kae vaʻinga ʻa ʻAna ia mo e toenga ʻo e fānaú.

Ne ʻikai fuoloa mei ai kuo ʻosi ʻa e taʻu fakaakó, pea kamata ʻenau mālōlō he faʻahitaʻu māfaná. Naʻe femoʻuekina ʻa Lia ʻi ha ngaahi ʻekitivitī fakafiefia lahi. Naʻá ne ʻalu ki he kalasi pāleí mo e kalasi feimeʻatokoní. Naʻá ne ʻave foki mo ha kalasi tuitui mo hono kaungāmeʻa mamae ko ʻElí.

1. Rin, 8 years old, sitting at her desk on the first day of school. She has an anxious look on her face. 2. Rin and Anna jump roping together outside at recess. 3. Anna hanging out with new friends at school. Rin is being excluded. This can happen at lunch time or during recess. 4. Rin and Ellie in a sewing class together, wearing the same pair of glasses. 5. Rin praying on her knees. (Head bowed, eyes closed, arms crossed across chest) 6. Rin hugging Ellie on the first day of school, backpacks on. Ellie wearing glasses, Rin wearing no glasses.

Naʻe maheni ʻa ʻEli mo Lia talu ʻena kei siʻi. Naʻá na ō ki he ʻapiako tatau, ka naʻe teʻeki ai pē ke na ʻi he kalasi tatau. Naʻe haʻu ʻa ʻEli he taimi ʻe niʻihi ke vaʻinga ʻi he ʻapi ʻo Liá. Naʻe maʻu ʻe Lia ha matasioʻata ke tui naʻe hangē ko [e mātasioʻata] ʻo ʻElí. Naʻe kata ai ʻa ʻEli.

Naʻe talaange ʻe ʻEli, “ʻOku ʻikai ke u tui ʻoku mei ʻosi e faʻahitaʻu māfaná. ʻOku ou fakaʻamu ne lahi ange ʻeta feohí.”

Naʻe malimali ʻa Lia. “Mo au foki.”

Naʻe ʻi ai ha taʻu fakaako ʻe taha naʻe vave ʻene hoko maí. Naʻe loto vēkeveke ʻa Lia ki he kalasi faá, ka naʻá ne kiʻi manavasiʻi foki. Naʻá ne saiʻia pē ʻi heʻene toko tahá he taimi lahi. Ka ko e taʻu ʻe tahá ko ha taimi lōloa ia ke ʻikai ʻi ai hano kaungāmeʻa ʻi heʻene kalasí. Naʻá ne manatuʻi e ongo naʻá ne maʻu ʻi he taimi naʻe ʻikai toe hoko ai ʻa ʻAna ko hono kaungāmeʻá. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne ongoʻi tuenoa.

Naʻe lotu maʻu pē ʻa Lia ki he Tamai Hēvaní ke maʻu ha nonga. ʻI he ʻosi ʻa e faʻahitaʻu māfaná, naʻá ne maʻu ha ʻamanaki lelei. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi ʻe iku lelei pē ʻa e meʻa kotoa.

1. Rin, 8 years old, sitting at her desk on the first day of school. She has an anxious look on her face. 2. Rin and Anna jump roping together outside at recess. 3. Anna hanging out with new friends at school. Rin is being excluded. This can happen at lunch time or during recess. 4. Rin and Ellie in a sewing class together, wearing the same pair of glasses. 5. Rin praying on her knees. (Head bowed, eyes closed, arms crossed across chest) 6. Rin hugging Ellie on the first day of school, backpacks on. Ellie wearing glasses, Rin wearing no glasses.

ʻI he ʻuluaki ʻaho ʻo e akó, naʻe hū atu ʻa Lia ki hono lokiako foʻoú.

“Lia!”

Ne ʻikai ke ne tui ki he meʻa ne hokó. Naʻe ʻi heʻene kalasí ʻa ʻEli!

Naʻe lele ʻa ʻEli ʻo fāʻofua kia Lia. “ʻOku ou fiefia ʻaupito ʻi hoʻo ʻi hení! Ko e taʻu lelei taha ʻeni kuo faifaiangé pea hokó!”

1. Rin, 8 years old, sitting at her desk on the first day of school. She has an anxious look on her face. 2. Rin and Anna jump roping together outside at recess. 3. Anna hanging out with new friends at school. Rin is being excluded. This can happen at lunch time or during recess. 4. Rin and Ellie in a sewing class together, wearing the same pair of glasses. 5. Rin praying on her knees. (Head bowed, eyes closed, arms crossed across chest) 6. Rin hugging Ellie on the first day of school, backpacks on. Ellie wearing glasses, Rin wearing no glasses.

Ne malimali lahi ʻa Lia. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi naʻe ʻiate ia ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní, naʻa mo e taimi faingataʻá. Pea naʻe moʻoni ʻa ʻEli—ko e taʻu lelei tahá ʻeni!

Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoá ni ʻi ʻAmelika.

Friend Magazine, 2023-02 Feb

Tā fakatātaaʻi ʻe Alyssa Tallent