“Ko e Koini ʻo e Angaʻofá,” Ko e Kaumeʻá, Sune 2023, 36–37.
Ko e Koini ʻo e Angaʻofá
Naʻe fufuuʻi ʻe Nina ʻa e koiní ʻi he fakafaletolo ʻo Māteí.
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi he ʻIunaiteti Siteiti ʻo ʻAmeliká.
Naʻe malimali ʻa Nina ʻi he ʻosi ʻene fakapipiki e fakaʻilongá ki heʻene tēpile fakatau inu lēmaní. Ne tohiʻi ai “Inu Lēmani! sēniti ʻe 25.” Naʻá ne fokotuʻutuʻu ʻa e ʻū ipu pelesitikí ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo e sioki inu lēmaní.
Ko ha ʻaho vela ia ʻo e faʻahitaʻu māfaná. Naʻe fakaʻamu ʻa Nina ʻe fiemaʻua ʻe hono kaungāʻapí ha inu lelei mo mokomoko.
Naʻe lue hake ʻa Misa Pēlei ʻokú ne teketeke ʻene kiʻi tamasiʻí ʻi ha saliote. “ʻOku ou fiemaʻu ha kiʻi ipu lēmani.” Naʻá ne faʻo ha kiʻi koini ʻi he hina ʻa Niná. Naʻe lingi ange ʻe Nina ʻene ipu lēmani.
Naʻe heka hake e ongo kaungāmeʻa ʻo Nina ko Petanī mo Liví, ʻi heʻena ongo pasikalá. Naʻá na tuʻu ʻo fakatau mo haʻana ipu lēmani. “Mālō!” Ko Petanī ange ia.
Naʻe luluʻi ʻe Nina ʻene hiná ʻo ngahaha e koini ʻi lotó. Kuó ne ʻosi maʻu ha kiʻi paʻanga!
Naʻe hū mai leva ki tuʻa ʻa e kaungāʻapi naʻe saiʻia taha ai ʻa Niná ke ʻave ʻa e vevé. Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mātei, “Mālō e Lelei, Nina. ʻOku ou fiemaʻu haʻaku inu lēmani.”
Kuo tokoniʻi lahi ʻe Mātei mo hono uaifi ko Tāniá ʻa e fāmili ʻo Niná. Hili e mālōlō e tamai ʻa Niná, naʻe tokoni ʻa Mātei ʻi ha ngaahi ngāue ʻi honau falé. ʻI ha taimi ʻe taha, naʻá ne monomono ʻenau housi naʻe mamá. Naʻá ne tā e ʻuluʻakau māʻolunga ʻi honau konga ʻapi ki muí. Pea naʻá ne tokoni ke monomono e kā ʻa Mamí ʻi he taimi naʻe ʻikai toe ngāue ai e puha ʻuhilá.
“Ko ena.” Naʻe mono ange ʻe Nina haʻane ipu.
Naʻe kamata ke faʻo ʻe Mātei ha koini ki he foʻi hiná, ka naʻe taʻofi ia ʻe Nina.
Naʻá ne pehē ange, “ʻOku ʻikai fiemaʻu ia ke ke totongi! Ko e ipu lēmani ko ʻení ko ha fakamālō ia ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē kuó ke fai ke tokoniʻi kimautolú.”
“Ka ʻoku pehē mai he papá ʻoku sēniti ʻe 25!” Ko Mātei ange ia. “Pea ʻoku fuʻu ifo ʻa e inu lēmani ia ko ʻení ke taʻetotongi.”
Naʻe toʻo ʻe Nina ʻa e foʻi hiná mo ne kata. “ʻIkai. ʻOku taʻetotongi ia kiate koe!”
ʻI he ʻaho hono hokó, ʻi he ʻalu ʻa Nina ki tuʻa ke ʻave ʻa e meilí, naʻá ne kiʻi tuʻu. Naʻe ngingila mai ha foʻi koini siliva ʻi he laʻaá ʻi he sitepu ʻo e fakafaletoló. Naʻá ne fakasio atu ki ha fale ʻo Māteí. Pau pē ko ia naʻá ne tuku e koiní aí! Naʻá ne kei feinga pē ke totongi ʻene inu lēmaní.
Naʻe malimali ʻa Nina. Naʻá ne fakakaukauloto, ʻOku ʻikai ko Mātei pē taha ʻoku lava ʻo fakafufuú. Naʻá ne lele ki he kaungāʻapí ʻo tuku ʻa e koiní ʻi he holoholoʻanga ʻo e matapā ʻa Māteí.
Hili ha ʻaho ʻe taha mei ai, naʻe ʻalu ʻa Nina ki tuʻa ke heka ʻi heʻene kiʻi paikí. Pea naʻe ʻi ai e kiʻi koini ʻa Māteí, naʻe hili ʻi he kapa ʻakau ʻi he veʻe matapā ʻi muʻá.
Naʻe toe heka atu ʻa Nina ʻi heʻene kiʻi paikí ki he ʻapi ʻo Māteí. ʻI he taimi ko ʻení, naʻá ne hili ʻa e kiʻi koiní ʻi ha funga maka ʻi he fakafaletoló.
Naʻe ʻosi atu ha ngaahi uike. Naʻe feʻaluʻaki holo ʻa e kiʻi koiní. ʻI he ʻaho kotoa pē, naʻe maʻu ʻe Nina ʻa e koiní ʻi honau fakafaletoló ʻi ha feituʻu foʻou. Pea ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē, naʻá ne fufuuʻi ia ʻi ha feituʻu foʻou ʻi he fakafaletolo ʻo Māteí.
Pea ʻi ha ʻaho ʻe taha, naʻe hū atu ʻa Nina ki tuʻa ʻo ne maʻu ha meʻa ne fakaʻohovale. Ko e kiʻi foʻi koiní—naʻe ngaohi ʻaki ha kahoa fakaʻofoʻofa. Naʻá ne puke hake ia mo malimali. Naʻe ulo mai e laʻaá ʻo ne ʻai ke ngingila e kiʻi koiní.
ʻI he kaungāʻapí naʻe ngāue ʻa Mātei ʻi heʻene fale ngāue papá.
“Mālō!” Ko e kaila atu ia ʻa Nina ke leʻolahi ange ʻi he longoaʻa ʻo e [mīsini] kilí.
Naʻe sio hake ʻa Mātei. Naʻe puke hake ʻe Nina ʻa e kahoá.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Mātei, “Naʻe tokoni mai ʻa Tānia ke u ngaohi ia. Ko ha meʻaʻofa meia kimaua ʻi hoʻo angaʻofá.”
“ʻOku ou tui ʻokú ke mālohi koe ē.” Naʻe kata ʻa Nina mo tui ʻa e kahoá. “ʻOku ou saiʻia ʻaupito ai te u tauhi maʻu ia.”
Naʻá ne houngaʻia ke maʻu ha kaungāʻapi angaʻofa mo tokanga pehē.
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Mitch Miller