“Ngaahi Talanoa ʻo e Papitaisó,” Ko e Kaumeʻá, Siulai 2023, 30–31.
Ngaahi Talanoa ʻo e Papitaisó
Naʻe pehē ʻe Mami, “Ko e paioniá ko ha tokotaha ʻokú ne fuofua fakahoko ha meʻa.”
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi he ʻIunaiteti Siteiti ʻo ʻAmeliká.
Naʻe mafulifuli ʻa Mele ʻi he sioʻatá mo fakaʻofoʻofaʻia ʻi hono kofu hinehiná. Ko e kofu tatau pē ia naʻe tui ʻe heʻene faʻeé ʻi hono papitaisó. Naʻe fakaleleiʻi ia ʻe he Kui-ua ko Mālusí ke hao lelei ai ʻa Mele. ʻE lava ʻeni ʻe Mele ʻo tui ia ʻi hono papitaisó!
“ʻOkú ke fakaʻofoʻofa!” Naʻe puke ʻe Mami e nima ʻo Melé ʻo toe vilohi takai.
Naʻe makiʻikiʻi ʻa Mele. “ʻE lava ke u tui ia he ʻahó kakato?”
“Ta vete ia ke tui ʻi hoʻo papitaisó koeʻuhí ke fakaʻofoʻofa mo maʻa, ʻe sai pē?” Ko Mami ange ia.
“Sai.” ʻE papitaiso ʻa Mele ʻi he hoko hono taʻu valú, pea kuo fuoloa mai ʻene teuteú. Naʻá ne ʻalu ki he Palaimelí, lau folofola, pea aʻu ʻo ne ʻalu ki he papitaiso hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá. Ka naʻe kei fuʻu mamaʻo hono ʻaho fāʻeleʻí!
Naʻe ʻolunga ʻa Mele kia Mami ʻi he sea sofá. “Mami, naʻe papitaiso koe ho taʻu fihá?”
“Naʻá ku taʻu 16.”
“Mani ē! Ko e hā naʻá ke tali fuoloa aí?”
Naʻe fāʻofua maʻu ʻa Mami kia Mele. “Koeʻuhí ne u toki ʻilo pē ʻi hoku taʻu 16 kau ki he Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi kuo fakafoki maí. Ka naʻá ku kamata ʻalu ki he ngaahi ʻekitivitī ʻa e Siasí mo ha ngaahi kaungāmeʻa. Pea ko e lahi ange ʻeku akó, ko e lahi ange ia ʻeku fie papitaisó!”
“Ko e hā e ʻuhinga?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Melé.
“Koeʻuhí he nau fiemaʻu ha fāmili ʻoku taʻengatá.” Naʻe tuhu ʻa Mami ki he fakatātā ʻo e temipalé ʻoku tautau ʻi ʻolunga ʻiate kinauá. “Naʻá ku ako, ʻe lava ke silaʻi taʻengata au ʻi ha ʻaho ki hoku fāmilí ʻi he temipalé. Ko ʻeku fakaʻānauá ke u maʻu ha fāmili taʻengata. Pea ko e papitaisó ʻa e ʻuluaki sitepú! Pea ko ʻeni kuo hoko ʻo moʻoni ʻeku misí.”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Mele. “ʻOkú ke maʻu ʻa Teti, Maloli, mo pēpē Maeva! Pea mo au foki.”
“ʻIo, ko e moʻoni. Mo Kulenimā ʻEniselā.”
“Naʻe papitaiso fakataha koe mo Kulenimā?”
“Naʻe tatali ia ʻi ha toe ngaahi taʻu. Ka ko e taimi pē ʻoku ma fononga ofi ai ki ha ngaahi temipale, ʻokú ma saiʻia ke ma tuʻu ʻo sio ki ai.”
Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Mele ki he sio fakataha ʻa Mami mo Kulenimā ki he ngaahi temipalé. “Naʻe fēfē ʻa Teti? Naʻe taʻu fiha pea toki papitaisó?”
“Naʻe taʻu 11.”
“Pea naʻe nofo ʻi Palāsila he taimi ko iá?”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mami “Ko ia.” “ʻOku ʻi ai ha kakai ʻi he funga ʻo e fonuá ʻoku nau ako fekauʻaki mo Sīsū mo e papitaisó. Ko e tokolahi ʻo kinautolu ko ha kau paionia.”
“Kau Paionia?”
Naʻe fakamatalaʻi ange ʻe Mami, “Ko e paioniá ko ha tokotaha ʻokú ne fuofua fakahoko ha meʻa.”
Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Mele ki ai. “Hangē ko hoʻo hoko ko e fuofua tokotaha ke papitaiso ʻi ho fāmilí?”
Naʻe kamokamo pē ʻa Mami mo malimali.
Naʻe hū mai ʻa Teti ʻi he taimi ko iá ki he lokí, ʻo tangutu ʻi he sofá.
“Teti, ko ha paionia koe ʻi ho fāmilí?”
“Meimei pē. Hili hoku papitaisó, ne u ʻiloʻi kuo ʻosi kau ʻeku Kui Fefine ko Losameá ki homau siasí! Ka naʻe teʻeki ke toe ʻalu ki he lotú ʻi ha ngaahi taʻu.”
“Moʻoni? Ko e hā e meʻa ne hokó?”
“Naʻá ku kamata ʻalu ki he lotú. Naʻe kamata leva ke ʻalu hoku ngaahi tokouá, pea pehē foki mo Kulenimā Losamea. Naʻe kau mai foki mo e Kui ua ko Mālusí!”
Naʻe fakakaukauloto pē ʻa Mele ki he ʻalu toko taha pē ʻa Teti ki he lotú, peá ne ʻomi mo ia ha konga lahi ange ʻo hono fāmilí.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Mele, “Mani ē. “ʻOku ou saiʻia he fanongo ki hoʻomo ngaahi talanoá. ʻOkú ne ʻai au ke u toe vēkeveke ange ki hoku papitaisó.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Teti, “Mālō ʻaupito ʻi hoʻo ʻeke mai e ngaahi fehuʻi kotoa ko ʻení.” “ʻE lava ke ma ʻeke atu he taimí ni ha fehuʻi ʻe taha?”
Naʻe kamo pē ʻa Mele. Ko e hā ʻoku ʻamanaki ke na ʻeke maí?
“Ko e hā ʻokú ke fie papitaiso aí?”
Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Mele ki he meʻa naʻá ne ako mei he folofolá mo e ongo naʻá ne maʻu ʻi he lotú. “Koeʻuhí ʻoku ou fie muimui kia Sīsū pea u nofo fakataha mo hoku fāmilí ʻo taʻengata.”
Naʻe fakatou malimali ʻa Mami mo Teti, pea fāʻofua ʻa Mele ki heʻene ongomātuʻá. “ʻOku ʻikai ke u faʻa tatali!”
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Tammie Lyon