“Ko e Fehalaaki ʻi he Keké,” Ko e Kaumeʻá Sepitema 2023, 10–11.
Ko e Fehalaaki ʻi he Keké
Naʻe fiemaʻu ʻe Sailo ke ʻasi haohaoa ʻene foʻi keké.
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi Sikotilani.
Naʻe fakaʻosi ʻe Sailo ʻene tā valivalí pea hili ʻene kalá ʻi hono tesí. “Ko ē!”
Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe hono kaungāmeʻa ko Leisí, “Ko e hā ia?”
“Ko e foʻi keke ia ʻoku ou ngaohi ki he feʻauhi ʻa e akó.” Naʻe puke hake ʻe Sailo ʻa e fakatātaá ke sio ki ai ʻa Leisi.
“ʻOku ʻasi tika!” Ko e lea ange ia ʻa Leisií.
“Mālō!” Naʻe malimali ʻa Sailo. ʻE haohaoa ʻene foʻi keké. Naʻá ne ʻosi palaniʻi ʻa e meʻa kotoa pē. ʻE konga fā ʻa e foʻi keké. ʻE lanu pulū ʻa e konga ʻe ua, pea lanu kulokula ʻa e konga ʻe ua—ko e lanu tatau pē mo e fuka ʻo Pilitāniá. Te ne ʻai ha kilimi hinehina ʻi he vahaʻa ʻo e konga takitaha. Fāifai, peá te ne ʻai ʻene kūkisi lelei tahá ʻi ʻolunga! Naʻá ne fakapapauʻi te ne maʻu ʻa e fika ʻuluakí.
“Ko e hā ʻa e meʻa te ke taʻó?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Sailó.
Naʻe tali ange ʻe Leisi, “ʻOku ʻikai ke u fakapapauʻi. Mahalo pē ko ha foʻi keke.”
Naʻe talaange ʻe Sailo, “ʻOku ʻikai ke u faʻa tatali ke sio ki he meʻa te ke ngaohí.”
ʻI heʻene aʻu pē ki ʻapí, naʻe mateuteu ʻa Sailo ke kamata taʻo. Naʻá ne tuku ʻene foʻi keke naʻe tā fakatātaaʻí ʻi he funga kānitá ke ne lava ʻo sio ki ai lolotonga ʻene ngāué.
Naʻe fua fakalelei ʻe Sailo ʻa e ngaahi meʻa kotoa pē. Naʻá ne tā fakataha kinautolu pea lingi ia ki he kapa taʻo keké. Naʻá ne faʻo leva ʻa e kapá ki he ʻōvaní ke taʻo ʻa e ʻuluaki foʻi keké.
ʻI he ʻosi ʻa e taimí, naʻe toʻo ʻe Sailo ʻa e foʻi keké mei he ʻōvaní. Naʻá ne feinga ke toʻo ʻa e foʻi keké mei he kapá. Ka ʻi he taimi naʻá ne fakafoʻohifo aí, naʻe pipiki ha vaeua ia ʻo e foʻi keké ki he kapá!
“ʻOiauē!” Ko e tangi ia ʻa Sailó. Naʻá ne fakaʻaliʻali e foʻi keke kuo motú ki heʻene Mamí. “Kuo motu ʻeku foʻi keké!”
Naʻe tātaaʻi ʻe Mami e tuʻa ʻo Sailó. “Sai pē ia. Te ta lava ʻo fakaleleiʻi ia.”
Naʻe tokoni ʻa Mami kia Sailo ke toʻo ʻa e toenga ʻo e foʻi keké. Naʻá na fakatahaʻi fakalelei ʻa e ngaahi kongokonga kuo maumaú.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mami, “Ko ena. He ʻikai ke ke lava ʻo tala naʻe motu.”
Naʻe kiʻi ongoʻi fiemālie ange ʻa Sailo. Te ne kei lava pē ʻo ʻai e toenga ʻo e foʻi keké ke hā fakaʻofoʻofa. Naʻe kamata leva ke ne taʻo e foʻi keke hono hokó. ʻI he taimi ko ʻení, naʻe tuku ʻe Sailo ke mokomoko ʻa e foʻi keké kimuʻa peá ne toki toʻo mei he kapá. Naʻe ʻikai maumau ia!
ʻI he ʻosi kotoa ʻa e ngaahi foʻi keké, naʻe fokotuʻutuʻu kinautolu ʻe Sailo. Naʻá ne vali ʻa e kilimi ʻi he vahaʻa keke takitaha. Naʻá ne tuku fakalelei leva ha fanga kiʻi kūkisi naʻá ne taʻo ʻi he funga keké. ʻOsi!
Ka naʻe fakafulofula ʻa Sailo. Naʻe ʻikai hangē ʻa e foʻi keké ko ʻene fakatātaá. Naʻe vaia ʻa e kilimí, pikopiko ʻa hono fokotuʻutuʻú, pea fakatafatafa ki he tafaʻaki ʻe taha. ʻOku ʻikai fakaʻofoʻofa! Naʻe kamata ke tangi ʻa Sailo.
“Ko e hā e meʻa ʻoku hokó?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Mamí.
“Naʻá ku fiemaʻu ke ʻasi haohaoa ʻa e foʻi keké! Ka ko ʻeni kuo fehalaaki kotoa ia!” Naʻe holoholoʻi ʻe Sailo hono loʻimatá.
Naʻe fāʻofua ʻa Mami kia Sailo. “ʻOku ou tui ʻoku ʻasi fakaʻofoʻofa hoʻo foʻi keké. Pea ʻoku ou tui ʻoku toe ifo ange!”
Naʻe kalokalo ʻa e ʻulu ʻo Sailó. “ʻOku totonu ke u lī ia ʻe au. Te u fakamuimui taha au he taimí ni!”
“ʻE tokoni nai kapau te u fai ha lotu?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Mamí.
Naʻe kamo pē ʻa Sailo.
Naʻe pehē ʻe Mami, “ʻE Tamai Hēvani, ʻoku ou houngaʻia moʻoni koeʻuhí ko Sailo pea mo ʻene ngāue mālohi ke ngaohi ʻa e foʻi keke ko ʻení. Kātaki ʻo tokoniʻi ia ke ne ongoʻi fiefia ʻi he meʻa kuó ne lava ʻo faí. ʻI he huafa ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí, ʻēmeni.”
Naʻe ongoʻi nonga ange ʻa Sailo. Naʻá ne toe sio ki heʻene laʻi pepá. Mahalo pē naʻe ʻikai hangē ko ʻene tā fakatātaá, ka naʻe kei sai pē. Pea naʻá ne fiefia ʻi hono ngaohi iá.
ʻI he ʻaho hono hokó ʻi he akó, naʻe sio takai holo ʻa Sailo ki he ngaahi fakaneifua kehe naʻe ngaohi ʻe he fānaú. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne fakakaukau te ne maʻu ha pale. Naʻe hā fakaʻofoʻofa ʻa e ngaahi keke kehé.
Ka ʻi he taimi naʻe ui ai ʻa e kau ikuná, naʻe fika ua ʻa Sailo! Pea ʻuluaki ʻa Leisi!
Naʻe lele ʻa Leisi ʻo fāʻofua kia Sailo. “Naʻá ta fakatou ikuna!”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Sailo. Tatau ai pē kapau naʻe ʻikai ke ne ikuna, te ne fiefia naʻá ne kei feinga pē.
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Maryssa Dennis