“Ko e Meʻaʻofa Lelei Tahá,” Ko e Kaumeʻá, Sepitema 2023, 28–29.
Ko e Meʻaʻofa Lelei Tahá
Ko e hā ʻe fiemaʻu lahi taha ʻe Teti ki hono ʻaho fāʻeleʻí?
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi he ʻIunaiteti Siteiti ʻo ʻAmeliká.
Naʻe fiefia ʻa Sōsaia. Ko e ʻaho fāʻeleʻi ʻeni ʻo Tetí! Naʻe fakapipiki ʻe Mama ha ngaahi konga pepa lōloa lanu kehekehe ʻi peito. Naʻá ne ngaohi foki mo ha foʻi keke faiʻaho makehe.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Sōsaia, “ʻOku totonu ke tau ʻoange ha ngaahi meʻaʻofa maʻana.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe hono kiʻi tuofefine ko Mateliné, “ʻIo! Ka ko e hā?”
“ʻOku ou ʻilo ʻa e meʻa ke tau faí.” Naʻe ʻalu ʻa Sōsaia ki he kiʻi fale tukuʻanga meʻangāué. Naʻá ne toʻo ha ngaahi kongokonga papa ʻo kuluuʻi fakataha kinautolu ke faʻu ha kiʻi sea siʻisiʻi.
“Naʻá ku toli ha ngaahi matalaʻiʻakau maʻa Teti mei heʻene ngoué!” Naʻe pukepuke hake ʻe Mateline ʻa e ngaahi matalaʻiʻakaú. “ʻOkú ke pehē te ne saiʻia ʻiate kinautolu?”
Naʻe kamokamo pē ʻa Sōsaia. “ʻOku ʻikai ke u faʻa tatali ke ne sio ki heʻene ngaahi meʻaʻofa!”
ʻI he hoʻatā ko iá, naʻe hivaʻi ai ʻe Sōsaia mo Mateline ʻa e “ʻAho Fāʻeleʻi Fiefiá” pea kai keke mo Teti.
“Taimi ki he ngaahi meʻaʻofá!” Ko Sosaia ange ia. Naʻá ne foaki kia Teti ʻene meʻaʻofá.
Naʻe toʻo ʻe Teti ʻa e pepa kofukofú. “Tōatu! Fakaʻofoʻofa hoʻo ngāué. Mālō!” Naʻe fāʻofua ʻa Teti kia Sōsaia.
Naʻe ʻoange leva ʻe Mateline ʻa e ngaahi matalaʻiʻakaú kia Teti.
“Mālō ʻaupito!” Naʻe malimali pē ʻa Teti. “Ko ha ngaahi meʻa fakaʻofoʻofa ʻeni!”
Naʻe vave pē taimi ke fakahoko ai ʻa e fakamaʻá. “Sōsaia, te ke lava ʻo tokoni ke fakaʻataʻatā ʻa e tēpilé?” Ko Mama ange ia.
Naʻe tali ange ʻe Sosaia, “ʻIo.” Naʻá ne mamali mo ʻave ʻa e ʻū peletí ki he singí.
Naʻe pehē ʻe Mateline, “Te u lava foki ʻo tokoni.”
Naʻe malilmali fiefia ʻa Teti. “ʻOku ou ongoʻi fiefia ʻaupito ʻi he taimi ʻokú mo fetokoniʻaki mo feangaʻofaʻaki aí. ʻOku ou ʻiloʻi ʻoku fiefia foki ai mo Sīsū. Ko e meʻaʻofa lelei tahá ia!”
Naʻe vaʻinga ʻa Sōsaia mo Mateline kimui ange mo ʻena meʻa-vaʻingá. Naʻe faʻu ʻe Sosaia ha taua māʻolunga mei he ngaahi konga papá. Naʻe mei māʻolunga tatau pē mo ia! Ka naʻe holoki ia ʻa Mateline.
“Hei!” Ko Sosaia ange ia. “ʻOkú ke holoki ʻeku tauá!” Naʻá ne toʻo ha meʻa vaʻinga meia Mateline.
“Ko e meʻa ia ʻaʻaku!” Ko e kaila ia ʻa Mateliné.
Naʻe haʻu ʻa Teti. Naʻá ne fakafulofula. Naʻá ne fakamanatu ange ke na taufetongi ʻi heʻena meʻa-vaʻingá.
ʻI he mavahe ʻa Tetí, naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe Sōsaia, “Naʻá ke sio ki he mata ʻo Tetí? Naʻá ne mata mamahi.”
Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe Mateline, “Ko e hā naʻe loto mamahi aí?”
Naʻe pehē ʻe Sōsaia, “Naʻá ne pehē ko e meʻaʻofa lelei tahá ke ta angaʻofa. “Ka naʻe ngalo ia.
“ʻOi.” Naʻe sio ʻa Mateline ki he falikí. “ʻOku ou kole fakamolemole atu ʻi heʻeku holoki ho tauá.”
Naʻe talaange ʻe Sōsaia, “ʻOku sai pē ia. Kātaki ʻi heʻeku ʻitá. Tuku muʻa ke ta angaʻofa ʻi he toenga ʻo e ʻahó.”
“Kae fēfē kapau ʻe ngalo?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Mateliné.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Sōsaia, “Pea kuo pau leva ke ta kole fakamolemole pea toe feinga pē ke angalelei.”
Naʻe fakamaʻa ʻe Sōsaia mo Mateline ʻa e ngaahi konga papá. Peá na fai leva ha foʻi vaʻinga foʻou. ʻI he lue hake ʻa Tetí, naʻá ne malimali.
Naʻe fanafana ange ʻa Mateline kia Sōsaia. “ʻOku ou tui ne ta fakahoko ia! Naʻá ta foaki kia Teti ha meʻaʻofa maʻongoʻonga!”
Naʻe malimali pē ʻa Sōsaia. “ʻIo, ko ia. Pea ko ha meʻaʻofa foki ia kia Sīsū!”
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Jeff Harvey