“Sivi ʻa Tasí,” Ko e Kaumeʻá, ʻOkatopa 2023, 40–41.
Sivi ʻa Tasí
Naʻe lotua ʻe Tasi ke ʻaonga ʻene ngāue mālohí.
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi Simipāpuē.
Naʻe mihiʻi lahi ʻe Tasi ʻene mānavá ʻi he taimi naʻe fakafoki ange ai ʻe heʻene faiakó ki he fānau akó ʻenau siví. Neongo ko ha sivi fakaangaanga pē, ka naʻá ne manavasiʻi ke sio ki hono māká.
Ko e taʻu fakaʻosi ia ʻo e ako lautohi ʻa Tasí, pea naʻe lahi ʻene ngaahi siví. Makehe mei he ngaahi sivi ʻi he fiká mo e saienisí, naʻe pau foki ke ne toʻo mo ha ngaahi sivi lea fakafonua. ʻI Simipāpuē, naʻa nau ako ke tohi mo lea ʻi he lea faka-Pilitāniá mo e faka-Siouná. Ko e lea faka-Siouná ko e faingataʻa taha ia kia Tasí.
“Ko ena, Tasi.” Naʻe ʻoange ʻe he faiako ʻa Tasí hono māká. Naʻá ne maaka lelei ʻi he fiká! Pea sai ʻaupito ʻi he lea faka-Pilitāniá. Ka naʻe sio ʻa Tasi ki hono maaka ʻi he lea faka-Siouná, pea ne tō hifo hono lotó. Naʻe ʻikai ke sai ia!
Naʻe sio ʻa Tasi ki he kelekelé ʻi heʻene lue ki ʻapi mei he akó.
“Ko e hā e meʻa ʻoku hokó?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa e Fineʻeikí.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Tasi, “Naʻá ku maʻu ha maaka kovi ʻi heʻeku sivi akoako ʻi he lea faka-Siouná.” “ʻOku ou kovi maʻu pē ʻi lea faka-Siouná. Fēfē kapau te u tō ʻi he sivi moʻoní?”
Naʻe tangutu hifo ʻa e Fineʻeikí mo Tasi. Naʻá ne sio ki hono māká. “ʻOku hangē ʻokú ke fiemaʻu ha akoako lahi angé.”
Naʻe toʻe ʻa Tasi.
“Fēfē kapau te ke fokotuʻu ha taumuʻa ke ngāue ke tohi ʻi he lea faka-Siouná?” Naʻe toʻo hake ʻe he Fineʻeikí ʻa e Tohi Fakahinohino ʻa e Fānaúmaʻa Tasi. Peá ne lau leva ʻa e potufolofola ʻi he peesi ʻuluakí. “Pea tupulaki ʻa e potó ʻia Sīsū mo e lahí, pea naʻe ʻofeina ia ʻe he ʻOtuá mo e tangatá.”* Naʻá ne malimali kia Tasi. “Naʻe fakautuutu ʻa e tupulaki ʻa Sīsuú, pea te ke lava foki mo koe.”
Naʻe talaange ʻe Tasi, “SAI.” “ʻOkú ke pehē ʻe tokoniʻi au ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní?”
“ʻOku ou ʻilo te Ne fai ia.”
Naʻe fai ʻe Tasi ha lotu ʻi he pō ko iá. “ʻE Tamai Hēvani, kātaki muʻa ʻo tokoni mai ke u lava ʻi heʻeku sivi lea faka-Siouná. Fakamolemole ʻo tokoniʻi au ke u ako mo fakaʻau ʻo lelei ange. ʻI he huafa ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí, ʻēmeni.”
Naʻe houngaʻia ʻa Tasi ʻi heʻene lava ʻo lotua ha tokoní. Ka naʻá ne ʻiloʻi naʻe fiemaʻu ke ngāue mālohi foki mo ia. Naʻe akoako tohi faka-Siouna ʻa Tasi ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē. Naʻá ne maʻu ha tokoni lahi ange mei heʻene kau faiakó. Naʻá ne fakaʻamu he taimi ʻe niʻihi ke vaʻinga mo hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá pe fai ha meʻa kehe. Ka naʻá ne kei akoako pē.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe he faiako ʻa Tasí, “ʻOkú ke fakalakalaka lahi.”
Naʻe laukau ʻa Tasi ʻi heʻene ngāue mālohí.
Ne faifai pea aʻu ki he ʻaho ʻo e siví. Naʻá ne toe fai ha lotu ʻe taha mo kolea e tokoni ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní.
Naʻe e ʻoange ʻe he faiakó ʻa e siví ki he fānau akó, pea toʻo hake ʻe Tasi ʻene peni vahevahé. ʻI he kamata ke ne tohí, naʻá ne ongoʻi ha ongo māfana mo nonga. Naʻá ne ʻilo ko e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ia. Naʻe fakafiemālieʻi ia ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní mo tokoniʻi ia.
ʻI he ʻosi ʻa e siví, naʻe fiefia ʻa Tasi ke fakamatala ki heʻene ongomātuʻá e meʻa naʻe hokó. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne ʻilo pe ko e hā hono māká, ka naʻá ne ongoʻi fiemālie ki ai. Kuó ne fai hono lelei tahá.
“ʻOku ou laukau ʻaki koe,” ko e lea ange ia ʻa e Fineʻeikí.
“Mālō!” Naʻe malimali ʻa Tasi mo toʻo hake ʻene Tohi Fakahinohino ʻa e Fānaú ke toe lau ʻa e folofolá. Ka naʻá ne liliu ha kiʻi konga siʻi ʻe taha. “Pea tupulaki ʻa e potó ʻia Tasi mo e lahí, pea naʻe ʻofeina ia ʻe he ʻOtuá mo e tangatá.”
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Pauline Gregory