“Tokoniʻi Hono Kiʻi Tuongaʻane Kei Pēpeé,” Kaumeʻa, Nōvema 2023, 16–17.
Tokoniʻi Hono Kiʻi Tuongaʻane Kei Pēpeé
Naʻe ʻikai maʻu ʻe ha taha ha taimi maʻa Lasia ʻi he taimí ni.
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi Saute ʻAfilika.
Naʻe ʻi ai ha kiʻi tuongaʻane kei pēpē ʻo Lasia. Ko hono hingoá ko Liami. Naʻe lanu fakapōpōʻuli hono louʻulú mo ha ongo kiʻi nima mo e vaʻe valevale. Naʻá ne foʻi talavou ʻaupito!
Ka naʻe faingataʻa he taimi ʻe niʻihi ke ʻi ai ha pēpē foʻou ʻi he fāmilí. Naʻe femoʻuekina maʻu pē ʻa Mami mo Teti he taimí ni. Pea naʻe lahi ʻa e tangi ʻa Liamí.
“Mami te ke lava ʻo lau mai ha kiʻi talanoa?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Lasiá.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Mami, “ʻOku fiemaʻu ia ke u kaukauʻi ʻa Liami. Mahalo te ke lava ʻo lau ha talanoa mo ʻAliana.”
Naʻe tangutu hifo ʻa Lasia ʻi he falikí mo hono kiʻi tehiná. Naʻá na huke ʻa e ʻū lauʻi peesi ʻo ha tohi. Ka naʻe ʻikai ke tatau ia ʻi he ʻikai kau ange ʻa Mamí.
“Teti, te ke lava ʻo vaʻinga mo au?” Ko e kole ia ʻa Lasiá.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Teti, “ʻOku fiemaʻu ke u tokoni kia Mami mo e pēpeé kimuʻa peá u toki ʻalu ki he ngāué.”
Naʻe fakafulofula ʻa Lasia. Naʻe ʻikai toe maʻu ʻe Mami mo Teti ha taimi moʻona ʻi he taimí ni! Naʻá na tokoni maʻu pē kinaua kia Liami.
Naʻe ʻikai fuoloa kuo ʻalu ʻa Teti ki he ngāué. Naʻe tuku hifo ʻe Mami ʻa Liami ke kiʻi mohe. Naʻá ne tangutu mo Lasia mo ʻAliana ʻi he seá. Naʻá ne mataʻi helaʻia.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mami, “Kuó ma fuʻu femoʻuekina ʻaupito ʻia Liami. Kuó mo kiʻi ongoʻi tuenoa nai?”
Naʻe kamo pē ʻa Lasia. Naʻá ne ongoʻi hangē ʻokú ne fakaʻamu ke tangí.
Naʻe fāʻofua ʻa Mami kia Lasia mo ʻAliana. “ʻOku fiemaʻu ʻe Liami ha tokoni lahi ʻi he taimí ni he ʻokú ne kei valevale. He ʻikai ke ne lava ʻo fai ha meʻa ʻiate ia pē, ʻo hangē ko kimouá.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Lasia, “ʻOku ou ʻiloʻi.”
“Ka ʻo kapau ʻokú ke loto ki ai, te ke lava ʻo tokoni mai ʻi hono tokangaʻi ʻo Liamí.” Naʻe malimali ʻa Mami.
“Moʻoni?” Ko e ʻeke ange ia ʻa Lasiá. Naʻá ne saiʻia ʻi he foʻi fakakaukau ko iá.
Naʻe ʻeke ange ʻe ʻAliana, “Mo au pē?”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mami, “Mo koe foki.”
Naʻe ʻikai fuoloa kuo kamata ke tangi ʻa Liami. ʻI he taimi naʻe fetongi ai ʻe Mami hono taipá, naʻe ʻomi ʻe Lasia ʻa e uaipá kiate ia.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mami, “Mālō ʻaupito.”
ʻI he ʻaho hono hokó, ʻi he taimi naʻe kaukauʻi ai ʻa Liamí, naʻe fili ʻe Lasia mo ʻAliana ha vala maʻa moʻo Liami ke ne tui. Naʻe ʻi ai ha fakatātā ʻo ha fanga kiʻi monumanu fakaʻofoʻofa ʻi he valá! Naʻá na ʻomi ia kia Mami ke ne fakatui ʻia Liami.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mami, “Mālō.”
Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Lasia mo ʻAliana ki ha ngaahi founga kehe ke tokoni ai. Naʻá na fakamaau hona mohengá ʻi he pongipongi kotoa pē ʻo ʻikai toe fekauʻi. Naʻá na fakamaau foki ʻi he taimi ʻe niʻihi mo e mohenga ʻo Mami mo Tetí. Pea ʻi he hokosia ʻa e taimi maʻu meʻatokoni efiafí, naʻá na tokoni kia Teti ʻi peito.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mami mo Teti, “Mālō.”
ʻI he taimi naʻe tangi ai ʻa Liamí, naʻe feinga ʻa Lasia ke tokoniʻi ia ke ne ongoʻi fiemālie ange. Naʻá ne puke ia pea talanoa ki ai ʻi ha leʻo vaivai. Naʻe teʻeki ke lava ʻa Liami ʻo lea fakamālō. Ka ʻi ha ʻaho ʻe taha, naʻá ne malimali lelei kia Lasia!
Naʻe malimali ange foki mo Lasia. Naʻá ne fiefia ʻi heʻene lava ʻo tokoniʻi hono tuongaʻane kei pēpeé mo ʻene faʻeé mo e tamaí foki!
ʻŪ tā fakatātā ʻa Shawna J. C. Tenney