“Ko e Vaʻinga ke Filifilí,” Kaumeʻa, Nōvema 2023, 30–31.
Ko e Vaʻinga ke Filifilí
Naʻe ʻilo ʻe Sēleti naʻe poupouʻi ia ʻe Sīsū Kalaisi.
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi Falanisē.
Naʻe tātā ʻe Sēleti ʻa e foʻi pulú ʻi he loto malaʻé. Naʻe lele takai ʻa e kau vaʻingá ʻiate ia, pea longoaʻa honau suú ʻi he falikí.
“ʻOku ou ʻatā!” Ko Kepueli atu ia.
Naʻe paasi ʻe Sēleti ʻa e foʻi pulú kia Kepueli mo ne kei lele pē. Naʻe paasi fakafoki ange ʻe Kepueli ʻa e foʻi pulú. Naʻe fakahū ʻe Sēleti ʻa e foʻi pulú ki he koló.
SWOOSH!
Naʻe hū ia!
Hili ʻa e vaʻingá, naʻe pehē ange ʻe heʻene faiakó, “Sai hoʻo vaʻingá, Sēleti. ʻOkú ke ʻilo, ʻoku fai ʻa e vaʻinga ke filifili ki he timi fakavahelahí ʻi ha uike ʻe ua mei heni.”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Sēleti. Ko ha niʻihi tokosiʻi pē ʻo e kau vaʻingá naʻe fakaafeʻi ke nau ʻahiʻahi ki he timi ko iá.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe he faiakó, “ʻE fai ʻa e vaʻinga ke filifilí ʻi he Sāpaté. ʻOkú ke pehē te ke lava ʻo haʻu ki ai?”
Naʻe mole vave ʻa e fiefia ʻa Sēletí.
“ʻI he Sāpaté?” Ko e ʻeke ange ia ʻa Sēletí.
“ʻIo. ʻOku ʻi ai ha palopalema?”
Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Sēleti ki ai. Ko hono faingamālie ʻeni ke vaʻinga ai ʻi ha timi lelei ʻaupito! Ka ko e Sāpaté ko e taimi ia ʻokú ne ʻalu ai ki he lotú pea tukutaha ʻene tokangá ki he Fakamoʻuí.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Sēleti, “Ko e Sāpaté ko ha ʻaho makehe ia kiate au. Ka te u talanoa ki ai mo ʻeku ongomātuʻá.”
ʻI he pō ko iá, naʻe tangutu ʻa Sēleti ʻi hono mohengá mo ʻene ongomātuʻá. Naʻá ne toutou lī pē ʻene foʻi pulú ki ʻolunga lolotonga ʻene fakakaukaú. Naʻá ne talaange ki heʻene Mamí mo ʻene Tetí, “ʻOku ou fuʻu fiemaʻu ke u ʻahiʻahi ki he timí. Ka ʻoku ʻikai ke u fie fai ia ʻi ha ʻaho Sāpate. ʻOku ou ʻilo ʻoku mahuʻinga ange ʻa e ʻOtuá ʻi he pasiketipoló.”
“Ko e hā ha meʻa te ma lava ʻo fai ke tokoni aí?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Mamí.
Naʻe vilohi ʻe Sēleti ʻa e foʻi pulú ʻi hono nimá. “ʻE lava nai ke tau lotu fakataha?”
Naʻá ne tuku ʻene foʻi pulu pasiketipoló ki he tafaʻakí peá ne tūʻulutui hifo mo Mami mo Teti. Naʻá ne pehē, “ʻE Tamai Hēvani, ʻoku ou fuʻu fakaʻamu ke ʻahiʻahi ki he timi pasiketipolo ko ʻení. Ka ʻoku fai ʻa e vaʻinga filifilí ia he ʻaho Sāpate! ʻOku ou ʻilo ko e Sāpaté ko e ʻaho ia ʻoku ou foaki ki he ʻAfioná. Ko e hā e meʻa te u faí?”
Hili ʻa e lotú, naʻe maʻu ʻe Sēleti ha ongo fakafiemālie.
“ʻOkú ke ongoʻi fēfē?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Mamí.
Naʻá ne pehē ange, “He ʻikai ke u ʻalu ʻo kapau ʻoku fai ʻa e vaʻinga ke filifilí ʻi ha ʻaho Sāpate. Ka ʻoku ou ongoʻi ʻe sai pē ʻa e meʻa hono kotoa.”
Hili ha ʻaho ʻe ua mei ai, naʻe maʻu ʻe he faʻē ʻa Sēletí ha ʻīmeili. Naʻe pehē ai ʻe fakahoko ʻa e vaʻinga ke filifilí ʻi he Tokonakí!
ʻE lava ke kau ʻa Sēleti ʻi he vaʻinga ʻahiʻahí pea mo tauhi ʻa e ʻaho Sāpaté ke māʻoniʻoni! Naʻá ne ʻilo kuo ongona ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ʻene lotú.
ʻI he uike ʻe ua hono hokó, naʻe ako vaʻinga pasiketipolo ʻa Sēleti ʻi he lahi taha naʻá ne lavá. ʻI he hokosia ʻa e ʻaho lahí, naʻe fakahoko ʻe Sēleti hono lelei tahá. Naʻá ne lele vave ʻi he ngaahi vaʻingá, naʻe hū ʻa e konga lahi taha ʻo ʻene ngaahi fakahuú, pea fakakaekae maʻa hono ngaahi kaungāvaʻingá.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe he faiakó ʻi he ʻosi ʻa e ʻuluaki takaí, “Ko e kau vaʻinga ʻeni te nau hoko atu ʻi he vaʻinga ke filifili maʻá e timí. Kātaki ʻo fakafanongo ki ho hingoá.”
Naʻe tā vave ʻa e mafu ʻo Sēletí. Naʻe ui ʻe he faiakó ha hingoa ʻe taha. Mo ha toe hingoa ʻe taha. Pea mo ha toe hingoa ʻe taha. Naʻe ongoʻi ʻe Sēleti kuo mōlia atu ʻene ʻamanaki ke kau ʻi he timí.
Naʻe ʻikai fuoloa kuo fakaʻosi ʻe he faiakó ʻa hono ui ʻo e lisí. Kuo teʻeki ke ne ui mai ʻa e hingoa ʻo Sēletí. He ʻikai ke toe hoko atu ʻa Sēleti ia ki he takai hoko ʻo e vaʻinga ke filifilí.
Naʻe tangutu ʻa Sēleti ʻi he sea ʻi tuʻa ʻi he fale fakamālohisinó ʻo sio fakamamaʻu ki hono suú. Kuó ne ngāue mālohi fau. Ka naʻá ne ongoʻi hangē ʻoku iku noa pē ʻene ngāué kotoa.
ʻI he haʻu ʻene Mamí ke ʻave iá, naʻe kalokalo ʻa Sēleti. “Naʻe ʻikai ke u kau ʻi he timí.”
Naʻe kuku ia heʻene Mamí ʻo fāʻofua kiate ia. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “ʻOku ou kole fakamolemole atu ʻi he ʻikai ke hoko ʻa e meʻa naʻá ta fiemaʻú.”
Naʻe mānava lōloa ʻa Sēleti. Naʻá ne maʻu leva ha fakakaukau fakafiemālie.
Naʻá ne pehē, “He ʻikai hoko maʻu pē ʻa e ngaahi meʻá ʻo fakatatau mo ʻeku fiemaʻú. Ka ʻoku ʻafioʻi moʻoni ʻe Sīsū Kalaisi ʻa e ongo ʻoku ou maʻú. ʻOkú Ne poupou mai kiate au.”
Naʻe malimali ʻene faʻeé. “ʻOkú ke moʻoni! ʻOkú Ne ʻafioʻi moʻoni ʻa e ongo ʻokú ke maʻú.”
Naʻe malimali ange ʻa Sēleti. Naʻá ne kei loto-mamahi pē, ka naʻá ne ongoʻi lelei ange ʻi heʻene ʻiloʻi naʻe mahino ki he Fakamoʻuí ʻa e ongo naʻá ne maʻú. Naʻe ʻiloʻi ʻe Sēleti ʻe ʻofa mo poupouʻi maʻu pē ia ʻe Sīsū.
ʻŪ tā fakatātā ʻa Britain Morris