“Te Ta Fakahoko Fakataha ʻEni,” Kaumeʻa, Nōvema 2023, 40–41.
Te Ta Fakahoko Fakataha ʻEni
Naʻe ilifia ʻa ʻAni ke kamata ʻalu ki he Kau Finemuí.
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi he ʻIunaiteti Siteiti ʻo ʻAmeliká.
Naʻe milimili ʻe ʻAni ʻa e tupenu hono kofú. Naʻá ne feinga ke fanongo ki he kau leá. Ka naʻá ne ongoʻi manavasiʻi mo loto-hohaʻa.
Ko e ʻaho ʻeni ʻe kamata ʻalu ai ʻa ʻAni ki he Kau Finemuí. Te ne ʻalu ki he kalasí ʻi he ʻosi pē ʻa e houalotu sākalamēnití. Naʻe talaange ʻe he tokotaha kotoa kia ʻAni ʻoku totonu ke ne fiefia, ka naʻá ne ilifia.
Naʻá ne sio atu kia Tema, ko hono taʻoketé. Kuo taʻu tolu ʻa Tema ia ʻi he Kau Finemuí, pea naʻá ne saiʻia ʻaupito ai. Naʻá ne talanoa maʻu pē kia ʻAni hono fakalatá. Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Tema, “Te ke maʻu ha ngaahi kaungāmeʻa tokolahi. ʻOku kehe ia mei he Palaimelí. ʻOku meimei hangē ia ko ha tokotaha lahi kitá.”
Ka naʻe ʻikai tatau ʻa ʻAni mo hono taʻoketé. Naʻe saiʻia ʻa Tema ke feʻiloaki mo ha kakai foʻou, pea naʻe faingofua ke ne fakakaungāmeʻa. Naʻe fakalongolongo ʻa ʻAni pea faʻa lelei ange kiate ia ke ne laukonga pe tā fakatātā ʻi haʻane talanoa mo e niʻihi kehé.
Naʻe fuofuaʻia foki ʻa e fofonga ʻo ʻAní, pea naʻá ne ongoʻi mā ʻi hono fōtungá. Naʻá ne fakaʻaongaʻi ha kilimi makehe, ʻa ia naʻe tokoni. Ka naʻe ʻikai maʻa ʻa e kulokula ʻo e fuofuá mei hono kilí.
Hili ʻa e houalotu sākalamēnití, naʻe lue māmālie atu ʻa ʻAni ʻi he holó. Naʻá ne talaange ki heʻene Mamí mo Tema, “He ʻikai ke u lava au ʻo ʻalu ki he Kau Finemuí ʻi he ʻahó ni.”
Naʻe fofonga hohaʻa ʻene faʻeé. “Naʻá ku pehē ʻe au naʻá ke vēkeveke ke ʻalu ki he Kau Finemuí. Ko e hā e meʻa ʻoku hokó?”
“ʻOku ʻikai ke u ʻilo ʻe au ha taha ʻo e tamaiki fefine matuʻotuʻa angé.” Naʻe ala ʻa ʻAni ki hono fofongá. “Pea mahalo te nau kata kinautolu ʻi heʻenau sio mai kiate aú.”
Naʻe fāʻofua ʻa Mami kia ʻAni. “Manatuʻi ʻe ʻi ai foki mo Tema.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe ʻAni, “ʻOku ʻikai ke u tatau au mo Temá.” Naʻá ne sio ki hono taʻoketé. “ʻOkú ke sai koe ʻi he talanoa mo e kakaí.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Tema, “ʻOku ou ʻilo ʻoku faingataʻa ke ʻalu ki ha kalasi foʻou. Ka te ta fakahoko fakataha ʻeni. Naʻá ku ilifia pē foki mo au ʻi heʻeku kamata ʻalu ki he Kau Finemuí.”
Naʻe sio fakamamaʻu pē ʻa ʻAni kia Tema. Naʻe hā loto-toʻa maʻu pē ʻa Tema! Naʻá ne ʻahiʻahi foki ki he ngaahi hiva fakaako ʻi hono ʻapiakó peá ne maʻu ʻa e konga ʻo e tokotaha te ne taki ʻa e fakaʻaliʻalí. Naʻe ʻikai fai ʻe ʻAni ha ngaahi meʻa pehē. Naʻá ne feinga pē ke ʻoua naʻa fakatokangaʻi ia.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe ʻAni, “Ka ʻoku ʻikai te ke teitei ilifia koe.”
Naʻe mamali ʻa Tema. “ʻOku ou ilifia pē mo au! Naʻá ku ilifia ʻi heʻeku ʻahiʻahi ki he hivá. ʻOkú ke ʻilo nai ʻeku meʻa naʻe faí?”
Naʻe kalokalo ʻa e ʻulu ʻo ʻAní.
“Naʻá ku lotu mo fai hoku lelei tahá. Pea naʻá ku tokoniʻi foki mo ha fānau kehe. Naʻe hangē naʻe ilifia honau tokolahi ʻo hangē pē ko aú. ʻI heʻeku tokoniʻi ʻa e niʻihi kehé ke nau loto-toʻá, naʻe tokoni ia ke u loto-toʻa ai.”
Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa ʻAni ki ai. Te ne lava nai ʻo fakahoko ʻa e meʻa naʻe fai ʻe Temá mo tokoniʻi ʻa e tamaiki fefine kehe ʻi heʻene kalasí ke ʻoua te nau ilifia?
“ʻOkú ke pehē te ke lava ʻo ʻalu ki he Kau Finemuí ʻi he ʻahó ni?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Mamí.
Naʻe ʻai ʻa e fuʻu mānava lahi ʻa ʻAni. Peá ne kamo ange leva. Te ne lava ʻo ʻalu.
Naʻe lue atu ʻa ʻAni mo Tema ki he loki ako ʻo e Kau Finemuí. Naʻe sio atu ʻa ʻAni ki he tamaiki fefine kehé. Naʻe hangē naʻe manavasiʻi honau niʻihi ʻo hangē ko iá. Naʻe vilovilohi ʻe Suli ha konga ʻo hono laʻiʻulú ʻi hono foʻi tuhú kae uʻuuʻu ʻe ʻElikā hono ngeʻesinimá.
Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa ʻAni ki he founga te ne lava ai ʻo tokoniʻi kinauá. Naʻá ne lue atu ʻo tangutu ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo Sulí. “ʻOkú ke ilifia mo koe?” Ko e fafana ange ia ʻa ʻAní. “ʻE sai pē ia.”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Suli, pea naʻe malimali ange ʻa ʻAni. Naʻe siʻisiʻi ange ʻa e ilifia ʻa ʻAní ʻi he taimi ni. Mahalo pē ʻe fakalata ʻaupito ʻa e Kau Finemuí.
ʻŪ tā Fakatātā ʻa Toby Newsome