“Palopalema ʻi he Fononga Halá,” Kaumeʻá, ʻEpeleli 2024, 4–5.
Palopalema ʻi he Fononga Halá
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe ʻEma, “Tau toe lotu pē.”
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoá ni ʻi Siamane.
Naʻe faʻo ʻe ʻEma ʻa e kato mohe fakaʻosí ki he veeni kemí. Naʻe fakaʻuli hono fāmilí ki ʻĪtali ki ha ʻaho mālōlō ʻi he fakaʻosinga ʻo e uiké. Naʻá nau fuʻu fiefia kotoa!
Naʻá ne heka ki hono tangutuʻangá mo ha sipi kafu mo ha fanga kiʻi meʻakai fakaifoifo. Naʻe tangutu hono tuongaʻane ko Mekí ʻi hono tafaʻakí.
“Kuo maau ʻa e taha kotoa?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Tetí.
“ʻIo!” Ko ʻEma atu ia mo Meki.
Naʻa nau fakaʻuli ʻo fakalaka atu ʻi ha ngaahi fale mo ha ʻuluʻakau. Naʻe lahi ʻaupito ʻa e ʻū meʻalele naʻe lele he ʻū halá. Hili ha ngaahi houa siʻi, naʻe mātuʻaki kiu ʻa e halá pea tuʻu kotoa ʻa e ʻū meʻalelé.
Naʻe sio ʻa ʻEma ki tuʻa ʻi he luvá ki he kakai ʻi he ʻu kā hoko mai kiate kinautolú. Naʻe mataʻi taʻeoliʻia ha niʻihi. Naʻe mata mamahi ha niʻihi.
Naʻe hū ki tuʻa ha tangata mei he kā ʻi mui ʻiate kinautolú. Naʻá ne lue mai ʻo tukituki ʻi he luva ʻa Tetí.
Naʻe takai hifo ʻe Teti ʻene luvá. “Mālō e Lelei. ʻE lava ke u tokoni atu?”
Naʻe tuhu ʻa e tangatá ki heʻenau vēní. “ʻOku volu ha foʻi vaʻe ʻe taha hoʻomou meʻalelé.”
“ʻOiauē!” Ko Teti ia. Naʻá ne hū ki tuʻa ʻo talanoa mo e tangatá.
Naʻe foki mai ʻa Teti ʻo heka ki he vēní. “ʻOku ua pē ʻetau filií. Te tau lava ʻo tuʻu ʻi he feituʻu mālōlōʻanga hono hokó. Pe ko ʻetau fakaʻuli fakalelei pē ki he feituʻu faiʻanga kemi ofi tahá. Tau lotua ia.”
Naʻe fai ʻe Mami ʻa e lotú. Naʻá ne kole ki he Tamai Hēvaní ke tokoni ange ke nau ʻiloʻi ʻa e meʻa ʻoku totonu ke nau faí.
Naʻa nau fakalongolongo kotoa pē. Naʻe fakafanongo fakalelei ʻa ʻEma ke fanongo ki he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “ʻOku ou tui ʻoku totonu ke tau fakaʻuli ki he feituʻu faiʻanga kemí.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Teti, “Tatau mo au.”
ʻI heʻenau aʻu ki aí, naʻe fetuʻutaki ʻa Mami mo Teti ki ha taha ke haʻu ʻo tokoni. Hili ha ngaahi houa siʻi mei ai, naʻe haʻu ha tokotaha ngāue ke sio ki he foʻi vaʻé.
Naʻá ne talaange, “ʻE faingataʻa ke maʻu ha foʻi vaʻe ʻe feʻungá. Te mau ʻota ha foʻi vaʻe foʻou, ka ʻoku tāpuni kotoa ʻa e ʻū falekoloá ʻi he ʻaho mālōloó. Te mau toki lava ʻo maʻu ʻa e foʻi vaʻé ʻi he ʻaho Tūsité.”
Naʻe fakafulofula ʻa ʻEma. Naʻe mamaʻo ʻa e Tūsité—pea fēfē kapau ʻe tōmui mai ʻa e foʻi vaʻé? Naʻá ne fiefia ke ʻalu ki ʻĪtali. Ka ko ʻeni, ʻoku ngalingali he ʻikai ke nau lava ʻo aʻu ki aí!
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe ʻEma, “Tau toe lotu pē.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mami, “Ko ha fakakaukau lelei ia. Manatuʻi pē kapau he ʻikai ke tāpuekina ʻaki kitautolu ha foʻi vaʻe, ka ʻoku fanongo maʻu pē ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní ki heʻetau ngaahi lotú. Te tau kei lava pē ʻo fiefia ʻi heʻetau fononga he halá.”
Naʻe kamokamo pē ʻa ʻEma. Naʻá ne lotu ʻo pehē, “ʻE Tamai Hēvani, fakamālō atu ki he ʻAfio ná ʻi hono maluʻi kimautolu ʻi heʻemau fonongá. Kapau ʻe lava, kātaki ʻo tokoni mai ke mau maʻu ʻa e foʻi vaʻe totonu ki heʻemau meʻalele kemí.”
ʻI he pongipongi hono hokó, naʻe foki mai ʻa e tokotaha ngāué. Naʻá ne tekateka mai ha fuʻu foʻi vaʻe fōlahi.
“Ngalingali te tau lava pē ʻo aʻu ki ʻĪtali!” Ko Teti ange ia. Naʻe fiefia ʻa ʻEma mo Meki.
“Naʻe anga fēfē ʻa e vave hoʻo maʻu ʻa e foʻi vaʻe foʻoú?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Meki ki he tokotaha ngāué.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe he tokotaha ngāué, “Naʻá ku ʻeke ki ha niʻihi kehe ʻi heni pe ʻoku ʻi ai haʻanau foʻi vaʻe talifaki ʻe feʻunga mo hoʻomou meʻalelé. Pea naʻe ʻi ai e tokotaha naʻe ʻi ai ʻene foʻi vaʻe pehē!”
Naʻe fakatui ʻe he tokotaha ngāué ʻa e foʻi vaʻe foʻoú. Naʻa nau maau ke hoko atu ʻenau fonongá. Naʻe fai fakalongolongo ʻe ʻEma ha lotu fakamālō. Naʻe ʻikai ke tatau ʻenau fononga ʻeveʻeva fakafāmilí mo e meʻa naʻa nau palani ki aí, ka naʻe fanongo ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní ki heʻenau lotú.
ʻŪ tā fakatātā ʻa Greg Paprocki