“Ko Ha Palōmesi ʻi he Papitaisó,” Kaumeʻá, Mē 2024, 8–9.
Ko Ha Palōmesi ʻi he Papitaisó
“Ko e hā ʻokú ke fie papitaiso aí?” Ko e fehuʻi ia ʻa Tetí.
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi he ʻIunaiteti Siteiti ʻo ʻAmeliká.
“Teti, ʻe lava nai ke u papitaiso ʻi hoku taʻu valú?” Ko e kole ia ʻa Keatoní.
Naʻe sio hake ʻa Teti mei heʻena keimí. “Ko ha fili lahi ia. ʻE lelei ange nai ke ke tatali kae ʻoua kuó ke taʻu 18?”
Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Keatoni ki ai. “Ka ʻoku ou meimei taʻu valu he taimí ni. Pea ʻoku fuʻu mamaʻo ʻaupito ʻa e 18!”
Naʻe kiʻi fakalongolongo ʻa Teti. Naʻá ne ʻunuakiʻi ʻene meʻa vaʻingá. “Ko e hā ʻokú ke fie papitaiso aí?”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻa Keatoni, “ʻOku ou ʻofa ʻia Sīsū. Pea ʻoku ou fie muimui kiate Ia.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Teti, “Ko ha ʻuhinga lelei ia ke papitaiso ai.” Naʻá ne malimali. “Te u poupouʻi koe kapau ko e meʻa ia ʻokú ke filí. Tatau ai pē pe ʻokú ke taʻu valu pe 18.”
Naʻe fāʻofua ʻa Keatoni kia Teti. “Mālō!”
Naʻe ʻikai ko ha mēmipa ʻa Teti ʻo e Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní. Ka naʻá ne faʻa ʻaʻahi he taimi ʻe niʻihi ki he lotú mo Keatoni mo Mami. Pea ʻi he taimi naʻe lea pe hiva ai ʻe Keatoni mo e fānau Palaimeli kehé ʻi he houalotu sākalamēnití, naʻe haʻu maʻu pē ʻa Teti.
Hili ʻena keimí, naʻe fetaulaki ʻa Keatoni mo Mami ʻi he peitó.
Naʻá ne pehē ange, “Naʻe talamai ʻe Teti te u lava ʻo papitaiso ʻi hoku taʻu valú.”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Mami. “Ko ha meʻa fakafiefia ia! Kuó ke fakakaukau nai pe ko hai ʻokú ke loto ke ne papitaiso koé?”
Naʻe fokotuʻutuʻu ʻe Keatoni ʻa e ʻū peletí ʻi he tēpilé. “ʻOkú ke pehē ʻe lava nai ʻe Kulenipā?” Naʻe ngāue fakafaifekau ʻa Kulenipā mo Kulenimā ʻi ha kolo ʻe taha.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mami, “Te ta lava ʻo kole ange ki ai.”
Hili e kai efiafí, naʻe telefoni vitiō ʻa Keatoni kia Kulenipā mo Kulenimā ʻi he telefoni ʻa Mamí. Hili ha ngaahi tatangi, naʻá na ʻasi malimali hake ʻi he telefoní.
“Mālō e lelei Kulenimā! Mālō e lelei Kulenipā!” Ko Keatoni ange ia. “ʻOkú mo ʻilo ha meʻa? Te u papitaiso ʻi hoku ʻaho fāʻeleʻí ʻi he taʻú ni.”
“ʻOku fakaʻofoʻofa ia!” Ko e lea ange ia ʻa Kulenimaá.
“Te ke lava ʻo papitaiso nai au, Kulenipā?” Ko e kole ia ʻa Keatoní.
Naʻe toe malimali lahi ange ʻa Kulenipā. “Te u fiefia ke fai ia.”
ʻI he hokosia hono ʻaho papitaisó, naʻe mateuteu ʻa Keatoni. Naʻe ʻave ia ʻe Mami mo Teti ki ha kiʻi falelotu ofi ki he feituʻu naʻe ngāue fakafaifekau ki ai ʻa Kulenipā mo Kulenimaá.
Naʻe teunga hina ʻa Keatoni mo ʻene Kulenipaá. Naʻá na tangutu fakataha kae hiva e tokotaha kotoa. Naʻe fai leva ʻe Mami ha lotu.
Hili iá, ne fai ʻe Teti ha lea. Naʻá ne pehē, “ʻI hoʻo papitaisó, ʻokú ke palōmesi ai ke muimui kia Sīsū Kalaisi pea tauhi ʻEne ngaahi fekaú. Naʻá Ne akoʻi kitautolu ke feʻofaʻaki. Ko e ʻofá ʻa e founga lelei taha ke moʻui aí.”
Naʻe sio ʻa Keatoni ki he tā ʻo Sīsū naʻe pukepuke ʻe Tetí.
“ʻI heʻetau ʻofa ʻi he niʻihi kehé, ʻoku nau ongoʻi ʻoku ʻofeina kinautolu. ʻOku toe tokoniʻi ai kitautolu ke tau fiefia mo maʻu ʻa e nongá.” Naʻe sio hangatonu atu ʻa Teti kia Keatoni. “ʻOku ou laukau ʻaki koe ʻi he ʻahó ni ʻi hoʻo palōmesi ke muimui ʻia Sīsū Kalaisí. ʻOku ou fakatauange ʻe fakamanatu atu maʻu pē ʻe hoʻo papitaisó ke ke ʻofa ki he ʻOtuá mo ʻofa ki he niʻihi kehé.”
Naʻe fāʻofua ʻa Keatoni ki heʻene Tetí. Hili iá naʻá ne muimui atu ʻi heʻene Kulenipaá ki ha kiʻi faiʻanga papitaiso siʻisiʻi. Naʻe hili ʻe Keatoni hono nima ʻe taha ʻi he nima ʻo Kulenipaá pea puke ʻe Kulenipā hono nima ʻe tahá. Naʻe lea ʻaki ʻe Kulenipā ʻa e lotu papitaisó. Peá ne tokoni leva ke fakauku ʻa Keatoni ʻi he vaí.
ʻI he tuʻu hake ʻa Keatoni mei he vaí, naʻá ne malimali. Kuó ne fakahoko ia! Kuó ne muimui ʻia Sīsū Kalaisi. ʻE vavé ni hano hilifakinima ia pea maʻu ʻa e meʻafoaki ʻo e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní. Pea te ne hoko leva ko ha mēmipa ʻo e Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní.
Naʻe fiefia ʻa Keatoni ke tauhi ʻene palōmesi ke manatu kia Sīsū mo tauhi ʻEne ngaahi fekaú.
Tā fakatātā ʻa Alyssa Tallent