“Ngāue Tokoni ʻi he Fale Tukuʻanga Koloá,” Ko e Kaumeʻá, Sune 2024, 4–5.
Ngāue Tokoni ʻi he Fale Tukuʻanga Koloá
“ʻOku fetokoniʻaki ʻa e kāingalotu kotoa pē ʻo e Siasí, ko ia ʻoku ʻikai ha taha ʻiate kitautolu ʻe fiekaia.”
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi he ʻIunaiteti Siteiti ʻo ʻAmeliká.
Naʻe heka hake ʻa Tominiki ki he kaá ʻo fakamaʻu hono letá. Naʻá ne fehuʻi ange kia Mami, “Ko ʻeta ʻalú ki fē?”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe he Mami, “ʻOkú ta ʻalu ke tokoniʻi ha taha. ʻOku fiemaʻu tokoni ha fāmili ke maʻu ha meʻakai.”
Naʻá na fakaʻuli ki ha fuʻu fale lahi lanu kulei. Kuo teʻeki ke ʻalu ki ai ʻa Tominiki kimuʻa.
Naʻá ne fehuʻi ange, “Ko e hā ʻa e feituʻu ko ʻení? Naʻá ku pehē ʻe au ko ʻeta ō ki ha falekoloa ke ʻomai ha meʻakai.”
Naʻe tāpuniʻi ʻe Mami ʻa e matapā ʻo e kaá. “ʻOku ui ia ko e fale tukuʻanga koloa ʻa e pīsopé. Hangē ia ha falekoloa meʻakaí, tukukehe ʻoku ʻikai fiemaʻu ke ke totongi ʻa e meʻakaí ʻi heni.”
Naʻe ofoofo ʻa Tominiki. “ʻOku taʻe-totongi kotoa?”
Naʻe talaange ʻe Mami, “Meimei pehē pē. Ka ʻi he taimi ʻoku tau ʻaukai aí, ʻe lava ke tau totongi ha foaki ʻaukai, ʻo hangē pē ko e founga ʻoku tau totongi vahehongofulu aí. ʻOku tokoni ʻa e paʻanga ko iá ke fakatau mai ʻa e meʻakai ʻoku ʻave ki he fale tukuʻanga koloa ko ʻení. Pea ʻi he taimi ʻoku ʻikai maʻu ai ʻe ha taha mei he siasí ha paʻanga feʻungá, te nau lava leva ʻo kole tokoni ki he pīsopé pea haʻu ki heni ke maʻu ʻa e meʻa ʻoku nau fiemaʻú. ʻI he ngaahi feituʻu ʻoku ʻikai ke ʻi ai ha fale tukuʻanga koloá, ʻoku ʻi ai ha ngaahi founga kehe ʻa e pīsopé ke tokoni ai.”
Naʻe lue atu ʻa Tominiki ki he matapaá mo Mami. “ʻA ia ʻoku ʻikai maʻu ʻe he fāmili ʻokú ta tokoni ki ai ʻi he ʻaho ní ha paʻanga feʻunga ke fakatau ʻaki ha meʻakai?”
Naʻe tali ange ʻe Mami, “ʻOku ʻikai maʻu ʻi he taimí ni. Ka ko e ʻuhinga ia ʻokú ta tokoni aí! ʻOku fetokoniʻaki kotoa ʻa e kāingalotu ʻo e Siasí, koeʻuhí ke ʻoua naʻa fiekaia ha taha ʻiate kitautolu.”
Naʻe kamokamo pē ʻa Tominiki. “ʻOku ou fiefia he te nau lava ʻo maʻu ha meʻakai.”
“Mo au foki. Ta ō leva ʻi he taimí ni! Te u fakaʻaliʻali atu ʻa e founga ʻoku ngāue aí.”
Naʻe hū atu ʻa Tominiki mo Mami ki he fale tukuʻanga koloá. Naʻe fakaʻotuʻotu ʻa e ngaahi funga laupapá mo ha ngaahi meʻa kehekehe ʻi ai, hangē ha falekoloá.
Naʻe toʻo hake ʻe Mami ha laʻipepa mei heʻene kató. “ʻOku ui ʻeni ko ha ‘laʻipepa ʻota meʻakai.’ Ko ha lisi ia ʻo e ngaahi meʻa ʻoku fiemaʻu ʻe he fāmilí. Naʻe ngāue fakataha ʻetau pīsopé mo e Palesiteni Fineʻofá ke tokoniʻi kinautolu ʻi hono hiki ʻo e lisí.”
“Mami! ʻokú ke fakaʻaongaʻi maʻu pē foki mo koe ha lisi ʻi he taimi ʻokú ke fakatau aí.” Ko Tominiki ange ia.
“Ko ia! Te ta fakapapauʻi ʻoku maʻu ʻa e meʻa kotoa pē ʻi he lisí koeʻuhí ke maʻu ʻe he fāmilí ʻa e meʻa ʻoku nau fiemaʻú.”
Naʻe ʻomi ʻe Mami ha saliote faʻoʻanga fakatau. Naʻe tokoniʻi leva kinaua ʻe ha tokotaha ngāue tokoni ke na kumi ʻa e ngaahi meʻa ʻi he lisí. Naʻe teke ʻe Tominiki ʻa e salioté kae faʻo ʻe Mami ʻa e ngaahi meʻá ki loto.
“Sai, ʻoku ou tui kuó ta lava!” Naʻe toe sio ʻa Mami ki he lisí. “Ta fakapapauʻi ʻokú ta maʻu ʻa e meʻa kotoa pē. Naʻá ta maʻu nai ha siaine?”
“ʻIo!” Ko Tominiki ange ia.
“Mā?”
“ʻIo!”
ʻI heʻena ʻosí, naʻe tokoniʻi kinaua ʻe he tokotaha ngāue tokoní ke faʻo ʻa e meʻakaí ki heʻena kaá. Naʻe taʻataʻalo fakamāvae atu ʻa Tominiki.
“ʻOkú ke ongoʻi fēfē nai?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Mami ʻi heʻena foki ki ʻapí.
“Sai ʻaupito!” Ko Tominiki ange ia. “Kae toe … ʻikai foki ke fuʻu sai.”
Naʻe ʻohovale ʻa Mami. “Ko e hā ʻokú ke ongoʻi pehē aí?”
“Koeʻuhí naʻá ku fiekaia ʻi heʻeku mamata ki he meʻakai kotoa ko iá! ʻE lava nai ke ta maʻu meʻatokoni hoʻatā ʻi heʻeta foki ki ʻapí?”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Mami. “ʻIo! ʻOku fiemaʻu foki ʻe ha tokotaha ngāue mālohi hangē ko koé ha meʻakai.”
Naʻe toe malimali ange ʻa Tominiki. Naʻá ne ongoʻi fiemālie ʻi hono tokoniʻi ha taha ʻi he ʻaho ní.
ʻŪ tā fakatātā ʻa Dagmar Smith