“Ngaohi ʻi he ʻOfa,” Kaumeʻá, ʻAokosi 2024, 10–11.
Ngaohi ʻi he ʻOfa
Ko hai ʻe lava ke foaki ki ai ʻe Vanesa ʻa e kató?
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoá ni ʻi Nikalākuá.
Naʻe taʻataʻalo atu ʻa Vanesa kia Mami pea hū leva ki he falelotú. Ko ha niʻihi ʻo hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá naʻa nau ʻosi ʻi ai! Naʻe manako ʻi he ngaahi ʻekitivitī ʻa e Palaimelí.
Naʻe lolotonga fokotuʻutuʻu ʻe Sisitā Foniseka ha tēpile ngāue. Naʻe ʻi ai ha ngaahi loufau, afo lanu kehekehe, mo ha ngaahi sitika. Naʻe ʻikai faʻa tatali ʻa Vanesa ke ne ʻilo pe ko e hā te nau ngāhí!
Hili ʻa e lotú, naʻe fai leva ʻe Sisitā Foniseka ha ngaahi fakahinohino. “Te tau ngaohi ʻi he ʻahó ni ha ngaahi kofukofu meʻaʻofa. Te ke lava ʻo foaki ia ki ha taha ʻokú ke ʻofa ai.” Naʻá ne tufa leva ha kofukofu pepa lanu melomelo ki he kiʻi tamasiʻi takitaha.
Naʻe vēkeveke ʻa Vanesa ke kamata hono teuteuʻí. Naʻá ne fili ha foʻi haati lanu engeenga ʻo fakapipiki ia he tafaʻaki kimuʻa ʻo e kiʻi kofukofú.
Hokó, naʻe peluki leva ʻe Vanesa ha laʻi pepa ke ʻai ha kaati. Naʻá ne tohi ai, “Ko e fānau koe ʻa e ʻOtuá.” Naʻá ne tā ai ha ngaahi foʻi fetuʻu mo ha ngaahi foʻi haati lahi.
Naʻe tufa atu ʻe Sisitā Lōpesi ha kūkisi mo ha fanga kiʻi foʻi keke iiki ke faʻo ʻi heʻenau fanga kiʻi kofukofú. Naʻe faʻo foki ʻe Vanesa ʻa e kātí ki loto. Fakaʻofoʻofa!
ʻIkai fuoloa kuo haʻu ʻa Mami ke ʻave. “Sio!” Naʻe hiki hake ʻe Vanesa ʻa ʻene kofukofú ke sio ki ai ʻa Mami. “ʻOku ʻai ke foaki ia ki ha taha makehe.”
“Fakaʻofoʻofa!” Ko e lea ia ʻa Mamí. “Ko hai te ke foaki ki aí?”
Pehē ange ʻa Vanesa, “ʻOku ʻikai ke u ʻilo. ʻOku ou fie foaki ia ki ha taha ʻokú ne fiemaʻu ha ʻofa.” Fakafokifā pē kuo maʻu ʻe Vanesa ha foʻi fakakaukau. “ʻE lava ke ta ō ʻo ʻeva ke kumi ha taha ke foaki ki ai?”
Pehē ange ʻa Mami, “ʻIo. Ta ō!”
Naʻe puke ʻe Vanesa ʻa e nima ʻo Mamí pea toʻo ʻa e kofukofu ʻo e ʻofá ʻi hono nima ʻe tahá. Naʻá na afe atu ʻi ha hala lōngonoa. Fakakaukau ʻa Vanesa, Mahalo ʻoku ʻi ai ha taha ʻi heni ʻokú ne fiemaʻu ha ʻofa.
Ka ʻi heʻena luelué, naʻe fakafulofula ʻa Vanesa. Naʻe ʻikai ha taha he halá!
“Ta ʻahiʻahi fou ʻi he hala ko ʻení.” Naʻe taki atu ʻe Mami ʻa Vanesa ʻi ha hala ʻe taha. Ka naʻe ʻikai ha taha ʻi tuʻa.
Māpuhoi ʻa Vanesa. Naʻá ne ʻeke ange, “Ko e hā ʻoku totonu ke ta faí.”
“Ko e hā ʻoku ʻikai ke ke fai ai ha lotu ʻi ho lotó?” Ko e lea ia ʻa Mamí. “Kole ki he Tamai Hēvaní ke Ne tataki koe ki ha taha te ke lava ʻo tokoniʻí.”
Naʻá na toe afe atu ʻi ha hala ʻe taha, pea lotu fakalongolongo pē ʻa Vanesa. Tamai Hēvani, ʻaloʻofa muʻa ʻo tokoni ke u maʻu ha taha ʻokú ne fiemaʻu ha ʻofa.
ʻOsi pē mei ai ha ngaahi miniti siʻi, kuo fakatokangaʻi ʻe Vanesa ha kiʻi tamasiʻi ʻoku luelue ʻi he saitiuoká.
Naʻe malimali ʻa Vanesa. Naʻá ne pehē ange ki ai, “Mālō e lelei. ‘Oku ou fie foaki atu ʻeni maʻau.” Naʻá ne mono atu leva ʻa e kofukofú.
ʻI he kamataʻangá, naʻe mata puputuʻu ʻa e kiʻi tamasiʻí.
“SAI pē ia. Lea leʻo siʻi atu ʻa Mami, “ʻE lava pē ke ke toʻo.”
Fāifai pea ala mai ʻa e kiʻi tamasiʻí ʻo toʻo ʻa e kofukofú. Naʻe malimali fiefia hono kiʻi fofongá.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Vanesa, “Naʻá ku ngaahi ia maʻau ʻaki ha ʻofa lahi.”
Naʻe ongoʻi fiefia ʻa Vanesa ʻi heʻene sio ki he lele ʻa e kiʻi tamasiʻí ki hono ʻapí. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi naʻe makehe ki he Tamai Hēvaní.
ʻŪ tā fakatātā ʻa Vicky Scott