“Ko e Kiʻi Foʻi Kenitilopé,” Kaumeʻá, ʻAokosi 2024, 40–41.
Ko e Kiʻi Foʻi Kenitilopé
Naʻe ʻi ai nai ha meʻa naʻe mei lava ke fai ʻe Uesitoni ke tokoni kia Neiti?
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi USA.
Naʻe vaʻinga ʻa Uesitoni ʻi tuʻa ʻi he taimi naʻe lele atu ai ha kā mo ha fuʻu veeni fetukutuku lahi ki he fale ʻi he kauhala ʻe tahá. Naʻe tokolahi ha fānau naʻa nau hifo mai mei he kaá. Ko hanau tokotaha ko ha tamasiʻi naʻe hangē naʻe toʻu tatau mo Uesitoni.
Naʻe lele ʻa Uesitoni ki hono falé. “Mami, Teti! ʻOku hiki mai ha fāmili foʻou!”
Naʻe hanga hake ʻa Teti mei he ngāue naʻá ne fakahokó. “Meʻa fakaʻofoʻofa ia.”
Pehē ange ʻa Uesitoni, “ʻOku ou fie feiloaki mo kinautolu. ʻE lava ke ke haʻu mo au?”
“ʻIo!”
Naʻe kolosi leva ʻa Uesitoni mo Teti ʻi he halá ki he fale honau kaungāʻapi foʻoú. Ko e taimi naʻá na tukituki aí, naʻe haʻu ha fefine ki he matapaá. Ko e tamasiʻi naʻe toʻu mo Uesitoní naʻe tuʻu pe ʻi hono tuʻá.
Kiʻi taʻataʻalo atu ʻa Uesitoni. “Mālō e lelei, ko Uesitoni au. Ko hai ho hingoá?”
Naʻe laka mai ʻa e kiʻi tamasiʻí mei he tuʻa ʻo ʻene fineʻeikí. “Ko Neiti au.”
“ʻOkú ke fie vaʻinga ʻi hoku ʻapí?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Uesitoní.
Naʻe sio hake ʻa Neiti ki heʻene fineʻeikí.
Pehē ange ia, “Te ke lava pē ke ʻalu. Foki mai ʻi he taimi maʻu meʻatokoni efiafí.”
Hili iá, naʻe vaʻinga ʻa Uesitoni mo Neiti ʻi he meimei ʻaho kotoa pē. Naʻá ne fuʻu fiefia ke ʻi ai hano kaungāmeʻa foʻou. Naʻá na heka pasikala, kaukau ʻi he vai kaukaú, mo vaʻinga ko ha ongo kaihaʻa folau tahi, ʻi he paʻake. Naʻe faʻa vaʻinga foki he taimi ʻe niʻihi ʻa Uesitoni ʻi he ʻapi ʻo Neití. Naʻe angalelei kotoa ʻa e fāmili ʻo Neití!
ʻI ha ʻaho ʻe taha, naʻe puke lahi ʻaupito ʻa e tangataʻeiki ʻa Neiti. Naʻe pau ke ʻave ki falemahaki. Naʻe fakaʻau ʻene puké ʻo kovi pea toe kovi ange. Naʻe hohaʻa ʻaupito ʻa Neiti mo siʻono fāmilí.
Naʻe hohaʻa foki mo Uesitoni. Naʻe ʻaukai mo lotu ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē ʻi he lotú maʻá e tamai ʻa Neití. Naʻe ʻaukai foki mo Uesitoni. Naʻá ne ʻamanaki ki ha mana. Ka naʻe siʻi mālōlō e tangataʻeiki ʻa Neití.
ʻI he fakalau atu ʻa e ngaahi ʻahó, naʻe fakatokangaʻi ʻe Uesitoni ʻa e loto-mamahi ʻa Neiti mo siʻono fāmilí. Naʻe loto ke ne ʻai ke nau fiefia. Naʻe kolosi atu leva ʻi he halá ʻo tukituki he matapā ʻo e ʻapi ʻo Neití.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Neiti ia, “ʻOku ʻikai ke u fie vaʻinga au he ʻahó ni.”
Pehē ange ʻa Uesitoni, “ʻOi, SAI pē.” Naʻe ʻi ai nai ha meʻa naʻá ne mei lava ke fai ke tokoni kia Neiti?
Naʻe foki leva ʻa Uesitoni ki ʻapi ʻo ʻilo ai ʻene Mamí. Talaange ʻe ia, “ʻOku ʻikai fie vaʻinga ʻa Neiti ia.”
“Ko ha meʻa faingataʻa ia.” Naʻe fāʻofua ki ai ʻa Mami. “Ko e taimi ʻe niʻihi, ʻi he loto-mamahi ʻa e kakaí, ʻoku nau fiemaʻu ha taimi ke nau nofo tokotaha ai.”
Kamo pē ʻa Uesitoni. “Mahalo ka mate ʻeku tangataʻeikí, he ʻikai ke u ongo fie vaʻinga mo au.”
Ka naʻe kei fie tokoni pē ʻa Uesitoni kia Neiti mo hono fāmilí ke nau ongoʻi fiefia ange. Naʻe ‘i ai haʻane fakakaukau. Naʻá ne fehuʻi ange leva, “Ko fē ʻa e helekosí? ʻOku ou fie foaki kia Neiti ha meʻa mei heʻetau ngoué!”
Naʻe ʻalu ʻa Uesitoni ki he tafaʻaki ki mui ʻo e ʻapí ʻo kumi ha meʻa ke foaki ki hono kaungāmeʻá. Naʻá ne fakasio he kelekele naʻa nau tō ai ha kaloti. Ka naʻe teʻeki ai motuʻa feʻunga ia. Naʻá ne kumi ʻi he ʻulu ʻakau fuá ka ko ha ngaahi vaʻa taʻefua pē.
Pea fakasio leva ʻe Uesitoni ha ngaahi lalo vaine ʻoku toʻulu hono laú. Naʻá ne leʻei ki tafaʻaki ha niʻihi ʻo e ngaahi lau ko iá ʻo maʻu ai ha kiʻi foʻi kenitilope lanumata ʻoku tupu ʻi he vaʻá. Ko e fuʻu kenitilope ʻeni naʻá ne tō mo fuʻifuʻi ʻe ia pē!
ʻOfa pē ʻoku saiʻia ʻa Neiti mo hono fāmilí ʻi he melení. Naʻe tuʻusi leva ia ʻe Uesitoni mei he vaʻá ʻo ʻave ki loto. Peá ne fai leva ha kiʻi tohi ke ʻave fakataha mo ʻene meʻaʻofá.
Ko e taimi naʻe ʻosi ai ʻa e kiʻi kātí, naʻe fokotuʻu fakalelei leva ʻe Uesitoni ʻa e foʻi kenitilopé mo e kātí ʻi he sitepu he matapā ʻo Neití. Peá ne lomiʻi leva ʻa e fafangu ʻo e matapá pea lele ʻo foki ʻi he vahe taha naʻá ne lavá. Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Uesitoni, ʻOfa pē te nau saiʻia ai .
Kimui ange aí, naʻe feʻiloaki ʻa Uesitoni mo e fāmili ʻo Neití ʻi ha kaitunu ʻa e kaungāʻapí.
“Ko e foʻi kenitilope ifo tahá ia!” Ko e tuofefine ange ia ʻo Neití.
“Naʻe ʻikai ke mau fakapapauʻi pe ko e hā ʻi he kamataʻangá.” Kata ʻa Neiti. “Naʻa mau pehē ko ha foʻi niu faikehe!”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe he fineʻeiki ʻa Neití, “Fakamālō atu ʻi he meʻa ʻofa fakaʻofoʻofa ko iá.”
Naʻe ongoʻi loto fiefia ʻa Uesitoni ʻi he fāʻofua ange ʻa Neiti ki aí. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne lava ʻo toʻo ʻa e loto mamahi hono kaungāmeʻá, ka naʻa mo ha kiʻi foʻi kenitilope te ne lava pē ke ʻomai ha malimali.
Tā fakatātā ʻa Greg Paprocki