“Paati ʻa Laiení,” Ko e Kaumeʻá, ʻOkatopa 2024, 4–5.
Paati ʻa Laiení
Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe Peleiteni, “Ko e hā ʻokú ke fakaafeʻi ai ʻa Setí?”
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi he ʻIunaiteti Siteiti ʻo ʻAmeliká.
Naʻe tāpuniʻi ʻe Laieni ʻa e sila fakaʻosí peá ne malimali. Naʻe mei hoko hono ʻaho fāʻeleʻí, pea naʻe ʻikai ke ne faʻa tatali ke fakaafeʻi hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá ki heʻene pātí! Naʻe tokoni ange ʻa Mami ke ne faʻu ʻa e ʻū tohi fakaafé ʻaki ha ʻū vaka vavā mo e ʻū fetuʻu. Naʻá ne fakapapauʻi ʻe hoko ia ko e faiʻaho lelei tahá.
Ko e ʻuluaki kaungāmeʻa naʻe loto ʻa Laieni ke fakaafeʻí ko Seti. Naʻe angalelei ʻaupito ʻa Seti, pea naʻe fiefia maʻu pē ʻa Laieni ʻi he feohi mo iá. Naʻe faʻa faingataʻa e lea ʻa Setí he taimi ʻe niʻihi, pea naʻe ʻikai ke fuʻu sai ʻene sipotí. Ka naʻe ʻikai tokanga ʻa Laieni ia ki ai. Naʻe poto ʻa Seti ia ʻi ha ngaahi meʻa kehe. Naʻá ne saiʻia ke faʻu ha fanga kiʻi monumanu iiki ʻaki hono pelupelu e pepá. Ko e taimi ʻe taha naʻá ne faʻu ha kiʻi pea maʻa Laieni. Naʻe tauhi ia ʻe Laieni ʻi he funga toloa ʻi hono lokí.
Naʻe lue atu ʻa Laieni ki he ʻapi ʻo Setí ʻo ʻoange kiate ia ha tohi fakaafe. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “Ko e meʻa ena ki heʻeku paati faiʻaho ʻi he Tokonakí. ʻOfa pē te ke lava ʻo haʻu ki ai!”
Naʻe malimali fiefia ʻa Seti. “Mālō. Te u ʻi a-ai.”
Kimuʻa pea ʻalu ʻa Laiení, naʻe fakaʻaliʻali ange ʻe Seti ʻene fanga kiʻi fakatātā foʻou ne ngaohi ʻaki e pepá. Naʻe ʻi ai ʻene fanga tia, chipmunks, sikuilolo (squirrel), mo e fanga lulu—ko ha vaotā ʻo ha fanga kiʻi monumanu iiki. Naʻe fakalata ʻaupito!
Hokó, naʻe maʻu ʻe Laieni ʻa Tai mo Palaiteni ʻokú na ʻi he ʻapi ʻo Taí. Naʻá ne ʻoange haʻana tohi fakaafe takitaha.
“Ko hai fua ʻoku haʻú?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Taí.
“ʻOku ou fakaafeʻi ʻa ʻĀleki, Mātiu, Sēkope, mo Seti.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Palaiteni, “Mani. Ko e hā ʻokú ke fakaafeʻi ai ʻa Setí? ʻOku anga faikehe ia.”
Naʻe fuʻu ʻohovale ʻa Laieni. “Koeʻuhí ko hoku kaungāmeʻa ia.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Tai, “Ka ʻoku ʻikai ko haʻama kaungāmeʻa ia ʻamaua. Kapau ʻoku haʻu ʻa Seti, he ʻikai ke u haʻu au.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Palaiteni, “Tatau pē mo aú.”
Naʻe lue foki ʻa Laieni ki ʻapi. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne ʻilo pe ko e hā ʻene meʻa ʻe faí. Naʻá ne fiemaʻu ke haʻu ʻa Tai mo Palaiteni ki heʻene pātí, ka naʻá ne toe fiemaʻu foki ke haʻu mo Seti.
ʻI heʻene aʻu ki ʻapí, naʻá ne talaange kia Mami ʻa e meʻa naʻe hokó.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mami, “ʻOku ou kole fakamolemole atu ʻi heʻena ongoʻi peheé. ʻOku hangē ʻoku teʻeki ke na tuku ha faingamālie ke na maheni mo Setí. ʻOkú ke pehē ko e hā e meʻa ʻoku totonu ke ke faí?
Naʻe fakalongolongo ʻa Laieni ʻi ha kiʻi miniti. Naʻe akoʻi ia ʻe Mami mo Teti ko e taimi ʻokú ne fiemaʻu tokoni aí, ʻe lava ke tataki ia ʻe he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní. Naʻá na pehē naʻe hangē ia ha kiʻi leʻosiʻi te te lava ʻo ongoʻi ʻi hoto lotó.
Naʻe fai ʻe Laieni ha kiʻi lotu fakalonglongo. Tamai Hēvani, ko e hā e meʻa ʻoku totonu ke u faí?
ʻI heʻene fakakaukau kia Tai mo Palaitení, naʻá ne ongoʻi manavasiʻi mo kiʻi loto-mamahi. Ka ʻi heʻene fakakaukau ke fakaafeʻi ʻa Setí, naʻá ne ongoʻi nonga mo fiefia. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi naʻe talaange ʻe he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ko hono fakaafeʻi ko ia ʻo Setí ko ha fili lelei ia.
ʻI he ʻaho Tokonakí, naʻe tokoni ʻa Laieni kia Teti ke fokotuʻutuʻu ha fanga kiʻi vaʻinga ke nau vaʻinga ai ʻi he tafaʻaki ki mui honau ʻapí. Naʻe fokotuʻutuʻu ʻe Mami ʻa e ʻū kai maʻamaʻa naʻe saiʻia taha ai ʻa Laiení, popikoane mo e peletisolo (pretzels). Naʻe aʻu taha taha mai ʻa e ngaahi kaungāmeʻa ʻo Laiení.
Naʻe ʻikai ke haʻu ʻa Tai mo Palaiteni. Ka naʻe fiefia lahi ʻa Laieni mo hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻa kehé. Naʻe fakaʻaliʻali ange ʻe Seti ʻa e founga ke faʻu ai ʻa e fanga kiʻi fakatātaá ʻaki e laʻipepá. Naʻa nau foki kotoa ki ʻapi mo ʻenau takitaha monumanu pepa.
Naʻe hoko moʻoni ia ko e faiʻaho lelei tahá! Naʻe ongoʻi fiefia mo houngaʻia ʻa Laieni.
Naʻe tā-nima ʻa Laieni kia Seti. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “Mālō hoʻo haʻú. ʻOku ou fiefia ʻi heʻeta kaungāmeʻá.”
Naʻe malimali ange mo Seti. “Mo au pē.”
ʻŪ tā fakatātā ʻa Colleen Madden