“Loto-Toʻa Feʻunga,” Ko e Kaumeʻá, Tīsema 2024, 40–41.
Loto-Toʻa Feʻunga
Naʻe ʻikai ke toe ngaue ʻa Teli. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne ʻiloʻi ʻe ʻi ai ha tamaiki naʻe ʻikai ke ne ʻilo, te nau ʻi he tulamá.
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoá ni ʻi Taiuani.
“ʻOkú ke mateuteu?” Naʻe ʻasi mai ʻa e foʻi ʻulu ʻo e tuofefine lahi ʻo Teli ko Heilí, ki hono loto lokí. “Kuo taimi ke tau ʻalu ki he fakaangaanga ʻo e tulama ki he Kilisimasí.”
ʻOiauē, ʻio! Naʻe kau ʻa Teli mo Heili ʻi ha tulama makehe maʻa ʻena paati Kilisimasi fakauōtí.
“Meimei maau!” Naʻe tui ʻe Teli hono sāketí pea lue ki he matapā ʻi muʻá. “Ko hai fua ʻe ʻi aí?”
Naʻe talaange ʻe Mami, “ʻE ʻi ai ʻa Mia mo Seiki, mo e tamaiki kehe mei he ʻapiako ʻo Seikí. ʻOku ʻikai kau ʻa e tamaikí ki he siasí, ka ʻoku nau fiefia ke tokoni.”
Naʻe ʻikai ke toe ngaue ʻa Teli. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne ʻiloʻi ʻe ʻi ai ha tamaiki naʻe ʻikai ke ne ʻilo, te nau ʻi he tulamá. He ʻikai lava ke ne maʻu ha loto-toʻa feʻunga ke lau ʻene konga leá ʻi muʻa ʻiate kinautolu.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Teli, “ʻOku ʻikai ke u toe fie ʻalu au ia.”
Naʻe ʻeke ange ʻe Mami, “Ko e hā hono ʻuhingá?”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Teli, “ʻOku ʻikai ke u ʻiloʻi ʻe au ʻa e tamaiki kehé.” Naʻá ne manavasiʻi maʻu pē ke talanoa ki ha kakai foʻou.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Heili, “Ka te ke lava ʻo maʻu ha ngaahi kaungāmeʻa foʻou. Pea te u ʻi ai mo koe.”
Naʻe kalokalo ʻa Teli. “Mahalo pē te u toki kau ʻi he meʻa hokó. ʻE lava nai ke u fakaangaanga ʻeku lainé ʻi ʻapí ni pē?”
Naʻe kamokamo pē ʻa Mami. “Sai. Ka ʻo kapau te ke fie kau ʻi he tulamá, ʻe fiemaʻu ke ke fakaangaanga fakataha mo e tamaiki kehé ʻi he vave tahá.”
Naʻe saiʻia ʻa Teli ke fakaangaanga pē ʻi ʻapi. Naʻe faingofua ia! Ka naʻá ne ʻiloʻi naʻe fiemaʻu foki ke ne fakaangaanga fakataha mo e tamaiki kehé.
ʻI he lotu fakafāmilí ʻi ha ngaahi pō siʻi mei ai, naʻe ʻi ai ha fakakaukau ʻa Teli.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Teli, “ʻE lava nai ke tau lotua ke u maʻu ha loto-toʻa ke kau atu ki he fakaangaangá? Mahalo ʻe lava ke tokoniʻi au ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻa Teti, “ʻIo. Fakakaukau lelei ia.”
Naʻa nau kuikui kotoa honau matá mo kūnima.
Naʻe lotu ʻa Teti, “ʻE Tamai Hēvani, kātaki ʻo tokoniʻi ʻa Teli ke ne maʻu ʻa e loto-toʻa ke ʻalu ki he fakaangaanga ʻa e tulamá.”
ʻI he ʻaho fakaangaanga hono hokó, naʻe lue fakataha atu ʻa Teli mo Mami mo Heili ki he falelotú. Naʻe tā vave hono mafú, ka naʻá ne loto pē ke feinga. Naʻá ne ongoʻi mateuteu. Naʻá ne fakakaukau, Pau pē ʻoku tokoniʻi au ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní mo Sīsū!
Naʻe talaange ʻe Sisitā Tī, “Teli! ʻOku mau fiefia ke sio kiate koe.”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Teli mo kamokamo. Naʻe tokolahi ha tamaiki kehe naʻa nau ʻosi talatalanoa mo kakata. Naʻá ne sio atu kia Seiki mo Mia. Ka naʻe ʻikai ke ne ʻiloʻi ʻa e tamaiki kehé.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Sisitā Tī ki he fānaú, ʻa e feituʻu ke nau tangutu aí pea mo e taimi ke nau lea ai lolotonga ʻenau fakaangaangá. Naʻe kei manavasiʻi pē ʻa Teli ke tangutu ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo e tamaiki naʻe ʻikai ke ne ʻiloʻí, ka naʻá ne feinga ke manatuʻi ʻa e lotu ʻa Tetí. Naʻe tokoni ia ke ne ongoʻi sai ange.
Naʻa nau toutou fakaaangaanga ʻa e ʻū hivá mo ʻenau ngaahi lainé. Naʻe fiefia ʻa e fānau naʻa nau tangutu ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo Telí. Naʻa nau ʻai ia ke lahi ʻene katá!
Hili ha ngaahi ʻaho siʻi mei ai, kuo hokosia ʻa e taimi ke fai ai ʻa e tulamá. Naʻe teuteuʻi ʻa e ʻapisiasí ʻaki ha ngaahi fuʻu ʻakau, maama, mo ha ʻū līpine Kilisimasi. Naʻe tui ʻe he tokotaha kotoa pē ʻa e lanu kulokula mo e lanu mata.
Naʻe tātātaha ke toe ongoʻi manavasiʻi ʻa Teli. Naʻá ne saiʻia ke feohi mo e tamaiki kehé, ʻo aʻu ki he niʻihi naʻe teʻeki ke ne ʻilo kimuʻá!
Lolotonga ʻa e tulamá, naʻe ongoʻi fiefia ʻa Teli. Pea ʻi he hoko ʻa e taimi ke ne lea aí, naʻe leʻo lahi mo mahino ʻa ʻene leá.
Hili ʻa e tulamá, naʻe maʻu ʻe Teli hono fāmilí.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Teti, “Fakaʻofoʻofa ʻaupito!”
Naʻe malimali pē ʻa Mami. “Naʻe ʻasi hangē ʻokú ke fiefia ʻaupitó.”
Naʻe talaange ʻe Teli, “Ko ia! ʻOku ou fiefia naʻá ku maʻu ʻa e loto-toʻa feʻunga ke u fakahoko ia!”
Naʻe ʻikai mei lava ʻe Teli ʻo fakahoko ia ka ne taʻeʻoua ʻa Mami, Teti, Heili, mo e Tamai Hēvaní. Naʻe ʻaonga ʻaupito ʻa e lotua ha tokoní mo e loto-toʻá!
Tā fakatātā ʻa Lisa Hunt