Ko e Tafa ʻo ʻĪlaí
“Pea ko kinautolu kotoa pē foki ʻoku maʻu ʻa e lakanga fakataulaʻeiki ko ʻení ʻoku nau maʻu au, ʻoku folofola ʻe he ʻEikí” (T&F 84:35).
Ne sio hifo ʻa ʻĪlai ki he fokotuʻunga ngāue fakaako ne haʻu mo hono kaungāmeʻá he tuku ʻa e akó. Ne toe liʻaki ako pē ʻa ʻĪlai he uike ʻe taha ko ha hangatāmaki ʻi hono telingá.
Ne hū mai e ongomātuʻa ʻa ʻĪlaí ki hono lokí he efiafi ko iá. Ne tangutu hifo ʻene faʻeé he tapaʻi mohengá ʻo pukepuke e nima ʻo ʻĪlaí. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “ ʻĪlai, ʻoku pehē ʻe he toketaá ʻe fie maʻu ke fai hao tafa.”
“Tafa fēfē?”
“ ʻOkú ne loto ke fakahū ha tiupi ʻi ho ongo telingá ke ʻoua naʻa toe fakahangatāmaki. He ʻikai mamahi ia, pea ʻe ʻaho taha pē kuó ke ʻatā.” Naʻá ne kukuʻi e nima ʻo ʻĪlaí.
Naʻe falala ʻa ʻĪlai ki heʻene ongomātuʻá. Ka naʻá ne ilifia he fakakaukau atu ki he tafá. Naʻá ne fakakaukau ki he talanoa ne fanongo ai he Palaimelí ʻo kau kia Siosefa Sāmitá . ʻI he taʻu fitu ʻa Siosefá, naʻe fakahangatāmaki e foʻi hui ʻi hono vaʻé. Naʻe fakaʻau pē ke lahi pea pehē ai ʻe he toketaá kuo pau ke ne toʻo e konga ʻo e foʻi huí pe ko e tuʻusi e vaʻe ʻo Siosefá pe aʻu pē ki haʻane mate.
ʻI he taimi koē ʻo Siosefa Sāmitá, naʻe ʻoange ʻe he kau toketaá ha kava mālohi ki he kakaí ke tokoni ki hono fakaongonoa ʻo e mamahí lolotonga e tafá, ka naʻe ʻikai tali ʻe Siosefa ha kava mālohi ne fokotuʻu ange ʻe he toketaá ke ne inú. Pea ʻikai foki ke ne tali ke haʻi ia ki he mohengá. Naʻá ne talaange he ʻikai ngaue kapau ʻe pukepuke pē ia ʻe heʻene tamaí. Ne kuku maʻu ia ʻe heʻene tamaí lolotonga e tafa mamahi ko ʻení. Naʻe ola lelei e tafá pea sai ʻa Siosefa.
Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa ʻĪlai ki he loto-toʻa ʻa Siosefá mo ʻene tui ki heʻene tamaí. Naʻá ne kole ange, “Tangataʻeiki, foaki muʻa haku tāpuaki?” Naʻe ʻiloʻi ʻe ʻĪlai ʻe tokoni ki ai ha tāpuaki fakataulaʻeiki. Naʻe foaki ʻe he tamai ʻa ʻĪlaí hono tāpuaki ʻi he kamataʻanga ʻo e taʻu fakaakó.
Ne pehē ange ʻe heʻene tamaí, “Ko ha fakakaukau lelei ia.”
Ne kūnima e faʻē ʻa ʻĪlaí pea punou hono ʻulú. Ne ongoʻi ʻe ʻĪlai e ongo nima ʻene tamaí ʻi hono ʻulú. Naʻe hā ʻi he leʻo ʻo ʻene tamaí ʻa e loto falala lahi ange ʻi heʻene tāpuakiʻi ʻa ʻĪlai ke ʻoua naʻa manavahē pea ke ne fakaakeake kakato.
ʻI he ʻosi hono tāpuakiʻi ʻo ʻĪlaí, naʻe ʻikai ke ne kei ilifia. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “Fai ā hoku tafá he taimí ni.”
ʻOsi mei ai ha ʻaho ʻe tolu naʻe ʻave ia ki falemahaki pea foki mai pē ki ʻapi he ʻaho hono hokó. Ne vave e sai e telinga ʻo ʻĪlaí, peá ne fakakakato e ngāue fakaako naʻe teʻeki ai ke ne faí.
Naʻe hounga kia ʻĪlai ʻene kau ki he Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní pea mo e lava ke tāpuakiʻi ia ʻo fakafou ʻi he lakanga fakataulaʻeikí.
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Dilleen Marsh