ʻUluaki ʻAho Tamai ʻo Sitīveni ʻi he Kahaʻú
ʻOku nofo ʻa e tokotaha naʻá ne faʻú ʻi Kuinisilani, ʻAositelēlia.
Naʻe pelupelu hake ʻe Sitīveni hono hēkesí ki hono lalo kumukumú ʻi he ako ʻe he toenga ʻo e fānau Palaimelí ʻa e foʻi hiva foʻoú. ʻIkai, he ʻikai ke ne teitei hivaʻi ʻe ia ʻa e foʻi hiva ko ʻení.
ʻOku taki ʻe he tamai ʻo homau ʻapí homau fāmilí …
Naʻe sio ʻa Sitīveni ki tuʻa ʻi he matapā sioʻatá pea ki ʻolunga ki he ʻaofí. Naʻe lahi ʻene ngaue takai holo ʻi hono seá pea meimei hangē ʻoku tauʻolungá. Naʻe ʻikai ke lava ʻo hiva ʻo tatau ai pē kapau naʻe fie hiva. Naʻe ʻi ai ha meʻa fakamamahi naʻe faingataʻaʻia ai. Naʻe hiva pē ʻa e toenga ʻo e Palaimelí, ʻo ako taha taha ʻa e fakalea foʻoú ʻi he ʻotú takitaha.
ʻI he poto mo e lelei;
Mo ʻofa ʻiate au (“Tamai,” Tohi Hiva ʻa e Fānaú, 146).
Naʻe ongoʻi ʻe Sitīveni hano tātaaʻi mai hono nimá. Naʻe ala siʻisiʻi atu ʻene fineʻeikí, he naʻe sio fakalongolongo pē mei he matapā ʻo e loki Palaimelí. Naʻá ne taki ia ki tuʻa ki he holó. Naʻe ʻikai toe lava ʻe Sitīveni ke taʻofi hono loʻimatá ʻi heʻene mavahe mei hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻa ʻi he Palaimelí. Naʻe puke mai ia ʻe he fineʻeikí ʻo fāʻofua fiefia mo mālohi ki ai.
Talaange ʻe he fineʻeikí, “ʻOku SAI pē ke loto-mamahi,” mo milimili hono tuʻá. “ʻOku ou ʻiloʻi ʻoku faingataʻa ke fanongo mo hivaʻi ʻa e foʻi hiva ko iá.”
Naʻe kamo pē ʻa Sitīveni, pea holoholoʻi hono matá. “ʻOku ʻikai ke u fie hiva ʻi he ʻAho ʻo e Tamaí he ʻoku ʻikai ke ʻi ai haʻaku tamai.” Naʻe ʻāʻā lelei e mata ʻo Sitīvení, mo ne uʻu hono loungutú. “ʻOku ʻikai ke u toe fie ui ia ʻe au ko Teti. Kuo fuoloa fau ʻa e ʻikai ke u sio ki aí, pea ʻoku ʻikai ke teitei fie hoko ko ʻeku tamai.”
Naʻe feinga lahi ʻaupito ʻa Sitīveni ke ʻoua ʻe tangi—ka naʻe kei lava pē ʻo fanongo ki heʻenau hivá. Naʻe ʻai ʻe he foʻi hiva ko iá ke loto mamahi lahi ange. Tatau pē mo e taimi naʻe tohi mai ai ʻene tamaí ʻo talaange kuó na fakakaukau mo hono uaifi foʻoú he ʻikai ke lava ʻo toe talanoa mo Sitīveni pea mo hono tokouá.
Naʻe toe puke mai ia ʻe he fineʻeikí ʻo toe faʻofua ki ai, pea toe ngangana ha ngaahi loʻimata ki hono soté. “Te u talanoa mo e palesiteni Palaimelí. ʻOku ʻikai fie maʻu ia ke ke hiva kapau ʻoku ʻikai ke ke loto ki ai. Ka—ʻoku ʻi ai ʻeku fakakaukau.” Naʻe sio hangatonu ʻa e fineʻeikí ki hono kiʻi matá. “He ʻikai ke tau fakamanatua ʻa e ʻAho Tamaí he taʻú ni—te tau fakamanatuʻa ha ʻAho Tamai ʻo e Kahaʻú!” Naʻá ne malimali, kae sio fakamamaʻu mai pē.
“Fēfē? Fakamanatua ʻa e hā?”
“ʻAho Tamai ʻo e Kahaʻú—te tau fakamanatua hono fakaofo hoʻo hoko mo ho tokouá ko e ongo tamai ʻi ha ʻaho. ʻE ʻi ai ha ngaahi meʻaʻofa mo ha foʻi keke pea mo hoʻo kapa inu manakó!”
Naʻe ʻuma hifo e fineʻeikí ki hono laʻé mo feinga ke fakaleleiʻi hono hēkesi manuminumí. “Sitīveni, te ke hoko ko ha tamai lelei—ʻoku ou ʻosi lava pē ʻo tala. Koeʻuhí he ʻokú ke ʻosi fakakaukau ki he meʻa te ke fakahoko mo hoʻo fānaú mo palani pe ko e faʻahinga tamai fēfē te ke ʻi aí.”
Ko e lahi ange ʻo e fakakaukau ʻa Sitīveni ki aí, ko e lahi ange ia ʻo ʻene malimalí. Naʻe toe fāʻofua ki heʻene Faʻeé pea foki ki he Palaimelí ʻoku loto fiefia ange.
ʻOsi ha uike ʻe ua mei ai kuo tuʻu ʻa Sitīveni ʻi muʻa ʻi he sioʻatá, ʻo fakatonutonu hono poutai fakaʻofoʻofa foʻoú. Naʻe foaki ange ia ʻe he Faʻeé he pongipongi ko iá ki hono ʻuluaki ʻAho Tamai ʻo e Kahaʻú! Naʻe toʻo hake ʻe Sitīveni ʻene folofolá pea lue atu ki he matapā muʻá ke ʻalu ki he lotú.
Naʻá ne malimali ki heʻene faʻeé.
“ʻOfa ke ke Maʻu ha ʻAho Tamai Fiefia, Fineʻeiki.”
Malimali pē Fineʻeikí. “ʻOfa ke ke maʻu ha ʻAho Tamai Fiefia, Sitīveni.”
Tā fakatātaaʻi ʻe Alyssa Tallent