Male, Mate Koe!
ʻOku nofo e tokotaha ʻokú ne fai e talanoá ʻi ʻIutā, USA.
Naʻe ʻikai ngali ia ko ha foʻi fakakaukau mālie—kae tautautefito, kia ʻEli.
“ʻOku ou fie angaʻofa ki he taha kotoa, he ko hono totonú ia” (Tohi Hiva ʻa e Fānaú, 83).
“ʻOku ou fiefia lahi ʻi he taimi mālōlō siʻí!” Ne talaange ʻe ʻEli kia Lōleni heʻena tuku ʻena puha kai hoʻataá ki he funga laupapa ʻi heʻenau lokiakó. “Ne talamai ʻe Tami te tau langatoi kotoa ʻi he malaʻe vaʻingá he ʻahó ni.”
“Fakafiefia!” Ko Lōleni ia. “ʻOku ou saiʻia ʻi he langatoí.”
Naʻe fiefia ʻa Lōleni mo ʻohovale ʻi hono fakaafeʻi ʻe Tami ʻa ʻEli ke vaʻingá. Ne faʻa angakovi maʻu pē ʻa Tami ia kia ʻEli. Naʻe fiefia ʻa Lōleni he faifai ange kuó ne feinga ke angalelei.
“ʻOku fie maʻu ke u tomuʻa ʻalu ʻo ʻave ha tohi ki he laipelí, ko ia fakapapauʻi he ʻikai te nau kamata kimuʻa peá u aʻu atu.” Ne malimali ʻa ʻEli mo ne lele atu he holó ki he laipelí.
Ne fakatoʻotoʻo atu ʻa Lōleni ki he malaʻe vaʻingá. ʻI he taimi naʻá ne aʻu atu aí, ne ʻosi tānaki mai ʻe Tami ia e tamaiki kehé ki ha siakale. Naʻe lele atu leva ʻa Lōleni ke kau fakataha mo kinautolu.
“Mou fakavavevave, kotoa mai!” Ko hono uingakiʻi mai ia ʻe Tami ʻi heʻene angi ki he taha kotoa ke nau fāʻū ki loto ki he siakalé. “ʻOku ʻi ai ha foʻi fakakaukau mālie ʻoku ou fie tala atu kimuʻa pea aʻu mai ʻa ʻEli ki hení.”
Naʻe ʻikai ʻaupito ke ongoʻi leleiʻia ʻa Lōleni he meʻá ni.
Ne fakatahataha atu e tamaiki he siakalé ke fanongo lelei. “ʻOua naʻa tau male ki he tokotaha kotoa pē ʻo hangē ko ia ne tau angamaheni ki aí,” ko Tami mai ia, “tau maleʻi pē ʻa ʻEli. Pea ʻoua naʻa tala ʻe ha taha ki ai, he ka ʻikai!” Naʻe makiʻikiʻi pē ʻa Tami. Naʻe hangē naʻá ne laukau ʻaki iá.
Ne sio atu ʻa Lōleni ki he tamaiki kehe ʻi he siakalé. Ko e tokolahi ʻo e tamaikí ni naʻe ʻikai ke nau angalelei kia ʻEli talu mei he kinitakātení. Ko e taimi ia naʻe kamata ai ke angakovi ʻa e tamaikí kia ʻElí. Te nau fakakata ʻaki ia mo fakamataliliʻi ia. Ko e taimi lahi ne kamataʻi pē ʻe Tami pea muimui mai leva e toenga e tamaikí.
Naʻe ʻikai saiʻia ʻa Lōleni ʻi heʻenau anga pehē kia ʻElí. Naʻá ne fakakaukau ai pē he taimi ko iá he ʻikai te ne muimui kiate kinautolu. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi ko e tokotaha kotoa pē ko e fānau ʻa e ʻOtuá pea ʻoku totonu ke tokangaʻi ʻaki e angaʻofá.
Naʻá ne mihiʻi ʻene mānavá peá ne sio fakamamaʻu ki he mata ʻo Tamí. “ʻOku ʻikai ʻaupito ke ongo lelei ʻa e fakakaukau ko iá kiate au. ʻOku ʻikai ke u tui ʻoku totonu ke tau anga pehē kia ʻEli. Ko ia ʻoku ʻikai te u fie vaʻinga au.”
Ne lue leva ʻa Lōleni ia kituʻa mei he siakalé ʻo foki tokotaha ki he ʻaipiakó ke kumi ʻa ʻEli.
Naʻá ne fakakaukau ko ia tokotaha pē.
Naʻá ne fanongo hake leva, “Tatali mai!” Ne tafoki hake ʻa Lōleni ko e konga lahi ʻeni ia e tamaiki mei he siakale ʻa Tamí. Ne ʻikai ke ne tui ki he meʻa ʻoku hokó!
Ne pehē ange ʻe Teimioni, “Tau ō kitautolu ʻo kumi ʻa ʻEli pea kamataʻi haʻatau langatoi pē ʻa kitautolu.”
“ʻOku ou fie vaʻinga mo au!” Ko Lia mai ia. Naʻe kamo mai mo e toengá.
Naʻe malimali pē ʻa Lōleni. Naʻe mole atu ʻa e ongo fakatupu loto-mamahi ko iá.
“Fakakaukau lelei ia!” Ko Lōleni ia. “Ko ʻEli ena ʻoku haʻú.”
Naʻá ne tafoki hake leva ʻo maleʻi ʻa Teimioni ʻi hono umá. Naʻá ne kaila, “Male, mate koe!,” pea nau lova leva kia ʻEli. Pea tukutaufetuli kotoa mai ai ʻa e tamaikí.
Tā fakatātaaʻi ʻe Steven Keele