Ko ha Fili Ikuna
Ko hono faingamālie ʻeni ke vaʻinga ai ʻi he timi ikuná—ko e hā ka tali ʻikai ai?
“Manatu ki he ʻaho sāpaté, ke tauhi ia ke māʻoniʻoni” (Mōsaia 13:16).
Ne hū fakavave atu ʻa Melinitā ʻi he matapā ʻi muʻá, ʻo ne fiefia ne mokomoko ange hono falé kae ʻikai ʻea vela he faʻahitaʻu māfana ʻi tuʻá. Naʻá ne pupuhaʻia mei heʻene vaʻinga soka fakamuimui taha ki he faʻahitaʻú mo lotomamahi koeʻuhí ko e ʻulungia ʻa e Teal Turbos. Ko e toe ʻulungia ē.
Ne hū mai ʻa Mami ki he lokí ʻokú ne toʻo mai ha hina vai mo ha milemila ne ʻi ai e toenga moli ne ʻosi tofitofi mei he vaʻingá. “Naʻe tō atu ʻaupito hoʻo vaʻingá. Ko e tuʻuga faingataʻa e leʻokoló.”
Naʻe tō atu e vaʻinga ʻa Melinitaá—naʻe lahi e ngaahi ʻaka kai naʻá ne taʻofí pea lahi ange ʻene ʻaká ʻi he angamahení. Ka ko e tokolahi ʻo e tamaiki fefine kehe ʻi heʻene timí ne teʻeki ke nau vaʻinga soka kinautolu kimuʻa, pea ʻi he ʻahó ni ne fakaʻofisiale ai: kuo nau ʻulungia ʻi he vaʻinga kotoa he faʻahitaʻu ko ʻení.
“Pehē ange mai naʻá ku vaʻinga ʻi ha timi naʻe ʻai pē mo kiʻi mālohi, ke tui ki ai?” Ne tō ha loʻimata mei he tuliki e fofonga ʻo Melinitaá ʻi hono falani vaʻinga lanu pulū mo lanu matá. ʻI he kamata ke ne kuikuí, ne tatangi ʻa e telefoní.
Ne tali ʻe Mami e telefoní pea hili ha kiʻi momeniti naʻá ne pehē mai, “Ko e tā mai kiate koe.”
“Mālō e lelei, Melinitā? Ko au Tomu, ko e faiako ʻo e Chili Kickers. Ne u mamata ʻi hoʻo vaʻingá he ʻahó ni. Naʻe tō atu ʻaupito hoʻo vaʻingá.”
Ne kamata ke tā vave e mafu ʻo Melinitaá. Ko e Chili Kickers ko e timi soka lelei taha ia ʻi he feʻauhí!
“ʻE ʻalu ʻemau timí ki he tau hau fakavahé ʻi he māhina katuʻú. Naʻe fuʻu tō atu ʻaupito hoʻo vaʻingá he ʻahó ni pea ʻoku ou loto ke ke haʻu mo kimautolu ko ha leʻokolo talifaki.”
Naʻe fuʻu fiefia ʻaupito ʻa Melinita. Ko hono faingamālie ʻeni ke vaʻinga ai mo ha timi ikuna!
“Te u fiefia ke u ʻalu!” ko Melinitā atu ia. Ne na talanoa ʻi ha ngaahi miniti ʻo kau ki he fakaikiikí kimuʻa peá ne tāpuniʻi e telefoní ka ne lele ki he loki ʻe tahá ke tala kia Mami. Ne na hiki fakataha leva e ngaahi ʻaho ʻo e fakamālohisinó mo e vaʻingá ʻi he tohi māhina fakafāmilí.
Fakafokifā pē kuo tuʻu e tohi ʻa Mamí, pea taimi ai ʻene pení ʻi ʻolunga hake ʻi he taha ʻo e ngaahi puha ʻo e tohi māhiná.
“ʻOiauē! Melinitā, ʻoku fai e ʻū vaʻingá ia he ʻaho Sāpate. Sio mai, ki heni.” Naʻá ne tuhu ki he taimi-tēpile ʻo e vaʻingá peá ne hanga hake kia Melinitā mo ha mataʻi hohaʻa. “ʻOkú ke pehē ko e hā e meʻa ʻoku totonu ke ta fakahokó?”
Ne tō hifo e loto ʻo Melinitaá, peá ne fakamaʻu hono loungutú ʻo ne fakakaukau ki heʻene ngaahi filí. Mahalo pē ʻe tukuange ʻe Mami ke ne vaʻinga kapau te ne kole, ka ʻi he taimi naʻá ne fakakaukau ai ki he vaʻinga ʻi he ʻaho Sāpaté—tautautefito ki heʻene liʻaki e lotú—naʻe kamata ke ne ongoʻi ʻoku langa hono keté. Naʻá ne ʻilo ko e ʻaho Sāpaté ko e ʻalu ki he lotú pea hū ki he Tamai Hēvaní, pea he ʻikai te ne lava ʻo fai e ngaahi meʻa ko iá lolotonga e vaʻinga soká.
Naʻe pehē ʻe Melinitā, “ʻOku ou tui ʻoku totonu ke u toe tā ki ai ʻo talaange he ʻikai te u lava au ʻo vaʻinga.” Naʻá ne fakatoʻa pē ke ʻoua naʻá ne tangi. Neongo naʻá ne ʻilo ko e fili totonú ia, ka naʻe faingataʻa ke ne tukuange ha meʻa naʻá ne mātuʻaki fie maʻu.
“Pea ʻokú ke ʻilo e anga ʻeku sio ki aí?” Ko Mami ia, ʻi heʻene fāʻofua ange ki aí. “ʻOku ou tui ko ha tokotaha lelei koe.”
ʻI he Sāpate ko iá, ne tangutu ʻa Melinitā ʻi he Palaimelí, ʻo fakakaukau ki he fili lelei kuó ne faí. Naʻe ʻohovale ʻa e faiakó ʻi he taimi naʻe tā atu ai ʻa Melinitā ʻo talaange he ʻikai te ne lava ʻo vaʻinga ʻi he ʻaho Sāpaté. Naʻá ne feinga ke liliu ʻene fakakaukaú, ka naʻá ne pīkitai pē ia ki heʻene filí. ʻI heʻene fanongo leva ki he ngaahi hiva mo e ngaahi lēsoni ʻa e Palaimelí he taimi ní, ne malimali pē ʻa Melinitā. Naʻe talaange ʻe he ongoʻi melino ko ia ʻi hono lotó, ʻokú ne ʻi ha feituʻu totonu. Kuó ne fai ha fili ikuna ʻi hono fakaʻosingá.
Tā fakatātā ʻa BradTeare