Ko e Kumi Tokoní
ʻOku nofo e tokotaha naʻá ne faʻu e talanoá ʻi ʻIutā, USA.
Kuo hili ʻa e vaeuapoó, ka naʻe ʻilo ʻe Tatu ko e taimi ia ke lea aí.
“Tamai Hēvani ʻoku ou kole ke ke tataki mo maluʻi au he ʻaho kotoa pē” (Tohi Hiva ʻa e Fānaú, 19).
Ne tokotokoto ʻāʻā pē ʻa Tatu ʻo feinga ke ʻoua naʻá ne tangi. Kuó ne lotu ki ha tokoni, ka naʻe hangē ʻoku kapu ia ʻe ha konga ʻao fakapoʻulí, ʻo tekeʻi kituʻa ʻa e Laumālié.
“Fēfē kapau ʻe ʻikai toe matangalo ia meiate au ʻa e polokalama TV taʻefeʻunga ko iá?” ko ʻene hohaʻá ia.
ʻI he ngaahi ʻaho siʻi kuohilí, naʻá ne fakamoʻui hake ʻa e TV he naʻe ʻosi vave ʻene fai ngāue fakaako mei ʻapí. Ka naʻe ʻikai te ne ʻamanaki te ne sio ʻi ha meʻa pehē ʻi he TV. Naʻe fuʻu moʻutāfuʻua ʻa Tatu ʻo ʻikai ai ke ne tāmateʻi vave ʻa e televīsoné ʻo hangē ko ia naʻe totonu ke ne faí.
Naʻe fakatuʻupakē. Naʻe ʻikai ke fakataumuʻa ke sio ha meʻa pehē, ka ʻi he taimí ni ʻoku ʻikai toe lava ke ngalo ia. ʻI he taimi ʻe niʻihi ʻoku hū ia ki heʻene fakakaukaú lolotonga e akó, ʻi he tēpile maʻu meʻatokoni efiafí—pea naʻa mo e lolotonga ʻa e lotú. ʻI he ngaahi taimi peheé, naʻá ne fiefia ʻoku ʻikai lava ʻa Mami mo Teti ʻo lau ʻene fakakaukaú. Kuo akonekina ʻe he ongomātuʻa ʻa Tatú ia ke ʻoua naʻá ne mamata ʻi ha ngaahi fakatātā ʻo ha kakai ʻoku ʻikai ke tui honau valá. Naʻá ne ʻilo naʻá na ʻamanaki mai foki te ne fakaʻehiʻehi mei he ngaahi polokalama TV, faiva, mo e keimi vitiō fekeʻikeʻí.
“ʻOku ou toki ʻilo ʻeni hono ʻuhingá,” ko e hanu ia ʻa Tatú.
Ne tuʻu hake ʻa Tatu mei hono mohengá ʻo toe tūʻulutui hifo. Ko e ha nai te ne lava ʻo faí?
“Tamai Hēvani,” ko e fanafana ia ʻa Taté. “Kātaki ʻo tokoniʻi au ke taʻofi ʻeku fakakaukau ki he meʻa ne u mamata aí.” Naʻá ne holo ʻa e loʻimata hono fofongá peá ne fakafanongo. Naʻe tā vave ange hono mafú. Naʻá ne fakakaukau naʻá ne ongoʻi ʻa e ueʻi ʻa e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní kiate ia, ka naʻe ʻikai ko e tali ia naʻá ne fie maʻú.
Naʻe fie maʻu ke ne tala ki heʻene ongomātuʻá.
Ko e hā nai hono ʻuhingá? Ko e fifili ia ʻa Tatú. ʻOkú ne ongoʻi hangē ha kiʻi pēpē ʻoku ʻalu ki he loki ʻo ʻene ongomātuʻá ʻi he vaeua poó. Pea talaange kiate kinaua? Naʻá ne ongoʻi mā mo toe ongoʻi puke.
Pea toki hā mai ha fakakaukau ʻi hono ʻatamaí: ʻOku fie maʻu ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ke ne fiefia. ʻOku fie maʻu ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ke ne toe ongoʻi ʻa e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní, ke fakakaukau ki he ngaahi meʻa leleí, mo faitotonu ki hono fāmilí. Naʻá ne toe fie maʻu foki ʻa Tatu ke hoko ko ha maʻu Lakanga Taulaʻeiki Faka-ʻĒlone moʻui taau ʻi he taimi te ne taʻu 12 aí ʻi ha ngaahi māhina siʻi mei ai. Naʻe fakatokangaʻi ʻe Tatu kapau te ne kei fakapulipuliʻi e meʻa naʻá ne sio aí, te ne moʻui mamahi ai.
Naʻe ʻilo ʻe Tatu ʻokú ne fie maʻu ha tokoni—peá ne toki talaange eni ʻe he Laumālié ʻa e feituʻu ke maʻu aí.
Naʻe sio hake ʻa Tatu ki he uasi mataʻifika ʻi he tafaʻaki hono mohengá. Ko e mei hoko ia e 1:00 hengihengí. Naʻá ne tuʻu hake ʻo lue atu ʻi he holo fakapoʻulí ki he loki ʻene ongomātuʻá. Naʻá ne fakangaloʻi ʻene tailiilí, ʻo ne tukituki atu ʻi hona matapaá.
“Mami? Teti?”
“Tatu, ko koe ena?” ko e leʻo fiemohea mai ia ʻa Mamí.
“ʻOku ʻi ai ha meʻa ʻoku hoko?” Ko e fehuʻi mai ia ʻa Tetí.
“ʻIo,” Ko Tatu atu ia. “ʻE lava nai ke tau talanoa? Pea ʻe lava nai ke ʻomai haku tāpuaki?”
Naʻe kamosi ʻe Teti e maama he veʻe mohengá peá ne fakaafeʻi atu ʻa Tatu ki loto. Ko e fuofua taimi ia ʻi ha ngaahi ʻaho lahi, ke ongoʻi ʻe Tatu ʻa e māfana, ʻamanaki leleí, mo e māmá.
Tā Fakatātā ʻa Mark Robison