Ko e Kato Paʻanga Maná
ʻOku nofo ʻa e taha naʻá ne faʻú ʻi Nevata, USA.
“Fili e totonú pea fiefia. Te u fili maʻu pē ia” (Tohi Hiva ʻa e Fānaú, 82).
“Mate koe!” Ko Menitī ange ia. Naʻá ne male ki hono tuongaʻane siʻisiʻí pea kakau vave ia. Naʻe nofo mōtele e fāmili ʻa Menitií kae ʻoua kuo nau hiki ki honau ʻapi foʻoú. Naʻe ifo e maʻu meʻatokoni hoʻatā naʻe fakamafana mei he ʻōvaní. Pea ʻoku nau kaukau pāhia ʻi he vai kaukau ʻa e mōtelé ʻi he meimei ʻaho kotoa pē!
Ka naʻe ʻi ai ha meʻa pē taha naʻe ʻikai fuʻu sai ʻi he mōtelé. Naʻe tuʻu e ʻōfisi ʻo e pule mōtelé ʻi he fungavaka ki lalo ʻo e loki ne nau ʻi aí, pea naʻe pehē ʻe he pulé naʻe fuʻu longoaʻa ʻa Menitī mo hono ngaahi tehiná. Naʻá ne fehuʻi ki he Tangataʻeikí, “Te u fakahoko fēfē ʻeku ngāué kapau ʻoku longoaʻa mai homou lokí hangē ʻoku ʻi ai ha fanga ʻelefānité?”
Hili e maʻu meʻatokoni hoʻataá naʻe puna e tuongaʻane siʻisiʻi ʻo Menitī ko ʻĒloné mei he funga mohengá ʻo fakapatū ʻi he falikí. Naʻe sio mata mamahi atu ʻa Menitī ki he Fineʻeikí.
“ʻOua ʻe puna. Kātaki ʻo ʻeteʻete pē,” ko e lea ange ia e Fineʻeikí.
Ka naʻe fuʻu tōmui ia. Naʻe tatangi e telefoní.
Naʻe pehē loto pē ʻe Menitī, “ʻOiauē.”
Naʻe tali ʻe he Fineʻeikí e telefoní. Naʻe fanongo atu pē ʻa Menitī ki heʻene kole fakamolemole ki he pulé.
Naʻe fakangaloku ʻe he Fineʻeikí hono umá ʻi heʻene tāpuniʻi e telefoní. Naʻá ne pehē mai, “ʻE ʻEtuate mo Menitī, te u fakamohemohe ʻa ʻĒlone mo ʻĒmilí. Kātaki te mo lava ʻo taki atu ʻa Kilisitina mo Taniela ke mou ʻeveʻeva he halá?”
ʻI heʻenau kamata lue atu ʻi he tauʻanga meʻalele ʻa e mōtelé, naʻe fakatokangaʻi ʻe Menitī ha meʻa ʻoku siʻisiʻi mo lanu melomelo ʻi he kelekelé.
Ko ha kato paʻanga. Pea naʻe ʻi ai mo ha paʻanga ʻi loto!
Naʻá ne hiki hake ʻa e kato paʻangá mo ne pehē atu, “ʻEtuate, sio ki hē!”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe ʻEtuate, “ʻOku totonu ke tau ʻave ʻeni ki he ʻōfisi ʻa e pulé he vave tahá.”
Naʻe ongoʻi manavahē ʻa Menitī. Ko e hā ʻoku pau ke ʻave ai he taimi ní? Ko e hā ʻoku ʻikai ke toki fakafoki ai pē ʻanai ʻe he Fineʻeikí pe Tangataʻeikí?
Ka naʻe ʻiloʻi ʻe Menitī ʻa e meʻa totonu ke faí.
Naʻe fakaava ʻe he fānaú ʻa e matapā ʻo e ʻōfisí pe hū tailiili ki loto. Naʻe fakafulofula ʻa e pulé. Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Menitī, “Naʻa mau maʻu e kato paʻanga ko ʻení ʻi he tauʻanga meʻalelé.” Naʻe tete hono nimá ʻi heʻene hili ʻa e kato paʻangá ki he funga kānitá.
Naʻe sio hake ha tangata naʻe tuʻu ʻi he veʻe kānitá. Peá ne pehē ange, “ʻOku haʻaku ia.” Naʻá ne sio fakavave ki he loto kató. “Pea ʻoku ʻi ai pē meʻa kotoa. Kauleka, mālō ʻaupito!”
Naʻe sio hake ʻa Menitī ki he pulé. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne toe fakafulofula, ka naʻe mata fiefia.
Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe Taniela hili ʻenau mavahe mei he ʻōfisí, “Naʻe faimana ʻa e kato paʻangá ia?”
Naʻe ʻeke ange ʻe ʻEtuate, “Ko e hā ʻokú ke pehē ai ʻoku faimaná?”
“He naʻá ne ʻai ke fiefia ʻa e tangata ʻiteʻitá!”
Naʻe kalokalo e ʻulu ʻo ʻEtuaté. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “Naʻe ʻikai faimana ʻa e kato paʻangá.” “Naʻá ne fiefia he naʻa tau fai ʻa e meʻa totonú.”
Naʻe ongoʻi ʻe Menitī ha ongo makehe ʻi hono lotó. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne teitei ʻiloʻi ʻe lava ʻe he fili ki he totonú ʻo ʻai ke fiefia ʻa e niʻihi kehé.
ʻI ha ngaahi ʻaho siʻi mei ai, naʻe ʻalu ʻa Menitī mo e Tangataʻeikí ke totongi e moʻua fakauiké. Naʻe malimali ange e pulé kia Menitī. Naʻe tuʻo taha pē ʻene telefoni ange talu ʻenau maʻu e kato paʻangá, ke fakamālō ange ʻi heʻenau faitotonú. Naʻe ongoʻi ʻe Menitī ʻoku ʻi ai hano kaungāmeʻa foʻou.
Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Menitī, “ʻOku faimana moʻoni pē ʻa e fili ia ki he totonú.” Naʻá ne taʻalo nofo ā, pea naʻe taʻalo mai ʻa e pulé. “Pea ʻoku ʻikai ke ne loko ʻiteʻita fēfē.”