Ko ha VaheFoʻou
ʻOku nofo ʻa e tokotaha naʻá ne faʻú ʻi Kololato, USA.
“ʻOku ngaohi au ʻe he ngaahi tāpuaki lahi ko ení ke u houngaʻia koeʻuhí ko au” (Children’s Songbook, 11).
Naʻe kei fakaava ʻe Sela ha puha ʻi hono lokí ʻi he lue atu ʻene Fineʻeikí.
Naʻá ne ʻeke ange ki he Fineʻeikí, “ʻE lava ke tau vali lanu engeenga e holisí?”
Ne nau toki hiki atu ki ha fale ʻe taha. Ne lava ke fili ʻe Sela ha monomono mo ha ʻū puipui ki hono loki foʻoú!
“ʻOku ou tui pē ki ai,” ko e tali ange ia ʻa e Fineʻeikí. “Ko ha lanu fiefia e engeengá.”
Ne tuku ʻe Sela ha ʻū tohi ʻe niʻihi he kiʻi puha tohi ʻi hono veʻe mohengá. Ne ʻikai faʻa ongoʻi fiefia maʻu pē ʻa e Fineʻeikí kimuí ni mai, tautautefito ki he mālōlō ʻa e Tangataʻeikí ʻi he fakatuʻutāmaki. Ne tuku fakaalaala hifo ʻe Sela e laʻi tā ʻo e Tangataʻeikí ʻokú ne saiʻia taha aí ʻo ofi ki he ʻū tohí, ke lava ʻo sio ki ai he pongipongi kotoa pē ʻi heʻene ʻā haké.
Naʻá ne ongoʻi ha kiʻi mihimihi peá ne vakai atu ki ha loʻimata ʻi he fofonga ʻene Fineʻeikí.
“ʻOku ou ʻofa ʻiate koe siʻeku Faʻē,” ko e lea ange ia ʻa Sela mo ne kuku maʻu e kongaloto ʻene Fineʻeikí.
“ʻOku toe lahi ange ʻeku ʻofa ʻiate koé.”
Ne tui ʻe he Fineʻeikí mo Sela ha vala motuʻa ʻi he Tokonaki kimuʻa pea fokotuʻu e akó, hiki e naunau falé ki lotomālie ʻi he loki ʻo Selá, peá na tekeʻi fakaalaala atu e lola valí ki he ongo tulei vali engeengá. Hili pē ha kiʻi taimi, ne lanu engeenga kotoa e ʻū holisí—pea kau ai hona matá mo hona valá!
Ne kata ʻene Fineʻeikí mo pehē ange, “ʻOkú ke hangē mai ne maʻu kotoa koe ʻe he huelo ʻo e laʻaá.”
Ne makiʻikiʻi pē ʻa Sela. “Pea ʻokú ke hangē mai koe naʻe pā ha foʻi siaine ia ho tafaʻakí!”
Naʻá na kei kakata pē ʻi heʻena fakamāʻopoʻopó. Ka naʻe kamata ke mole atu e malimali ʻa Selá ʻi heʻene fakakaukau ki he Palaimelí ʻapongipongí mo e ʻaho ako hili iá.
Naʻá ne talaange ki heʻene Fineʻeikí ʻi heʻene fufulu e ongo polosi valí ʻi he singí, “ʻOku ou hohaʻa ki he siasí mo ʻeku ako foʻoú. He ʻikai ke u ʻiloʻi ha taha ʻo e kau faiakó pe ko ha tamaiki iiki pe ko ha taha pē.”
Naʻe tamateʻi ʻe he Fineʻeikí e vaí peá ne puke mai ʻa Sela ʻo fāʻofua ki ai.
“Te ke maʻu ha ngaahi kaungāmeʻa. ʻOkú ke maʻu ha loto ʻofa pea ʻe fie feohi e niʻihi kehé kiate koe. Tuʻu maʻu pē ʻi ho tuʻunga fakaʻofoʻofá, pea ʻe haʻu e ngaahi kaungāmeʻá.”
Ne ongoʻi lelei ange ʻa Sela, ka naʻá ne kei hohaʻa pē.
Naʻá ne pehē ange, “ʻOku ou fakaʻamu ne ʻi heni e Tangataʻeikí ke ne ʻomi haku tāpuaki. Hangē ko ia naʻá ne faʻa fai maʻu pē kimuʻa peá u foki ki he akó.”
Naʻe kiʻi fakalongolongo e Fineʻeikí ʻi ha miniti. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “Fēfē hoʻo Faʻētangata ko Uaietí? ʻOku ou ʻiloʻi ʻe fiefia ia ke ne ʻoatu hao tāpuaki.”
Ne kamokamo pē ʻa Sela. Mahalo pē naʻa tokoni ha tāpuaki.
ʻI he pō ko iá, ne tuku ʻe he faʻētangata ʻa Selá hono ongo nimá ki hono ʻulú ʻo foaki kiate ia ha tāpuaki.
Naʻá ne pehē ange, “ʻOku ou tāpuekina koe ke ke ʻiloʻi ʻoku ʻafioʻi koe ʻe he Fakamoʻuí ʻi hoʻo kamata e vahe foʻou ko ʻeni ʻo hoʻo moʻuí. He ʻikai ke Ne tuku ke ke tuenoa.”
Naʻe tokanga makehe ʻa Sela ki he ongo foʻi lea vahe foʻoú. Naʻá ne manako ʻi he laukongá pea naʻá ne vekeveke maʻu pē ke kamata ha vahe foʻou ʻo ha tohi.
ʻI he pongipongi hono hokó naʻe ʻalu ʻa Sela mo ʻene Fineʻeikí ki he lotú. Hili e sākalamēnití ne tokoni e Fineʻeiki ʻa Selá kiate ia ʻi hono kumi e loki Palaimelí. Ne malimali mai ha kiʻi taʻahine kiate ia mo lea mālō e lelei mai.
“Te ke lava ʻo tangutu heni kapau te ke fie maʻu,” ko ʻene leá mai ia mo tātaaʻi ha sea ne ʻatā ʻi hono tafaʻakí.
“Mālō,” ko Sela atu ia. “Ko hoku hingoá ko Sela. ‘Oku ou haʻu foʻou au ki heni.”
“Ko Melotī au. ‘Oku ou foʻou pē mo au! Ko hoku uike uá ʻaki pē eni.”
Ne vave pē ha pōtalanoa ʻa Melotī mo Sela mo e kau leka Palaimeli kehé. Naʻe angalelei ʻaupito ʻenau faiakó.
“ʻOfa pē ke sai peheni mo e akó!” Ko e fakakaukau ia ʻa Selá ʻi he teuteu ke mohe he pō ko iá.
ʻI he ʻaho hono hokó, naʻe heka pasi ʻa Sela ki hono ʻapiako foʻoú. Naʻá ne vekeveke ke sio ki ha kau leka ʻe niʻihi mei he Palaimelí ʻi heʻene kalasi tolú.
Naʻe lotu fakalongolongo pē ʻa Sela ʻi heʻene kai hoʻatā mo hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻa foʻoú, “Mālō ʻaupito Tamai Hēvani. Mahalo pē ʻe hoko eni ko ha vahe lelei ʻaupito.”