Ko e Palopalema ʻo e Suká
“He hears and answers me” (Children’s Songbook, 14).
Naʻe puke ʻa Selaia, ko e kiʻi tuofefine ʻo Sioó. ʻOku ʻikai ko e faʻahinga puke ia ʻokú te tale pe langa keté. Naʻe pehē ʻe he Fineʻeikí mo e Tangataʻeikí mahalo ʻoku maʻu ia he suká.
Naʻe ʻikai ke ʻilo ʻe Siō pe ko e hā ʻa e suka, ka naʻe ongo fakailifia ia. Naʻe fakamatalaʻi ange leva ʻe he Fineʻeikí mo e Tangataʻeikí ko e taimi ia ʻoku faingataʻa ai ke fakaʻaongaʻi ʻe he sino ʻo e kakaí ʻa e suka mei he meʻakai ʻoku nau kaí. Naʻe pau ke nofo ʻa Selaia ʻi ha ngaahi ʻaho siʻi ʻi he falemahakí ke ʻiloʻi pe naʻe maʻu ia he suká.
Naʻe fakatupuʻita ʻa Selaia kia Siō he taimi ʻe niʻihi. Naʻá ne feinga ke vaʻinga mo hono kaungāmeʻá. Naʻe tuʻo taha foki ʻene hanga ʻo fakamoleki ʻene meʻa vaʻinga keimi vitioó. Ka naʻe kei ʻofa lahi pē ʻa Siō ʻiate ia. ʻOku ʻikai ke u loto ke siʻi puke, ko ʻene fakakaukaú ʻi heʻene fakatē loʻimatá.
Naʻe tokoni e ngaahi tuofefine ʻo Sioó kia Selaia ke teuteu ke ʻalu ki he falemahakí. Naʻe toʻo mai ʻe Mele e kato ʻa Selaiá. Naʻe tokoni ʻa Hena ke faʻo hono vala mohé. Naʻe faʻo ʻe Lili mo ha sipi kafu. Naʻe fie tokoni foki mo Siō ka naʻe ʻikai ke ne ʻiloʻi pē ʻe founga fēfē.
Ne ʻikai fuoloa kuo maau ʻa Selaia.
Naʻe pehē ʻe he Tangataʻeikí, “Tau lotu kimuʻa pea tau toki oó. Siō te ke fie fakahoko ia?”
Ne kamokamo ʻa Siō. Naʻá ne kamata ʻo pehē, “ʻE Tamai Hēvani. Kātaki ʻo tāpuakiʻi ʻa Selaia ke ʻoua ʻe maʻu ia he suká. Kātaki ʻo tāpuakiʻi ia ke ne sai pē.” Naʻe kiʻi ongoʻi lelei ange ʻa Siō ʻi heʻene lotú.
ʻI he ʻunu mai e fāmilí ke nau fāʻofuá, naʻe maʻu ʻe Siō ha fakakaukau.
Naʻá ne pehē, “Tatali ai!” Naʻá ne ʻalu ki hono lokí ʻo toʻo mai e kiʻi meʻa tā hiva toʻotoʻo naʻá ne maʻu ʻi hono ʻaho fāʻeleʻí. Naʻá ne fakapapauʻi ne ʻi ai e ngaahi hiva naʻe manako ai ʻa Selaiá.
Naʻá ne pehē ʻi heʻene ʻoange ia kia Selaiá, “Ko ē. ʻAlu mo ia ki falemahaki.” Naʻá ne malimali mo puke maʻu ia ʻi heʻene lue ki he kaá.
ʻI he ʻaho hono hokó naʻe ʻave ʻe he Fineʻeikí ʻa Siō mo hono tuofāfiné ki falemahaki ke nau ʻaʻahi kia Selaia. Naʻe veiveiua ʻa Siō ʻi heʻenau lue atu ʻi he loto falemahakí. Naʻá ne lotu ʻo hangē ko hono tuʻo teaú ia ʻo pehē, “Kātaki tāpuakiʻi ia ke ʻoua ʻe maʻu he suká.”
ʻI heʻenau aʻu ki he loki ʻa Selaiá, naʻá ne tangutu mai ʻi hono mohengá mo e ʻū tiupi naʻe tui ki hono ongo nimá. Naʻá ne kiʻi malimali ʻi heʻene sio ki he tokotaha kotoa.
Naʻe pehē ʻe he Tangataʻeikí, “Naʻe ʻosi maʻu mai e siví. ʻOku pehē ʻe he kau toketaá ʻoku maʻu ʻa Selaia ʻe he suka kalasi 1. ʻE fie maʻu ke liliu e meʻakai ʻoku tau maʻu fakafāmilí pea tokoni kiate ia ʻi heʻene faitoʻó. Ka te ne sai pē.”
Fakafokifā ne ongoʻi lotomamahi ʻa Siō. Naʻá ne hū ki tuʻa ki he holó ʻo tangutu ʻi he veʻe matapaá. Naʻá ne punou ʻo puli hono fofongá ʻi hono ongo nimá.
“Ko e hā e meʻa ʻoku hokó Siō?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa e Fineʻeikí ʻi heʻene tangutu hifo hono tafaʻakí.
Naʻe pehē ʻe Siō, “Naʻá ku lotu ke ʻoua ʻe maʻu ʻa Selaia he suká. Ko e hā naʻe ʻikai tali ai ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ʻeku lotú?”
Ne kuku mai ia ʻe he Fineʻeikí. “ʻOku tali maʻu pē ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ʻetau ngaahi lotú. Ka ʻoku ʻikai faʻa hoko maʻu pē ia ʻo fakatatau mo ʻetau fie maʻú. Ko e taimi ʻe niʻihi, ʻokú Ne tali ia ʻaki hano ʻomi ha nonga mo fakamālohia kitautolu, kae ʻikai ko hono toʻo e ngaahi faingataʻá. ʻOku ou ʻiloʻi ʻe tokoniʻi ʻa Selaia ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní.”
Naʻe kamokamo māmālie ʻa Siō. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne ongoʻi nonga pe mālohi ʻi he taimi ko ʻení. Ka naʻá ne manatuʻi e ongo fakaʻofoʻofa naʻá ne maʻu lolotonga ʻenau lotu fakafāmilí.
Naʻá na foki fakataha atu ki he lokí. Naʻe vaʻinga pele e tuofāfine ʻo Sioó ʻo hangē ko ia ne nau fai ʻi ʻapí. Pea naʻa nau fofonga fiefia kotoa ʻo aʻu kia Selaia.
Naʻe fakatokangaʻi leva ʻe Siō ha meʻa. Naʻe kahoa ʻe Selaia ha headphone mo hili ʻene meʻa tā hivá ʻi hono alangá.
Naʻe pehē ʻe he Fineʻeikí, “ʻOkú ne fanongo maʻu pē ki he ngaahi hiva naʻá ke fili ange maʻaná. ʻOku tokoni moʻoni ia ke ne ongoʻi nonga.”
Naʻe ongoʻi loto-māfana ʻa Siō. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi naʻe ʻosi tokoniʻi kinautolu ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní.