Te u Fakafanongo ʻi he Taimi ʻe Toe Hoko Aí!

Naʻe fafana pē ʻa Manuela, “Kuo mei ʻosi.” Naʻá ne sio hifo ki he puha ʻi hono lalo umá. Kuo mei ʻosi kotoa e lolé hono fakatau. Ko e taimi ní ʻoku ʻi heʻene loto puhá ha sila ʻoku fonu he paʻangá.

ʻI he ulo vevela hifo ʻa e laʻaá ʻi he ʻulu ʻo Manuelá, naʻá ne fakakaukau ki ʻapi ʻa ia naʻe talitali mei ai ʻene faʻeé mo e kui fefiné. Naʻá ne malimali pē heʻene fakakaukau atu ki heʻena fiefia ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho kimuí ni maí. Naʻe ongoʻi ʻe Manuela ʻa e fiefia tatau, pea naʻá ne ʻiloʻi hono ʻuhingá—he te nau papitaiso kātoa ʻi he Sāpate hoko maí.

Naʻe fakafokifā ha kaila mai ʻa ha taha mei he tuʻa ʻo Manuelá, “ʻAlu ki he tafaʻakí!” Naʻe fakalaka hake ha tamaiki tangata ʻe toko fā ʻi haʻanau pasikala mo e puna ʻa Manuela ki he fakatafenga vaí.

Naʻe sio ʻa Manuela ki he tamaiki tangata ko ʻení ʻanenai ange, ʻoku nau ʻaka hake ʻi he saitiuoka he tafaʻaki ʻe tahá. Naʻe haʻu ha fakakaukau kiate ia: fakamamaʻo mei he tamaiki tangata ko ʻená. Ka ʻi heʻenau mavahe atú pē kuo ʻikai ke toe fakakaukau ʻa Manuela ia kiate kinautolu. Ko ʻeni ne toe ongo mālohi mai ʻa e ongo ko iá. Ka naʻá ne loto ke fai mo fakatau e lolé ke ʻosi, ko ia naʻá ne kei lue atu pē.

Ko ʻene fakatau atu ia ʻe Manuela ʻa e foʻi lole fakaʻosí mo e foki mai ʻa e tamaiki tangatá ni. Naʻe ʻaka hake ha tokotaha ʻo ne pukeʻi e uma ʻo Manuelá. Naʻe homo e puhá mei hono nimá, pea toe lele mai mo e tamasiʻi ʻe taha ʻo toʻo. Naʻe kaila ʻa Manuela, “ʻIkai!” Naʻá ne sio pē mo e loto-mamahí ka nau hola kinautolu mo e puha naʻe faʻo ai e paʻanga ko ʻeni ne faingataʻa hono ngāueʻí.

ʻI he efiafi ko iá, naʻe fanongo mai ʻa Manuela ki he tukituki ʻi he matapā hono lokí. “Manuela! Hū mai ki tuʻa!” Naʻe hā mei he leʻo ʻo ʻene faʻeé ʻoku hohaʻa hono lotó.

“Fineʻeiki, ne u ʻosi talaatu ʻoku ʻikai te u ongoʻi lelei.”

“Ka ʻoku ʻi heni e ongo faifekaú ke ʻaʻahi mai kiate kitautolu.”

Ne tuʻu hake ʻa Manuela, mihiʻi ʻene mānavá pea tuʻu hangatonu ke ʻoua naʻa ʻasi ʻene loto mamahí.

ʻI he hū atu ʻa Manuela ke fakataha mo hono fāmilí ʻi he loki talanoá, naʻe pehē mai ʻe Sisitā Sanitosi, “Hola, Manuela.”

Naʻe faʻa fakafanongo fakalelei maʻu pē ʻa Manuela ki he ongo faifekaú. Ka ʻi he pōní, naʻá ne fakakaukau ia ki he tamaiki tangatá mo ʻene puha naʻe ʻi ai e paʻangá. Naʻá ne fakaʻamu naʻá ne lele ʻi he fuofua taimi pē naʻá ne sio ai kiate kinautolú. Ka naʻe lava fēfē ke ne ʻilo e meʻa ke faí? Meʻa ní ʻe toe ʻi ai ha taimi te ne ongoʻi malu ai ʻi haʻane toe lue atu he halá? Naʻá ne fingoʻi hono matá pea kamata ke ne fakafanongo ki he lēsoní.

Naʻe pehē ʻe Sisitā Sanitosi, “Ko e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ko ha talafekau ia mei he Tamai Hēvaní. Te Ne lava ʻo fakahinohino mo ueʻi ʻetau ngaahi fakakaukaú. Te Ne lava ʻo tokoni mai ke tau fai ʻa e ngaahi fili ʻoku leleí pea fakatokanga kiate kitautolu ʻi he taimi ʻe hoko ai ha faingataʻa.”

Ne hanga hake ʻa Manuela. “Ko e hā hoʻo ʻuhingá?”

Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe Sisitā Sanitosi, “Kuo ʻi ai ha taimi kuo haʻu mālohi ai ha fakakaukau ki ho ʻatamaí? Mahalo pē naʻá ne ueʻi koe ke ke fai ha faʻahiga meʻa. Mahalo naʻe hangē ia ha foʻi fakakaukau leleí.”

Nē ʻāʻā hake e mata ʻo Manuelá ʻi heʻene manatuʻi e ngaahi ongo mālohi ko ia naʻá ne maʻu ki muʻa ke ne hola mei he tamaiki heka pasikalá. Naʻá ne pehē ange māmālie, “ʻOku ou tui naʻe hoko ia he ʻahó ni.”

Naʻe sio mata tokanga atu ki ai e ongo faifekaú. Pea pehē foki ki he faʻē mo e kui ʻa Manuelá. Naʻá ne fakamatala ange kiate kinautolu ʻo kau ki he tamaiki tangatá mo hono kaihaʻasi ʻo e puhá.

Naʻe fanafana ange ʻene faʻeé, “ʻOku ou ongoʻi e hoko ʻa e meʻa ni, Manuela. Ta ko hono ʻuhinga ia naʻá ke fuʻu loto mamahi ai ʻane efiafí. ʻOku ou loto ke ke tala mai ha meʻa lahi ange ʻo kau ki he tamaiki tangata ko ʻená. Mahalo pē te ta lava ʻo toe fakafoki mai hoʻo paʻangá.”

Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Sisitā Sanitosi, “ʻOku ou kole fakamolemole atu mo au. ʻOku ou pehē ʻokú ke moʻoni. Mahalo ko e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ia naʻá ke ongoʻi ʻi ho lotó.” Naʻá ne longo ai. “Te ke maʻu e meʻafoaki ʻo e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní hili ho papitaisó mo hono hilifakinima koé. Te ke lava leva ke maʻu pea lahi ange hoʻo toutou ongoʻi e ngaahi pōpoaki ko iá. ʻI hoʻo moʻui tāú, ʻe lava ke hoko maʻu pē ʻa e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ko ho takaua. Ko e hā haʻo lau ki ai?”

Naʻe malimali ʻa Manuela pea hā mo e fiemālie mei hono matá. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “ʻOku ou ongoʻi lelei ʻaupito! Naʻe kamata ke u fakakaukau au te u ilifia maʻu pē ke lue holo ʻi tuʻa. Ka kapau ʻe toe fai mai ʻe he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ha fakatokanga kiate au ʻo hangē ko ia naʻá Ne fai he ʻaho ní, te u sai pē.” Naʻá ne mamali ki heʻene faʻeé. “He te u fakafanongo ʻi he taimi ʻe toe lea mai ai e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní kiate aú !”