ʻAve Au ki he Temipalé
Lolotonga ʻeku ngāue ʻi he Temipale Lima Peluú ʻi he ʻaho Tokonaki ʻe taha, naʻe ʻaʻahi ange ha longaʻi fānau ʻe toko 20 mei ha taha ʻo e ngaahi siteiki ʻi Limá. Hili ha lulululu māfana ʻa e palesiteni temipalé mo e fānaú takitaha, naʻá ne fakamatala kiate kinautolu ʻa e ngāue toputapu ʻa e temipalé. Naʻe fakatefito ʻene fakamamafá ʻi he hokohoko atu ʻo e ngaahi vā fakafāmilí pea mo hono ʻuhinga ʻo e kupuʻi lea “Ko e fāmilí ke taʻengata.”
Naʻe loto ʻapasia e fānaú mo nau fakafanongo fakalelei. Ko e taha ʻo e kau ʻaʻahí ni ko ha kiʻi taʻahine taʻu nima ko Lōsita. Naʻá ne ʻā fuoloa he pō ko iá, ʻo ne tangutu pē ʻi hono tapaʻi mohengá ʻo tatali ke foki mai ʻene tamaí mei he ngāué.
ʻI heʻene aʻu maí, naʻá ne ʻohovale ʻi he kei ʻā hono ʻofefiné. Naʻe hopo hifo ʻa Lōsita mei hono mohengá ʻo lele kiate ia. Naʻá ne fua hake ia, pea naʻe kuku ʻe Lōsita hono kiá ʻo ʻuma kiate ia.
“Pea ʻoku fēfē hake ʻeku kiʻi taʻahine ko Lōsitá?” ko ʻene fehuʻí ia.
“ ʻOku ou sai pē, tangataʻeiki.”
“Naʻá ke angalelei pē he ʻahó ni?”
“ ʻIo, tangataʻeiki.”
“Naʻe ʻi ai ha meʻa naʻá ke fie maʻu ke u fai maʻau?”
Naʻe kamo pē hono ʻulú.
“Taʻahine, ko e hā? Ko e hā e meʻa ʻokú ke fie maʻú?”
Naʻá ne longo taimi siʻi peá ne pehē ange, “Tangataʻeiki, te ke ʻave au ʻafē ki he temipalé?”
Naʻe longo ʻene tamaí ʻi ha lausekoni peá ne toki tali ange.
“Lōsita, te u ʻave koe ki ai. Ko e meʻá pē he ʻoku lahi ʻeku ngāué he taimí ni pea ʻoku ou fuʻu femoʻuekina. Ka ʻoku ou palōmesi atu te u ʻave koe ki ai.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Lōsita, “Mālō, papa,” peá ne toe fāʻofua ʻo ʻuma ki heʻene tamaí.
“ ʻAlu ā ʻo feinga ke ke mohe.”
Hili mei ai ha ngaahi māhina lahi, naʻe fakataha mai e fāmili ʻo Lōsitá ki ha taha ʻo e ngaahi loki faiʻanga sila ʻo e temipalé. Naʻe fakafiefia lahi ʻa e momeniti hili ʻa e ouau silá. Naʻe feʻiloaki e tamai ʻa Lōsitá mo ʻene fānaú takitaha ʻi he ʻofa, ʻo fakaʻosi ki he siʻisiʻi tahá—ʻa Lōsita.
Naʻe talaange ʻe he tamai ʻa Lōsitā ki he tokotaha faisila naʻá ne fakahoko e ouaú, “Naʻe kau e kiʻi taʻahine ko ʻení mo e fānau Palaimeli mei homau uōtí ʻi he ʻaʻahi mai ki he temipalé. ʻI he pō ko iá naʻá ne tatali pē ke u foki atu mei he ngāué peá ne fehuʻi mai pe te u ʻave ia ki he temipalé ʻafē. Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi naʻe ʻikai ko haʻane fie ʻalu pē he tafaʻaki ki tuʻa ʻo e temipalé, ko ia ne u fakaleleiʻi ʻeku moʻuí mo siʻaki hoku ngaahi ʻulungāanga koví. Ko e ngāue lahi ka ne iku pē ʻo u lavaʻi. Ko e ʻaho fakaʻofoʻofa taha ʻeni kuó u aʻusiá he kuo fakatahaʻi hoku fāmilí he ʻahó ni ki hono kotoa ʻo e nofo taʻengatá.”