Maʻu Lelei ʻa e Tama Houtamakí

ʻI he hoko ho taʻu 12, ʻoku ʻosi faingataʻa feʻunga pē hoʻo moʻuí. ʻOkú te fihia ʻi he vahaʻa ʻo e hoko ko ha taha kei siʻí mo e taha kuo ʻosi taʻu hongofulu tupú, pea te ke fefāingaʻaki ai ʻi he feinga ke ʻiloʻi pe ko hai koā koé. Naʻá ku tofanga ʻi he faingataʻa ko iá feʻunga mo hono fakahā heʻeku ongomātuʻá te mau hiki ki ha kiʻi kolo ʻi he tuʻa moʻungá. Naʻe ʻikai fuʻu mamaʻo ʻa e hikí, ka kiate au, naʻe fuʻu mamaʻo ʻaupito ia.

Naʻá ku tupu hake ʻi ha kolo naʻe toko 30,000. Naʻá ku luelue pē ki he akó. Naʻe poloka pē taha ʻa e mamaʻo ʻo e ʻapi akó mo e senitā ki he toʻu tupú mei ʻapi. Pea naʻá ku ʻalu ki he heleʻuhilá ʻi he Tokonaki kotoa pē.

Naʻe kehe homau ʻapi foʻoú. Ko ha kolo ia ki ʻuta naʻe toko 6,000—pea naʻe palani ke pehē ai pē. Naʻá ku maile au ʻe taha mo e konga (kilomita ʻe 2.4 ) mei he ʻapi akó pea naʻe pau ke u heka pasi. Ko hoku malaʻe vaʻingá ko e vao ʻakau mo e ʻotu moʻunga ofi maí. Ne hoko mo e heleʻuhila ʻaho he Tokonakí ko ha meʻa hāhāmolofia.

Naʻe ʻikai fuʻu fēfē ʻa e hikí ia. Naʻá ku manako ke fie ʻilo mo saiʻia ʻi he fakatotoló. Ka naʻe faingataʻa ʻeku feinga ke latá. Naʻe tupu fakataha hake pē ʻa e toenga ia ʻo e fānau akó, ka ko au ʻa e tokotaha foʻoú. Ko e toe kovi angé, he naʻe ʻikai ke u faʻa fūfuuʻi hoku angá pea naʻe faingofua ai hono fakamamahiʻi au ʻe he kau houtamakí.

Ko e taha ʻo e kau houtamaki naʻe pau ke u fehangahangai mo iá ko Tuleisi. Naʻe ʻikai ke mei kovi fēfē, ka ko Tuleisí ia ko e taʻahine.

Naʻá ku ʻosi fehangahangai pē mo ha kau houtamaki ko ha tamaiki tangata ki muʻa. Ko haʻo fehangahangai pē mo kinautolu pe ko haʻate feinga ke fakaʻehiʻehi meiate kinautolu. Ka naʻe hangē naʻe ʻi he potu kotoa pē ʻa Tuleisí ia: ʻi he holó, ʻi he kai hoʻataá, ʻi heʻeku ngaahi kalasí. Naʻe pōtoʻi moʻoni ʻi he faʻahinga fakatupuʻita ko ē te ne ʻai koe ke ke ongoʻi taʻelata ʻaupitó. Naʻe ʻikai ke u toe fie sio au ki ai ʻi ha faʻahinga feituʻu.

Koeʻuhí naʻe hangē he ʻikai ke u toe lava ʻo fakaʻehiʻehi mei aí, naʻe pau leva ke u fehangahangai mo ia, ka naʻe ʻikai ke u ʻilo pe ʻe founga fēfē. Naʻe liliu ʻe ha malanga naʻá ku fanongo ai ʻi he lotú ʻa e meʻa hono kotoa. ʻOku ʻikai ke u manatuʻi ʻe au pe ko hai naʻe leá, ka ʻoku ou manatuʻi ʻa e meʻa naʻe lea ʻakí. Naʻe lea ʻa e tokotaha malangá fekauʻaki mo ʻete feohi mo e kakai faingataʻá. Naʻá ne pehē, “Kapau he ʻikai ke ke lavaʻi kinautolu, feinga ke ke ʻofaʻi kinautolu ʻo aʻu ki he maté.” Naʻe kata ai ʻa e kau maʻu lotú, ka naʻá ku fakakaukau ki ai ʻi ha taimi lahi. Naʻe fāifai peá u ʻilo ʻa e meʻa ke fai kia Tuleisí. Te u “tanu fuʻu ʻaki ʻa e anga-ʻofá.”

Naʻá ku kamata ke kumi ʻa Tuleisi he ʻaho hono hokó. ʻI heʻeku sio pē ki aí, naʻá ku talaange leva, “Tuleisi, ʻokú ke hā fakaʻofoʻofa.” Naʻe mataʻi ʻohovale pea tukutukulalo mai pē haʻane fakamālō ʻi heʻema fetaulaki ʻi he holó. Naʻá ku fai maʻu pē ʻeni. Ko e taimi kotoa pē naʻá ku sio ai ki ai, naʻá ku fai ange ha lea fakahīkihiki ki muʻa peá ne toki maʻu ha faingamālie ke toe lea ʻaki ha meʻa. Naʻe ngata ʻa e ngaahi lea fakatupuʻitá, peá u ongoʻi leva ha kiʻi nonga.

Hili mei ai ha ngaahi māhina siʻi, kuo fakaʻosiʻosi ʻa e taʻu fakaakó. Ko e taha ʻo e ngaahi ʻekitivitī fakaʻosí ko ha hulohula ʻi he fale vaʻingá he lolotonga ʻo e akó. Naʻá ku ʻalu ki ai ka naʻe ʻikai ke u ongoʻi ʻoku ou fie kole ki ha taha ʻo e tamaiki fefiné ke ma hulohula. Ko hono moʻoní, naʻe teʻeki ke u kole tuʻo taha ki ha taʻahine ke ma hulohula. Ka naʻe ʻalu ange ha taʻahine kiate au ʻo kole ke ma hulohula.

Naʻá ku ʻohovale ʻi heʻeku fakatokangaʻi ko Tuleisí. Naʻá ku tali lelei, peá ma lue atu leva ki loto. ʻI he ʻosi ʻa e fasí, ne u pehē ange, “Mālō,” pea ʻalu leva ʻa Tuleisi.

Naʻe ʻikai pē ke u toe sio ki ai. Naʻe hiki ia ʻi he faʻahitaʻu māfana ko iá ki he feituʻu ʻe taha. ʻOku ou fakatauange pē ʻe faingofua ange haʻane lata ʻi hono ʻapi ako foʻoú ʻo laka ange ʻiate au. Ka naʻá ku ako ʻi he ʻaho ko iá ne ngāue ʻeku palaní. Ko e feituʻu pē naʻe ʻi ai haku fili, ne u maʻu ai ha kaungāmeʻa.