Ko e Maluʻí

Naʻe kaila mai ʻa e taʻahiné, “Ko e hā ʻoku ʻikai ke ke teitei ʻalu ai mo kimautolú? ʻOku ʻikai ke ke fie kau koe heʻemau kulupú?”

Ko e fakaʻosinga ʻeni ʻo e faʻahitaʻu failaú, pea kuo mei tutuku ʻa e ʻakó. ʻI he lolotonga ʻo e fanga kiʻi mālōloó ʻoku mau vaʻinga soka ʻi tuʻa, pea ko au naʻe leʻo-koló. Naʻá ku anga ʻi hoku tuʻunga ko e leʻo-koló ʻi he kalofi mo hono taʻofi ʻo e ngaahi ʻohokai mei he loto malaʻé. Neongo ia, naʻe kehe ʻa e vaʻinga ia ko ʻení he naʻe pau ke u toe kalofi mo taʻofi mo e ngaahi meʻa naʻe fai mai mei he tafaʻaki lainé.

ʻI he vahaʻa ʻo e ngaahi ʻoho-kai ʻa e tafaʻaki ʻe tahá, ne fakaʻekeʻeke au ʻe ha tamaiki fefine ʻe niʻihi ʻi heʻeku kalasí naʻe tuʻu pē he veʻe malaʻé. Koeʻuhí ke tekeʻi ʻenau ngaahi fehuʻí, naʻá ku loto lelei ke foki mai ʻa e tafaʻaki ʻe tahá ʻo feinga ke ʻaka fakahū, ka naʻe ʻikai maʻu haku faingamālie he ʻaho ko iá.

Naʻá ne hoko atu ʻo pehē mai, “Ko e hā leva ʻoku ʻikai ke faifai ai peá ke haʻu ki heʻemau ngaahi fakafiefiá? ʻOku ʻikai ke ke kiʻi fie fiefia koe?”

Naʻá ku pehē ange leva “Kiʻi fiefia!” ʻOku ʻikai ko e fiefiá ia kiate au ke u ʻi ha fakafiefia mo hoku ngaahi kaungā-akó, ʻo vaʻinga ha ngaahi vaʻinga launoa mo ongoʻi ʻoku fakamālohiʻi kita ki ha ngaahi tuʻunga ʻoku ʻikai ke u ongoʻi fiemālie ai. ʻE sai ange kiate au ke u nofo pē ʻi ʻapi.

Toe hoko mai mo e ʻohofi mei he tafaʻakí, “Ko ʻemau feingá kotoa ke tau maheni, ka ʻoku ʻikai ke ke teitei ʻi ai koe.”

Peá u pehē ange leva, “ ʻOku moʻoni ia!” Pea naʻá ku mei fakamatalaʻi ange pē hono ʻuhingá kapau naʻá ku ongoʻi ʻokú ne fie maʻu moʻoni mo e toengá ke ʻiloʻi. Ka naʻe ʻikai ke u tui ʻoku pehē. ʻE anga fēfē? Ko au pē mēmipa ʻo e Siasí ʻi hoku ʻapiakó, pea ʻoku hala ha taha ʻiate kinautolu ʻe lahi haʻane ʻilo ki he Siasí pe ko hono ngaahi tuʻunga moʻuí.

Toe fehuʻi mai leva ia, “ ʻOku ʻikai ke ke saiʻia koe ʻi ha taha ʻo e tamaiki fefine heʻetau kalasí?”

Ne u talaange leva, “ ʻOku ʻikai ko e taʻe saiʻia ʻiate kinautolu. He ʻikai pē ke u ongoʻi lata au ai.”

Naʻá ne toe hoko mai pē, “Ka ko e hā e ʻuhingá?”

Ne toki mole mei heʻemau fahaʻí ʻa foʻi pulú, pea ʻoku lele hangatonu kotoa mai ʻa e kau vaʻingá kiate au.

Naʻá ne toe vivili mai pē, “Ko e hā te ke taʻe-lata aí?”.

Naʻe hangē ne holo ʻo māmālie ʻa e meʻá kotoa ʻi heʻeku sio ki he haʻu ʻa e foʻi pulú. Ko e meʻa pē naʻá ku ongoʻí ko hono leʻó, mo e toutou ongo mai ʻo ʻene pehē “ko e hā,” “ko e hā.” Naʻe ʻatā lelei ʻa e tafaʻaki ʻe tahá ke nau ʻaka kai, pea naʻá ku lava pē ʻo tala ʻa e tau lelei ʻa e foʻi pulú ʻiate au. Ka naʻá ku ʻosi mateuteu pē. Naʻá ne ʻakahi ʻa e foʻi pulú, ʻo patō leʻo lahi ʻi hoku nimá. Naʻá ku fakakaukau pē mo malimali, “ ʻIo. Ko ha ʻoho ia ʻe taha ne ʻikai lava.” Naʻá ku puke leva ʻa e foʻi pulú ʻo tolongi ki he loto malaʻé ki hoku kaungā vaʻingá peá u hanga hake ke fehangahangai mo e kau tama ko eé.

Ne pehē mai ia, “Pea?”

Naʻe kei lēlea pē hoku lotó ʻi he mālie ʻo e vaʻingá. Ne u kamata, peá u toe longo, ʻo kiʻi fakakaukau taimi nounou, “Ko e ʻuhinga ʻoku ʻikai ke u ʻalu atu ai ki hoʻomou ngaahi fakafiefiá he…”

Naʻá ne hokoʻi leva ʻe ia, “Koeʻuhí ko e?”

Ne u toe sio atu ki he loto malaʻé ʻo fakatokangaʻi ʻoku toe vave ʻoho mai ʻa e faʻahi ʻe tahá. Toe vave ange tā hoku mafú, peá u ʻiloʻi kuo pau ke u fakaʻosiʻi ʻa e meʻa naʻá ku kamata lea ʻakí. Naʻá ku pehē atu leva, “Koeʻuhí he ʻoku ou tauhi au maʻá ha taha makehe!”

Naʻá ne kaila, “Ko e hā!”

Ne aʻu mai ʻa e faʻahi ʻe tahá kiate au, pea tuku taha leva ʻeku tokangá ki he vaʻinga. Ne punakaki vave mai ʻa e foʻi pulú he ʻeá ʻo avangi ʻeku malu kolo. Ne mavava ʻa e faʻahi ʻe tahá, lolotonga ia naʻe tuʻu ʻa e tamaiki fefiné ia ʻo kata.

Naʻe kata leva ia mo pehē mai, “Tauhi koe maʻá e tokotaha kehe. Ko hai leva hono hingoá?”

Naʻá ku kiʻi ongoʻi mā. Neongo naʻe ʻikai ke ʻi ai ha taha makehe ʻi heʻeku fakakaukaú, ka naʻá ku kei ʻiloʻi pē ʻe ʻi ai ha ʻaho te u fetaulaki ai mo hoku uaifi ki he kahaʻú, pea ʻoku fie maʻu ke u moʻui taau ke ʻave ia ki he temipalé. Ko e ʻuhinga ia naʻe ʻikai ke u ʻalu ai ki heʻenau ngaahi fakafiefiá.

Naʻe kei mofisifisi pē hoku ongo nimá pea kei vave mo e tā hoku mafú ʻi heʻeku luelue ki ʻapí, ka naʻe ʻi ai ha kiʻi malimali ʻi hoku matá. Mahalo pē ne u kiʻi tōlalo he ʻaho ko iá he loto malaʻé; ka, naʻá ku mavahe mai ʻoku ou ongoʻi ne u ikuna.