ʻA e Ngaahi Lea Ko Iá

Naʻe ʻikai ke saiʻia ʻa Silipa he fanongo ki he lea koví, kae tautefito ki he takuanoa ʻe hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻa he akó e huafa ʻo e ʻEikí.

Naʻá ne pehē ange ki hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá, “Kātaki muʻa ʻo ʻoua te mou lea ʻaki ʻa e ngaahi lea ko iá ke u fanongo ki aí.”

Ka naʻe ngalo ia ʻiate kinautolu he taimi ʻe niʻihi, pea te ne toe fakamanatu ange.

Naʻe fakamāhiki e mata ʻo e kaumeʻa ʻo Silipa ko Petí he ʻaho ʻe taha mo pehē ange, “ʻIo, naʻe ngalo ia ʻiate au. ʻOku ʻikai ke lea ʻaki ʻe ha taha ʻa e ngaahi lea ko iá ke fanongo ki ai ʻa Silipa. Ko ʻene feingá ke tau sai ʻo hangē ko iá.”

Ne kata e tamaiki fefine kehé.

Naʻe mā ʻa Silipa. Naʻá ne ongoʻi taʻeoliʻia ʻi heʻene kole maʻu pē ki hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá ke ʻoua te nau lea ʻaki ʻa e ngaahi lea ko iá ʻi he feituʻu naʻá ne ʻi aí—kae tautefito ki heʻenau pehē ʻoku ʻikai kovi e ngaahi lea ko iá.

ʻI he aʻu atu ʻa Silipa ki ʻapi mei he akó, naʻá ne tō tangutu hifo ʻi hono mohengá. Ne toki hū mai ʻene faʻeé hili ha ngaahi miniti siʻi mei ai, pea talaange ki ai ʻe Silipa e meʻa naʻe hokó.

Naʻe talaange ʻe he Fineʻeikí, “ʻOua te ke hohaʻa koe ki ai. Hokohoko atu pē hoʻo fai e meʻa ʻoku totonú, pea ʻe faifai pē ʻo ʻikai toe fie lea ʻaki ho ngaahi kaungāmeʻá ʻa e ngaahi lea ko iá.”

Ne fehuʻi ange ʻe Silipa, “Ko e hā hono kovi kapau ʻe lea ʻaki ʻe hoku ngaahi kaungāmeʻá e ngaahi lea ko iá? He tahá te u kapekape ai au.”

Naʻe pehē ʻe he Fineʻeikí, “Kuo akonekina kitautolu ʻe he kau palōfitá ʻoku totonu ke tau tauhi kitautolu ke tau taau ke ongoʻi e Laumālié ʻi he taimi kotoa pē. ʻOku fakamamahiʻi ʻe he ngaahi lea koví ʻa e Laumālié.”

Naʻe manatuʻi ʻe Silipa e ngaahi taimi naʻá ne ongoʻi ai ʻa e Laumālié: ʻi he efiafi fakafāmili ʻi ʻapí, ʻi heʻene fai ʻene fakamoʻoní, ʻi he taimi naʻe foaki ange ai hono tāpuaki ʻe heʻene tamaí. Naʻe saiʻia ʻa Silipa ʻi heʻene ongoʻi e Laumālié, pea naʻe ʻikai ke ne fie fai ha meʻa te ne maumauʻi ʻa e ongo māfana mo nonga ko iá.

Naʻá ne fakapapauʻi ke kei hoko atu pē ʻene hoko ko ha faʻifaʻitakiʻanga ki hono ngaahi kaumeʻá mo tokoniʻi kinautolu ke mahino naʻe ʻikai ke saiʻia he fanongo ki he ngaahi lea ko iá.

Naʻá ne toe fanongo pē he ngaahi lea ko iá ʻi ʻapiako he ʻaho hono hokó.

Naʻe kole ange ʻe Silipa kia Peika, “Kātaki muʻa ʻo ʻoua ʻe lea ʻaki ʻa e ngaahi lea ko ʻená ke u fanongo ki aí.”

Naʻe ʻai e fuʻu sio atu ʻa Peika kia Silipa pea ʻikai toe tokanga ia ki ai. Naʻe fiefia ʻa Silipa naʻá ne lea ange ki ai ka ne ongoʻi loto mamahi he ʻita hono kaungāmeʻá.

ʻI he taimi mālōloó ne fanongo ʻa Silipa ki hano toe lea ʻaki ʻe ha taha ʻa e ngaahi lea ko iá. Ko Peti ia.

Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Silipa, “Kātaki muʻa ʻo ʻoua te ke lea ʻaki ia ke u fanongo ki aí.”

Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Peti, “Kātaki,” mo fakamāhiki mai hono matá.

Ne toe ongoʻi ngali vale pē ʻa Silipa.

Naʻe taaʻi ʻe Silipa e foʻi pulú ʻi heʻenau ako sofipolo he tuku ʻa e akó. Ne aʻu e foʻi pulú ia ki he kolo ʻuluakí ʻoku teʻeki aʻu atu ki ai ʻa Silipa ia. Ne fanongo atu ʻa Silipa ki he takuanoa ʻe Poni ko e taʻahine foʻou he timí, ʻa e huafa ʻo e ʻEikí.

Naʻe ʻai ʻene kiʻi tuʻu. Kuo pāhia ia he kole ange ki he kakaí ke ʻoua te nau lea ʻaki ʻa e lea ko iá kae fanongó. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne loto ke fakakata ʻaki ia ʻe he tamaiki fefine kehé.

“Kātaki muʻa ʻo ʻoua te mou lea ʻaki ʻa e lea ko ʻení he feituʻu ʻokú ne ʻi aí.”

Naʻe tafoki hake ʻa Silipa ke sio pe ko hai naʻe leá.

Naʻe talaange ʻe Peti kia Poni ko e taʻahine Siasi ʻa Silipa pea naʻe ʻikai ke ne lea ʻaki e ngaahi lea ko iá pea naʻe ʻikai foki ke ne ongoʻi fiemālie he fanongo ki he ngaahi lea ko iá.

Ne tafoki hake ʻa Poni ʻo sio kia Silipa. “Kātaki, naʻe ʻikai ke u ʻilo ʻe au.”

Ne mamali ange ʻa Peti kia Silipa. “Mahalo kuo fakaʻau pē ke mau hangē ko koé,” ko Peti ange ia.

Naʻe malimali ʻa Silipa. Naʻá ne fiefia ʻi heʻene fili ke ne hoko ko ha faʻifaʻitakiʻanga lelei ki hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá mo muimui ʻi he faleʻi ʻa e palōfitá ke ne tauhi maʻu e Laumālié.