Ko Hono Tokoniʻi ʻo Vāletí

Naʻe puke maʻu ʻe ʻEma ʻene kato ne tui hono tuʻá ʻi heʻene lue atu ki heʻene lokiako foʻoú. Ko e ʻuluaki ʻaho ʻeni ʻo e akó. Naʻá ne tui hono kofu naʻe saiʻia taha aí, peá ne ʻosi faʻo ʻe he Fineʻeikí ha meʻatokoni makehe mo ʻene kai hoʻataá—ko ha pisikete.

Naʻe fakakaukau pē ʻa ʻEma ʻiate ia, “Ko e ʻaho ní ʻe lelei. “Kehe pē ke—”

Ne tuʻu ʻa ʻEma ʻo sio atu ki he loki akó. Ko ia ʻena. ʻA Vāleti.

ʻI he taʻu kuo ʻosí, ne maʻu ʻe Vāleti ia ʻa e palālelí (monkey bars) ʻi he mālōlō siʻi kotoa pē. Naʻá ne ʻosi lea koviʻi ʻa ʻEma. Naʻe aʻu ʻo ne kaihaʻasi e kaungāmeʻa mamae ʻo ʻEmá!

Naʻe sio atu pē ʻa Vāleti kia ʻEmá pea fakateʻelelo atu. Naʻe sio fakamamaʻu mai ʻa ʻEma, mo pukemaʻu ange ʻene kato āfeí. Naʻe anga taʻeʻofa ʻa Vāleti he taʻu kuo ʻosí kakato, pea ʻoku ngali he ʻikai toe kehe ʻa e taʻú ni.

Ne pehē mai ʻa Misi Kalatiuelo mei muʻa he lokí, “ʻOku talitali lelei kimoutolu ki he taʻu foʻoú ni kalasi! Tau vahe pau e ngaahi nofoʻangá.”

Naʻe fokotuʻu taki ua ʻa e ʻū tesí ʻi he lokí. Ne sio ʻa Misi Kalatiuelo ki he tohi tali-uí; pea tuhu ki ha ongo tesi ʻi mui he lokí. “ʻEma. Te ke nofo koe ʻi mui ʻi hē.”

Naʻe nofo leva ki lalo ʻa ʻEma ʻi he taha ʻo e ongo tesi ʻi muí. Naʻe fakaʻamu ʻe tangatu ʻa Liseli ʻi hono tafaʻakí. Pe ko Seimī. Pe—

“Vāleti.”

Hanga hake ʻulu ʻo ʻEmá. Naʻe tonu ʻene fanongó?

ʻIo. Naʻe kei tuhu pē ʻa Misi Kalatiuelo ki he tesi ʻi hono tafaʻakí. Naʻá ne talaange, “Te ke hoko ko e kaungāʻapi kia ʻEma.”

Taupātū hangatonu atu ʻa Vāleti kia ʻEma mo mata fakafulofula. Punou pē ʻulu ia ʻo ʻEmá hono funga tesí ʻo sio fakamamaʻu ki he holisí. Ko ha taʻu ʻeni ʻe palopalemaʻia.

ʻI he taimi fiká, ne hiki ʻe Misi Kalatiuelo ha ngaahi fika he palakipoé ke fai ʻe he kalasí. Naʻá ne talaange, “Te ke lava ʻo ngāue tokotaha pē pe ngāue mo ho kaungāʻapí.”

Naʻe punou fakavavevave leva ʻa ʻEma ʻi heʻene pepá, ʻo fakangalingali ʻoku femoʻuekina. Naʻe mātuʻaki faingofua pē ngaahi fiká. Ka naʻe feinga pē ke ʻoua ʻe fesiofaki mo Vāleti. Kuo teʻeki tuʻo taha ke sio ki ai he pongipongí kakato.

Naʻe hokaʻi atu hono umá ʻe ha meʻa. Naʻe ongo ʻo hangē ha penivahevahé. ʻIkai pē tokanga ʻa ʻEma ia ki ai.

Toe hokaʻi atu. Ko Vāleti ʻeni ʻokú ne hokaʻi iá! Hoko atu pē ngāue ia ʻa ʻEmá.

Naʻe fuʻu lahi hono hokaʻi hono tolu ʻe Vāletí ʻo mamahi. Ongoʻi ʻe ʻEma ʻoku fakaʻau ke ʻita hono lotó. ʻE peheni ʻa e taʻú kakato? Naʻe fakakaukau ke hiki hono nimá ke fakahā kia Misi Kalatiuelo. Pe mahalo ʻoku tonu ke ne ʻai hano fuʻu siofi ʻo Vāleti.

Feʻuga mo hono ongoʻi ʻe ʻEma ha kiʻi mihimihi. ʻOku ʻi ai ha taha ʻoku tangi? Naʻe toe hokaʻi atu ia ʻe he penivahevahé. Naʻe tafoki hake ʻo fakatokangaʻi ʻoku sio fakamamaʻu atu ʻa Vāleti ki ai. Naʻe ʻi hono nimá ʻene penivahevahé, pea naʻe ʻi ai ha loʻimata ʻi hono matá. Naʻe fonu ʻene kiʻi pepá ʻi ha ngaahi ʻuli ʻi hono olo tamateʻí.

Ne fulihi ʻe Vāleti ʻa e penivahevahé ʻi hono nimá. Peá ne kole leʻo siʻi ange, “Te ke lava ʻo tokoni mai kia au?”

Naʻe sio taimi nounou atu ʻa ʻEma ki ai, mo ʻohovale. Naʻe fie maʻu ia ʻe Vāleti ke tokoni? Hili ia ʻene anga taʻeʻofa maʻu peé? Tafoki pē ʻa ʻEma ia ki heʻene pepá. ʻE lava pē ʻa Vāleti ʻo ngāue tokotaha. Naʻe ʻikai taau ia mo e tokoni ʻa ʻEmá, ʻo tatau ai pē kapau…

… ko hono kaungāʻapi?

Naʻe sio fakalongolongo pē ʻa ʻEma ki muʻa. Naʻe lava ke ne ongoʻi e tangi leʻosiʻi ʻa Vāleti ʻi hono tafaʻakí. Naʻe pehē ʻe he folofolá ke ʻofa ʻi ho kaungāʻapí—ka ʻoku kehe ʻa Vāleti ia! Ko e tangutu pē ʻa ʻEma ia ʻi hono tafaʻakí ʻi he kalasí!

Ne toe foki pē ʻa ʻEma ki heʻene ngāué. Pea kiʻi taʻofi. Mahalo ʻoku ʻikai kehe ʻa Vāleti. Mahalo ko e taimi naʻe pehē ai ʻe he folofolá ke ʻofa ʻi ho kaungāʻapí, naʻe ʻuhinga ki he taha kotoa. ʻO aʻu ki he kau anga taʻeʻofá. Neongo ai pē kapau ʻoku faingataʻa.

Ne māfulu leva ʻa ʻEma pea tuku māmālie hifo ʻene penivahevahé. Naʻe tafoki leva kia Vāleti mo feinga hono lelei tahá ke malimali. Naʻá ne ʻeke ange leva, “ʻE lava ke u tokoni?”

Naʻe kamo pē ʻa Vāleti, mo holoholoʻi hono loʻimatá mei hono nimá.

Naʻe maleʻei atu ʻa ʻEma ki he pepa ʻa Vāletí ʻo kamata ke tokoni ʻi he foʻi fika ʻuluakí. Naʻe ʻosi ʻi ai ha ongo māfana ʻi loto ʻiate ia. Naʻe fifili pe ʻoku saiʻia ʻa Vāleti ʻi he pisiketé (animal crackers).