Ko e Hala ki Saioné

“Ko e hā ʻokú ke sio ki aí, Mele?” Ko e lea leʻosiʻi atu ia e mali ua e tamai (stepmother) ʻa Melé mei hono mohengá.

Naʻe fakasio ʻa Mele ki tuʻa he luvá mo ne pehē, “Hangē ʻoku ʻalu pē ke ofi mai e taú.” Naʻe lolotonga fakahoko e Tau Fakalotofonua ʻa ʻAmeliká ʻi ha ngaahi maile siʻi pē mei ai. Naʻe talu mei he houa pongipongí e longoaʻa ʻa e tau fana meʻafaná. Naʻe tafoki hake ʻa Mele ki he mali ua ʻo ʻene tamaí. “Kātaki fakamolemole. ʻOku ʻikai ke u tui te ta lava ʻo ʻalu ki he toketaá.”

“ʻUnu mai angé.” Naʻe tangutu hifo ʻa Mele ʻi he veʻe mohengá ʻo puke ʻa e nima ʻo e mali ua ʻo ʻene tamaí. Naʻe lea leʻosiʻi ange e mali ua e tamai ʻa Melé, “ʻOku ou ʻilo ʻoku kei puke pē hoʻo tamaí, ka ʻoku fie maʻu ke ke ʻave e fāmilí ki Saione—ko hoʻo tuongaʻané, tokouá, mo e ongo māhangá. ʻOua naʻa teitei tuku ke fakafiefiemālie hoʻo tamaí kae ʻoua kuó ne ʻalu ki he ʻOtu Moʻunga Maká! Palōmesi mai kiate au!”

Naʻe ʻiloʻi ʻe Mele ʻa e fakaʻamu hono fāmilí ke ō ki Sōleiki Sití. Hili pē ʻenau papitaiso ʻo kau ki he ongoongoleleí, naʻa nau hiki mei ʻIngilani ke kau fakataha mo e Kāingalotú ʻi Saione. Ka ʻe malava nai ia? Naʻá ne hila ki heʻene tamaí naʻe tangutu fakalongolongo pē ʻi hono seá. Naʻe pā kalava e Tangataʻeikí ʻi he taʻu ʻe tolu kuohilí pea naʻe mamatea ai hono tafaʻaki toʻohemá.

Ne fakatau ʻe Mele ʻene mānavá. Naʻá ne fanafana ange, “ʻOku ou palōmesi te u fai ia.”

Ne ʻikai fuoloa mei ai naʻe mālōlō e mali ua e tamai ʻa Melé.

ʻI ha pongipongi ʻe taha, naʻe fakakaukau ai ʻa Mele kuo taimi ke talaange ki heʻene tamaí ʻene palōmesi naʻe fakahokó. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “ʻOku ou ʻilo ko hoku taʻu 14 pē ʻeni, ka kuo pau ke u ʻave hotau fāmilí ki Saione.” Naʻá ne fanongo ki he ʻā hake ʻa e ongo māhangá. Peá ne pehē ange, “Kuo taimi ke u ngaohi e meʻatokoni pongipongí. Ka ke kātaki ʻo fakakaukau pē muʻa ki ai, fakamolemole.”

Naʻe hili ha ngaahi ʻaho mei ai, naʻe ui ʻe he Tangataʻeikí ʻa Mele. Peá ne pehē ange, “Kuo maau e meʻa kotoa.” Naʻe kei heheu pē ʻene leá koeʻuhí ko ʻene pā kalavá. “Kuó u fakatau atu ʻetau kelekelé mo e keliʻanga malalá kae lava ke tau fakatau mai ha saliote, fanga pulu, mo ha meʻakai. ʻOku ʻi ai ha kau fononga saliote te nau fononga ki he Hihifó ʻi ha taimi siʻi pē mei heni. ʻOku ʻikai ke nau Siasi, ka te tau lava ʻo kaungāfononga mo kinautolu ʻo aʻu ki ʻAioua. Ko ʻetau aʻu pē ki aí, pea tau kaungāfononga leva mo e Kāingalotu ʻoku nau ʻalu ki he Teleʻa Sōlekí.”

Naʻe fāʻofua kiate ia ʻa Mele. “Malō ʻaupito, Tangataʻeiki.” ʻE vavé ni pē haʻanau ʻalu ki Saione!

Naʻe tokoni ʻa Mele ki hono fakamāʻopoʻopo e ngaʻotoʻota e fāmilí he naʻe vave pē hoko mai e taimi ke fai ai e fonongá. Naʻá ne pehē loto pē, “ʻE lelei e meʻa kotoa pē. ʻE vavé ni pē haʻamau ʻi Saione.”

Ka naʻe puke ʻa e Tangataʻeikí. Naʻe manavasiʻi ʻa Mele naʻá ne toe pā kalava mei he fakafōtunga ʻo e faʻahi ʻe taha ʻo hono ngutú.

Naʻá ne talaange ki he taki ʻo e kau fononga salioté, “ʻOku fuʻu mahamahaki ia ki he fonongá.” “ʻOku mau fie maʻu pē ha kiʻi taimi siʻi ke ne fakaakeake ai.”

Naʻe tali leʻolahi ange ʻe he tangatá, “He ʻikai ke mau toe tatali.” Naʻá ne toe momou hono leʻó ʻi he taimi naʻá ne sio ai ki he mata ʻo Melé. “Te mou lava ʻo nofo pē heni kae ʻoleva ke sai feʻunga, pea mou toki tuli fononga ange leva ke maʻu kimautolu.” Naʻe loto lelei ki ai ʻa Mele he naʻe ʻikai ha toe founga.

Hili ha uike ʻe taha mei ai, naʻe toe teuteu ʻa Mele mo hono fāmilí ki he fonongá. Naʻá ne talaange ki hono tuongaʻane taʻu hiva ko Siakisoní, “ʻE heka ʻa Sela mo e ongo māhangá ʻi he pulú. ʻE heka e tangataʻekí ʻi he salioté, pea te ke tokoni mai leva koe kiate au ki hono taki e pulú.”

Naʻe fanafana leʻosiʻi pē ʻa Sela, “ʻOku ou ilifia au.” Naʻá ne kei taʻu ono pē, pea naʻá ne fuʻu siʻisiʻi fau ke heka ʻi he pulú. Naʻe sio ofoofo ʻa e ongo māhanga taʻu faá kia Mele.

“Te tau fakavavevave pē ke tau lava maʻu atu ʻetau kulupú!” Ko Mele atu ia ʻi heʻene feinga ke leʻo fiefiá.

Naʻe lau maile ʻa e fāifononga e fāmili Uanilasí pea laui ʻaho foki. Naʻe faifai pea nau ʻiloʻi e moʻoní.

Naʻe ʻikai pē tatali mai e kulupu fononga salioté ia kiate kinautolu. Naʻe pau leva ke fononga ʻa Mele mo hono fāmilí ki Saione ʻiate kinautolu pē.

“Tuʻu ai!” Naʻe fusiʻi ʻe Mele ʻa e pití, pea naʻe māmālie ʻa e pulú. “ʻOku mou sai pē?” Naʻá ne sio ki hono ngaahi tehina iiki ne nau heka he pulú. Naʻa nau kamokamo ange.

Naʻa nau ʻi he veʻe Vaitafe Palaté, naʻe lahi mo pelepela. Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe hono tuongaʻane siʻisiʻi ko Siakisoní, “Ko e hā leva te tau faí?” Naʻá ne kei taʻu hiva pē, ka naʻá ne tokoni kia Mele ki hono taki e pulú. Naʻe tokoto pē e Tangataʻeikí ʻi mui ʻi he salioté, naʻá ne kei puke pē.

Naʻe talaange ʻe Mele, “ʻOku ʻikai fie maʻu ia ke tau kolosi he vaitafé.” “Ka te tau lava ʻo muimui ai.” Naʻe ʻikai ha hala ki Saione, ka ʻe lava ke tataki kinautolu ʻe he vaitafé ʻi heʻenau fononga fakahihifó. “ʻAlu!”

Naʻe ʻikai lavelaveʻilo ʻe Mele naʻe ʻi ai e kau paionia Māmonga ne nau fononga ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻe taha ʻo e Vaitafe Palaté ka ʻi ha hala kehe. Ko e meʻa ʻi he ʻikai ke nau kolosi he vaitafé, naʻa nau hū ai ki he Vahefonua ʻo e kau ʻInitiá. ʻE ʻikai ke nau toe sio ki ha kau fononga saliote ʻi he toenga ʻo e fonongá.

Naʻe hoko atu pē ʻenau fonongá. Hili ha ngaahi uike mei ai, naʻe fakatokangaʻi ʻe Mele ha kohu ʻa e efú ʻi muʻa he halá. Naʻá ne fanafana ki he pulú, “Tuʻu maʻu.” “Tuʻu maʻu.”

Naʻe maʻa hake ʻa e efú ʻo ʻasi mai ko ha kau ʻInitia tokosiʻi ʻi heʻenau hōsí. Naʻe ʻunuʻunu mai ha tangata ʻe taha ʻi heʻene hōsí ʻo fakasio ki he tokoto ʻa e Tangataʻeikí ʻi mui ʻi he salioté.

Naʻe mataʻi angaʻofa ʻa e tangatá. Naʻá ne fehuʻi mai mo tuhu ki he Tangataʻeikí, “ʻOku puke?”

Naʻe fanafana ange ʻa Mele, “ʻIo.” Naʻe ui ʻe he tangatá ki heʻene kau fonongá ʻi honau lea pē ʻonautolú, pea naʻe tafoki fakavave ʻa e kau tangatá ʻo talua foki.

Naʻe sio hake ʻa Mele ki he vela ʻa e laʻaá. Naʻá ne talaange kia Siakisoni, “Tau kiʻi mālōlō heni.” Naʻá ne fua hifo ʻa Sela mo e ongo māhangá ki lalo.

“Mele, haʻu ʻo sio!” Ko e ui atu ia ʻa Siakisoní. Naʻe toe foki mai e tangata mataʻi angaʻofá ʻi heʻene hōsí naʻá ne toʻotoʻo mai ha meʻa ʻi hono ongo nimá.

Naʻá ne pehē ange, “Ko e pato vao. Mo e lāpisi. Ke mou kai.” ʻI heʻene fuʻu ʻohovalé, naʻe moʻusioa fakalongolongo pē ʻa Mele ʻi hono ʻoange ʻe he tangata angaʻofá ʻa e ongo monumanú kiate iá. Naʻá ne kamo hono ʻulú peá ne tafoki ʻo ʻalu lolotonga ia e tō ʻa e laʻaá.

“Ko e meʻakai!” Ko e kaila ia ʻa Melé. “Ko e kakanoʻi manu!” Ko ha mana moʻoni ʻa e meʻaʻofa ne foaki ange ʻe he tangatá.

Naʻe lahi e mana naʻe hoko ʻi heʻenau fonongá. Naʻe ofi ma ha takanga pafalō kiate kinautolu ka naʻa nau mavaeua ʻo lue takai pē ʻi he salioté. Naʻe hanga ʻe ha tuʻoni matangi efu ʻo tataki atu ha taha ʻo e ongo māhangá ki he loto vaitafé, ka naʻe lava pē ʻe Mele ʻo kaufakiʻi ia.

Ka naʻe kei faingataʻa pē e fonongá. Naʻe fakaʻau pē ke fengataliaki e salioté, pea helaʻia mo e fanga pulú. Naʻe luoluo e halá mo tokakovi. Naʻe faingataʻa ke kolosi ʻi he ʻotu moʻungá. Ka naʻe kei kitaki pē ki muʻa ʻa Mele mo hono fāmilí.

Ne nau toki hifo mai mei ha moʻunga mo e fakatokangaʻi atu ʻe Mele ha tangata ʻoku heka saliote mai.

Naʻá ne pehē ange kia Siakisoni, “Mahalo pē te ne ʻiloʻi e hala ki Līhai, ʻIutaá.” Naʻe ʻi ai ha tokoua lahi ʻenau tamaí naʻe nofo ai.

ʻI he taimi ne nau fehuʻi ai e feituʻu ʻoku nau ʻi aí naʻe talaange ʻe he tangatá, “ʻOku mou ʻi he Teleʻa Echo. Ka ko e fē e toenga homou kau fonongá?”

Ne nau fakamatala ange ʻenau fonongá, pe naʻe ofo ʻa e tangatá. “Kuo mou fononga mai ha maile ʻe 1,000 (1,609 km) ʻiate kimoutolu pē?” Naʻá ne kalokalo hono ʻulú ʻi heʻene tanganeʻiá. “Ko ha fefine toʻa moʻoni koe. Tuku ke u fakahinohino atu e hala ki Līhaí. ʻOkú ke meimei aʻu pē ki ai.”

“Meimei aʻu,” ko e fanafana leʻosiʻi ia ʻa Melé ʻi he tā ʻe he tangatá ha mape ʻi he kelekelé. Meimei Aʻu ki Saione. “ʻOku ou tui mahalo te tau aʻu lelei pē.”

Naʻe aʻu ʻa Mele mo hono fāmilí ki Līhai ʻi ʻIutā. Naʻá ne mali kimui ange pea maʻu mo hano fāmili tokolahi. Kuo tāpuekina ha niʻihi tokolahi koeʻuhí ko ʻene sīpinga ʻo e tuí mo e lototoʻá.