Ko e Nima Fie Tokoni ʻo ʻĪlaí
ʻOku nofo ʻa e tokotaha naʻá ne faʻú ʻi ʻIutā, USA.
“ʻOku lahi e meʻa ke na fakahokó” (Tohi Hiva ʻa e Fānaú, 126).
Ko ha pongipongi Tokonaki ia, pea naʻe tuʻu teuteu ʻa ʻĪlai ʻi he koló ke taliʻi e pulú. Naʻá ne puna mo tō ki lalo, ʻo fai hono lelei tahá ke ʻoua naʻa hū e foʻi pulú ʻi he koló. Ka naʻe faingataʻa ia! Pea kimuʻa pē pea ʻosi e vaʻingá, naʻe ʻikai maʻu ʻene hapoʻi e foʻi pulú. Naʻe kai ʻa e timi ʻe tahá! Naʻe ʻulungia e timi ʻa ʻĪlaí. Naʻá ne loto-mamahi ʻaupito.
ʻI he lotú ‘i he ʻaho hono hokó , naʻe lue māmālie ʻa ʻĪlai ki heʻene kalasi Palaimelí, naʻá ne kei loto-mamahi pē.
Naʻe sio ʻa ʻĪlai ki hono kaungāmeʻa ko Keití ʻi tuʻa ʻi he lokiakó. Naʻe teke ʻe he faʻē ʻa Keití e saliote teketeke lanu pingikī ʻa Keití ki loto. Naʻá ne fāʻofua kia Keiti kimuʻa peá ne ʻalu ki heʻene kalasí.
Naʻe lea ange ʻa ʻĪlai, “Mālō e lelei Keiti.”
Naʻe ʻikai lava ʻa Keiti ʻo tali pe taʻataʻalo ange, ka naʻá ne sio fakahangatonu maʻu pē ki he fofonga ʻo ʻĪlaí ke ne ʻiloʻi naʻá ne ongoʻi ʻene leá.
Naʻe angamaheni ke malimali ʻa Keiti ʻi he fakalea ange ʻa ʻĪlaí, ka naʻe ʻikai pehē ia he ʻahó ni. ‘Oku loto-mamahi nai ʻa Keiti? Ne fifili ʻa ʻĪlai. ʻOku ou ʻiloʻi e ongo ko iá. Naʻá ne kei loto-mamahi pē ʻi he ʻikai ke ne taʻofi e timi ʻe tahá mei heʻenau ʻaka ʻo hū ʻo nau mālohi aí.
Naʻe tangutu ʻa ʻĪlai ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo Sione mo Makeilí ʻi he kamata ʻe Sisitā ʻIongi e kalasí. Naʻe ngīngī hake ʻa Keiti. Naʻe faingataʻa he taimi ʻe niʻihi kia Keiti ke tangutu maʻu he naʻe mamahi hono sinó.
“Keiti, ʻokú ke mamahiʻia he ʻahó ni?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Sisitā ʻIongí.
Ne kamata ke tangi ʻa Keiti.
Naʻe pehē ʻe Sisitā ʻIongi, “Mahalo ʻe tokoni ha foʻi hiva Palaimeli.”
Naʻe kamata ke hiva e kalasí. Naʻe saiʻia ʻa Keiti ʻi he hivá. Ko e angamahení naʻá ne faʻa hiva ʻaki haʻane ʻai ha ngaahi ongo fakafiefia. Ka ʻi he ʻaho ní, naʻe tangi pē ʻa Keiti.
Te tau lava fēfē ʻo tokoni ke ongoʻi fiemālie ʻa Keití? Ko e fifili ia ʻa ʻĪlaí.
Ne haʻu leva ha fakakaukau kiate ia. “ʻOku ou ʻiloʻi!” Ko e talaange ia ʻe ʻĪlai kia Sisitā ʻIongí. “Te u kiʻi teke takai e saliote teketeke ʻa Keití.”
Ne ʻosi sio ʻa ʻĪlai ʻi hono teke māmālie ʻe he faʻē ʻa Keití hono salioté ʻi he taimi ne fie maʻu ke fakafiemālieʻi ai ʻa Keití. Naʻá ne fakavavevave atu kia Keiti pea kamata ke teketeke hono salioté.
Naʻe tuku e tangi ʻa Keití.
“ʻE lava ke u kiʻi teke?” Ko Sione ange ia.
“Mo au pē!” Ko e lea mai ia ʻa Makeilí.
ʻI he akoʻi ʻe Sisitā ʻIongi e lēsoní, naʻe taufetongi ʻa ʻĪlai mo hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá ʻi hono teke e saliote ʻo Keití. Naʻe malimali ‘a Keiti. Hangē ne maama ange ʻa e lokí.
‘I he fakaʻosinga e kalasí, naʻe fofonga malimali e tokotaha kotoa.
Naʻe pehē ʻe ʻĪlai, “ʻOku ou fiefia ʻi he tokoni kia Keití.”
Naʻe talaange ʻe Sisitā ʻIongi, “ʻOku ou fiefia ai. “ʻOku fiefia foki ai ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní. ʻOkú Ne ʻofa ʻia Keiti mo finangalo ke ne ongoʻi fiemālie. Ko e taimi ʻe niʻihi ʻoku tau hoko ko ʻEne kau tokoni.”
Naʻe sio ʻa ʻĪlai kia Keiti. Naʻá ne talaange kiate ia, “ʻOkú ke tokoniʻi foki mo au. ʻI he taimi kotoa pē ʻokú ke malimali aí.”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Keiti.
‘I he foki ʻa ʻĪlai ki ʻapi mei he lotú, naʻá ne ongoʻi māfana ʻo hangē ha malaʻe soka ʻi ha ʻaho laʻā he faʻahitaʻu māfaná. Naʻá ne fakakaukau, mahalo he ʻikai ke u lava ʻo hapo kotoa e pulú. Ka te u kei lava ʻo fakaʻaongaʻi hoku ongo nimá ke tokoni ki he kakaí. ●
Tā fakatātaaʻi ʻe Melissa Manwill