Kehekehe kae Fakataha
ʻOku nofo ʻa e tokotaha naʻá ne faʻú ʻi Siōsiá, USA.
“Tukuange ke nau lotu, pe ʻe founga fēfē, pē ʻe fai ʻi fē, pe ko e hā te nau lotu ki aí” (Ngaahi Tefito ʻo e Tui 1:11).
Naʻe ʻamanaki ke ʻaʻahi ʻa ʻEli mo hono fāmilí ki honau kāinga ne nofo mamaʻo. Naʻe fiefia ʻaupito ʻa ʻEli! Ne fuoloa ʻenau taʻefesiofaki mo hono kāingá.
Naʻe talaange ʻe he ongomātuʻa ʻa ʻElí kimuʻa pea nau fonongá, naʻe ʻi ai ha meʻa naʻá na fie talanoa ki ai.
“ʻI heʻetau fakataha mo e fāmilí, ʻoku tau lotu maʻu pē ʻi he taimi maʻu meʻatokoní. Pea tau talanoa he taimi ʻe niʻihi fekauʻaki mo e lotú, ʻikai ko ia? Ko e fehuʻi ia ʻa Tetí.
“Ko ia!” Ko ʻEli ange ia.
Naʻe pehē ʻe Mami, “ʻE kiʻi kehe ʻetau fononga ko ʻení. ʻOku ʻikai toe ʻalu hoʻomou faʻētangatá mo hono malí ki he lotú. Pea ʻoku ʻikai ke na saiʻia ʻi he talanoa ange ʻa e kakaí kiate kinaua fekauʻaki mo iá.”
Naʻe fakafulofula ‘a ‘Eli. “Ko e hā hono ʻuhingá?”
Naʻe pehē ʻe Teti, “ʻOku ʻikai ke tau ʻilo kotoa e ngaahi ʻuhingá. Ka ʻokú na ʻofa lahi ʻiate kitautolu. ‘Oku ou tui ʻoku ʻikai ke na fie fakafekiki mo kitautolu pe fakatupu loto-mamahi kiate kitautolu. Ko ia kuó na kole mai ke ʻoua te tau talanoa ange kau ki ha ngaahi meʻa kau ki he lotú.”
Naʻe kamokamo pē ʻa ʻEli.
Naʻe pehē ʻe Mami, “Te tau kei lava pē ʻo lau ʻetau folofolá mo lotu lolotonga ʻetau ʻi aí. Ka te tau fai ia ʻi he lilo.”
“Kae fēfē taimi te tau kai aí?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia e taʻokete ʻo ʻElí.
Naʻe pehē ʻe Mami, “Tau toki vakai pē ki ai. Kapau he ʻikai ke na lotu kimuʻa pea tau kaí, te tau lava ʻo takitaha lotu loto pē.”
Naʻe talaange ʻe ʻEli, “Pe sai. Te u lava ʻo fai ia!”
Naʻe fakahekeheka e fāmili ʻo ʻElí he ʻaho hono hokó ki he kaá. Naʻa nau fakaʻuli ʻo aʻu ʻo fuoloa e poʻulí. ‘I he faifai pea nau aʻu ki he ʻapi honau kāingá, naʻe tokoni e faʻētangata ʻa ʻElí mo hono malí ke fakahifo ʻenau ʻū kató mei he kaá. Naʻe ʻalu leva e tokotaha kotoa ʻo mohe.
‘I he pongipongi hono hokó, naʻe fai ʻe ʻEli ha kiʻi lotu kimuʻa peá ne ʻalu ki peito ke maʻu meʻatokoni pongipongí. Naʻá ne ongoʻi manavasiʻi he ʻai ke sio ki hono fāmilí. Ka naʻe tangutu hifo e mali ʻene faʻētangatá ʻi hono tafaʻakí mo fofonga malimali.
Naʻá ne fehuʻi ange kia ʻEli, “Te mau ō mo ha niʻihi ʻanai ange ki he fale ngaahi ʻulu e taʻahine ʻokú ke tokoua ʻakí. Te ke fie ʻalu?”
“Ko e fale ngaahi ʻulu?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa ʻElí.
“Ko ia! Te ke lava mo ho taʻoketé ʻo ngaahi ai homo ʻulú kapau ʻokú mo fie ngaahi ʻulu.”
Naʻe malimali ʻa ʻEli mo kamo pē. ʻE fakalata!
Hili e maʻu meʻatokoni pongipongí, naʻa nau heka pasi ki he fale ngaahi ʻulú. Naʻe saiʻia ʻa ʻEli he vakai ki he ngāue ʻa e taʻahine ʻokú ne tokoua ʻakí. Naʻe fefokifokiʻaki hono ʻulutuhú ʻi heʻene helu mo fī ʻulú. ʻI he ʻosi e ʻulu e tokotaha kotoa, naʻa nau mafulifuli ʻi muʻa ʻi he sioʻata he fale ngaahi ʻulú mo makiʻikiʻi ʻi heʻenau hā foʻoú.
Naʻe ʻuha lahi ʻi he ʻaho hono hokó. Ko ia naʻe fakakaukau ai e tokotaha kotoa ke nofo ʻi fale ʻo vaʻinga ai. Naʻe faʻahi ʻa ʻEli mo ha taha naʻá ne tokoua ʻaki ʻo feʻauhi mo ha toko ua ʻo e tamaiki tangata lalahí. Naʻa nau fefakamataliliʻaki ʻi heʻenau lova holo mo ʻenau pate vaʻingá ʻi he papá.
“Mālohi kimaua!” Naʻe kaikaila ʻa ʻEli ʻi heʻene ʻunuakiʻi ʻene paté ki he ngataʻanga ʻo e papá. Naʻa nau tā nima kotoa—aʻu ki he tamaiki lalahí, ʻa ia ne na fakangalingali ʻokú na ʻita ʻi heʻena foʻí.
Hili ha ngaahi ʻaho siʻi mei ai, naʻe taimi e foki ki ʻapí. ʻI he heka hake ʻa ʻEli ʻi mui he kā honau fāmilí, naʻá ne fanongo ki he lea fakamāvae hono fāmilí.
“Te mau ʻofa atu kiate kimoutolu!”
“Mou toe ʻeva vave mai pē!”
“ʻOku mau ʻofa lahi atu!”
Naʻe malimali ʻa ʻEli mo taʻataʻalo ʻi he lele ʻenau kaá. Naʻá ne fiefia ʻaupito. Neongo naʻe kehekehe ʻenau tuí, ka te nau kei lava pē ʻo hoko ko ha fāmili fiefia.