Ko Ha Ipu Vai Mafana

ʻĪmisi

A cup of warm water

Naʻe fakavavevave ʻa Miniseni mo ʻene Tetí ki he falelotu ʻo e Siasí, lolotonga e puhi e havili momokó ʻi hona tuʻá. Naʻe momoko foki mo loto falé. Naʻe fakaʻamu ʻa Miniseni ʻe māfana ange ʻi he tokolahi mai ʻa e kakaí.

Naʻe ʻamanaki ke papitaiso he ʻahó ni e kaungāmeʻa ʻo Miniseni ko Sengiminí. Naʻe fetaulaki ʻa Sengimini mo e ongo faifekau sisitaá pea naʻe fuoloa pē ʻene fakakaukau ke papitaisó. Naʻe ʻaukai mo lotua ia ʻe he kotoa e uōtí. Ne faifai peá ne fili ke papitaiso. Pea ko e ʻahó ʻeni!

Naʻe kei fakafonu ʻa e vai papitaisó ʻi he hū atu ʻa Miniseni mo ʻene Tetí ki he lokí. Naʻá na tangutu he tafaʻaki ʻo e kaungāmeʻa ʻo Miniseni ko Sēmisí. Ne ʻikai fuoloa pea hū mai ʻa Sengimini, kuó ne tui vala papitaiso hinehina.

Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Sēmisi, “ʻOkú ne mataʻi tailiili.”

Naʻe kamo pē ʻa Miniseni. Naʻá ne fiefia ʻi heʻene lava ke ʻi ai ke poupou ki hono kaungāmeʻá.

Ne ʻikai fuoloa kuo fonu e vai papitaisó. Naʻe hokosia e taimi ke kamata e papitaisó! Ka naʻe talanoa e ongo faifekaú mo ha kāingalotu ʻe niʻihi pea nau fofonga hohaʻa, kae ʻikai kamata e papitaisó. Naʻe ʻalu ʻa Teti ke vakai pe ko e hā e meʻa naʻe hokó.

“Ko e hā e meʻa ʻoku hokó?” Ko e fehuʻi ia ʻa Miniseni kia Tetí.

Naʻe talaange ʻe Teti, “ʻOku maumau ʻa e mīsini fakamāfana vaí pea ʻoku momoko ʻaupito e vai papitaisó.”

Naʻe sio ʻa Miniseni ki he vai papitaisó. ʻI he taimi naʻá ne papitaiso aí, naʻe māfana e ʻeá, māfana e vaí, pea māfana e fāʻofua ange ʻene tetí kiate ia ʻi heʻene ʻalu hake mei he vaí. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne lava ʻo fakakaukau ki haʻane papitaiso ʻi he vai momokó ʻi ha ʻaho momoko pehē he faʻahitaʻu momokó.

Naʻe mamata ʻa Miniseni ki he hifo loto-toʻa ʻa Sengimini ki he loto vaí mo ʻEletā Kekí, ʻa ia te ne fai e papitaisó.

“ʻOku fuʻu momoko!” Ko e lea ia ʻa Sengiminí. “He ʻikai ke u lava ʻo nofo fuoloa heni.” Na‘á ne kaka ki tuʻa mei he vai papitaisó mo e teteteté. Naʻe ongoʻi fakaʻofaʻia ʻa Miniseni ʻiate ia.

Hili ha ngaahi miniti siʻi mei ai, naʻe toe feinga ʻa Sengimini ke hifo ki he vaí. Ko e taimi ko ʻení naʻá ne kiʻi foʻi manga pē ʻe fiha peá ne toe fakavave ki tuʻa. Naʻá ne toe feinga tuʻo ua. Naʻe mokoʻīʻī ʻa e vaí! “ʻE lava ʻo tuku ā?” Ko e kole ange ia ʻa Sengiminí. Ne hangē naʻá ne meimei tangí.

Naʻe lotu fakalongolongo ʻa Miniseni ʻo fehuʻi e founga te ne lava ai ʻo tokoní.

Naʻe pehē ʻe ha tokotaha, “Ko e hā ʻoku totonu ke tau faí?”

Naʻe fehuʻi hake ʻe ha tokotaha kehe, “ʻOku totonu nai ke tau toloi e papitaisó?” Naʻe fie tokoni e tokotaha kotoa kia Sengimini ka naʻe ʻikai ke nau ʻiloʻi pē ʻe founga fēfē.

Fakafokifā kuo maʻu ʻe Miniseni ha foʻi fakakaukau. Naʻá ne kamosi ʻa Sēmisi. “Sēmisi, ta ʻalu!”

Naʻe ʻalu ʻa Miniseni mo Sēmisi ki peito. Naʻá na maʻu ha ipu mo e poulu lahi pea fakafonu ʻaki e vai vela mei he ʻutuʻanga vaí. Naʻá na toʻo fakalelei ia ki he falelotú pea huaʻi e vai velá ki he loto vai papitaisó. “Mahalo ʻe tokoni ʻeni ke fakamāfanaʻi e vaí!” Ko e lea ia ʻa Minisení.

Naʻe ʻohovale e tokotaha kotoa. Naʻe pehē ʻe ha tokotaha, “Ko e hā naʻe ʻikai ke tau fakakaukau ai ki aí?”

Naʻe kau fakataha leva e tokotaha kotoa ke kamata ʻutu mai e vai mafana mei peito. Naʻe fakalili ʻe he kakai ʻe niʻihi ʻa e vaí ʻi he sitoú. Naʻe hiki fakalelei ʻe he niʻihi e ʻū kuló ʻi he holó pea huaʻi e vai velá ki he vai papitaisó. Naʻe aʻu ki he toenga e fānau Palaimelí naʻa nau tokoni ʻi he fetuku tahataha mai e ipú.

Ne faifai pea māfana lelei ʻa e vaí. Naʻe hifo atu ʻa Sengimini mo ʻEletā Keki ki he loto vai papitaisó. Naʻe ongoʻi loto-māfana ʻa Miniseni ʻi heʻene fanongo ki hono lea ʻaki ʻe ʻEletā Keki ʻa e fakalea ʻo e lotu papitaisó. ʻI he taimi naʻe tuʻu hake ai ʻa Sengimini mei he vaí, naʻá ne malimali. Naʻe fiefia ʻa e tokotaha kotoa.

Hili e fetongi ʻa Sengimini ki hono vala mātuʻú, naʻe fāʻofua ʻa Miniseni kiate ia. Naʻe ʻiloʻi ʻe Miniseni ko e taimi pē naʻá ne lotu loto-toʻa aí, naʻe tokoniʻi ia ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ke ne ʻiloʻi e meʻa ke faí. Ko ha papitaiso ʻeni ʻe taha he ʻikai teitei ngalo ʻia Miniseni! ●