“Ko ha Kaungāmeʻa Foʻou,” Ko e Kaumeʻá, ʻEpeleli 2025, 36–37.
Ko ha Kaungāmeʻa Foʻou
Naʻe ʻilo ʻe Teila ʻa e ongoʻi manavasiʻí.
Ko ha talanoa moʻoni mei Kānata.
Naʻe tokoni ʻa Teila kia Mami ʻi hono ʻave ʻa e ngaahi naunau ki he ʻekitivitī ʻa e Palaimelí ki he paʻaké. Naʻe māfana ʻa e laʻaá ʻi hono fofongá, pea naʻe toe lanu mata pē ʻa e musie ʻi he paʻaké. Naʻe ongo fakafiefia moʻoni ke ʻi tuʻa!
Ko e faʻahitaʻu failaú ko ha meʻa ia ʻe taha naʻá ne fakamanatu ange ʻoku ʻofa ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní ʻiate ia. Naʻe saiʻia ʻa Teila ke fekumi ki he ʻofa ʻa e ʻOtuá ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē—hangē ko ha langi lanu pulū pe sio ki hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá ʻi he ʻekitivitī ʻa e Palaimelí.
Naʻe muimui ʻa Teila ʻia Mami ki he feituʻu naʻe fokotuʻutuʻu ai ʻe he kau taki kehe ʻo e Palaimelí ha ngaahi vaʻinga maʻá e fānaú.
Naʻe taʻataʻalo ange ʻa Sisitā Kingisilī mo pehē ange, “ʻOku haʻu ʻa Seini!”
“ʻOku sai ia!” Ko Mami atu ia.
Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe Teila, “Ko hai ʻa Seini?”
Naʻe talaange ʻe Mami, “Ko ha taʻahine foʻou ia naʻá ma fakaafeʻi. ʻOku mau ʻamanaki pē te ke lava mo e fānau kehé ʻo tokoniʻi ia ke ne ongoʻi ʻoku talitali lelei ia.”
Naʻe ongoʻi loto-hohaʻa ʻa Teila. Naʻe faingataʻa ke ne talanoa ki he kakai foʻoú. Naʻá ne fiemaʻu ke ne angalelei. Ka ʻe fēfē kapau he ʻikai ke saiʻia ʻa e taʻahine foʻoú ʻiate ia?
Naʻe ʻikai fuoloa kuo aʻu mai ʻa e tokotaha kotoa, kau ai ha kiʻi taʻahine naʻe ʻikai ʻilo ia ʻe Teila.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Sisitā Kingisilī. “ʻOku talitali lelei kimoutolu ki heʻetau ʻekitivitī Palaimelí!” Naʻá ne hili hono nimá ʻi he uma ʻo e taʻahine foʻoú. “Ko Seini eni. ʻOkú ne kau mai mo kitautolu ʻi he ʻahó ni. ʻOku mau fakatauange ʻoku fiefia fakataha ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē ʻi he paʻaké.”
Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe ha taha ʻo e fānau Palaimelí, “ʻE lava nai ke tau vaʻinga kalaunitā (grounders)?”
Naʻe kaila atu ʻa Teila, “ʻIo, kātaki!”
Naʻá ne fuʻu fiefia ʻaupito! Ko e vaʻinga naʻá ne saiʻia taha aí ko e kalaunitaá. Naʻe lova ʻa Teila mo e fānau kehé ki he malaʻe vaʻingá. Naʻe tuʻu leva ʻa Teila ʻi heʻene sio ʻoku tuʻu toko taha pē ʻa Seiní.
Kuo foaki kiate ia ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ʻa e ʻaho fakaʻofoʻofa mo makehe ko ʻení. Naʻá ne fie fiefia ai, pea naʻá ne fiemaʻu ke fiefia ai foki mo Seini. Naʻe ongoʻi manavasiʻi ʻa Teila, ka naʻá ne mihiʻi ʻene mānavá peá ne foki kia Seini.
“Mālō e Lelei. Ko Teila au.”
“Mālō e lelei.” Naʻe kiʻi malimali ʻa Seini, ka naʻe hangē naʻá ne manavasiʻí.
Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe Teila, “Ko hai ʻa Seini?”
Naʻe kalokalo ʻa Seini.
Naʻe ʻiloʻi ʻe Teila ʻa e ongo naʻá ne maʻu ʻi heʻene manavasiʻi fekauʻaki mo e ngaahi meʻa foʻoú.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Teila, “ʻOku fakalata ʻaupito ia! Ko e tokotaha ko ia ʻoku ‘tulí’ ʻoku kuikui hono matá lolotonga ʻene feinga ke maleʻi ha taha ʻi he meʻavaʻinga ʻi he malaʻe vaʻingá. ʻE lava ke lele takai ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē. Ka ʻo kapau ʻe kaila ʻkalaunitā!ʼ ʻa e tokotaha ʻoku ʻtulíʼ pea ko hai pē ʻoku kei tuʻu hono ongo vaʻé ʻi he kelekelé ko ia ʻe ʻtulí.ʼ”
Naʻe kei fōtunga manavasiʻi pē ʻa Seini.
Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe Teila, “Ko hai ʻa Seini?”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Seini. “ʻIo!”
Naʻe lue atu ʻa Teila mo Seini ki he malaʻe vaʻingá. ʻI heʻena kaka hake ki ʻolungá, naʻe fakalea hake ʻa e tamaiki kehé kia Seini. Naʻe nofo ʻa Seini ʻo ofi kia Teila ʻi he kamataʻangá, ka naʻe ʻikai fuoloa kuo tokoniʻi foki ʻe he toenga ʻo e fānaú ʻa Seini. ʻI he toenga ʻo e ʻekitivitī ʻa e Palaimelí, naʻe talanoa ʻa Teila mo e toenga ʻo e fānaú kia Seini. ʻI he fakaʻosí, naʻe ʻikai ke toe ongoʻi manavasiʻi ʻa Teila, pea naʻá ne ʻiloʻi fakapapau naʻe ʻikai foki ke toe ongoʻi pehē mo Seini.
“ʻOku fie kai ʻaisipoloka nai ha taha?” Ko e lea ange ia ʻa Mamí ʻi heʻene fakaava ha kula fakamokomoko.
Hili ʻa e lele mo e vaʻinga ʻa Teilá, naʻá ne ongoʻi fiefia ke tangutu mo hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá ʻo fakamokomoko. ʻI he taimi naʻe foki ai ʻa Seini ki ʻapí, naʻe lea fakamāvae ʻa Teila mo e toenga ʻo e fānaú kiate ia.
Naʻe ʻikai fuoloa ko Teila pē, mo ʻene faʻeé, mo e kau taki kehé naʻe toé. Naʻe tufi hake ʻe Teila ʻa e ʻū kofukofu ʻaisipoloká ʻo faʻo ʻi ha milemila veve.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Mami, “ʻOku ou laukau ʻaki koe. Naʻá ke vahevahe mo hoʻo ngaahi kaungāmeʻá ʻa e ʻofa ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní mo Seini ʻi he ʻahó ni.”
Naʻe fakakaukau ki ai ʻa Teila. Neongo naʻá ne faʻa fekumi ki ha ngaahi founga naʻe fakahaaʻi ai ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ʻEne ʻofa kiate iá, ka naʻe kehe ʻa e ʻahó ni ia. ʻI he ʻaho ní, ko ia naʻá ne fakahaaʻi ʻEne ʻofá.
Tā fakatātā ʻa Hollie Hibbert