Ngaahi meʻa-vaʻinga ʻoku saiʻia taha ai ʻa Mātiní
“Foaki hangē ko Sīsū ʻo foaki kotoa”(Tohi Hiva ʻa e Fānaú, 116).
Naʻe ongoʻi loto-mamahi ʻa Mātini ʻi he taimi ne talaange ai ʻe heʻene ongomātuʻá ʻe hiki ʻa e fāmilí ki ha kolo kehe ʻi Kolomupia. Naʻe ‘ikai ke ne fie mavahe mei hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá, liʻaki hono ʻapí, mo e feituʻu naʻá ne tupu hake aí. ʻE nofo ofi leva ʻa Mātini ki he tahí, mo e ʻea vela mo ʻafu ʻi he taʻú kotoa kae ʻikai ko e ʻea mokomoko mei he moʻungá. Te ne fakafetongi e supo velá ʻaki ha inu mokomoko, mo e koté ki ha talausese mutú. ʻIkai ngata aí, ʻe ʻalu ki ha ako foʻou, uooti foʻou, mo ha kalasi Palaimeli foʻou. Ne hangē naʻe kiʻi ngali fakailifiá.
‘I ha ʻaho ʻe taha naʻe ʻeke ange ʻe Mami mo Teti kia Mātini pe ʻoku fēfē ʻene ongoʻi fekauʻaki mo e hikí.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Mātini, “ʻOku ʻikai ke u saiʻia au ai. ʻOku ʻikai ke u fie maʻu ke liliu e meʻa kotoa.”
Naʻe talaange ʻe Teti, “ʻOku ou ʻilo ʻe faingataʻa ʻa e hikí. ‘E liliu ha ngaahi meʻa lahi, kae ʻikai ko e meʻa kotoa pē. Te ke kei maʻu pē kimaua!”
Naʻe pehē ʻe Mātini, “Moʻoni ia.”
Naʻe pehē ʻe Mami, “Pea te ke kei maʻu pē hoʻo ʻū meʻá.”
Naʻe kiʻi fakakaukau ki ai ʻa Mātini. Te ne kei maʻu pē ʻa hono valá, ʻū suú, mo ha ngaahi meʻa kehe naʻá ne anga ki ai ʻi hono fale motuʻá—tautautefito ki heʻene ʻū meʻa-vaʻingá. Naʻe fiefia ʻa Mātini te ne lava ʻo ʻave ʻa e ʻū meʻa-vaʻinga ʻokú ne saiʻia taha aí. Naʻá ne faʻo fakalelei kinautolu ʻi heʻenau hikí.
Hili ha kiʻi taimi siʻi, naʻe kamata ke anga ʻa Mātini ki hono ʻapi mo e kolo foʻoú. Naʻá ne fiefia naʻe ʻikai fuʻu faingataʻa pe fakailifia ʻa e hikí ʻo hangē ko ʻene fakakaukaú.
Pea ʻi ha ʻaho Sāpate ʻe taha, ʻi he ʻalu e fāmili ʻo Mātiní ki he lotú, naʻá ne fakatokangaʻi ha kakai toko lahi naʻe teʻeki ke ne mamata ai kimuʻa. Naʻe fonu e Palaimelí ʻi he tamaiki foʻoú. Naʻá ne fifili pe naʻa nau omi mei fē. Naʻá ne fanongo ki he talanoa ha kakai naʻá ne ʻiloʻi fekauʻaki mo hono foaki ha meʻakai, vala, mo e ʻū sū. Hili e lotú, naʻe fehuʻi ʻe Mātini kia Mami fekauʻaki mo e kakai foʻoú.
Naʻe pehē ʻe Mami, “Naʻe pau ke nau mavahe mei honau fonuá. “Ko e tokolahi ʻo kinautolu ne nau liʻaki e meʻa kotoa, pea ʻoku ʻikai haʻanau meʻa ʻe maʻu he taimí ni.”
“Ko e ʻuhinga ia ʻoku fie tokoni ai e tokotaha kotoa kiate kinautolú?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Mātiní.
“Ko ia. Naʻe akoʻi kitautolu ʻe Sīsū ʻoku totonu ke tau tokoni ki he kakai ʻoku faingataʻaʻiá. Te tau lava ʻo muimui ki Heʻene sīpingá mo vahevahe ʻa e meʻa ʻoku tau maʻú.”
Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Mātini ko ha meʻa lelei ʻeni ke fai.
Naʻe pehē leva ʻe Mami, “Ko e toko lahi e tamaiki ʻi he Palaimelí ʻoku hao pē ʻenau meʻa ʻoku maʻú ʻi ha kiʻi kato āfei. Naʻe pau ke nau liʻaki ʻenau ʻū meʻa-vaʻingá. ʻOkú ke pehē te ke lava ʻo foaki ha niʻihi hoʻo meʻa-vaʻingá?”
“ʻIkai! Ko e ngahi meʻa-vaʻinga ia ʻaʻaku!” Ko Mātini ange ia. Naʻá ne tafoki ʻo lele ki hono lokí.
Naʻe sio takai ʻa Mātini ʻi hono lokí mo ʻene loʻimataʻiá. Naʻe ‘ikai ke ne loto ke foaki ʻene ʻū meʻa-vaʻingá. Naʻá ne ʻomi kotoa ia mei honau fale motuʻá!
Naʻá ne ʻalu ki heʻene puha meʻa-vaʻingá pea sio ki loto. Naʻá ne sio ki heʻene loli meʻavaʻingá, trompo (meʻa vilovilo), ko ‘ene kato mapu lelei tahá, mo e ngaahi meʻa-vaʻinga lahi kehe naʻá ne saiʻia taha aí. Naʻá ne saiʻia kotoa ai. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne lava ʻo foaki ha meʻa ʻe taha!
Naʻe fakakaukau leva ʻa Mātini, “Fēfē kapau naʻe pau ke u liʻaki hoku ʻapí mo e meʻa-vaʻinga ʻoku ou saiʻia taha aí?”
Hili ha ngaahi miniti siʻi mei ai, naʻá ne ʻalu kia Mami kuo fonu hono ongo nimá ʻi he ʻū meʻa-vaʻingá—ʻo ʻikai ko ha meʻa-vaʻinga motuʻa pē—ka ko e ʻū meʻa-vaʻinga naʻá ne vaʻinga maʻu pē mo iá.
Naʻe ʻohovale ʻa Mami. “‘Oku ʻikai fie maʻu ia ke ke foaki kotoa hoʻo meʻa-vaʻinga ʻokú ke saiʻia taha aí.”
Naʻe tuku ʻe Mātini e ʻū meʻa-vaʻingá ʻi he falikí. Naʻá ne pehē, “Naʻe ʻi ai foki mo ha meʻa-vaʻinga ne saiʻia taha ai e fānau kehé. ʻOku ou loto ke nau maʻu ʻeku meʻa-vaʻingá ke nau kiʻi fiefia ange ai.”
Naʻe fāʻofua ʻa Mami kia Mātini. “ʻOku ou laukau ʻaki koe.”
Naʻe ongoʻi loto-māfana ʻa Mātini. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi ko e foaki ki he niʻihi kehé ko ha meʻa ʻe fai ʻe Sīsū, pea naʻá ne fiefia ai. ●