Te u Toe Mamata Kia Selesi

Naʻá ku kiʻi tuʻu ʻaki hoku muiʻi vaʻé ʻo sio ki he loto ʻataʻataá. ʻOku ʻi ai ha laine kelekele fakapoʻuli ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo e fale ʻo e fāmili Sionisoní ʻa ia naʻá ku toki tō ai mo Mami ha ngaahi matalaʻiʻakau. Naʻá ku tātaaʻi ʻa e kelekelé mo māpuhoi.

ʻOku pehē ʻe Mami, “Fakamālō atu ʻi hoʻo tokoni ke tō ʻa e ngaahi meʻa ko ʻená.”

ʻOku ou sio ki hoku nimá, ʻoku kelekelea ia, pea ʻikai ke u lea. ʻOku ou fakakaukau kia Selesi Sionisoni. Naʻe nofo ʻa Selesi ʻi he fale ko ʻení. Naʻe meimei taʻu tatau pē ʻa Selesi mo au. Naʻá ma ō mo Selesi ki he Palaimelí. Naʻá ma vaʻinga fakataha peá ma feʻaluʻaki ki he fakafiefia ʻo homa ʻaho fāʻeleʻí. Taimi ʻe niʻihi naʻá ma fokotuʻu ha tēniti ʻi he tafaʻaki ki mui hono ʻapí peá ma fakangalingali pē naʻá ma nofo kemi. Naʻá ne hoko ko hoku kaungāmeʻa lelei tahá.

Kuo mavahe atu ʻa Selesi. Naʻá ne mālōlō ʻi ha fakatuʻutāmaki ʻi ha kā ʻi he ngaahi māhina siʻi kuohilí. Naʻá ku tangi lahi mo hoku fāmilí. Naʻe hoko ʻa Selesi ko homau kaungāmeʻa, pea naʻa mau ʻiloʻi te mau ʻofa kiate ia. Naʻa mau tangi koeʻuhí naʻe lavea ʻa e tangataʻeiki ʻa Selesí ʻi he fakatuʻutāmaki ʻi he kaá. Naʻa mau tangi koeʻuhí he naʻe loto-mamahi ʻa e fāmili ʻo Selesí.

Naʻá ku loto moʻoni ke tokoniʻi ʻa e fāmili ʻo Selesí. Naʻá ku foaki ha monumanu tamapua ki he tehina ʻo Selesi ko ʻElá. Naʻá ku tokoni foki ki ha kakai ʻe niʻihi mei he uōtí ke nau ngaohi ha ngaahi meʻaʻofa maʻá e fāmili ʻo Selesí. Naʻá ku fakaʻamu ke nau ʻiloʻi naʻe ʻofaʻi kinautolu.

ʻI he taimi naʻá ku ʻalu ai ki he putu ʻo Selesí, naʻá ku tangutu vāofi mo ha ngaahi kaungāmeʻa mei he lotú. Naʻa mau hivaʻi ʻa e hiva Palaimeli naʻe saiʻia taha ai ʻa Selesí, “Ko e Tuí,” fekauʻaki mo e founga te tau lava ai ʻo toe nofo mo e ʻOtuá. Naʻá ne fakamanatu mai te u toe sio kia Selesi. ʻI he malaʻé, naʻá ku tuku ha matalaʻiʻakau ʻi he funga puha maté. Naʻe kei loto-mamahi pē ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē naʻa nau ʻiloʻi ʻa Selesí. Naʻa mau ʻofa ki ai. Ka ʻi he taimi naʻá ku lotu ai mo ʻaukaí, naʻe siʻisiʻi ange ʻeku ongoʻi loto-mamahí. Naʻe tokoni foki hono lau ʻa e folofolá mo talanoa mo e ngaahi kaungāmeʻa mei he lotú.

ʻI he ʻaho ní, naʻá ma omi ke ʻaʻahi ki he fāmili Sionisoní ke tokoniʻi kinautolu ke tō ha ngaahi foʻi huliʻi matalaʻiʻakau ʻi honau loto ʻataʻataá. ʻOku siʻisiʻi mo lanu melomelo ʻa e ngaahi foʻi huliʻi matalaʻiʻakaú ʻi he taimí ni. ʻOku ʻikai ke u ʻilo pau pe te nau fōtunga fēfē ʻi he faʻahitaʻu failaú, ka ʻoku totonu ke nau fakaʻofoʻofa.

Kuo siofi au ʻe Mami peá ne pehē mai, “ʻOkú ke ʻiloʻi ʻa e meʻa ʻoku ou saiʻia ai ʻi he ngaahi foʻi huliʻi matalaʻiʻakaú?”

ʻOku ou kalokalo hoku ʻulú. ʻOku ngingila ʻa e laʻaá, pea kuo pau ke u fakakuikui ke u sio kiate ia. “Ko e hā?”

ʻOkú ne pehē mai, “ʻOku mate ʻa e matalaʻiʻakau mei he ngaahi foʻi huli ko ʻení ʻi he faʻahitaʻu momokó, ka ʻoku nau toe moʻui maʻu pē ʻi he faʻahitaʻu failaú. ʻOku nau fakamanatu mai kiate au ʻa e toetuʻú. ʻOku ʻikai ke ke lava ʻo sio ki he matalaʻiʻakaú hili ʻenau maté, ka ʻoku ʻikai ʻuhinga ia kuo nau pulia. Hangē pē ko Selesi mo kitautolu kotoa ʻi heʻetau maté. Koeʻuhí ko Sīsū Kalaisi, te tau toetuʻu kotoa pea toe moʻui.”

ʻOku ou sio ki he ngaahi fokotuʻunga kelekelé. ʻE tupu ʻa e ngaahi foʻi huliʻi matalaʻiʻakaú, pea tupu, pea tekeʻi hake ʻa e kelekelé. ʻOku ou ʻilo te nau hoko ko ha ngaahi matalaʻiʻakau fakaʻofoʻofa ʻi he faʻahitaʻu failaú, pea ʻoku ou ʻilo te u toe mamata kia Selesi.

ʻOku ou kiʻi ʻunu hifo ki he kelekele naʻe tō ai ʻa e ngaahi foʻi hulí mo puhi ha ʻuma. “Te u sio kia koe ʻi he faʻahitaʻu failaú!” Ko ʻeku fanafaná ange ia.

ʻŪ tā fakatātā ʻa Shawna J. C. Tenney