“Ko ʻʻĪlai pea mo e Lauʻiʻakaú,” Ko e Kaumeʻá, ʻAokosi 2025, 4–5.
Ko ʻĪlai pea mo e Lauʻiʻakaú
Naʻe ongoʻi ʻe ʻĪlai naʻe totonu ke ne ʻalu mo e lauʻiʻakaú ki ʻapi.
Ko ha talanoa moʻoni mei USA.
Naʻe falala ʻa ʻĪlai ki heʻene leikí peá ne sio hake ki he ʻū vaʻa ʻo e fuʻu ʻoké kuo ʻikai toe ʻi ai hano lau. Naʻá ne tafi ʻa e ʻū lauʻiʻakau ʻi he loto ʻataʻatā ʻo ʻene kui fefiné pea kuó ne ʻosi fokotuʻu ha fuʻu fokotuʻunga lahi. Naʻá ne malimali. Naʻe hanga maʻu pē ʻe he faʻahitaʻu fakatōlaú ʻo ʻai ke ne fakakaukau ki ha pīpī taʻo mo ha foʻi pai hina.
ʻI he taimi pē ko iá naʻe hū mai ʻa Kulenimā mei fale.
Naʻá ne pehē ange, “Mālō, ʻĪlai! ʻOku hā fakaʻofoʻofa ʻa e loto ʻataʻataá. ʻOku ou fiefia ʻi hoʻo lava ʻo tafi ʻa e lauʻiʻakaú kimuʻa ʻi he ʻuluaki sinoú.” Naʻá ne fusi hake hono sāketí ke toe maʻu ange. “Te u ʻalu ʻo ʻaʻahi ki haku kaungameʻa ʻi he ʻapi ʻo e kau toulekeleká. Te ke fie haʻu?”
“ʻIo!”
Naʻe fakafalala ʻe ʻĪlai ʻene leikí ki he fuʻu ʻakaú. Naʻe tō hifo ha lauʻiʻakau lau lahi lanu moli ʻi hono vaʻé.
Naʻá ne fakakaukau, Ko ha lauʻiʻakau fakaʻofoʻofa ʻeni!
Naʻá ne ongoʻi hangē ʻoku totonu ke ne ʻalu mo iá. Ko ia naʻá ne toʻo fakalelei hake ʻa e lauʻiʻakaú.
Naʻá ne fehuʻi ange, “Ko e hai te ta ʻaʻahi ki aí?”
Naʻe talaange ʻe Kulenimā, “Mīsisi ʻOuvalī. Naʻá ne toki hiki mai pē ʻi he māhina kuo ʻosí.”
ʻI heʻena lué, naʻe vilohi ʻe ʻĪlai ʻa e kau ʻo e lauʻiʻakaú ʻaki hono ongo foʻi tuhú. Naʻe ofi atu pē ʻa e ʻapi ʻo e kau toulekeleká ki he ʻapi ʻo Kulenimaá. Naʻe saiʻia ʻa ʻĪlai ke kau fakataha mo ia ʻi heʻene ngaahi ʻaʻahí. Naʻe fiefia maʻu pē ʻa e kakai ʻi aí ke sio kiate ia.
Naʻe ava hake ʻa e ongo matapaá. Naʻe fakatokangaʻi atu ʻe ʻĪlai ʻa Misa Haniseni ʻoku tangutu mai ʻi hono saliote teketeké ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo e tesi talitalí.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Kulenimā, “Mālō ʻetau maʻu ki he pongipongí ni, Hiipa.”
Naʻe ʻikai ke lea ange ʻa Misa Haniseni, ka naʻá ne hiki hake hono nimá pea naʻe tā nima atu ʻa ʻĪlai ki ai.
Naʻá na ʻalu ki he loki ʻo Mīsisi ʻOuvalií. Naʻá ne malimali ʻi heʻena hū atú.
“Mālō e lelei! Naʻá ne ala mai ki he nima ʻo Kulenimaá. “ʻOku fakafiefia ke sio kiate koe. Pea ko hai naʻá ke haʻu mo ia ʻi he ʻaho ní?”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Kulenimā, “Ko hoku mokopuna tangata ʻeni ko ʻĪlaí. Naʻá ne tafi ʻa e lauʻiʻakaú maʻaku ʻi he pongipongí ni.”
Naʻe manatuʻi ʻe ʻĪlai ʻa e lauʻiʻakau naʻá ne toʻó. Naʻá ne ʻoatu ia kia Mīsisi ʻOuvalī. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “Naʻá ku haʻu mo ha taha maʻau!”
“ʻOi!” Naʻe toe lahi ange ʻa e malimali ʻa Mīsisi ʻOuvalií ʻi heʻene toʻo ʻa e lauʻiʻakaú. “Naʻá ke ʻilo fēfē ʻoku ou saiʻia ʻi he lauʻiʻakaú? Naʻe faʻa ʻi ai haʻaku tānakiʻanga lauʻiʻakau fakaʻofoʻofa, ka naʻe ʻikai ke u lava ʻo haʻu mo ia ʻi heʻeku hiki mai ki hení. Ka te u lava ʻi he taimí ni ʻo kamata ha meʻa foʻou!”
ʻOku pau pē ko e ongo naʻe maʻu ʻe ʻĪlai ke ne ʻave ʻa e lauʻiʻakaú, naʻe mei he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ia! Naʻe ʻikai ʻilo ʻe ʻĪlai naʻe fiemaʻu ʻe ha taha ha lauʻiʻakau ʻi he ʻahó ni, ka naʻe ʻafioʻi ia ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní.
Naʻe malimali ʻa ʻĪlai. Naʻá ne fakakaukau, ʻOku ou fifili pe ko hai mo ha toe taha te u lava ʻo tokoniʻi kapau te u fakafanongo fakalelei ki he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní!
ʻŪ tā fakatātā ʻa Lucie Bee