“Ko e Tohinoa Papitaiso ʻa Maliá,” Ko e Kaumeʻá, ʻOkatopa 2025, 4–5.
Ko e Tohinoa Papitaiso ʻa Maliá
“Ko e hā ʻa e fuakava?”
Ko ha talanoa moʻoni mei ʻĀsenitina.
“ʻOku ou sio ki ha kiʻi tokotaha ʻe vavé ni pē hono faiʻahó! Ko hai nai ia?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Mamá.
Naʻe lea ange ʻa Malia mo ʻene punopuná, “Ko au!” Naʻe hoko hono taʻu valú ʻi he uike hono hokó.
Naʻe kamokamo pē ʻa Mama. “Pea ʻe hoko ia ko ha faiʻaho makehe. ʻOkú ke ʻiloʻi ʻa e ʻuhingá?”
“Koeʻuhí ʻe papitaiso au!”
“ʻIo! ʻOku ʻi ai haʻama meʻaʻofa makehe mo Papa ke tokoni atu ke ke teuteu ki he sitepu mahuʻinga ko ʻení.”
Naʻe lea ange ʻa Malia, “Ha meʻaʻofa? Ka ʻoku teʻeki ai ke hoko hoku faiʻahó.”
“Ko ha meʻaʻofa makehe ia te ne tokoniʻi koe ke ke manatuʻi ʻa e fuakava te ke fai mo e Tamai Hēvaní. Te ke lava ʻo fakaava ia hili ʻa e maʻu meʻatokoni efiafí.”
Naʻe kei fakakaukau pē ʻa Malia ki he foʻi lea fuakavá. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne faʻa tatali ke foki mai ʻa Papa ki ʻapi. Naʻá ne fie teuteu ʻa e tēpilé ki he maʻu meʻatokoni efiafí peá ne ongoʻi māfana ʻi hono lotó. Naʻe ngali ifo ange ʻa e meʻatokoni efiafí ʻi he pō ko iá.
Hili iá, naʻá ne tangutu ʻi he seá ʻi he vahaʻa ʻo ʻene ongomātuʻá.
“Ko e hā hoʻo ongoʻi fekauʻaki mo e papitaisó?” Ko e ʻeke ange ia ʻa Papá.
“ʻOku ou fiefia!” Naʻe ngāue mālohi ʻa Malia ke teuteu ki hono papitaisó. Kuó ne kamata lau ʻa e Tohi ʻa Molomoná. Naʻá ne faʻu foki mo ha pousitā ke tokoniʻi ia ke ne manatuʻi ke lotu ʻi he pō kotoa pē.
“ʻOku tōatu ia! ʻOku ʻi ai haʻo ngaahi fehuʻí?”
“ʻIo. Ko e hā ʻa e fuakava?”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mami, “Ko ha fehuʻi lelei ia. Ko e fuakavá ko ha palōmesi ia mo e ʻOtuá. ʻI he taimi ʻokú ke papitaiso aí, ʻokú ke palōmesi ʻokú ke loto-fiemālie ke toʻo kiate koe ʻa e huafa ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí, te ke tauhi ʻa e ngaahi fekau ʻa e ʻOtuá, pea te ke tauhi kiate Ia ʻi he kotoa hoʻo moʻuí.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Malia, “ʻOku hangē ia ko e lotu tāpuakiʻi ʻo e sākalamēnití.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Papa, “ʻOkú ke moʻoni. ʻOku talaʻofa mai foki ʻetau Tamai Hēvaní ʻe ʻiate koe ʻa e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní, ʻo tataki mo fakalotolahiʻi koe.”
“Pea ko ʻeni hoʻo meʻaʻofa makehé.” Naʻe ʻoange ʻe Mama ha meʻaʻofa kofukofu ngingila kia Malia.
Naʻe fakaava hake ia ʻe Malia ʻo ne maʻu ha tohinoa lanu pingikī fakaʻofoʻofa mo ha peni. “Mālō! ʻOku ou saiʻia ʻaupito ai!”
“Ko e tohinoa ko ʻení ke ke hiki ai ʻa e ngaahi ongo mo e ngaahi fakakaukau ʻokú ke maʻu mei he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Papa, “Ko e papitaisó ko ha fili mahuʻinga ia. Te ke lava ʻo lotu pea fehuʻi ki he ʻOtuá fekauʻaki mo ia.”
ʻI he pō ko iá, naʻe tūʻulutui ʻa Malia ʻi hono veʻe mohengá. Naʻá ne lotu ʻo pehē, “Tamai Hēvani, ʻoku totonu nai ke u papitaiso?” Naʻá ne kiʻi fakalongolongo, pea fakafanongo. Naʻe fakafonu ʻene fakakaukaú ʻe ha “ʻio” mahino, pea naʻe fonu hono lotó ʻi he fiefia.
Naʻá ne toʻo mai ʻene tohinoá ʻo tohi fekauʻaki mo e meʻa naʻá ne ongoʻí. ʻI he pongipongi hono hokó naʻá ne talaange ki heʻene ongomātuʻá fekauʻaki mo ʻene talí. Naʻá ne ʻilo ko e papitaisó ʻa e meʻa totonu ke ne faí.
Naʻe faifai pea hoko ʻa e ʻaho fāʻeleʻi ʻo Maliá, pea ʻe papitaiso ia. Naʻá ne teunga hina mo Papa. Naʻe fāʻofua kiate ia ʻa Mama. “Te ke ongo‘i māfana ʻi ho lotó.”
Naʻe momoko ʻa e vaí, ka naʻe ongoʻi maʻa mo haohaoa ʻa Malia—pea māfana ʻi hono lotó.
ʻI he pō ko iá, naʻe fakaava hake ʻe Malia ʻene tohinoá ki ha peesi naʻe ʻikai tohi ai ha meʻa pea kamata ke ne tohi.
Naʻá ne tohi ʻo pehē, “ʻI he taimi naʻe pehē ai ʻe Papa, ʻMaʻu ʻa e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní,ʼ naʻá ku ongoʻi moʻoni ia.”
Naʻá ne fie manatuʻi maʻu pē hono ʻaho papitaisó. Naʻá ne mateuteu ke tauhi ʻene fuakavá, he naʻá ne ʻiloʻi ʻe ʻi ai maʻu pē ʻa e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ke tokoniʻi ia.
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Zoë Bennett