“Ko ha ʻAʻahi kia Tuʻi Kulenipā,” Ko e Kaumeʻá, Nōvema 2025, 20–21.
Ko ha ʻAʻahi kia Tuʻi Kulenipā
Naʻe talaange ʻe Kulenipā kia Foaki ʻa e ngaahi talanoa fekauʻaki mo ʻene ngaahi kuí.
Ko ha talanoa moʻoni mei Naisīlia.
Naʻe falala ʻa Foaki ki he tafaʻaki ʻo e vaká peá ne mamata mo ofo ʻi he fasi ʻa e peaú ʻi he ongo tafaʻaki ʻo e vaká. Naʻá ne ala hifo ki he peaú, naʻe kiʻi fakavelekata ʻa e tau mai ʻa e vaí ki hono ongo nimá. Ko e fononga ʻeni naʻá ne saiʻia taha aí. Naʻá ne fononga atu mo hono fāmilí ki he kolo ʻo Kulenipaá, pea ʻi he momeniti kotoa pē, naʻá ne ofi ange ki ha māmani ʻoku fakanatula mo tauʻatāina ange ʻi he kolo naʻá ne mavahe mei aí.
Naʻe tatau ʻa Foaki mo e tokotaha kotoa, ʻi he koló. Ko ha toko taha ia ʻi ha laui miliona. ʻI he taimi ʻe niʻihi naʻe ongo lelei ia—ke ne ongoʻi tauʻatāina, ʻo ʻikai ha taha ʻe fuʻu tokanga ki he meʻa naʻá ne fili ke ne tuí pe fakahokó. Ka ʻi he kolo ʻo ʻene kui tangatá, naʻe kehe ia. ʻI aí, naʻe makehe ʻa Foaki. Ko ha pilinisesi ia—ko e mokopuna fefine ʻo ha tuʻi poto.
Hili ha houa ʻe ua, naʻe tau ʻa e vaká. Naʻe kei toe pē ʻa e konga lōloa taha ʻo e fonongá: houa ʻe ono ʻi he pasí. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi te ne helaʻia, ka ʻe vavé ni pē haʻane toe fakataha mo ʻene kui tangatá. Naʻá ne ʻai ke ʻaonga kotoa ia.
Naʻe tokakovi ʻa e fonongá. Naʻe feinga ʻa Foaki ke ne hanganoa ʻaki ʻene sio ki he ngaahi fuo ʻo e ʻao naʻá ne sio ki ai ʻi tuʻa ʻi he matapā sioʻatá mo sio ki he vave ʻa e puli atu ʻa e fonua fakaʻofoʻofá. Naʻe kamata ke tō ʻa e laʻaá ʻi he taimi naʻe fakaofi atu ai ʻa e pasí ʻo tuʻú. Faifai pea aʻu! Kulenipā! Naʻe puna hifo ʻa Foaki mei he pasí ʻo lele ki he fale tukufakaholó.
Naʻá ne fekumi ʻi loto kia Kulenipā. Naʻá ne fekumi ʻi he lotoʻaá, ʻa ia naʻe faʻa tauhi ai ʻe heʻene faʻeé ʻa e fanga kosí ʻi heʻene kei siʻí. Naʻá ne fekumi ʻi he ʻū loki mohé, ʻa ia naʻe pau ke ne tāpuni ʻa e matapā sioʻatá ʻi he poʻulí ke ʻoua ʻe hū mai ʻa e namú. Naʻá ne fekumi ʻi he loto ʻataʻatā ki mui ʻi he falé, ʻa ia naʻá ne tui ai ʻa e pulupulu fakatuʻí—ko ha ngaahi sikaafi ngingila mo ha kalauni pepa—ke kau atu ki he fakataha alēlea ʻa e koló.
Naʻe sio ai ʻa Foaki kia Kulenipā ʻoku tangutu fiemālie ʻi ha sea, ʻo hanga atu ki he ngoue fakafāmilí. Naʻe malimali ʻa Foaki.
Naʻá ne ui atu, “Kulenipā!”
Naʻe tuʻu hake ʻa Kulenipā ʻo mafao mai hono ongo nimá. Naʻá ne fanafana ange ʻi heʻene fāʻofua kiate iá, “Siʻoku mokopuna ʻofeina. Tangutu ʻo mālōlō mo au.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Foaki, “Kuó u ʻofa mai kiate koe.”
“Naʻe lahi ange ʻeku ʻofa atu ʻaku kia koé. ʻOku ou fiefia ʻi hoʻo ʻi hení.” Naʻe kiʻi longo siʻi ʻa Kulenipā peá ne fehuʻi ange, “ʻOkú ke ʻiloʻi ʻa e makehe ʻo e ngoue ko ʻení?”
Naʻe kalokalo ange ʻa Foaki.
Naʻe tuhu ʻa Kulenipā ki he fuʻu ʻakau ʻi muʻa ʻiate kinauá. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “Ko e fuʻu ʻakau fakafāmilí ʻeni.” Naʻe fakatokangaʻi ʻe Foaki naʻe fōtunga motuʻa ia mo mālohi.
“ʻOku ʻi he taila ʻi he kelekele ʻokú ne ʻātakaiʻi ʻa e fuʻu ʻakaú ʻa e hingoa ʻo ʻeta ngaahi kuí. Kuo pau ke tau manatuʻi maʻu pē hotau fāmilí.”
Naʻe ʻikai ke ʻiloʻi ʻe Foaki ha ngaahi hingoa lahi ʻi he tailá. Te ne manatuʻi fēfē nai ha taha naʻe ʻikai ke ne ʻilo? Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Foaki, “Kulenipā, talanoa mai kiate au fekauʻaki mo kinautolu.”
Naʻe lau taha taha ʻe Kulenipā ʻa e ngaahi hingoá pea fakamatala kia Foaki ʻa e ngaahi talanoa ʻo ʻene ngaahi kuí. ʻI heʻene leá, naʻe fakatokangaʻi ʻe Foaki ʻi ha ngaahi founga ʻe niʻihi, ko e ngaahi talanoa foki ʻeni naʻe fekauʻaki mo ia. Naʻe lahi ha ngaahi meʻa naʻá ne faitatau ai mo e kau mēmipa ko ʻeni ʻo e fāmilí kuo teʻeki ke nau fetaulakí.
ʻI he momeniti ko iá, naʻe mahino kia Foaki ha meʻa mahuʻinga. Naʻe ʻikai ko e ngaahi peaú pē mo e fonuá naʻá ne ʻai ke ne ongoʻi tauʻatāiná. Ka ko ha fehokotaki mo hono fāmilí naʻá ne ongoʻi ʻi he koló ni mo ʻene Kulenipaá.
Naʻe fai ʻe Kulenipā ha ngaahi talanoa kae ʻoua kuo feʻunuʻaki ʻa e ngaahi fetuʻú ʻi he langí.
Faifai, naʻe māpuhoi ʻa Kulenipā. “Kuo taimi ke ta hū ki fale.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Foaki, “Ta kiʻi taimi pē ʻi ha miniti ʻe taha.”
Naʻe lue atu ʻa Foaki ki he fuʻu ʻakaú peá ne ala fakalelei ki hono kilí. Naʻá ne sio leva ki he taila ʻi he kelekelé, ʻo ne manatuʻi ʻa e talanoa ʻo e kui takitaha. ʻE ʻi ai pē ha ʻaho, te ne ʻaʻahi ai ki he temipalé ʻo fakahoko ʻa e ngaahi ouau toputapú maʻanautolu. Naʻá ne ʻi heni ʻi he ʻahó ní koeʻuhí ko kinautolu. Te ne fai hono fatongiá ke fakafoki ʻa e meʻaʻofa naʻa nau foaki ange maʻaná.
Naʻe mafao atu ʻa e nima ʻo Kulenipaá kiate ia, pea naʻe puke ia ʻe Foaki. ʻI he sio fakaʻosi ʻa Foaki ki he fuʻu ʻakau fakafāmilí, naʻá ne hū leva ki fale, ʻa ia naʻe ʻi ai ha tokolahi ange ʻo hono fāmilí ke talitali ia.
Tā fakatātā ʻa Audrey Day