Nonga ʻi he Lotú

“Māʻolunga ange, Teti!” Naʻe kikī fiefia ʻa Mele.

Naʻe kata ʻa Teti peá ne toe tekeʻi lahi ʻa e heké. Naʻe haʻi ʻa e heké ki ha fuʻu ʻakau lahi naʻe ngaofe atu ʻene tupú ʻi he Vaitafe Misisipí. Naʻe saiʻia ʻaupito ʻa Mele ʻi he havilivili mai ki hono fofongá pea mo e ongo ʻi hono keté ʻi heʻene heke māʻolunga hake ʻi he fukahi vaí mo fokí.

“Ko e hokó ko au!” Ko ʻElisapeti atu ia.

Naʻe puna hifo ʻa Mele mei he heké kae heke hono tehiná.

Naʻe nofo ʻa e fāmili ʻo Melé ʻi Nāvū. Naʻe kau ʻene ongomātuʻá ki he Siasí ʻi he ngaahi taʻu siʻi kuohilí, pea naʻa nau fakatau atu ʻa e meʻa kotoa naʻa nau maʻú ke hiki ki ai ke kau fakataha mo e Kāingalotu kehé.

Ko ha feituʻu femoʻuekina ʻaupito ʻa Nāvū. Naʻe aʻu mai ha kakai foʻou ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē. Naʻe fiemaʻu ha ngāue mālohi ki hono langa ha kolo foʻoú, pea naʻe tokoni foki mo e fānaú. Naʻe hanga ʻe he tokoní ʻo ʻai ʻa Mele ke ongoʻi ʻokú ne fuʻu lahi mo mahuʻinga. ʻI he taimi ʻe niʻihi naʻá ne tokoni ʻi hono ʻomi ʻa e meʻatokoni hoʻatā ʻa Tetí lolotonga ʻene ngāue ʻi he temipale foʻoú.

ʻI he ʻaho Sāpaté, naʻe tui ʻe Mele hono kofu lelei tahá mo tokoniʻi hono ngaahi tuongaʻané mo e tokouá ke nau teuteu ki he lotú. Naʻe fakatahataha mai ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē ki lalo ʻi he ʻuluʻakaú ke fanongo ki hono akoʻi ʻe he Palōfita ko Siosefa Sāmitá fekauʻaki mo Sīsū Kalaisí. Naʻe saiʻia ʻa Mele ke ako fekauʻaki mo e founga te nau lava ai ʻo toe nofo mo e Tamai Hēvaní ʻi ha ʻahó. Naʻe mamata mo fanongo ʻa e Palōfitá ki ha ngaahi meʻa fakaofo lahi.

Ka naʻe ʻi ai ha kakai kehe naʻe ʻikai ke nau saiʻia ʻi he Palōfitá. Naʻe fanongo ʻa Mele ʻi ha ngaahi talanoa fekauʻaki mo ha kakai naʻa nau loto ke fakamamahiʻi ia.

ʻI ha pō ʻe taha ʻi he faʻahitaʻu māfaná, naʻe tokoni ai ʻa Mele kia Mami ke fakamaau hili ʻa e kai efiafí. Naʻe foki mai leva ʻa Teti ki ʻapi. Naʻe loʻimataʻia hono fofongá.

“Ko e hā ʻa e meʻa naʻe hokó?” Ko e fehuʻi ange ia ʻa Mamí.

Naʻe pehē ʻe Teti, “Kuo fakapoongi ʻa e Palōfita ko Siosefá.”

Naʻe kamata ke tangi foki mo Mami. Naʻá ne fehuʻi ange, “ʻE lava fēfē ke hoko atu ʻa e Siasí taʻekau ai ia?”

Naʻe fuʻu ongoʻi loto-mamahi mo ilifia ʻaupito ʻa Mele. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi ko e Palōfitá ko e tamaioʻeiki ia kuo fili ʻe he ʻOtuá. ʻE lava fēfē ke tuku ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ke hoko ʻení?

Naʻe kamata ke ne tangi peá ne lele ki tuʻa mei he falé ki he ngoué. Hili ʻa e tō tūʻulutui hifo ʻa Mele ʻo ofi ki ha vao ʻakaú, naʻe kamata ke lotu ʻa Mele. “ʻOiauē, Tamai Hēvani, ko e hā te mau faí? Kuo fakapoongi homau palōfitá.” Naʻe tō ha loʻimata mei hono fofongá.

Naʻe haʻu leva ha leʻo angavaivai ki he fakakaukau ʻa Melé. Te u fokotuʻu hake ha palōfita ʻe taha ke ne tataki hoku kakaí.

Na‘e fakafonu ʻe ha ongo‘i nonga mo fiefia ʻa hono lotó. Naʻá ne holoholoʻi hono matá peá ne lele ki fale ʻi he vave taha naʻá ne lavá.

“Mami! Teti!” Ko Mele ange ia. “Naʻá ku fai ha lotu, pea naʻe tali mai ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní.” Naʻá ne fakamatala kiate kinaua fekauʻaki mo e leʻó mo e ongoʻi nonga naʻá ne ongoʻí.

ʻI he fāʻofua ʻa Mami mo Teti kiate iá, naʻe ʻiloʻi ʻe Mele ʻe lelei pē ʻa e meʻa kotoa. Naʻá ne kei loto-mamahi pē, pea naʻá ne ʻiloʻi ʻe ʻi ai ha ngaahi taimi faingataʻa ʻi he kahaʻú. Ka ʻe kei hokohoko atu pē hono tataki mo tokoniʻi kinautolu ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní.

Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Kristin Sorra