Kilisimasi ʻa Keolá

“Fakatovave, Pae!” Ko e lea ange ia ʻa Keola ki hono kiʻi tehiná. “Te ke lava ʻo fai ia!”

Ne ʻi he ʻapi ʻo Kulenimā mo Kulenipaá ʻa Keola mo hono fāmilí. Naʻa nau vaʻinga Faluku e Lolé mo honau ngaahi kāsiní—ʻa e vaʻinga naʻa nau saiʻia taha ke vaʻinga ai ʻi he ʻAho Kilisimasí. Naʻe haʻi e mata ʻo Paé. Naʻá ne feinga ke tata hake e lolé ʻaki ha meʻa heu pea faʻo ia ki ha kane.

Naʻe pehē ange ʻe hona taʻokete ko Tauinaolá, “ʻOku toe pē haʻo sekoni ʻe nima!” Naʻá ne pukepuke ʻa e uasí.

“ʻOku faingataʻa ʻeni!” Naʻe kata ʻa Pae mo tekeʻi takai ʻene meʻa heú, ʻo ne fakamovete ʻa e lolé ʻi he falikí.

“ʻOsi e taimí!” Ko e ui atu ia ʻa Tauinaolá.

Naʻe toʻo ʻe Pae hono haʻí. “Koloa pē kuó u maʻu ha lole! Tau vaʻinga Lī Siakale he taimí ni.”

Naʻe ʻalu ʻa Pae, Tauinaola, mo honau ngaahi kāsiní ki ha loki ʻe taha. Naʻe ʻai ke muimui ʻa Keola ʻiate kinautolu, ka naʻá ne fanongo ki he leʻo ʻo Kulenimaá.

“ʻOku fēfē ho Kilisimasí, Keola?” Naʻe laka fakalaka hake ʻa Kulenimā ʻi he lolé mo e pepa kofukofu ʻi he falikí ʻo fāʻofua kia Keola.

“Kuo fakalata ia!” Ko e talaange ia ʻa Keolá.

Kimuʻa ange ʻi he ʻaho ko iá, naʻe ngaohi ʻe he kuifefine, kui-ua, mo e ngaahi faʻē ʻa Keolá ha meʻakai faka-Filipaini ifo ki he maʻu meʻatokoni efiafí. Naʻe ui ʻa e meʻa naʻe saiʻia taha ai ʻa Keolá ko e penisiti, ʻa ia naʻe ngaohi ʻaki e laise nūtolo, moa, mo e vesitapolo ʻo fakapaku ʻi ha fakapaku.

Hili e maʻu meʻatokoni efiafí, naʻe fakataha mai ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē ke lau ʻa e Luke 2. Naʻe fakaʻaongaʻi ʻe Keola mo Pae ʻena seti fakatātā ʻo e ʻAloʻí ke tokoni ki hono fai ʻo e talanoá. Ko ha meʻa fakaʻofoʻofa ke manatuʻi fakataha hono ʻaloʻi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí.

Ka kuo mei ʻosi ʻeni ʻa e Kilisimasí. Naʻe fakafulofula ʻa Keola. “ʻOku ou fakaʻamu ange naʻe ʻikai ke toe ʻosi ia.”

“Mo au pē. Ka ʻoku ou houngaʻia naʻa tau lava ʻo feohi fakataha ʻi he ʻahó ni.” Naʻe toe fāʻofua maʻu ʻa Kulenimā kia Keola. “ʻOku totonu ke u ʻalu ʻo tokoni ki he fakamāú. Te u ʻi peito ʻo kapau te ke fiemaʻu au.”

ʻI he sio atu ʻa Keola ki heʻene ʻalú, naʻá ne sio ki he tokoni ʻene ongomātuʻá ki ngaahi faʻeé mo e faʻētangatá ʻi hono fakamaʻa e peitó. Naʻa nau fufulu mo fakamōmoa ʻa e ʻū meʻa ngaahi kaí. Naʻe ʻikai ke fuʻu saiʻia ʻa Keola ʻi he fakamaʻá, ka naʻá ne ʻiloʻi naʻe kei lahi pē e meʻa ke fai ʻi falé.

Naʻá ne fakakaukau pē kiate ia, Mahalo ʻoku totonu ke u tokoni.

Naʻe kei ʻi ai pē ha ʻū kofukofu lole mo ha pepa kofu meʻaʻofa ʻi he falikí. Naʻe toʻo mai ʻe Keola ha milemila veve mei peito. Naʻá ne faʻo kotoa ʻa e ʻū laʻipepá ʻi he kató. Naʻá ne lue takai leva ʻo tufi hake ha fanga kiʻi pepa holoholo kuo ʻuli mo ha veve kehe. Hili ha lau miniti siʻi, naʻe ʻosi ʻasi maʻa ange e lokí!

Naʻe fifili ʻa Keola pe ko e hā e meʻa hoko te ne lava ʻo faí. Naʻe vaʻinga hono ngaahi kāsini pēpeé mo ha ʻū tohi mo e ʻū meʻa vaʻinga naʻe kei ʻi he falikí. Naʻá ne tānaki fakataha kinautolu ʻo tuku ki honau ngaahi feituʻú. Naʻá ne fakamaʻa leva ʻa e ngaahi keimi naʻe tuku ki tuʻá.

Na‘e fakafonu e loto ʻo Keolá ʻaki ha ongoʻi māfana. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi naʻe folofola ange ʻa e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní, kuó ne fai ha meʻa lelei. Naʻá ne fiefia ke tokoni!

Naʻe nofo ʻiate ia ʻa e ongoʻi māfana ko iá ʻi heʻene ʻave ʻa e ʻū peletí mo e ipu sioʻatá ki he singi ʻi peitó. Naʻe malimali ange ʻa Mami ʻi heʻene fufulu e ʻū meʻa ngaahi kaí.

Naʻá ne pehē ange, “Mālō ʻi hoʻo tokoní, Keola.”

Naʻe malimali atu mo Keola. “Sai pē!”

Hokó, naʻá ne tokoni ki heʻene faʻētangatá ke mopi e faliki ʻo e peitó pea faʻo e toenga meʻakaí. Hili iá, naʻe mātuʻaki maʻa ʻa e falé!

Naʻe vave pē taimi ke nau foki ai ki ʻapí.

Naʻe taʻataʻalo fakamāvae ʻa Keola kia Kulenimā mo Kulenipā, pea lue atu he halá mo Teti, Mami, mo hono ngaahi tokouá. Naʻe longoaʻa ʻa e fanga heʻé, pea naʻe sio ʻa Keola ki he ulo ʻa e ngaahi fetuʻú ʻi he langí. Naʻá ne malimali. Ne hoko ia ko ha Kilisimasi lelei. Naʻá ne fiefia ʻi heʻene tokoni ki hono fāmilí ke fakamaʻá. Pea naʻá ne ʻiloʻi naʻe fiefia foki mo Sīsū Kalaisi.

Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Mattia Lo Russo