Ko e Mana ʻi he Matapaá

Naʻe ʻosiki ʻe Kuleisi ʻene laʻikeké, faʻo ʻene peletí ki he singí, pea toʻo mai ʻene kato naunaú.

Naʻe talaange ʻe Teti, “Taimi ʻa e lotu fakafāmilí.”

Naʻe tūʻulutui ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē ʻi he loto falé. Naʻe fai ʻa e lotú ʻe he māhanga tangata ʻo Kuleisi ko Siaosí. Naʻá ne pehē, “Kātaki tokoniʻi kimautolu ke mau maʻu ha ʻaho lelei ʻi he akó. Pea tāpuakiʻi muʻa mo Mami ke ne siʻi sai pē. Tāpuakiʻi muʻa ʻa e kau toketaá ke nau ʻiloʻi ʻa e founga ke tokoniʻi ai iá.”

Naʻe ʻi ai ha foʻi ngungu ʻi he ʻuto ʻo e mami ʻa Kuleisí. ʻE fiemaʻu ke fai hano tafa. Naʻe fakatuʻamelie ʻa e kau toketaá ʻe sai pē ʻa e meʻa kotoa, ka naʻe ʻikai ke nau ʻiloʻi fakapapau.

Hili ʻa e lotú, naʻe fāʻofua ʻa Mami ki he tokotaha kotoa. “Te u toe ʻalu ki he toketaá ʻi he ʻahó ni. ʻOfa pē te tau maʻu ha ngaahi tali lahi ange.”

Fēfē kapau ʻe mate ʻa Mami pea ʻikai ke u toe lava ʻo talanoa mo ia? Ko e fifili ia ʻa Kuleisi. Naʻá ne ilifia ʻaupito. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne lava ʻo fakakaukau atu ki he ʻikai ke ne lava ʻo fāʻofua pe sio kia Mami ʻi he tuku ʻa e akó.

ʻI he ʻaho ko iá, naʻe ʻalu ʻa Kuleisi ki he kalasí, mālōlō siʻí, mo e kai hoʻataá ʻo hangē pē ko e angamahení. Ka naʻá ne kei fakakaukau pē kia Mami. ʻI heʻene ongoʻi ilifiá, naʻá ne fakakaukau ki heʻene foʻi hiva manako ʻi he Palaimelí. Naʻá ne hiva pē ʻi hono lotó, Ko e fāmilí ke taʻengata [ʻi he] palani ʻa e Tamaí.

ʻI he aʻu ʻa Kuleisi mo Siaosi ki ʻapi mei he akó, naʻá na lele ki loto ʻo fāʻofua kia Mami. Naʻe ʻeke ange ʻe Kuleisi, “Naʻe fēfē ho ʻapoinimení?”

Naʻe talaange ʻe Mami, “Naʻe sai pē. ʻOku teʻeki pē ke lahi haʻatau ʻilo ki ai. ʻOku ʻi ai ʻeku ʻū ʻapoinimeni ʻi he uike kahaʻú, kimuʻa pea toki fai ʻa e tafá.”

Naʻe fiefia ʻa Kuleisi ke sio ki heʻene mamí. Ka naʻá ne kei tailiili pē.

Hili ha ngaahi ʻaho siʻi mei ai, naʻe tatangi ʻa e fafangu ʻi he matapaá. ʻI hono fakaava hake ʻe Mami ʻa e matapaá, naʻe fanongo ʻa Kuleisi ki ha hiva.

Naʻá ne tuʻu mo Mami ʻi he matapaá ʻo sio ki ha niʻihi ʻo honau ngaahi kaungāmeʻa mei he lotú mo e akó. Naʻa nau hivaʻi ha ngaahi hiva Palaimeli. Naʻe pehē mai hanau tokotaha, “Naʻa mau fakakaukau mai kia koe pea mau loto ke ʻomi ha fakafiemālie.” Naʻe kamata leva ke nau toe hiva.

Naʻe haʻu foki mo Siaosi ki he matapaá. Naʻá ne tafoki kia Kuleisi. “Ta hiva mo nautolu!”

Naʻe toʻo mai ʻe Kuleisi mo Siaosi hona koté ʻo na lelei ki tuʻa ʻo kau fakataha mo kinautolu. Naʻá na hiva ʻi he leʻo lahi taha te na lavá:

Naʻe sio ʻa Kuleisi ki he holoholoʻi ʻe Mami hono loʻimatá. Naʻe piki maʻu ʻa hono kiʻi tehina ko Losé ʻi he vaʻe ʻo Mamí mo fakafanongo foki mo ia.

Naʻe maʻu ʻe Kuleisi ha ongoʻi nonga moʻoni. Ka naʻá ne kei hohaʻa pē kia Mami. Ka naʻá ne ʻiloʻi naʻe ʻofa ʻa Sīsū Kalaisi ʻiate kinautolu. Ko ha ʻOtua Ia ʻo e ngaahi maná. Pea naʻe ʻiloʻi ʻe Kuleisi ʻe lelei pē ʻa e meʻa kotoa.

ʻŪ tā fakatātā ʻa Bethany Stancliffe