“Kovi ʻi he Petiminitoní,” Ko e Kaumeʻá, ʻEpeleli 2026, 38–39.
Kovi ʻi he Petiminitoní
Naʻe pehē ʻe Sia, “Ka ʻoku ou fie poto ange ai ʻi he taimí ni.”
Ko ha talanoa moʻoni mei he ʻOtu Filipainí.
Naʻe mihiʻi ʻe Sia ʻene mānavá peá ne feinga ke tokanga. Te ne lava ʻo fai ʻeni. Naʻá ne lī e foʻi pulu petiminitoní, peá ne taaʻi ʻene paté, pea …
Plonk!
Naʻe tō e kiʻi foʻi pulú ki he falikí ʻi muʻa ʻi hono louhiʻi vaʻé.
Naʻe māpuhoi mo fakafulofula ʻa Sia. Naʻe hala ʻene taá. Ko e tuʻo uá ia.
Naʻe tōtō mai ʻa Teti mei he tafaʻaki ʻo e malaʻe petiminitoní. “Ko e feinga lelei ia! Mahalo ʻoku sai ke peluki lahi ange ho fasiʻanimá ʻi he taimi te ke teka hoko aí.”
“ʻOku fuʻu faingataʻa e teká!” Ko e lea ange ia ʻa Siá. Naʻa ne sio atu ki he malaʻe ʻe taha naʻe vaʻinga ai hono ongo kāsini ko ʻAnalini mo Siovaní. Naʻe fepunaʻaki e kiʻi pulu petiminitoní ʻi he funga netí ʻi heʻena tā taufetongi ʻaki ʻena paté. Naʻá na ʻai ke hā faingofua ia!
Naʻe hili atu ʻe Teti hono nima ʻe taha ʻi hono umá. “Te ke fakalakalaka pē koe ʻi he petiminitoní. ʻOku fiemaʻu pē ke ke kiʻi akoako.”
Naʻe talaange ʻe Sia, “Ka ʻoku ou fie poto au he taimí ni.”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Teti. “Mahalo ʻe lelei ange e ako vaʻinga ho timí ʻapongipongí.”
Ka ʻi he ʻaho hono hokó, naʻe ʻikai ke sai ange e ako vaʻingá. Naʻe lahi ange ʻene tā halá ʻi heʻene tā naʻe taú. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne lava ʻo tekaʻi ke fakalaka ʻi he netí. Pea ʻi he lolotonga ʻa e kiʻi mālōloó, naʻá ne humu ʻo mahua e vaí ʻi he kotoa hono teungá.
Naʻe tuhu ʻa Leila ko e kapiteni ʻo e timí, ki hono sote vivikú pea mo kata. “Sia, ʻokú ke fuʻu makaka!”
Naʻe ongoʻi ʻe Sia e fakaʻau ke vevela hono kouʻahé. Naʻe ui leva ʻe heʻene faiakó ʻa e taha kotoa ki he malaʻe vaʻingá.
“Sai, ʻoku toe pē ha ngaahi uike siʻi pea fakahoko e feʻauhí. Mou tauhoa hake!”
Naʻe tātaaʻi ʻe ʻAnalini e uma ʻo Siá. “Te ta lava ʻo hoa. Te u tokoni atu ke ke ako.”
Naʻe kata ʻa Leila. “Ko Sia ʻa e vaivai taha ʻi he timí! He ʻikai ke ke teitei mālohi kapau te mo hoa.”
Naʻe sio hifo ʻa Sia ki hono vaʻé. Naʻe moʻoni ʻa Leila. Ko ia ʻa e vaivai taha ʻi he timí, pea naʻe ʻikai ke ne fakapapauʻi pe te ne toe sai ange.
ʻI he aʻu ʻa Sia ki ʻapí, naʻe ngaohi ʻe Mami ha moa (adobo) ʻi he sitoú. Naʻe tangi hono kiʻi tuongaʻane kei valevale ko Tolomí, mo piki ki he vaʻe ʻo Mamí.
Naʻe fiefia ʻa Mami ke sio kia Sia. “Sai, kuó ke aʻu mai! Te ke lava nai ʻo ʻave ʻa Tolomi ke mo vaʻinga ka u fakaʻosiʻi e meʻatokoni efiafí?”
Naʻe ʻikai ke fie vaʻinga ʻa Sia he taimí ni. Ka naʻe mata mamahi ʻaupito ʻa Tolomi! Naʻe fua hake ia ʻe Sia. Naʻe kei tangi pē ʻa Tolomi.
Naʻe tuku hifo ia ʻe Sia ki he falikí peá ne toʻo mai ha pepa fakameaʻa mei he kōpaté. Naʻe kamata ke ne tāpelu fakalongolongo pē ha kiʻi pusi ʻolikami.
Naʻe siofi ia ʻe Tolomi, pea māmālie pē ʻene fiemālié. Naʻe fakaʻosi ʻe Sia ʻa e pusí peá ne puke hake ia. “Miau!”
Naʻe makiʻikiʻi ʻa Tolomi. Naʻe ʻoange ʻe Sia ki ai ʻa e pusi ʻolikamí pea kamata ke ne tāpelu ʻaki e pepá ha loli hiki meʻa mamafa, lāsipi, mo e fonu ke na vaʻinga ʻaki.
“Ko ha tokotaha tokoni lelei koe!”
Naʻe tafoki hake ʻa Sia ʻo sio ʻoku malimali ange ʻa Mami. Naʻe talaange ʻe Mami, “Fakamālō atu ʻi hoʻo tokoni mai he ʻaho ní. ʻOkú ke maʻu e ʻulungaanga Faka-Kalaisí.”
“ʻOku ou fiefia ʻi heʻeku lava ʻo tokoní.” Naʻe sio ʻa Sia ki he fiefia ʻa Tolomí peá ne ongoʻi māfana ʻi hono lotó. Neongo naʻe kovi ʻene teka e pulu petiminitoní, mahalo ʻe lava ke ne feinga mālohi ʻaupito ke hoko ko e lelei taha ʻi he tokoni ki hono fāmilí.
ʻI he ngaahi uike siʻi hono hokó, naʻe feinga ʻa Sia ke toe lelei ange ʻene teka [he petiminitoní] mo e ngāue tokoní—ʻi he malaʻe vaʻingá pea ʻi ʻapi. Naʻá ne ako vaʻinga ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻi he tuku ʻa e akó ʻi he malaʻe petiminitoní. Naʻá ne tokoni kia Mami ʻo tokangaʻi ʻa Tolomi ʻi ʻapi hili e ako vaʻingá. Pea naʻá ne lotu ke tokoniʻi ia ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ke teuteu ki heʻene feʻauhí.
ʻI he hokosia e ʻaho ʻo e feʻauhí, naʻe tailiili ʻaupito ʻa Sia! Naʻá ne lue atu mo ʻAnalini ki he malaʻe vaʻingá. Naʻe taʻataʻalo mai ʻa Mami, Teti, mo Tolomi mei he feituʻu e kau mamata vaʻingá. ʻI he hoko hono taimi ke teká, naʻe mihiʻi ʻe Sia ʻene mānavá. Te ne lava ʻo fai ʻeni.
Naʻe lī ʻe Sia e kiʻi foʻi pulu petiminitoní, peá ne taaʻi ʻene paté, pea …
Tau!
Naʻe puna fakalaka hake [e pulú] ʻi he netí! Naʻá ne fanongo ki he fiefia ʻa Tetí. Naʻá ne lavaʻi ia!
Mahalo naʻe ʻikai fuʻu faingataʻa fēfē ʻa e teká.
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Beatrice Costamagna. ʻE lava ke hiki hano tatau ke fakaʻaongaʻi pē ʻe he Siasí.