“ʻEi, Ko Mateo Koe ko e Māmongá, Ko Ia?”

Neongo naʻe ʻikai ke u foaki ha lea ʻe taha, ka naʻe vave pē ʻa e mafola ʻa e ongoongo ʻo ʻeku tui fakalotú. Naʻe kamata ke u maʻu ha ngaahi fehuʻi fakaʻaho fekauʻaki mo ʻeku tuí, ʻa ia naʻe faʻa kamata ʻaki e “ʻEi, ko Mateo koe ko e Māmongá, ko ia?” Ko e lahi taha ʻo e ngaahi fehuʻí naʻe fai ʻi he loto-moʻoni, naʻe fakaʻohovale ha niʻihi, fakakovi ha niʻihi, pea naʻe matuʻaki fakaoli pē ha niʻihi.

Naʻe ʻeke fakamātoato mai ʻe hoku kaungāmeʻa ʻe taha, “ʻIkai ʻoku moʻoni ʻoku ʻikai ke mou kai moli kimoutolu?” peá u tali fakakata ange, “ʻOi, ʻio he ko e molí ʻoku haʻu fakahangatonu ia mei he tēvoló.” Lolotonga ʻema fakatou kakatá, naʻá ku fakatokangaʻi naʻe kamata ke mole atu ʻa e fuofua ongoʻi tailiilí, peá ma ongoʻi vāofi ange ko ha ongo kaungāmeʻa.

Koeʻuhí ko e ʻikai lava ke u toe hola mei he meʻa kuo ʻiloa ʻaki aú, naʻá ku fakakaukau ke u faʻu ha ngaahi faingamālie te ne ʻai ke fakatupu kata ʻa e ngaahi fepōtalanoaʻaki ʻe ngalingali taʻe-fakafiemālié. Naʻá ku fakaʻaongaʻi ʻa e faingamālié ke teuteu mo tui pine faifekau ʻi he Halouiní (ko ha ʻaho mālōlō ʻoku kātoangaʻi ʻi ʻOkatopa). Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ko ha ngāue faingataʻa ia he ʻe lava pē ke matuʻaki lumolumaʻi au, ka naʻá ku ongoʻi kapau te u fakahoko ia, ʻe fakahaaʻi ai ʻoku ou fakapapauʻi ʻa e ngaahi meʻa ʻoku ou tui ki aí.

Naʻe ola lelei ʻa e faingataʻá. Naʻe hoko ʻeku lue takai holo ko ha faifekau ʻi he ʻapiakó ke malimali ai ʻa e taha kotoa mo kamataʻi ha ngaahi tūkunga fakafaiva longomoʻui. Naʻá ku toʻo atu ha ngaahi fakamahamahalo ʻe niʻihi mo maʻu ha ngaahi kaungāmeʻa foʻou.

Hili ʻa e Halouiní, naʻe liliu ʻa e tōʻonga ʻa e kakaí kiate aú, pea kamata ke maliu ʻa e ngaahi fehuʻi fekauʻaki mo ʻeku tuí ki ha kole faleʻi mai hoku ngaahi kaungāmeʻá fekauʻaki mo ʻenau moʻuí. Naʻe fakaʻohovale kiate au ʻa e tafoki mai hoku ngaahi kaungāmeʻá mo e mahení, hili ʻenau fuofua ʻohovale ʻi hono ʻiloʻi ʻoku ʻikai ke u inu, ifi, pe fakaʻaongaʻi ʻa e faitoʻo konatapú, pea ʻoku ou kei fakatatali ʻa e feohi fafale fakaesinó kae ʻoua kuó u malí, ʻo fiemaʻu ʻeku faleʻí ʻi he ngaahi kaveinga pē ko iá.

Naʻá ku faʻa fakalotolahiʻi ai hoku ngaahi kaungāmeʻa naʻa nau ongoʻi ʻoku tenge kinautolu ke feohi fafale fakaesinó, naʻa nau maʻu ʻa e mālohi ke filí, ʻo fakaʻaiʻai ai ha niʻihi ke nau ō ki he faifaleʻi ʻa e ʻapiakó ʻo talanoa fekauʻaki mo e moʻui lelei fakaʻatamaí mo e ngaahi hohaʻa ki he maʻunimaá, pea aʻu pē ki hono fakafiemālieʻi ha taha naʻá ne fai ha fehalaaki ʻo hangehangē ka iku ʻo tuli ai ia mei he akó. Naʻá ku moʻutāfuʻua ʻi he tokolahi ʻo hoku ngaahi kaungāmeʻa naʻe liliu mei hono manukiʻi aú ʻo fekumi ki heʻeku faleʻí.

Naʻe mahino kiate au ʻi he fakalau ʻa e taimí, naʻe hanga ʻe heʻeku loto-falala, tauʻatāina, mo faitotonu fekauʻaki mo aú, ʻo tataki mai kiate au ʻa e niʻihi kehe naʻa nau fekumi ki ha taha ke fakafanongo mo ʻikai fakamāuʻi kinautolú.

ʻOku ou houngaʻia ʻi ha lēsoni ʻe ua mei he ngaahi lēsoni mahuʻinga lahi naʻá ku ako ʻi he taʻu ko iá. Ko e ʻuluakí, ʻe lava ʻe he fakakata leleí ʻo toʻo atu ʻa e tailiilí mo e fakakikihí pea ko ha founga lelei ia ki hono fakatahatahaʻi ʻa e kakaí. Ko hono uá, ʻoku ʻomi ʻe hono fili ke te faitotonu pē kiate kitá ha ngaahi faingamālie fakaofo ke tokoniʻi ʻa e niʻihi kehé, ʻa ia naʻe ʻikai ke nau meimei fie haʻu ʻi ha toe founga kehé.

Naʻe lahi ha ngaahi taimi naʻá ku fie fufuuʻi ʻeku tui fakalotú pea ʻiloa ʻaki au ha meʻa kehe. Ka ʻoku hoko ʻe te poto ʻi he fakakatá mo ʻeku faitotonu moʻoni fekauʻaki mo aú, ʻo fakaʻatā ʻa e kakaí ke nau ʻiloʻi au ko Mateo, kae ʻikai ko ha taha pē ʻoku kehe ʻa e meʻa ʻoku tui ki aí.