Pō Mālū, Maama Haohaoa ʻo e ʻOfá
ʻOku ou fie fai atu ha talanoa ʻe ua ne hoko kiate au ʻa ia kuó u manatua ʻi ha ngaahi taʻu lahi, naʻa mo e taimí ni, ʻokú na akoʻi mai e ngaahi lēsoni ʻoku ou fie maʻú.
Naʻe hoko ʻa e fuofua talanoá ʻi heʻeku taʻu onó. Ko ʻemau fai hiva ʻi he Hunter 5th Ward ko Sisitā Beverly Whitley. Kuó u toki ʻiloʻi ʻi he taimí ni mahalo ne teʻeki taʻu 40 he taimi ko iá, ka naʻá ne maʻu ha fānau taʻu hongofulu tupu pea ne nau ngali fakamatuʻotuʻa mo poto ʻaupito kiate kimautolu he Palaimeli īkí. Naʻe ʻulungaanga fakafiefia pea naʻá ne feohi mo kimautolu ʻo hangē kuo mau lalahí, pea ne mau saiʻia ai. Ne mau saiʻia ʻiate ia mo feinga ke fakafiefiaʻi ia. Naʻá ne talamai te mau lava ʻo hiva leʻolahi ʻaupito koeʻuhí ke lava ʻemau mātuʻá ʻo ongoʻi kimautolu mei he loki ʻe tahá. ʻO ʻikai kaikaila—kae hiva fakamātoato! Pea ne mau hiva ʻaki homau lotó kotoa. Naʻá ne akoʻi mai foki ha foʻi hiva mei he tohi himi ʻa e kakai lalahí, pea naʻá ne ʻilo ko ha kau hiva matuʻotuʻa feʻunga kimautolu ke mau lava ʻo maʻuloto e ngaahi lea faingataʻá. Naʻá ne fakamatalaʻi e ʻuhinga ʻo e ngaahi leá kotoa koeʻuhí ke mahino kiate kimautolu. Naʻá ne akoʻi mai ʻoku ʻi ai ha pōpoaki makehe ʻi he foʻi hiva takitaha maʻamautolu, pea kapau te mau fakakaukau ki he ngaahi leá, te mau maʻu e pōpoaki ne fakataumuʻa ki heʻemau ngaahi moʻuí.
Ne u feinga ʻi he kilisimasi ko iá ʻi heʻeku ako e ngaahi veesi kotoa ʻo e “Pō Māluú” ke fakaʻaongaʻi e meʻa naʻe akoʻi mai ʻe Sisitā Whitley kiate kimautolú. Te u tomuʻa kole fakamolemole atu heni ki he kau liliu leá koeʻuhí ʻe kiʻi faingataʻa ʻeni. ʻI heʻeku hoko ko ha kiʻi taʻahine taʻu 6, ne u fakakaukau lahi ki he ngaahi lea ʻi he veesi tolú, ka ne ʻikai ke mahino kiate au e ngaahi fakaʻilongá. Makehe mei hono hiva “Hifo ai e ʻAlo, maama ne hā mai aí,” ʻo ʻuhinga ki hono fakafofongaʻi ʻe Sīsū ʻa e maama ʻoku maʻu mei he ʻofa haohaoá, ne mahino ia kiate au ʻo pehē ʻoku ʻofa ʻa e ʻAlo ʻo e ʻOtuá ʻi he maama haohaoá—ʻokú Ne hoifua ki ha faʻahinga meʻa pē ʻoku makatuʻunga ʻi he maama haohaoá. ʻI heʻeku fakakaukau hangē ko Sisitā Whitley, ne u feinga ke ʻilo e founga ʻe lava ke u “[hoko ai ko ha maama haohaoa ʻo e ʻofá]” ʻo hangē ko Sīsuú.
Naʻe hoko e talanoa hono uá ʻi heʻeku taʻu 9. Hangē ko ha kauleka tokolahi, ne u toʻo foki ha ngaahi lēsoni piano. Ne ʻikai keu talēnitiʻia, pea mahalo ʻi hono poupouʻi aú, naʻe kole mai ai ʻeku pīsopé pe tau lava ʻo tā ha foʻi hiva Kilisimasi ʻi he houalotu sākalamēnití he Efiafi kimuʻa he ʻaho Kilisimasí. Ne u fili ai ke tā ʻa e “Pō Māluú.” Ne tokoni mai ʻeku faiako pianó. Ne fanongo ʻeku mātuʻá ki heʻeku toutou tā tuʻo 100 ia ʻi heʻemau piano ʻuliʻuli ʻi he konga ki lalo homau falé. Naʻe talamai ʻe ha tokotaha mahalo naʻa sai ke u feinga ke ako maʻuloto ʻa e hivá pea ʻoua toe fakaʻaongaʻi ʻa e laʻi hivá, ka naʻá ku fuʻu ilifia ʻaupito ke tā e pianó ʻi muʻa he tokotaha kotoa ʻi hoku uōtí koeʻuhí ko e ʻikai ke u lava ʻo tā maʻuloto e foʻi hivá. Ka ne u maʻu ha palani. Te u ʻalu mo e laʻi hivá, ka he ʻikai ke u fokotuʻu ia he pianó, ka te u tuku ia ʻi hoku fungá. Te u lava ai ʻo sio ki hoku nimá pea mo e laʻi hivá, pea ʻe hangē pē ia kuó u maʻuloto e foʻi hivá. Naʻe lelei e foʻi palani ko ʻení ʻi ha sēkoni nai pē ʻe 20. Ne u tuku e laʻi hivá ʻi hoku funga piva silika Kilisimasí pea kamata ke u tā ia, ka naʻe hekeheke e tupenu ʻo e pivá pea ʻi he lotolotonga ʻo e ʻuluaki vēsí, ne heke hifo e laʻi hivá mei hoku pivá pea puli fakaʻaufuli ia ki he lalo pianó. Ne u puputuʻu. Ne ʻikai ha founga ke toʻo hake ai e laʻi hivá, pea naʻe ʻikai ke u toe lava ʻo fakakaukau ki ha meʻa. Ne u ʻūʻūnifo pē mo feinga hoku lelei tahá. Naʻe fuʻu kovi ʻaupito.
Ne u lomi ha ngaahi nota hala, pea ne u lava ʻo sio ki he kakai ʻi he haʻofangá ne nau momou. Ne fehālaaki ʻeku tā ʻa e veesi hono uá. Ne ʻikai ke u toe tā e veesi hono tolú peá u fakavavevave hifo he ʻotu seá mo ʻeku maá ʻo feinga ke ʻoua te u tangi. Ne fanafana mai ʻeku mātuʻá “Ko e hā naʻe hokó? Naʻá ke ʻilo lelei e foʻi hivá.” Ne ʻikai ke u faʻa tatali ke mavahe mei he lotú. Ne ʻikai ke u fie sio pe talanoa ki ha taha; ne u ongoʻi mā ʻaupito. ʻI he ʻosi ʻa e houalotú, ne fakafetaulaki mai ʻeku faiako Lautohi Faka-Sāpate matuʻotuʻá, Sisitā Alma Heaton. Ne u feinga ke fakaʻehiʻehi meiate ia, ka naʻá ne puke hoku nimá. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne talamai ne lelei, ʻa ia ʻoku ʻilo ʻe he tokotaha kotoa ko ha loi, ka naʻá ne talamai ha meʻa te u manatuʻi he toenga ʻeku moʻuí. Naʻá ne pehē mai, “Seiloni, ʻoku ʻikai mahuʻinga ia pe naʻe fēfē. ʻOku ʻilo ʻe he tokotaha kotoa naʻá ke ngāue mālohi ki ai, pea ʻoku mau ʻofa ʻiate koe neongo pe ʻokú ke lava ʻo tā e pianó pe ʻikai.”
Ko e moʻoní ia. Ka naʻe ʻikai fakamamahi ʻo hangē ko ia ne u ʻamanaki ki aí. Ko hono moʻoní ne u ngāue mālohi, pea ne nau ʻofa ʻiate au neongo ne ʻikai ke u lava ʻo tā ʻa e pianó. Ne u kiʻi mamali siʻisiʻi pea ne fāʻofua mai ʻo hangē ko e kau fafine matuʻotuá pea faifai kuo lelei e meʻa kotoa.
Sai, ne ʻikai fai ʻe Beverly Whitley mo Alma Heaton ha meʻa fakaofo. Ne ʻikai ke na hiki ha meʻa ʻi heʻena tohinoá. ʻOku ʻikai ʻilo ʻe ha taha ʻi hona ongo fāmilí e ngaahi talanoa ko ʻení. Ne na akoʻi pē ʻa e fānau īkí ke nau hiva pea mo e founga ke mahino ai kiate kinautolu e ongoongoleleí. Ko e hā mo ha toe meʻa ʻe faingofua ange? Ko hono moʻoní naʻe ʻikai faingofua. Kapau te ke ʻeke mai pe ʻoku fēfē ʻa e taimi ʻoku maʻu ai ʻe ha taha e “maama haohaoa ʻo e ʻofá,” ʻoku hangē ia ko Beverly Whitley. ʻOku hangē ia ko Alma Heaton. ʻOkú na fakatou ʻiloʻi ʻa e “maama haohaoá” ʻi ha kiʻi leka ʻoku feinga mālohi ʻaki hono tūkuingatá ka na kei ʻofa pē ai neongo naʻe ʻikai haohaoa ʻene ngāué.
ʻOku peheni tofu pē ʻetau Tamai Hēvaní. ʻOkú Ne ʻafioʻi kitautolu, ko ʻEne fānau īkí, ʻi heʻetau feingá. ʻOku ʻikai iku lelei maʻu pē ʻetau ngaahi ngāué, ka ʻokú Ne ʻafioʻi e faivelenga ʻetau ngāué—ʻo ʻūʻūnifo he taimi ʻe niʻihi mo tuiaki pē ʻi ha faingataʻa—pea ʻokú Ne ʻofa ai ʻiate kitautolu. ʻI he kotoa ʻo ʻetau fehalākí, taʻe fenāpasí, mo e taʻe ʻiloa ʻetau hivá, naʻá Ne tuku mai Hono ʻAlo ʻOfaʻanga Maʻongoʻonga Pē ʻe Tahá, ʻa ia ko e maama haohaoa ʻo e ʻofá. ʻE fakaleleiʻi ʻe Sīsū Kalaisi ʻetau fehalaaki kotoa pē mo fakatonutonu ʻetau tōnounou kotoa pē kapau te tau tafoki kiate Ia mo kole ʻEne tokoní. Koeʻuhí ko e ʻaloʻí, ko e Fakaleleí, mo e pekia ʻa Sīsū Kalaisí, ʻoku tau lava kotoa ai ʻo mālōlō ʻi ha nonga fakalangi.1
ʻOku ou mātuʻaki fiefia he faʻahitaʻu Kilisimasi ko ʻení ke hiva ha ngaahi hiva ʻoku nau maʻu ha pōpoaki makehe mei he Fakamoʻuí ki he māmaní, maʻanautolu ʻoku mamahi honau ngaahi lotó. ʻOku ou palōmesi atu ʻa e meʻa tatau naʻe palōmesi ʻe Sisitā Whitley ki he Palaimelí. Kapau te mou fakakaukau ki he ngaahi lea te ke hiva ʻi he faʻahitaʻu ko ʻení, te ke maʻu ha pōpoaki fakalangi ne fakataumuʻa pē kiate koe ʻa ia te ne hiki hake mo fakafiemālieʻi koe. Ko ha meʻa ʻeni ne u maʻu he faʻahitaʻu Kilisimasi ko ʻení. Kuó u hohaʻa maʻu pē ki he kakai kotoa ʻoku ʻikai aʻu ki ai ʻetau tokoni ʻofa fakaetangatá pea mo hono faʻa fakafaingataʻaʻiaʻi ʻe he ngaahi fonuá ʻetau tokoni ki hotau kāinga ʻoku faingataʻaʻiá. Pea ʻi he pongipongí ni ʻi he Fineʻofá, ne tukutaha ʻeku tokangá ki he hiva ne mau hivaʻí.
[Tāpuakiʻi muʻa ʻa e fānaú ʻaki ʻa hoʻo tokanga anga-ʻofá,
Pea ʻoatu kimautolu ki hēvani ke tau nofo fakataha mo e ʻafiona.]2
ʻOku ou fakamoʻoni ki he maama ʻo e ʻofa haohaoa ʻa e ʻAlo ʻo e ʻOtuá; ko Ia ʻa e maama haohaoa ʻo e ʻofá. ʻI he huafa ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí, ʻēmeni.