ʻŌʻōfaki ʻi he ʻOfá
ʻOku nofo ʻa e tokotaha naʻá ne faʻú ʻi Mitileni Hihifo, ʻIngilani.
“[ʻE fakafiemālieʻi kitautolu ʻe he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní, ko hotau kaungāmeʻa moʻoni mo taʻengatá]” (Tohi Hiva ʻa e Fānaú, 56).
Naʻe tā tā ʻe ʻEpi hono louhiʻi vaʻé ʻi he falikí. Na‘á ne fiefia ʻaupito ʻo ne ongoʻi māfana ʻi hono keté. Naʻá ne ʻi ha papitaiso. Pea ʻikai ko ha faʻahinga papitaiso pē—ko ʻene papitaisó! Naʻe hiva fakataha ʻe ʻEpi, mo hono fāmilí mo e ngaahi kaungāmeʻá ha hiva Palaimeli, pea lotu mo fanongo ki he lea ʻa Kulenimaá. Ko e meʻa pē naʻe toe he taimi ní ko e lea ʻa Kulenipaá kimuʻa peá ne papitaisó.
Naʻe lue ʻa Kulenipā ki muʻa he lokí peá ne fakakuitaha ange kiate ia. Na‘á ne tuku hifo ha fuʻu kato lahi ki he falikí. Na‘á ne pehē, “ʻEpi, ʻoku mau laukau moʻoni ʻi hoʻo fili ke papitaiso he ʻaho ní. Ko e papitaisó ko ha ʻaho ia ʻoku fonu ʻi he ngaahi meʻaʻofá. ‘Okú ke foaki ʻa e meʻaʻofa hoʻo tāsīpingá ki hoʻo ngaahi tokouá mo e tuongaʻané.” Naʻá ne malimali ki he ngaahi tokoua mo e tuongaʻane iiki ʻo ʻEpí.
Naʻe pehē ʻe Kulenipā, “ʻOku fakahoko foki ha ngaahi palōmesi ki he ʻOtuá. “Pea ʻokú Ne tuku atu kiate koe ʻEne ngaahi talaʻofá. Ka ‘oku ʻi ai ha meʻaʻofa lahi ʻe taha te ke maʻu he ʻahó ni.”
Naʻe punou hifo ʻa Kulenipā ʻo ala ki he kató. Na‘á ne toʻo hake ha kafu molū lanu hinehina pea ʻoange ia kiate ia. “Ko ha meʻaʻofa ʻeni meiate au mo Kulenimā. Ka ko ha fakamanatu foki ia ʻo e meʻafoaki ʻo e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní te ke maʻu he ʻaho ní. ‘I he taimi te ke fakaʻaongaʻi ai e kafu ko ʻení, ʻoku ou loto ke ke fakakaukau ki he ongo ʻo e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní. ‘E lava ʻe he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ʻo fakanonga koe ʻo hangē ha kafu moluú. ʻE lava foki ia ʻo tataki koe mo fakahā atu ʻa e meʻa ʻoku totonú.”
Na‘e fusi hake ʻe ʻEpi ʻa e kafú ʻi hono umá. Naʻá ne malimali kia Kulenipā. ‘I heʻene fakaʻosi ʻa ʻene leá, naʻá ne fakatokangaʻi e meʻa naʻá ne ongoʻi mei he kafú. Naʻe māfana ia. Naʻe fakanonga ia. Naʻe tokoni ia ke ne ongoʻi malu.
Ne faifai pea hokosia e taimi ke papitaiso ai ʻa ʻEpí. Na‘á ne hifo ki he loto vai papitaiso māfaná pea puke e nima ʻo Papá. Na‘á ne fakasiosio atu ki hono ngaahi tuongaʻané mo e tokouá pea malimali kiate kinautolu kimuʻa peá ne kuikuí.
Naʻe leʻolahi e leʻo ʻo Papá ka naʻe nonga ia ʻi heʻene lea ʻaki e lotu ʻo e papitaisó ʻi he lea faka-Falaniseé. “Je te baptise au nom du Père, et du Fils, et du Saint-Esprit. ʻĒmeni.”
Na‘e vave e puli hifo ʻa ʻEpi ʻi he vai mafaná, pea naʻe vave pehē pē hono toe fokotuʻu hake iá. Ko e meʻá ia! Kuo papitaiso ia!
Naʻe piki maʻu ʻa ʻEpi kia Papa peá ne manga hake mei he vai papitaisó. Na‘á ne fetongi mei hono teunga kakató pea tui hono kofú. ‘I he taimi naʻá ne hū mai ai ki tuʻá, naʻe talitali atu ʻa Maman (Mami) mo hono ongo kaungāmeʻa ko ʻIsopela mo Fololení. Na‘a nau tokoni ke nonoʻo e haʻi hono kofú mo helu hono ʻulu vivikú.
Naʻe pehē ʻe Maman, “ʻOku mau laukau ʻaki koe.”
Na‘e malimali ʻa Fololeni kia ʻEpi ʻi he sioʻatá. “‘Oku ou saiʻia maʻu pē he mamata ʻi he papitaisó.”
“Ko ē, naʻá ke tuku ʻeni ho seá.” Na‘e ʻoange ʻe ʻIsopela ʻene kafu hinehina foʻoú.
Naʻe puke maʻu ʻe ʻEpi ʻa e kafú ʻi he talanoa mo kakata ʻa Maman mo hono kaungāmeʻá. Na‘e māfana mo fakanonga ʻa e kafú, ʻo hangē pē ko ia naʻe lea ʻaki ʻe Kulenipaá. Ka naʻe ʻikai ke ne ongoʻi māfana pē ʻi tuʻa. Naʻe ongoʻi lelei mo malu foki ʻa ʻEpi ʻi hono lotó. Na‘á ne ʻiloʻi ʻi hono lotó naʻá ne fakahoko ʻa e fili totonú pea naʻe fiefia ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní.
Na‘e tatau tofu pē ʻa e ongo fakamāfana mo fakafiefia ko ʻení pea mo hono kafú. Naʻe pau pē ko e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ia!
Naʻe malimali ʻa ʻEpi ʻi heʻene sio kiate ia ʻi he sioʻatá. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne faʻa tatali ke hilifakinima peá ne maʻu e meʻafoaki ʻo e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní kae lava ke ne ongoʻi peheni maʻu pē. Ko e meʻaʻofa lelei tahá ia.
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Maryn Roos