Ko e ʻApi Foʻou ʻo ʻOmipení
ʻOku nofo ʻa e tokotaha naʻá ne faʻú ʻi ʻIutā, USA.
‘E lava fēfē ke fakakaungāmeʻa ʻa ʻOmipeni kapau ne ʻikai ke ne lava ʻo lea ‘aki ʻenau leá?
“Ko e muli au, pea naʻa mou fakaafeʻi au” (Mātiu 25:35).
Na‘e fakafulofula hifo ʻa ʻOmipeni ki heʻene laulau kai ho‘ataá. Na‘e fuʻu melie ‘a e meʻakai ‘i hono ʻapiako fo‘oú. Na‘á ne fakaʻamu ange na‘á ne lava ʻo kai pē e laise mo e piini naʻe ngaohi ʻi ʻapi heʻene faʻeé.
Ne toki hiki pē ʻa ʻOmipeni mo hono fāmilí ki he ʻIunaiteti Siteití ‘i ha ngaahi uike siʻi. Na‘e fuʻu fakatu‘utāmaki ke nau nofo ʻi honau fonua tupuʻangá, ko ia na‘e pau ai ke nau hiki ki he ʻIunaiteti Siteití ko ha kau kumi hūfanga. Naʻe faingataʻa ʻenau hikí. Ne faingataʻa foki ke fakaangaanga ki hono ʻapiako foʻoú.
Naʻe maʻu ‘e ʻOmpeni ha feituʻu ne ʻatā naʻe ofi atu ki ha kulupu fānau tangata pea tangutu ai ki lalo. Na‘a nau tafoki kotoa hake ke sio ki ai. Na‘e talaange ʻe ha tamasiʻi ʻa e me‘a, ka naʻe ʻikai lava ke mahino ia kia ʻOmipeni. Ne teʻeki ai ke ne ‘ilo lahi ki he lea faka-Pilitāniá.
Na‘e feinga ʻa ʻOmipeni ke lea atu ʻaki ha me‘a. Naʻá ne pehē atu, “Jambo,.” (“Mālō e Lelei.”)
Na‘e mataʻi puputu‘u ʻa e tamasiʻí. Naʻá ne fakafulofula mai kia ʻOmipeni mo hanga ki mamaʻo. Naʻe ongoʻi mā ʻaupito ʻa ʻOmipeni pea naʻá ne tangutu fakalongolongo ai pē ʻi he tuliki tēpilé. Naʻá ne ongoʻi ʻi he taimi ‘e niʻihi hangē naʻá ne ʻi ha palanite kehe ‘i he ako foʻoú ni.
‘I he faifai pea tuku e akó, naʻe fakavave ʻa ʻOmipeni ʻo sipaʻi hake hono koté. ʻI hono [feituʻu tupuʻangá], naʻe ‘ikai ke ne teitei fie maʻu ha kote, tatau ai pē pe ko e hā e taimi ko ia ‘o e taʻú. Ka ‘i hení naʻe momoko ‘i he faʻahita‘u momoko. Naʻe tui ʻe he fānau kehé ha ngaahi kofunima mo e tatā kulasi, ka naʻe ʻikai ha faʻahinga meʻa pehē ʻa ʻOmipeni.
Naʻe lava ʻa ʻOmipeni ʻo sio ki heʻene mānavá ʻi he ʻea mao hinehina ʻi heʻene lué. Na‘á ne kamata ke lele ke aʻu vave ange ki ‘api. Na‘á ne tekeʻi fakavave atu ʻa e matapaá peá ne mei fepaki mo ʻene faʻeé.
“ʻOmipeni! Punguza mwendo!” na‘á ne pehē ange. (“Māmālie hifo!”)
Naʻá ne pehē atu, “Fakamolemole, Mami,” mo tetetete pē.
Na‘e tangutu hifo ʻa ʻOmipeni ‘o feinga ke māfana lolotonga hono kuki heʻene faʻeé e kai efiafí.
Hili ha ngaahi miniti si‘i, naʻe ʻikai ke kei lava ʻa ʻOmipeni ʻo fakalongolongo. “Faʻē, ʻoku ʻikai ke u fie foki ki he akó! ‘Oku fakailifia mo fakataʻelata, pea ʻoku ʻikai ke u lava ʻo maʻu ha ngaahi kaungāme‘a. ‘Oku ou ʻofa ki hoku ngaahi kaungāme‘a ʻi ʻapí.”
Naʻe ta‘ofi ʻe heʻene faʻeé ʻene heú pea tūʻulutui ‘i he tafaʻaki ‘o ʻOmipení. Naʻá ne holoholo‘i fakavave hono loʻimatá. Na‘e ʻikai ke ne loto ke sio ʻene faʻeé ki heʻene loto-mamahí.
“‘Oku ou ʻilo‘i ʻoku faingataʻa ‘a e ngaahi meʻá he taimí ni.” Naʻe fāʻofua ange ʻene faʻeé kiate ia ʻo māfana ai. “Ka ʻe ʻalu pē ʻo toe faingofua ange.”
Naʻe sio kehe ʻa ʻOmipeni. “Ka ‘e anga fēfē ha ʻalu ke faingofua ange ʻa e ngaahi meʻá ʻo kapau ‘oku ʻikai lava ʻo mahino kiate au ha taha?”
Na‘e fakafulofula ʻene faʻeé. Naʻe lava pē ke tala ‘e ʻOmipeni naʻe fakakaukau lahi ʻene faʻeé ki ai.
Na‘á ne ʻeke ange, “Manatuʻi e taimi ne tau nofo ai ʻi he ‘apitanga kumi hūfangá? ‘I he taimi pē ne u ongoʻi tuenoa ʻaupito aí, ne u fekumi ki he kakai ke u lava ʻo tokoniʻi. Ne hoko maʻu pē ia ke u ongoʻi fiefia ange.”
Na‘e kamo pē ʻa ʻOmipeni. Na‘á ne manatuʻi e faʻa fekumi maʻu pē ʻene faʻeé ki he kakai ne omi fakataautaha ki he ʻapitangá pea fakahā ange kiate kinautolu ʻa e feituʻu ke nau ō ki aí.
Ne malimali ʻene faʻeé. “Peá ke fakakaukau kia Sīsū! Na‘e faʻa angakovi ʻa e kakaí kiate Ia. Ka na‘á Ne fekumi maʻu pē ki he kakai ke tokoniʻí.” Na‘á ne holoholoʻi e lo‘imata ʻe taha mei he fofonga ‘o ʻOmipení. “‘I he taimi ʻe ni‘ihi ʻi he taimi ʻoku tau loto-mamahi aí, ko e me‘a lelei taha te tau lava ʻo fai ke tokoni‘i ai kitautolú ko ʻetau fekumi ki ha ngaahi founga ke tokoni‘i ai e niʻihi kehé.”
Na‘e kamo pē ʻa ʻOmipeni. Ne hangē ia ko ha fakakaukau leleí. Naʻá ne fie hangē ko Sīsuú.
‘I he ʻaho hono hokó ‘i he kai hoʻataá, ne kumi ʻe ʻOmipeni ha taha ke tokoniʻi. Na‘e tokolahi ha fānau ne nau tangutu mo ha kakai ʻi ha ngaahi kulupu lalahi. Peá ne fakatokanga‘i atu ha kiʻi ta‘ahine naʻe tangutu toko taha ‘i ha tēpile.
Na‘á ne lue atu ki ai ʻo tuku hifo ‘ene laulaú ki lalo. Na‘á ne taʻata‘alo atu mo pehē, “Jambo!”
Naʻá ne pehē mai, “Mālō e lelei.”
Ne malimali lahi ʻa ʻOmipeni. Na‘e malimali atu ʻa e ki‘i taʻahiné. Hili iá ne na kai fakalongolongo fakataha ‘ena meʻakaí.
Naʻe ongoʻi fiefia ʻa ʻOmipeni. ‘E kei faingataʻa pē ʻa e ngaahi meʻa ʻi he ʻapiako foʻou ko ʻení. Ka na‘á ne fiefia ke ʻilo na‘e ʻi ai ‘a e kakai ʻi heni te ne lava ‘o tokoniʻi.
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Jen Taylor