“Ol Stori blong Baptaes,” Fren, Julae 2023, 30–31.
Ol Stori blong Baptaes
“Wan paeonia i wan man we hem i faswan blong mekem wan samting,” Mama i talem.
Stori ia i tekem ples long YSA.
Meri i tantanem mo laekem tumas waet dres blong hem long mira. Hem i semmak dres we mama blong hem i werem long baptaes blong hem. Apu woman Marluce i bin fiksim blong i stret gud long Meri. !Naoia Meri i save werem long baptaes blong hemwan!
“Yu luk naes tumas!” Mama i tekem han blong Meri mo i spinim hem raon bakegen.
Meri i laf smolsmol. ?“Mi save werem blong ful dei?”
“Bae yu putum gud i stap blong baptaes blong yu blong mekem se hem i stap naes mo klin, OKEI?” Mama i talem.
“Okei.” Meri bae baptaes taem hem i kasem eit yia, mo hem i bin stap rere from long taem lelebet. Hem i bin stap go long Praemeri, stap ridim ol skripja, mo iven stap go long baptaes blong ol fren blong hem. !Be betdei blong hem no yet nomo, i longwe yet!
Meri i skwisim hem kolosap long Mama blong hem long sofa. “Mama, yu gat hamas yia taem yu bin baptaes?”
“Mi gat 16 yia.”
“Tru ia! ?From wanem yu bin wet long taem olsem?”
Mama i kavremap Meri wetem wan taet hag. “From mi no bin save long Jos blong Jisas Kraes we i bin kambak kasem taem ia nao. Be mi bin stap stat blong go long ol Jos aktiviti wetem sam fren. Mo moa mi lanem samting, moa mi wantem blong kasem baptaes!”
“?From wanem?” Meri i askem.
“From mi wantem blong gat wan famli we bae i no save finis.” Mama i poenem pikja blong tempol we i stap hang antap long fored blong tufala. “Mi lanem se sam dei bae mi save sil wetem famli blong mi long wan tempol blong taem we i no save finis. Blong gat wan famli we i no save finis hem i drim blong mi. !Mo baptaes i bin fas step! Naoia drim blong mi i stap kam tru.”
Meri i smael. “Yu gat Papa, Mallory, mo bebi Maeva! Yes, mo mi tu.”
“Yes. Mo Apu woman Angela.”
“Apu woman i bin baptaes wetem yu?”
“Hem i bin wet plante moa yia. Be taem we mifala i travel i go kolosap long ol tempol, mifala i laekem blong stop mo lukluk long olgeta.”
Meri i tingting long Mama mo Apu woman we tufala i stap lukluk ol tempol tugeta. “Mo olsem wanem long Papa? ?Hem i gat hamas yia taem hem i bin baptaes?”
“Hem i gat 11 yia.”
?“Mo hem i bin stap long Brasil long taem ia?”
“Hemia nao,” Mama i talem. “I gat pipol raon long wol we oli stap lanem abaot Jisas mo baptaes. Plante long olgeta oli ol paeonia.”
“Ol paeonia?”
“Wan paeonia hem i wan man we hem i faswan blong mekem wan samting,” Mama i eksplenem.
Meri i tingting long hemia. ?“Olsem yu we yu faswan long famli blong yu blong baptaes?”
Mama i sakem hed blong agri mo smael.
I no longtaem, Papa i wokbaot i kam insaed long rum mo sidaon long sofa.
?“Papa, yu yu wan paeonia blong famli blong yu?”
“Ating olsem. !Afta we mi baptaes, mi faenemaot se Apu woman Rosimere i bin wan memba blong jos blong yumi finis! Be hem i no go long jos blong plante yia.”
“Tru? ?Wanem i bin hapen?”
“Mi stat blong stap go long jos. Afta ol brata blong mi oli stat blong go, afta Apu woman Rosimere tu. Iven Apu Apu woman Marluce i bin joen”
Meri i pikjarem Papa i stap go long jos hemwan, afta hem i stap tekem moa long ol famli blong hem wetem hem.
“Tru ia,” Meri i talem. “Mi laekem blong stap harem ol stori blong yu. Olgeta oli mekem mi mi glad moa blong kasem baptaes.”
“Tangkyu blong stap askem mitufala evri kwestin ia, Meri,” Papa i talem. ?“Naoia mitufala i save askem yu wan kwestin?”
Meri i sakem hed blong agri. ?Wanem nao tufala i wantem askem?
“From wanem nao yu wantem blong kasem baptaes?”
Meri i tingbaot wanem hem i lanem long ol skripja mo olsem wanem hem i bin filim long jos. “From mi wantem folem Jisas mo stap wetem famli blong mi blong taem we i no save finis.”
Mama mo Papa tugeta i smael, mo Meri i jam long papa mo mama blong hem mo haggem tufala. !“Mi no save wet moa!”
Ol pikja droing oli kam long Tammie Lyon