“Ko Hono Manatua ʻo ʻApuelá (Kui Fefiné),” Ko e Kaumeʻá, ʻOkatopa 2023, 20–21.

Ko Hono Manatua ʻo ʻApuelá (Kui Fefiné)

Fai ʻe Dayle Searle

(Makatuʻunga ʻi ha talanoa moʻoni)

Te tau toetuʻu kotoa pē koeʻuhí ko Sīsū Kalaisi.

Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi Mekisikou.

Illustrations about a family in Mexico gathering things together to remember their grandma who died. A girl named Lyan is holding a picture in a frame of grandma. There are two little sisters at the table. One of them, named Megan, has a bottle of soda that reminds her of grandma. There mother is holding a plate of “pan de muerto” (sweet bread made for Day of the Dead). Lyan thinks about hugging her grandmother.

Ko e ʻuluaki ʻaho ʻeni ʻo e ngaahi fakafiefia ki he Día de Muertos, pe ʻAho ʻo e Pekiá. Ko ha taimi makehe ia ke fakamanatua ai ʻa e ngaahi ʻofaʻanga kuo pekiá. Naʻe saiʻia maʻu pē ʻa Lieni he fanongo ki he ngaahi talanoa fekauʻaki mo hono fāmilí. Naʻá ne ongoʻi hangē naʻá nau ʻi ai tonu pē mo iá, neongo kapau naʻe ʻikai pē ke nau fetaulaki.

Ka naʻe kehe ʻa e taʻú ni ia. He ʻikai ke ʻi ai ʻa e kui fefine ʻa Liení ke fakafiefia mo kinautolu. Naʻá ne toki mālōlō ʻi he ngaahi māhina siʻi kuo hilí. ʻI he taimi ko ʻení, naʻe hoko ʻa ʻApuela ko e taha ʻo e kau mēmipa ʻo e fāmilí te nau fakamanatua fakatahá.

Naʻe ala atu ʻa Lieni ki he tā ʻo ʻApuelá ʻi he ofrendape ko e feituʻu ʻoku teuteuʻi ʻaki e ʻū tā ʻa e kau pekiá fakataha mo ha matalaʻiʻakau mo e teʻelango. Naʻá ne ngāue mālohi mo hono ngaahi tokouá, ʻa Meikeni mo Leilani, he uiké kakato ke teuteuʻi ia. Naʻa nau teuteuʻi lelei ʻa e tēpilé. Naʻa nau fokotuʻu e ʻū tā ʻo e kau mēmipa honau fāmilí. Pea naʻa nau fokotuʻu foki mo ha ngaahi meʻa ke nau fakamanatua ai honau ngaahi ʻofaʻangá.

Naʻe tuku ʻe Meikeni ha foʻi hina inu ʻi he funga tēpilé.

Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Meikeni, “Naʻe saiʻia ʻa ʻApuela he faʻahinga hina inu ko ʻení.” “ʻOku totonu ke hoko ia ko ha konga ʻo hotau ofrenda fakafāmilí.”

Naʻe manatuʻi ʻe Lieni ʻene ʻaʻahi ki heʻenau kui fefiné mo inu hina inu mo iá. ʻE ʻeke ange ʻe ʻApuela ha ngaahi fehuʻi pea fanongo ki heʻenau ngaahi talanoá. Ko e meʻa lelei taha ia ke tokoni ke nau manatuʻi ai iá. ʻI he taimi naʻe sio ai ʻa Lieni ki he hina inú, naʻá ne loto ke hoko ko ha tokotaha fakafanongo lelei hangē ko ʻApuelá.

Naʻe hū mai ʻa Mama ki he lokí mo ha peleti pan de muerto. Naʻe lele atu ongo tokoua ʻo Liení ki ai, ʻo kole ke na ʻahiʻahiʻi ha konga mā. Ko ha faʻahinga mā melie ia naʻe kai ʻe he kakai kotoa ʻi Mekisikoú ʻi he Día de Muertos.

Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Mama, “Te tau toki ia ʻanai. ʻI he taimi ní, ʻe tuku ʻa e peleti ko ʻení ʻi he feituʻu fakamanatú (ofrenda) ʻo ofi ki he tā ʻo ʻApuelá.” Naʻá ne hili ia ʻi he tēpilé. “Fakaʻofoʻofa ʻaupito! Ko e taimi ní ko ʻetau tali pē kia Papa ke foki mai mei he ngāué.” Naʻá ne tangutu hifo mo e tamaiki fefiné ʻi he sofá ke tatali.

Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Lieni, “ʻOku ou ʻofa kia ʻApuela. Pehē ange mai ne tau lava ʻo toe sio ki ai he taimí ni.”

Naʻe fāʻofua ʻa Mama kia Lieni. “ʻOku ou ʻiloʻi. ʻOku ou ʻofa mo au ki ai. ʻOku tokoni ia ke u ʻiloʻi te tau toetuʻu kotoa pē koeʻuhí ko Sīsū Kalaisi. Pea koeʻuhí naʻe silaʻi kitautolu ʻi he temipalé, te tau fakataha kotoa ko ha fāmili ʻi ha ʻaho.”

Naʻe ongoʻi fiefia ʻa Lieni ʻi he ngaahi lea ʻa Mamaá. Naʻá ne fakakaukau ki haʻane toe sio kia ʻApuela pea fāʻofua kiate ia.

Naʻe fakaava mai ʻa e matapaá, pea hū atu ʻa Papa ki loto. Naʻe fiefia ʻa Leilani.

“Ko Papa ʻeni! Kuo taimi pē e pan de muerto mo e koko mafaná!” Ko Meikeni ange ia.

“Pea ke fai ha ngaahi talanoa fekauʻaki mo ʻApuela!” Ko e lea ange ia ʻa Liení. Naʻá ne faʻa ʻofa maʻu pē kia ʻApuela, ka naʻá ne fiefia ʻi he ʻi ai ha ngaahi meʻa te ne lava ʻo fai ke manatua ai iá. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi te ne toe mamata kia ʻApuela ʻi ha ʻaho koeʻuhí ko Sīsū Kalaisi.