“Ko e Meʻaʻofa Lelei Tahá,” Ko e Kaumeʻá, Tīsema 2024, 36–37.
Ko e Meʻaʻofa Lelei Tahá
Naʻe fifili ʻa Sesikā pe naʻe ongoʻi hē mo tuenoa nai ʻa Siosefa mo Mele, ʻo hangē ko ia naʻá ne ongoʻi ʻi he taimi ní.
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi he ʻIunaiteti Siteiti ʻo ʻAmeliká.
Naʻe manavasiʻi ʻa Sesikā lolotonga ʻene ʻalu ʻi he kaá ki he uooti ʻo e tokoua ʻo ʻene faʻeé mo hono malí. Naʻe toe pē ha ngaahi ʻaho siʻi pea hoko ʻa e Kilisimasí, ka naʻe ʻikai ke ne ongoʻi ʻokú ne fie kau ki ha fakafiefia.
ʻI he konga kimuʻa ʻo e uike ko iá, naʻe ʻi ai ha vela ʻi hono ʻapí. Naʻe malu ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē, ka naʻe maumau honau ʻapí. Naʻe maumau ha konga lahi ʻo ʻenau ʻū meʻá. Naʻe hiki ʻa Sesikā mo ʻene faʻeé, tuongaʻané, mo hono ongo tokoua īkí ʻo nofo fakataha mo e tokoua ʻene faʻeé mo hono malí kae ʻoua kuo fakaleleiʻi honau falé.
Naʻe malimali ange ʻa e tokoua ʻo e faʻē ʻa Sesikaá. Naʻá ne talaange, “ʻOku ou ʻiloʻi te ke maʻu ha taimi lelei ʻi heʻemau Palaimelí.”
Naʻe ʻikai ke fuʻu fakapapauʻi ia ʻe Sesikā. Naʻá ne manavasiʻi ke ʻalu ki ha kalasi Palaimeli kehe. Naʻá ne fakakaukau he ʻikai ke u ʻiloʻi ʻe au ha taha. Te nau angalelei nai kiate au?
Naʻe feinga ʻa Sesikā ke ʻoua ʻe fakakaukau ki he velá ʻi heʻene lue ki he Palaimelí. Naʻá ne puke ʻa e nima ʻo hono kāsini ko Semí ʻo tokoni ke kumi hono tangutuʻangá. Naʻe hivaʻi ʻe he Palaimelí ha ngaahi hiva Kilisimasi fekauʻaki mo Sīsū. Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Sesikā ki he mamaʻo ʻa Siosefa mo Mele mei hona ʻapí ʻi he taimi naʻe ʻaloʻi ai ʻa Sīsuú. Naʻá ne fifili pe naʻá na ongoʻi hē mo tuenoa, ʻo hangē ko ia naʻá ne ongoʻi ʻi he taimi ní.
ʻI he hokosia ʻa e taimi ki he kalasí, naʻe ongoʻi manavasiʻi ange ʻa Sesikā. Naʻe malimali ange ha kiʻi taʻahine ʻe taha ki ai. “Mālō e lelei, ko ʻAna au. Te ke fie tangutu ʻi hoku tafaʻakí ʻi he kalasí?”
Naʻe malimali atu ki ai ʻa Sesikā. “ʻIo.”
Naʻa nau lau ʻi he kalasí ʻi he folofolá fekauʻaki mo e taimi naʻe ʻaloʻi ai ʻa Sīsū Kalaisí. Naʻe talaange ʻe he faiakó, Sisitā Liosi, ko e Fakamoʻuí ʻa e meʻaʻofa maʻongoʻonga taha ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní ki he māmaní. Naʻá ne lau ki he kalasí, “He naʻe ʻofa pehē ʻa e ʻOtuá ki māmani, naʻá ne foaki hono ʻAlo pē taha naʻe fakatupú.”*
Naʻe teʻeki fakakaukau ʻa Sesikā kimuʻa, ko ha meʻaʻofa ʻa Sīsū. Naʻá ne fakakaukau ki heʻenau ngaahi meʻaʻofa Kilisimasi naʻe maumauʻi ʻi he velá. Naʻá ne saiʻia ke maʻu ha ngaahi meʻaʻofa pea naʻá ne loto-mamahi ʻi he mole ʻene ʻū meʻaʻofá. Ka naʻá ne ʻofa lahi ange kia Sīsū peá ne ʻiloʻi he ʻikai ke Ne teitei mavahe.
ʻI he fakaʻosinga ʻo e kalasí, naʻe toʻo hake ʻe Sisitā Liosi ha fanga kiʻi puha siʻisiʻi mei heʻene kató. Naʻe puke ʻe he tokotaha takitaha ha kiʻi tā tongitongi ʻo e pēpē ko Sīsuú.
“ʻOku ʻi ai ʻeku meʻaʻofa maʻamoutolu takitaha.” Naʻe kamata tufa leva ʻe Sisitā Liosi ʻa e fanga kiʻi puhá. “ʻE lava ke tokoni atu ia ke ke manatuʻi ʻoku ʻofa lahi ʻa e ʻOtuá ʻiate koe ko ia naʻá Ne fekauʻi mai ai Hono ʻAló maʻau.” Naʻá ne sio leva kia Sesikā. “Sesikā, fakamolemole. ʻOku ʻikai ha meʻaʻofa ia kia koe. Naʻe ʻikai ke u ʻiloʻi te ke ʻi heni.”
Naʻe sio hifo ʻa Sesikā ki hono ongo nimá mo feinga ke ʻoua te ne tangi. Naʻe ʻikai te ne ʻilo te ne ʻi heni foki mo ia. Naʻá ne fakaʻamu ke ne ʻi honau ʻapí pē, mo ʻi heʻene kalasi Palaimelí ʻi he Kilisimasí.
Taimi siʻi, kuo hili ʻe ha taha ha kiʻi puha ʻi hono fungá. Naʻá ne sio hake ʻoku malimali ange ʻa ʻAna kiate ia. “Ke ke Maʻu ha Kilisimasi Fiefia! ʻAi maʻau ʻeku meʻaʻofá.”
Naʻe ala māmālie atu ʻa Sesikā ki he kiʻi meʻavaʻinga pēpē ko Sīsuú. “Mālō! Ke ke Maʻu foki mo koe ha Kilisimasi fiefia!”
Hili ʻa e lotú, naʻe fāʻofua ange ʻa Mami kiate ia. Naʻá ne ʻeke ange, “Naʻe fēfē ʻa e Palaimelí?”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Sesikā, “Naʻe sai! Naʻá ku maʻu ai ʻa e meʻaʻofa ko ʻení. Pea naʻá ku ako ai ko Sīsū ʻa e meʻaʻofa lelei tahá.”
ʻŪ tā fakatātā ʻa Shawna J. C. Tenney