Ko ha Mana ʻo e Kilisimasí
Ko ha taimi momoko ia ʻo e taʻú ʻa e faʻahitaʻu momokó ʻi he Misiona Lūsia Mosikoú. Hangē ʻoku faʻa ngali moʻoni ʻeni ki ha faifekau, ʻo ikai ʻuhinga pē ki he ʻeá ka ki he kakaí foki. Naʻa nau takitaha tokanga pē ki heʻene meʻa ʻaʻana. Hangē ʻoku fakavavevave ʻa e tokotaha kotoa ki ʻapi he tuku ʻa e ngāué. ʻOku puke e kakaí, fuʻu hekeheke e halá, pea ʻoku ongo ʻaupito ʻa e momokó ʻi ha konga pē ʻo e sinó ʻoku ʻasi ki tuʻa. ʻOku tātātaha ke malimali ha taha.
Ko e ngaahi tūkunga ʻeni naʻá ma ʻi ai mo hoku hoá lolotonga e faʻahitaʻu momoko ʻo e 2005. Naʻá ma loto ke fakafiefiaʻi e kakaí ʻaki hano vahevahe mo kinautolu ʻema pōpoaki ʻo e tuí, ʻamanaki leleí, mo e ʻofá, ka naʻe ʻikai fie fanongo ki ai ha taha ia. Pea te u tala moʻoni atu, naʻe ʻikai ke u ongoʻi fiefia foki mo au. Naʻe ʻikai lava ke u mapuleʻi ʻeku ongoʻi loto-foʻí. Naʻá ma lue ʻi he ngaahi hala momokó ʻi he ʻaho ki he ʻaho ʻo kumi ha kakai ke akoʻi, pea naʻe aʻu pē ʻa e mokoteilo homa vaʻé ʻo ongo ki homa huí. Neongo e ngaahi tūkunga fakalotosiʻi ko ʻení, naʻe ʻikai ke ma fie tukulolo. Kuo ofi e Kilisimasí, pea naʻá ma fie tokoni ki he kakaí ke nau ongoʻi e laumālie ʻo e Kilisimasí. Ka ʻe founga fēfē?
ʻI heʻema foki atu he lēlué ki ʻapi he efiafi ʻe taha, naʻe heka hake ha kau tāmeʻalea. Naʻe fakaʻofoʻofa ʻenau taá, ka naʻá ku ʻohovale he ʻikai tokanga ki ai ha tahá. Mahalo naʻe ʻoange ʻe ha toko taha pe toko ua haʻanau kiʻi sēniti, ka naʻe sio fakamamaʻu pē hono toé ia ki tuʻa he matapā sioʻatá ki he momokó. Ne u fakaʻofaʻia he kau tāmeʻaleá ʻo ʻoange ʻenau kiʻi sēniti.
Taimi siʻi pē kuo mau aʻu ki he tauʻanga lēlue ofi ki homa falé ʻo ma lele ki ʻapi. ʻI heʻeku tāpuniʻi pē ʻa e matapaá kuo tatangi e telefoní. Ne u toʻo hake e telefoní ʻo fakatokangaʻi e leʻo ʻo ʻemau taki fakavahé. Naʻe totonu ke mau fakakaukau he ʻaho ko iá ki ha founga ke fakamanatuʻaki ʻe he kau faifekaú ʻa e faʻahitaʻu Kilisimasí. Naʻe ngalo ʻaupito pē ia ʻiate au, ka naʻe ʻikai te u loto ke ne ʻiloʻi ʻeni. Naʻá ku feinga ke maʻu ha foʻi fakakaukau, ʻo u manatuʻi e kau tāmeʻaleá peá u fokotuʻu ange ki heʻemau taki fakavahé ke mau hivaʻi ha ngaahi himi faka-Kilisimasi ʻi he ngaahi lēlué. Te u lava ʻe au ʻo tā ʻa e vaioliní ka nau hiva kinautolu. Ne u ʻohovale, pea toe fakatupu lotosiʻi pē, ʻi he saiʻia ʻa ʻemau taki fakavahé ʻi he foʻi fakakaukaú. Naʻa mau fili leva ʻa e ʻahó. “Ko e hā ne u fakakaukau pehē aí!” Ko ʻeku lau pē ʻeni kiate au ʻi heʻeku manatuʻi hake naʻe ʻikai poto he hivá ʻa e kau faifekau ia ʻe toko tolu ʻi homau vahé.
Naʻe aʻu ki he ʻaho ko iá pea fakataha mai e kau faifekaú ki he tauʻanga lēlué. Kuo fuoloa e tō ʻa e laʻaá pea naʻe fuʻu momoko ʻaupito. Kuo ʻosi mokoteilo hoku vaʻé ʻoʻoku. Naʻa mau kiʻi ako hiva ʻi ha miniti ʻe nima kae ʻoua leva kuo māmālie mai e lēlué ki he tauʻangá. Naʻa mau hū fiefia atu ki loto he ava ʻa e matapaá ke mau mavahe mei he momoko ʻa e havilí mo e sinoú. Naʻá ku toʻo hake ʻeku vaioliní mei hono puhá mo lotu fakalongolongo pē ke ueʻi ʻe he ʻOtuá e loto ʻo e kau fanongó.
ʻI heʻemau heka hake ki he lēlué, naʻe ʻikai tokanga mai e tokolahi ia ʻo e kakaí kiate kimautolu. Naʻe teʻeki ai ke māfana hoku loulouhiʻinimá, pea ʻi he kamata ke u taá, naʻe ongo kehe pē ʻa e vaioliní kae ongo matuitui. Fakafokifā pē kuo fetongi e ongo naʻe maʻu ʻi he loto lēlué. Hangē naʻe ʻi ai ha faʻahiga meʻa naʻe lava ke nau ongoʻi ʻi he ʻeá. Hangē naʻe kiʻi pukepuke ʻe he kau pāsesé ʻenau mānavá. Ne mau kau fakataha mo e kau faifekau kehé ʻi hono hivaʻi e “Pō Māluú”:
Pō mālū! [Pō toputapu!
Nonga e meʻa kotoa, maama e meʻa kotoa
ʻO takatakai ʻi he tāupoʻoú na ko e faʻē mo e Tamasiʻí.
ʻA e Valevale Tapú, kei pēpē mo angavaivai,
Toka ʻi he melino ʻo hēvaní;
Toka ʻi he melino ʻo hēvaní].1
Naʻe ʻikai ke lea ha taha ʻi he loto lēlué lolotonga ʻeku tā kae hiva e kau faifekau kehé. ʻI he ʻosi ʻemau hivaʻi e foʻi himí, ne u vakai takai ki he fofonga ʻo e kakaí. Naʻe tokanga mai e tokotaha kotoa pē kiate kimautolu. Ne lelenoa pē loʻimata ʻo ha kakai fefine tokolahi. Naʻe longonoa ʻi ha lau momeniti he naʻe ʻikai loto ha taha ia ke maumauʻi e momeniti ko iá. Naʻe faifai pea toki kaila ha tangata naʻe tuʻu ʻi he tafaʻaki ki muí ʻo ne pehē, “Ko ha Kau Māʻoniʻoni kinautolu, ko ha Kau Māʻoniʻoni moʻoni!” Naʻe kamata ke pasipasi ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē.
ʻI heʻemau lue hifo he vahaʻa seá, naʻe tokolahi ha kakai naʻa nau fie foaki ha paʻanga maʻamautolu. Ne toe ʻāsili ʻenau ʻohovalé ʻi he ʻikai ke mau tali ha paʻangá. Naʻá ku fanongo atu ki ha pehē leʻosiʻi ʻe ha taha, “ʻOku ʻikai hoko noa pē ha meʻa peheni.” Naʻe aʻu ki ha feinga ʻa ha tangata ia ʻe taha ke foaki mai ha paʻanga lahi peá ne ʻohovale ʻi he ʻikai ke mau tali e paʻangá. Ka naʻa mau ʻoange ki ai ha kaati-tufa, pea naʻá ne ʻave fiefia ia. Ne ʻikai fuoloa kuo kamata ke kole mo e kau pāsese kehé haʻanau kaati-tufa. Naʻa nau fakafehuʻi foki ʻo kau ki he Siasí mo kimautolu. Hangē ne hā mei he feituʻu kotoa pē ne mau sio ki ai, ha ngaahi fofonga malimali mo ha talitali māfana. ʻI heʻemau aʻu ki he ngataʻanga ʻo e lēlué, naʻa mau fai ha talamonū faka-Kilisimasi fiefia ki he kau pāsesé mo taʻataʻalo ki homau ngaahi kaumeʻa foʻou ko ʻení.
ʻI heʻemau hū he matapaá ki he tafaʻaki ʻe tahá, naʻa mau fesiofaki ʻi heʻemau fakatumutumu he meʻa ne toki hokó. “Ko e hā e meʻa ne toki hokó?” ko ʻemau fehuʻí ia. Naʻa mau hū atu leva ʻi he matapā hoko maí kuo liunga ua homau iví. ʻI he kamataʻangá naʻe ʻikai tokanga mai e kau pāsesé ia kiate kimautolu, kae hili pē ʻemau hivaʻi e himí, ko e meʻa fakaofo tatau pē naʻe hokó. Naʻa mau hū ʻi he ngaahi loki he lēlué ʻi he toenga ʻo e efiafi ko iá ʻo aʻusia pē ʻa e meʻa tatau ʻi he loki takitaha. Kuo teʻeki ai ha taimi ki muʻa ne u mamata ai ki hano tali lelei mo ʻofeina kimautolu.
ʻI heʻeku foki ki ʻapi he pō ko iá, naʻá ku ʻiloʻi kuó u aʻusia ha mana naʻe fakatupu ʻe he hivá, ko ha pōpoaki kau ki he Fakamoʻuí, pea mo e laumālie ʻo e Kilisimasí. Naʻa mo e taimi momoko taha ʻo ʻetau moʻuí, ʻe lava pē ke fakafiemālieʻi kitautolu ʻi he ʻi ai ʻa e ʻEikí. Naʻá ku monūʻia ke mamata ʻi he lava ke liliu e kakaí ʻe he ivi takiekina ʻo e Laumālié. Te u manatuʻi maʻu pē ʻa e efiafi ko ʻení pea te u mataʻikoloa ʻaki ia ʻi hoku lotó. Fakatauange ʻe fakahoko maʻu ai pē ʻe he Laumālié ha ngaahi mana pehē!
Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Gregg Thorkelson