Ko Hono Maluʻi ʻo Kēlepí
“Manatuʻi ʻa e … feʻofoʻofani fakakāingá” (T&F 4:6).
Naʻe kamata tatau pē mo ha toe ʻaho kehe ʻi ʻapiako. Naʻe tohitohi ʻemau faiakó, Misi Pelesikoti, ʻi he palakipoé kau tangutu pē hoku tesí ʻo fakakaukau ki he meʻa kehe. Naʻe hū mai ki lokiako ʻemau pule akó mo ha tamasiʻi ne teʻeki ke u sio ai kimuʻa. Naʻe fafana e puleakó he telinga ʻo Misi Pelesikoti, pea naʻe fakalongolongo ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē ko e feinga ke nau fakafanongo.
Naʻe tuʻu e tamasiʻí mei muʻa he lokiakó kae siofi ia ʻe he fānau kehé. Naʻe ngatōtō hono sote pule veimau kuo mole hono lanú. Naʻe mahae ʻa e tui hono talausesé. Naʻá ne tuʻu hanoku, tui hono ongo nimá ʻi hono kató pea hanga pē ki he falikí.
ʻI he mavahe pē ʻa e puleakó, naʻe pehēange ʻe Misi Pelesikoti, “Kalasi, ʻoku ou loto ke mou feʻiloaki mo Kēlepi Senitesi. Ko ʻene toki hiki mai mei Monitana. ʻOku mamaʻo ʻaupito ia mei heni! Kēlepi, tangutu he sea hoko atu kia Luké.”
Naʻá ne tuhu ki he sea hoko mai ki hoku seá, pea naʻe sio pē kalasí kae luelue mai ʻa Kēlepi. ʻI he tafoki ʻa Misi Pelekisitoki ʻo hanga ki he palakipoé, naʻe fefanafanahi ʻa e fānau he lokí. Naʻe lea taʻeʻofa ha niʻihi ʻo e fānaú kau ki he vala ʻo Kēlepí.
Naʻe pehē ʻe ha tokotaha, “Sio atu ki hono sū faikehé.”
“ʻE lava pē ia ʻo kaka ʻaki e sū ko ʻená ʻi he ʻotu moʻunga Himaleiá!” ko e tamasiʻi hake ia ʻe taha.
Ne u hila atu kia Kēlepi ka naʻá ne tangutu pē ia ʻo sio ki heʻene pepa kuo teʻeki tohi ai ha meʻá mo kuku pē ʻene penivahevahé. Ne u ʻiloʻi kuo pau pē naʻá ne ongoʻi ʻenau leá he naʻe ʻikai fiemālie ʻene tangutu ʻi hono seá. Naʻe ʻai e foʻi kata leʻolahi ʻa ha ongo tamaiki tangata ʻo tuku ai e tohi ʻa Misi Pelesikoti.
Naʻá ne pehē mai, “ʻOku ou sio atu pē ki he fie talanoa ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē kia Kēlepí, ko ia tau tuku ke ne haʻu ki muʻá ni ʻo fai ha kiʻi fakamatala kau kiate ia pē.”
Naʻe fakalongolongo e kalasí mo siofi pē ʻa Kēlepi. Ne u ongoʻi fakaʻofaʻia ai. Naʻe ʻakahi ʻe he tamasiʻi ʻi he tuʻa ʻo Kēlepí hono seá mo ne lumaʻi ia, “Fai mo ke tuʻu, tamasiʻi mei he moʻungá.”
Ne luelue māmālie atu ʻa Kēlepi ki muʻa. Ne fakapuliki ʻe hono lauʻiʻulú e konga ʻo hono matá, pea naʻe vau ʻe hono suú e falikí he taimi naʻá ne lue aí. Naʻe toe kakata e tamaiki ne nofo takai ʻiate aú. Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ko e fie tokoni ʻa Misi Pelesikoti, ka ne u manavasiʻi ʻe toe kovi ange ia ai.
Naʻe hiki nima hake ha tamasiʻi ʻe taha mo fehuʻi, “Ko fē feituʻu ʻi Monitana naʻá ke nofo aí, ʻi ha lalo maka?”
Naʻe kata e kalasí.
Naʻe ʻeke ange ʻe he taʻahine he ʻotu muʻá, “ʻOku vala tatau pē ʻa e tokotaha kotoa ʻi Monitana mo koe?”
Ne u ongoʻi kuo kamata ke kula hoku matá ʻi he ʻalu hake ʻeku ʻitá. Kapau he ʻikai taʻofi ʻeni ʻe ha taha, naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ʻe ngaohikoviʻi pehē ʻa Kēlepi ʻi he toenga ʻo e taʻu fakaakó. Ka kapau te u kau mo ia, ʻe kataʻi mo au ʻe he tamaikí.
Naʻá ku manatuʻi hake leva e meʻa naʻe talamai ʻe he mali ʻo ʻeku tamaí ʻi heʻeku ʻahiʻahi ke u kau ʻi he timi soká. Naʻá ne talanoa mai kau kia Tēvita ʻi he Fuakava Motuʻá. Ko e siʻisiʻi tahá ʻa Tēvita ʻi hono ngaahi tokouá, ka naʻe fili ia ʻe he ʻEikí ke ne tuʻi. Naʻe ʻikai mahuʻinga hono fōtungá. ʻOku faʻa fakamāuʻi ʻe he kakaí ʻa e niʻihi kehé ʻi he anga ʻo ʻenau ʻasí, ka ʻoku sio e ʻEikí ia ki he lotó.
Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi naʻe fie maʻu tokoni ʻa Kēlepi, ko ia ne u hikinima hake. Naʻe talamai ʻe Misi Pelekisitoki ke u lea. Naʻe ʻikai pē sio hake ʻa Kēlepi ia. Mahalo naʻá ne ʻamanaki te u kataʻi foki mo ia.
“Kuó u fanongo ai ʻoku ʻi ai e ngaahi paʻake fakaʻofoʻofa ʻi Monitana mo e ngaahi hala faiʻanga ʻeva lue lalo tōtōatu. ʻOku fēfē e ngaahi feituʻu ko ʻení?” ko ʻeku fehuʻí ia.
Naʻe fakalongolongo e kalasí. Ne u toe ongoʻi ʻoku kula hoku matá, ka naʻe malimali ʻa Kēlepi. Naʻe lava ke u tala naʻá ne ongoʻi fiemālie ke tali ha fehuʻi naʻe fai ʻi he ʻofa. Naʻá ne kamata lea leʻosiʻi pē.
Naʻá ne talamai naʻe nofo hono fāmilí ʻi ha faama ʻi Monitana, pea naʻe ʻi ai foki mo haʻane hoosi. Naʻá ne fakamatala ki he kiʻi hala naʻá ne saiʻia taha ai ʻi he Paʻake Fakapuleʻanga ko Keleisiā mo ʻene fetaulaki mo ha fuʻu pea moʻoni. ʻI he lahi ange ʻene fakamatala ki hono ʻapí, naʻe kamata leva ke fehuʻi e tamaiki kehé ʻo kau ki he fuʻu peá, ki he ʻeva lue laló, mo e kaka he ʻū pā maká.
ʻI he tuku ʻa e akó, naʻe ʻikai te u fakapapauʻi pe ʻe fie nofo fakataha ha taha mo au ʻi he pasí. Ne u pukepuke pē ʻeku kató mo sio ki tuʻa he sioʻata ʻo e pasí. Fakafokifā ne u ongoʻi hano tātaaʻi mai hoku umá. Ko Kēlepi.
“ʻE lava ke u tangutu heni?” ko ʻene ʻeke momou maí ia.
“ʻIo!” ko ʻeku talí ange ia mo ʻunu ki he tafaʻakí.
Naʻe ʻikai haʻaku teitei mahamahalo ki he meʻa ʻe hoko he ʻaho ko iá. ʻOku ou fiefia heʻeku loto-toʻa ke angalelei kia Kēlepí. Kuo tokolahi ʻeni hono ngaah kaungāmeʻá—pea ʻoku ou laukau ʻaki ʻeku hoko ko e taha ʻo kinautolú.
Tā fakatātaaʻi ʻe Craig Stapley; faitā ʻa e Busath Photography