Tokanga!

Mark H. Soelberg, ʻIutā,ʻAmelika

ʻI he efiafi ko ia ʻo e ʻaho 23 ʻo Siulai 1991, ne u foki mai mo ʻEletā Sālesi Lāsoni ki ʻapi mei he Malaʻe Vakapuna Fakavahaʻapuleʻanga ʻo ʻOkalaní hili ʻa ʻema ʻave atu ha faifekau ne ʻosi ʻene taimi ngāué fakafaifekaú. Ko e faʻahitaʻu momoko ʻeni ʻi Nuʻu Silá pea kuo ʻuhoʻuha mai ʻi ha ngaahi ʻaho lahi.

Ne u fakaʻuli atu ʻema kaá ki he Halafakakavakava Taulangá ʻa ia ʻokú ne fakafehokotaki ʻa ʻOkalani ki Takapuna. ʻI heʻema fakaaʻuaʻu atu ki he konga ki lalo ʻo e halafakakavakavá, ne fakalaka ha kiʻi kā ʻiate kimaua pea naʻe fuʻu oma ʻa ʻene lelé. ʻI he kamata ko ia ke afe ʻa e kā lele oma ko ʻení, ne ʻikai toe lava ʻe he fakaʻulí ʻo mapuleʻi ʻa e kaá koeʻuhi ko e viku ʻa e halá. Ne vilo ʻa e kaá pea tafoki fakatoʻomataʻu ʻo ne tuiʻi ʻa e ʻā sima ʻo taʻofi ai ia mei haʻane tō mei he halafakakavakavá ki he taulangá.

Ne tau ʻa e kaá he ʻaá, pea tāfisi ʻo heke atu ʻo tuʻu. Naʻá ma moʻutāfuʻua ʻi he meʻa naʻá ma sio ki aí, naʻá ku ʻunu leva ʻo tau e kaá ʻi he loto halá peá u fakamoʻui ʻa ʻeku ongo maama faktuʻutāmakí. Ne tuai e kemo kuó ma hifo atu mo ʻEletā Lāsoni ʻo vakai pe te ma lava ʻo tokoni. Kimuʻa peá ma aʻu atu ki he kaá, ne kaka mai ha tangata ʻi he matapā sioʻata ne mafahí ʻo hifo atu mei he halafakakavakavá ki he veʻe vaí, ʻo ne pulia atu ai pē he fakapoʻulí. Naʻá ma ui atu ki ai ka naʻe ʻikai ke ne tali mai.

Ne u feinga atu ki he kiʻi kā maumau ne fakatafa ʻo hanga ki ʻolunga ʻa e matapā ʻo e tokotaha ʻoku heka he tafaʻaki ʻo e fakaʻulí. Ne pulia ʻa e matapā sioʻatá ko ia ai ne u kaka hake ke u sio pe ʻoku ʻi ai ha taha ʻi loto. Ne fakafokifā ha ongona ha leʻo ʻoku leʻolahi mo mahino ʻoku pehē mai, “Tokanga!” Ne u ʻohovale ʻi heʻeku fanongo ki he leʻó, peá u puna vave leva ki tuʻa. Ne lele oma mai ha kā he taimi pē ko iá ʻo ne tuiʻi ʻa e kā maumaú ʻa ia ne u tuʻu ʻo falala ki aí.

Koeʻuhí ko e afe ko ia he halá pea mo e māʻolunga ʻo e ʻā maká, ne ʻikai lava e niʻihi ne fakaʻuli mei he tafaʻaki ʻe tahá ʻo sio mai ki he kā maumau ʻi muʻá. Ne lahi mo ha ngaahi kā ne nau kau atu ki he fakatuʻutāmakí. Ne u tafoki leva mo ʻEletā Lāsoni ʻo lele atu ki he afé ʻo taʻataʻalo ke taʻofi ʻa e kau fakaʻuli kehé. Ne vave e aʻu mai ʻa e kau polisí peá ma ʻilo ai ne kaihaʻasi e ʻuluaki kā he fakatuʻutāmakí.

ʻI heʻema foki atu ki ʻapí, ne u fakakaukau ki he meʻa ne mei hoko kiate aú peá u fakamālō kia ʻEletā Lāsoni ʻi heʻene fakatokanga mai kiate au fekauʻaki mo e kā ko ia ne lele maí. Naʻe hangē ʻokú ne ofó peá ne pehē mai, “ ʻEletā Solipeeki, naʻe ʻikai ke u lea atu au. Ne ʻikai ke u ofi atu au kiate koe pea naʻe ʻikai pē ke u sio au ki he kaá ʻo lele mai he foʻi afé.”

Naʻá ma tangutu taimi siʻi, mo ongoʻi ha loto houngaʻia moʻoni. Naʻá ma tūʻulutui he pō ko iá ʻo fakamālō ki he Tamai Hēvaní koeʻuhí ko e fakatokanga naʻá ne fakahaofi ʻeku moʻui. Talu mei he meʻa ko ia ne hokó, mo ʻeku toutou fakahoko ʻeku fakamoʻoni ki hono mahuʻinga ko ia ʻo e fakaongoongo ki he Laumālie ʻo e ʻEikí mo fakafanongo ki Hono leʻó.

Ne fakafokifā haʻaku fanongo ki ha leʻo lahi ʻokú ne pehē, “Tokanga!”