Ko Hono Hiki Hake Kita mo e Niʻihi Kehé

Cathy Whitaker Marshall, Uasingatoni, ʻAmelika

Ko e faʻahitaʻu ʻo e Fakamālō (Thanksgiving) ʻo e 1990. Ne toki ʻosi pē ʻa ʻeku foua ha vete mali faingataʻa pea ko e fuofua taʻu ia ʻeku ako lao ʻi ha kolo foʻou. Ne teu ke ʻalu ʻa ʻeku fānaú ki he ʻapi ʻo ʻenau tamaí ʻi he faʻahitaʻu mālōloó, pea ko e fuofua taimi ʻeni te u nofo toko taha ai ʻi he faʻahitaʻu ʻo e Fakamāloó.

Ne kamata ke u fakaʻofaʻia ʻiate au pē pea naʻá ku tangi mamahi. Ka naʻe kamata ke u lau hoku ngaahi tāpuakí. Ne ʻi ai haʻaku ongo fānau fakaʻofoʻofa, fale fakaʻofoʻofa, faingamālie ke maʻu ʻa e potó pea mo e ongoongolelei ʻa Sīsū Kalaisí ke ne tataki ʻa ʻeku moʻuí. Ko e moʻoni ne faitāpuekina au ʻaki ha ngaahi meʻa lahi.

ʻI he ofi mai ko ia ʻa e faʻahitaʻu ʻo e Fakamāloó, ne u ʻiloʻi ha kulupu ʻo ha kau ako loea ne nau palani ke nau fakahoko ha ngāue tokoni ʻi ha ʻapi maʻá e kau tukuhausiá ke tokoni ki hono tufaki ʻo ha meʻatokoni efiafi ʻo e Faʻahitaʻu Fakamāloó ki he niʻihi tukuhausiá. Naʻá ku fakakaukau ʻe lelei ange ke u tokoni ʻi he ʻapi ko ʻení maʻá e kau tukuhausiá ʻi haʻaku tangutu pē ʻi ʻapi ʻo ongoʻi liʻekina mo ʻita, ko ia ne u kau fakataha atu mo hoku kaungāakó.

Hili mei ai ha ngaahi ʻaho siʻi ne u vahe atu ha pateta oʻi mafana ʻi ha ngaahi peleti ʻa ha niʻihi ne nau fiekaia, loto houngaʻia mo lahi e ngaahi meʻa kovi ne hoko kiate kinautolu ʻi heʻenau moʻuí. Ne kamata ke u loʻimataʻia, ka naʻe ʻikai ko haʻaku ongoʻi lotomamahi koeʻuhí ko au; ka ko ha ngaahi loʻimata ʻo e ʻofa maʻá e fānau kotoa ʻa e ʻOtuá neongo pe ko e hā honau ngaahi tūkungá.

He ʻikai ngali ʻAho ʻo e Fakamāloó ka ʻikai ha pīpī ʻi he ʻōvaní. Ka naʻe ngali fuʻu lahi ha pīpī pauni ʻe 14 (kilo ʻe 6) ia kiate au ko ia ne u fakaafeʻi ha niʻihi ʻo e kau ako mei he ngaahi fonua kehé pe mei ha ngaahi siteiti mamaʻo ke nau omi ʻo maʻu meʻatokoni mo au. Naʻá ku fie vahevahe mo kinautolu ha tukufakaholo faka-ʻAmelika ʻo e maʻumeʻatokoni efiafi ʻi he ʻAho ʻo e Fakafetaʻí, ka naʻá ku fakaafeʻi kinautolu ke tokoni mai. Naʻá ku kole ange ke nau takitaha omi mei honau ʻapí mo ha tisi ʻo e meʻakai ʻoku nau saiʻia taha aí. Ne fakafiefia mo fakangalongataʻa ʻa ʻemau houa maʻumeʻatokoni efiafi ʻi he ʻaho ʻo e Fakafetaʻí—ʻa e ngaahi foʻimoa ne fakapaku ʻo takatakaí (egg rolls) mo e kotoa ʻo e meʻakaí.

Naʻe folofola ʻa e Tuʻi ko Penisimaní ʻo pehē, “Pea vakai, ʻoku ou fakahā kiate kimoutolu ʻa e ngaahi meʻá ni koeʻuhí ke mou ʻiloʻi ʻa e potó; koeʻuhí ke mou ʻiloʻi ʻo ka mou ka ʻi he tauhi ʻo homou kāingá, ʻoku mou ʻi he tauhi pē ʻo homou ʻOtuá” (Mōsaia 2:17).

Naʻá ku ako ʻa e potó ʻi he ʻAho ʻo e Fakafetaʻi ko iá. ʻI heʻeku fai e tokoni ʻi he taimi ne mei faingofua ange ke u nofo pē mo ongoʻi loto mamahí, ne u maʻu ha fiefia. Ko e ngāue tokoní ko ha kī ia ki he fiefiá ʻo ʻikai ngata ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho māloloó, ʻa ia ʻoku faingofua ke tau nofo ʻo faʻa fakakaukau ki he ngaahi meʻa ʻoku ʻikai ke tau maʻu ʻi heʻetau moʻuí, ka ʻi ha faʻahinga faʻahitaʻu pē. Neongo pe ko e hā e tūkunga ʻoku tau ʻi aí, ʻe lava maʻu pē ke tau kumi ha taha ke tau tokoniʻi. ʻI heʻetau hiki hake ko ia ʻa hotau ngaahi kāingá, ʻoku tau hiki hake foki ai mo kitautolu.

Naʻá ku fakakaukau ʻe lelei ange ke u tokoni ʻi he ʻapi ko ʻeni maʻá e kau tukuhausiá ʻi haʻaku tangutu pē ʻi ʻapi ʻo ongoʻi liʻekina mo ʻita. Hili mei ai ha ngaahi ʻaho siʻi ne u vahe atu ha pateta oʻi mafana ʻi ha ngaahi peleti ʻa ha niʻihi ne nau fiekaia.