Te ke Lotu Nai mo Au?
Sonatane H. Pauteni, ʻIutā, ʻAmelika
“Te u toki foki mai ʻi ha taimi siʻi,” ko e lea ia ʻeku tamai tauhi ʻi Tailení mo ne hū atu he matapa muʻá. Ko e meʻa ia naʻá ku fakakaukau naʻá ne lea mai ʻakí. Naʻe teʻeki foki ke fuʻu mahino kiate au ʻa e lea faka-Tailení.
Naʻá ku nofo ʻi Taileni ʻi ha meimei māhina ʻe fā ko ha tokotaha ngāue tokoni ʻi he koló, pea neongo naʻá ku lava ʻo kiʻi lea faka-Taileni siʻisiʻi pē, ka naʻe kei lahi pē ʻa e ngaahi meʻa ke u akó. Naʻá ku toki hiki mai ki he feituʻu ko ʻení, ka naʻe ʻosi mahino ki he fāmili naʻa nau tauhi aú ko ha mēmipa au ʻo e Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní. Naʻá ku fai hoku lelei tahá ke fakamatalaʻi ʻa e ngaahi tuʻunga ʻulungāanga mahuʻingá peá u foaki ki he fāmilí ha Tohi ʻa Molomoná faka-Taileni mo ha kiʻi tohi tufa Ki Hono Fakamālohia ʻo e Toʻu Tupú.
ʻI heʻeku talitali ke foki mai ʻeku tamai tauhí, naʻá ku tangutu pē ʻi he faliki ʻo e lotofalé ʻo kamata ke ako lea mei ha kiʻi tohi lea faka-Taileni. Fakafokifā pē, ne haʻu kiate au ha ongo mālohi ke u fakaafeʻi ia ke ma lotu. Naʻá ku fakakaukau ke u kole ange ki muʻa, ka naʻe ʻikai ke fuʻu ongo mālohi ʻo hangē ko ʻení. Lolotonga ʻeku nofo ʻi Tailení, ne u vahevahe ai ʻa e ongoongoleleí ʻi ha ngaahi meʻa lahi, ka naʻe teʻeki ai ke u kole ki ha taha ke ma lotu.
Naʻá ma feohi lelei pē mo ʻeku tamai tauhí. Naʻe aʻu ʻou ui ia ko “Teti,” pea naʻe hangē naʻe fiefia aí. Naʻá ku ongoʻi fiefia peá u toe tailiili. Fēfē kapau ʻe ʻikai mai? Fēfē kapau he ʻikai ke ne toe ongoʻi fiemālie ʻi heʻeku ʻi aí ʻi he toenga hoku taimi mo hono fāmilí? ʻOku totonu nai ke u ʻahiʻahi pē neongo ʻe ngali te ma vākovi ai? Kae kovi angé, he naʻe ʻikai ke u poto he lotu he lea faka-Tailení. Naʻe ʻikai ke u poto feʻunga he lea faka-Tailení ke u kole ki heʻeku tamai tauhí ke lotu, ko ia, ne u kole leva ki heʻeku Tamai Hēvaní ke tokoni.
Taimi nounou pē mei ai, kuó u fanongo ki ha patō leʻo lahi hono tāpuniʻi ʻa e matapā ʻo e ʻā ʻi tuʻá. ʻI he taimi ne hū mai ai ʻeku tamai tauhí, naʻe fakalea mai pea talamai ʻe ʻalu ia ʻo mohe. Naʻá ku ʻilo heni he ʻikai ke u tuku ke mole ʻa e faingamālié ni. ʻI he taimi naʻe fakaava ai hoku ngutú ke leá, naʻá ku ʻilo he taimi pē ko iá ʻa e meʻa ke u lea ʻakí pea mo e founga ke lea ʻaki ia ʻi he lea faka-Tailení.
“Teti, naʻá ku faʻa lotu mo hoku fāmilí ʻi ʻAmelika, pea ʻoku ongo kiate au ʻa e ʻikai ke u fakahoko iá. Te ke fie lotu nai mo au?” Naʻá ku ʻohovale ʻi heʻene talí.
Naʻá ne tali mai, “Soni, ʻio te u fai ia. Akoʻi mai e foungá.”
Naʻá ku toki fakamatalaʻi ange leva ʻi he lea faka-Tailení ʻa e ʻuhinga ʻo e lotú ka naʻá ku pehē ke fai ʻeku lotú ʻi he lea faka-Pilitāniá. Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi naʻe fanongo ʻa e ʻOtuá, pea naʻá ku ʻiloʻi naʻe ongoʻi ʻe heʻeku tamai tauhí ʻa e Laumālié. Naʻá ku fonu loʻimataʻia ʻi heʻene kau mai ʻi hono fakaʻosi ʻeku lotú ʻaki ʻene pehē, “ ʻēmeni.”
He ʻikai ke u lava ʻo fakamatalaʻi ʻa e fiefia mo e ʻofa naʻá ku maʻu ki heʻeku tamai tauhí pea mo ʻeku Tamai Hevaní. Naʻe ʻomi ʻe he meʻa ko iá ha loto lahi kiate au mo ne tataki au ki ha ngaahi meʻa lahi ange ʻi hono vahevahe ʻo e ongoongoleleí mo e niʻihi kehé. Meʻapango, he naʻe ʻikai ke tali ʻe hoku fāmili tauhí ʻa ʻeku fakaafe ke mau maʻulotu ʻi he koló, ka naʻá ku ʻilo ko e ngaahi meʻa naʻá ku vahevahe mo kinautolú ʻe ʻaonga kiate kinautolu ʻi he vavé ni maí pe ʻamui ange.
Neongo he ʻikai ke tau lava maʻu pē ʻo mamata ki he fua ʻo ʻetau ngāue ʻi he moʻui ko ʻení, ka ne u ʻilo ʻe hanga ʻe heʻetau tō ʻa e ngaahi tenga ʻo e ongoongoleleí ʻo tāpuakiʻi ha moʻui—ʻa hoʻo moʻui pē ʻaʻaú. Pea ʻi he taimi ʻa e ʻEikí, ʻe lava ʻe he ngaahi tenga ko iá ʻo tāpuakiʻi mo ha moʻui ʻa ha niʻihi kehe.