Ko ha ʻŪpē maʻa Tīmote
Naʻe mamahi hoku lotó ʻi he faingataʻaʻia ʻeku kiʻi pēpeé peá u toki manatuʻi ʻa e ngaahi meʻaʻofa naʻe ʻomi ʻe ha Tamasiʻi valevale ʻe taha ʻi he taʻu ʻe 2,000 kuo hilí.
ʻOku ou manatuʻi e ngaahi lea fakamanavahē ʻa ʻeku neesi faifāʻelé: “ʻOku ou tui ʻoku ʻi ai e ngaahi fehālaaki fakaesino ʻoku hoko ki ai.” ʻI he taimi tatau pē, naʻe toe tokolahi ange ʻa kinautolu naʻe ʻi he loki fāʻelé ke fakaake ʻeku kiʻi pēpē naʻe ʻikai lava ke moʻui pē ʻiate iá.
Ne tā tuʻo lahi ʻeku mamata he kuo hilí ki ha meʻa peheni, kae mei he tafaʻaki ʻe tahá ʻi heʻeku hoko ko ia ko e nēsí. Ko au naʻe totonu ke u fakaake ʻa e kiʻi valevale toki fāʻeleʻí. Ka ko au ʻeni ia ʻa e faʻē ʻoku kakapa atu ki he matapā ʻo e puha sioʻatá ki he nima ʻo ʻeku tamá, lolotonga ia ʻoku tatali ha timi ʻoku nau fetuku holo ʻa e kau mahakí ke ʻave ia ki ha falemahaki ʻe taha.
Ne u maʻu ha telefoni ʻi he pongipongi hono hokó mei he tafaʻaki ʻoku nau tokangaʻi e fānau valevale ʻi he tuʻunga fakatuʻutāmakí (NICU), ʻa ia ne tangutu ai hoku husepāniti ko ʻAniteluú kae haʻo takai e kau toketaá, ʻo fakamatala kau ki he tafa ʻoku fie maʻu ke fai leva kia Tīmoté ke toʻo ha ngaahi foʻi ngungu lalahi mei hono keté.
Ne u fakaʻamu pē ʻe sai ʻema kiʻi pēpeé ʻi he tafa ko iá peá ne moʻui fiefia mo tatau mo e kakai kehé. Ne u fakakaukauloto atu ki ha kiʻi tamasiʻi sino moʻui lelei mo ha kiʻi piki fakaʻofoʻofa ʻi hono sinó ke fakamanatu ʻaki ʻa e taimi nounou naʻe manavahē ai ʻene mātuʻá ki heʻene moʻuí.
Hili ha uike ʻe tolu mei ai, naʻe feinga ha toketā ki he neavé ke fakamatalaʻi mai ʻi he loki konifelenisi ʻo e falemahaki tatau pē, ʻe tupu mei he ʻikai faʻu lelei e ʻuto ʻo ʻema tamá ha tuai ʻene fakakaukaú, faingataʻa ʻene leá, pea aʻu pē ki haʻane hamu.
Hili ha ngaahi ʻaho siʻi mei ai, ʻi he loki tatau pē, naʻe pehē ʻe he toketā ki he pēpē toki fāʻeleʻí, “ʻOku ʻikai te u tui ʻe ʻatā ʻa Tīmote ki ʻapi taʻe ʻave mo ha tiupi ke fafangaʻi ʻaki.” Naʻe holo ʻaki ʻe heʻema pēpeé ha pāuni ʻe tolu (kilo ʻe 1.4) hili hono fāʻeleʻi maí, ʻo tutue, pea naʻe ʻikai ke ʻaonga ha faʻahinga meʻa ia naʻe fai ke ngaungaue mai ai. ʻI hono ʻoange ki ai ha foʻi hina huhú, naʻe vaivai ʻene komó, peá ne loʻoa ʻi he huʻakaú.
Hangē ne fāi hifo pē ke mōlia ʻema ʻamanaki lelei ki heʻema pēpeé. Naʻe hōloa e tuʻunga naʻe ʻi ai ʻeku moʻuí. Ne u fehuʻia e talaʻofa ʻa e ʻEikí ʻe ʻikai ʻaupito ha taimi te Ne tuku ai ha ʻahiʻahi ke lahi ange ʻi he meʻa ʻoku malava ʻe ha taha ke kātakiʻí. Ne u ongoʻi ʻa ʻeku mafasia fakaesino, fakaʻatamai, mo fakalaumālié. Lolotonga e ngaahi houa lōloa ne u ʻi falemahaki fakaʻaho aí, ne u fakaʻānaua ke u ʻi ai mai mo ʻeku ongo fānau lalahi angé pea hoko atu e tuʻunga nonga ne ʻi ai ʻemau moʻuí. ʻI he taimi naʻá ku ʻi ʻapi aí, ne u hohaʻa ki heʻeku pēpeé, pea ko e moʻoni naʻá ku fakakaukau ko e ʻosi ē homau kiʻi fāmilí.
ʻI he taimi ne u faingataʻaʻia taha aí, ne u tangi ki he ʻEikí, ʻo fakahā ange ʻa e ngaahi founga lelei kotoa pē ʻe lava ke u ngāue ai Maʻaná ʻo kapau te Ne toe fakafoki atu ʻa Tīmote, tuku ke u tengihia ʻene mālōloó, pea tuku muʻa ke hoko atu ʻeku moʻuí. Naʻe mahino ka ʻi ai mo ha toe meʻa kehe mei ai, he ʻikai te u lava ʻe au ʻo makātakiʻi.
Lolotonga ʻa e hoko e ngaahi meʻa kotoa ko ʻení, naʻe kamata ke hoko mo ha ngaahi mana fakatāutaha kiate au. Ne ʻaukai mo lotua homau kiʻi fāmilí ʻe ha kāingalotu tokolahi ʻo homau uōtí, fakataha mo ha kau mēmipa tokolahi ʻo e fāmilí mo homau ngaahi kaungāmeʻá. ʻI heʻeku ʻā hake ʻi ha pongipongi Sāpate ʻe taha, ne u ongoʻi mālohi ʻe hoko ha meʻa lahi ʻi he ʻaho ko iá ko e tupu mei he ngaahi ʻaukai mo e lotu naʻe fakahokó. Ko e moʻoni, ne u ʻamanaki au ʻe fakafokifā pē ha sai ʻa Tīmote pea hoko ha mana ʻo kamata ke ne kai. ʻI heʻeku aʻu atu ki he NICU, naʻe ʻi he tuʻunga tatau ai pē ʻa Tīmote pea ʻikai pē ke ne fie inu e hina huhú. Naʻe tō hifo ʻeku ʻamanakí, ka ʻi he lolotonga ʻeku fuofua iá, ne ʻalu hake ha ongo mālohi ʻiate au te ne sai pē. Naʻe ʻikai te u ʻiloʻi pe naʻe ʻuhinga ki he hā ʻa e “sai peé,” ka naʻe ʻikai haʻaku veiveiua ko e ʻEikí naʻe pulé pea naʻá Ne ʻafioʻi pē homau fāmilí.
Hili ha ngaahi uike siʻi mei ai, ne ma ō atu mo ʻeku faʻeé ki falemahaki. Ne fua ʻe heʻeku faʻeé ʻeku kiʻi pēpē sino vaivaí ki hono fatafatá, peá ne fuofua ia mo hiva e ʻūpē faka-Kilisimasi ko ʻení:
Fiemālie ʻeku tamá, kau talanoa,
Ki he ʻEiki ko Sīsū ʻi māmaní;
Pea ʻi ha fonua mamaʻo he tahí,
Naʻe ʻaloʻi Ia ʻo hangē pē ko koé.
Mohe ā pēpē, mohe ā tama.
Mohe ā kiʻi pēpē, ʻoua manavahē.
Mohe ā pēpē, mohe ā tama.
ʻE tokangaʻi koe ʻe Sīsū.1
Ne u ʻiloʻi ʻe fakafou mai ʻa e nongá ʻi hoku Fakamoʻuí, ʻa ia naʻe hāʻele mai ki he māmaní ke ʻomi ʻa e melinó mo e fiefia taʻengatá maʻatautolu takitaha. Ko e moʻoni te Ne tokangaʻi ʻa e kiʻi valevale ʻofeiná ni pea hiki hake mo kitautolu naʻe fili ke tokangaʻi iá.
Hili ha ngaahi uike siʻi mei ai, naʻe ʻave ʻa Tīmote ki he nēsilī makehe ko ia ʻoku ou lolotonga ngāue aí. Ne hoko ai ha mana ʻo ne ako ke kai. Pea ne u toe maʻu pē ʻa e ongo fakaofo ko ia te ne sai pē. Pea neongo naʻe lahi e ngaahi meʻa naʻá ne fakalakalaka aí, ka naʻe teʻeki ai pē ke u ʻilo hono ʻuhingá. Talu mei he taimi ko iá mo ʻeku maʻu ha ongo fakafiemālie. Pea ko ʻeku ʻiloʻi pē ha meʻa naʻe totonu ke u hohaʻa ki ai, ne ʻalu hake ʻiate au ʻa e ongo ko iá, pea mo e pōpoaki tatau ai pē: “ʻOua naʻá ke hohaʻa. ʻE lelei e meʻa hono kotoa. Fiefia pē ʻi hoʻo maʻu iá mo hoʻomo feohí.”
ʻOku ʻalu ʻeku fakakaukaú he faʻahitaʻu Kilisimasi ko ʻení ki he ngaahi meʻaʻofa fakaʻofoʻofa kuo foaki mai ʻe he Fakamoʻuí maʻatautolú. ʻOkú Ne tuku mai ha ngaahi founga lahi ke tau maʻu ai ʻa e melinó ʻi he māmaní. Ko e taha ʻo e ngaahi meʻaʻofa fakaʻofoʻofa ʻo e melinó ʻa e faingamālie ko ia ke tau faʻa lotu pea fai ʻa e meʻa kotoa te tau lavá pea ka hili iá ke tau ʻoatu hotau ngaahi mamahí kiate Ia.
ʻI heʻetau falala ki he ʻEikí, ʻe lava ke tau ʻoatu kiate Ia ʻa e ngaahi meʻa ʻoku hohaʻa ki ai hotau lotó, pea te Ne hikiʻi hake ʻa kitautolu, ʻo foaki mai ha ngaahi meʻaʻofa makehe ke poupouʻi kitautolu—ʻo faʻa fakafou mai ʻeni ʻi ha kakai kehe. Kiate au, ʻoku fakafou mai e ngaahi meʻaʻofá ni ʻi he niʻihi ʻoku nau toʻotama ʻi heʻeku ongo fānau lalahi angé, meʻatokoni mei he kāingalotu ʻo e uōtí, kau neesi mo e kau toketā lelei, mo e poupou ʻoku fai ʻi he ʻofa mei hoku fāmilí mo e kaungāmeʻá. Neongo iá, ko e meʻaʻofa mālohi tahá, ʻa e melino naʻe foaki mai ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ʻi hono fua ʻe Hono ʻAló ʻa hoku ngaahi mamahí mo ʻeku ngaahi loto-hohaʻá. Koeʻuhí ko Ia, ʻoku ou tauʻatāina ai ke ʻofa mo fiefia ʻi heʻeku kiʻi pēpē ko Tīmoté pea ke u fiefia ʻi he kakai mo e ngaahi tāpuaki kotoa kuo tuku ʻi hoku halá koeʻuhi ko e moʻui makehe ʻokú ne maʻú.
Tā fakatātaaʻi ʻe Scott Snow