Pikitai ki Heʻeku Filí

ʻElena ʻOkineva ʻEnitasoni, ʻIutā, USA

ʻI he hoko hoku taʻu 21, naʻe kamata ke u ongoʻi hono ueʻi au ke u ngāue fakafaifekaú. Naʻe ʻikai pē ke u palani au ke ngāue fakafaifekau, pea naʻe taʻeʻamanekina e ngaahi fakakaukau ko ʻení. Naʻe poupouʻi au ʻe heʻeku taki lakanga fakataulaʻeikí ke u lotua ia, pea naʻá ku fai ʻeni.

Naʻe mahino ʻaupito e tali ki heʻeku lotú: Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ko e finangalo ia ʻo e ʻOtuá ke u ngāue fakafaifekau. Ne u ongoʻi fiefia he kamataʻangá ke ngāue, ka naʻe faingataʻa ange ʻa e mavahe ʻo ngāue fakafaifekaú ʻi he meʻa ne u ʻamanaki atu ki aí.

Naʻe ʻikai mahino ki hoku pulé ʻa e ʻuhinga ʻeku mavahe ʻi he māhina ʻe 18, pea naʻe ʻikai ke ne fie tuku mai haku taimi mei he ngāué ke u teuteu ai ki heʻeku ʻalú. Naʻá ne tuku mai pē ha fakatokanga fakaʻosi: “Ko hoʻo ngāue pe ko e ʻikai ke ke ngāue. Fili pē koe.” Neongo ʻeku manavasiʻi he taʻengāue ʻi he ngaahi uike fakaʻosi peá u ʻalu ʻo ngāue fakafaifekaú, ka naʻá ku fili ke u nofo mei he ngāué.

Naʻe faingataʻa foki hono fakakakato ʻo e ngaahi fie maʻu fakafaitoʻó. Naʻe teʻeki ai sio ʻeku toketā hoku fonua tupuʻanga ko Lūsiá, he ngaahi pepa fakafaitoʻo ʻa e Siasí ki he ngāue fakafaifekaú pea fakafisi ia ke fakamoʻoni ai.

Naʻe hanga ʻe he ngaahi meʻa pehení ʻo ʻai ke u fifili pe naʻá ku fai koā ʻa e fili totonú. Ne tuʻo lahi e mei liliu ʻeku fakakaukaú. Ka ʻi he ngaahi taimi ne u loto veiveiua pehē aí, naʻá ku manatuʻi e tali ki heʻeku lotú pea lava ke u kei pipiki pē ki heʻeku fili ke u ʻalu ʻo ngāue fakafaifekaú. Naʻe faifai pē peá u maʻu e ngaahi founga ke fakaleleiʻi ʻaki e ngaahi faingataʻa kehe ne u fepaki mo iá.

Naʻe uiuiʻi au ke u ngāue ʻi he Misiona Lūsia Seni Pitasipēkí. Naʻe ʻikai faingofua e ngaahi ʻuluaki māhina siʻi ʻi he malaʻe ngāue fakafaifekaú. Kae tupu mei he meʻa ne u ako ke fakahoko ʻi heʻeku fepaki mo e ngaahi faingataʻá ʻi heʻeku teuteu ki he ngāué, naʻe lava ke u fehangahangai mo e ngaahi faingataʻa ʻi heʻeku ngāué. Ne akoʻi au ʻe heʻeku ngāue fakafaifekaú—mo e ngaahi faingataʻa ne u fetaulaki mo ia heʻeku teuteu ki aí—ʻe lava ke u fai ʻa e ngaahi meʻa ʻoku faingataʻá ʻi hono tokoniʻi au ʻe he ʻEikí.