Ko e Holoholo Faka-Kilisimasí
Naʻá ku tokoni ki heʻeku faʻeé ʻi he taʻu kotoa pē heʻeku kei siʻí ki hono kofukofuʻi ʻo e ngaahi meʻaʻofa Kilisimasi ʻa e fāmilí. Naʻe ʻi ai hoku ngaahi tokoua mo e tuofefine ʻe toko 5 kuo nau ʻosi mali, mo hoku fakafotu mo e ʻilamutu ʻe toko 13, ko ia naʻe ʻikai ko ha kiʻi ngāue siʻisiʻi ʻeni. Naʻá ku fakatokangaʻi, neongo ʻa e ngaahi meʻa lanu kehekehe naʻe felé, naʻe ʻi ai maʻu pē ha holoholo ia naʻe kofukofuʻi maʻa hoku tuofefiné. Neongo naʻe ʻoange ʻe heʻeku faʻeé hano kofu mohe pe sote pe ha meʻa ngaohi kai ki peito, naʻe toe ʻi ai pē ha holoholo ia moʻo ʻAna. Naʻe mahino pē kiate au ko e meʻa ʻaonga ʻa e holoholó pea ʻikai mamafa hono fakataú, ka naʻe kamata ke u fifili pe ko e hā ha fakakaukau hoku tuofefiné ki heʻene toutou maʻu e meʻaʻofa ko ʻení.
Naʻe ʻi ai ha Tīsema ʻe taha, naʻá ku toki pehē ange ai: “Fineʻeiki, ko e toe holoholo ʻeni ʻe taha moʻo ʻAna? Hangē ʻokú ke foaki kiate ia ha holoholo ʻi he taʻu kotoa pē. Kuó ke fakakaukau ʻapē naʻa kuo feʻunga nai ʻene ngaahi holoholó ʻi he taimí ni? Ko e holoholo ʻe fiha ʻokú ne fie maʻú? Pea ko e tahá, ʻikai ʻoku fakamole lahi ange hono meili ʻo e puha ʻa e fāmilí ʻi hono tānaki atu ki ai ʻo e meʻaʻofa ʻe taha ko iá? ʻOku ou tui ʻoku ʻikai fie maʻu ke ke fai ʻeni.”
Naʻe tuku hifo ʻe heʻeku faʻeé ʻene helekosí, peá ne pehē mai, “ʻOku ou fie fai atu ha talanoa kiate koe. Pea mahalo naʻa mahino ai kiate koe hono ʻuhingá. Naʻe hoko ʻa e meʻá ni kimuʻa ʻoku teʻeki fāʻeleʻi koé.
“ʻOkú ke ʻiloʻi ʻa e founga ʻo ʻeku haʻu ki he fonua ko ʻení.” (Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ia. Naʻe ʻohovale ʻa e fāmili ʻo ʻeku faʻeé ʻi heʻene mali mo e tangata kuo mate hono malí, pea ʻi ai ʻene fānau ʻe toko fā, ka naʻa nau toe ʻohovale lahi ange ʻi he mahino kuo pau ke ne tuku ai ʻa Hōlani kae hiki mai ki he ʻIuniteti Siteití.) “Ka ʻoku ʻi ai ha ngaahi meʻa ʻe niʻihi ʻoku ʻikai te ke ʻiloʻi. Naʻe ʻikai te mau maʻu ha meʻa ʻi heʻemau hiki mai ki hení. Naʻe faingataʻa ʻa e moʻuí. Naʻe ngāue ua hoʻo tamaí, ka naʻe siʻi ʻa e vahé. Naʻá ku fō mo haeane totongi. Ka naʻe ʻikai pē te mau maʻu ha paʻanga feʻunga.
“Naʻe taʻu 17 ʻa ʻAna ʻi he taimi ko iá pea naʻe mahino kiate ia ʻa e lahi ʻo homau moʻuá fakapaʻangá. Naʻá ne fakakaukau ai te ne lava ʻo tokoni. Naʻá ne ʻalu leva ʻo ngāue. Naʻe maʻu haʻane ngāue ʻi kolo ʻi ha fale koloa fakatau lole. Naʻe pau ke ne heka pasi ki ai, pea tuʻu ʻi he kānitá ʻi he ʻaho kakato. Naʻá ne ʻomi kiate kimaua ʻa e meimei kotoa ʻo ʻene vahé, peá ne tauhi pē ha sēniti feʻunga ki heʻene totongi pasí mo fakatau ʻaki haʻane kai hoʻatā, he naʻe ʻikai ngofua ke ne tuku ha meʻakai ʻi he lalo kānitá.
“Naʻe talamai ʻe ʻAna kiate au, ʻokú ne fiefia ʻi he maʻu haʻane ngāué pea ʻoku tokoni mai ʻene vahé kiate kimautolu. Ka naʻe ʻikai ke ne talamai ʻene hohaʻa koeʻuhi ko hono ngaahi tuongaʻane īkí. Naʻe ofi ke aʻu ki he Kilisimasí. “Naʻe talanoa honau ngaahi kaumeʻa ʻAmelika foʻoú ʻo kau ki he ngaahi meʻavaʻinga naʻa nau kole kia Sanitā ke ne ʻomai maʻanautolú. Fēfē kapau ʻe ʻikai ʻomi ʻe Sanitā ha ngaahi meʻaʻofa ki homau ʻapí?
“Naʻe ʻomi ʻe ʻAna ha paʻanga kiate au ʻi ha ngaahi ʻaho siʻi kimuʻa ʻi he Kilisimasí. Ka naʻe ʻikai ko hono ʻaho vahé ia. Naʻá ku fehuʻi ange pe ko ʻene maʻu ʻa e paʻanga ko iá mei fē. Naʻá ne talamai, ko e paʻanga ia naʻe totonu ke fakatau ʻaki ʻene kai hoʻataá. Naʻe ʻikai ko ha paʻanga lahi, ka naʻá ku ʻiloʻi naʻe ʻikai te ne kai hoʻatā ʻi ha ngaahi uike lahi. Naʻá ne talamai ke u ʻave ʻa e paʻangá ʻo fakatau ʻaki ha ngaahi meʻaʻofa Kilisimasi maʻa hono ngaahi tuongaʻane īkí. Naʻá ne falala mai kiate au, ko e mali foʻou ʻo ʻene tamaí, ke u fakatau mai ʻa e meʻa totonú.
“Naʻe pau ke u fakatau mai ha fanga kiʻi meʻa iiki. Ka naʻá ku fakakaukau te u lava ʻo ngaohi ʻeni ko ha Kilisimasi maʻá e fāmilí kotoa. Ko e moli ke kai, ko e koa kaukau, kala kuleioni, fanga kiʻi kā vaʻinga, mo e sitōkeni maʻa hoʻomou tamaí. Pea naʻá ku fakatau mai mo ha holoholo moʻo ʻAna. Naʻe ʻikai ko ha holoholo fakaʻofoʻofa, ka naʻá ku ʻā ʻi he pō ko iá ʻo tui teuteuʻi ia ke fakaʻofoʻofa. Naʻá ku fiefia ʻi hono ʻomi ʻe heʻeku tama fefine foʻoú hotau Kilisimasí. Naʻá ku loto ke ne maʻu foki ha meʻa makehe ki he Kilisimasí.
“Naʻe aʻu ki he Kilisimasí. Naʻa mau ʻohovale ʻi he haʻu homau ngaahi kaumeʻa ʻi he Siasí ʻo ʻomi ha fuʻu ʻakau Kilisimasi mo ha puha naʻe fonu ʻi he ngaahi meʻaʻofá. Naʻa nau kole fakamolemole mai koeʻuhi ko ha fanga kiʻi meʻa iiki pē kuo kofukofuʻi ʻaki ʻa e nusipepa, ka naʻe fakaʻofoʻofa pē ia! Naʻe lahi ʻaupito ʻa e ngaahi meʻa ʻaonga mo e meʻakai ke kai. Naʻe hoko mai leva ha meʻa fakaʻohovale ʻe taha. Ko e kiʻi meʻa fakapulipuli fakafufū pē ʻa ʻAna mo au. Naʻe haʻu ʻa Sanitā ki hotau falé! Naʻe fiefia lahi ho ngaahi tokouá! Naʻe ʻikai fuoloa kuo nau totolo holo he faliki ʻo e kiʻi loki talanoá ʻo vaʻinga ʻaki ʻenau fanga kiʻi kaá ʻi he nusipepá. He naʻe mafola holo ʻa e nusipepá he falikí! Pea toki fakaava hake ʻe ʻAna ʻene meʻaʻofá ʻo sio ki he holoholó. Naʻá ne tangi. Peá u tangi foki mo au.
“Naʻa mau ngaohi ʻemau meʻakai ki he Kilisimasí. ʻIo, naʻa mau maʻu ha ngaahi meʻa lelei kuo fuoloa ʻemau taʻemaʻu ha ngaahi meʻa pehē. Naʻe ʻalu ʻa ʻAna ke ʻave hono holoholó ʻo tuku fakalelei. Ka ne ʻikai ʻiloa ia. Naʻa mau fakasio ʻi he feituʻu kotoa pē. Naʻá ku manatuʻi hake, ne laku ʻe hoʻo tamaí ʻa e ʻū nusipepá ki he afí. Naʻe laku nai ai mo e holoholó ki he afí? Mahalo ne lī ia ki ai, he naʻe ʻikai pē te mau toe ʻilo ia. Ka naʻe ʻikai lāunga ai ʻa ʻAna. Neongo pe ko e hā e meʻa kuo hokó, kuo ʻosi ia. Ka naʻá ne fiefia pē ia ʻi he fiefia hono ngaahi tuongaʻané.
“Naʻá ku foaki ha holoholo kia ʻAna he Kilisimasi hono hokó. Naʻá ku fakapapauʻi ʻe ʻikai mole ʻa e holoholo ko iá. Ko e taimi naʻá ne mali ai pea hikí, naʻá ku kei meili pē ki ai hono holoholo faka-Kilisimasí. ʻOku ʻikai ko e ʻuhinga ʻo ʻeku foaki ki ai ha holoholo ʻi he Kilisimasi kotoa peé, he ʻokú ne fie maʻu ia. ʻOku ou foaki ki ai ʻa e holoholó ke fakahā ange ʻe ʻikai ngalo ʻiate au ʻa e meʻa naʻá ne fai ki homau ʻuluaki Kilisimasi fakatahá.
Naʻe fakataha mai ʻa e fāmilí kotoa ʻo fakamanatu ʻa e Kilisimasí hili ha ngaahi taʻu lahi hono fai mai ʻe heʻeku faʻeé ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení. Naʻá ku nofo ʻo siofi hoku tuofefiné ʻi he vālau tuʻu ko iá mo ʻene fakaava hake ʻene holoholó. Naʻá ku sio atu ki heʻene fakatē loʻimatá ʻi heʻene ala atu ʻo kukuʻi e nima ʻo ʻemau faʻeé. Naʻe mahino kiate au hono ʻuhingá. Naʻe ʻikai ko ha holoholo pē ia. Ka ko ʻena manatu makehe ia ki he ʻofa, ngaahi meʻaʻofa mo e feilaulau. Naʻe fakamanatu mai ai kiate au ʻi ha founga mahino ʻa e ʻuhinga ʻoku tau fakamanatu ai ʻa e Kilisimasí—koeʻuhi ko ha meʻaʻofa mahuʻinga naʻe foaki ʻi he ʻofa ʻa ia naʻe fie maʻu ki ai ha feilaulau.
Tā fakatātaaʻi ʻe Sam Lawlor