Naʻá ku Ohi Nai Ha Fānau pe ko e Matalaʻiʻakau?
Paula Schulte, Mīsuli, USA
Ne mau hiki ki ha kiʻi fale siʻisiʻi mo ha loto ʻataʻatā fakaʻofoʻofa, ʻi he taimi naʻe kei iiki ai ʻema fānaú. Naʻe ʻi ai ha konga kelekele ʻi he ongo tafaʻaki ʻo e matapā ʻi muʻá naʻe teʻeki ke tō ha matalaʻiʻakau ai, pea neongo naʻe siʻisiʻi pē ʻeku ʻilo ki he tō ngoué, ka naʻá ku fiefia ke tō ai ʻa e matalaʻiʻakaú. Naʻá ku fakatau mai ha tohi ki he tō ngoué pea ʻota mai mo e katiloka ki he ʻakaú pea mo e tengaʻi ʻakaú ʻo ako fakalelei ia.
Naʻá ku palani ʻeku ngoué ʻi he ngaahi māhina siʻi hono hokó, ʻo teuteuʻi e kelekelé, pea tō leva ha tengaʻi matalaʻiʻakau ʻe 200 tupu lahi. Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ʻe ʻosi ha ngaahi māhina siʻi kimuʻa peá u toki sio ki ha ngaahi ola, ka naʻá ku faʻa vakaiʻi maʻu pē e ngoué pe ʻoku moʻui. Naʻe kamata ke matala ʻeku matalaʻiʻakaú ʻi he konga kimuʻa ʻo e faʻahitaʻu failaú, ʻo kamata ʻi he fanga kiʻi misimisi lanu vāleti īkí pea toki hoko ki he tafotilá. ʻI he vaeuaʻanga mālie ʻo e faʻahitaʻu failaú naʻe fonu ʻa ʻeku ngaahi puha matalaʻiʻakaú ʻi he tiulipe fakaʻofoʻofá. Naʻá ku ʻofa ʻi heʻeku ngoué, pea naʻá ku faʻa tangutu maʻu pē ʻi he sitepu ʻi muʻá ke sio pē ki he matalaʻiʻakaú.
ʻI ha hoʻatā ʻe taha naʻe haʻu homa ʻofefine taʻu fā ko ʻEmelií, mo hano kaungāmeʻa ke na vaʻinga. Kimuʻa pea toki haʻu e faʻē ʻa hono kaungāmeʻá ke ʻave iá, naʻe fāifeinga mai e ongo tamaiki fefiné ʻi he matapā ʻi peitó, mo ha falukunga tiulipe ʻi hona nimá. Naʻá na lea fiefia mai, “Sio mai ki he meʻa naʻá ma ʻomi maʻaú.” Ko e meimei kotoa pē ia ʻo e matalá kuó na pakí.
ʻOku matala tuʻo taha pē ʻa e tiulipé ʻi he taʻu. Naʻá ku loto-mamahi —naʻe lahi fau ʻeku ngāue naʻe faí, pea fuoloa ʻeku tatali ki he matalá. Naʻa mau fakafonu matalaʻiʻakau ʻeku ngaahi vāsí pea ʻalu ʻa e kaungāmeʻa ʻo ʻEmelií mo e toenga ʻo e matalaʻi ʻakaú ki honau ʻapí. ʻI heʻeku lāunga ki heʻeku faʻeé fekauʻaki mo e fakatamakí, kimui ange, naʻá ne pehē mai, “Ko e meʻa lelei ia hoʻo ohi hake e fānaú kae ʻikai ko e matalaʻiʻakaú.”
Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi leva naʻe fie maʻu ke liliu e anga ʻo ʻeku fakakaukaú. Naʻá ku manatuʻi ʻa e foʻi hiva Palaimeli naʻá ku hivaʻi mo ʻeku ongo tamaiki fefiné ki hono tānaki ʻo e matalaʻiʻakaú:
Siʻi faʻē, kuó u manatua ai koé.
Siʻi faʻē ko ʻeku ʻofa he matalá, ke ʻalaha manongi ʻi hoʻo moʻuí.1
Naʻá ku sio ki he maumau ʻo ʻeku ngoué, ka naʻe sio ʻa e ongo tamaiki fefine taʻu faá ni ki ha tōʻonga ʻo e ʻofá.
Naʻe fie maʻu ʻa e faʻa kātakí ʻi he tō e ngoue matalaʻiʻakaú, pea ʻi he mahino kiate au e tūkunga ko ʻení ʻo fakafou ʻi he anga e fakakaukau ʻo hoku ʻofefiné naʻe toe lahi ange ʻa e kātaki ia naʻe fie maʻu ki aí. Ka naʻe tohoakiʻi au ʻo toe ofi ange ki he ʻEikí ʻi heʻeku ako e faʻa kātakí heʻeku hoko ko ha faʻeé.
Naʻe fāifeinga mai e ongo tamaiki fefiné ʻi he matapā ʻi peitó, mo ha falukunga tiulipe ʻi hona nimá Naʻá na lea fiefia mai, “Sio mai ki he meʻa naʻá ma ʻomi maʻaú.”