Ko ʻEku Lotu ʻi he Tahi Fakatokelaú

Ola Toalea Senisoni, ʻIutā, USA

ʻI hoku taʻu 17, ne mau nofo ʻi ha motu ʻi he fakatonga ʻo Noaué ʻoku ui ko ʻAnatapeloi. Ne ului ʻeku tamaí ki he Siasí ʻi ʻAnatapeloi peá ne papitaiso au ʻi ai he tahí.

Ne u hoko ko ha tangata toutai ʻi he taimi ko iá pea taukei ʻi hono tokangaʻi ha vaká. Ne fokotuʻu au ʻe heʻeku tamaí ke u tokangaʻi homau vaka tahi tekisī ne ngāue ʻaki ʻe he kakai ʻo e ʻēliá.

Ne tā mai ha toketā ʻi ha ʻaho ʻe taha ʻi Felekifooti ki he noaté. Ne fie maʻu tokoni fakafaitoʻo ha fefine ʻoku nofo ʻi ha houa ʻe ua e ʻalu vaka ki aí. Naʻe kole mai ʻa Toketā Hofemani pe te u lava ʻo ʻave ia ke sio ki ai, ka naʻe hohaʻa ʻeku mātuʻá ko ha matangi ʻi he Potutahi Fakatokelaú. Ne mau lotu ʻo kole ki he Tamai Hēvaní pe ko e hā e meʻa ke faí. Ne mau maʻu ha tali ʻoku totonu ke u fai ia.

ʻI heʻeku tuku atu ʻa Tryg, ko hoku vaka toutai fute ʻe 31 (mita ʻe 10) ki tahí, ne kovi e ʻeá pea hou ʻaupito. Hili hono fakaheka e toketaá, ne u folau atu leva ki he moaná. Ne fie maʻu ke ma fononga ki ha kolo he fakatokelau ʻo Lisitaá, ʻoku ʻi he feituʻu makamaka fakatonga ʻo e matāfanga ʻo Nouaé—ʻoku ʻiloa ʻi he ʻalotāmakí mo e ngaahi toetoenga vaká.

Naʻá ku fakaʻuli atu ʻi he lotolotonga ʻo e matangí kae ʻoua kuó ma aʻu ki ha hūʻanga makamaka, ʻoku fute ʻe 40 (mita ʻe 12) nai hono fālahí, ʻa ia ʻoku fakatau ki he feituʻu ʻokú ma taumuʻa ki aí. Ne fuʻu mālohi e peaú ʻo ʻikai ke u lava ʻo puleʻi e vaká ʻi he hūʻangá, ne takina atu e vaká ki he hūʻangá pea haʻaki ʻi he makamaká.

Naʻe fehuʻi leʻo lahi ʻe he toketaá, “Ko e hā e meʻa ʻoku totonu ke ta faí?”.

Ne u tali ange, “Kuo pau ke ta lotu.”

Ne u kiʻi tuʻu ʻo lotu, ʻo kole ki he Tamai Hēvaní ke maʻu ha fakahinohino. ʻI he ʻosi pē ʻeku pehē ʻēmení, ne hā mahino mai ha tali. Ne u manatu leva ki ha talanoa ne fai mai ʻe ha tangata toutai motuʻa. Naʻá ne taumātaʻu ʻi he feituʻu tatau ko ʻení lolotonga ha matangi mālohi pea ʻikai lava ke ne aʻu ki ʻuta. ʻI heʻene tatali ki he matangí, naʻá ne fakatokangaʻi e sīpinga ʻo e haʻu ʻa e peaú. Hili e haʻu ha foʻi peau lalahi ʻe tolu, naʻe kiʻi nonga ʻi ha kiʻi taimi—feʻunga ke lava ʻo hū atu ai ʻi he hūʻangá.

Naʻá ku toutai tuʻo lahi ʻi he ʻēliá ni ko ʻení ka naʻe teʻeki ke u fakatokangaʻi e sīpinga ko ʻení. Ka neongo iá, ne u ʻomai e vaká ki muʻa ki he hūʻangá, ʻo tali ai ki he haʻu ʻa e foʻi peau lalahi ʻe tolú. Ko hono moʻoní, naʻe nonga fakafokifā leva. Ne u fakahū atu e vaká ʻi he tahi nongá pea hao malu atu mo Toketā Hofimani ki he matāfangá. Naʻá ne fakavave atu ki he fefine ne puké ka u tatali pē ʻi he vaká, ʻo fakamālō ki he Tamai Hēvaní ʻi hono tali ʻeku lotú.

ʻI he foki mai ʻa e toketaá hili ha houa ʻe taha, naʻá ne pehē, “Naʻá ta fakahaofi ia!”

ʻI he fakafiefia ʻo e ongoongó pea matafi mo e matangí, ne u fakaʻuli mai ʻi he vaká ki ʻapi pea ʻikai hoko ha meʻa.

ʻOku ou fakamoʻoni ʻoku totonu ke tau lotu ʻi heʻetau fie maʻu ha tokoní. ʻOku ou ʻilo ʻe tali ia ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní.

Naʻe fuʻu peau lalahi pea ʻikai te u lava ʻo puleʻi e vaká ʻi he hūʻangá.