Ngaahi Topuvaʻe ʻo e Faivelengá

Randolph Shankula, ʻIutā, USA

Tā fakatātā ʻa Bradley H. Clark

ʻI ha taimi lahi ne u fie maʻu ke faitaaʻi e Temipale Sikueá ʻi Sōleki Sití—kau ai ʻa e vai kaukau sio ʻatá, ko e ngaahi matavaí, mo e ʻaluʻangá—naʻe ʻufiʻufi ʻaki e sinoú pea ʻikai ʻilonga ai ha ngaahi topuvaʻe. Ke maʻu ʻa e ʻata ʻo ha sinou foʻou taʻe ʻi ai ha topuvaʻé, naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ne pau ke u aʻu pongipongia ki he Temipale Sikueá hili ha afā sinou ʻi he taimi poʻulí.

ʻI he efiafi ʻe taha, hili ha fakatokanga sinou ki he poó kakato, naʻá ku mateuteu. Naʻá ku seti ʻeku uasi fafangú ki he 3:00 a.m. pea fakamāʻopoʻopo ʻeku meʻa ngāué, koeʻuhí he ʻoku kamata teke ʻe he kau ngāue ʻi tuʻa ʻo e Temipale Sikueá ʻa e ngaahi lueʻangá ʻi he 5:00 hengihengi.

ʻI heʻeku fakaʻuli atu ʻi he ngaahi hala teʻeki teké ʻi he pongipongi hono hokó, naʻá ku aʻu atu ki he Temipale Sikueá ʻi he 4:15 hengihengi ʻoku kei lolotonga tō e sinoú. Hili iá ne u fakaʻuli takai holo leva ʻi he sikueá, ʻo kumi ha feituʻu ke tau ai e meʻalelé ʻa ia ʻe faingofua ki heʻeku faitaá.

Naʻá ku fakatokangaʻi ʻi heʻeku ʻuluaki takai ʻi he Temipale Sikueá, naʻe ʻufiʻufi ʻa e kiʻi hala ki he hūʻanga ʻo e Temipale Sōlekí ʻe he sinoufoʻoú—ʻikai ʻilonga ha ngaahi topuvaʻé! Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi te u maʻu ʻeku ʻata haohaoá. Naʻá ku toe fakaʻuli takai leva mo ʻeku fiefiá ke kumi ha feituʻu tauʻanga meʻalele.

ʻI heʻeku lele fakahahake ʻi he Hala Temipale Noaté, naʻá ku fakakaukau te u maʻu ha feituʻu ofi pē ki he hala lueʻangá. Kimuʻa peá u fakatokangaʻi haké, kuo ʻosi e ngaahi tauʻanga meʻalelé pea naʻá ku toe ofi atu pē ki he hūʻanga ki he temipalé.

ʻI heʻeku tuʻu ʻi ha maama kulokula, ne u sio ki hoku tafaʻaki toʻomataʻú ki he sinou foʻou ne teʻeki ueʻi. ʻI heʻeku sio ki hoku tafaʻaki toʻohemá ki he Senitā Konifelenisí, ne u fakatokangaʻi ha fefine toulekeleka ʻokú ne vala lelei, naʻe maleʻei hono ʻulú ki he tō ʻa e sinoú ʻi heʻene lue atu ki he temipalé.

Naʻá ku fakakaukau, “ʻOiauē, fakapō.” “He ʻikai maʻu ʻeku laʻi taá!”

ʻI he kolosi hake ʻa e fefiné ʻi muʻa ʻiate aú, naʻá ku tafoki ʻo sio ki he kiʻi hala ʻoku ʻamanaki ke maumauʻí peá u sio ki ha fefine ʻe taha ne ʻosi lue hifo ia ʻi he kiʻi halá pea ʻoku lolotonga afe atu ki he hūʻanga ʻo e temipalé. Naʻá ku sio leva ki mui ki he ʻuluaki fefiné ʻokú ne lolotonga lue hifo ʻi he kiʻi halá. Naʻe kāpui ʻe he sinoú hono suú mo hono tungaʻi vaʻé, peá ne molomolo-muivaʻe ʻi he tokotaha ne muʻomuʻá, ʻo lue māmālie hifo ʻi he kiʻi halá, pea hū atu ʻi he matapaá ki he hūʻanga ʻo e temipalé.

ʻI heʻeku fakakaukauloto ki he meʻa ne u mamata ki aí, naʻá ku sio ki he uasi ʻi heʻeku kaá: ko e 4:20 hengihengi ia. ʻI heʻeku tangutu ʻi heʻeku loto kā māfaná mo siofi e ngaahi topuvaʻe ʻi he sinoú, naʻá ku ongoʻi loto fakatōkilalo ʻi he faivelenga ʻa e ongo fefine ko ʻení ʻi heʻena fononga ke fakahoko hona ngaahi fatongia kuo vahe naua ki aí.

Naʻá ku toe fakaʻuli takai, tau e meʻalelé, toʻo mai ʻeku meʻa faitaá, pea faitaaʻi e ngaahi topuvaʻe ʻi he sinoú—ko ha ʻata ne mahuʻinga lahi ange ia ʻi he meʻa ne u ʻuluaki fakakaukau ki aí.