Leʻo ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní
Ko Ha Tāpuaki maʻá ha Sola
Tā fakatātā ʻa Allen Garns
Hili ha ngaahi taʻu ʻo ʻeku kau mo hoku fāmilí ki he Siasí, naʻe uiuiʻi au ke u ngāue fakafaifekau ʻi he Misiona Nigeria Port Harcourt. Hili pē ʻeku tūʻuta ʻi hoku fuofua ʻēliá, naʻá ku mavahe atu mo hoku hoá ʻi ha ʻaho laʻā ke fai ʻema malangá mo e ʻaʻahi angamahení.
ʻI heʻema fakalaka atu ʻi ha feituʻu ʻoku vāvāofi e nofó, naʻá ma fanongo ki ha leʻo ʻoku vanavanaiki ʻene ui maí mei ha loto ʻapi ʻoku maʻulalo hono ʻaá. Naʻá ma fakasio atu he veʻe ʻaá ʻo sio ki ha tangata matuʻotuʻa ʻokú ne tokoto foʻohifo pē ʻi he veʻe matapā ʻo e ʻaá.
Naʻá ne fekau mai ke ma hū ange, ka naʻe ʻikai ha founga ke ma lava ʻo hū ai ki loto. Naʻe loka ʻa e ʻaá pea naʻá ma fakakaukau ʻe taʻefakaʻapaʻapa ia kapau te ma kaka he ʻaá. Naʻe ueʻi au ke u toe vakaiʻi ʻa e loka ʻo e matapaá. Hili ha ngaahi miniti siʻi ne ma lava ʻo toʻo e loká mei tuʻa pea fakaava e ʻaá. Naʻá ma sio ʻo ʻiloʻi naʻe puke ʻa e tangatá pea ʻikai ha taha ke ne tauhi ia. Naʻá ne pehē naʻá ne puke lahi mo felāngaaki pea naʻe faingataʻa ke ne lava ʻo tuʻu ki ʻolunga.
Hili pē ʻemau talanoá, naʻá ma muimui ʻiate ia heʻene totolo ki hono falé. Naʻá ne kole ke ma fai ha lotu maʻana, pea naʻá ma talaange te ma tāpuakiʻi ia. ʻI heʻema hilifaki homa nimá ki hono ʻulú, naʻá ku ongoʻi hangē ʻoku fihia ha meʻa ʻi hoku mongá pea ʻikai ke u lava ʻo puʻaki ha foʻi lea. Naʻá ku fuʻu manavahē ʻaupito, naʻe kamata ke u tete mo fetafetafei, pea tō mo hoku loʻimatá. Ne u fāifeinga ke leʻolahi ʻeku lotú, ko ia ne u kamata ke lotu fakalongolongo pē ke fakaleaʻi ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní hoku ʻeleló ʻo fakatatau mo Hono finangaló.
Ne fakafokifā pē kuo ongo hoku leʻó. Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi pē ʻoku lea hoku ngutú, ka naʻe ʻikai ke u lava ʻo mapuleʻi ʻa e ngaahi leá ne u lea ʻakí. Ne u fanongo pē ki hoku leʻó ʻoku kole ki he Tamai Hēvaní ke fakamoʻui ʻa e tangata faingataʻaʻiá ni. Kimuʻa pea ʻosi ʻema tāpuakí, kuo mohe e tangatá ia. Naʻá ma ʻalu ki heʻema ngaahi alea fakatahá ka naʻá ma palani ke ma toe fou mai ai heʻema fokí ke vakaiʻi ia.
ʻI heʻema fokí ne u ofo lahi ʻaupito ʻi he lele mai ʻa e tangatá mo e kaikaila, “Naʻe ʻaonga! Naʻe ʻaonga ia!” Naʻe lōmekina kimaua ʻe he fiefia lahi naʻe ʻikai ai ke u kei lava ʻo mapukepuke hoku loʻimatá.
ʻI he houalotu sākalamēniti ʻo e Sāpate hono hokó, naʻe fakafokifā ʻa e fakalongolongo ʻa e pīsopé ʻi he tuʻunga malangá mo sio fakahangatonu atu ki he matapā ʻo e fale-lotú. Naʻá ma tafoki ki mui ʻo sio ki he tangata naʻá ma tāpuakiʻí. Naʻe ʻiloʻi ia ʻe he pīsopé pea naʻá ne ʻohovale ʻi heʻene hū ki ha falelotu. Talu mei ai mo e maʻulotu maʻu pē ʻa e tangatá. Naʻe faifai peá u hiki mei he ʻēlia ko iá.
ʻOku fakaofo kiate au hono ʻomi ʻe he ʻOtuá ha mana he ʻaho ko iá, pea ʻoku ou ongoʻi fakatōkilalo ʻi he ʻafioʻi ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ʻoku ou taau feʻunga mo iá. ʻOku ou ʻiloʻi ne meʻangāue ʻaki kimaua ʻe he toʻukupu ʻo e ʻOtuá. Naʻe foaki maʻá e tangata ko iá ʻa e tāpuaki ʻo e fakamoʻuí, ka ko e tāpuaki ʻo e fakamoʻoní mo e fiefiá naʻe ʻaʻaku ia.