Ongoʻi ʻoku Toe ʻi ʻApi Pē

Judy Rascher, Colorado, USA

Naʻe ʻikai ke u mateuteu ki he telefoni mai ʻa hoku tuongaʻané. Naʻá ne pehē mai, “Kuo mālōlō ʻa mami.” “Naʻá ne tō ʻo taukovi hono ʻulú.”

Ne u fuʻu ʻohovale. Kuo mālōlō ʻeku fineʻeikí, pea naʻá ku toki talanoa pē mo ia ʻi he pō kimuʻá. Naʻá ku toutou fehuʻi pē kiate au hono ʻuhinga kuo hoko ai ʻení. Naʻe ʻikai mahino kiate au ʻa e ʻuhinga naʻe pau ke ne mavahe ai meiate aú. Naʻá ku ʻita! Naʻá ku nofo mo ʻeku ʻitá ʻi ha ngaahi uike lahi.

Naʻe faifai peá u ʻilo e tokotaha ke tukuakiʻí. Ko e foʻui ia ʻo e ʻOtuá. Naʻe fuʻu vave ʻEne toʻo ia meiate aú. Naʻe ʻikai aʻusia ʻe heʻeku faʻeé ha ngaahi makamaile lahi ʻo ʻeku moʻuí, pea naʻá ku tukuakiʻi Ia. Naʻe teʻeki ke u hoko ko ha mēmipa ʻo e Siasí ʻi he taimi ko iá, ka naʻá ku hoko ko ha Kalisitiane faivelenga. Makehe mei haʻaku toe fakafalala ki ha mālohi mei he ʻOtuá, naʻá ku tafoki meiate Ia pea ʻikai toe fakaʻatā Ia ki heʻeku moʻuí.

Naʻá ku ʻofa lahi ki heʻeku faʻeé. ʻI heʻeku tupu haké, naʻe hoko homau ʻapi mo ʻeku ongomātuʻá ko ha feituʻu malu. Neongo pe naʻá ku ʻi fē pe ko e hā ʻeku meʻa naʻe faí, ka ko e taimi kotoa pē naʻá ku talanoa ai mo ʻeku faʻeé pe feohi mo iá, naʻá ku ongoʻi ʻoku ou ʻi ʻapi. ʻI he taimi ní, ne mole ʻa e ongo “ʻi ʻapi” ia naʻá ku ʻofa aí.

Naʻe ʻosi atu ha ngaahi taʻu, pea naʻe meimei mole kotoa ʻeku tuí. Naʻá ku feinga ke mahino kiate au e ʻuhinga naʻe pau ke mate ai ʻeku fineʻeikí, ka naʻe ʻikai ha meʻa te ne fakanonga au. ʻI he uike hokó leva, naʻe toutou haʻu e fakakaukau ko ʻení kiate au: ʻoku fie maʻu ke u fekumi ki ha ngaahi maʻuʻanga tokoni fakalangi ke maʻu ha mahino. Naʻá ku fakamatala ange ʻeni ki haʻaku kaungāmeʻa mamae ko ha mēmipa ʻo e Siasí. Naʻá ne ʻeke mai pe ʻoku ou loto ke ako lahi ange fekauʻaki mo ʻene tuí.

Naʻe ʻikai ke u fakatokangaʻi ia ʻi he taimi ko iá, ka naʻe fakaake ʻe he Laumālié ʻeku moʻuí mei ha mohe māʻuloloa. Ko e lahi ange ʻeku ako fekauʻaki mo e ongoongoleleí, ko e lahi ange ia ʻeku ongoʻi kuó u toe maʻu pē ha feituʻu malú. Naʻe toe foki mai ʻa e ongoʻi “ʻi ʻapí.”

Naʻe papitaiso au ʻi Mē ʻo e 2013. ʻOku ou houngaʻia kuó u toe maʻu ʻeku tuí. ʻOku ʻikai ke u toe tafoki mei he ʻOtuá. Ka ʻoku ou tali lelei Ia. ʻOku ou kei lotomamahi pē ʻi he mole fakatupakē ʻeku fineʻeikí, ka koeʻuhí ko ʻeku tui ki he ʻOtuá, ʻoku ou ʻilo te u toe “ʻi ʻapi” pē ʻi ha ʻaho, fakataha mo ʻeku fineʻeikí mo hoku fāmilí ʻo taʻengata.