“Hopo ki he Vaitafé!”
Elvin Jerome Laceda
Pampanga, Philippines
Tā fakatātaaʻi ʻe Gary Alfonso
ʻI ha ʻaho ʻe taha naʻe kole mai ai ʻeku kui fefiné ke u ʻalu ʻo ʻave ha meʻakai naʻá ne teuteuʻi maʻa hoku mehikitangá. Ko ha efiafi Tokonaki ʻafu ia, pea naʻe lahi mo ha ngaahi meʻa kehe naʻá ku loto ke fai makehe mei hono fai e puʻi ʻeku kui fefiné. Naʻá ku talaange ke kole ki ha taha ʻo kinautolu ʻoku ou tokoua ʻakí, ka naʻá ne vilitaki mai pē ʻoku totonu ke u fai ia.
Hili ha houa ʻe taha, naʻe kamata ke u ongoʻi ʻoku totonu ke u ʻalu ʻo fai e meʻa naʻe kole mai ʻe heʻeku kui fefiné. Naʻá ku toʻo hake e meʻakaí peá u fononga atu ki he ʻapi hoku mehikitangá. Naʻe mamaʻo, pea ʻi heʻeku aʻu atú, naʻe ʻikai ke u palani ke nofo fuoloa.
Naʻá ku fakatokangaʻi atu hoku mehikitangá mo ʻene kiʻi pēpē māhina nimá ʻi ha kiʻi heke naʻe haʻi ki ha ongo fuʻu mango iiki. Naʻe tuʻu e ongo fuʻu ʻakaú ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo ha vaitafe ʻi mui ʻi he falé. Naʻá ku lue atu kiate kinaua ke ʻoange ʻa e meʻakaí. Fakafokifā kuo motu e maea ki he heké. Naʻe teka atu hoku mehikitangá mo ʻene pēpeé ki he vaitafé. Naʻá ku manavahē. Naʻe ʻikai ke u poto he kakaú, pea naʻe ʻikai ha toe taha ke tokoni. Naʻe ʻikai ke u ʻilo e meʻa ke faí.
Naʻá ku ongoʻi leva e leʻo ʻo e Laumālié: “Hopo ki loto!”
Naʻe ʻikai ke u toe veiveiua, naʻá ku hopo leva. Meʻa mālié, naʻá ku maʻu ʻa e pēpeé hili ha ngaahi sēkoni siʻi pē, pea naʻe lava ke mavahe hake hoku mehikitangá mei he vaí. ʻI heʻeku ʻalu hake mo e pēpeé mei he vaí, naʻe ʻikai ke u tui ki he meʻa naʻe toki hokó. Naʻá ku hopo ki ha vaitafe lolotonga ia ʻoku ʻikai ke u poto ʻi he kakaú, ka koeʻuhí naʻá ku fanongo ki he Laumālié, naʻá ku hao ai mo e kiʻi pēpē ʻoku ou tokoua ʻakí mei he melemó.
Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ai hono mahuʻinga ke te fakatokangaʻi mo fanongo ki he fakahinohino mo e ueʻi ʻoku ʻomi ʻe he ʻOtuá ʻo fakafou ʻi he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní. ʻOku ou houngaʻia ʻi heʻeku fai e meʻa naʻe kole mai ʻe heʻeku kui fefiné ʻo ʻave ʻa e meʻakaí ki he ʻapi hoku mehikitangá. ʻOku ou ʻilo kuo pau ke tau feinga ke ongoʻingofua e ngaahi ueʻi ʻa e laumālié ka tau lava ʻo hoko ko e toʻukupu ʻo e ʻOtuá ke tokoni ki Heʻene fānaú.