Ko ha Meʻaʻofa ʻo e ʻOfá

Fai ʻe Faith S. Watson

ʻOku nofo ʻa e tokotaha naʻá ne faʻú ʻi ʻIutā, USA.

ʻI hono tāpuakiʻi ʻe hoku husepānití ʻema pēpē fefiné, naʻe kamata ke u vakai ki he loloto mo e lahi ʻo e meʻaʻofa ʻo e ʻofa ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní—ʻa e lakanga fakataulaʻeikí.

Naʻá ku toki kau pē ki he Siasí, pea hoko ko ha uaifi foʻou, pea mo ha faʻē foʻou ʻeni. Ko ha Sāpate ʻaukai ia, pea naʻe ʻamanaki ke maʻu ʻe heʻema kiʻi pēpē fefine valevalé ha hingoa mo ha tāpuaki. Ne teʻeki ke u mamata kimuʻa ʻi hano tāpuakiʻi ha pēpē he naʻá ma nofo ʻi ha uooti ne toko siʻi ai e ngaahi fāmili kei talavoú. Naʻe ʻikai ke u ʻilo e meʻa ke ʻamanaki ki aí. Ka ne u ongoʻi ʻi he Laumālié ko ha meʻa matuʻaki makehe mo mahuʻinga ʻeni.

Naʻe hapahapai fakalelei ʻe hoku husepānití mo ha kau maʻu lakanga fakataulaʻeiki loto-ʻapasia kehe, ʻema kiʻi tama fefine mahuʻingá. Naʻe fakafonu au ʻe he Laumālie fakaʻofoʻofá ʻaki ʻa e fiefia. Naʻe tafe hifo hoku loʻimatá, pea ne lahi fau ha ngaahi meʻa ne u fakakaukau ki ai. Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ko e toki kamata ʻeni ke u vakai ki he loloto mo e lahi ʻo e meʻaʻofa fakaofo ʻo e ʻofa ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní kiate kitautolú—ʻa e lakanga fakataulaʻeikí.

‘I he taimi naʻe akoʻi mai ai ʻe he ongo faifekaú ʻa e ngaahi lēsoní, ne u ongoʻi ʻa ʻena ongoʻi lāngilangiʻia moʻoni ke maʻu e lakanga fakataulaʻeikí. Ne u fanongo ki ai ʻi heʻena ngaahi leá mo ʻena lotú, kau ai e taimi naʻá na tāpuakiʻi ai au ke u ikunaʻi ha pole fekauʻaki mo e Lea ʻo e Potó. Naʻá ku ongoʻi hono hilifaki hona ongo nimá ʻi hoku ʻulú, pea kamata ke tete ʻi heʻena lea ʻaki e ngaahi lea ne u ʻilo naʻe haʻu mei he ʻEikí—ko e ngaahi lea ʻo e ʻofá mo e fakamoʻuí.

Ne ʻikai fuoloa kuo papitaiso au, pea naʻe toe hilifaki e ngaahi nima ʻo e kau maʻu lakanga fakataulaʻeikí ki hoku ʻulú. Naʻe fakamaʻu au ko ha mēmipa ʻo e Siasi ʻo e ʻEikí, pea naʻe foaki mai ʻa e meʻafoaki ʻo e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní kiate au. Naʻá ku maʻa pea toe fanauʻi foʻou. Naʻá ku ongoʻi e mālohi ʻo e lakanga fakataulaʻeikí ʻi hoku sinó kotoa, pea ko e fuofua taimi ia ʻi heʻeku moʻuí naʻá ku ʻilo ai ʻa e fiefiá.

Hili ha taimi nounou mei hoku papitaisó, naʻá ku mali mo hoku husepānití. Naʻe kau ʻene ongomātuʻá ki he Siasí pea naʻe fakatefito hono ʻapí ʻi he ongoongoleleí, ka naʻá ku ʻiloʻi naʻe ʻikai mālohi ʻene fakamoʻoní. Ka naʻe ʻikai ke u hohaʻa. Naʻe ʻomi ʻe heʻeku tui foʻoú ha fakatuʻamelie. Te u ʻofa pē ʻiate ia mo faʻa kātaki pea faʻa lotu.

Lolotonga e ngaahi māhina ne u feitamaʻi ai ʻema fuofua tamá, naʻá ku ongoʻi tatau mo ia ne ongoʻi ʻe he ngaahi faʻeé—ne u fuʻu vāofi mo ʻeku tamá, peá u ofo ʻi he moʻui foʻou ne ʻi loto ʻiate aú. ‘I hono fanauʻi homa ʻofefiné, naʻe hoko hoku vā mo iá ko ha fetuʻutaki ʻo e ʻofá, ne mālohi pea fakaʻofoʻofa.

Ka naʻá ku hohaʻa ki hoku husepānití. Naʻe teʻeki ke ne maʻu e tāpuaki ʻo e vāofi lahi ko ʻeni mo homa ʻofefiné, ʻa ia ne u maʻú. Ko hono moʻoní naʻá ne ʻofa ʻiate ia, ka naʻá ku fifili pea hohaʻa pe ʻe tupulaki nai ha vā fetuʻutaki mālohi ʻiate kinaua. Naʻá ku hohaʻa ʻi heʻeku femoʻuekina hono fafanga, kaukauʻi, mo fua iá, kae lahi taha e taimi ne femoʻuekina ai hoku husepānití ʻi he ngāue ke tauhi homa fāmilí.

Ko ʻeni, hili ha ngaahi uike hono fanauʻi iá, ne mau ʻi homau falelotú. Naʻá ku vakai ki ha mana pea ongoʻi ia ʻi hoku lotó. Naʻe malimali angavaivai hoku husepāniti puputuʻú ki hono ngaahi tokoua ʻi he siakalé, naʻá ne fotu fiefia pea hangē ka tangí. Ne fakahā ʻe he kau tangata ko iá ʻa e ʻofa mo e poupou kiate ia ʻi heʻenau fehiliʻaki honau nimá ʻi he umá pea hapai ʻema kiʻi pēpeé, ʻo faʻu ha kiʻi siakale ne fonu ʻi he ʻofa haohaoa mo toputapú. ʻI he kamata ʻe hoku husepānití ʻa e tāpuakí, naʻá ku fanongo ki he tete hono leʻó, pea naʻá ku ʻiloʻi naʻá ne ongoʻi e mālohi ʻo e ʻEikí mo e lāngilangi hono maʻu ʻa Hono lakanga fakataulaʻeikí.

Naʻá ku ongoʻi naʻá ne maʻu ha ʻofa lahi ki heʻema kiʻi taʻahiné, pea naʻá ku ʻilo naʻá ne feinga lahi ke teuteuʻi ia ke foaki ki heʻema tamá ʻa e tāpuaki ne fakataumuʻa ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní kiate iá. Naʻe kakato ʻeku fiefiá ʻi heʻeku ʻiloʻi ko ia naʻá ne ongoʻi vāofi ʻaupito he taimí ni mo homa ʻofefiné. Ko ha vā ia he ʻikai teitei vaivai.

Kuo ʻosi atu ha ngaahi taʻu talu mei he aʻusia ko iá. Kuo tā tuʻo lahi ʻeku mamata tonu mo ongoʻi e mālohi mo e fakaʻofoʻofa ʻo e lakanga fakataulaʻeiki ʻi hono fakaʻaongaʻi ʻi he ngaahi founga mo e ngaahi feituʻu lahi, pea ki he tokolahi ʻo e fānau ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní. Kuó u mamata ki hono foaki e ngaahi ouau fakamoʻui fakaʻofoʻofá mo hono fakafonu ʻo e ngaahi lotó. Kuó u mamata ʻi hono fakamaʻa, fakamoʻui, fakafiemālieʻi, mo hono akoʻí. Kuó u mamata mo ongoʻi hono toʻo atu e ngaahi kavenga mafasiá.

‘Oku ou ʻilo ʻoku teʻeki ke mahino kakato kiate au ʻa e maʻongoʻonga ʻo e lakanga fakataulaʻeikí, ka ko e tāpuaki pēpē kotoa pē kuó u mamata aí, kuó ne fakafonu au ʻaki ʻa e ofo tatau ne u ongoʻi lolotonga hono tāpuakiʻi ʻeku ʻuluaki tamá. ‘Oku ou ofo ʻi he ʻofa kuo fakahā ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ʻaki hono vahevahe Hono mālohí mo kitautolú, pea ʻoku fakafonu au ʻi he houngaʻia ʻo mahulu atu ʻi he fakalea ʻo ʻeku fakamoʻoni kiate Iá, Hono ʻAlo ʻOfaʻangá, pea mo ʻetau ongoongolelei fakaʻofoʻofa kuo fakafoki maí.