Ngaahi talanoa mei he Kau Māʻoniʻoní, Voliume 3

Ko Hono Tauhi ʻo e Tuí lolotonga e Taú

Ko ha konga ʻeni naʻe toʻo mei he voliume 3 ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoní, ʻa ia ʻe tuku atu ʻi he ngaahi māhina ka hoko maí. ʻOku kamata ʻa e fakamatala ko ʻení ʻi he 1940, ʻi he taimi naʻe ʻohofi ai ʻe he kau fakatō pomu Nasí ʻa Pilitānia, kau ai ʻa e kolo lahi ko Selitenihemí ʻi he fakatonga-hihifo ʻo ʻIngilaní. (Ko e niʻihi ʻo e ngaahi founga ngāue ʻoku fakamatalaʻi hení naʻe makatuʻunga ia ʻi he ngaahi fiemaʻu ʻi he taimi ʻo e taú. Ki he ngaahi tuʻutuʻuni lolotonga fekauʻaki mo hono fakahoko ʻo e sākalamēnití, vakai ki he Tohi Tuʻutuʻuni Fakakātoá.)

Ngaahi tā fakatātā ʻa Greg Newbold

Naʻe nofo ʻa Neli Mitolotoni, ko ha mēmipa taʻu nimangofulu mā nima ʻo e Siasí, ʻi Selitenihemi mo hono ʻofefine taʻu ono ko Senifaá. ʻI hono teuteu hono ʻapí ki he ngaahi ʻohofi mei he ngaahi vakapuná, naʻá ne fakaʻaongaʻi ʻene kiʻi vahe siʻisiʻi mei he tuitui kofú ke fakanaunau ha feituʻu ʻi hono lalo falé ko ha ungaʻanga, ne fakafonu ia ʻaki ha meʻakai, vai, ʻū maama lolo, mo ha kiʻi mohenga ukamea maʻa Senifā. ʻI hono muimuiʻi ʻa e ngaahi fakahinohino mei he puleʻangá, naʻe toe kofu foki ʻe Neli hono ngaahi matapā sioʻatá ʻaki ha neti ke taʻofi ʻaki ʻa e ʻū kongokonga sioʻata mafahi ʻe puna mai ʻi he hoko ha ʻohofí.¹

ʻI he taimi ko ʻení, naʻe ongona ʻi Selitenihemi kotoa ʻa e tō ʻa e ngaahi foʻi pomú ʻi he ʻataá ʻo pā ʻi he kelekelé ʻi ha ongo longoaʻa hangē ha maná. Naʻe fakaʻau ke toe ofi ange ʻa e longoaʻa fakailifia ko ʻení ki he ʻapi ʻo Nelí ʻo aʻu ki he ngalulu hono ngaahi holisí ʻi ha pā leʻolahi ʻi ha hala ofi maí, ʻo mafahifahi ai e ngaahi matapā sioʻatá pea fakafonu ai e netí ʻaki e sioʻata māsilá.

ʻI he pongipongí, naʻe fonu e ngaahi hala ʻo e koló ʻi he kongokonga maká. Naʻe mate ha kakai ʻe toko uofulu mā tolu mei he pomú pea naʻe laka hake ʻi he toko onongeau tupú ne ʻikai toe ʻi ai hanau ʻapi.²

Naʻe fai ʻe Neli mo e Kāingalotu kehe ʻo Selitenihemí honau lelei tahá ke kātaki hili e ʻohofí. ʻI he taimi naʻe mavahe ai ʻa Hiu B. Palauni ʻa ia naʻe hoko ko e palesiteni ʻo e Misiona Pilitāniá mo e kau faifekau ʻAmelika Noate kehe mei he fonuá ʻi ha meimei taʻu ʻe taha kimuʻá, naʻe faingataʻaʻia ʻa e kiʻi kolo tokosiʻí mo e niʻihi kehe hangē ko iá ke fakakakato ha ngaahi uiuiʻi mo fakahoko ha ngaahi polokalama ʻa e Siasí. Hili iá ne mavahe mo e kau tangata fakalotofonuá ki he taú, ʻo ʻikai ai ke toe ʻi ai ha kau maʻu lakanga fakataulaʻeiki ke tāpuakiʻi ʻa e sākalamēnití pe fakahoko totonu ʻa e pisinisi ʻa e koló. Ne ʻikai fuoloa mei ai naʻe pau ke movete ʻa e koló.

Naʻe nofo ha tangata matuʻotuʻa ange ko ʻAfa Feletā, ʻa ia naʻá ne maʻu ʻa e Lakanga Taulaʻeiki Faka-Melekisētekí, ʻi ha kilomita nai ʻe tolungofulu mei ai, peá ne heka ʻi heʻene pasikala ʻumeʻumeá ke ʻaʻahi ki he Kāingalotu Selitenihemí ʻi he taimi kotoa pē naʻá ne lava aí. Ka ko e taimi lahi ko Neli, ʻa e palesiteni Fineʻofa mālōlō ʻi he Kolo Selitenihemí, naʻá ne tokangaʻi e ngaahi meʻa fakalaumālie mo fakatuʻasino ʻa e Kāingalotu ʻi hono feituʻú. ʻI hono tāpuni ʻa e koló, naʻe ʻikai toe lava e kāingalotu ʻo e Siasí ʻo fakataha ʻi he holo naʻa nau totongi ʻo ngāue ʻaki ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho Sāpaté, ko ia naʻe hoko ai e loto fale ʻo Nelí ko e feituʻu ia naʻe lotu, hiva, mo ako ai e Fineʻofá.³

ʻI ha pō lōngonoa ʻi Nōvema ʻo e 1943, naʻe fanongo ʻa Neli Mitolotoni ki ha tatangi e fafangu hono matapaá. Naʻe fakapoʻuli ʻa tuʻa, ka naʻe feʻunga pē ʻene ʻiló ke ʻoua naʻa fakaulo e ʻuhilá he taimi naʻá ne fakaava ai e matapaá. Kuo meimei taʻu ʻeni ʻe tolu talu e fuofua tō ʻa e pomu ʻa e kau Siamané ʻo ofi ki hono ʻapí, pea naʻe hokohoko atu hono fakapōpōʻuli ʻe Neli hono ngaahi matapā sioʻatá ʻi he poʻulí ke maluʻi ia mo hono ʻofefiné mei he ngaahi ʻohofi mei he ngaahi vakapuná.

ʻI he mate ʻene ʻuhilá, ne fakaava ʻe Neli ʻa e matapaá. Naʻe tuʻu ha talavou ʻi he malumalu ʻo e fakapoʻulí,ʻi hono sitepu ʻi muʻá. Naʻe mafao atu hono nimá mo fakafeʻiloaki leʻosiʻi ange ko Brother Lei Heamaniseni ia. Naʻe mahino ʻaupito mei he tō ʻene leá ko ha tangata ʻAmelika ia.⁴

Naʻe hangē ne fihia ha meʻa ʻi he monga ʻo Nelí. Hili hono veteki honau koló, naʻá ne fakaʻamua mo ha kau fafine kehe ʻi Selitenihemi ke lahi ange ʻenau maʻu maʻu pē ʻa e sākalamēnití. Naʻe toki tuku atu ʻe he ʻIunaiteti Siteití ha kau sōtia ki ʻIngilani ke teuteu ki he ʻohofi ʻe he Kautau Fakatahatahá ʻa Nasi Siamané. ʻI he mahino kia Neli ne ʻi ai ha niʻihi ʻo e kau sōtia ʻAmelika naʻe nofo ʻi hono koló ne kau ki he Siasí ʻa ia te nau lava ʻo tāpuakiʻi ʻa e sākalamēnití, naʻá ne kole ki hono tokoua mei he mali ua ʻo ʻene tamaí, ko Makeletá, ke ne tā valivali ha fakatātā ʻo e Temipale Sōlekí pea tuku ia ʻi kolo. Naʻe ʻi lalo ʻi he fakatātaá ha pōpoaki: “Kapau ʻoku ʻi ai ha sōtia ʻoku mahuʻingaʻia ʻi ʻolunga, te ne maʻu ha talitali māfana ʻi he Hala ʻo Seni Paula 13.”⁵

Kuo vakai nai ʻa e tangata ʻAmelika ko ʻení ki heʻene pousitaá? Naʻá ne maʻu nai ʻa e mafai ke tāpuakiʻi ʻa e sākalamēnití? Naʻe lulululu ʻa Neli mo talitali lelei ia ki loto.

Ko Leí ko ha sōtia taʻu uofulu mā ua mei ʻIutā naʻe kau ki he Siasí pea ko ha taulaʻeiki ʻi he Lakanga Taulaʻeiki Faka-ʻĒloné. Neongo naʻá ne nofo ʻo mamaʻo ʻaki ha kilomita nai ʻe hongofulu mā nima, ka naʻá ne fanongo fekauʻaki mo e tā valivali ʻo e Temipale Sōlekí mei ha mēmipa ʻe taha ʻo e Siasí peá ne maʻu ha ngofua ke mavahe ʻo ʻaʻahi ki he tuʻasilá. Kuó ne lue lalo ki he ʻapi ʻo Nelí, ʻa ia ko e ʻuhinga ia naʻá ne aʻu atu ai kuo ʻosi poʻulí. ʻI he taimi naʻe talaange ai ʻe Neli fekauʻaki mo ʻene holi ke maʻu ʻa e sākalamēnití, ne ʻeke ange ʻe Lei pe ko e fē ha taimi te ne lava ai ʻo haʻu ke fakahoko ʻa e ouaú kiate ia.

ʻI he ʻaho 21 ʻo Nōvemá, naʻe talitali lelei ʻe Neli, mo hono ʻofefiné, mo ha kau fafine kehe ʻe toko tolu ʻa Lei ki heʻenau fakataha he Sāpaté. Naʻe fakaava ʻe Neli ʻa e fakatahá ʻaki ha lotu kimuʻa pea hivaʻi ʻe he kulupú ʻa e “Naʻe Lahi Fau ʻa e ʻOfá.” Naʻe tāpuakiʻi leva ʻe Lei mo tufaki ʻa e sākalamēnití, pea naʻe fai ʻe he kau fafine kotoa ʻe toko faá ha fakamoʻoni ki he ongoongoleleí.

Naʻe ʻikai fuoloa kuo fanongo ha kau sōtia kehe ʻo e Siasí fekauʻaki mo e ngaahi fakataha ʻi he Hala ʻo Seni Paulá. ʻI he ngaahi ʻaho Sāpate ʻe niʻihi, naʻe fonu e loto fale ʻo Nelí pea naʻe pau ai ke tangutu e kakaí ʻi he sitepú.⁶

ʻI he taimi ʻe pulusi ai ʻa e voliume 3, ʻe lava ke maʻu atu ha lisi kakato ʻo e ngaahi ngāue kuo lau ki aí ʻi he saints.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Ngaahi Maʻuʻanga Fakamatalá

1. Jennifer Middleton Mason, “Sisters of Cheltenham,” Ensign, Oct. 1996, 59–60; Mason, Oral History Interview, 4–7, 9–10, 17–18.

2. “Victims Trapped in Wrecked Homes,” Cheltenham (England) Chronicle and Gloucestershire Graphic, Dec. 14, 1940, 2; Elder, Secret Cheltenham, 55; Mason, Oral History Interview, 16; Hasted, Cheltenham Book of Days, 347; “Over 600 homeless after Raid,” Cheltenham (England) Chronicle and Gloucestershire Graphic, Dec. 21, 1940, 3.

3. British Mission, Manuscript History and Historical Reports, Sept. 1–2, 1939; Jan. 10 and 18, 1940; Mason, “Sisters of Cheltenham,” 59; Mason, Oral History Interview, 10–12, 21, 26–27

4. Mason, Oral History interview, 10–11, 14–15; Hermansen, Oral History interview, 46; Mason, “Sisters of Cheltenham,” 60.

5. Mason, Oral History Interview, 11–13; Donnelly, Britain in the Second World War, 103; Mason, “Sisters of Cheltenham,” 59–60.

6. Mason, “Sisters of Cheltenham,” 60; Mason, Oral History interview, 11–12; Nellie Middleton to Carol C. Seal, Mar. 26, 1945, Nellie Middleton and Jennifer M. Mason Papers; Cheltenham Branch, Minutes, Nov. 20, 1943.