Ko e Matapā Sioʻatá ʻi he Vai Kaukaú

ʻĪmisi

A young girl jumping into a swimming pool. Her father has his arms outstretched to catch her.

Tā fakatātā ʻa Allen Garns

Ne mei ʻosi ʻemau ʻeveʻeva mālōloó. Hili ʻemau kai uāfolo he pongipongi ko iá, ne mau palani ke fakaʻaongaʻi lelei homau taimi ʻi he hōtelé kimuʻa pea mau kātekina e foʻi fakaʻuli houa ʻe nima ki ʻapí. Ne fakakaukau hoku husepānití ke ʻave ʻema fānau fefine iiki ʻe toko tolú ke nau vaʻinga fakaʻosi ʻi he vai kaukaú. Ne u fili ke fakaʻaongaʻi ha mīsini fakamālohisino luelue ʻi he loki fakamālohisinó.

Naʻe hanga atu ʻa e mīsini fakamālohisino luelue ne u filí ki ha fuʻu matapā sioʻata lahi ne hanga hifo ki he vai kaukaú. Taimi siʻi pē ne u sio ki ha fāmili, ʻa ia ko hoku fāmilí, ʻoku nau fakateholo hifo ki he vai kaukaú. Naʻe vēkeveke fiefia ʻema fānau fefiné ke tulihopo he vaí kae laku e ʻū tauvelí, suú, mo e ngaahi falaní he feituʻu kotoa. Ko e angamahení ʻoku ou faʻa muimui honau tuʻá, ʻo tānaki e valá mo e suú pea, ko hono moʻoní, ne faʻa kiʻi fakatuta ʻeni kiate au. Ka neongo iá, naʻá ku mamata atu mei tuʻa ki loto ki he fāmili ko ʻení, hangē pē haʻaku sio heleʻuhila atu he fuʻu matapā sioʻata lahi ʻi muʻa ʻiate aú. Ne u sio pē mo lue fakatonu ki he takai ʻa e leta ʻo e meʻa fakamālohisinó.

Ne u vakai ki heʻenau fiefiá, kakata mo vaʻinga fakatahá, peá u fakakaukau ki he ngaahi taimi ne u lotosiʻi ai he fanga kiʻi felauaki ʻoku faʻa mapuna hake ʻi ha fāmili, peá u ongoʻi taʻemanonga, ʻo pehē kuó u tōnounou hono akonekina ʻeku fānaú ke nau feʻofaʻaki, neongo e fai hoku lelei tahá. Ka ʻi heʻeku mamata atú, naʻá ku mamata ki ha kakai naʻa nau fiefia fakataha. Ne u ʻiloʻi ai ta naʻe ʻikai ke tōnounou ʻeku akonekina kinautolu ke nau feʻofoʻofaní; ne u tōnounou pē ʻi hono fakatokangaʻi te nau lava ʻo fai ia.

Ne u mamata atu ki ha taha ʻo ʻema fānau fefiné ʻokú ne toutou puna hake ki he uma ʻo ʻene tamaí mei he tafaʻaki ʻo e vai kaukaú. Ne u fakakaukau atu ki he ngaahi fili te ne fai ʻi he toenga ʻo ʻene moʻuí mo ʻamanaki atu te ne falala ʻe hapahapai ia ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní he taimi kotoa pē. Ne u ʻilo naʻá ne ako ke falala ʻi he foʻi fili kotoa pē pea ʻi heʻene hoko ko e konga homau fāmilí ko ha founga malu ia ke ne ako ai ʻa e falala ko iá.

Ne feinga haʻama taʻahine ʻe taha ke ne taukei ʻi ha founga kakau. Ne u vakai atu ki he founga ne hanga ʻe he fakalotolahi ʻa hono fāmilí ʻo ʻai ke feinga pē. ʻE ʻi ai ha ngaahi taimi ʻi heʻene moʻuí te ne fie maʻu ai ʻa e poupou tatau ʻi haʻane fehangahangai mo ha ngaahi ʻahiʻahi faingataʻa ange.

Pea ne u mamata leva ki hano tekeʻi taʻeʻamanekina ʻema tama fefine fika tolú ki he loto vai kaukaú. ʻI heʻene lotomamahí mo e ʻitá, naʻá ne ngulungulu pē mo foki hake mei he vaí ki ha sea. Naʻe fakatokangaʻi vave hake ʻe hono fāmilí ʻokú ne pulia. Ne u mamata atu ki he feinga ʻa e tokotaha kotoa ke fakalotolahiʻi ia ke toe kau fakataha mo kinautolu. Naʻe iku pē ʻo ne fai ia, pea ne u fakakaukau atu ki hono kahaʻú, ki he taimi kotoa pē te ne mamahi ai mo ongoʻi loto-foʻi. Naʻá ku fakaʻamu ke ne ʻilo maʻu pē ʻa e mālohi ke kātekiná ʻi he ʻofa ʻa hono fāmilí.

Fakafokifā, ne u fakatokangaʻi hake: ʻe lava ke hoko hotau fāmilí ko ha kī ki heʻetau malava ko ia ke ako, mahino, mo moʻui ʻaki e ongoongoleleí. Naʻe hiki ʻe Nīfai “ʻoku lava ʻe he ʻEikí ʻo fakahoko ʻaki ʻa e ngaahi founga īkí ʻa e ngaahi fuʻu meʻa lalahí” (1 Nīfai 16:29). Pea ʻoku pehē pē mo e ngaahi fāmilí. ʻIo, ʻoku fefaʻuhi e mātuʻá. Ka ʻoku mahuʻinga ʻa e feinga kotoa pē ke akoʻi mo fakahinohinoʻi pea ʻofaʻi, ʻo tatau ai pē pe ʻoku siʻisiʻi fēfē.

Ne fakaʻau ke ʻosi ʻeku mata heleʻuhilá. ʻI heʻeku tāmateʻi ʻa e mīsini fakamālohisino luelué peá u sio atu ki hono tānaki ʻe hoku fāmilí honau valá, ne u ongoʻi ha ivi foʻou ke hokohoko atu, ke kei fakahoko ʻa e fanga kiʻi meʻa īkí ʻa ē ʻoku ou faʻa hohaʻa he taimi ʻe niʻihi ʻoku ʻikai ke ne ʻomi ha leleí.