Fakaafe ki he Fakatuʻutāmakí
Sisa A. Minuti, Palāsila
Hili pē ha taimi nounou mei he kamata ʻeku ngāue fakakautau ne fie maʻu ʻi he kau tau ʻa Palāsilá, ne fili au ko ha kōpila ki ha kau tangata ʻe toko hongofulu mā ua. Kae pangó, he ko ʻeku kau sōtia kei talavoú ni naʻe hangē ko kinautolu naʻe māʻulalo taha ʻi he loto ʻapitanga fakakautaú. Naʻe aʻu ʻou ʻilo naʻa nau fakaʻaongaʻi ʻa e faitoʻo kona tapú, kaihaʻa, angaʻuli fakasekisuale, pea mo ha ngaahi angahala kehe.
Naʻe ʻikai ke tuku ke uesia au ʻe he tuʻunga māʻulalo ʻo ʻenau moʻuí, ka naʻá ku ngāue ʻaonga ʻaki ʻa e faingamālie kotoa pē ne u maʻu ke u vahevahe ai ʻa e ongoongoleleí mo kinautolu. Hangē ko ʻení, ʻi he lolotonga ʻo e fanga kiʻi mālōloó pe ʻi he taimi naʻa mau fufulu fakataha ai ʻa e ngaahi laifoló, naʻá ku talanoa kiate kinautolu fekauʻaki mo e ongoongoleleí. Naʻá ku pehē ʻe au te nau fakaoli ʻaki ʻeku tuʻunga moʻuí mo lumaʻi au, ka naʻa nau fanongo pea aʻu ʻo nau fakaʻapaʻapaʻi au. Neongo ia, neongo ʻa ʻeku ngaahi feinga ke akoʻi kinautolu ʻi he ngaahi tokāteline ʻo e ongoongoleleí, naʻe ʻikai liliu honau ʻulungāngá pe ko ʻenau tōʻongá.
Ne faifai pea ʻosi homau taimi ʻi he ngāue fakakautaú, pea ʻi homau ʻaho fakaʻosi ko e kau sōtiá, ne fakaafeʻi ai au ʻe he kau tangatá ke mau fakafiefia fakataha ʻi ha kiʻi faama. Ne pehē mai ha taha kiate au, “Kōpila, kuo pau ke ke haʻu ki heʻemau pātí. He ʻikai te ke ʻai kimautolu ke mau lotomamahi ʻaki haʻo nofo, te ke haʻu?”
Naʻe ʻamanaki ke u tali ʻenau fakaafé koeʻuhí ke ʻoua naʻá ku fakalotomamahiʻi kinautolu. Ka naʻe haʻu ha fakakaukau kiate au ko e tūkunga ʻo e pātí ʻe fehangahangai ia mo e ngaahi tuʻunga ʻulungāanga ʻo e Siasí. Naʻá ku manatuʻi e meʻa naʻe akoʻi mai kiate au ʻi he seminelí ke ʻoua naʻá ku ʻalu ki ha feituʻu he ʻikai ke ʻalu ki ai ʻa e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní. Neongo ʻenau loto mamahí, ka naʻá ku talaange ki he kulupú he ʻikai ke u lava ange. Naʻá ku fepōpoaki fakamāvae leva mo kinautolu peá u ʻalu au ki ʻapi.
Ne ʻosi ha ngaahi māhina peá u toki sio ki ha taha ʻo e kau sōtia mei he kulupú. Ko e meʻa naʻá ne fakahā maí ne u fakamālō ai ʻi he ʻikai ke u ʻalu ki heʻenau fakafiefia fakamāvaé, he naʻe lahi ai ʻa e ʻolokaholó. Lolotonga ʻenau konaá, kuo kamata ke vaʻinga ʻa e kau tangatá ʻaki ʻa e ʻolokaholó. Pea ʻi he fakakata pē, ne hanga ai ʻe hanau taha ʻo lī atu ha foʻi masi ki hono kaungā-tangatá, ʻo ne vela lahi ʻaupito pea iku ʻo mate ʻi ha ngaahi ʻaho siʻi mei ai. Ko hono olá, ne fakaʻilo kotoa kinautolu naʻe ʻi he pātí fekauʻaki mo ʻene maté.
Kapau naʻá ku ʻalu ki he pātí—neongo naʻe ʻikai ke u inu—naʻá ku mei ʻi he tuʻunga palopalema tatau. Naʻá ku mei ʻefihia ʻi he meʻa ne hokó pea naʻá ne mei uesia hoku kahaʻú. ʻOku ou tēngihia koeʻuhí ko e talavou naʻe maté, ka naʻá ku fakamālō ʻi heʻeku muimui ki he ueʻi ʻa e Laumālié mo e faleʻi ʻa e kau taki ʻo e Siasí.