Mahalo pē ʻOku Totonu ke Tau Lotu
Sikoti ʻEtikā, ʻIutā, USA
ʻI he faʻahitaʻu failau ʻo e 1975 naʻa mau nofo mo hoku fāmilí ʻi he faama fakaʻofoʻofa ʻo e feituʻu Lainileni-Falisi ʻo Siamane Hihifó. Naʻe ʻuhoʻuha e Sāpate ko iá pea ʻi heʻemau foki ki ʻapi mei he lotú, naʻa mau tuʻu ke sio ki ha meʻalele kuo vilo ia ʻo tō ki he veʻehalá he veʻe vaotaá. Naʻe fuʻu fakapoʻuli ʻaupito e vaotaá ia koeʻuhí ko e ngapulopulou ʻa e ʻuluʻakaú pea vave mai mo e poʻulí.
Hili ʻemau sio ki he meʻalele maumaú, ne mau foki ki heʻemau kaá ʻo ʻiloʻi kuo maʻu ia he pelepelá. He ʻikai lava ke u holomui, ko e ʻalu pē kimuʻa—ki he loto vaotaá. Ne mau ʻosi ʻalu pē kimuʻa he vaotaá ʻo ʻilo ʻoku lahi e ngaahi hala he vaotaá ʻoku fehokotakí pea ʻe lava pē ʻo toe hū hake ai ki hala lahi, peá u fakakaukau leva ke ʻunu kimuʻa ki he fakapoʻulí.
Ne vave pē ʻeku fakatokangaʻi naʻe hala e meʻa ne u faí. Ne pelepela e kiʻi hala fāsiʻí he ngaahi luoluo mei he vaʻe ʻo e ʻū meʻalelé pea ʻalu pē taimí mo ʻemau tō atu ki he vaotā fakapoʻulí. Ne u feinga ke toe hiki e oma ʻemau lelé, mo tailiili kapau te mau tuʻu, te mau fihia he pelepelá. Ne u sio hake ki ha feituʻu māolunga ʻoku ngalingali fefeka ke ne matuʻuaki e mamafa ʻo e kaá. Ko ʻeku palaní ke ʻai e kaá ke mavahe mei he pelepelá kau lava ʻo fakakaukauʻi e meʻa ke hoko atu ki aí. Naʻe ʻoho ki muʻa e kaá ʻo mavahe mei he pelepelá.
Ne u tāmateʻi e kaá peá u hū kituʻa. Naʻe ʻikai ke u lava ʻo sio ki ha meʻa, ʻi he mate e maama ʻo e kaá. Ne u toe fakaulo e maama ʻo e kaá, pea toʻo mai ʻemau kasá, pea vakaiʻi e kaá, ʻo fakakaukau ko e meʻa ke faí ko e toe holomui ki he vaotaá pea toe langa fakavavevave ʻo hū ki tuʻa he hala ne mau haʻu aí.
Ne u holomui ki he loto vaotaá he mamaʻo taha ne malavá, pea toe langalangaʻi e mīsiní ʻo mahiki hake ki he halá, ʻo ngoto he fuʻu pelepelá. Kuo toe fuʻu kovi ange e tuʻunga naʻa mau ʻi aí. Naʻe fuʻu fakapoʻuli pea lōngonoa ʻi tuʻa he kaá. Ne u tangutu mo hoku uaifí he loto kaá mo ʻema kiʻi fanau ilifia ʻe toko tolú.
Ne u ʻeke ki hoku uaifí pe ko e hā haʻane fakakaukau. Hili ha kiʻi taimi nounou naʻá ne pehē mai, “Mahalo ʻoku totonu ke tau lotu.” Naʻe ongoʻi nonga leva e fānaú he taimi pē ko iá. Ne u fai ha lotu ʻi he loto fakatōkilalo mo e holi lahi moʻoni ke maʻu ha tokoni. ʻI heʻeku lotú, ne mahino lelei mai kiate au e meʻa ke faí: “Tui e seiní ki he vaʻé.”
Naʻe puke ʻe hoku uaifi ʻofeiná e kasá ʻokú ne tui hono kofu Sāpaté pea tuʻu he pelepela ʻinisi ʻe 10, ka u fakamaʻa ʻaki hoku nimá e vaʻe muí pea tui e seiní. Pea ʻi he tui mo e falala moʻoni, naʻa mau toe lotu pea fakamoʻui e mīsiní. Ne mau lele māmālie he pelepelá pea faifai pē ʻo aʻu ki hala.
ʻI heʻemau fiefia he mavahe mei he pelepelá mo e fakapoʻulí, ne meimei ngalo ʻiate au ʻa e tokotaha naʻá ne tokoniʻi kimautolu ke hao mei he vaotaá. Ka naʻe fakamanatuʻi mai ʻe heʻema kiʻi taʻahine taʻu nimá ʻi heʻene pehē mai, “Tangataʻeiki, ʻoku tali moʻoni pē ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ia e lotú, ʻikai ko ia?”