Ko e Popi Koané, Kau Paioniá, mo e Melinó
Seli Heesi Sila, ʻIutā, USA
Naʻe faʻo ʻe he fineʻeikí ha ngaahi foʻi piliki ki he ʻōvaní, pea kofukofuʻi ʻaki ia ha ngaahi sipi ke fakamāfanaʻi ʻaki homau vaʻé ʻi heʻemau fononga ʻi ha kā ʻoku ʻikai ke ʻi ai hano meʻa fakamāfaná. Ko e 1935 ʻeni, pea ko e ʻamanaki ʻeni ke fai ʻemau fononga maile ʻe 60 (96 km) mei Sōleki Siti ki Peisoni, ʻi ʻIutā, ke ʻaʻahi ki heʻeku ongo kuí ʻi he konga kimuʻa ʻo Tīsemá. Naʻe tō takai ʻiate kimautolu ʻa e sinoú ka naʻe tō maʻamaʻa pē, pea vilo mai ʻo hangē ha fanga kiʻi ʻahiohió ʻi he halá ʻi muʻa. Naʻe fakatui ʻaki au mo hoku tokoua lahi ko Feletí ha ngaahi fuʻu kote matolu mo ha sitōkeni vavae fakatupu velia mo ha sikaafi. Naʻe fuʻu fuoloa ʻa e fononga ia ko ʻení kiate au ko ha tamasiʻi taʻu fitu.
Naʻa mau fai ʻa e fononga pehé ni ʻi he Tīsema kotoa pē. Naʻe ʻikai kamata moʻoni ʻa e faʻahitaʻu Kilisimasí ia kapau naʻe ʻikai te mau ʻi he peito māfana ʻo ʻemau ongo kuí ʻo ngaohi pulu popi koane. ʻE tafu ʻe heʻemau kui tangatá ʻa e afí, pea fakafonu leva ʻe heʻemau kui fefiné ha kato uaea ʻaki ʻa e popi koane pea ne lulululuʻi mālohi ia ʻi he funga afí, kae ʻoua kuo fonu ʻa e kato uaeá ʻi he popi koane hinehiná. ʻOku hanga leva ʻe he kui fefiné ʻo huhua ha pata hone māfana ki he popi koané ʻi ha loto tikatele ukamea matolu, pea heu fakataha ia mo e pinati. ʻI he taimi ko ia ʻe mokomoko aí ʻoku mau ala hifo ki loto ʻaki homau nima kuo vali pataʻí ʻo kai ʻa e popi koané pe ngaohi ʻaki ha ngaahi foʻi pulu popi koane ke foaki ki homau fāmilí mo e ngaahi kaumeʻá.
Neongo iá, ʻe kehe ʻa e Kilisimasi ia ko ʻení. Ko e founga mahení ko ʻeku heka mo Feleti ʻi he sea muí, ka naʻá ma fakaʻefihi he taʻu ko ʻení ʻi he sea lōloa ʻi muʻá ʻi he vahaʻa ʻo ʻema ongomātuʻá. Naʻe ʻi he sea muí ha kiʻi puha mate ʻoku ʻi ai ʻa e sino ʻo hoku kiʻi tehina taʻu taha ko Seilotí. Naʻá ne puke ʻi he mīselé peá ne maʻu ai mo e niumōniá ʻo mole ai ʻene moʻuí. Naʻa mau ʻuluaki ʻalu he pongipongi ko iá ki he fale maté ʻo ʻomi ʻa e kiʻi puha mate papá.
Naʻe taki ʻe he tangataʻeiki ʻo mau hiva ha ngaahi hiva faka-Kilisimasi lolotonga ʻemau fononga houa ʻe ua ko ʻení. Naʻe hiva fakafaʻahi ʻa e ongomātuʻá, pea naʻe hanga ʻe heʻena hivá ʻo fakafiemālieʻi kimautolu ʻi heʻemau tengihia ʻa e mole siʻemau kiʻi pēpeé.
Naʻa mau aʻu atu ki he ʻapi ʻo ʻemau Kui Tangatá, naʻe talitali mai ai ʻa e fāmili mo e ngaahi kāinga ko ia naʻa nau maheni ke faʻa tali fiefia kimautolu ʻi he kuohilí, ka naʻa nau talitali mai he taimi ko ʻení ʻi ha loto molumalu. Naʻe fakahifo atu ʻa e puha maté mei he sea muí ʻo ʻave ki he loki talanoa maʻa ekiaki ʻo ʻemau Kui Fefiné. Naʻe fai ʻe he pīsope ʻa ʻemau ongo kuí ha kiʻi lea ʻofa nounou, hili ia pea mau toe foki ki he kaá ke mau ʻalu ai ki he faʻitoká, ʻa ia naʻa mau tangi kotoa ai ʻi hono tuku ʻa e kiʻi tamasiʻi mahuʻingá ni ki hono mālōlōʻanga ʻi he kelekele momokó.
Naʻe aʻu ki he Kilisimasí. Naʻe toe tafu ʻa e afí, pea fakapaku mo e popi koané, pea tufa ʻa e ngaahi foʻi pulu popi koané ʻi he saliote sinou toho-hoosi ʻa ʻemau Kui Fefiné. Naʻe ai ʻa e mamahi ʻi he ʻaho ko iá, pea naʻe toe ongo mālohi foki mo e melinó ʻi heʻeku fanongo ki hono lau ʻe heʻeku ongo kui tui faivelengá ʻa e talanoa ki hono ʻaloʻi ʻo Kalaisí.
Naʻe tupu ʻa ʻeku ngaahi kuí mei ha mātuʻa paionia, ʻa ia naʻa nau tanu haʻanau ngaahi pēpē tokolahi ʻi he kelekelé. ʻI he tengihia ʻe homau fāmilí ʻa e mole ko ʻení, naʻa mau tafoki ki he tokotaha naʻe tafoki ki ai ʻa ʻemau ngaahi kuí—ʻa ia ko e ʻAlo ʻo e ʻOtuá mo ʻEne ngaahi folofolá. Naʻá ku manatu ki he talanoa faka-Kilisimasí ʻaki ha loto kehe ʻi he taʻu ko iá, koeʻuhi ʻe toe tuʻu hake pea te mau toe maʻu maʻamautolu ʻa e kiʻi pēpē naʻa mau tanu ʻi he aho ko iá, koeʻuhi ko e kiʻi pēpē ko ia naʻe ʻaloʻi mai ʻi he ʻaiʻangakai ʻo e manú.
Kuo ʻosi atu ha ngaahi taʻu lahi mei he taimi ko iá, ka ʻoku ou kei huaʻi pē ha pata hone ki he popi koané pea heu fakataha mo e pinati, pea fakafōpotopotoʻi ia ke hangē ha foʻi pulú, peá u manatu.