ʻOku Ou ʻOfa Atu

Natalee T. Fristrup, ʻIutā, USA

illustration of a young Italian girl hugging a sister missionary.

Naʻá ku tafoki hake ʻo fakatokangaʻi ha kiʻi taʻahine fakaʻofoʻofa peá u tūʻulutui māmālie hifo leva ʻi hono tafaʻakí ʻi he hala makamaká.

Tā fakatātā ʻa Bradley H. Clark

Naʻá ku tuʻu ʻi tuʻa ʻi he ʻosi ʻo ʻemau konifelenisi fakasouní, ʻo fifili, “Ko e hā ʻeku meʻa ʻoku fai ʻi he fonua mulí ni? Te u fakahoko fēfē kotoa ʻa e ngaahi meʻa ʻoku fie maʻu ke u faí?”

Naʻá ku ʻi Sisilī, ʻĪtali, ʻi ha uike pē taha mo e konga, ka kuó u ʻosi ongoʻi loto-foʻi au. Naʻe hangē hoku taimi ʻi he senitā akoʻanga fakafaifekaú ha misi fakaʻofoʻofá, ka koeʻuhí ko ʻeku taʻe-tāú, kuó u ongoʻi ai he taimí ni hangē kuó u ʻi ha misi fakailifiá.

Naʻá ku lotu, “Tamai ʻOfeina, ʻoku ou fie hoko ko ha faifekau lelei. Ko ʻeni kuó u ʻi heni, ʻoku ou ʻiloʻi ʻoku ʻikai ke u maʻu ʻa e talēniti, pōtoʻi ngāue, pe poto fakaʻatamai ke fakahoko ʻa e meʻa naʻe fekauʻi mai ke u faí. Naʻá ku pehē kuó u ʻilo ʻa e lea fakafonuá ni, ka ʻoku lea vave ʻa e tokotaha kotoa, pea ko e foʻi lea kotoa pē ʻoku ou feinga ke puʻakí ʻoku tatepo ia ʻi hoku ʻeleló. ʻOku ʻikai ke u tui ʻoku saiʻia hoku hoá ʻiate au. ʻOku faingataʻa e lea faka-Pilitānia ʻeku palesiteni fakamisioná. ʻOku ʻikai ke u maʻu ha taha ke talanoa mo ia. Kātaki ʻo tokoni mai.”

Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi naʻe pau ke u toe foki ki loto, ka naʻá ku toe nofo takai ʻi he hala puleʻanga ʻo kiʻi lōloa atu. Fakafokifā pē kuó u ongoʻi hano kiʻi fusiʻi tuʻo tolu e tuʻa hoku koté. Naʻá ku tafoki hake ʻo fakatokangaʻi ha kiʻi taʻahine fakaʻofoʻofa peá u tūʻulutui māmālie hifo leva ʻi hono tafaʻakí ʻi he hala makamaká. Naʻe fāʻofua ki hoku kiá peá ne fanafana ʻi hoku telingá, “Ti voglio bene.”

“Ko e hā hoʻo leá?” Naʻá ku tali faka-Pilitānia ange, ʻmo ʻiloʻi pau naʻe ʻikai mahino ki ai ʻeku leá.

Naʻe sio fakamamaʻu pē ki hoku pine hingoá. Naʻá ne lau, “Sorella Domenici, ti voglio bene.”

Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi e ʻuhinga ʻo e kupuʻi leá. Ko e taha ia ʻo e ngaahi ʻuluaki kupuʻi lea naʻa mau ako ʻi heʻemau hoko ko e kau faifekaú. Ko ha kupuʻi lea ia ʻoku lava ʻo lea fakahangatonu ki he laumālié. ʻOku ʻuhinga ia, “ʻOku Ou ʻOfa Atu.”

Ko e ngaahi foʻi lea ia naʻá ku fie maʻu ke fanongo ki ai he momeniti ko iá. Kuo fekauʻi mai ʻe he Fakamoʻuí ha talafekau mahuʻinga ke ne ʻomai ia kiate au. Naʻá ku taki atu ʻa e kiʻi taʻahiné ki he loto falelotú.

Naʻá ku fakakaukau, “ʻOku pau pē ko e taha ia ʻo e fānau ʻa e kāingalotú.” Naʻá ku hūhū atu ʻi he lotolotonga ʻo e kau faifekaú, ʻo ʻamanaki ʻe ʻiloʻi mai ia ʻe heʻene fineʻeikí.

ʻI he taimi ne u ʻilo ai hoku hoá naʻá ku fehuʻi ange, “Kuó ke fakatokangaʻi ʻa e kiʻi taʻahine ko ʻení kimuʻa?”

Tali mai ʻe ia mo mata puputuʻu, “Kiʻi taʻahine hā?”

Naʻá ku sio hifo ʻi hoku tafaʻakí. Kuo pulia ʻa e kiʻi taʻahiné ia.

Naʻá ku tuʻu ʻi he loto matapā ʻo e falé kuo ʻosi fakaavá ʻo fakasio takai ʻi he hala lingolingoá. Naʻá ku ongoʻi ʻi heʻeku fakakaukaú, ha kiʻi leʻo naʻe ʻikai ngata pē ʻi heʻeku fanongo ki aí, ka naʻe toe ongoʻi ia ʻi hoku laumālié: “Sorella Domenici, ti voglio bene.”

Naʻe ʻikai ke u ʻilo ʻe au pe ko hai ʻa e kiʻi taʻahiné, ka naʻá ku ʻiloʻi naʻe ʻofa ʻa e Fakamoʻuí ʻiate au.