Ko e Fononga ʻa Sēiní
ʻOku nofo ʻa e tokotaha naʻá ne faʻú ʻi Tekisisi, USA.
Niu ʻIoke, USA, 1843
Naʻe sio ʻa Sēini Maningi ki he tētē hifo ʻa e vaká mei he taulangá ki he Ano ʻAilií. Naʻá ne ongoʻi hangē naʻe tafe fakataha atu ʻene ngaahi fakaʻamú mo iá.
Naʻe kau ki he Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní ʻi he taʻu pē taha kuo hilí pea ne fakakaukau ke hiki ʻo nofo fakataha mo e Kāingalotú ʻi Nāvū. Naʻe ʻosi fononga hifo ʻene faʻeé mo ha kau mēmipa kehe ʻo e fāmilí ʻi he Kanali ʻAilií ki Pafalō, ʻi Niu ʻIoke. Ka ʻi Pafaloó, naʻe ʻikai fakangofua ai ke nau heka he vaká, koeʻuhí ko e lanu ʻo honau kilí.
Naʻe ʻeke leʻo siʻi ange ʻe hono tuongaʻane ko ʻAisaké, “Ko e hā te tau fai he taimi ní?”
Naʻe vanavanaiki ʻa e fehuʻí ʻi he ʻea momokó. Naʻe kei maile ʻe 800 (kilomita ʻe 1,287) e mamaʻo ʻo Nāvuú. ʻE lava pē ke nau foʻi pea foki ki ʻapi, pe toki feinga ke fononga ʻamui ange. …
Ka ne ʻikai faʻa tatali ʻa Sēini! Naʻá ne ʻilo ne moʻoni e Tohi ʻa Molomoná. Kuo toe folofola ʻa e ʻOtuá ʻo fakafou ʻi he kau palōfitá. Naʻá ne fie maʻu ke ne aʻu ki Nāvū mo hono fāmilí.
Ne tuʻu hangatonu ʻa Sēini pea hanga fakahihifo. “Tau luelue.”
Pea naʻa nau fai ia. Kae ʻoua kuo maikiiki honau suú. Kae ʻoua kuo mafahifahi honau vaʻé mo toto pea pau ai ke nau lotu ke fakamoʻui kinautolu. Naʻa nau mohe he taimi ʻe niʻihi ʻi tuʻa, pea naʻe lahi fau ʻa e hahaú pea ongo ʻo hangē ha sinou ʻoku toó. Naʻe fakamanamana ha kakai ʻe niʻihi ke tuku pōpula kinautolu, ʻi heʻenau pehē ko ha kau pōpula hola kinautolú. Naʻe ʻikai ke nau ʻilo ko ha fāmili ʻuliʻuli tauʻatāina ʻa e fāmili Maningí. Pea naʻa nau kei lue pē, mo hiva himi ke mole atu ʻa e taimí.
Naʻa nau fakaofi atu ki Nāvū ʻi heʻenau aʻu mai ki ha vaitafe.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻa ʻAisake, “Hala ha hala-fakakavakava.”
Naʻe kamo pē ʻa Seini. “Ta, te tau aʻa leva ai.” ʻI heʻene hifo atu ki he vaitafé, ne aʻu hake ʻa e vaí ki hono tungaʻivaʻé. Naʻá ne ʻunu māmālie atu leva ki muʻa. Naʻe aʻu hake ʻa e vaí ki hono tuí pea fakalaka hake ʻi hono kongalotó. ʻI he taimi naʻe aʻu ai ki he lotomālie ʻo e vaitafé, kuo aʻu hake vaí ki hono kiá! Meʻamālié, he naʻe ʻikai ke toe loloto ange ai, pea kolosi lelei leva ʻa e fāmili Maningí.
Faifai pea nau aʻu ki Nāvū. Ne lava ʻa Seini ʻo sio ki he holisi makalahe fakaʻofoʻofa ʻo e Temipale Nāvuú ʻi he tafungofunga hanga hifo ki he teleʻá. Neongo naʻe teʻeki ai ke ʻosi, ka naʻá ne ʻāvea ai. Naʻe fakahinohino kinautolu ʻe ha taha ki he fale naʻe nofo ai ʻa e Palōfita ko Siosefá.
Naʻe tuʻu ha fefine lōloa, ʻulu lanu ʻuliʻuli ʻi he matapaá. Naʻá ne ui atu, “Mou hū mai, hū mai!” “Ko ʻEma Sāmita au.”
Naʻe ʻikai fuʻu mahino ʻa e ngaahi miniti siʻi ne hoko atu aí. Naʻe feʻiloaki ʻa Sēini mo e Palōfitá, pea naʻá ne fokotuʻutuʻu takai ha ngaahi sea ʻi he lokí maʻá e fāmili Maningí kotoa. Ne tangutu fiefia hifo ʻa Seini ki he seá ʻo fanongo ʻi hono fakafeʻiloaki ʻe Siosefa kinautolu ki he kakai naʻe ʻi aí, kau ai hono kaumeʻa ko Toketā Peniselá. Pea hanga hake leva ʻa Siosefa kia Sēini, ʻo ʻeke ange, “Ko koe ʻa e taki ʻo e kiʻi falukunga kakai ko ʻení, ʻikai ko ia?”
Naʻe tali ange ʻe Seini, “Io, tangataʻeiki!”
Naʻe malimali ʻa Siosefa. “ʻOfa ke tāpuakiʻi koe ʻe he ʻOtuá! ʻOku ou fie fanongo he taimí ni ki hoʻomou fonongá.”
Naʻe fakamatala ʻa Seini ki he lavelavea honau vaʻé mo e mohe ʻi he sinoú mo e kolosi ʻi he vaitafé. Naʻe fanongo fakalongolongo ʻa e taha kotoa. Naʻá ne fakaʻosi ʻaki, “Ka naʻe ʻikai fuʻu kovi fēfē.” “Ne mau fononga fiefia, hiva ha ngaahi himi mo fakafetaʻi ki he ʻOtuá ʻi Heʻene lelei mo e ʻaloʻofa taʻefakangatangata ʻo tāpuakiʻi, maluʻi, pea mo fakamoʻui homau vaʻé.”
Naʻe kiʻi longonoa taimi nounou. “Ko e hā haʻo fakakaukau ki ai, Toketā?” Faifai pea pehē ange ʻa Siosefa, mo taaʻi atu e tui ʻo e tangatá. “ʻIkai ʻapē ko e tuí ia?”
“Kapau na ko au ia, ʻoku ou manavasiʻi he naʻá ku mei holomui ʻo foki ki hoku ʻapí!” Ko e lea ange ia ʻa Toketā Peniselá.
Naʻe kamo pē ʻa Siosefa pea tafoki kia Seini mo hono fāmilí: “ʻOfa ke tāpuakiʻi kimoutolu ʻe he ʻOtuá. ʻOku mou ʻi he lotolotonga ʻo ha ngaahi kaungāmeʻa.”