ʻAlu ʻi ha Toe Maile ʻe Taha

Naʻe ʻikai ke mālohi ʻa Sitani ʻAfa ʻEnitasoni he Siasí he taimi naʻe taʻu 15 nai aí. Naʻe ʻikai foki ke mālohi mo hono fāmilí. Kuo tuʻo lahi ʻenau hikihiki holo ki ha ngaahi feituʻu kehekehe ʻo Noaue. Naʻa nau lolotonga nofo ʻi Siteivenisā he taimi ko ʻení. Ko e fika fā ia ʻi he ngaahi kolo lalahi taha ʻo e fonuá pea naʻe tuʻu ʻi he matāfanga fakatonga-hihifó. Ne kiʻi faʻa maʻulotu ʻa Sitani ʻi Siteivenisā pea kuó ne feʻiloaki mo ha kau talavou Siasi ʻi he feituʻu ko iá. Naʻe ʻi ai ha talavou ʻe taha naʻe saiʻia ʻaupito ʻa Sitani ʻi hono ʻulungāangá—ko hono hingoá ko Toa Lasei Seka.

Naʻe fetaulaki ʻa Sitani mo Toa ʻi he taha ʻo e ngaahi taimi naʻá ne faʻa ʻalu ai ki he lotú. ʻOku pehē ʻe Sitani, “Naʻá ne lahi taʻu ʻiate au pea naʻá ku saiʻia ʻaupito ai. Ne u ongoʻi ha laumālie lelei heʻeku feohi mo iá, pea ne u pehē ko ha tamasiʻi lelei ia.” Kapau naʻe ʻikai saiʻia ʻa Sitani ʻia Toa Lasei, mahalo naʻe ʻikai te ne mei fie fanongo kia Sitani heʻene haʻu ki hono ʻapí mo ʻene fakaafe makehé.

Naʻe fai ʻa e fakaafé ʻi he konga ki loto ʻo e ngaahi taʻu 1970, ʻa ia ko e taimi ʻeni naʻe fuofua kamata ai ʻa e polokalama seminelí ʻi Noaué, pea kuo uiuiʻi ʻa Toa Lasei ke hoko ko e fuofua faiako seminelí. Naʻe kiʻi manavasiʻi ʻa Toa Lasei hono fua ha fuʻu fatongia mamafa pehē he naʻá ne kei taʻu 18 pē he taimi ko iá. Ko ʻene manatu ʻeni ki aí, “Ne u lotua lahi ia.” Ko e meʻa pē naʻá ne ʻiloʻi fakapapaú, ʻa ʻene fie maʻu ke tokoniʻi ʻa e toʻu tupu ʻi hono feituʻú naʻe māmālohí. ʻOku pehē ʻe Toa Lasei, “Ne u ongoʻi he taimi pē ko iá naʻe totonu ke u ʻaʻahi kia Sitani ʻAfa.”

ʻOku pehē ʻe Sitani, “Mahalo ko ha taha au ʻo e ngaahi hingoa naʻe ʻi ha lisi.” Ka kia Toa Laseí, naʻe ʻikai ko Sitaní ko ha hingoa pē ʻi ha lisi. ʻOku manatuʻi ʻe Toa Lasei ʻene fakaʻofoʻofaʻia ʻi he ʻatamai poto ʻa Sitaní mo ʻene ʻulungāanga fakalongolongo mo vilitakí. Ko ia ne fakakaukau ai ʻa Toa Lasei ke ʻaʻahi tonu pē kia Sitani ʻo fakaafeʻi ia ke kau ʻi he polokalama semineli foʻoú.

Ne tomuʻa telefoni pē ʻa Toa Lasei ʻo talanoa mo e ongomātuʻa ʻa Sitaní ke fakapapauʻi te ne ʻi ʻapi ʻi heʻene ʻaʻahi atú. Naʻe pau ke heka pasi ʻa Toa Lasei ʻi ha miniti ʻe 35 ke aʻu ki he vaka ʻe aʻu ai ki he ʻapi ʻo Sitaní. ʻE toe ʻalu vaka leva ʻi ha miniti ʻe 45. Pea fakaʻosi ʻaki ʻene lue lalo ʻi ha toe miniti kehe ʻe 30. ʻOku pehē ʻe Sitani, “ʻOku ou fakakaukau maʻu pē ki ai. Ko e meʻa naʻe fai ʻe Toa Laseí ko e ʻalu ʻi ha toe maile kehe ʻe taha.”

ʻOku kei fakatou manatuʻi pē ʻe he ongo tangatá ni ʻa e laumālie naʻá na ongoʻi lolotonga ʻena talanoa ko ia ʻi he meimei taʻu ʻe 35 kuo hilí. ʻI heʻena tangutu ʻi he loki kaí, naʻe manatu ʻa Sitani ki he ngaahi meʻa kotoa naʻá ne kau ki aí. “Ne u femoʻuekina ʻaupito he soká mo e polokalama Sikautí mo e ifi ʻeku talupité, pea naʻe ʻikai toe ha meʻa heʻeku fai. Ne u fuʻu femoʻuekina ʻaupito.

Ne tafoki mai ʻa Toa Lasei ʻo talanoa kau ki he seminelí, peá ne pehē mai, ‘ʻE Sitani ʻAfa, te ke fakamoʻoni ho hingoá ke ke kau he polokalama seminelí ʻo kamata ako e folofolá mo kimautolu?’ Ne u tangutu he veʻe tafuʻanga afí, pea naʻá ku ʻio ange. Kapau ne u fakakaukau fakalelei, naʻe totonu ke u ʻikai ange he naʻe ʻikai ha taimi ke u fai ai ʻeni. Ka naʻá ku ʻio ange. Pea ko e kamataʻanga ia ʻo e meʻá ni.”

ʻA ia naʻe kau “ai” ʻeku ʻā hake ʻi he pongipongi kotoa pē ʻo ako e folofolá ʻiate ia pē mo ʻene ngaahi lēsoni seminelí ʻi hono ʻapí. Pea ʻe fakataha ʻa e kiʻi kulupú, ʻa ia ko ha fānau ako ʻe toko fā pe nima, ʻi he uike takitaha. ʻOku pehē ʻe Sitani, “Ne faifai pē ʻo kamata ke u ongoʻi ʻa e Laumālié ʻi he ngaahi pongipongi ko ʻení, ʻo u laukonga pē ʻiate au, pea ne u ʻā hake ai ʻi he pongipongi kotoa pē. Ne taimi nounou pē kuó u ongoʻi kapau he ʻikai te u ako ʻi he pongipongí, he ʻikai aʻu e ʻahó ia ki he tuʻunga naʻe mei ʻi aí. Pea naʻe ʻikai ke u ʻiloʻi kuo kamata ke u maʻu ha fakamoʻoni.”

Naʻe fakamatala ʻa Sitani ʻo pehē “naʻe taimi nounou pea mahino kiate au ʻa e ngaahi ongo ko iá. Ne u ongoʻi fiefia he meʻa ne u akó, pea ne u ongoʻi ʻa e Laumālié. Ne u ongoʻi ko e meʻa totonú ʻeni. Pea naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ko ha meʻa ʻeni ne u fie maʻu ke langa ai ʻa ʻeku moʻuí.”

Ka ko e hā naʻe ʻio ange ai ʻa Sitani lolotonga ʻene ongoʻi ʻokú ne fuʻu femoʻuekiná? ʻOkú ne pehē, Oku ou tui naʻe ngāue ʻiate au e ivi takiekina ʻo e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní. Mahalo ne u ʻosi mateuteu pē. Ko ia ʻi he haʻu ʻa Toa Lasei ʻi he tuí, naʻá ne haʻu ʻi ha toe maile ʻe taha, pea ne u ʻosi mateuteu ke tali ʻene fakaafé. Ko e founga ngāue ia ʻa e ʻEikí.”

ʻI he ʻosi ha taʻu ʻe taha nai mei ai, naʻe fili ʻa Toa Lasei ke ʻalu ʻo ngāue fakafaifekau pea naʻe uiuiʻi ia ke ngāue ʻi Noaue. Naʻe kei hokohoko atu ai pē hono fakamālohia ʻe Sitani ʻene fakamoʻoni ki he ongoongoleleí lolotonga e taimi ko iá. ʻOku pehē ʻe Sitani, “ʻI he foki mai ʻa Toa mei heʻene ngāue fakafaifekaú, ne u kamata fakakaukau mo au ke u ʻalu ʻo ngāue fakafaifekau. Ne u fakakaukau ʻoku totonu ke u ʻalu he naʻá ku loto ke ngāue maʻá e ʻEikí, peá u pehē kapau he ʻikai te u ʻalu, te u fakameʻapangoʻia ai ʻi he toenga ʻo ʻeku moʻuí.”

ʻOku manatu ʻa Sitani ki he hili ʻene talanoa mo ʻene kau taki lakanga fakataulaʻeikí ʻo kau ki heʻene ʻalu ʻo ngāue fakafaifekaú, ʻa ʻene ongoʻi hangē ʻokú ne tētē pē he ʻeá heʻene luelue ki honau ʻapí. Naʻe fetaulaki ʻa Sitani mo Hilitā, ʻa ia ne hoko ko hono uaifi ki mui aí, ʻi ha konifelenisi ʻa e toʻu tupú ʻi ʻOsilou, kimuʻa peá ne ʻalu ʻo ngāue fakafaifekaú (naʻá ne ʻalu pē mo ia ki Noaue). Naʻá na fetohiʻaki pē lolotonga ʻene ngāue fakafaifekaú, peá na mali hili ʻene foki mai ki ʻapí. ʻOku ʻi ai ʻena fānau ʻe toko fā he taimí ni: ko ha ongo foha ʻa ia kuó na ʻosi fakatou mali temipale, mo ha ongo ʻofefine ʻokú na kei ʻi ʻapi pē mo mālohi ʻi he seminelí.

ʻOku pehē ʻe Sitani, “ʻI he pō ko ia ne haʻu ai ʻa Toa Lasei ki homau falé—naʻá ne liliu ʻeku moʻuí kotoa.” Naʻe kamata mei he ʻaʻahi ko iá ʻa ʻene fononga ʻi he hala ne fetaulaki ai mo hono uaifí, ngāue fakafaifekau mo kamata hono fāmilí, pea naʻe fakahoko kotoa ʻeni lolotonga ʻene maʻu ha fakamoʻoni mālohi ki he ongoongoleleí. “Kuó u hoko ko ha palesiteni fakakolo, palesiteni fakavahefonua, pīsope—koeʻuhí pē ko e haʻu ʻa Toa Lasei ki homau falé peá u kamata kau atu ki he polokalama seminelí.” Naʻe hoko kotoa ʻeni koeʻuhi ko e loto fiemālie ʻa Toa Lasei ke ne ʻalu ʻi ha toe maile ʻe taha.