Ko ha Vao Ia he Taʻú Ni—Hanga ʻo Taʻaki

ʻI heʻeku tupu hake ʻi Līhai ʻi ʻIutā, he USA, naʻe ʻi ai ha ngoue hoku fāmilí naʻe lahi feʻunga ke tō fetongitongi ai e koané mo e patetá ʻi he taʻu kotoa pē. Naʻe talamai ʻe heʻeku tamaí he ʻaho ʻe taha ke u huo ʻe au e koané ka ne huo ʻe ia ʻa e patetá. ʻI heʻeku aʻu mai ki ha ʻotu naʻe ʻinisi ʻe ono (15 cm) ai hono māʻolunga ʻo e koané, ne u sio naʻe ʻi ai ha fuʻu pateta naʻe tuʻu toko taha pē ai pea naʻe tupu lahi mo fakaʻofoʻofa ange ia ʻi ha toe fuʻu pateta ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo e ngoué naʻe huo ai e tangataʻeikí. Ne u kaila ki ai ʻo ʻeke, “Ko e hā e meʻa te u fai ki hení?”

Naʻe ʻikai ke sio hake e tangataʻeikí ia. “Hanga ʻo taʻaki.”

Ne u tui naʻe ʻikai ke ne ʻiloʻi ko ʻeku tuhú ki he fuʻu patetá, peá u pehē ange, “Tangataʻeiki, ʻoku ʻikai ko ha vao. Ko e fuʻu pateta.” Naʻe ʻikai pē ke ne sio hake ka ne toe pehē mai, “ ʻIkai ʻi he taʻú ni. Ko ha vao ia he taʻú ni. Hanga ʻo taʻaki.” Ko ia ne u taʻaki.

Talu mei ai mo ʻeku faʻa fakalaulauloto ki he fakapotopoto ʻo e ngaahi lea ʻa ʻeku tamaí. Kuó u ʻilo ʻeni ko e talangofuá ʻoku ʻikai ko hano fai pē ʻo ha fili totonu ka ko hano fai ha fili totonu ʻi he faʻahitaʻu totonu. ʻI heʻeku fakakaukau atu ki he ngaahi meʻa kotoa naʻe fie maʻu ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ke u fai ʻi he moʻui ní, hangē ʻoku mahuʻinga tatau pē hono fai kinautolu ʻi he taimi totonú mo hano fai pē kinautolú. Hangē ko ʻení, ko e ngaahi fili totonu ʻa e ngāue fakafaifekaú, teití, malí, maʻu ʻo ha fānaú, akó, mo e kamata ʻo ha ngāue maʻuʻanga moʻuí. Ka ʻi hono fai ʻe he kakaí ʻa e ngaahi meʻa lelei ko ʻení ʻi ha fakahokohoko halá, ʻoku faʻa fakatuʻutāmaki hono ngaahi nunuʻá.

Naʻe akonaki ʻa e Tuʻi ko Penisimaní ʻoku totonu “ke fai ʻa e ngaahi meʻá ni kotoa pē ʻi he fakapotopoto mo e maau” (Mōsaia 4:27). Naʻe akonaki ʻa ʻEletā Niila A. Mekisuele (1926–2004) ʻo e Kōlomu ʻo e Kau ʻAposetolo ʻe Toko Hongofulu Mā Uá ʻo pehē, “ʻOku kau foki ʻi he tuí ʻa e falala ki he taimi ʻa e ʻOtuá, he kuó Ne folofola, ‘Ka kuo pau ke hoko ʻa e ngaahi meʻa kotoa pē ʻi honau taimi’ ( T&F 64:32).”¹

ʻOku ou tui ʻoku kākaaʻi kitautolu ʻe Sētane ʻaki ʻene fakalotoʻi kitautolu ke tau fai ʻa e ngaahi meʻa totonú ʻi he fakahokohoko ʻoku hala: ʻa e feohi fakaesino fafalé kimuʻa ʻi he malí, ʻa e teiti ʻoku teʻeki taʻu 16, hoko ko ha mātuʻa pea toki malí, mo e hā fua. ʻOku hoko e ngaahi fekau maʻongoʻonga taha ʻa e ʻOtuá ʻi he taimi ʻoku fetongi ʻaki ai ha meʻa pe ko hano ʻuliʻí, ko ha ʻakau ʻoku tupu ʻi he faʻahitaʻu hala—ko ha vao. ʻI he taimi naʻe fakataueleʻi ai au ke u kumi ʻuhinga ʻi hono fai ʻo e meʻa totonú koeʻuhi ko ha ʻuhinga hala, naʻá ku fakamālō ai ʻi he lēsoni mahuʻinga ko ʻeni ʻa ʻeku tamaí. Ko ha vao ia he taʻú ni. Hanga ʻo taʻaki.”