Ko ha Mana ʻi he Malaʻe Vakapuná

ʻĪmisi

Illustration depicting two elder missionaries at an airport in Japan.

Tā fakatātaaʻi ʻe David Malan

ʻI heʻeku hoko ko ha faifekau foʻou ʻi Siapaní, naʻe faingataʻa ke mahino kiate au ʻa e lea ʻa ha taha, pea faingataʻa ʻeku fakamaheni kiate kinautolú. Naʻe faingataʻa ke u ʻofa ʻi ha kakai naʻe ʻikai te u maheni mo kinautolú, tautautefito ki he taimi ʻoku ʻikai ke mahino ai kiate au e meʻa ʻoku nau lea mai ʻakí. Ka naʻá ku feinga ke fakahā ʻeku ʻofa kiate kinautolú, pea naʻe hounga kiate au ʻenau feinga ke mau fetaulakí.

ʻI he uike kotoa pē, naʻá ku maʻu mo hoku hoá ha foʻi mā ne taʻo ʻe ha fefine ʻi he uōtí ko hono hingoá ko Sisitā Senipā. Naʻá ne fakahaaʻi ʻene ʻofa ki he kau faifekaú ʻaki ʻene taʻo ha mā pea ʻave fakataha ia mo ha kiʻi tohi fakalotolahi.

Naʻe ongo kiate au ʻa e ʻi ai ha taha naʻe tokanga mai kiate aú. Naʻá ku ongoʻi ke fakahā ʻeku loto houngaʻiá kiate ia ʻi ha kiʻi founga siʻisiʻi. Naʻá ku fai ha kiʻi tohi ʻo fakahaaʻi ʻeku houngaʻia ʻiate iá pea ʻi he ngaahi feilaulau kuó ne fai mo hono fāmilí ke tokoni ki he kau faifekaú. Naʻa mau kaungāmeʻa lelei, pea naʻá ku kamata fakakaukau ki ai ʻo hangē haʻaku “faʻē lolotonga ʻeku mamaʻo mei ʻapi.”

Ne ʻosi atu ha ngaahi māhina. ʻI ha pongipongi Pulelulu ʻe taha ne maʻu mai e telefoni mei he palesiteni misioná, ʻo kole ke u hiki ki ʻOkinaua. ʻI heʻeku tāpuni e telefoní naʻá ku maʻu ha ongo lotomamahi mo fiefia fakatouʻosi. Naʻe ʻikai te u saiʻia he lea māvaé. Ko e telefoni kotoa pē ne u fai ki he kāingalotu ʻo e uōtí ne u fakahoko ange te u hiki, naʻe mamahi hoku lotó. Naʻe ʻikai te u ʻamanaki ʻe faingataʻa pehē ʻeku māvae mo e kakai ne u ako ke ʻofa lahi ʻiate kinautolú.

Hili ʻeku telefoni holó, ne u fakatokangaʻi ko e telefoni pē ʻa Sisitā Senipaá naʻe ʻikai ke tali maí. Naʻá ku lotomamahi koeʻuhí he ʻikai haku faingamālie ke lea māvae ki ha mēmipa ne ma fuʻu vāofi.

ʻI he pongipongi hono hokó ne u mavahe atu mo ha ongo faifekau ki malaʻe vakapuna. ʻI heʻemau aʻu atu ki he kānitá ke totongi e tikité, naʻe talamai ʻe he kau ngāué ʻoku ʻikai ke ngāue ʻemau kātí. Naʻe ʻikai ke ʻi ai ha silini ʻiate kimautolu ke totongi e tikité pea ʻe mavahe ʻa e vaká ʻi ha miniti ʻe 10! Naʻa mau hohaʻa kotoa. He ʻikai ke mau lava ʻo heka he vaká pea ʻe liʻaki kimautolu ʻi malaʻe vakapuna ʻi ha ʻaho kakato ʻe taha.

Ka naʻe liliu ʻeku loto hohaʻá ʻo fiemālie ʻi heʻeku vakai atu ʻoku lue mai ʻa Sisitā Senipā ki he loto malaʻe vakapuná. Naʻá ku ʻohovale heʻene ʻasí koeʻuhí naʻe ʻikai te ne ʻilo ʻa e taimi homau vaká. ʻI heʻene fakavave maí, naʻá ne malimali mo mono mai kiate kimautolu kotoa ha foʻi mā ke mau heka mo ia he vaká.

ʻI heʻemau fakamatala ange ʻa e meʻa ne hokó pea ʻe ʻikai te mau lava ʻo folau he vaká, naʻá ne loto mamahi. Naʻe ʻikai te mau ʻilo pe ko e hā e meʻa ʻe faí. Ne hua hake leva ʻe Sisitā Senipā ʻene pēsí, ko e kumi ha meʻa ʻe lava ke tokoni mai kiate kimautolu. Naʻe punopuna heʻene fiefiá ʻi heʻene maʻu hake ʻa e kiʻi sila naʻá ne faʻo ʻi heʻene kató ʻi ha ngaahi uike lahi kimuʻa, ko e ʻIeni ʻe ¥50,000 —ko e lahi totonu pe ia ʻo e paʻanga naʻa mau fie maʻú. Naʻá ne ʻomai e siliní kiate kimautolu, pea mau lava ʻo totongi kei taimi pē ʻemau tikité. Naʻa mau fakamālō loto-houngaʻia ʻaki ʻa e kotoa ʻo homau lotó kiate ia, mau feʻiloaki pea mau fakatovave atu ki he vakapuná.

Hili ʻa e mavahe ʻa e vakapuná, ne tafoki mai hoku hoa faifekaú ʻo pehē mai, “ʻikai nai ko ha fefine fakaofo ia?! ko ha mana ia!”

Naʻá ku fakatokangaʻi ai ko e mana moʻoni ne hokó. Naʻá ne pehē mai leva, “Ko e hā e fakalea hoʻo kiʻi tohi?” Ne u fakatokangaʻi naʻá ne lau ʻa e kiʻi tohi ne ʻomi fakataha mo e foʻi mā ʻa Sisitā Senipaá. ʻI heʻeku ʻilo naʻe ʻi ai mo ʻeku noutí naʻá ku lau e kiʻi laʻipepa ne fakatuʻasila mai pē kiate au, peá u loʻimataʻia. Naʻe fakalea ʻo pehē, “ʻOku ou ʻofa ʻiate koe! Kātaki ʻo ʻoua naʻa ngalo au! He ʻikai ngalo koe ʻiate au!”

ʻI he momeniti ko iá naʻá ku ongoʻi mālohi e Laumālié ʻo mālohi ange ʻi ha toe taimi kimuʻa. Naʻe akoʻi au ʻe he sīpinga ʻa Sisitā Senipaá ki he mahuʻinga ʻo e muimui ki he ngaahi ueʻi ʻa e Laumālié—tatau ai pē pe ʻoku siʻisiʻi pe ngali kehe ʻa e ueʻi ʻokú te maʻú. ʻI he ngaahi ueʻi ko ʻení ʻoku tau maʻu ʻa e mālohi ke liliu ha moʻui ke toe lelei ange. ʻOku ou ʻilo naʻe ʻikai hoko noa pē ʻa ʻene ʻaluange ki he malaʻe vakapuná. Naʻe hoko ia ko ha mana.

Ko e moʻoni ʻoku fakaʻaongaʻi ʻe he ʻEikí ha ngaahi founga iiki ke fakahoko ʻEne ngāué. ʻOku tau monūʻia fau ko e kāingalotu ʻo e Siasí ni ke maʻu Hono ivi takiekiná ʻi heʻetau moʻuí. Tuku muʻa ke tau moʻui taau maʻu ai pē ke maʻu ʻa e ngaahi ueʻi ko ʻení mo faitāpuekina e moʻui ʻa e fānau ʻa e ʻOtuá.