ʻOku Mahuʻinga Fēfē Nai ʻEni?

Lolotonga ʻeku ʻaʻahi ki he vaka fakakautau ko e USS West Virginia, ne fai mai ha kole ki ha ʻōfisa ʻoku poto he lea faka-Potukalí ke ʻalu ʻi ha folau fakafetongi uike-tolu mo e Tautahi Palāsilá. Ko au tokotaha pē ʻi he kautau he vakaukú ne poto he lea faka-Potukalí.

Ne u ongoʻi ke ʻoua te u ʻalu. Ne toki ʻosi pē haʻaku leʻo takai (patrol) māhina ʻe tolu pea ne u ʻamanaki atu ke u sio ki hoku fāmilí, ka naʻe ʻikai matoʻo mei heʻeku fakakaukaú ʻa e folau fakafetongí. Ne u tafoki ki he Tamai Hēvaní ʻi he lotu, peá u maʻu ha tali mālohi ʻoku totonu ke u ʻalu pea ke u tali ʻa e fatongiá.

Naʻe lahi ha ngaahi faingataʻa ʻi hono fakahoko ʻo e fokotuʻutuʻú. ʻI ha taimi ʻe taha ne hangē ne u loto foʻi aí. Ne u fakakaukau, “ʻOku mahuʻinga fēfē nai ʻeni?” Ka neongo iá ne ueʻi mai ʻe he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ke u vilitaki atu pē.

ʻĪmisi

Illustration depicting men on board a Navy ship. One of the men is pointing and yelling at a man sitting at a table. Another officer is standing in the doorway.

Tā fakatātā ʻa Allen Garns

Hili hano tautoloi tuʻo lahi, ne faifai kuó u aʻu atu ki he vaka Palāsilá. ʻI hono fakafeʻao atu au ki he loki kai ʻo e kau ʻōfisá, naʻe tafulu e kapiteni ʻo e vaká mo tuhu ki ha ʻōfisa kei talavou. Naʻe sio mai ʻa e kapitení kiate au, ʻo tuku ai, peá ne lea mai ʻi he lea faka-Pilitāniá, “Oi, kuo aʻu mai hoku kaungāmeʻa ʻAmeliká. ʻOku talitali lelei koe. Ko e hā nai ha inu ʻe lava ke u ʻoatu?”

Ne u tali atu ʻi he lea faka-Potukalí te u fiefia ke ʻomi ha kapainu Palāsila manakoa kuo teʻeki ke u toe inu talu mei heʻeku ngāue fakafaifekaú. Naʻá ne talamai ʻoku maʻu ʻi he vaká e faʻahinga kehekehe ʻo e kava mālohí, ka ne u fakahā atu ʻoku ʻikai te u inu kava mālohi.

Kimui aí, ne tukituki mai ha taha ʻi hoku lokí. ʻI heʻeku fakaava hake ʻa e matapaá, ʻoku tuʻu ai ʻa e ʻōfisa mei he loki kaí.

“Ko e tokotaha ʻAmelika koe”, ko ia mai ia. “ʻOku ʻikai te ke inu kava mālohi. ʻOkú ke lea faka-Potukali. Ko ha Māmonga nai koe?”

Ne u tali atu, “ʻIo, ko ia.”

Naʻá ne fāʻofua mai kiate au mo tangi leʻo lahi.

Ko e ʻōfisa ko ʻení, ko Lt. Manitisa, ko ha toki ului foʻou mai pea toki ʻosi mei he ʻAkatemī Tautahi ʻa Palāsilá. Naʻá ne toki ʻilo ʻi heʻene heka ki vaká, naʻe ʻamanaki mai ʻa e kapitení ʻe hehema ʻi he ngaahi tōʻonga moʻui ʻa e ʻōfisá ʻi heʻenau ʻaʻahi ki he ngaahi taulangá. Ka ne toutou pole maʻu pē ʻa Lt. Manitisa ia ke “leʻo he taimi-tūʻutá” (in-port duty) pea ka ʻikai ʻoku ʻikai ʻalu ia ki he ngaahi ʻekitivitī he taimi-tūʻutá (port-of-call activities). Ne kamata ke fuʻia heni e kapitení. ʻI heʻeku hū atu he holo ki he loki kaí, naʻá ne tafuluʻi ʻa Lt. Manitisa ko e ʻikai te ne kau angé.

“Te ke ʻalu mo e kau ʻōfisá ʻi heʻetau taimi-tūʻuta hono hokó” ko ʻene fekau ia ki he lafitaní. “Te ke fakaʻaliʻali ki he ʻōfisa ʻAmeliká ʻa hono fakalatá. ʻOkú ne ʻamanaki mai ki ai meiate kitautolu.”

Ne lotu ʻa Lt. Manitisa ʻi ha ngaahi māhina ke lava ʻo mahino mo tali ʻe heʻene kapitení ʻene ngaahi tefitoʻi moʻoní. ʻI heʻeku aʻu atú, ne hoko hono talanoaʻi e ongoongoleleí ko e ʻelito ia ʻo e ngaahi fetalanoaʻaki lahi taha ʻi he loki kaí. Ne ma talanoa ki he kau ʻōfisa kehé fekauʻaki mo Siosefa Sāmita, Toe Fakafoki Mai ʻo e Ongoongoleleí, ko e Lea ʻo e Potó, mo e fono ʻo e angamaʻá. Ne liliu vave e ngaahi ongo kia Lt. Manitisá. Naʻe toʻo ʻe he kau ʻōfisá ʻa e ponokalafi ne fakahāhaá, pea ʻi he taulanga hono hokó ne mau maʻu fiefia fakataha ha meʻatokoni ʻi ha falekai kae ʻikai ko e ʻalu ki he fale hulohulá.

ʻI he ofi ki he fakaikuiku ʻo ʻeku folaú, mo e ʻosi e ngaahi fetalanoaʻaki lahi mo e kapitení mo e kau ʻōfisá fekauʻaki mo ʻetau tuí, ne fakavaivaiʻi ʻe he kau tangatá honau lotó. “ʻOku toki mahino ʻeni kiate au,” ko hono talaange ia ʻe he kapiteni kia Lt. Manitisa kimuʻa peá u mavahé, ʻo ne talaange ʻe ʻikai ke ne toe talaange ki ai ke fakafisingaʻi ʻene ngaahi tefitoʻi moʻoní.

He ʻikai toe ngalo ʻiate au e meʻa ko ʻeni ne hokó. Ne ma ʻilo mo Lt. Manitisa ʻoku ʻafioʻi ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní kitautolu fakafoʻituitui, ʻofaʻi kitautolu, mo tokanga mai ki heʻetau moʻui fakatāutahá.