Ko e Lotua Hoku Hala ki Lotumá

ʻĪmisi

illustration of a ship at sea

Tā fakatātā ʻa Allen Garns

Naʻe talamai ʻe hoku tuofefine-ʻi-he-fonó ʻi heʻemau feʻiloaki ʻi he Malaʻevakapuna Fakavahaʻapuleʻanga ʻo Nenitī ʻi Fisí. “Naʻe mavahe ʻa e Westerland ʻaneafi.”

Naʻá ku lotomamahi ʻi he ongoongó ko iá. Ko e MV Westerland ko e vaka ia ne totonu ke mau ʻalu aí ʻo sio ki hoku taʻoketé ʻi he motu ko Lotumá. ʻOku fakafuofua ki he maile ʻe 375 (600 km) ʻa Lotuma mei he tokelau hihifo ʻo Viti Levú, ko e motu lahi taha ʻi he ʻotu motu ʻo Fisí. Kapau ʻe ʻikai te ke maʻu e vaká, ngalingali te ke tali ʻi ha ngaahi ʻaho pe naʻa mo e ngaahi uike ki he vaka hokó.

Ne u ʻalu ki Lotuma ʻi he taʻu ʻe taha kuohilí ke tokoni ki hoku taʻoketé ke fakafoʻou e fale ʻemau kui fefiné, pea ne u liʻaki ia koeʻuhí ko e taʻefemahinoʻaki fakangāue. ʻOku ou fie feʻiloaki mo ia he taimí ni ke u talaange ʻeku ongoʻi fakatomalá.

ʻI ha uike ʻe taha kimuʻa peá u puna mo hoku uaifí, ko ʻĀkata ki Fisi mei ʻAositelēlia, ne talamai ʻe hoku fakafotú kiate au ʻe ʻalu e Westerland ki Lotuma ʻi he ʻaho kimuʻa peá ma tūʻuta ki aí. Ne u fetuʻutaki leva ki he ʻōfisi vaká ʻo kole kiate kinautolu ke kiʻi fakatatali muʻa e vaká ʻi ha kiʻi foʻi ʻaho ʻe ua.

“ʻIkai, he ʻikai te mau lava ʻo fai ia ʻo tatau ai pē kapau ne mau fie maʻu ke fakahoko,” ko e talí mai ia. “Kuo teuteuʻi ʻe he Kosilio ʻa Lotumá ha pola talitali, pea ʻoku fie maʻu e vaká ia ke mavahe ʻo hangē ko e taimi-tēpilé.”

Ne haʻu ha fakakaukau ki hoku ʻatamaí, pea ne u fakakaukau ai ke u ʻaukai mo lotu.

Ne u lotu, “ʻE Tamai Hēvani, ʻoku ou fie heka he folau ko ia ki Lotumá. ʻOku ou tui he ʻikai ke nau lava ʻe kinautolu ʻo toe kiʻi fakatatali e taimi folaú ʻi ha ʻaho ʻe taha pe ua, ka ʻoku ʻa e ʻAfiona ʻa e mālohi ke fai iá. Fakamolemole pe ʻe lava muʻa ʻo toʻo ange ha foʻi polota ʻe taha ʻi ha feituʻu pē he vaká kae lava ke toloi e folaú ke u heka ai? ʻOku ou fie ʻalu ki Lotuma ʻo fai ha fakalelei mo hoku taʻoketé.”

Hili ʻema fanongoa e ongoongo fakamamahí, ne ma ʻalu ki ha taulanga ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻe taha ʻo e motú. Ne ma ʻilo ai ne ʻi ai ha palopalema ki he mīsini e vaká pea naʻe teʻeki ke mavahe ia. Kuo tali mai ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ʻeku lotú! Ne ʻikai ko ha foʻi polota pē—ka ko e mīsiní kotoa—ne pau ke toʻo ia ke fakaleleiʻi ha mama lolo lahi ai.

ʻI he mavahe ʻa e vaká ʻi ha uike ʻe taha mei ai, ne u heka ai. ʻI heʻeku aʻu ki Lotumá, ne u fāʻofua ki hoku taʻoketé mo kole fakamolemole kiate ia, pea naʻe toe fakaleleiʻi homa vaá. Ko ha ʻaho fakafiefia moʻoni ia.

Te u houngaʻia maʻu ai pē koeʻuhí ko e aʻusia fakalaumālie fakaʻofoʻofa ko ʻení pea mo e ongoongolelei ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi kuo toe fakafoki maí. Ko ha fakamoʻoni ia ʻoku kei hoko pē ʻa e ngaahi maná he ʻahó ni, ʻoku moʻui ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní mo tali ʻetau ngaahi lotu fakamātoató, pea ʻoku fepoupouaki ʻa e lotú mo e ʻaukaí, pea ʻoku moʻoni ʻa e ongoongoleleí—pea naʻa mo ha kiʻi kolo siʻisiʻi ʻi he kiʻi motu ʻo Lotumá.