2019
Ko e Hā Ne ʻIkai Fakatokanga Mai Ai e ʻOtuá Kiate Aú?
Siulai 2019


Ko e Hā Ne ʻIkai Fakatokanga Mai Ai e ʻOtuá Kiate Aú?

Lark Montgomery

Tekisisi, USA

ʻĪmisi
woman gathering loose papers

Tā fakatātaaʻi ʻe Tim Zeltner

Naʻá ku nofo mo hoku husepānití ʻi he ngaahi nofoʻanga he loto ʻapiakó ʻi he ʻApiako Fakatekinikale ʻo e Siteiti Tekisisí ʻi he kei taʻu fā mo taʻu ua ʻema fānau lalahi tahá. Ne ʻi ai ha meʻa ne ma fuofua aʻusia ʻi he tukuʻuta tafungofunga ʻo Tekisisí, pea naʻá ku fuʻu saiʻia ai! ʻOku matalaʻiʻakau ʻatā pe e loto kolo ʻo Tekisisí he faʻahitaʻu failau kotoa pē. ʻI he ngoueʻangá, vaoʻakaú, ngaahi loto ʻataʻataá, veʻehalá, mo e feituʻu kotoa pē naʻá ku vakai atu ki aí, ne lahi ange e ʻakau matalá.

Ne u faʻa teke ʻeku fānaú ʻi he saliote pēpeé mo luelue he meimei ʻaho kotoa pē. Ne mau ʻilo ha ngaahi feituʻu foʻou ke vakaiʻi, pea naʻá ku tuku ke tānaki ʻe he fānaú ʻa e matalaʻiʻakau vao te na fie maʻú. Ne faʻa fakaʻosi ʻaki ʻemau lué haʻamau fou atu ʻi ha ʻotu kaungāʻapi ne fakaʻofoʻofa ʻa hono tauhi ʻo ʻenau ngoue matalaʻiʻakaú.

ʻI ha ʻaho ʻe taha ne mau fou mai ʻi ha tuliki ʻo ʻiloʻi ha fokotuʻunga pepa ne movete ʻi ha taha ʻo e ngaahi ngoue matalaʻiʻakaú. Ne vave pē hono veteki ʻe he havilí e pepá ʻi he loto ʻataʻataá. Naʻá ku fakakaukau ke u tānaki e vevé kimuʻa teʻeki ke nau moveté. Naʻá ku faluku ha ngaahi peesi lahi ʻo faʻo ʻi heʻeku kato taipá.

ʻI heʻeku sio hifo ki laló, naʻá ku fakatokangaʻi ʻoku ou pukepuke e ngaahi ʻata ponokalafi. Naʻá ku fakatumutumu, peá u kole ki heʻeku fānaú ke na nofo maʻu ʻi he loto salioté kau tānaki hake e toenga ʻo e ngaahi pēsí. Ne kamata ke u loto mamahi ʻi he ʻasi hake ha ngaahi meʻa ne ʻikai ke u teitei fie sio ki ai. Ne kamata ke u lāunga ʻi hoku lotó, “Ko e hā ne ʻikai fakatokanga mai ai e ʻOtuá kiate au ke u ʻalu ʻi ha hala kehe ki ʻapí?”

Mo ʻeku fanongo ki he ongo ʻiloʻingofua ʻo e taʻofi ʻa e pasi akó. Ne hifo mai ha fānau ʻe toko hongofulu tupu mei he pasí. Ne nau lue kotoa pē ʻo fou atu he loto ʻataʻatā naʻe fonu ʻi he ngaahi ʻata ponokalafi he ngaahi momeniti siʻi kimuʻá.

ʻI he momeniti ko iá, ne liliu e anga ʻo ʻeku fakakaukaú. Ne u ʻiloʻi ʻeni e ʻuhinga ne ʻikai fakatokanga mai ai ke u ʻalu ʻi ha hala ʻe tahá. Naʻá ku houngaʻia ʻi heʻeku ʻi ai ke toʻo e ngaahi lauʻi peesi ko iá kae lava ke hao e fānaú mei haʻanau mamata ki he ngaahi ʻata kovi ko iá. ʻI heʻeku foki ki ʻapí, naʻá ku fakakaukau, “Ne mei fēfē kapau ne toki haʻu e pasí kimui ange? Ne mei fēfē kapau ne ʻikai ke u ʻiloʻi e ʻuhinga naʻá ku aʻusia ai e meʻa ko iá? Ko e hā nai hano fuoloa haʻaku loto mamahi ki he ʻOtuá?”

Hili e ʻaho ko iá, kuo tokoniʻi au ʻi hono ʻomi ʻe he ʻEikí e faingamālie ke u vakai ki he “ʻuhinga” ʻo e meʻa ne u aʻusiá, ke u falala ʻoku lahi ange Hono potó mo [ʻEne] taumuʻá ʻi haʻakú.

Te u ʻiloʻi he taimi ʻe niʻihi e ʻuhinga ʻo e hoko ha meʻá; pea ʻikai ʻi he taimi ʻe niʻihi. Kae tatau ai pē, ʻoku ou ʻiloʻi kuo pau ke u maʻu e tui ʻoku lahi ange e taumuʻa ʻa e ʻEikí ka he ʻikai ke u fakatokangaʻi maʻu pē.