Ko ʻEku Pōpoaki mei he ʻEikí

ʻI he 1993, hili ia ha ʻaho ʻe tolu ʻo ʻeku hiki ki Polokiuani, ʻi he fakatokelau ʻo Saute ʻAfiliká, naʻe tukituki ha taha ʻi hoku matapaá. ʻI he taimi naʻá ku fakaava hake aí, naʻe tuʻu mai ha ongo faifekau ʻo e Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní.

Naʻá ku tupu hake ʻi ha fāmili naʻe fakalotu ʻaupito, pea naʻe fakatokanga mai maʻu pē hoku fāmilí ke u fakamamaʻo mei he kau faifekaú. Ka naʻá na ngali angalelei pea ʻoku ou saiʻia ʻi he talanoa fekauʻaki mo e tui fakalotú, ko ia ne u fakaafeʻi kinaua ki loto.

Hili ha ʻaʻahi lelei, naʻá na pehē mai, “Te ma lava nai ʻo ʻoatu haʻo Tohi ʻa Molomona?”

Ne u tali ange, “Kiʻi tatali siʻi ange pē. ʻOku ou tui ʻoku ʻi ai haʻaku tohi.”

ʻI he taimi naʻá ku fakaʻaliʻali ange ai ʻeku tataú kiate kinauá, naʻá na ʻohovale. Naʻá ku fakamatala ange naʻe ʻomi ʻe he ongo faifekaú ha Tohi ʻa Molomona kiate au ʻi hoku kolo tupuʻanga ko Keipi Tauní ʻi ha ngaahi taʻu lahi kimuʻa, ʻi ha fakaʻaliʻali. Naʻá ku tauhi ia, pea ʻi he taimi ʻe niʻihi naʻá ku vakaiʻi ia.

Hili ʻena ʻaʻahi maí, naʻá ku fakaafeʻi ʻa e ongo faifekaú ke na toe haʻu. Ka neongo ia, naʻe ohi hake au ʻi ha siasi kehe, ʻa ia naʻe faifekau ai ʻa e mali ua ʻeku faʻeé. Naʻe hoko ʻa e fakakaukau ke toe papitaisó ko e taha ʻo e ngaahi maka tūkiaʻanga ki heʻeku uluí. Ka neongo ia, naʻe kamata ke u maʻulotu ʻi he kiʻi kolo tokosiʻi ʻo e Siasí. Hili ha meimei taʻu ʻe taha mo e konga, naʻe ui au ʻe he palesiteni fakakoló ki hono ʻōfisí.

Naʻe pehē mai ʻe he palesiteni fakakoló, “Tēvita, ʻoku ou fie ʻoatu ha tukupā kiate koe. ʻOku mau loto-moʻoni ke ke maʻu ha fakamoʻoni ki he Tohi ʻa Molomoná. ʻOku ou ongoʻi te ke lava ʻo fai ia kapau te u ui koe ke ke akoʻi ʻa e Tokāteline ʻo e Ongoongoleleí. ʻOkú ke ʻosi faiako ʻi ha ʻunivēsiti, pea ʻoku ʻikai ke ke ilifia ke tuʻu ʻi muʻa ʻi he kakaí.”

ʻI he taimi ní, kuo pau ke hoko ʻa e kau faiakó ko ha mēmipa ʻo e Siasí.¹ Ka ʻi he taimi ko iá, naʻe ueʻi fakalaumālie ʻa e palesiteni fakakoló ke kole mai ke u faiako. ʻOku ou houngaʻia ai.

Naʻá ku pehē ange, “ʻIo.”

Naʻá ku ako fakaikiiki ʻa e lēsoní ʻi he efiafi Tokonaki kotoa pē koeʻuhí ke mahino kiate au, ʻiloʻi, pea fakafekauʻaki ia mo e ngaahi talanoa mo e kakai ʻo e Tohi ʻa Molomoná. Kiate au, naʻe hoko moʻoni hono akoʻi ʻo e tohí ko ha founga lelei ia ke maʻu ai ʻeku fakamoʻoni ki aí.

ʻI ha Sāpate ʻe taha, hili haʻaku faiako ʻi ha taʻu ʻe taha, naʻe haʻu ʻa e palesiteni fakamisioná mei Peletōlia ki ha konifelenisi peá ne kau mai ki heʻeku kalasi Lautohi Faka-Sāpaté.

Naʻá ne pehē mai ʻi heʻene ʻosí, “Mālō Brother Pekisitā. Ko ha lēsoni fakaʻofoʻofa ia. Ko hoʻo haʻú mei fē?”

ʻI heʻeku talaange ki ai ko Keipi Tauní, naʻá ne ʻeke mai pe ko e uooti fē naʻá ku kau ki aí.

“Naʻe ʻikai ke u ʻalu ki ha uooti.”

Naʻá ne fehuʻi mai, “Ko e hā hoʻo ʻuhingá?”

“ʻOku ou kau au he niʻihi mahalo te ke ui ko ha Senitailé?” Naʻá ku tali ange. “ʻOku ʻikai ko ha mēmipa au ʻo e Siasí.”

Naʻe tea hono fofongá ʻi heʻene ʻohovalé peá ne fakatovave atu ki he palesiteni fakakoló.

Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe he palesiteni fakamisioná, “ʻOku ʻi ai haʻo tokotaha taʻesiasi ʻokú ne akoʻi ʻa e folofolá?”

“Naʻe kovi ʻene akoʻi iá?”

“ʻIkai.”

“Naʻe fakalaumālie?”

“ʻIo.”

“Naʻá ne akoʻi ʻa e tokāteline moʻoní?”

“ʻIo.”

Naʻá na fakangofua au ke hokohoko atu ʻeku faiakó. Hili ha ngaahi māhina siʻi mei ai, naʻá ku ʻalu ʻo ʻaʻahi ki hoku fāmilí ʻi Keipi Tauni ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho mālōlō Kilisimasí. Lolotonga ʻeku ʻi aí, naʻe talamai ʻe heʻeku faʻeé te ne mavahe mei hono siasí hili ʻa e mālōlō ʻeku tamai uá. ʻI he momeniti ko iá, naʻe tokoniʻi au ʻe he ʻEikí ke u ongoʻi tauʻatāina mei ha faʻahinga ongoʻi halaia pē ne u maʻu koeʻuhí ko ʻeku mateakiʻi ʻeku faʻeé mo e siasi naʻá ku tupu hake aí.

ʻI heʻeku foki ki ʻapí, ne u tā telefoni ki he palesiteni fakakoló.

Naʻá ku talaange, “ʻOku ou fie papitaiso ʻapongipongi.”

“ʻOkú ke fakapapauʻi pē ʻe Tēvita?”

Naʻá ku pehē ange, “ʻAupito. Naʻá ku maʻu ha pōpoaki mei he ʻEikí.”

ʻĪmisi

nima ʻokú ne pukepuke ha tohi

“ʻOku ʻI Ai Ha Meʻa Ke U Foaki Atu”

ʻI he taimi naʻá ku talaange ai ki heʻeku tamai totonú kuó u hoko ko ha mēmipa ʻo e Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní, naʻe ʻikai mahino kiate au ʻa e ʻuhinga naʻá ne fuʻu nonga aí.

Naʻá ne pehē, “Tuku ke u talaatu ha kiʻi konga ʻo hoku hisitōliá.”

Naʻe talamai ʻe heʻeku tangataʻeikí, ʻa ia naʻe teʻeki ke ne talanoa mai fekauʻaki mo e tui fakalotú, ʻi heʻene kei talavoú, naʻá ne ʻalu ki he Uooti Komola ʻo e Siasí ʻi Keipi Tauní. Naʻá ne vaʻinga ʻi he timi pasiketipolo ʻa e uōtí. Naʻá ne maʻu ha ngaahi kaungāmeʻa mamae tokolahi naʻa nau kau ki he Siasí. Ko e taha ʻo hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻa mamaé naʻe ngāue fakafaifekau pea naʻe fakapoongi ia ʻi Vietinemi hili ʻene ngāue fakafaifekaú.

Kapau naʻe ʻikai mālōlō ʻa e kaungāmeʻa ko ia ʻo ʻeku tangataʻeikí, ʻoku ou tui naʻá ne mei kau ki he Siasí. Naʻe mei kehe ʻaupito ʻene moʻuí. Hili ha ngaahi taʻu lahi mei ai, naʻá ne kei fakaʻapaʻapaʻi lahi pē ʻa e Kāingalotu ʻo e Siasí. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne kau ki ha tui fakalotu, ka naʻá ne poupouʻi moʻoni ʻeku fili ke kau ki he Siasí.

Hili ha ngaahi māhina siʻi mei he mālōlō ʻa e mali ua ʻeku faʻeé, naʻá ku talaange ki heʻeku faʻeé fekauʻaki mo hoku papitaisó. Naʻe ʻikai fuʻu lelei ia ʻo hangē ko ʻeku tala ki heʻeku tangataʻeikí? Ka neongo ia, ʻi heʻeku ʻalu ki Netaleni ke ʻaʻahi ki he kau mēmipa ʻo e fāmili Hōlaní ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo ʻeku fineʻeikí, naʻá ku vahevahe ʻeku uluí mo kinautolu. Ko e taimi ia ne u ʻilo ai ha fehokotaki fakafāmili ʻe taha ki he Siasí.

Lolotonga ʻeku ʻaʻahí, naʻe haʻu ʻeku faʻētangatá kiate au. Naʻá ne pehē mai, “ʻOku ʻi ai ha meʻa ke u foaki atu.” Naʻá ne mono mai leva kiate au ha fuofua tatau ʻo e Tohi ʻa Molomoná ʻi he lea faka-Hōlaní, naʻe pulusi ʻi he 1890.

Naʻá ne pehē mai, “Naʻe maʻu ia ʻe hotau fāmilí ʻi he ngaahi taʻu lahi kuohilí. ʻOku ou loto ke foaki atu ia maʻau.”

Naʻe fakafiemālie lahi kiate au ʻa e ongo fetuʻutaki fakafāmili ko ʻeni ki he Siasí. ʻI he ʻahó ni, ʻoku ou mataʻikoloa ʻaki ʻa e Tohi ʻa Molomoná ʻi he lea faka-Hōlaní. ʻOkú ne fakamanatu mai kiate au ʻa e fuofua kau faifekau ne nau ʻaʻahi mai kiate aú. ʻOkú ne fakamanatu mai kiate au ʻa e mahuʻinga ʻo hono akoʻi ʻo e Tohi ʻa Molomoná ki heʻeku uluí. ʻOkú ne fakamanatu mai kiate au hono fakaʻapaʻapaʻi ʻe heʻeku tamai kuo mālōloó ʻa e Siasí pea kuo tali ʻe ha niʻihi ʻo ʻeku ngaahi kuí ʻa e ongoongolelei kuo fakafoki maí.

ʻOkú ne toe fakamanatu mai foki kiate au ʻoku maʻu moʻoni ʻe he Tohi ʻa Molomoná ʻa e mālohi ke fakalotoʻi ʻa e “Siú mo e Senitailé ko Sīsū ko e Kalaisí, ko e ʻOtua Taʻengatá, ʻokú Ne fakahā ia ʻe ia ki he ngaahi puleʻanga kotoa pē.”²