“Ko ʻEma Foaki Lelei Tahá,” Liahona, Sānuali 2024.
Leʻo ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní
Ko ʻEma Foaki Lelei Tahá
ʻI heʻetau fakatapui ha temipalé, ʻoku tau pehē ai ki he ʻEikí, “Ko ʻemau feilaulaú ʻeni. Ko e lelei taha ʻeni te mau lava ʻo foakí.”
ʻI ha uike nai ʻe ua kimuʻa pea toe fakatapui ʻa e Temipale Washington D.C. ʻi ʻAokosi 2022, naʻá ku fakatokangaʻi mo ʻeku pulé naʻe mahakiʻia ha taha ʻo e ngaahi fuʻu ʻakau hoonipiimi ʻo ʻIulopé (European hornbeam) ʻoku tuʻu ʻi muʻa ʻi he temipalé. Naʻe siʻisiʻi ange ʻa e ngaahi lauʻiʻakau ʻi he konga ki loto mālie ʻo e fuʻu ʻakaú pea naʻe ʻi ai hano ngaahi vaʻa naʻe mate.
ʻI heʻeku hoko ko e tokotaha tauhiʻapi ʻo e temipalé, naʻá ku hohaʻa naʻa maau ʻa e kelekele fakaʻofoʻofa ʻo e temipalé tuku kehe pē ʻa e kiʻi feituʻu siʻisiʻi ko iá. Naʻe ofi ʻa e fuʻu ʻakaú ki he matavai ofi ki he hūʻanga ki he temipalé.
Naʻe ʻi ai haʻamau fuʻu ʻakau talifaki moʻui lelei naʻe tupu ofi mai, pea naʻa mau aleaʻi ʻa e malava ko ia ke fetongi ʻaki ʻa e fuʻu ʻakau moʻui leleí ʻa e fuʻu ʻakau ne mahakiʻiá. Ka naʻe pau ke mau ʻuluaki taʻaki ʻa e saitiuoka mo e musie ne ofi maí pea toki ʻunuakiʻi ʻa e ngaahi laine fuʻifuʻi musie mo e ʻuhila naʻe fokotuʻu ʻi he feituʻu ko iá. Ko e meʻa ne u manavasiʻi taha ki aí ko haʻamau taʻaki e fuʻu ʻakau mahakiʻiá, fetongi ʻa e fuʻu ʻakaú pea ʻikai ha taimi feʻunga ke ngaohi ʻa e toenga kotoa ʻo e ngaahi meʻa takatakai ʻi he fuʻu ʻakaú ke ʻasi lelei ki hono toe fakatapuí.
ʻI heʻeku talaange ki hoku uaifi ko Kalolainé, mahalo ʻe fiemaʻu ke mau ʻunuakiʻi ʻa e fuʻu ʻakaú, naʻá ne tali mai: “Tutuʻu pē ʻa e ngaahi vaʻa kuo maté, pea te u kole ki heʻeku kau fafine ako folofola ʻi he kotoa ʻo e fonuá ke nau lotua ia. Ko e kelekele ʻo e temipalé ʻa e ʻEikí. Te Ne tāpuakiʻi ʻa e fuʻu ʻakaú.”
ʻOku ʻi ai ha ngaahi kaungāmeʻa ʻo Kalolaine ʻokú ne ui ko ʻene kau fafine ako folofolá—ko e kāingalotu ʻo e Siasí naʻa nau faʻa nofo ʻi he uooti tatau pē. Naʻa nau ako fakataha ʻa e Haʻu, ʻo Muimui ʻIate Aú ʻo aʻu ki heʻenau hiki kotoa, ka ʻoku nau kei fetuʻutaki pē. ʻI he taimi ʻoku fiemaʻu ai ha lotú, ʻoku nau fetokoniʻaki.
Hili hono fakamatala ange ʻe Kalolaine ʻa e fuʻu ʻakau naʻe mahakiʻiá, naʻa nau talaange ki heʻenau fānaú mo e kau mēmipa kehe ʻo e fāmilí. Naʻe ʻikai ke ʻilo ʻe Kalolaine pe ko e toko fiha naʻa nau lotua ʻa e fuʻu ʻakaú, ka naʻá ne tui ʻe fanongo ʻa e Tamai Hēvaní ki heʻenau ngaahi lotú.
ʻI ha ngaahi ʻaho siʻi pē mei ai, naʻe tupu mai mei he fuʻu ʻakaú ha ngaahi lauʻiʻakau foʻou, ʻo fakafonu ʻi he feituʻu ne ʻataá. Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Kalolaine, “Kuo hā fakaʻofoʻofa ange ia.” Naʻá ne ʻave ha ʻū tā ʻo e fuʻu ʻakaú ki heʻene kau fafine ako folofolá ʻo talaange, “Vakai ki he founga naʻe tali ʻaki kitautolu ʻe he ʻEikí!”
Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi naʻe lotua ʻe he kakaí ʻa e fuʻu ʻakaú, pea naʻe ʻikai foki ke u ʻohovale ai. Naʻá ku toe ʻiloʻi foki ʻe vavé ni pē hano tāpuakiʻi ʻe Palesiteni Lāsolo M. Nalesoni ʻa e temipalé mo e kelekele ʻo e temipalé lolotonga ʻene lotu fakatapuí. ʻE sai pē ʻa e fuʻu ʻakaú.
Naʻá ma houngaʻia ʻi hono fakaʻapaʻapaʻi ʻe he ʻEikí ʻema feilaulaú mo e tuí.