O LE MEAALOFA A JOHNNY
O LE ASO O TAMÄ

A FATHER'S DAY GIFT FROM JOHNNY

written by Pita Sunia
illustrated by Joy L. Goodenow

O LE MEAALOFA A JOHNNY O LE ASO O TAMÄ

O le afiafi o le Aso To'ona'i e masani lava ona tutumu ai paka o Honolulu i tagata tafafao. E tele lava tagata e fai pikiniki, pe ta'aalo, pe ta'eele ma eva ai i paka. A'o le Aala Park, e leai lava ni tagata se to'atele e so'ona pisa vale ai. E pei e faapitoa lava lea paka na o tagata matutua. E tele lava la i toeai 'ina ma loomatutua e nofonofo ma talatalanoa ai. O nisi e ta'aalo i le ta'aloga o le mu. O nisi e fai la latou pelë. O nisi e savalivali solo lava i totonu o le paka e faamalosi o latou tino. A'o le to'atele lava o nai tagata matutua, e na o le nofonofo lava ma matamata i ta'avale ma tagata fegasoloa'i.

E seäseä ona vaaia se tagata talavou poo se tamaititi o nofonofo pe filo ai i ëvaga a tagata matutua i Aala Park. O le ala lenä ua mata'ina gofie ai Johnny i lona nofonofo ai i Aala Park i lenä afiafi, ona o le la'ititi ese ai lava o ia i lo isi tagata uma o lo'o i le paka. Ae sa leai lava se mä o Johnny e nofonofo ai i Aala Park. E lë o alu se mafaufau o Johnny i ni tagata matutua o tumu ai i le paka. Pau lava le mea o lo'o mafaufau loloto i ai o ia, o se tali e fia maua i le fesili o lo'o pologa ai lona mafaufau, po'o le a se meaalofa a faatau mo lona tamä. Auä o le afiafi lenei o le Aso To'ona'i e vave tapuni ai le tele o faleoloa i Honolulu, a'o lenei e le'i maua se meaalofa mo lona tamä.

O taeao o le Aso o Tamä, o lea la e fia faatau se meaalofa le, a ua matuä le iloa lava e Johnny po'o le ä se mea a faatau mo lona tamä. E lë faapea fo'i la e ala ona faigatä ona o se faapea o Johnny o se tamaititi valea e lë iloa mafaufau i se meaalofa lelei, e leai. O Johnny lava le tama e sili ona atamai ma poto i le vasega fa o lo'o a'oga ai. E tele leva fo'i la ni itua'iga meaalofa ua tau i ai lona mafaufau, a'o le faalavelave, o le lë lava o le fasitupe a si tama. E i ai mea na manatu o ia e faatau, ae taugatä atu nai lo le $8.75 o lo'o i le taga a Johnny.

O lenei $8.75, o le tupe a Johnny ua iva vaiaso o faaputu. O taeao o Aso Gafua ta'itasi e avane ai e le tamä o Johnny iä te ia se talä se tasi mo le vaiaso atoa. O le tupe lea e faatau ai so'o se mea lava e loto i ai Johnny i lenä vaiaso atoa. E na o le $0.25 lava na faaaogä e Johnny i le vaiaso muamua. E le i toe faaaogäina mai ai lava se isi ana tupe a ua na o le faaputu lava. Sa i ai le manatu o Johnny e faatau ai sana meaalofa i le Kirisimasi, a ua toe sui nei la lona mafaufau ona o lona mana'o e faatau se meaalofa mo lona tamä mo le Aso o Tamä a taeao.

A o le tamä o Johnny o Vili Toma, ua sui mai lava i nei aso ma ua aliali mai ai se uiga faalëmanuia. Ua malosi lava i le inu 'ava ma le onä i aso uma. Ua le toe tutusa ma ona uiga lelei na i ai muamua. Talu lava ona vaëa ese mai lana galuega i le Honolulu Building Materials Company, ua le toe alu lava e su'e se isi galuega a ua na o le nofonofo lava ma onä i aso uma. O le tele lava o aso e gäsolo galuega ma a'oga ae amata lana amio o le inu. E leai lava ma se tamäloa i lenä vaifale atoa e faigaluega. E faapotopoto lava ma fai la latou inuga ma talanoa i le aso atoa, ma onanä ai lava. O isi tamäloloa o le 'au inu a Vili, ua silia i le luasefulu tausaga e leai ni galuega.

Ua aga'i lava ina afaina tele lo latou aiga ona o le inu 'ava o Vili Toma. Ua tau leai se tupe. O mea 'ai e faatau i pepa faatau mea 'ai ia e tufa fua mai e le malö i masina ta'itasi. Pepa fo'i na e ta'u o foodstamps. O le siaki a Vili e maua mai le Ofisa o Tagata Lë Faigaluega, e taumafai lava le tinä o Johnny e faasoasoa mo le totogi o le fale, mea faalelotu, ma faalavelave. A o lona leaga, e toe sau fo'i le alii o Vili toe fao atu ni tupe o faaputu e si fafine e faatau ai ana pia. O le ala lava fo'i lenä o le misa so'o o matua o Johnny, ona o le faama'imau lava e lona tamä o tupe o lo'o tau faasoasoa mo mea aogä a lo latou aiga. Ona o lenei lava mea leaga o le inu 'ava.

Sa masani ona to'aga le tamä o Johnny i le lotu. E tiakono o ia i le lotu Samoa o lo'o i Liliha Street. E faia'oga ai fo'i ma le tinä lenei o Lina i le vasega a tamaiti laiti i le A'oga Aso Sa. O se aiga lolotu tele a'o le'i maua le tamä o Vili i lenei uiga leaga o le onä i aso uma.

O aso nei, ua le toe aliali lenei tamä i se lotu. E fo'i mai ma le onä i le fale i le vaveao o le Aso Sa, sau loa moe. E fo'i mai le lotu a Johnny ma lona tinä o Lina i le aoauli o le Aso Sa, o le a tau amata atu le to'ona'i, a o le la fo'i ua toe avau mai le inu a le toeaina o Vili. Ua seäseä fo'i toe tago tele le tamaloa i se mea 'ai. Ma ua amata ona pae'e pei e ma'i ona o le malosi lava i le inu 'ava.

O se aiga fiafia ma le fealofani tele a'o le i maua Vili i lenei uiga o le inu 'ava. O aoauli uma lava o Aso To'ona'i e manava mai loa Vili i le galuega, alu loa ma la latou pikiniki i le paka. E masani lava ona saposapo se polo a Johnny ma lona tamä. Pe ö fo'i e 'au'au i le sami. E lë galo iä Johnny ia aso pe a manogi mai le tunupa'u moa ma fasipovi a lona tamä pe a ö e pikiniki. Ae talu ona inu 'ava o Vili, ua le toe ö lenei aiga i se paka e tafafao.

Sa masani fo'i ona alu a latou ti'eti'ega i isi aso. Sa ö i le isi aso i le Sea Life Park e matamata i faaaliga a i'a. Na ö fo'i i le isi aso i le Paradise Park e matamata i manu felelei. E masani fo'i ona ö so'o lava i le Zoo e maimoa i manu eseese o lo'o i ai. O nisi aso na ona ti'eti'e lava i le taavale ma ö e matamata i nu'u i le itü i tua o le motu.

O nei la aso, ua lë toe maua lea fiafiaga. E o'o i taaloga lakapï ma le pesipolo i le Aloha Stadium, sa masani ona ö i ai Johnny ma lona tamä. Ua leai se toe fia alu o Vili e ave i ai lona atalii. Ua ese lava uiga o le tamä. Sa lë masani fo'i ona taua'imisa lenei ulugalii. A o le mea ua o'o nei i ai, o le mea la'ititi lava ma finau. O sia lava mea la'ititi ma pisa. A mana'o Vili i se mea ua 'e'ë mai iä Johnny po'o lona tinä. E pei ua le toe iloa tautala ae na o le 'e'ë. Ua faalua ona vaai o Johnny ua pe e lona tamä lona tinä. O se mea fou lea ma le mata'utia sa le i vaai muamua i ai si tama. Ua iloa mai ai iinä e Johnny, ua leaga lava le tulaga ua o'o i ai lona tamä. Ua faatumulia ai lava lenei tamä i le faanoanoa.

E ui lava i nei uiga o Vili Toma, ae iloa lava e Johnny o lo'o alofa pea lona tamä iä te ia. E i ai lava taimi e aliali mai ai uiga alofa o lona tamä. O nisi taimi i le malosi o le onä o lenei tamä, e masani ona valaau e ia lona atalii e sau, ona tago atu lea ma fusi mai ma tagi, ma faapea ana upu, "Johnny, to'aga i le a'oga. Na o le pau lena o lou lumana' i manuia. Ae a i'u loa lau a'oga, ia e toe fo'i lava i Samoa. Ua e faalogo mai, Johnny? Aua ne i e nofo i lenei atunuu. E lë o sou nuu lenei. E ese tagata e ana lenei atunuu. A lë fiafia na tagata ia te oe ona so'ona fai lea o oe. O lou sa'olotoga le la e i Samoa." Pe faatasi pe faalua i le vaiaso ona fai e lenei tamä ia upu iä Johnny.

A o tinä o Lina, e leai lava ni ona uiga faanoanoa e faaalia iä Johnny. Ua iloa lava e le tama ua lë o toe fiafia lona tinä talu uiga faalëlelei o lona tamä, ae lë mafai lava ona tautala mai pe faaleaga mai lona tamä. E i ai nisi taimi e fesili ai Johnny, "O le a ea le mea ua faapea ai uiga o tamä?"

E tasi lava si ana tali, "Johnny, ua ma'i le mafaufau o lou tamä."

E faatoatoa mai lava le tinä o Lina, ae i ai lava taimi e vaai atu ai Johnny o lo'o tau soloi mata o lona tinä e pei o tau 'o'omi i totonu sana tagi ae aua ne'i iloa atu e Johnny. O se fafine 'aulelei Lina. A ua amata ona puta i le soona 'ai e pei ua le toe kea i ona foliga. E masani ona 'ata ma fiafia e fai tala mälie a'o aso nei ua seäseä toe ata.

E le gata i uiga o tagata o le aiga, ae o'o fo'i i lo latou fale ua i ai fo'i suiga fou; e pei o le manogi fou ua maua ai le fale. Ua sasala solo i le fale le manogi o le pia. E masani fo'i Vili Toma ona onä tetele ma pua'i solo i totonu o le fale. Ua taai solo ai la i totonu le manogi leaga o pua'iga ma pia. O le apa lapisi ia o le umukuka e tumu lava i taeao uma atigi fagu pia ma atigi fagu uisikï.

O nei mea uma ua toe faasolo mai pei o se ata i le mafaufau o Johnny a o nofonofo o ia i le paka. Ua faapea lona manatu, "Ua matuä tele nei mau mea ua ou mafaufau fua i ai, ae lë mafaufau se meaalofa a lo'u tamä mo taeao."

Soso'o loa lena ma le toe faapea o le isi ona manatu, "E sili ia ona tu'u se'i o'o a taeao, ona ou usupö lea i se faleoloa e faatau ai se meaalofa. Ae sili loa ona ou alu i le fale ne'i su'e a'u e lo'u tinä auä ua alu le aso o o'u alu." Tu loa i i luga, tui ona se'evae, tu'u ona lima i taga o le ofuvae ma savalivali atu aga'i i lo latou fale. E le i umi ona savali ae faalogo loa i le valaau:

"Ei, Johnny, sau ta avatua a'u mea ia i le fale."

Vaai atu Johnny, o le tuagane o lona tinä le la e tu mai i luma o le faleoloa i le isi itu o le auala. O lo'o tau afisi ana taga mea 'ai, a'o lo'o i ai fo'i ma le isi atigi pusa o lo'o taatia i lalo. O Lui le igoa o si toeaina. Alu atu loa Johnny amo le atigi pusa ma fesoasoani atu ia Lui.

O Lui, e nofo to'atasi i le isi fale e latalata ane i le fale o Johnny. O le alofa ia o le toeaina iä Johnny ma lona tinä. E masani fo'i ona fealofani ma le tamä o Johnny o Vili. Ae talu lava ona fai le faiga a Vili o le 'inu 'ava i aso uma ae lë alu e su'e se galuega, ua le toe fiafia lava i ai Lui. Faatoä sau lava Lui e aumai se mea'ai po'o se tupe ma lona tuafafine ma lana tama o Johnny pe a iloa e Lui ua leai se Vili i le fale.

E si'i loa e Johnny le pusa mea'ai i luga i lona ua ae fesili atu loa i ai Lui, "Alii Johnny, o le a lau mea na fai i Aala Paka? E te le iloa le paka lena e na o toeaiina ma lo'omatutua e ö e eva ai? E na'o tamaiti lava ua faalavelavea mafaufau e ö e nofonofo faavalevalea ai i Aala Paka, e i ai se mea o faalavelavea ai lou mafaufau?"

"O le faapasiga ä o le taimi,"tali a Johnny. E le mana'o Johnny e su'esu'e vale mai Uncle Lui iä te ia. E le o mana'o fo'i Johnny e fai se tala taufaalili a Uncle Lui e uiga i lona tamä inu 'ava. Na ona topetope atu lava o Johnny tuu le pusa mea 'ai i luga o le laulau, toe oso mai i le faitoto'a i tua o le a sola, ae o'o atu loa ma Lui i le faitoto'a.

Valaau atu loa ma Lui, "Faatali Johnny, o fea a e saga natinati i ai? Sau e inu se ta apa inu ma eva la'ititi i lo'u fale, ona e alu ai lea."

"Se leai faafetai, o le a ou alu a'u," o le tali a Johnny ma savali lava.

"Faatali la, o le a le mea ua e faapena ai? E i ai se mea ua tupu?

Oso loa ma le manatu o Johnny, e fiu lava i nanä e le toe malolö le toeaina o Lui se'iloga lava ua ta'u atu le mea o loo faatalatala i lona loto. Faasaga lo Johnny ua faamatala lona faalavelave iä Lui.

Na uma atu loa le tala a Johnny ae faamemefe loa mata o Lui ma 'ata. "Ae ete sasalu atu ma lenä mea alofa, ete iloa e malamalama le onä o lou tamä taeao, na te iloa ai lau meaalofa o le Aso Tamä? Auä o lou tamä ua na lë o toe iloa se 'ese'esega o ni aso na o le faalausoso'o lava o le onä faavalevalea.

Tu loa i luga Johnny ma lona ita tele, o le a amata ona savali aga'i ile faitoto'a o le umukuka e alu atu ai i fafo. Ua 'e'ë mai Johnny iä Lui, "E leai lava sau feau ete tautala ai i le onä o lo'u tamä. E tutusa lava le inu a lo'u tamä ma isi tamäloloa uma o la tatou ätufälega. Pau lava o lona fiafia." Ua tete le leo o Johnny pei a tagi i le faali'i.

Osu atu loa ma Lui toe taofi mai le lima o Johnny, "Sau, vaai oe si o'u tei, o la'u lava upu ula atu ae oute le'i iloa o le a fai ma mea ete ita ai. Ae tago loa e u'u mai lau apa inu ae ou afisi atu le fasi povi lea e ave i lou tinä e fai ai sa outou mea to'ona'i taeao. Ta savalivali ma talanoa atonu ta te maua ai se manatu fou mo sau meaalofa lelei e fai mo lou tamä, a ea?"

Tago atu loa Lui faauöuö mai Johnny ma la savalivali, "E te iloa alii Johnny, o le mea lenei o le meaalofa, e lë faigata ona filifili. Pau lava lau mea e fai o le mafaufau po'o le ä lava se mea e fiafia pe faifai so'o e lë o lo'o fia avatu i ai le meaalofa, ona e tago loa lea faatau se meaalofa e aogä i lana mea fiafia lenä o lo'o masani ona fai. E pei o a'u, oute fiafia e fagota. E tatau la ona foa'i mai iä te a'u se ofe po'o se pulou fagota, po'o se isi lava mea e aogä pe a ou alu e fagota auä o le mea lava lea oute fiafia a'u e faifai so'o o le fagota."

Na uma atu loa lava le tala a Lui oso loa ma foliga fiafia o Johnny. Ua na iloa nei la le mea o le a faatau mo lona tamä. Fai atu loa ma Johnny, "Uncle Lui, ete malie ae se'i e faia sa'u faatau? Oute mana'o e faatau se fagu uisikï ma si o'u tamä. Ae leaga e sa tamaiti ona faatau 'ava malolosi po'o pia."

Ua te'i Lui. "Johnny, ua e iloa e malie lou tinä i lenä meaalofa o le a e faia mo lou tamä?"

"E lë se meaalofa a lo'u tinä o le meaalofa a a'u. Na e faimai o se mea e tatau ona fiafia i ai le tagata o loo avatu i ai le mea alofa. Ia, e leai se isi mea e sili ona fiafia i ai lo'u tamä e tusa o le 'ava. Ia e tatau la ona avatu mo ia se fagu uisikï. E ä, e sese a'u."

"Johnny, e ui lava ina ou le mana'o e faatau lena fagu mo lou tamä, a o le a ou alu e fai le mea ua e mana'o i ai," pei e tali toa'i mai Lui ma le lë fiafia.

"Oi faafetai Uncle Lui," ua pei a osooso le tama o Johnny i le fiafia ina ua mautinoa ua maua le meaalofa mo lona tamä.

I lena lava po, ina ua uma le mea 'ai, ua amata loa ona faitau tusi a le tinä o Lina e sauniuni ai mo lana vasega e faia'oga ai i le A'oga Aso Sa a taeao. A'o Johnny, ua faagälo malie atu i lona potu moe ma toe avane lana meaalofa mai lalo o le moega i le mea na nanä ai. E na o la'ua ma lona tinä le fale auä o le la lava fo'i e onä lona tamä i le falepia o lo'o i gatai ane o lo latou atu fälega. Ua alu le aoauli atoa o inu ai le toeaina o Vili Toma i le falepia ma ana uö e masani ai.

Ua taotooto lava Johnny ma fefulifulisa'i lana meaalofa i ona lima. O se fagu uisikï sikoti e aumai i Egelani. O le manaia ia o le atigi pusa lanu siliva e fafao mai ai le fagu. E i ai äta mananaia o solofanua ma fitafita o lo'o ti'eti'e ai ma a latou tao ma pelu o lo'o sisi'i pei a ö i se taua. O lalo ifo o lo'o tusia ai, o le uisiki lenei e sili ona fiafia i ai le tupu o Peretania.

Ua atili ai le fiafia o le tama o Johnny. O lona uiga o le fagu lea ua ia faatau mo lona tamä, o le itua'iga uisikï fo'i lena e taumafa ai le tupu o Peretania. A nei lava se fiafia o lona tamä i lana meaalofa. Tago loa ma Johnny se'i a'e ma ma lana pepa-o-alofaaga. Na faatau mai lava ananafi lana pepa ma le teutusi, ona sulu lava lea i lalo o le faamalü se'i uma ona faatau se meaalofa e ave faatasi ma le pepa-o-alofaaga. Ua avane nei la i luga le pepa, ua tatala ma toe faitau e Johnny upu o lo'o lomia ai i totonu o lenei pepa.

Ua fiafia lava Johnny i nei upu. Masalo ai o le a fiafia fo'i lona tamä e faitau ai. Ua o'o nei la i le taimi ua tatau loa ona saini le pepa i le igoa o Johnny ina ia tu'u faatasi loa ma le meaalofa ma sauni loa e avatu i lona tamä pe a ala mai a taeao. A ua leai se peni a Johnny e tusi ai lona igoa. Toe alu loa ma Johnny i fafo i le potu tele e aumai se peni a lona tinä se'i saini ai le pepa. E alu atu Johnny, o lo'o pisi lava lona tinä i le tau tusitusiga o ana mea pei ni faafanua i luga o se pepa lanu moana telë lava.

"O le a lena mea e tau tusi tinä?"

"O lea e tau tusi le faafanua o le Nu'u Paia o Isaraelu. O taeao e talanoa ai la'u vasega i nu'u na feafioa'i ai Iseu a'o i le lalolagi. E faaaogä la le faafanua lea e faasinosino ai nu'u na malaga i ai o ia." tali lea a tinä.

"Oi, manaia. E le'i sau lava tamä i le fale?"

Ua foliga mai le tina o Lina e pei ua ita, "O le a le uiga o lena fesili valea a Johnny? Ua e iloa lava lou tamä faatoa tau tifatifa mai lava ina ua tapuni le falepia ia le 2:00 i le vaveao. Ae lelei pe a äu mai i le fale. E te'i ane fo'i taeao o faagaulua i se nofoa i le paka ae le sau i le fale. E sili ona faagalo lou tamä ae alu oe e moe. Ia e vave ala taeao leaga e usu mai le aiga o Fili i le 8:30 tatou te ö i le A'oga Aso Sa ma le lotu."

"Ia, ua lelei, ae aumai muamua lava la lau peni se i saini ai lo'u igoa i la'u Pepa-o-Alofaaga lea e fia ave mo lo'u tamä taeao mo le Aso o Tamä."

Ua foliga te'i le tinä o Lina, "Oi, ete faamoemoe e lava se taimi e malamalama ai le onä o lou tamä taeao e faitau ai lenä pepa? Ia, e sau nanei ua tau i le ua le onä. Ia ae na faimai fo'i e alu i le aoauli taeao i le patï i le fale o lana uö o Viliamu. O lona uiga e ala a'e loa toe la'a i le fale o Viliamu toe amata ai fo'i le inu. Ta te fo'i mai i le lotu ua toe tau fo'i i le ua le onä. E sili ona sefe lou taimi auä e maimau fua lou taimi e lë faitauina e lou tamä lena pepa."

"Tuu ai pea. Tusa lava pe na te le faitauina, ae ave pea i ai. Ma le isi mea, e tatau ona i ai se pepa e ave faatasi ma lana meaalofa lea ua ou faatauina." Ona sosoo ai lea ma le faasaga o Johnny faamatala i lona tinä lana meaalofa manaia ua faatau mo lona tamä. Ua mimita lava Johnny i lana meaalofa.

E le'i uma lelei atu le tala a Johnny ae tu loa i luga le tinä o Lina ma lona ita tele. Ua savali atu o ia i le potu o Johnny, ato mai le faitoto'a ae tago loa i le pusa o lo'o i ai le fagu ma toe savali mai i le umukuka. Ua se'i mai le fagu i fafo ma le pusa ma tatala le momono o le fagu ae sasa'a le uisikï i totonu o le tapu e fufulu ai ipu i le umukuka.

Ua meia Johnny i le mea a lona tinä ua fai ma ua oso atu loa o ia ua taüpe i le lima o lona tinä ma faiatu, "Aua, aua, leai, faamolemole tinä, aua! So, alofa aua, tinä. Se, faamolemole, o le meaalofa lena a lo'u tamä mo taeao i le Aso o Tamä. Se faamolemole, faamolemole, aua." Ua fiu lava si tama e alaga ma tagi, ae ligi lava e le tinä le fagu i lalo seia o'o ina uma lelei ua leai se mea o totoe. Ona faapa'ü ifo ai loa lea o Johnny i le fola o le umukuka ma ua tagi lotulotu.

"Oka, se tinä o oe a leaga. Ona pau lava lena o la'u tupe sa i ai ua alu uma i le faatauga o le fagu a si o'u tamä. Ua leai nei se isi mea e toe maua ai se isi mea alofa. O oe se tinä le alofa. O oe se tina sauä. E te le alofa ia te a'u. E te le alofa fo'i i si o'u tamä."

Faliu mai loa Lina i lana tama ma lona ita tele. "Oi, o le a le uiga o lena upu oute le alofa i lou tamä? Oi, a le alofa faapefea? E te iloa ua fia masina nei talu ona ou pologa i uiga leaga o lou tamä? Ua faafia ona onä mai ma fasi a'u?

Ua faafia ona sau ma ave uma nai tupe o lo'o tau faatoetoe mo le aiga e inu 'ava ai? Vaai oe i ö tatou lavalava ua masaesae. E pogai mai fea? O le leai o se tupe. Oi, ete vaai mai i lo'u masiasi i lenei avega ua tuumai e lou tamä ae ete faimai lenä tala oute le alofa? A na ou le alofa ua leva ona e fia 'ai ma leai ni ou lavalava auä semanü ua leva ona ou alu ae tia'i ai oe ma lou tamä leaga. Oute le o faiatu ia aua ne'i e alofa i lou tamä. Pau lava le mea oute lë faatagaina o lou faatauina o ni 'ava mo lou tamä. Oi, ete vaai mai o o'u tau le moe i le tatalo i se fesoasoani mai a le Atua i lo tatou malaia ua i ai nei, ae e toe alu oe fesoasoani e la'u mai 'ava i lou tamä? Tu'u as'o nei lava la ia o lau tagi ae savali e moe. Ma aua ne i e toe faimai lena upu o lo'u le alofa."

Ua alu lena po o fefulisa'i Johnny i lona moega ma tagi. Ua le mafai ona moe. O le tele lava o taimi na lagona e ia le ita i lona tinä. Ae i ai lava fo'i ni nai taimi na te lagona ai e sa'o lava le mau mea na faimai ai lona tinä. Ua o'o i le vaveao, ua toe nofo o ia i luga ma solo ona mata. Ona tago loa lea i lalo o le faamalü ma toe se'i ane i luga si ana Pepa-o-Alofaaga. Ua ia toe tatala tasi i le pepa ma toe faitau upu o lo'o tusia ai i totonu.

Oso loa ma le isi mafaufauga fou ia Johnny, o le a toe alu e faataunuu pea lana meaalofa sa faatau mo lona tamä. Ona toe laalaa malie atu lava lea i le apa lapisi i le umukuka ma toe su'e mai le atigi fagu uisiki ma toe tuu i totonu o le atigi pusa na aumai ai i le fale oloa. Ona tago loa lea i le pepa ma ua tusi ai loa ma upu nei i lona tamä:

"Lo'u tamä e, oute alofa pea ia te oe. E alofa tele fo'i lo'u tinä ia te oe. Ia e malie i lau meaalofa. Ua tago tinä sasa'a i le tapu fuluipu. Faimai e aua le toe fesoasoani atu i lou ma'i onä. Oute iloa lava ana e inu ai, ai sou fiafia. O le ituaiga uisikï lelei auä e inu ai fo'i ma le tupu o Peretania i le ituaiga uisikï lava lena. Ia, ae soia ia, se'i o'u matua ma maua sa'u galuega ona ou faasaga lea e faatau atu mo oe ituaiga uisikï aupito i lelei uma lava e gata ai lou fia inu. A ia manuia lava le Aso o Tamä. A tuai ona e alu i le fale o Viliamu ona e faatali atu lea seia tuua mai le lotu tatou 'a'ai. Ua leva ona tatou le to'ona'i i se Aso o Tamä. A ea?" Tago loa le tama i le atigipusa ma le pepa-o-alofaaga ma ua laalaa malie atu i potu o loo moe ai lona tamä. E alu atu o tagulugulu tetele mai Vili Toma. Na o ia lava o lo'o moe to'atasi. O loo moe lava ma le onä. E le'i tatalaina se ofu se tasi ae moe lava ma ofu uma e o'o lava i se'evae. Tu'u loa e Johnny lana meaalofa i luga o le pusatü ae fo'i i fafo ma le potu.

Ina ua uma le A'oga Aso Sa, ona gäsolo uma ai lea o tagata i le falesa o le a amataina le lotu. Ua iloa le fiafia uma o tagata i lea taeao. Ua soona pisa lava faamanuiaga mo le Aso o Tamä.

Sa nofo Johnny i tala ane o lana uö o Uili ina ua fai le lotu. O si ana uö lava lea e la te feoa'i faatasi. Sa nofo lava Uili ma afisi le ula fugälaau o loo sauni e faaula ai lona tamä pe a tuua le lotu.

E pei na oso sina loto fuä o Johnny i le leai o sana i a fo'i ula e taofi mo lona tamä. Ae sa vave ona toe oso o lona mafaufau, "O lo'u tamä e le sau lava ia i se lotu, se ä la o le a maumau ai fua lena ula ae le ula ai lo'u tamä?"

Na fai si umi o le lotu. O le tele o lauga a tamä eseese lava e uiga i lo latou Aso. O mea uma lava fo'i i le lotu, e i ai tatalo, faitauina o le Tusi Paia, atoa ma le lauga, e faatatau uma lava i tamä mo lenei aso fiafia. Ua atili ai le oso o le manatu o Johnny i si ona tamä. Maumau pe ana se'i sau tasi lava tau lava o le asö e sau ai i le lotu se'i o latou fiafia taatasi ma ia.

Na uma loa le pese mulimuli o le lotu, tu loa i luga le faifeau ma faapea mai, "O le a tatou punonou uma ma faia se tatalo e leai se leo. Tau o lou loto ma lou mafaufau e fai ai lau tatalo. Ia tatalo mo se mea o mamafa i lou loto e tatau ona faia e le Alii mo lou tamä."

Ua le iloa nei la e Johnny poo le a le mea a fai. O loo manino lelei i lona mafaufau le mea o loo mana'o e faia e le Atua mo lona tamä, a ua le iloa lava e Johnny poo le a faapefea ona amata o lana tatalo. Ua na ona tu lava ma tetete ona laugutu. Na i'u lava ina mamulu atu lana upu i se leo la'ititi lava, "Le Atua e, faamolemole faalelei le ma'i o le ulu o lo'u tamä. Faamolemole fesoasoani ia te ia... Faamolemole le Atua toe faalelei lona mafaufau."

Ua te'i Johnny ina ua so'a mai lona itu i le tulilima o lana uö o Uili ma ua faapea mai Uili, "Johnny, aua ete leo tele o le tatalo e leai se leo lea o loo fai."

Ona tu ai lava lea o Johnny ua le toe mafai se isi upu. Ua taumafai o ia e oomi faatasi ona laumata a ua le mafai ai lava ona talitali le maligi ifo o ona loimata. Ua te'i lava o ia i le faalogo atu ua tuu mai se lima o se tasi i luga o lona tauau. Na faavave ona pupula mata o Johnny ma tepa a'e i luga i le lima o loo faalagolago atu i lona tauau. Sa le'i talitonu Johnny i le mea na vaai i ai ona mata faapea a ia o sana miti pe ä? Na ia soloi i ona loimata ma toe pupula a'e ma ia iloa ai e leai ua moni lava o lona tamä lea ua tu mai i ona tafatafa. Ua sau lona tamä i le lotu. Ona tago atu ai lea o ia ua fusi mai lona tamä ma ua toe moeiini ona mata ma faai'u faapea lana tatalo, "Lo'u tamä e, i le lagi, faafetai."

Sa pisa ma fiafia aiga ma o latou tamä i le faa'ulaga o tamä ina ua tuua le lotu. Ina ua taape mälie atu aiga ta'ito'atasi, a'o loo tutü pea Johnny ma ona matua ma vaavaai le tasi i le tasi ma manatunatu, pe se a lenei vavega ua tupu.

Na o ane lava fo'i nisi o le aulotu e faafeiloa'i ma faamanuia le Aso o Tama iä Vili Toma. Sa faaalia le fiafia tele o le faifeau ma lona faletua. Sau lava le faletua o le faifeau ma le ula ua faaula ai le tamä o Toma. Ua iloa lava e Johnny e i ai lava nisi o lo'o faa'amu'amu faapea o lona tamä ua leva ona le lotu, a ua leai lava ma se kea o Johnny i se isi na'o le tu tu lava ma opo le lima o lona tamä.

Na i'u ina faapea atu Vili Toma i lona aiga, "Tatou ö i lo tatou aiga."

A'o le i o'o i latou i le fale, na afe muamua i le fale'aiga e faatau ni mea e faalava ai la latou toona'i. A'o faatalitali i latou mo a latou mea 'ai na faatau, ua le mafai lava Johnny lona fia fesili i lona tamä. Na i'u lava ina oso atu ma lana fesili, "Tamä, o le a lava le mea ua ta'ita'ina maia oe ete sau i le lotu i lenei Aso Sa?"

Na ataata lemü lona tamä ma tali mai, "Oi, ete le iloa ea? O lau meaalofa. Ua lavea lava lo'u mafaufau i lo'u ala a'e o tuu atu lau mea alofa ma le tusi o au faamanuiaga i le pepa-o-alofaaga. Faafetai lava Johnny mo le meaalofa. O le lauga aupito i sili lea ua ou maua i lenei Aso o Tamä. E le toe galo lo oulua alolofa ma lou tinä ia te a'u i le taimi o lo'u valea."

Tali atu Johnny, "Na ou iloa lava atonu ete fiafia i la'u meaalofa."

Toe faimai loa lona tamä, "Vaai oulua, e i ai fo'i la'u meaalofa mo oulua. Na uma loa ona ou faitau i le tusi alofa a Johnny, ua ou lagona lava i lena taimi le leaga o le tulaga ua o'o i ai lo tatou aiga ona o lo'u onä ma isi uiga leaga. O'u tago loa telefoni i le fale o le tamäloa lea na ou faigaluega ai muamua. Sa ou fesili i ai poo mana'omia pea e le kamupanï a'u e toe fo'i atu i le galuega. Ua tali mai la oute alu atu taeao e toe amata i la'u galuega tuai. Oute amata la i le 8:00 i le taeao."

Ua oso fiafia atu le tinä o Lina, "Oka, ua matuä manaia le faamanuiaga a le Atua i lo tatou aiga i lenei aso. A'o le faigofie fo'i la ona toe maua lau galuega?"

Ua tali mai Vili Toma e pei ua mäsiasi, "Lua te iloa? Ua leva lava ona toe valaau mai le kamupanï oute toe alu atu e faigaluega, a ua le mafai lava le amio faapalapala ma le fia inu 'ava i aso uma. A o lea la o le a toe sui le amio, ua lava fo'i ia aso o le valea, a ea Johnny?"

Ua oso atu Johnny ma fusi mai lona tamä, "E leai tamä, ete le i valea, e tigä lava ona faimai uma tagata ua e valea, ae ou faiatu lava o oe o lo'o ma'i ua toeitiiti fo'i e toe malosi. Sa ou talitonu lava e i ai lava le aso ete toe ola fiafia ai faatasi ma ma'ua ma tina. Ia lea lava la ua sa'o. A ea tinä?"

Ua faliu atu Johnny e fesili atu i lona tinä ae vaai atu loa ae faapea loa le upu a lona tinä i lona tamä, e leai so leo na o laugutu o loo memu, "Vili, manuia lou aso fiafia."

A'OA'OGA & FAATA' ITA' IGA

I. Fesili i tamaiti latou te ta'u mai nisi ulutala atonu e mafai ona faaigoa ai lenei tala. Faaaogä soo se faaupuga lava e faimai e le tamaititi. Tusi uma a latou ulutala i le laupapa. E iloa mai i le ulutala a le tamaititi le lagona moni ua ia maua i le uiga o le tala mo ia.

O ni ulutala faata'ita'i:

1. O se Tamä Onä.
2. O se Talosaga ua Talia.
3. O se Meaalofa Atigifagu

II. Fai fesili ia i tamaiti e iloilo ai le malosi o lo latou iloa ona faauiga vaega eseese o le tala, faapea uiga o tagata i le tala:

1. E faamata e mafai ona tupu moni se mea faapea, e pei ona tupu i lenei tala? Aiseä e te manatu ai i le "ioe" poo le "leai?"

2. Aiseä na faigata ai ona tau filifili Johnny i se meaalofa mo lona tamä?

3. Aiseä na pei e musu ai Johnny e nofo e talanoa ma Uncle Lui ina ua uma ona momoli le faatau a Lui i lona fale?

4. Aiseä e ala ai ona fai so'o e Vili Toma lea upu i lona atalii ia toe fo'i i Samoa pe a i'u lana a'oga?

III. Iloilo le iloa e le tamaititi o upu fou ma o latou uiga i fesili ia:

1. E i ai ni upu fou faatoä e faitau ai lea i lenei tala?

2. Faamata e mafai ona e mate le uiga o ia upu ta'itasi pe a e manatunatu lelei i le uiga o le fuaiupu o lo'o faaaogaina ai nei upu?

Johnny's Father's Day Gift

Saturday afternoon at Aala Park was usually quiet. The people in the park were elderly. There were old men playing checkers and chess. Some old men were reading newspapers. Even the newspapers looked old. These papers had been passed around from one old man to another since early morning.

Some old men and women walked around and around the park. Others just sat there on the benches staring at things and people. This park was the elderly people's park. One hardly ever saw a young person in this park.

It was a bit strange to see Johnny there. He was sitting on the concrete wall which surrounds the fountain. It looked like he was watching some old men talking stories on a bench under the big tree at the center of the park. But Johnny was not watching anything in particular. He didn't pay any attention to what was going on around him. He was thinking hard. He had a problem and he had to decide on a solution. He had to find an answer to his problem before the stores closed, and most stores closed early on Saturdays. Johnny was really trying his best to think.

It was Saturday before Father's Day. Johnny's problem was to decide what gift to buy his father for Father's Day. Johnny was a smart boy. He could do his math problems and read better than any student in his fourth grade class. So it wasn't difficult for Johnny to think of something to buy. His main problem was money. He wanted to buy his father something really nice, but he had only $8.75 to spend on a present for his father. Johnny kept thinking to himself, "If I only had a few more dollars."

Johnny had been saving his money for the last nine weeks. Each week on Monday morning before he went to school, his father would reach in his pocket and dig out some change. Then his father would hand Johnny a dollar. It was usually four quarters each week. That money was to be Johnny's weekly allowance. He could buy anything he wanted with his dollar. Johnny spent a quarter the first week and saved the other three quarters. Then he decided to save the entire dollar each week. He had planned not to spend it until Christmas. But something happened which changed his mind.

Johnny's father, Mr. Vili Toma, had been acting strange lately. For the past several months, Mr. Toma had been drinking a lot everyday. Ever since he lost his job at the lumber yard of the Honolulu Building Materials Company, Mr. Toma seemed like a different man. He sat around all day and drank until he was so drunk he'd fall asleep right where he sat. Most of the day he sat outside under the keawe tree with the neighbors, drinking and telling stories. Until this year, Vili Toma was the only man in the ten units of this building who worked. Now that he'd lost his job, no man in this building worked. So they sat around drinking all day long. Some of them had not held a regular job for as many as twenty years.

Mr. Toma's drinking was hurting his family in many ways. In the first place, the family had very little money. Most of the groceries were bought with food stamps they got each month from the government. The money from Mr. Toma's unemployment check went to pay the rent and the other things they needed which could not be bought with food stamps. Johnny's mother tried to save money for the family's needs, but Mr. Toma was always using this money to buy booze. Johnny's parents never used to fight. Now it seemed that they fought everyday because of the money that Mr. Toma spent on his liquor.

The Toma family have always gone to church together on Sundays. They belonged to the Samoan Christian Church on Liliha Street. Mr. Toma was a deacon in that church. Mrs. Toma taught a class of young children in the Sunday School. The minister, Reverend Simati, always said that Mr. Toma was the best deacon he had in his congregation. That was before Vili Toma started to drink heavily.

Now, Vili Toma never went to church. He slept late on Sunday mornings because he was always drunk late on Saturday nights. When the family started the ''to'ona'i" (the main Sunday meal at noon), Mr. Toma would have already started on his first drink of the day. Before the sun set in the evening, Mr. Toma would be drunk again. He hardly ate, and he had lost a lot of weight.

Johnny's parents got along well before Mr. Toma started drinking. They always did things together as a family. Every Saturday afternoon they would go to a park for a family picnic. Johnny loved these picnics because his father would always take him swimming in the ocean before they ate their picnic lunch. Sometimes they would just play pitch and catch with a softball of a football. Johnny could always remember the smell of the barbecued chicken and shortribs that his father cooked each time they went to the park.
        At other times, Johnny and his parents would go visit interesting places. They went one time to the Sea Life Park to see the different fishes. At another time they went to Paradise Park to see the beautiful birds. They went to the zoo three different times. Johnny loved the animals at the zoo. He also enjoyed eating hot dogs and cotton candy which his father bought at the snack bar in the zoo. Sometimes Johnny and his parents would just go for long rides out on the North Shore of the island. They would drive around the island and spend the day looking at different sights along the way.

Now, things were really different. Ever since he lost his job and started drinking, Mr. Toma didn't want to go any place with his family. He didn't even take his son to the football and baseball games at the stadium anymore. He just sat around and got drunk. He always fought with Mrs. Toma. He got mad real easily. He always yelled when he wanted something. Twice Johnny saw his father slap his mother when his mother said there was no more money left to buy liquor. This had never happened before. Mr. Toma never slapped his wife. At least, not when Johnny was there.

The one thing Johnny knew was that his father loved him. He always said so, especially when he was really drunk. He would cry and put his arms around his son when he was drunk. Then he would say, "When you grow up and get educated, then you go back to Samoa. You hear that, son? People belong in their own country. Don't live here, son. This is not your home. It belongs to some other people. They will either like you or kick you around. Go back home, you hear?" About once every week his father would say the same thing.

Johnny's mother, Lina, did not show her feelings too much. Johnny knew that his mother was unhappy with his father and his new attitude. But she did not say much. Johnny asked her sometimes, "What is wrong with Daddy?"

"Your father is ill, Johnny," would be her only reply.

But there were many times when Johnny caught her wiping her eyes. He knew that she'd been crying. Johnny was smart enough to know that his mother was not happy at all with the way things were turning out. She had gained weight in the last few months. Some how she looked older than her thirty years. She used to look young and alert before things changed at home. Now she hardly ever laughed.

Even the smell in the house changed. Mr. Toma often got so drunk that he'd throw up all over the floor. Each morning there would be empty whiskey bottles and empty beer cans in the kitchen trash. Often the trash can that Johnny carried out each morning contained nothing but empty beer cans. The rancid smell of booze was everywhere in the house.

Johnny thought of all these things while he sat in the park. He swished his feet in the water of the fountain and thought, "What am I going to buy for my dad? Man, what a time to get jammed up for ideas."

Right about this time, Johnny decided to give up. He might think of something tonight, then tomorrow he could buy it really early before Sunday School. So Johnny stuck his hands in his pockets and started walking home. He kicked at an empty beer can by the sidewalk. His head was bent. He didn't really care to look at the people that passed him on the sidewalk.

"Hey, Johnny," someone was calling his name. Johnny turned and saw that it was his Uncle Lui calling him. Lui was standing in front of the small grocery store across the street. He had two grocery bags and a cardboard box of groceries.

"Come help me carry this stuff home," said Uncle Lui. Johnny had no choice but to go help his uncle. Lui was the brother of Johnny's mother, Lina. Uncle Lui was a good uncle. He always brought food and money to help Johnny's mother feed their family. But Johnny didn't really like his Uncle Lui. Uncle Lui lately had some nasty things to say about Johnny's father, especially about Mr. Toma's heavy drinking. Johnny could see that Uncle Lui didn't like his father, Mr. Toma. Before Mr. Toma started to drink heavily, he and Uncle Lui always got along fine. Now, they acted like total strangers. They lived about two houses away from each other, but they hardly ever met anymore. Uncle Lui would come to visit his sister and Johnny only when Mr. Toma wasn't home.

"You carry the box and I'll carry the two bags," said Lui to Johnny. "What were you doing in the park, anyway? That park is only for old folks, young people only go there when they have sad thoughts. Are you sad about something, Johnny?" queried Uncle Lui.

"Nope," replied Johnny, "Just killing time." He lifted the box to his shoulder and followed his uncle across the street to the entrance of the housing where they lived. Johnny never said another word. He walked to Uncle Lui's house as fast as he could. He dropped off the box in the kitchen and started to take off through the back door when Uncle Lui walked in.

"Hey, hey, hold it a second. What's the rush? Come have a soda before you leave."

"Naw, thanks anyway, I gotta go," said Johnny hurriedly.

"Wait a minute. What's bothering you? And don't try to brush me off 'cause I ain't goin' to let you go unless you tell me. You never know. Your old Uncle Lui might just be the person you need to help you. So come on. Give. What' s bugging your little brains?" Uncle Lui said cajolingly.

Johnny hesitated for a while. Then he thought, "What the heck, I can't think of a gift for my dad, so I might as well ask Uncle Lui for advice." So Johnny sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. He opened the can of Coke that his uncle had placed before him. Then he told his uncle his problem in trying to decide what to buy for his father.

Uncle Lui looked concerned. "So you wanna know what to buy your father?" Then with a smirk of sarcasm he added, "But will he be sober enough to recognize it as a Father's Day gift?"

Johnny became so furious he spilled the coke when he sat it down on the table. "Don't make fun of my father like that. Nobody has the right to make fun of him. He drinks just as much as any other man in this housing. So don't make nasty remarks about him." Johnny's eyes were beginning to swell up with tears.

"Look, Johnny, I'm terribly sorry. I meant it as a joke. I thought you'd say something funny in return. I didn't know it would upset you so much. Let's drop it, O.K?" Uncle Lui had an arm around Johnny's shoulder and was handing Johnny his coke with the other hand. "Finish your coke and let's go on over to take this ham to your mother to prepare for our "to'ona'i" (Sunday dinner) tomorrow. She called this morning to invite me to your place for dinner tomorrow."

Uncle Lui still had his arm around Johnny's shoulder as they walked over to Johnny's home, "Say, do you still want my advice on a gift idea?"

"Sure," replied Johnny.

"Well, you must try to think of something that he really wants. Something that will light up his eyes with joy when he opens the package. That's how gifts are selected. So think of a sport or hobby that your father enjoys the most, then buy him something that he can use in his hobby. It's that easy." Uncle Lui looked sideways to see if Johnny understood.

Johnny nodded his head slowly. Now he knew what he must buy for his dad. He turned to his uncle with pleading eyes. "Uncle Lui, could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, Johnny. What is it?" said the uncle in anticipation.

"I want you to buy me a bottle of whiskey for my dad."

Uncle Lui was surprised, "Are you sure your mother will let you do that?"

Johnny's mind was made up. He wasn't about to be talked out of his idea by anyone, "Sure, I'm sure. It's my gift and I want to give my dad what he wants the most. You said to give him what would light up his eyes, right? Well, I know this would do it. I know he loves his drinking more than anything else. And I want him to enjoy Father's Day the way he likes." Johnny took the money out of his pants pocket and shoved it at his uncle.

"O.K., Johnny, if that's what you want for your father, then, that's what I will get you. Just don't go bragging about it to the other kids, o.k., Johnny?"

"Yes, sir." Johnny was so happy he could hardly talk.

Later on that evening, when Johnny's mother was preparing the Sunday school lesson for her class the next day, Johnny sneaked back to his bedroom and took out his gift once more from the closet where he had it hidden. His father was drinking with his usual buddies at the Paradise Club down on mainstreet. He had been there all afternoon and evening. There was no chance that anyone could find out about his gift before tomorrow morning. It was going to be a real surprise.

It was a bottle of Scotch Whiskey. It came in a silver-colored box. There was a picture of a knight in armor riding on a beautiful black horse. On the upper right hand corner was a royal emblem. It was an impressive emblem with two swords crossed above a shield. Underneath the emblem were these words: "Commissioned Brewers for the Queen of England."

Johnny was glad. This was the same whiskey that the Queen of England drank. His father would be happy to get this gift. Then he reached under the mattress and took out his Father's Day card. He opened it up and read the words printed inside. He had read these words five times this evening. The card reads:

Happy Father's Day, Dad, from both of us--
And in that one short line,
Are many loving wishes,
For a day that turns out fine.
And then, before we sign this card,
We've one more thing to add--
We're hoping that this Father's Day,
Will be the best you've ever had!

Johnny liked the sound of those words. He knew that his father would like to read them, too. His father always liked to read. That was before he started to drink so heavily everyday. Now he hardly read at all. The only thing he read was the mail. And each time he read those bills in the mail, he would yell and start fighting with Mother.

Johnny had to sign his card. He looked around but he couldn't find a pen in his room. So he went back out to the living room to ask his mother for a pen. Mrs. Toma was bent over the kitchen table drawing something on a large piece of paper. Johnny had seen his teacher use the same kind of paper to draw charts in school.

"What are you drawing, Mom?" Johnny asked.

"I'm drawing a map of the Holy Land. Tomorrow my class will be discussing some of the places Jesus visited when he was a young boy," answered Mrs. Toma.

"Oh. Well, that sounds great. Say, is Dad home yet?" asked Johnny.

Mrs. Toma turned to Johnny with a certain sign of anger. "What kind of silly question is that? You know your dad doesn't come home until that bar closes. It closes at 2:00 A.M. on Saturday nights, and if he doesn't fall asleep on some bench in the park, he might make it home before three. You'd better forget about your dad and go to bed. We have to be up early to get ready since the Fili family will come by about 8:30 in the morning to give us a ride to Sunday School."

"O.K., but I need to borrow a pen. I've got to sign Dad's Father's Day card."

"You're giving your father a Father's Day card? I heard that he was going over to his friend Vili amu's house for a party tomorrow afternoon. You know what that means? He'll come home drunk tonight. He'll get up just in time to go over and start drinking at his friend's place in the afternoon. He'll be dead drunk again before nightfall. He's not going to be sober long enough to read one line on that card. Better save your time and energy for better things," said Mrs. Toma pointedly.

Johnny retorted, "No, I must give him my card. I've already bought it. It's up to him whether he reads it or not. Besides, I even bought him a gift." Then he proudly related to his mother how he'd spent all his savings to buy his father this bottle of whiskey. It was such good whiskey that even the Queen of England drank it.

He wasn't quite through with his story when his mother got up and stormed to Johnny's bedroom. She grabbed the box and tore it open. She took out the bottle and walked back to the kitchen. She unscrewed the bottle cap and started to pour the whiskey down the kitchen drain.

Johnny jumped up and tried to stop his mother. "No, no, no, please don't! Please don't, Mom! Please, Mom, that's my father's present. Please, please!" His voice started to fade off as he saw the last part of the whiskey pour down the drain. Then he dropped to the floor and sobbed, "Why did you do that, Mother? It was my gift, and I'm sure Dad would have loved it. It was all that I had enough money to buy. Oh, you're mean, Mom, that was unfair."

Mrs. Lina Toma was close to tears herself. She was very mad. She showed no sympathy for Johnny. She screamed back at Johnny, "Don't talk to me about being unfair. What do you know about it? I sat here for the past eight months suffering your father's unfairness, and you talk to me about being unfair? Do you know how hard it has been trying to keep your father away from alcohol? Do you know how hard it's been making excuses for him to our friends and relatives? Do you know how often I've been sick but afraid to go to a doctor because we have no money? And do you know where all the money went? Do you know why you've only got a pair of torn tennis shoes to wear to church?

Do you know why you and I can only afford to wear clothes bought from the Salvation Army downtown? It's because of your father's drinking. You talk to me about being unfair when you are helping to add to our problem by giving your father more booze? Well, I don't know what you consider to be fair. I only know that nobody in this house is going to buy any whiskey for your father. Do you hear that? Now get to bed and let me hear no more about being mean and being unfair."

Back in the bedroom, Johnny cried and cried for hours before he finally fell asleep. He had bad thoughts about his mother. He couldn't understand why she poured his gift down the kitchen drain. He had thought about running away from home when he finally fell asleep.

At dawn, Johnny awoke. He tossed and turned in bed for awhile thinking about his wasted gift for his father. It will soon be morning. The morning of the Father's Day Sunday. Now he has no gift to give to his father. Then he remembered the card. He reached under the mattress and brought out his Father's Day card. He opened it and read the words once more.

Now Johnny was sure of what he wanted to do. He got out of bed and tiptoed to the kitchen. His mother had left her ballpoint pen with some papers on the kitchen table. Johnny picked up the pen and started back to his room. Then a thought hit him, "Why not give Dad the empty bottle anyway? That way he would know that I had a gift bought for him. It was not my fault that Mom disagreed with the kind of gift that I bought." So he tiptoed back to the trash can by the sink. He fistied the empty bottle out of the trash and took it back to his room with the box that contained the bottle.

He had to tape the box with scotch tape so it would stay together. Then he opened up the card and scribbled on it: "I love you, Daddy. Sorry about your gift. Mom poured it down the kitchen sink. She said you buy enough booze without our having to buy you more. You would have liked it though. The Queen of England drinks the same whiskey. You've always liked the best of everything. So have yourself the best Father's Day you may wish. I'll buy you all the best whiskey when I grow up and get a job. I promise, Dad. I love you very much. I know Mom loves you, too. Johnny."

Johnny took the box with the empty bottle under his arm. He held the card in one hand and gently headed towards his father's bedroom. Mr. Toma's snoring poured out into the hallway as soon as Johnny opened the door. He could see his father spread out across the bed. He still had his clothes and shoes on. His mother was sleeping as usual on the couch in the living room. Dad was alone. Johnny walked softly to the dresser and placed the card and the box on top of the dresser. Then he left as quietly as he had entered.

After Sunday School, Johnny went to the chapel for the worship service. His mother had gone to sit with the choir. Everyone was in a festive mood, especially the fathers with their cheery smiles.

Johnny sat next to his friend Uili. They were school mates and always hung around together. Uili had a flower lei for his father. Families usually put leis around their father's necks after the church service. Yet, some fathers already were wearing leis from friends and relatives before the service started.

Johnny was a little jealous that he didn't have a lei to give to his father. But then he thought, "Well, my father never comes to church anymore, so I'd just be wasting money buying a lei that he wouldn't wear."

During the service, everything seemed to point to the fathers. The opening hymn was "God of Our Fathers." The prayer was mostly for the fathers. Even the minister's sermon was directed to the fathers. It seemed that the fathers were really getting the works today. But no father seemed to mind. They were all sitting proudly with their newly-cleaned suits enjoying all the attention.

Right after the singing of the last hymn, the minister got up and asked the whole congregation to stand. The minister then told everyone to bow their heads and silently pray for something special for their own father.

This made Johnny very uncomfortable. He knew what he really wanted for his father. He wanted his father to get well and quit drinking everyday. He wanted his parents to get along with each other. He wanted his father to start taking him to the games at the stadium again. He wanted his father to come watch his Little League team play. He wanted his father to just be his father again. But how does one ask God to do all these things in such a short prayer?

Johnny closed his eyes and started to murmur, "God, please help Dad get well. Please help him... Help him please."

Uili nudged Johnny with his elbow, "Not too loud, Johnny. This is supposed to be a silent prayer."

Johnny stopped praying and just stood there with his eyes closed. There were tears dripping out of hes eyelids. Then he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and he looked up. He was almost shocked with disbelief. He had to wipe his eyes and looked again to make sure it was true. He was finally sure. Then he slipped his arm around his father's waist and closed his eyes again. This time his prayer was very brief and to the point, "Thank you. "

Afterwards, when all the fathers were bedecked with flower leis, the families started to drive away. Johnny and his parents were still standing there looking at each other. Several people had come to shake Mr. Toma's hand and wish him well. The minister's wife took one of the minister's many leis from his neck and gave it to Mr. Toma. No one mentioned that Mr. Toma had not been seen in church for almost a year. Everyone was polite. Johnny knew what they were thinking but he didn't care one bit about anyone else's thoughts. He just kept looking at his father and wondered what caused this miracle.

"C'mon, let's go home," said Mr. Toma.

On their way home, they stopped at the drive-in to pick up some fried chicken for the "to'ona'i." As they stood there waiting, Johnny got so curious he finally decided to ask his father. "Uh, Dad, what made you come to church today?"

"Why, your gift, of course. Johnny, that empty bottle you left on the dresser this morning taught me more than a hundred sermons put together... By the way, thanks for the gift and all the loving thoughts."

"Yeah, you're welcome," said Johnny.

"Say, I understand the Islanders are starting a triple-header at the Aloha Stadium tomorrow night, do you wanna go?... I should be back from work early enough so we can go with your mother to the game." said Mr. Toma.

Mrs. Toma looked shocked. She stared at her husband to see if he was alright, "Did you say work? Are you alright, darling? Have you forgotten you've been out of a job for almost a year?"

"Oh, I could have gone back to work a long time ago if I wanted to. Mr. Myers has been calling now and then to see if I wanted to come back. I just never told you. So, this morning after I read that card, I called him at home. And I'm starting back at my old job tomorrow morning at eight."

"Oh, how wonderful," shouted Mrs. Toma.

"Yeah, happy Father's Day," said Johnny.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

I. COMPREHENSION SKILL: Ask the class to create other possible titles for the story using their own words. List the suggested titles on the board and discuss how each title relates to the main idea. The main idea or main theme of this story should be as the student interprets it to be, not as the author intended.
       Sample titles:
       1. The Drunken Father
       2. The Answered Prayer
       3. The Empty Gift

II. Comprehension Skill: As a further check of student comprehension, ask the following questions and discuss student answers with the class:
       1. Is this story realistic? Why or why not?
       2. Why did Johnny have such a hard time deciding oh a      gift for his father?
       3. Why did Johnny want to avoid a conversation with his Uncle Lui?
       4. Why do you suppose Mr. Vili Toma kept telling his son to return to Samoa after he gets educated?

III. Word Comprehension: Ask the following questions and perform the activities.
       1. Can you identify some new words you may have     come across in this story?
       2. Could you read those sentences again and see if you      can guess the meaning of each of those words just by understanding the meaning of the sentence?
       3. Now look the word up in the dictionary and see how      well you guessed, than what is actually stated in the dictionary.