O LO'U TOE
FO'I 'I SÄMOÄ
'I LO'U 'ÄIGA

translated by Ioane Tumaua
from text by Dixie Samasoni

"E mafai ona 'ou va'ai 'i lou tusi folau?" O se tama Sämoa läpo'a lea sä 'ofu i le toniga a le Ofisa o Femalagaa'iga, o le 'ofutino pa'epa'e ma le 'ofuvae 'u'umi uliuli. Sä 'ou tu'uina loa 'i ai lo'u tusi folau o le Mälö o Sämoa i Sisifo.

" 'E te alu loa lava i Sämoa i Sisifo?"

"Leai."

"O le ä le 'umi o 'e fuafua 'e te nofo ai i Amerika Sämoa?"

"Tusa ma le ono mäsina."

"O i 'inei ou mätua?"

"Leai, o la e i Hawai'i."

"E iai ni isi ou pepa fa'amäonia?"

"Ioe, lenä e i totonu o le tusi folau."

Sä 'ou tago atu loa ma tasu'e ifo laupepa o le tusi folau sä i ona luma, ma se'i a'e le pepa fa'amäonia o lo'u nofo tümau i le Iunaite Setete, ma tu'u 'i ai. E le'i toe iai se isi ana fesili ina 'ua tilotilo 'i ai. Sä ia fa'atumuina loa se pepa ma tu'u mai 'iä te a'u.

" 'Ave le pepa lenä ma toe fa'afo'i mai 'iä mätou pe'ä o'o 'i le aso 'e te tu'ua ai Amerika Sämoa."

"Fa'afetai lava."

Sä 'ou alu ane loa ma fa'atali a'u 'atopa'u. 'Ou te iloa atu lava le la'uina ifo o pusa ma 'atopa'u mai le va'alele 'i le loli.

O Sämoa 'uma lava ma papälagi na mätou ö mai i le American Airline mai Honolulu, na nonofo 'uma i le malae va'alele o Täfuna - le malae va'alele o Amerika Sämoa. O päsese 'uma lava sä fa'aauau le lätou malaga 'i Fiti, o papalagi 'uma lava.

'Ou te talitonu o le tülaga o le malaga lenei pe'ä fuafua 'i le 'auva'a o le va'alele, e tülaga mäsani lava, ma e leai ni vesiga po'o ni mea e tau fa'amatalaina. 'Ae o se malaga täua tele lenei 'ia te a'u. Sä fa'atumulia a'u i se lagona fa'agae'etia, ona 'ätonu o le malaga lenei o le'ä 'avea ma mäfua'aga e lïua ai lo'u olaga.

Sä pei o se faitoto'a matala - se faitoto'a e fa'aono o'o atu ai 'i se lagona fou, ma le fa'amausalïna o ni fa'amoemoe fou. O se faitoto'a fo'i e fa'amäonia ai le täpunia o ni talitonuga 'ua iä te a'u. O lea 'ua 'ou toe fo'i mai 'i lo'u atunu'u - 'ai pë moni 'ea lea? O lea 'ua 'ou toe fo'i mai i le mea na fofoa atu ai la'u aganu'u, 'ina 'ua mavae ni tausaga e tusa ma le sefulu ma le tasi. 'Ua 'ou toe fo'i mai 'i le nofoaga o lo'u tamaitiiti, ma sä 'ou lë maumäfaufauga i se tülaga o le'ä fetaia'i ma a'u.

Fa'amata o lo'u toe fo'i mai lea 'i Sämoa, o le'ä 'avea lea ma fesoasoani 'iä te a'u i le fa'amautüina o ni talitonuga 'ua iä te a'u, pë fa'amata o le'ä 'avea lea ma 'auala e täpupunia ai ia talitonuga?

O a'u o le Sämoa - ma nai toto Sikotelani ma Saina e filogia ai. Sä 'ou fänau i Sämoa i Sisifo, 'ae ma tëte'a lo'u tinä ma lo'u tamä o Fritz Crichton 'a'o o'u pepe. O a'u o le lä tama lona tolu, ma na o a'u le lä tama tama. 'A'o o'u ka'ititi pea, sä fa'aipoipo le tamäloa Tutuila ma lo'u tinä. O lona suafa o Samasoni Save, ma o ia lea na 'aumaia mätou 'i Amerika Sämoa mätou te nonofo ai. O i 'inä na 'ämata ai a'u ä'oga ma 'ou iloa ai le tele o väega 'ese'ese o le aganu'u a Sämoa.

I le tausaga e 1961, 'ina 'ua sefulu ma le tasi o'u tausaga, na tu'u va'a ai le mätou 'äiga 'i Hawaii. Sä fetaia'i a'u ma le tele o itü'äiga o aganu'u 'ese'ese ma sä lë mau manatu a'u pë o lë fea le mea moni. E ui lava 'ina sä mätou nonofo fa'atasi ma le tele o ni isi Sämoa, ma 'ua pei ai o se 'a'ai 'ua si'itia mai, mai Sämoa. O ä'oga fa'a Amerika i Hawaii na 'ou iloa ai le tele o mea e 'ese'ese ai la'u aganu'u ma isi atunu'u. O tupulaga a isi atunu'u na lätou fa'atepa a'u i le tele o mea sä 'ou manatu muamua e lë mafai pë lë tatau fo'i ona täea e le tagata.

E ui 'ina sä 'ou naunau tele 'i matä'upu tau müsika ma matä'upu lautele o le soifuaga, sä fa'afiafiaina tele le mätou 'äiga 'ina 'ua 'ou i'u mai i le ä'oga maualuga a Waianae ma 'ou ulufale loa 'i le Honolulu Community College, 'ou te ä'oga ai i matä'upu tau leoleo. Sä pei e nonofo le mätou 'äiga i se ma'a sälafa 'ina 'ua 'ou pasi 'äto'atoa mai i le kolisi lea i le fa'aleoleo.

O le manatu o le mätou 'äiga, o le'ä 'avea a'u ma leoleo, o le tumutumuga lea o fa'amoemoega. O le ä se isi mea e sili atu i lö lea? O le 'avea ma leoleo o le fa'a'au'upegaina fo'i lea o le tagata mö le faiga o fa'atonuga. E iai lona tülaga i totonu o le nu'u e lelei le totogi, ma e fa'aauau pea le tausiga a le Mälö pe'ä lïtaea.

'Ina 'ua 'ou fa'ailoa 'i le mätou 'äiga o le'ä 'ou lë leoleo, ia, sä 'avea loa a'u ma mämoe uliuli o le 'äiga, 'ätoa ma le mätou 'aulotu. Sä 'ou fai 'i le mätou 'äiga o a'u o le'ä 'ou alu 'ou te ä'oga i le Iunivesetë i matä'upu fa'alaua'itele o le soifuaga (Liberal Arts). Sä 'ou lagonaina lava le sa'o o la'u filifiliga, 'ae sä faigata 'ia te a'u ona 'ou fa'amalamalamaina 'i le mätou 'äiga.

O le New College, le kolisi fa'ata'ita'i lea a le Iunivesetë i Manoa, na tu'uina ane 'iä te a'u ni fa'amäoniga ma ni mäfua'aga sä 'ou mana'omia e uiga 'i la'u filifiliga. Sä tatalaina ane 'iä te a'u se lalolagi fou 'a'o fa'agäsolo a'u sä'iliga, ma sä fa'a'äto'ätoaina ai le una'iina o a'u su'esu'ega aga'i i le fa'amausalïina o nei talitonuga.

'A'o tatalaina mai lenei faitoto'a e le New College ma le Iunivesetë a Amerika i Mexico, le faitoto'a lea 'ou te le'i moemiti 'i ai, sä aga'i 'ina 'ou lagonaina se musumusuga fa'apea, 'ina ia fa'alauteleina lo'u malamalama i lo'u lava tagata, e tautau ona 'ou su'esu'e muamua 'i le fa'avae o la'u aganu'u. E tatau ona 'ou toe fo'i 'i Sämoa se'i o'u va'ai pë fa'apë'ï ona 'ou fa'atülagaina talitonuga nei 'ua 'ou fa'amautüina, 'a'o fa'aopoopo mai pea, fa'asaga aga'i i le fa'atülagaina tonu o lo'o iai tü ma aganu'u a Sämoa, po'o le nu'u na 'ou sau ai.

O la'u malaga lea i le aso tolu o Ianuari 1973, o lo'u toe fo'i mai lea o se pine fa'amau lea o lo'u olaga. O la'u sau lea, o lo'o o'u sau i lalo o se polokalame tau su'esu'ega a tagata ta'ito'atasi, o se väega o polokalame a le New College. E le'i 'iä te a'u se iloa o se tülaga o le'ä o'o 'i ai a'u su'esu'ega, ma'ou te lë iloa fo'i pë fa'amata o le ä sa'u fa'ai'uga.

O le fa'atumulia o a'u i o'u lava fa'afïtäuli, ma le fa'alëtonu o sa'u fuafuaga mö le taimi lea 'ua feagai ma a'u, sä lë o'o 'iä te a'u se agaga fia talanoa atu 'i se tagata o le päsese, e ui lava 'ina sä 'ou iloaina lava mea 'uma sä tutupu i o'u tafatafa, 'ae maise i tagata Sämoa sä mätou malaga fa'atasi.

Sä 'ou nofo i le nofoa e pito 'i le fa'amalama i le väega e nonofo ai tagata ulaula. O lo'u itütauagavale o lo'o iai toea'i'ina Sämoa. O o'u luma atu o lo'o paepae solo ai isi mau Sämoa, o fafine ma teine ma se ulugali'i. Sä to'atele fo'i papälagi. 'Ou te le'i tautala 'i se tagata se'i vaganä ai le fafine sä nofo i o'u 'autafa. Sä 'ou fesili 'i ai pë e iai sana afitusi e tutu ai la'u sikaleti, 'ina 'ua lë ola la'u afi. Sä ulaula fo'i o ia, o le ala 'ou fesili lenä 'i ai. Sä tu'u mai e le fafine le afitusi ma 'ou fa'afetai lea 'i ai.

E taunu'u lava le mätou va'a o fai lava le inugäpia a le tele o Sämoa na iai. Sä mäumau a lätou tupe i ia mea 'ae lë fa'aaogä e fa'atau ai mea fa'alogo e fa'alogologo ai i pese po'o le matamata ai fo'i 'i le tïfaga.

'Ina 'ua taunu'u a'u 'atopa'u, sä 'ou tasi'iina loa 'i le mea o lo'o iai le tama o le Ofisa o le Tiute ma le Ofisa o Fa'ato'aga. O le tama lea o le Ofisa o le Tiute, e föliga mai e lë o se Sämoa mäo'i. E fai sina pa'epa'e o lona pa'u. E lë taumate o se 'afakasi fo'i pei o a'u. S ä 'ou tago atu ma tatala le mänoa o lo'o nonoa ai la'u pusa pepa. Sä ia tilotilo 'i ai.

"Se televise le mea lenä?"

"Lëai, na o tusi ma la'u typewriter."

"Ia, 'ua lelei, alu loa 'oe."

" 'E te mana'o e tatala le 'atopa'u o la'u kïtara?" O se atopa'u ma se kïtara na fau fa'apitoa mö a'u i Mexico i le vaitaimi tau mäfanafana na te'a ne'i.

Sä tü mö sina taimi ona fai ane lea, "Lëai se mea o iai, 'ana fa'apea o 'oe o se Hipi 'ua 'ou fai atu nei e tatala."

"Fa'afetai lava."

O le lelei ia o si tama. E le'i toe taunapa mai lava e su'e isi a'u 'atopa'u.

Sä 'ou fa'aofiofi atu loa 'i fafo ma isi päsese i le faitoto'a. Sä tumutumu tagata Sämoa ma o lätou 'ie lavalava ma o lätou puletasi lanu 'ese'ese, ma pisa lava i le fa'afeiloa'iga o o lätou 'äiga ma uö. 'Ua 'ou toe fo'i moni mai lava 'i Sämoa. O tafatafa o le fale Sämoa o le malaeva'alele sä tütü mai ai la'u uö o David (Tävita) ma le ta'avale la'u päsese.

'Ua lua tausaga talu ona mä faigaluega fa'atasi ma David Asherman i Hawai'i ma Mexico. E le'i leva ona taunu'u mai 'i Amerika Sämoa e faigaluega tusi ata i lalo o le Mälö. O le tu'utu'uga e fa'apea, mä te nonofo ma David i lona fale, ma 'ou fesoasoani i lana galuega, 'a'o fai fo'i a'u su'esu'ega. Fa'amata 'ua iai se suiga 'iä Sämoa mai le tülaga lea 'ou te manatuaina? Fa'amata o lë fea lalolagi e talafeagai tonu ma a'u? O lë fea fo'i le tülaga sä 'ou tü ai?

O le taulaga o Pago Pago, o se tasi lea o taulaga pito sili ona mänaia ma saogalëmü i le lalolago. Ona pau fo'i lea o le mäfua'aga na mana'o ai le Iunaite Setete 'iä Amerika Sämoa i le tau fa'ai'ui'uga o le seneturi talu ai. Sä mana'o Amerika e fa'atüina se uafa i le vasa Pasefika e malu 'i ai ana va'a tau, ma o Amerika Sämoa na filifilia loa.

Mai le lautele o le gutu o le ava, 'ae 'autafa ai a'au, o le ava e fa'atüsa'o aga'i 'i uta 'i le vä o mauga lanu lau'ava, pë tusa ma le maila le lautelë. O le taufa'asi'usi'uga o le 'oso'oso i le itü taumatau, e tü mätilatila mai ai le mauga tele o le Rainmaker.

O le fa'ata'amilosaga lauiti i 'augutu o le taulaga, i lalo mai o mauga, o lo'o paepae mai ai 'a'ai po'o nu'u. E föliga mai e solo fa'atasi lava nu'u, ma e lë iloa atu ni o lätou tuä'oi. O mauga maualalalo 'i le itü tauagavale, lätou te fausia le tolotolo, ma o lona taufa'asi'usi'uga, o lo'o tü ai le fale talimälö e fausaga Sämoa ona fale. O le fa'asitepu muamua i le a'ea'e atu 'i luga, o lo'o tü ai le Maota Pa'epa'e o Amerika Sämoa, ole Maota o le Kövana a le Iunaite Setete, ma o lona tülaga lava lenä 'ae le'i tauina le taua muamua o le lalolagi.

O le fa'atausi'usi'uga o le taulaga i le itü tauagavale, o lo'o iai le nu'u o Pago Pago. E ui lava e lë nä o le pau lea o le nu'u o lo'o iai Ofisa 'uma o le Mälö ma Kamupanï fai pisinisi, o le igoa lava lea 'ua fa'aigoa ai 'ätoa le taulaga i lona itü tauagavale ma le fa'asolo atu i le tolotolo i Utulei.

I le 'ögätotonu o le vä o Pago Pago ma le Maota Pa'epa'e i le itü i saute, (itü tauagavale o le taulaga) o lo'o iai le nu'u o Malaloa, e alu atu i le sami ona fa'atütü lea aga'i i luga o mauga. O le tülaga lea o le falema'i muamua lava i Amerika Sämoa, sä fa'atüina e le Navy a le Iunaite Setete. I se vaitaimi o le taua lona lua a le lalolagi na si'itia ai le falema'i 'i Utulei 'ae 'avea fale ia ma fale talimälö mö fitafita o le Mälö.

O lea fale 'ua 'avea nei ma fale e nonofo ai tagata faigaluega mai fafo a le Mälö. 'Ua ta'ua nei le fale lea o le Annex, ma 'ua toe fa'afouina. E iai le fa'asitepu maualuga lava e sau mai le 'auala tele ma fepi'opi'oa'i mai i vä o lä'au aga'i mai ai 'i luga 'i le fale. O le potu 1G-21B sä mä nonofo ai. O se fale 'umï, e tasi le fogäfale, ma e tü 'ese mai i le fale tele - le fale lea sä'ävea muamua ma falema'i. Masalo o se fale sä tä'o'oto ai tagata mama'i, 'ae sä fai mai le isi a'u uö 'ia te a'u, o le fale lea sä fai ma fale oti, ma o le aitua ia.

O le fale tatala 'ätoa lava, ma fa'auaea valavala. O le pogai lea o le sävili ma le mälü mänaia o le fale. E iai le potu mälölö telë lava, le potu fa'a'ofisa, potu moe e tolu, fale tä'ele e lua, ma le umukuka e matuä lava säunia mö so'o se mea. O le fausaga lava fa'a Amerika, ma 'ua iai 'uma teuteuga fa'aonapönei. 'Ua fau fa'atatau fo'i 'i le tau o Sämoa. E 'ese'ese mamao ma fale Sämoa moni, se'i väganä ai lona tälaloa.

Ia, o le tülaga lenä sä 'ou iai i Amerika Sämoa. O lo'u nofo i Sämoa, 'ae fa'atasi a'u ma tëuga 'uma fa'apapälagi. O nei fo'i tëuga, e sili mamao atu fo'i i lö ni isi teuga sä fa'afeagai ma a'u talu  na 'ou nofo i Hawaii. E peisea'ï 'ua lë talafeagai tele le tülaga lea pe'ä fuafua atu 'i le 'autü tonu o lo'u fa'amoemoe. E fa'apëfea ona 'ou fö'ia le 'ese'esega lea o le'ä maua mai i a'u su'esu'ega, i le vä o le itü'äigätagata su'esu'e lea e iai a'u, 'ua mätele i le tü fa'apapälagi, ma o lo'o nofo fo'i fa'apapälagi, ma taumafai e sä'ili ma mälamalama i tü ma aganu'u moni fa'a Sämoa.

O le va'aiga mai i le fa'asitepu muamua lea, o se va'aiga matagöfie tele. I le ati atu o la'u va'ai i vä o lau lä'au lanu lau'ava ma fugälä'au felanulanua'i. I luma atu, na 'ou va'aia le fe'ilafi mai o le uafu, fa'asolo atu ai la'u va'ai 'i va'afägota a Saina o lo'o tu'utaula mai i tafatafa o fale tu'u 'apa tuna. E iloa atu lava i vä o lau 'ulu, le mauga o le Rainmaker i le itü taumatau. I lalo ifo tonu o le mätou nofoaga, e iloa lelei atu lava 'apa o le taualuga o le fale'oloa nümera tolu o Max Haleck. O le fale lea 'ua toe fa'afou, 'ae sä 'avea muamua ma fale talimälö - le fale lea na tusia ai le tala ta'uta'ua e ta'ua o le "Rain", o le tala 'iä Sadie Thompson ma le misionare, na tusia e le tusitala ta'uta'ua o Somerset Maugham.

I lona tolu o aso talu ona 'ou taunu'u mai 'i Sämoa, sä 'ou savalivali atu ai i le 'auala tele o lo'o i o mätou lumäfale, ma 'ou liliu aga'i i le itü taumatau. Sä 'ou ui atu i luma o le fale'oloa o Max Haleck, i le fa'asolo atu aga'i i le 'ämataga o le taulaga. O le pito o le uafu sä galue ai se masini telë i le suaina a'e o le oneone ma le palapala ma fa'aputu ifo i se mea e tasi fa'alä'umi'umi, e föliga mai o lo'o fau se uafu mö va'a läiti.

O le 'auala fa'atä 'ae laina ai fale'oloa i 'autafa, sä fa'amanatu mai ai 'iä te a'u taulaga ia e mäsani ona fa'aali mai i ata kaupoe. O fa'atautau o taualuga o fale'oloa e silisili ane, ma fai ma fa'apaologa i 'autafa o le 'auala. O le taufa'asi'usi'uga lenei o Fagatogo, o se väega o Pago Pago, ma o se väega pito pisi lenei o le taulaga. Fa'i o le pa'ö o fale faigaluega, 'a'o le pisa fo'i p tagata tumutumu, ma le fe'ei o pü o pasi ma isi itü'äiga ta'avale 'ese'ese.

O le 'ese'esega tele o le taulaga lenei ma taulaga i atunu'u i mätü, o le taulaga lenei e lëai ma se vevesi, se'i vaganä ai tamaiti o lo'o taufetuli solo 'iä lätou ta'aloga. E gäsolosolo mälie lava i le faiga o ï lätou fa'atauga i le taeao o le aso To'ona'i, ma tauvala'au ma töë ma a lätou uö. O le tele o fafine, e tino läpopo'a ma e mata'ina tele a lätou puletasi. E tusa o le 'afa o tamäloloa e lavalava 'ie lanu 'ese'ese, 'ae o isi e fai o lätou 'ofuvae faigaluega ma o lätou 'ofutino aloha, mitiafu po'o le fa'asausau fo'i. Toetoe o tagata 'uma e lë se'evaevae.

I fafo ane o le fale'oloa, Tropical Isle Grocery, o lo'o iai le fale 'aisikulimi, ma sä alumia lava le pisinisi lea. O tamaiti, e o'o lava i tagata matutua, sä tumutumu 'i ai e fa'atau 'aisikulimi po'o vai inu fo'i. 'Ou te manatuaina aso o o'u ä'oga i Malaeloa i le isi itü o le motu, o se fa'ailoga maualuga tele se tagata e alu atu 'i le ä'oga ma sana mea'ai papälagi e iai lole, pululole, falaoa po'o se pani fo'i, e 'ai i le mälölöga. 'Äfai o itü'äiga mea'ai ia e alu atu ma le tagata, 'ae lë o se talo, 'ulu, fa'i po'o se popo fo'i, o lona uiga 'ä lë poto, e fao 'uma lava fo'i po'o tamaita mätutua. O aso nei, o ia itü'äigämea 'ai fa'apapälagi, 'ua toetoe o tagata 'uma e fai mö lätou i aso 'uma.

O le latalata atu lava o la'u savali atu 'i le mäketi, o le fa'ateteleina fo'i lea o le sau a le pisa ma le väväö. Sä 'ou ofo i le faiga fa'aona pö nei 'ua fai ai le mäketi lea. "Ua lë toe iai le mäketi lea sä mäsani ona fa'alalä ma timu'ia ai tagata fa'atau i fafo. O se fale 'ua fau fa'atäfafä e tusa ma le selau futu i ona itü ta'itasi, 'ua fau fa'afesäga'i ina ia maua ai se fa'atäfafä tele 'ae tälaloa le 'ögätotonu, ma o lo'o sosolo ai le mutia. O le nofoaga lea e mälölö 'i ai ma talatalanoa ai tagata.

O le mäketi lenei, e tusa ma le sefulu ma le lima futu le lautele, o ona fa'apaologa fa'atafafä, ma lona fa'atautau e ato i fasi laupapa ato fale. O le fola ma pou o le fale, e fa'asimä. E leai ni puipui. O fata po'o laulau fa'atau, e i totonu lea o fale 'ae fa'aavanoa le 'ögätotonu. O tagata fa'atau, e ui ane lava i 'autafa o fata ia, 'ae mätele lava i le ui ane i fafo. E fa'aavanoa lava 'auala e ui ai tagata i le 'ögätotonu po'o le ulu fafo fo'i.

O tua atu o fata ia, o lo'o iai 'ögäniu e nonofo ai tagata e ana mea fa'atau, ma fola ai a lätou mea fa'atau e iai 'aufa'i mätutua ma 'aufa'i pula, pupu'u pë 'u'umi, ma puputa pë pä'e'e fo'i. E mänaia tele le fa'i matua 'ae saka pë fa'alifu, ma ina'i ai le pisupo, 'apapilikati, 'apasätini, 'apatuna, po'o le fasipovimäsima fo'i. O talo fo'i e 'ese'ese le läpopo'a. E 'ämata mai lava i talo e pei ni tïpolo le läpopo'a se'ia o'o lava 'i talo e pei ni meleni le läpopo'a.

E ui ina 'ou te lë fiafia tele e 'ai talo, 'ai talo, 'ae e mänaia tele pe'ä tao ma 'ina'i a'i ni palusami po'o ni pïsupo fo'i. O 'ulu läpopo'a ma läiti, läpotopoto ma fa'alä'umi'umi o lo'o faulala'i i talaane o kükama ma tïpolo. O lo'o iai fo'i ni popo ma ni niu 'ua 'uma ona o'a. O iai fo'i ma ni tauaga e tatau a'i penu popo pe'ä 'uma ona valu, 'ätoa fo'i ma ni fagu'u Sämoa.

O le va'aiga i le mäketi e fa'amanatu mai ai 'iä te a'u Asoto'ona'i 'a'o o'u la'ititi, e mäsani ona mä ö ai ma lo'u tinä 'i le mäketi. O le tafa o ata i le vaveao e 'ämata ona la'u ifo ai a mätou mea fa'atau mai i luga o le mauga, 'ina 'ia maua le pasi muamua o le taeao e 'ave ai 'i le taulaga. I le mäketi, e mäsani ona mä nonofo i lalo o le mago ma tälotälo 'ia vave ia ona ui ane se isi ma taulia vave ai ä ma mea fa'atau.

A maua se lima tala o a mä mea fa'atau, 'ua lava telë lenä mö le fa'atauina o a mätou suka, mäsima, 'apa i'a, ma 'apa fuälä'au, mö le vaiaso 'ätoa, 'auä e totö lava e mätou a mätou talo, 'ulu, fa'i, mätou te 'a'ai ai. O le isi mäfua'aga e ala ai ona mä mana'o 'ia vave taulia a mä mea fa'atau, 'ina 'ia vave fo'i lea ona mä ö 'i le fale e tapena le fa'apusa mö le to'ona'i i le Aso Sä. 'Auä, o le tuai lava o le taulia o mea ma tuai ai ona mä ö 'i le fale, o le leva fo'i lenä o le pö o tau tapena le fa'apusa.

O le mäketi fo'i lea i Fagotogo, o le taula'iga fo'i lea o pasi mai i itü 'uma o le motu. E ta'alili mai, fa'atali mö ni isi päsese, ona toe fo'i fo'i lea 'i tua 'i nu'u tua. E 'ese lava fo'i le fausaga o pasi i Amerika Sämoa. O tama'i loli po'o piki'apu e toe fau fa'apasi i laupapa e tagata. Talu ai ona e leai se kamupäni fai pasi, e tali tutusa lava le 'ese'esega o fausaga o pasi ma tagata e ana ia pasi.

E mäsani ona iai i totonu o pasi nei ni nofoa 'u'umi e lua i 'autafa ma le isi e fa'alava i tua, ma le faitoto'a e i luma. O pasi e sili atu ona lelei, o pasi ia e iai atu nofoa nofolua e lua i 'autafa, 'ae avanoa le 'ögätotonu. O aso ia 'ua tuana'i sä tatala tua e fai ma faitoto'a.

E leai ni puipui o pasi nei i luga a'e o nofoa. O le taualuga, e ato 'i laupapa ma na o le pau lea o le lafi'aga mai le timu po'o le lä. E iai lava isi pasi e fai fa'amalama seloloi e mafai ona tu'u 'i lalo ma luga. O se pasi telë se posi e ofi ai e tusa ma le to'aluasefulu tagata.

O le mea e mäfuli tele 'i ai pasi 'uma lava i la'u va'ai 'i ai, o le teuteuga lea o tino o pasi. O 'ilätou ia e ana pasi, po'o tagata ta'ito'atasi, 'äiga, po'o se 'aulotu, e tauvä i le valiga fa'amänaia o ä lätou pasi. E tali tofu lava le pasi ma lona igoa e fa'aigoa ai, ma e lë gata i le i tusi 'upuina o le igoa, e tusi ai fo'i ata.

E föliga mai e lëai lava se fa'atüläfonoina o le feoa'i o pasi nei. E tauvala'au isi 'ave pasi 'i isi 'ave pasi, pë fetälia'i fo'i i le fa'a'e'ë o pü, fa'a'i'ï täofi ma toe fa'aoso. Sä 'ou faitauina ni isi o igoa o pasi: Rainmaker Bus Company; 'Äeto Transport; Manulele Tautala; Moso'oi Pala. E lëai lava se igoa e fa'aono ta'u mai ai 'iä te a'u le pasi e alu 'i le mea 'ou te fia alu 'i ai, o Leone lea, le nu'u lea e tülaga lua lona telë 'iä Amerika Sämoa 'ätoa. E tusa e sefulu ma le lima maila le mamao ma Pago Pago, i le itü 'i sisifo o Tutuila.

Sä iai se tamaitiiti sä tütü i o'u tafatafa, ma sä föliga mai o lo'o fa'atali sana pasi. Sä 'ou fiafia 'ina 'ua 'ou fesili 'i ai e fa'asino mai lo'u 'auala 'i Leone 'ae fai mai o ia fo'i e alu 'i ai.

Sä fönö leo tele le tamaitiiti i le 'aveta'avale o se pasi na sosolo ane 'i o mä tafatafa, ona e tau lë lagona se leo i le leo telë o le pese o lo'o tä mai ai. "E vave ona 'e alu 'i Leone?"

"O lea o le'ä 'ou alu, tuliosi mai!" Na maua o mä nofoaga e lata 'i luma. E mäsani le tamaitiiti ma le isi tagata o le päsese ma sä talanoa loa, 'ae le'i 'umi 'ae 'uma a lä tala, ona lë pisa lava lea o se isi. Sä lelei lo'u nofoaga i le matamata 'i fafo.

Na oso mai le mätou pasi mai le mäketi ma afe atu 'i le 'auala tele. Na 'ou iloa atu le fale laupapa pa'epa'e ma ona fa'apaologa e lua, ma ona poutü läpopo'a. O le fale fa'amasino maualuga lea a Amerika Sämoa.

'O o'u manatua 'ea föliga o le fale lea, pei e tali föliga tutusa lava le fale lea ma fale 'ava i totonu o fale talimälö ia e mäsani ona fa'aali mai i ata kaupoa?

I ona tafatafa ane, 'ae fai sina mao tua atu, o lo'o iai le falesä L.M.S. a Fagotogo. O le isi itü o lo'o iai se fale Sämoa talimälö o se matai, masalo fa'ato'ä ato lea 'ina 'ua tali ai ana mälö i le sisigä fu'a talu ai nei a Amerika Sämoa. O tua atu o lo'o iai le fale afolau o lo'o saofafa'i ai fafine ma fa'atau a lätou mea taulima 'i tagata tafafao mai fafo po'o türisi. O tua atu o le afolau lea, o lo'o fai mai ai le galuega o le fale fono fou.

I le isi itü mauga, 'i lo'u itü taumatau, o lo'o iai le malae ta'alo o le taulaga. O se va'aiga 'ese le tülaga na o'o 'i ai le fiafia o tagata. O le fe'ei ma le tau tuliususü, tau tulioso, tätä 'atigi'apa, taili fa'aili, ma tau fönö solo 'a'o fa'agäsolo ta'aloga kirikiti e lua o lo'o fai. O le malae ia 'ua matuä palapalä 'uma. I le vaitaimi lenei o le tausaga, e iai le ta'amilosaga kirikiti a nu'u 'uma e fai i aso to'ona'i 'uma lava. E tofu le nu'u ma ä lätou 'au ta'ilua - o le 'au a tane ma le 'au a tama'ita'i. O le tausinioga lenei, e tauvä lava 'au a tama'ita'i, tauvä fo'i 'au a tane lätou. O ta'aloga lä ia e lua o lo'o fai mai mai, o ta'aloga ia a tane i le isi itü o le malae, ma le ta'aloga a tama'ita'i i le isi fo'i itü o le melae.

O tala atu o le malae, 'ou te iloa atu ai le fa'asologa o fale'oloa tuai, e iai le Scanlans, Kneubuhls, ma le Pago Bar, soso'o ane ai ma se väega o lo'o avanoa, e lëai se mea o iai. Sä 'ou tau matemate po'o le ä se mea sä tü ai i le avanoa lea, po'o le mea, 'ailoga lava na iai se mea?

I tafatafa ane, o lo'o iai le fale 'otiulu, e fa'asimä, e fogäfale tasi, tasi fo'i le potu, ma fa'amalama e fa'au'amea. Na 'ou manatuaina o le fale lea sä 'avea ma falepuipui o tama'ita'i i aso ia 'ua leva. Soso'o atu ai ma le isi fale e tali föliga tutusa lava ma le fale lea, ma sä 'avea ma falepuipui o tane i aso ia. O le fale lea 'ua 'avea nei ma fale e ta'ua o le Territorial Liquor Store a Amerika Samoa e fa'atau ai 'ava mälolosi, ma pia.

O tua atu o lo'o iai le fale fogäfale lua, e vali pa'epa'e fo'i. O le fogäfale alalo e puipui simä ma o lo'o iai Ofisa o leoleo. O le fogäfale aluga e fau i laupapa, ma o lo'o iai 'uma Ofisa o vaëga e lua o le Fono Faitulafono. O tala atu o fale ia, o lo'o iai se fale tele 'ua sili lona mätagä i totonu o le taulaga. O se fale fou lava, 'ae o lona vali lanu 'efu'efu 'ena'ena, ma lona fausaga e föliga mai o se poloka simä tele, 'ua pei ai lava o se 'olo i aso ia o 'Europa. O le igoa o lea fale o le LUMANA'I, ma o se fale taugatä tele. O fausaga tuai ia fa'aAmerika, e matuä lë talafeagai lava ma le vevela o le tau o Amerika Samoa. O le fogäfale alalo, o lo'o iai le Ofisa o le lälä o le fale tupe a Hawai'i, e fa'asaga aga'i 'i le malae. O le isi itü o lo'o iai le Fale Meli fou a le Iunaite Setete. O le itü o le fale o lo'o fa'asaga 'i le 'auala, o lo'o iai fa'asitepu e lua i fafo e ui atu ai 'i luga 'i le fogäfale aluga. O i 'inä o lo'o iai Ofisa o kamupanï va'alele.

I le itü o le uafu, e na 'ona tau atu o la'u va'ai 'i le fale o le Navy. O le Navy Communication, 'ua 'ävea nei ma Ofisa o le Türisi. O le Fale Meli tuai ai 'ua toe fa'afou e fai ma fale mata'aga, o le Mrs. Haydon's Museum. Sä 'ou iloa atu fo'i le Reid's Pool Hall ma le fale lïpea va'a a le Mälö o lo'o i tua atu o le Museum. Sä 'ou iloa atu se va'a o la'u ifo lana uta i le uafu fou i tala atu 'i tua.

E iai le lainäfale mänanaia lava o lo'o fa'asolosolo atu i 'autafa o le 'auala i luma atu. O fale fa'atäfafä ma o lätou taualuga e fa'atutü 'i lugä, ma e fa'auaea valavala 'uma ona itü. Na fuafua lelei le tö lä'auina o le laufanua lea e iai fale i la'u mätau atu 'i ai. Mänaia fo'i le tülaga o niu 'u'umi o lo'o i gätai atu i le matäfaga. O fale nei sä nonofo ai le Navy i aso ia. Sä fa'aigoa muamua o le Centipede Row, 'a'o lea 'ua 'ävea nei ma fale e nonofo ai papälagi maualuluga o le Mälö.

O lo'u itü taumatau o lo'o iai se 'auala tä e oso atu i lalo o se faitoto'a ma'a matagöfie, aga'i atu ai 'i luga o le a'ega, ui atu ai i se togälä'au lauusiusi, 'äga'i atu ai 'i se fale laupapa pa'epa'e e uiga 'ese lona mänaia. O lo'o iai se alaupapa i le faitoto'a o lo'o tusi mätamäta tetele ai 'upu nei:  "Maota o le Kövana, 'ua sä le ulufale" (Government House: Admission Positively Forbidden).

'A'o mätou pi'o atu i le itü taumatau o le tolotolo, sä 'ou va'aia le Intercontinental Hotel, ma fa'asolo atu ai 'i Utulei. O i 'inei o lo'o iai le Ofisa o Ä'oga maualuga a Sämoana, ma Ofisa maualuluga o le Mälö.

O i 'inä fo'i na 'ou fa'ato'ä va'ai ai 'i le fale mäta'aga fou lea o le Lee Auditorium po'o le Fale Laumei - e mäfua lona igoa ona o lona tino mai e pei o se laumei. Na mätou ui atu fo'i i ni isi fale e nonofo ai tagata faigaluega a le Mälö, nai fale'oloa läiti, le pamu penisini a Scanlan, tane suäu'u tetele, 'ia, ona mätou tu'ua loa lea o le taulaga ma le fiafia.

Ona fa'asolo atu ai lava lea o le mätou pasi i le fepi'opi'oa'i o le 'auala toe väiti. O lo mätou itü tauagavale, o le sami ma le matäfaga. Sä tau leai së talanoa o le päsese. E tusa fo'i pe ana fia talanoa ni isi, e tau lë lagona lava i le leo tele o sipika o lo'o tä mai ai pese Sämoa, 'ätoa ma le üü o le afi o le pasi.

Ina 'ua mätou o'o atu 'i Faga'alu, sä mätou va'aia le falema'i fou o le LBJ Medical Center. O fale e fau fa'aföliga i fale Sämoa. Na tü le mätou pasi i inä mö se tamäloa ma lona atali'i. E mäsani le tamäloa lea na fa'ato'ä oso mai 'i totonu o le pasi ma le fafine na mätou ö mai fa'atasi mai Fagotogo. Sä talanoa loa.

"O fea 'ä lua malaga 'i ai ma lou atali'i?" sä ia fesili ane ai.

"Mä te ö atu fo'i 'i le lä fa'aitü," sä ia tali ane ai ma geno lona ulu aga'i 'i le itü lea e alu aga'i 'i ai le pasi.

"Va'ai fo'i 'i le fale fou o le 'äiga lale, fa'ato'ä 'uma atu nei ona fai 'ae o le lä 'ua ato 'i lalo e le matagi i le vaiaso na te'a nei. 'Ua matuä taugatä tele fale i nei aso. 'Ua lë tutusa ma aso lä."

"E sa'o a 'oe, fai mai o le nu'u lenei o Nu'uuli na sili ona lavea leaga i le matagi. 'Ia, o mala lava nei e o'o 'i nu'u fasioti tagata."

Sä töë ni isi o le päsese ona o le faiva lava lea o le nu'u lea o le fa'amisa ma le fasioti tagata. Sä 'ou 'ata'ata lëmü lava ma 'ou mäfaufau 'i misa a nu'u i aso 'ua te'a.

'A'o sä alu atu pea le mätou pasi ma fepi'opi'oa'i i mau pi'oga lauiti ma le pi'o tü, sä 'ou lë toe maitauina loa igoa o lea nu'u ma lea nu'u na mätou ui atu ai. Sä 'ou le'i manatuaina fo'i ni tüa'oi o nu'u taitasi. Sä lëai ni laupapa e pei o laupapa ia e fa'asino mai ai lea mea ma lea mea e pei ona 'ou mäsani ai i Hawai'i.

O le tele o fale afoloau sä iai muamua, 'ua lëai nei. O nai fale na totoe, sä föliga fa'anoanoa lava, ma e toetoe a mälepelepe.

O le tele ia o fale fou na 'ou va'aia, ma e tali föliga tutusa 'uma lava. O fale ia e fogäfale tasi, tasi le faitoto'a i le 'ogätotonu ma fa'amalama ta'itasi i ona 'autafa. E fa'asimä 'uma lava le fale 'ätoa, 'ae ato 'apa ma e fa'atafafä 'uma lava pei o ni pusa. E föliga mai e lë taitai ona ö gatasi ma le lauusiusi fa'alanulau'ava o lä'au ma fugälä'au o lo'o si'omiaina ia fale.

Na 'ou fesili 'i së tasi o le päsese po'o ä ia fale 'ae fai mai o fale o le äfa. Fai mai o fale, na fuafua 'uma lava le faiga e papälagi o lo'o faigaluega i le Mälö. O nei fo'i fale 'ua föa'i fua ane mö tagata.

Na 'ou va'ai fo'i 'i ni Hamburger Drive-ins' ma sä 'ou matea o fale nei, 'ai ni fale na fa'atü e ni tagata Sämoa sä nonofo i Hawai'i po'o California i ni tausaga se tele, ma o lea lä 'ua fa'amälölö mai i nu'u na fananau ai, ma fai ä lätou pisinisi ia. O le tele o fale fou mänanaia, o fale ia na fa'atü e tagata 'ua ta'i tolusefulu tausaga o i le fitafita a le Mälö. Na 'ou va'aia fo'i ni tama'i falesä fou o isi Ekalesia e le'i iai i inei 'ae'ou te le'i alu 'ese ma Sämoa. O lotu ia e iai le Fa'apotopotoga a Ieova, ma le Molimau a Ieova.

I tala atu o le 'auala e alu 'i le malaeva'alele i Täfuna, i le taufa'asi'usi'uga o le togäniu tuai o le Mälö, o lo'o tutü mai ai fale tetele papa'e fa'aonapönei. O le laupapa e fa'asaga mai i le 'auala o lo'o tusi mai ai le igoa o le "Ä'oga Mauäluga a Mapusaga". O le ä'oga lea a le lotu Mämona.

Ina 'ua lata atu le pasi i Leone, sä 'ou tau autilo solo mö se mänoa po'o se fa'amau e fa'atü ai le pasi - e lëai se mea. E lëai fo'i ni laupapa i le 'auala e fa'ailoa mai ai le mea e tü ai le pasi. Na 'ou tü loa 'i luga ma 'ou tau savali fa'ano'uno'u atu 'i luma. Na iloa mai a'u e le 'ave pasi i le fä'ata ma fesili mai pë 'ou te nofo i 'ï. Sä fa'atü loa le pasi, tu'u lea 'i ai o la'u sëleni, ma 'ou alu loa 'i lalo. Sä toe oso le pasi ma le pepefu mai o tua.

Sä 'ou tilotilo atu loa 'i le Nu'u sä 'ou mäsani lelei ai. E le'i tele na'uä se suiga, ona o lo'o iai pea pine fa'amau o lo'o fai ma fa'ailoga va'aia i le nu'u. O malumalu tetele ia o le Ekälësia L.M.S. ma le Ekälësia Katoliko.

Sä 'ou savali atu i le 'auala tä o lo'o fa'alava i le 'ogätotonu o le 'a'ai. Fai mai le tala, o le 'ogä'ele'ele lea 'ua alu ai nei le 'auala, o le mea lea na fai ma malae o le Nu'u i aso lava ia, 'ae 'ou te le'i fänau mai fo'i a'u ia. Fai mai tasi lea malae sä sili ona mänaia 'iä Sämoa. O fitafita a le Iunaite Setete na lätou faia le 'auala lea, fa'aagaga mö le taua. 'Ou te manatuaina, fai mai na fa'aleagaina lava le lau'ele'ele e aunoa ma se logoina o se tasi o le nu'u, po'o 'ilätou e ana ia fanua. E lë tioa fo'i se isi, 'auä o le vaitaimi lea o le fefefe o tagata iä Sapanï. O le pogai lea o le lëai o se isi e fa'alavelave. Sä 'ou tau mäfaufau pë fa'amata na iai se taui o mea ia na fa'aleagaina 'ina 'ua 'uma le taua.

Na 'ou ui atu i tafatafa o le tama'i fale'oloa o Pö'ia le tuafafine o lo'u tamäfai o Samasoni, ma 'ou fa'asasa'o atu ai loa i le fale o Save, le uso matua o Samasoni. O ia lea sä 'avea ma Matai o le 'äiga. Tusa 'ua sefulu nei tausaga talu ona maliu o ia. E le'i leva atu fo'i le maliu o lona faletua (avä) i California, ma sä alu 'i ai lo'u tinä i lea maliu.

O lo'o nonofo ai nei i le fale le atali'i matua o Save, o Tafia'ina ma le lätou 'äiga, fa'atasi ai ma lona tuafafine o Mausa ma lona to'alua. O Tafi sä faife'au i le lotu L.M.S. i le nu'u o Vatia i le tausaga na te'a nei. Sä nofo ai fo'i lo'u uso o Fotuotausala.

E ui lava 'ina o le fale o Save o se fale papälagi, ma e täpunipuni, e peisea'ï o lo'o fa'atümauina pea le mänu Sämoa. Na 'ou o'o atu loa i luma o le fale, o'u tütü ai loa ma 'ou fa'apea ifo 'iä te a'u lava: "E tatau nei loa 'ea ona 'ou tu'itu'ia le faitoto'a lea e i luma?" E lëai ma se isi o le 'äiga o Samasoni o ona iloa o lea 'ou te i Sämoa nei. Ona o lo'u naunau lava 'ou te fia alu e asi le fa'ato'aga a mätou i luga o le mauga, o lea na 'ou fa'apea ai loa, 'ou te lë ulufale pe'ä to'atele ni isi o lo'o iai. E tele ai fo'i le talanoa ma ni isi fa'aleaganu'u e tusa ai ma la'u taunu'u mai. O le isi mea, 'ou te lë o mautinoa lelei po'o le ä le tülaga o le aganu'u i tülaga fa'apea, ma 'ou te lë mana'o fo'i e fa'amatagä le mätou 'äiga pë mäasiasi ai fua a'u ia i le fa'ailoaina o lo'u lë ämana'iaina o ia mea.

Sä 'ou savalivali lëmü atu loa i tuäfale ma 'ou fa'asi'usi'u mata 'i totonu o le fale. E lëai ma se pisa. O lona uiga e lë to'atele pë lëai fo'i ni isi o lo'o i totonu. Sä tau feololo ifo la'u fa'alogo i le taimi lea.

I tafatafa o le tulimanu o le fale, sä ta'a'alo ai ni tamaiti se to'atolu. Sä 'ou tütü ai loa i 'inä, pei lava 'ou te lë o iloaina ni tamaiti, ma ula la'u sikaleti.
     Mulimuli ane, sä 'ou fesili loa 'i ai.

"O ai lä e i totonu o le fale?"

"Asi."

O Asi o le afafine la'itiiti lea o Tafin - masalo pë 'ua 'ätoa nei le sefulu ma le ono o ona tausaga. Sä 'ou la'a atu loa 'i le faitoto'a i tua ma tu'itu'i. Sä 'ou lagona atu le savali mai o le tagata aga'i mai 'i le faitoto'a. Sä tau mätala mai le faitoto'a ma fesili mai se leo teine,

"O ai?"

"Dixie."

Sä toe tapuni fa'avave le faitoto'a. Sä 'ou tago ifo loa ma talai o'u se'evae, tatala ma le faitoto'a, ma 'ou ulu atu loa 'i totonu. Sä 'ou mautinoa o 'Asi lea, e ui lava 'ua leva 'ou te le'i toe va'ai 'i ai. Sä tutü mai o ia ma se toea' ina ma fa'atau pupula mai 'iä te a'u, pei o ni tagata 'ua mëia.

"O 'oe o Asi, a 'ea?" sä 'ou fesili atu ai.

"Ioe, 'a'o ai 'oe?"

"Dixie."

"Pepelo."

"O fea Tafi?"

"O lä e alu 'i Fagatogo."

" 'A'o fea Mausa ma lona to'alua?"

"O lä 'e faigaluega 'uma i Fagatogo. O fea 'e te sau ai nei?"

"O lea fa'ato'ä 'ou sau mai Fagatogo."

Sä 'ou iloa atu lava i lana pupula e lë talitonu o a'u o Dixie. 'Ou te iloaina sä la'itiiti tele o ia 'ae 'ou alu loa 'i Hawai'i. Sä 'ou la'itiiti fo'i ma pa'e'e i le vaitaimi lea. E le'i faia fo'i sa'u matatioata. O lea fo'i 'ua 'ou läpo'a ma la'u 'ava 'u'umi. E lë tioa ona lë maitauina a'u. Sä 'ou 'ata loa ma fa'amatala 'i ai.

"E te'a ifo loa Niusila mai le falema'i (Trippler Hospital) 'ona ö mai loa lea ma Mua i le va'alele o le Mälö." O Mua o le to'alua lea o Tafi, 'a'o Niusila o le tuagane matua lea o Asi. E ma te tupulaga lelei lava ma Niusila, ma sä o le lelei ia o le mä uö i aso o mä läiti, 'a'o mätou nonofo fa'atasi i le mauga. O Niusila lä lea 'ua i le Maligi.

"O le ä le ma'i o Niusila?"

"Na 'ou fa'alogo na fai le ta'otoga o lona manava."

"E ö mai fa'atasi lä ia ma Mua ma le Pepe?"

"Ioe, o le mea lenä na fai mai ai Mua."

" 'Aue 'e, 'a'o lea fa'ato'ä alu atu nei fo'i Niusila i le vaiaso na te'a nei, sä mätou fai kirisimasi i 'inei i lana fa'amälölöga.

" 'Ou te iloa, 'ae na fai sa'o ane lava Mua e ö mai ma le Pepe ma Niusila i le va'alele o le Mälö."

"O ä mea a Fotu o lo'o fai?"

"O lä e faigaluega i le Toyota Motors i Waipahu ma, fa'ato'ä fa'atau talu ai nei lana ta'avale."

Sä föliga mai 'ua tau talitonu 'Asi o a'u o Dixie. Sä fai ane le toea'ina, " 'Ua fo'i ifo Mua mai le Mainland?"

"Ioe, sä nofo i o'u mätua, fa'ato'ä alu ai 'ina 'ua 'uma le fa'aulufalega o le falesä L.M.S. a Waianae. O le lä 'ua toe fo'i ane ma nofo i o'u mätua ma fa'atali ai le te'a a'e o Niusila mai le falema'i.

Sä luelue le ulu o le toea'ina ona taufai mou atu ai lea 'i tua ma Asi 'i le isi itü o le fale. E le'i 'umi 'ae toe fo'i mai Asi ma la'u vai tïpolo ma toe mou fo'i. E le'i 'umi 'ae ö mai loa ma ipu e tumu le isi i wahoo 'ae tumu le isi i 'ulu saka ma moa falai. Sä 'ou 'ai loa ma talanoa, 'a'o mata'i mai a'u e le väega.

Sä 'ou 'ai loa ma talanoa, 'a'o mata'i mai a'u e le väega.

"Vasega fia lea 'ua 'e iai nei Asi?

"Vasega sefulu."

"O le ä le ä'oga lea 'e te ä'oga ai?"

"Ä'oga maualuga a Leone."

"O fea lou tuagane o Fäleti?"

"O lä e i luga o le mauga o Olovalu."

"O ä'oga lava Fäleti?"

"Na fa'au'u i le tausaga lea, ma o lea 'ua ä'oga nei i le Community College a Amerika Sämoa."

"O ai isi lä e i le mauga?"

"O Fäleti ma Fotu matua (Le uso o Tafi) ma lo'u tuagane la'itiiti ma le tama Upolu, ma isi tamaiti."

"O mafai lava ona oso i le 'auala le lä e i Malaeloa 'äga'i 'ï le mauga?"

"Lëai, 'ua lë toe iai le 'auala lenä."

"Na o le 'auala la e i le nu'u o Fütiga e mafai ona 'ou oso ai, a 'ea?"

"Ioe."

Sä 'aumai e le toea'ina le 'apa fafano 'ou te fafano ai 'ina 'ua 'uma ona 'ou' ai. Sä 'ese la'u fa'alogona i le taimi lea, ona 'ua pei 'ua 'ou faia le toea'ina ma a'u tävini.

E le'i 'aumaia lava e se tagata se 'apa fafano 'iä te a'u talu ona 'ou ola. 'A'o o'u la'itiiti, sä 'ou laulauina mea'ai ma 'ave 'apa fafano 'i o'u mätua po'o ni isi fo'i o tagata e asiasi ifo i le mätou 'äiga. O lea 'ua feliua'i. 'Ua 'aumai 'iä te a'u le 'apa fafano.

Sä 'ou fa'afetai loa i le toea'ina ma Asi ma 'ou tago atu loa 'ämata ona tapena ipu sä 'ou 'ai ai, 'i le umukuka. Sä fa'atoga ane ma fai ane e tu'u 'iä lä'ua lä te tapenaina. Sä 'ou tago loa i le 'apa fafano ma savali ma a'u 'i le umukuka e fufulu ai o'u lima. Sä 'ou ofo ona o lea lava e tümau le aganu'u lea tau fa'aaloaloga i Sämoa.

Sä 'ou fo'i ifo loa ma 'ou saofa'i i se nofoa fa'amalü. O Asi ma le toea'ina sä i tua pea i le umukuka. Sä 'ou fa'apea loa o le 'ä 'ou alu loa 'i le mauga.

'Ou te o'o atu 'i le umukuka o 'a'ai le toea'ina ma Asi ma e föliga mai o lo'o samusamu i toega mea'ai o la'u 'aiga. Sä 'ou te'i ma fai fo'i si na 'ou fa'anoanoa ona toeitiiti lava 'uma mea'ai ona 'ou 'aia. 'Ou te le'i iloaina e le'i 'a'ai le lätou 'äiga.

Sä 'ou toe fa'afetai ma fa'amävae loa 'i ai. Na 'ou fai 'i ai 'ou te toe sau i se isi aso.

Sä 'ou alu ane loa ma fa'atali le pasi e alu i Fütiga. Ina 'ua taunu'u, sä totogi lo'u päsese ma 'ou oso loa 'i lalo. Sä 'ämata loa la'u savaliga äga'i i le mauga. O le 'auala lea na 'ou ui ai, sä 'ou mäsani lelei ai lava i aso o o'u la'itiiti.

E le'i 'umi 'ae 'ou tau atu loa i le fale o Milosia ma Pua'atoli'ulu. O le lä fänau tama sä mätou ä'o'oga fa'atasi ma lo'u tuafafine o Felila i le ä'oga tulagalua a Malaeloa. O igoa o tama o 'Upu, Paepae, ma Paoa. Sä 'ou fa'alogo mai i Hawai'i 'ua ö tama ia i California e nonofo ai i le lätou tuafafine matua 'ua fa'aipoipo.

Sä mäsani ona ö atu tama ia 'i le mauga ma mätou tafafao ai. Sä mäsani fo'i ona fetüfaa'i a mätou mea'ai. 'Ä tele loa ni mätou pua'a po'o ni i'a, ona 'ave lea o se isi väega mä Milosia - e 'äiga ma Save. O isi fo'i taimi e 'aumai ai fo'i a mätou i'a iä Milosia.

'Ou te manatuaina le isi aso na tuli ane ai e Milosia, ia Paepae e 'ave ane ni i'a vela mä mätou. Na sau Paepae ma tu'u le 'ato i lo'u tinä ma fai ane, "O i'a nä, na 'aumai iä Milosia." Na alu loa Paepae 'ae mätou fetägofi atu tatala le 'ato. E lëai ma se i'a e tasi na iai. Na o lau'ulu na afïafï ai mea pei ni i'a.

O le taeao na soso'o ai na usu ai Samasoni 'iä Milosia pë o le ä le mea 'ua 'aumai ai lea 'ato'ato e na o otaota 'ae leäi ni i'a. Sä te'i Milosia ma vala'auina loa Paepae. O le mälosi o le fa'asufiga na ta'u ai loa e Paepae o ia na na 'aia 'uma i'a.

O lo'u itü tauagavale na 'ou va'aia ai se fale afä i le fanua o Milosia. O o'u luma atu o lo'o tü ai pea le fale papälagi tuai, 'a'o lo'u itü taumatau o lo'o iai fo'i le isi fale afä.

Sä 'ou iloa atu foi se faleo'o, ma le umukuka i tua atu. E to'afä ni teine sä laga 'ato, ma sä 'ou iloa atu 'ua tao le lätou umu. O le isi teine sä saeina le launiu, 'a'o le isi sä salusalu tuaniu e fai a'i se salu. Sä vala'au mai le isi teine,

" 'E te alu 'i le mauga?"

"Ioe." Sä 'ou tali atu ai ma fa'aauau lava la'u savaliga. Na 'ou oso atu i lalo o le mago o Milosia ma 'ou ui atu i tafatafa o le pä pua'a.

E le'i 'umi 'ae 'ou tau atu loa i le ma'umaga. E to'atele ni tama sä galulue ai. Sä galulue lava ma talanoa ma fai a lätou tausuaga. Sä tilotilo mai 'iä te a'u ma, ona e le'i faia 'i ai sa'u tala, o lea na toe punonou ai 'i lalo ma fa'aauau le lätou galuega.

E le'i iai se suiga tele o föliga o le 'auala e o'o lava 'i 'ulu i 'autafa o le 'auala. Sä 'ou tau atu i ma'umaga, o togä'ulu, nai togäfa'i ma niu 'u'umi e tütü solo.

Ina 'ua 'ou latalata atu 'i le 'auvae mauga, sä 'ou iloa atu loa 'apa o le fale o Tafi i se mafola i luga o le mauga, Pë fa'ato'ä 'afa la'u alu i luga o le mauga, 'ae sä tau le mafai ona 'ou mänava i lo'u sela. Sä fai loa la'u mälöloga. Sä 'ou manatuaina aso ia sä 'ou fetämo'ea'i ai i luga o le mauga lea ma 'ävega talo, 'ulu, nonufi'afi'a, po'o fafie fo'i.

Ina 'ua toe tau maua mai lo'u mälosi, sä toe fa'aauau loa la'u sopo. O le taimi lea, 'ua 'ou savalivali lëmü, se'ia o'o ina 'ou taunu'u atu 'i luma o se faleö'o. E to'atele ni tamaiti o lo'o i totonu. Na o le to'atasi le tagata 'ou te iloa, na o le lä e ta'oto'oto mai i totonu o le fale i luga o le fola laupapa palapalä o le faleo'o. Na 'ou iloa lava o le fuaitino o Fäleti lea. Sä vala'au le isi tamaitiiti, "Fäleti! Le papälagi lea 'ua sau.

Sä ea a'e 'i luga le ulu o le atali'i o Tafi, ma sä 'ou iloaina atu na te lë o manatuaina a'u. Sä 'ou ulufale loa ma 'ou nofo i luga o le fola laupapa ma 'ou fesili atu, "O 'oe o Fäleti?"

Sä te'i loa ma nofo vave i luga ma fa'alagolago i le pou ma fa'asaga mai 'iä te a'u.

" 'Ua 'ou fia inu tele, e iai ni tou vai?" sä 'ou fesili atu ai.

Sä fa'anunumi pea mata o Fäleti ma fa'atonu le isi tamaitiiti e ligi mai ni vai mai le tïpoti.

Na 'uma loa ona 'ou inu, o'u fai atu loa, "Fa'ato'ä 'ou sau nei mai Leone."

"O ai lä e i le fale?"

" 'Asi ma le toea'ina. 'E te lë o manatuaina lava a'u? O a'u o Dixie."

Sä tü vave loa i luga ma oso mai lülü lo'u lima ma fai mai, "Oi sole! Oi sole!"

Sä muamua ona fa'afeiloa'i mai 'iä te a'u le tama Upolu o Sätini, ma e föliga mai e matua le tama lea iä Fäleti. Na fa'afeiloa'i mai fo'i lea o lona uso la'itiiti ma isi tamaiti. 'A'o fa'atumulia pea Fäleti i le fiafia, sä ia fesili mai loa, "O anafea na 'e taunu'u ai, mai i Hawai'i?"

"Aso Lulu, tusa 'ua tolu nei aso talu ona 'ou taunu'u mai."

Sä 'ou inuinu vai lava ma fa'amatala tala o le lätou 'äiga i Hawai'i.

" 'Ua 'e va'ai i le mea sä iai muamua le tou fale?" Sä lülü lo'u ulu.

"Se i tä ö 'i ai i se taimi."

"Na 'e iloa ifo le fänau a Pua'atoli'ulu o 'Upu ma Paepae lä e galulue i le lätou ma'umaga?"

"Na 'ou ui mai ai 'ae, 'ou te le'i iloaina. Fa'apea lava a'u 'ai o i le Mainland. O anafea na toe fo'i mai ai?"

" 'Ua tusa 'ua 'ätoa nei le tausaga, ma 'ua lä fiafia 'ua toe fo'i mai."

O le isi tamaitiiti sä na fa'aaogäina le naifi e tofi lua ai 'ulu. E ala ona tofi lua, 'ina ia vela lelei ai, 'ae o le fa'aaogäina o le naifi e fai ai le galuega e lë o se faiga fa'aSämoa moni lea. O le to'ipua lava e fa'aaogä, ona o le talitonuga fa'apea, e lë lelei ai le manogi o le 'ulu, ma e lë matagofie pe'ä lämolemole le vaeluaina o le 'ulu, 'ae mänaia pe'ä föliga mai sä vavae i lima. Tali pe'ï o le vavaeina o le pani i se tui 'ae lë o se naifi.

Sä tau nanä e le tamitiiti lona paië i le 'ua ia fa'aaogäina le papätua matatupa o le naifi, 'ae sä iloa atu lava e Fäleti ma 'ote atu 'i ai. "E ita nei Tafi, alu e fisi mai se lä'au e fai ma to'ipua."

E ui lava ina sä lë nanati le gäoioi a le tamaitiiti, 'ae sä usita'i lava. Sä na o le nonofo o le 'auali'i o Fäleti ma Sätini 'ae fai e nai tamaiti läiti le umu. Peita'i, 'ina 'ua 'ou fai 'i ai e fia tapu'e ni a'u ata, sä tulioso ifo loa le 'auali'i ma fa'atagä vevesi solo i le faiga o le umu. Na 'uma loa fo'i ona tapu'e a'u ata, toe saofafa'i fo'i lea o le 'auali'i 'ae tu'u 'i nai tamaiti le faiga o le umu.

Tasi fo'i lea tülaga mäsani a Sämoa. E 'ämata mai lava i le fa'ato'a savali o le tamaitiiti, e fai lava 'i ai fe'au a lë e matua ane 'iä te ia. Ona fa'asolo ai lava lea o ia i luga o le apefa'i. E lë aunoa lava ma së tasi e i ona luga a'e, na te lë faia se fa'atonuga. I le fa'asolo atu lea 'i luga o le apefa'i, o le tagata pito la'itiiti e tatau ona fa'aalia le fa'aaloalo 'i lë e matua, ma 'ia usita 'i e aunoa ma se tali 'upu i mea 'uma e mana'o ai. E mausalï lava le tülaga lea e fa'apea: "O lë e pule, o lë e matua." 'Aemaise i totonu o 'äiga, e lë tatau fo'i ona tautala le tamaitiiti pe'ä fai tala a tagata mätutua, se'i vaganä o talanoa tonu ifo 'i ai. O fe'au 'uma o le 'äiga e o'o i le faiga o mea'ai, e tele lava ina fai e tamaiti. 'Ä vela mai fo'i le mea'ai, o tagata mätutua fo'i e 'a'ai muamua. O isi taimi, e o'o ifo i le taimi e 'a'ai ai tamaiti, 'ua lëai se mea'ai o toetoe ona mole manava ai lava lea. E seäseä maua e tamaiti se avanoa e 'a'ai ai i mea'ai lelei e pei o povi ma i'a.

O le tülaga o Sätini, le tama lea mai i Upolo, o se fa'ata'ita'iga lelei lava lei i le fa'atülagaina o tagata i Amerika Sämoa i aso nei. E lëai se tagata Sämoa na te taliaina lenei itü'äiga o fa'atülagana, pe'ä fuafua i le tülaga na iai Sämoa i le lima sefulu tausaga 'ua tuana'i. Na 'ämata mai le fa'atülagaga lea ina 'ua 'avea le Mälö o Sämoa i Sisifo ma Mälö tüto'atasi. Tusa 'ua 'ätoa nei le sefulu o tausaga. E ui ina e sili mamao atu le tamäo'äiga o Sämoa i Sisifo i tülaga tau lau'ele'ele ma lona laufauna, o lo'o fa'asolo atu 'ina mativa tele i tülaga tau tupe, talu ona tu'u 'ese le tausiga a Niu Sila. O le vaitaimi tonu fo'i lea na taumafai ai le Iunaite Setete e si'itia lo lätou fesoasoani 'iä Sämoa i Sasa'e po'o Amerika Sämoa, e ala i tülaga tau tupe. Sä afua mai lea si'itaga ona sä leva se vaitaimi o tu'u lafoa'i e le Iunaite Setete lo lätou tiute o le tausiga lea o Amerika Sämoa, lo lätou Telitoli Tausi. Lea lä 'ua lätou taumafai e toe totogi le lätou nofo sala. Sä 'ämata loa ona liligi mai totonu o Amerika Sämoa le miliona ma miliona o tälä i tausaga 'uma. Talu ai o tagata Amerika Sämoa o tagata tausi ia a le Iunaite Setete, (le vasega lona tolu i le fa'atülagaina o tagatänu'u a le Iunaite Setete, 'ae sa'oloto lo lätou feoa'i i Amerika) sä fa'atuputupu teleina pea le to'atele o tagata na tu'uva'a atu i Hawai'i ma California, ona o sa'iligätupe lava. E mafai ona maua e lätou ni tupe se tele i le mäsina e tasi nai lo tupe lätou te maua i Amerika Sämoa po'o Sämoa i Sisifo fo'i i le tausaga 'ätoa. O tagata lä o Sämoa i Sisifo, e lëai so lätou fa'atagana 'i totonu o le Iunaite Setete. Sä faigatä tele tüläfono tau femalagaa'ina i le vä o Sämoa i Sisifo ma le Iunaite Setete, e o'o lava fo'i i le vä ma Amerika Sämoa. Peita'i, 'äfai e nofo se tagata Sämoa i Sisifo i Amerika Sämoa, ma aloa'ia, e iai lona avanoa e ulufale aloa'ia ai 'i le Iunaite Setete.

O Sätini o se tasi lea tagata o le 'au'äiga, o se väega o le 'au'äiga o lo'o i Sämoa i Sisifo. O lea na 'aumai ai e Tafi 'i Leone e faigaluega ai. So'o se taimi lava e lïpoti leaga ai Sätini e se isi o le 'äiga lea 'i le Ofisa o Femalaga'iga, o le taimi fo'i lea e toe fa'afo'i ai o ia 'i Sämoa i Sisifo. E pei lava o le to'atele o tagata Amerika Sämoa, e mana'omia tele e Tafi ni tagata e gälulue i lona fa'ato'aga. Tagata ia e mafai ona ia fa'afaigaluega fuaina, 'a'o ö lana fänau 'i ä'oga, pë ö fo'i e faigaluega tümamä i le Mälö. I ni isi fa'a'upuga, o Sätini o le tävini lea a ona cousins. E pei ona 'ou fa'ailoa atu muamua, o Sätini e matua atu i lö Fäleti, ma e lë taumate e sili atu fo'i lona poto i mea tau faifa'ato'aga, 'ae sä manino mai lava, o Fäleti lea e pule ma faia fa'atonuga. O Sätini o se tagata 'a'ami lea e faigaluega i le fa'ato'aga, se'i vaganä ai, e lë totögia. O le faigaluega lelei ma le usita'i, i le faigaluega mai lava i le taeao se'ia o'o i le leva o le pö, o le'ä 'ävea lea ma 'auala 'ätonu e o'o atu ai 'i Hawai'i po'o California.

O ni isi nä o o'u mäfaufauga 'a'o o'u matamata i le taoina o le umu e tama.

E taufi maumau i lau'ulu ona soso'o atu ai lea ma laufa'i. Ina 'ia puipuia malu le 'a'asa i totonu o le umu, e fa'aaogä tauvela e toe ufi atu ai tua. Na pau lä le isi mea lea e totoe, o le fa'atalitali lea 'i le taimi e vela mai ai 'ulu - tusa pë 'afa itülä.

O le taimi lelei lava lea e asi ai le mätou fale tuai. Sä mä tu'ua loa isi tamaiti 'ae mä ö ma Fäleti. Sä mä oso atu i le 'auala lea sä 'ou mäsani ai. Sä fa'asino mai e Fäleti le ku'ava 'ua lia'i 'i luga e le afä talu ai nei. Sä 'ou manatuaina lelei sä mäsani ona 'ou 'a'e'a'e i le ku'ava lea pe'ä fua. Sä fa'alava se niu i le 'auala, tasi fo'i lea töëga a le afä.

Sä ma taunu'u loa 'i le mea sä tü ai le mätou fale. Sä lëai ma sina mea sä totoe, e o'o lava i se tülagäfale.

Sa 'ou maitauliaina ni isi o a'u uö, o le mago, 'ulu, ma le nonufi'afi'a. O isi mea 'uma 'ua ufitia 'uma i le fue, ma vao ma lä'au.

Sä 'ou manatuaina le mätou fale sä telë tele, 'ae o lea 'ua föliga mai e matuä la'itiiti tele.

Sä 'ou manatuina fo'i sä iai le pä tagitagi sä i luma o le mätou fale. Sä 'ou autilo solo, 'ae lëai se mea na 'ou va'ai 'i ai. Sä 'ou fesili 'iä Fäleti po'o le ä le mea 'ua tupu i le pä, 'ae fa'asino mai le fa'apüloulou 'ua mäfiafia i le fue o lo'o sosolo ai. Tälofa e, i si tagitagi, e matuä lë maua lava sona avanoa pe'ä leai le fesoasoani a le tagata. E lë o toe 'umi 'ae mäe'a loa le tauiviga, ona pë loa lea ma pala, ma fa'alafulëmüina ai le 'ele'ele mö 'ilätou na tapëina o ia.

" 'Ou te fiafia lava e nofo i 'inei pe'ä fai 'ae 'ou toe fo'i mai." O la'u tala lea iä Fäleti. "E 'ese le mänaia, lëai se pisa, ma e matuä galo ai lava le väväö ma le tauto'ai lea e maua ai tagata o lo'o nonofo i le taulaga."

Peita'i 'a'o o'u faia ia tala, sä 'ou lagonaina le fa'alotolotolua o lo'u mäfaufau. Sä 'ämata ona fa'asolo o'u mäfaufauga i mau misa ma fe'ese'esea'iga ma isi mea fa'anoanoa sä tutupu i le nofoaga lenei.

Sä 'ou manatuaina le alapö i vaveao o Aso Sä e fai le fa'apusa ma kuka mea'ai mö le to'ona'i. Mulimuli ane ona mä sävavali lea ma si o'u tuafafine o Felila e 'ave le to'ona'i a le mätou matai, o Save, le uso matua o Samasoni. O mea'ai pito lelei 'uma o le mätou umu e 'ave ma le matai. O se tasi fo'i lea aganu'u a Sämoa, o le tautua lea 'i le matai. Talu ai ona o 'imätou o lo'o nonofo i le fanua o le 'äiga potopoto, o lea e tautau ai ona mätou tautua 'i le matai o le 'äiga.

Ona sä lë maua e 'imätou se mapu po'o se to'afïlëmü, o lea na tonu ai loa i o'u mätua, o le'ä tu'ua e 'imätou Amerika Sämoa. I le tausaga e 1959, sä fa'atau 'uma ai loa a mätou pua'a, ma maua ai loa le päsese o Samasoni 'i Hawai'i. Sä faigaluega mamafa o ia ma fa'asolosolo ona la'u atu 'imätou i le mea o lo'o tafe ai le susu ma le meli. O le tausaga la e 1961 na 'ou lele ai 'i Hawai'i e fa'atasi ma lo'u tinä ma lo'u tamäfai. O le sefulu ma le tasi lea o o'u tausaga.

Sä fa'aauau pea le mä matamataga ma Fäleti 'i le mea na iai le mätou fale. Sä toe oso mai fo'i lo'u fia inu 'ae sä 'ou musu e fa'ailoa 'iä Fäleti 'ua galo la'u 'a'e niu.

"Sole," Sä 'ou fai atu ai. "O 'e iloa lava 'a'e niu?" niu 'e te mana'o 'i ai, e iai le niu na tu'u 'i lalo e tamaiti ina 'ua paië e fe'a'ei. O lä e i o le. Tafëfë 'ä iloa e Tafi le niu lea 'ua tu'u e safue 'uma fo'i le 'auali'i lä."

Sä mä mauaina le niu lea na tu'u 'ae 'ua lëai ma se niu o totoe ai. Peita'i o tafatafa ane sä ta'atia ai le isi niu, ma e föliga mai na tülei 'i lalo e le matagi ona e mase'i 'ätoa lava 'i luga ma a'a. E lëai fo'i ni tülagäto'i o iai i le tino o le niu. Sä salalau solo lava niu, 'ai na fitifiti 'ese mai le niu 'ina 'ua palasi 'i lalo. Sä tu'i loa e Fäleti le isi niu se'ia o'o 'ina sisina mai le sua, ona tu'u mai lea 'iä te a'u 'ou te inu ai. Sä 'ou tago atu ma vete lua le niu. Na 'uma le sua o le niu 'ae 'ou te le'i malie. Sä toe tu'i fo'i le isi niu. Se e 'ese le mänaia ma le mälü o le sua o le niu, 'ai ona o le lava puipui o ona pulu mäfiafia ma lona atigi ipu malö.

Sä 'ou tago ifo loa ma 'u'u a'e isi niu ma mä fa'asolo atu loa 'i le mea na iai le mätou pä pua'a. 'Ana lë seanoa le mau mago lapopo'a na iai, semanü 'ou te lë iloa le mea sä iai le pä pua'a. 'Ua matuä vaoa 'ätoa, pei lava o le mätou tülagäfale.

E le'i 'umi 'ae mä toe tau loa i le 'auala 'i le fale o Tafi. E lua ni pua'a sä suasua solo, ma sä 'ou fesili po'o ai e ana ia pua'a.

"O a mätou pua'a," sä fai ane ai Fäleti. "Toe lua a mätou pua'a ma moa e lua na e totoe. E fa'atele galuega. E o'o lava i le teuga o le 'auala lea e alu 'i le pä pua'a, o le matuä galuega tümau lava lea mea. Leaga e te le'i va'ai 'i ai Dixie i le tülaga na iai le 'auala 'ina 'ua fai sina levaleva ona tou ö. Mätou te ö mai 'ua vaoa 'uma. 'Ä lëai se isi e nofo mau ai i 'inei, e lë 'umi lava 'ae ufitia 'uma e le vao. 'E te talitonu i la'u tala lenä pe 'ana e iai i 'inei i le vaitaimi na mätou teua ai le 'auala. Se e o'o atu le mätou teu i le tumutumu o le 'auala, 'ua 'ämata fo'i ona toe ola atu lalo."

'E te talitonu i la'u tala lenä pe 'ana e iai i 'inei i le vaitaimi na mätou teua ai le 'auala. Se e o'o atu le mätou teu i le tumutumu o le 'auala, 'ua 'ämata fo'i ona toe ola atu lalo."

Talu ona 'ou tu'ua le mätou 'äiga 'ou te le'i va'ai lava 'ua o'o le vao 'i se tülaga fa'apea. Na muamua fai la'u tala 'iä Fäleti e nä o tagata e sui, 'a'o le laufanua ia e tümau lava. O lea 'ua 'ou iloa nei lo'u sesë. Na manino mai 'iä te a'u, o lä'au e ola a'e, mätutua, ma pepe. O le fa'alenätura lea mai le vavau. E tutusa lava a'u ma le lä'au. Sä 'ou fänua a'e, lea 'ua 'ou tupu, ma o a'u fo'i e oti i se aso. 'Ua sui a'u, ma o le'ä fa'apea ai lava ona tümau le suisui o lo'u tagata, e pei lava o le lä'au. 'A'o fa'asolosolo i luma lo'u olaga, o le'ä fa'apënä fo'i ona fa'asolosolo mai le fa'aopoopoga o meafou 'ou te iloa. Na 'ou fa'alogo i se fa'amatalaga e fa'apea, e lëai se gata'aga o le ä'oga a le tagata. Fa'ato'ä uma lava 'ina 'ua o'o mai le oti. 'Ua matua'i o'u talitonu lava i lea fa'amatalaga. E suisui pea föliga o lä'au, tusa lava pë mätutua. 'Ou te mana'omia le vai 'ou te inu ai 'ina ia 'ou ola. E fa'apenä fo'i le lä'au, ia. E tatau lava ona 'ou mulimuli i la'asaga o le nätura o mea, ona o a'u 'ätoa, o se väega lea o le nätura o mea.

Ina 'ua mä tauna'u atu 'i le faleo'o, sä pei o le änoa le taufai tulioso o le 'auali'i i le faiga o fe'au. Sä mä mälölö loa ma Fäleti ma inu a mä niu. Sä 'ou fesili 'i ai po'o le ä sona fa'amoemoe mö le lumana'i.

"O lea e 'ave a'u matä'upu fa'apisinisi i le Community College." sä ia tali ane ai.

"Aiseä?"

"O le mana 'oga a lo'u tamä."

"Fa'amata 'e te fiafia i le 'avea o 'oe ma tagata fai pisinisi?"

" 'Ailoga," sä ia fai ane fa'agesegese ai. Na 'umi sina taimi ona toe fa'apopoopo ane lea. "'Ätonu 'ou te le'i mautinoa lava."

Sä vave ona o'o o'u mäfaufauga i la'u uö o Niusila, le uso matua o Fäleti. O le tülaga lava lea e tasi, lea fo'i 'ua toe fai. I le tausaga e 1969, sä ui atu ai Niusila 'i Hawai'i i lana malaga 'i le Mainland. Sä maua sana sikolasipi i le Mälö e ä'oga ai fa'alöia. Sä alu le pö 'ätoa o mä talanoa.
"O le ä tonu lava le mea 'e te mana'o 'i ai mö lou olaga?"

E le'i fa'atali i lona tali mai, "Sä 'ou mana'o lava 'ia 'ävea a'u ma föma'i, 'ae o lea 'ua 'ou ä'oga fa'alöia ona o le mana'o lea o Tafi, 'ia 'ävea a'u ma löia."

Na mä toe fetaui ma Niusila i se siva na fai i Hawai'i, 'ina 'ua mavae le tele o ni tausaga talu le mä talanoaga i le pö lea. Mä te fetaui 'ua i le Maligi le tama, ma sä föliga mai 'iä te a'u, e fiafia lava Niusila i le mea lea 'ua iai.

"O le ä le mea 'ua tupu i le fa'alöia?" sä 'ou fesili atu ai.

"Ua täofia e le Mälö sikolasipi 'uma lava." sä ia tali ane ai e aunoa ma se tau fa'atali. "Sä lë maua se tupe o la'u ä'oga o lea sä 'ou fa'apea ai loa e sili pe'ä 'ou alu e tautö i le Mälö."

Na 'ou iloa mulimuli na mimilo fo'i e Niusila le mea moni. Na leaga tele togi o ana mata'upu i le Kolisi lea na iai, o le pogai lea na se'i 'eseina ai e le Mälö le sikolasipi mai iä te ia. Sä lë toe mafai e Niusila ona toe fo'i i lona 'äiga ma fa'afeagai ma lona tamä, ma o le tülaga lea 'ou te mälamalama lelei 'i ai. O lona fia tagata valea lava na ala ai ona pepelo mai 'iä te a'u, 'ae lë mäfaufau, e iai lava le aso 'ou te iloa ai le mea moni.

O se tasi o fa'afïtäuli tele o tamaiti Sämoa ia e ö mai 'i Hawai'i, o le lëai lea o se fa'autauta, po'o se mafai ona pülea e ia, ia lava. O le taimi muamua lava lea fa'ato'ä tu'u'ese mai ai 'ilätou mai le ta'iti'iga a mätua. E le'i lava Säunia 'ilätou mö le tautaia e 'ilätou, o 'ilätou lava. E le'i iai fo'i so lätou poto, po'o so lätou fa'asinoga e uiga i le olaga o lo'o i fafo atu o lätou. E le'i mäsani fo'i e fe'avea'i tupe i a lätou taga, e o'o fo'i i lo lätou fa'aaogäina. 'Ua fa'afuase'i lava ona fa'asa'oloto mai, ma o le i'uga, e matuä lë iloa fai se mea. O tupe mö le kuata' ätoa e 'uma lava ona fa'aalu i vaiaso muamua e lua, i tëuga, ta'avale, falepia, teine papälagi, ma isi mea fa'apënä. 'Ua matuä fa'agalo lava le su'esu'e ia. Lätou te le'i mäfaufau mö sina taimi pu'upu lava, e iai le taimi e fa'afuase'i ai ona täofia le alagätupe lea. O se vävega lava, le iai o ni nai tamaiti ä'oga o lo'o mafai ona lätou ola i le  olaga lea ma fa'amanuiaina o lätou taumafaiga.

O le isi mäfua'aga o le lë fa'amanuiaina o Niusila i lana ä'oga, ona e le'i mana'o e 'avea o ia ma löia. Sä 'ou mäsani lelei 'iä Niusila talu lo mä läiti mai, ma sä 'ou iloa, e lë o le itü'äiga mäfaufau lea e talafeagai ma le fa'alöia. Masalo 'ätonu e fa'amanuiaina o ia i le fa'aföma'i, 'auä o lona mana'o lea sä fia föma'i, ma o lana lava filifiliga. O le ala fo'i lea o lona fiafia i le Maligi, ona fa'ato'ä ona faia lava lea o sana lava filifiliga.

Sä o'o 'iä te a'u se loto fa'anoanoa 'a'o o'u mata'ia Fäleti ma tamaiti i luga o le mauga lea o Olovalu. O filifiliga 'uma mö o lätou olaga o lo'o fai ma le fefe. "E iai 'ea so lätou avanoa?"

Sä 'ou tü loa 'i luga ma fa'amävae. Sä 'ou vala'auliaina Fäleti e asiasi atu 'i lo'u fale i le Annex, i so'o se taimi lava e mana'o ai. Sä 'ämata loa ona 'ou savali ifo aga'i 'i lalo o le mauga. Sä tau lëai lava se mea sä 'ou va'aia pë 'ou te amana'iaina i la'u savaliga ifo lea ma la'u ti'eti'ega i le pasi, ona sä fa'atumulia lo'u mäfaufau i mäfaufauga loloto äga'i i le taimi 'ua tuana'i, le taimi nei, ma lo'u lumana'i 'ou te lë iloa po'o fea 'ä fai 'i ai. O ai 'ea a'u? 'A'o le ä se 'auala e tatau ona 'ou savali ai?

O DIXIE SAMASONI sä fänau o ia i Sämoa i Sisifo, i lona tamaititi, sä nofo o ia i Amerika Sämoa, ma sau ai 'i Hawai'i i le tausaga e 1961. Sä ä'oga o ia i Kaneohe, Nanakuli, ma fa'au'u mai i le ä'oga maualuga a Waianae. O lo'o u'umia e ia se B.A. i le Oral Samoan Literature (Matä'upu tau i le gagana tautala fa'aSämoa) ma o lo'o galue nei i lona Master's Degree i matä'upu tau Linguistics (Gagana 'ese'ese) i lalo o se sikolasipi a le East West Center.

Talu ai nei, sä ta'amilo ai Samasoni i le Iunaite Setete 'ätoa i ana su'esu'ega i matä'upu tau Bilingual-Bicultural programs (polokalame tau le a'oa'oga o gagana ma aganu'u fefiloi). O ia fo'i o se Sämoa muamua na mauaina le fusi uliuli i le Karate.

Text & Photography by Dixie Samasoni

"May I see your passport?" The big Samoan wore the official white shirt and black pants of the American Samoan Immigration Department. I handed him my Western Samoan passport.

"Are you going on to Western Samoa?"

"No. "

"How long are you planning to stay in American Samoa?"

"About six months."

"Are your parents here?"

"No, they live in Hawaii."

"Do you have any other identification?"

"Yes, there in my passport."

I flipped several pages of the passport which was still on the stand in front of him. I extracted my alien registration card for permanent residency in the United States. He looked at it and asked no more questions. He filled out a slip.

"Take this," he said, "and return it to us when you leave American Samoa."

"Thank you."

I went on to wait for my luggage. I could see boxes and suitcases still being unloaded from the plane onto the truck.

All the Samoans and several palagi (white men) who had been on our American Airlines flight from Honolulu got off at Tafuna, American Samoa's airport. The passengers who were continuing on to Fiji were all palagi.

I am sure by the airline's and the crew's standards the five hour flight from Honolulu had been routine and uneventful, but for me it was a traumatic experience. It had been filled with emotional upheaval, for it might prove to become one of the important turning points in my life.

It was opening a door-a door which might lead to a new self-awareness and self-confidence, or which might prove utterly shattering. I was coming home-or was I? I was returning to my cultural heritage after an absence of nearly eleven years. I was returning to a land of childhood memories and I did not know what to expect.

Would returning to Samoa help me to fully develop whatever potentials I had or would I become shatteringly disillusioned?

I am a Samoan-with some Scottish and some Chinese blood thrown in. I was born in Western Samoa but my mother and my father, Fritz Crichton, were divorced when I was a baby. I was their third child but the only boy. While I was still small, my mother married an American Samoan, Samasoni Save, who took us from Upolu to live in Tutuila, the major island of American Samoa. It was there that I first went to school and learned the many aspects of traditional Samoan country life.

In 1961, when I was eleven, our family emigrated to Hawaii. I was bombarded with so many different cultural values I could not tell what was right and what was wrong. Although we lived in a transplanted Samoan community, the American schools in Hawaii taught me many contradictory things. From my peers of other ethnic backgrounds I was introduced to ways of life I had never conceived possible.

Despite my personal love for music and the arts, my family was filled with praise when I graduated from Waianae. High School and enrolled in the Police Science course at the Honolulu Community College. Their pride was ecstatic when I received the college's graduation certificate-the first Samoan to achieve such an honor.

To them, to become a policeman was the height of ambition; what more could a man want from life? As a policeman, one had the power to give orders. He had status in the community, good and regular pay and security towards retirement.

When I announced that I was not going to become a policeman and was going to continue on in liberal arts at the University. . .well, I became the black sheep not only to my family but to the whole community of Samoan Church Village. I knew within myself that I was right in what I was doing, but it was impossible to explain or substantiate.

The experimental New College at the University of Hawaii's Manoa Campus gave me the proof and the reasons I needed, for it opened up a whole new world of self-discovery and whole-heartedly backed my search into universality.

As undreamed-of-doors opened, both at New College and at the University of the Americas in Mexico, I became aware that to further realize myself, I would have to explore my own heritage firsthand. I would have to go back to Samoa to see how the values I was little by little establishing for my own life stacked up against the traditional patterns of where I had come from.

This flight on January 3, 1973, was my return-a momentous event in my life. I was coming back as part of my independent studies program for New College and I had no idea what to expect or what my conclusions would be.

Filled with my own problems and the diversity of possibilities for the immediate future, I had been in no mood to talk with anyone on the plane, although I was keenly aware of all that was going on around me-particularly amongst my fellow-travelling Samoans.

During the flight, I had had a window seat on the smoker's side of the aisle. To my left had been older Samoan men. Scattered in the fore had been a Samoan couple and several Samoan women and girls. There had been several palagi, too. I had spoken to no one except a Samoan woman who was sitting next to me. I had asked her for a match when my lighter did not work. She had been smoking too. She gave me a pack of matches and I thanked her.

All the way, most of the Samoan passengers had been guzzling cocktails or beer. They had spent their money on such goodies rather than pay for earphones for music and the movie.

My luggage finally arrived from the plane and I carried the many pieces from the conveyor belt to the Agriculture and Customs inspectors. The Customs officer did not look like a pure-blooded Samoan. His complexion was lighter. Undoubtedly, he was a part-Samoan like myself. I untied the rope from one of my boxes. He glanced in.

"Is it a television you got there?"

"No, just books and my typewriter."

"Okay, you may go.''

"Would you like to open my guitar case?" The hand-tooled leather case and the custom-made guitar had been especially created for me in Mexico the previous summer.

He hesitated and then said, "Not necessary, but if you were a hippie, I would."

"Thanks."

He was a nice fellow and did not bother to check my luggage further.

Along with the other arriving passengers, I struggled to the gate. There a swarming mob of happy Samoans, dressed in their colorful lavalava and pulatesi noisily greeted relatives and friends. I was truly back in Samoa. By the airport's thatched oval fale, my friend David waited for me with a taxi.

I had been working for over two years with David Asherman in Hawaii and Mexico. He had only recently arrived in Samoa as the first Artist-in-Residence. I was to live at this Government studio and assist in his work while at the same time doing my Independent Studies' research for the University. Would it be a different Samoa from what I remembered? In which world would I fit? Where was my place?

The harbor of Pago Pago is one of the safest and loveliest in the world. It was the only reason the United States had annexed Eastern Samoa at the turn of the century: establishment of a Navy coaling station in the South Pacific.

From a wide mouth, flanked by shallow coral reefs, the harbor turns a sharp right-angle to the left and continues about a mile between steep, heavily vegetated mountain ridges. The right end at the turn is dominated by the massive Rainmaker Mountain.

The narrow strip of shoreline around the harbor is dotted with villages, which now run together without apparent borders. The lower mountains on the left form a peninsula, which, at the point, is now the site of the fale-style tourist hotel. The first step of the hill, which has a commanding view of the harbor in all directions, is the location of American Samoa's "White House" - the official residence of the U.S. governors since before the First World War.

On the left, at the end of the harbor, is the village of Pago Pago. Although no longer the hub of business and government activities, its name is used to include the entire left shore area and even around the peninsula to the village of Utulei.

About halfway between Samoa's White House and Pago Pago village, on the south (left from the harbor entrance) shore is Malaloa, which runs from the water up the steep hillside. It was the site of the first Samoan hospital run by the U.S. Navy. When, during World War II, the hospital was moved to Utulei on the other side of the peninsula, the buildings became a government hotel for transient military personnel.

Now it is known as The Annex, and has been remodeled into apartments for American government officials. From the shore-level road, several flights of steep outdoor stairs wind between trees to the various terraced levels.  Apartment IG-21B of the Annex was to be my home during this stay in American Samoa. A long one-story building, it was separated from the main building of what used to be the hospital. It was probably a large patient ward, although Samoan friends told me it was the morgue, and was haunted by aitu.

For ventilation, everything was open and screened. The apartment had a huge living room/working studio with three bedrooms, two showers and a well-equipped kitchen. It was completely American-style structure with full modern conveniences adapted to local conditions. Except for its openness, it had little in common with the traditional Samoan fale. There I was, a Samoan, living in Samoa, with more American luxury than I had ever known, even in Hawaii. It was a bit baffling in its incongruity. How was I to resolve the differences of being a "partially-civilized" Samoan, viewing Samoan people, customs and traditions from this oasis-like westernized setting?

The view from the front terrace was spectacular. Through the luxuriant tropical trees and flowers, we looked across the shimmering harbor to the fleets of rusted-metal Oriental fishing ships, anchored near the buildings of the tuna-fish canneries. To the extreme right stood Rainmaker Mountain, which we glimpsed between the giant leaves of an old breadfruit tree. Below us, on the right, were the metal roofs of Max Haleck's General Store No. 3. It was remodeled from what once was a little hotel-boarding house - the inspiration for "Rain," Somerset Maugham's short story of Sadie Thompson and the missionary.

On the third day of my return to Samoa, I walked down from the Annex to the main road, turned right towards the harbor mouth, and passed Max Haleck's store. At the harbor's edge, a huge crane was noisily dredging, piling up the coral and silt to form what looked like the foundations for a small boat wharf.

The tarred main street, bordered by stores of various kinds, reminded me of a Western cowboy movie. Roofs extending out from the wooden store-fronts completely shaded the sidewalks. This was the edge of the town of Fagotogo, a part of the Pago Pago area, and it was bustling, noisy, crowded mass of humanity and honking buses, cars, and Toyota pick-ups.

Unlike a northern city, however, nobody except the scampering children seemed to rush. While doing their Saturday morning shopping, people strolled easily, shouting and laughing with their friends. Most of the women, large and dignified, were dressed in traditional Samoan pulatasi. About half of the men were wearing brightly colored lavalava; the others were in cheap work pants and gaudy aloha shirts, T-shirts or no tops at all. Almost everyone was barefoot.

Outside the Tropic Isle Grocery, an ice cream stand was doing a brisk business. Adults as well as children congregated to get their ice cream or soda treats. I remembered when I was in elementary school in Malaeloa village on the other side of the island. It was a status symbol to get such Western goodies as ice cream, chewing gum, and candy; even having a piece of dry bread to eat at lunch, instead of the taro, banana and breadfruit we had brought from home, was an invitation to have it stolen by the bigger boys. Now, the American type tidbits seemed the everyday fare.

The closer I got to the main outdoor market, the greater the hubbub. I was surprised by the modernity of this new food market complex. Gone was the hot and rainy shelterless area I remembered from my childhood. Now it had become an open quadrangle about a hundred feet along each side. The roofless center of grass was filled with people, resting themselves and gossiping with friends.

The new building was about fifteen feet wide with an overhanging gabled roof of wooden shingles. The floor, as well as the upright pillars which support the roof, were concrete. The building had no walls. The display stands ran along at the outer edges leaving a center aisle. Customers could purchase from the aisle sides, although they usually remained outside. Occasionally the line of stands was broken by walkways running through to the grassy inner court.

Behind the stalls the vendors sat on sections of coconut tree-trunks placed on top of shorter sections, displaying, large stalks of many kinds of bananas: green and yellow, short and long, slim and fat. Fresh green bananas are perfect when boiled and served with corned beef, mackerel, sardines, tuna and even salted beef. The purplish-brown taro roots were of every shape and size, ranging from ones about like a small orange to ones comparable to a large watermelon.

I am not too fond of taro but it is good when baked and eaten with palusami and corned beef. Big and small, round and oval yellow-green breadfruit were piled next to cucumbers and lemons. Husked coconuts and young coconuts for immediate drinking were also available. I saw laufao plant strainers for use with white coconut meat and bottles of homemade coconut oil.

The scene vividly brought to mind the Saturdays when, as a very small child, I would accompany my mother to this market. With the first beginning light of day we would gather our home-grown produce into freshly-made coconut frond baskets, lug them down the mountain, and catch the first bus to town. At the market place we would sit under a mango tree, praying that someone would pass by and quickly purchase our wares.

If we sold five dollars worth we were happy for it was more than enough to buy supplemental imported foodstuffs such as sugar, salt, canned fish and canned fruits. This was enough to feed our family of five for a week because we raised most of our own staples. And, too, the longer we had to remain at the market, the later we would have to work at home that night preparing for a Samoan Sunday's "traditional" feast.

The Fagatogo market place is also the main terminal for buses from both ends of the island. They rattle in from their villages, wait for a new load of passengers, then bounce back to the country. Samoan buses are unique: worn-out small trucks and pickups are given new handmade bodies, mostly of wood, adapted for passenger transport. As there are no bus companies, these Samoan jitneys are as varied in style as the individuals who own them.

Usually these buses have a wooden bench on the inside along each side and across the back, with a front entrance. Sometimes, the more luxurious ones have rows of double seats with a center aisle. In the old. days they often had a rear center exit/entrance. All the buses are open on the sides above the seat-back level. The low flat wooden roof is usually the only protection from the sun and the rain, although some do have plastic curtains that can be put up. A bus seating twenty is considered large.

The one thing the buses do have in common is their gaudiness. The owners, whether they are individuals, families, or churches, try to out-do each other in brilliant painted decorations all over the outside. Many of them have catch names which are not only painted in letters but are imaginatively illustrated as well.

There seemed no plan or order as the buses drove in all directions, calling to each other, exchanging greetings with horn honks, screeching to a halt, then suddenly taking off. I read some of the different names on their sides: Rainmaker Bus Company, Aeto (Eagle) Transport, Manulele Tautala (Talking Bird), Blue Bird, Moso'oi Pala (Decayed Moso'oi Tree). None seemed to indicate where I wanted to go, Leone, the second largest village in American Samoa. It was about fifteen miles from Pago Pago, beyond the airport, towards the western end of Tutuila.

A boy was standing near me. He seemed to be waiting for a bus. I was lucky, for when I asked him for directions I discovered that he was also heading for Leone.

Over loud cassette music playing within the bus, he shouted to the driver: "Are you going to Leone soon?"

"Right now, hop on!"

We found two places on the wooden bench near the front. The boy knew another passenger and they exchanged a few words. Soon they had nothing more to say. I had a good view and was happy to concentrate on the passing scenes.

As we bounced from the market place and turned onto the main road, I recognized an old two story, white wooden building with its double-decker verandas and pillars - The High Court of American Samoa.

Did I actually remember it, or was it just like some of the hotel saloons pictured in Wild West movies?

Next to it, but set far back from the road, was the huge stuccoed L.M.S. (London Missionary Society) Church of Fagatogo. Opposite on my left, was a deteriorating fale tele (a chief's guest house) which was only re-thatched once a year when it was used as a shelter during American Samoa's Flag Day celebrations. Beyond it was a fale afolau (elliptical house) when women sat on the mat-covered coral floor displaying their Samoan arts and crafts for sale to tourists; and, beyond that, I could see that the construction was underway on the Fono (Territorial Legislature) Building.

On the mountain-side to my right was the large malae of the town. It was a madhouse of excited people, screaming and hopping about, beating tin cans and blowing whistles, cheering the two cricket games in progress on the muddy field. During this season, a grand inter-village cricket tournament takes place on Saturday mornings. Villages sponsor both women's teams and men's teams. In these annual matches, only teams of the same sex play opposite each other. A women's match and a men's match were taking place at the same time at the two ends of the oval malae.

On the malae's far side I could see the dilapidated-looking business center-trading stores like Scanlans and Kneubuhls and the Pago Pago Bar. Next was a wide empty space. I tried to recall what had been there or had it always been vacant?

Next to it was a barber shop-a one-story, one room heavy concrete building with bars at the windows. I remembered when it used to be the women's jail. And next to it a similar but slightly larger building which had been the men's jail-now, as the sign indicated, the Territorial Liquor Store of American Samoa.

Beyond this was a long two-story building, also painted white: the lower floor heavy concrete, the upper, wood. Downstairs was the Police Station while above were the temporary headquarters for both chambers of the Fono.

Just beyond was the biggest shock: a very modern but dingy grey-brown concrete building squat, heavy and forbidding - it looked like some European Medieval fort. This was the new and expensive Lumana'i Building. Its faddish contemporary American architecture was totally out of keeping with the environment. The ground floor housed the American Samoan Branch of the Bank of Hawaii, facing the malae, while the far end was the new U.S. Post Office. On the street side of the building an outdoor double staircase led to the business offices for Pan American Airways and other companies.

On the harbor side I had only a fleeting glance at other old Navy buildings: Navy Communications was now the Department of Tourism; the old Post Office was undergoing renovations to house Mrs. Haydon's museum. I could also see Reid's Pool Hall and a government small boat repair shop. A new dock where a large freighter was unloading was further in the distance.

Further down the road we came to a long row of large well-to-do-homes. The one story square white wooden frame houses had pyramidal roofs and fully screened verandas running around three sides. Carefully landscaped and planted, with tall coconut palms swaying on the beach, these were the former residences of Navy officers and their families. It was known as Centipede Row and the homes were now occupied by the highest paid palagi government officials.

On the right, a tarred road led under an impressive stone gateway up the hill through luxuriant forest to a scarcely discernible large white wooden home. A sign at the gate said, in both English and Samoan, "Government House: Admission Positively Forbidden - Maota o le kovana, Ua sä ona ulufale'."

As we turned right, around the peninsula, we passed the Intercontinental Hotel, and on into Utulei. Here was the Department of Education with its multi-million dollar T.V. station, Samoana High School, American Samoa's Community College, and the major offices of government.

There, too, I saw for the first time, the huge new Lee Auditorium, better known as The Turtle because of its fale-inspired oval shape. We passed more government-employee housing, a few stores and Morris Scanlan's fancy new auto service station, Standard Oil's storage tanks, and then we were happily out of the city-like atmosphere of the Pago Pago area.

With the beaches, reefs and ocean on our left, we spun along the narrow tarred road following the sharply zig-zagging coastline at shore level. There was little conversation between passengers for, even if they had been so inclined, the roar of the bus motor, combined with the full volume amplification of Samoan music from the bus's cassette player, drowned out the possibility.

At Faga'alu village sprawls the big, new LBJ Medical Center designed in psuedo-Samoan "fale" style. We stopped for a man and his son. The man knew a woman who had been riding with us from Fagatogo. They talked in Samoan.

"Where are you heading with your son?" she asked.

"We're going in that direction," he said as he indicated forward with a nod of his head.

"Look at that new house! Construction was just completed and now it is blown down by last week's hurricane. Perhaps it wasn't strongly built. Construction these days is terrible, and it costs so much. Things certainly aren't what they used to be."

"You're right. They say that this Nu'uuli Village was the most affected by that recent wind. Well, it is to be expected at Nu'uuli - that murdering village."

Some passengers laughed, for fighting and killing were a known characteristic of Nu'uuli. I only smiled remembering the rivalries between villages.

As we bounced speedily onward, tossed from side to side around the many hairpin curves, I could not recall which passing village was which, nor could I remember the dividing lines between villages. There were none of the road signs I had become accustomed to in Hawaii.

Most of the traditional open Samoan fale with their high thatched roofs had disappeared. The few that we did pass seemed sad and dilapidated.

There were many new houses all very much alike. They were single-story square buildings with the same center door flanked by a window on each side of it. All were made of concrete blocks and had corrugated-tin pyramidal roofs. They seemed totally incongruous amidst the luxuriant foliage.

I asked my nearest fellow passenger about the houses and was told that they were called "hurricane houses", that they had been designed by government palagi, and that they had been given to the people free.

I even saw a couple of modern hamburger-stand drive-ins which I knew had been opened by Samoans who had lived for years in Hawaii or California and had retired to their birthplace. Many of the most modern-looking houses had been erected by Samoans who had spent thirty years in U.S. Military Service. I noticed, too, a number of small new churches representing religious sects which had not existed in Samoa when I had left, congregations such as Assembly of God and Jehovah' s Witnesses.

Beyond the Tafuna Airport turn-off, at the edge of a stately old coconut plantation, was a complex of modern white block buildings. A large sign indicated that it was the Mormon Church's Mapusaga High School.

As we approached the Village of Leone, I looked around for a passenger signal-cord or stop-button but could find none. In addition, there were no bus-stop signs anywhere along the road I rose from my seat and crouchingly edged towards the front. The driver noticed me in the mirror and asked if I wanted to get off. He stopped, I gave him a quarter, and descended. The bus sped off in a cloud of dust.

I gazed about at the once-so-familiar village. It had not changed much for major landmarks still dominated the scene: the huge cement LMS Church and, further along, the almost-as-imposing Catholic Church.

I walked along the tarred highway which cut directly through the center of Leone. In the old days, even before my time, the area had been the malae, said to have been one of the most beautiful in all Samoa. The U.S. Army had built the road during World War II for defense purposes. I remembered having heard how the land had been confiscated without compensation to either village or family owners. At that time everyone had been too terrified of a Japanese invasion to say anything. I wondered if any reparations had been made after the war.

I passed Poia's little store (Poia is a sister of my stepfather, Samasoni) and on to the Save house. Save, Samosoni's oldest brother, had been the family's high chief. He had died about ten years ago, and his wife had recently died in California. My mother had gone from Hawaii to her funeral.

Save's son, Tafiaina and his family now lived in the house, together with his sister, Mausa and her husband. Tafi was a Samoan minister for the LMS Congregationalists. He had been the pastor for the village of Vatia when my younger half-brother, Fotu (otausala), had stayed with him last year.

Although Tafi's house was enclosed and modern, it some-how still retained a bit of the Samoan feeling. As I reached the front, I hesitated and asked myself, "Should I abruptly knock on the front door or should I not?" None of Samasoni's relatives residing on Tutuila knew that I was back on the island. As I was anxious to visit my family's old plantation on the mountain, I decided I would not enter Tafi's house if many people were inside. It would have required long conversations and ceremonial welcoming. Furthermore, I was just not sure enough of the correct traditional Samoan etiquette required for such occasions, and I did not want to disgrace my family or embarrass myself by some ridiculous demonstration of ignorance.

As inconspicuously as possible, I casually sauntered. towards the back of the house. I examined it from the corners of my eyes without looking directly into the house. All was quiet. Apparently not many people, if any, were at home. I felt more comfortable.

By the rear corner of the house three small children were playing. I stood smoking, gazing at the sea as if I had not noticed them.

Finally, I asked, "Who's in the house?"

"Asi."

Asi was a younger daughter of Tafi - probably then about sixteen. I stepped over to the back door and knocked. I heard footsteps from the inside. The door opened a crack and a girl's voice asked, "Who is it?"

"Dixie."

The door closed quickly. I took off my shoes, opened the door, and stepped in. I recognized A