One such memory is of my sister Annie, (name has been changed). Annie was seventeen, two years younger than me. She was five inches taller, had legs a mile long, blond hair and sparkling blue eyes, and a personality that was both inviting and entertaining. So it was no wonder that she had the Samoan boys wagging their tongues as soon as she stepped on the island.
In contrast, I was a sober brunette that found the whole idea of dating to be tedious. I just didn't quite understand or appreciate the way Samoan boys wooed their love interests. Showing up on our doorstep at 11:00 pm, reeking of alcohol and in slurred pidgin English demanding that my father let them speak to me and my other sisters was not the least bit attractive, in my humble opinion.
Annie was lucky. She got a job in Pago Pago as a store manager for a paint shop and got to meet civilized Samoan guys (for the most part). When she told me she had met a guy that was part of the Samoan Canoe team and wanted me to come with her to meet him and the rest of the team at some awards ceremony, I agreed. I had nothing better to do.
I have to point out that there wasn't very much to do on the island for a single white girl. I wasn't going to school; I was working part time as a political cartoonist for my grandparents newspaper (the previous cartoonist disappeared, they thought he had been murdered or something). And I was directionless at this point of my life. All I knew was that I wanted to get off the island and go to school - but we were broke and I had no other prospects. So, getting a chance to go out and meet new people and socialize was very appealing for me - as it distracted me from the seemingly hopelessness of my situation.
So, we got dressed in our finest clothes and slathered on the makeup and did our hair and headed to Pago. Annie's new love interest wasn't Samoan at all. He was Hawaiian. He was HUGE! He had to be at least 6'-6", totally ripped and weighed 250 - 275 with solid muscle. He was just like one of those intimidating pictures of an ancient Hawaiian Warrior. We saw him from a distance hanging out with his teammates who were Samoan. I turned to Annie and grinned at her wickedly, "He is fair game." I told her.
This was the first time I ever openly challenged my sister for the attention of a man. You see, in the looks department, I couldn't compete with her, but I had watched and studied her behaviour as she flirted with other guys and I was pretty sure I could imitate her. So, with a look of shock on her face and possible worry, we approached the team. I kept pace with her every step of the way, and smiled and laughed and joked with them all just like she did.
Annie asked to take a photo with them, and I jumped right on the other side of Luther(name has been changed). As soon as the photo was taken, Luther took off and we never saw him again.
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| Pago Pago during a very stormy August afternoon The guy standing to my left started leaning in to kiss my cheek I threw up an arm to block his attempt. |
We were ditched and soon realized that Luther was not the least bit interested in either of us. To make the whole experience of rejection more painful, as we waited for a bus at the market place, a FOB (a slang word for someone from the bush on Western Samoa who doesn't speak English and isn't very educated) came and sat down next to us. Leaning forward to look past Annie at me, he asked her, "Is this your brother?" Annie laughed and said, "No, this is my sister."
He thought about that for a moment, then said, "He is very beautiful." I nearly cried.
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| Our beach in Amouli |
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