English 1 8:30
Scandalous Relationships
I always thought my parent's relationship was a scandalous one. They had met through a mutual friend when my dad, a professor at UH, first met my mom. He was in awe of her natural beauty and immediately chased after her even though they had a 20-year age difference not to mention that she was a new student at his college. But my mom said this was nothing compared to her parents, their relationship was filled with secrets, infidelity, and no one can forget the steamy love letters.
As the story goes, my grandfather, Niko, was the son of the chief of Saleloga village in Western Samoa. One day in that village Niko spotted a divine lady walking down the dirt road toward the store he was managing. He loved how her hair was pinned in luscious swoops and curls about her head and how her dress skimmed her hips as she walked down the only road in the village. Carrying a few books she glided into his store to buy some goods. Immediately Niko began some small talk,
"Hello miss."
"Hey" the lovely lady replied coldly.
"How you doin' today?" Niko replied his eyes burning with desire.
"Hmph, fine thank you." The same icy tone in the woman's voice.
"Please what's your name?" Niko asked meekly.
"Falenu'u." Murmured the woman as she began to leave the store and gracefully continue down the road toward Samoa College where she was hired as a teacher. But Niko's gaze was interrupted by another figure that had just walked in the back door from his hut. His current wife, Leanu, had just finished some more breadfruit and taro that they could sell in the store. Niko gathered the goods and set them out for sale his mind still reeling from his encounter with the beautiful Falenu'u. That day he set out to find his friends in all the other villages to help him find this elusive Falenu'u. After describing her to his buddies one of them recognized the girl. Niko's friend Fasi lived in the same village as Falenu'u so he volunteered to go find out more about her and deliver Niko's messages.
Fasi informed Niko that Falenu'u was Methodist and lived in one of the churches boarding houses. Niko was in trouble now because not only was he a Catholic, but those Methodist boarding houses were impossible to get into unless you were a pastor or girl resident. So Niko devised a plan, when the girls would go into the church to pray Fasi would pull Falenu'u to the side and slip her a letter from Niko. The first letter read this:
Dear Falenu'u, I haven’t been able to forget you since our meeting in my store.
Please understand that I need to see you again.
Ignore all the obstacles in the way, your church, my wife.
They are mere barriers in our path of love.
Passionately, Niko Amulua Lilomaiava
Falenu'u was utterly flabbergasted by his open expression of love for her and further avoided Niko and his village even more. There was so many other things that were wrong with the situation other than what Niko had mentioned, the biggest one being Falenu'u was engaged to a pastor of her very own Methodist Church. Soon this engagement was announced to the entire village and in a flash Fasi was over to Niko informing him of the terrible news. Now Niko was doomed to watch his love get married off to another man.
But in a sweeping act of fate the very day Niko boarded the ferry to cross the channel to the main island of Upolu on chief business Falenu'u was boarding the same ferry to visit some of her friends on Upolu. As Niko spotted Falenu'u on the dock his heart leapt sky high. He raced over to her and began to again attempt to flirt with her. But this time she was even colder in her response. Falenu'u knew he was married and that she was engaged, but she also knew he was going to be the head chief of Savai'i and Samoa one day. So she eventually warmed up to him and their conversation began to flow just as the ocean they were sailing over. After the good hour trip across the channel Falenu'u and Niko parted, Falenu'u gracefully glided away to her destination as Niko watched her hair now pinned elegantly in the back with flowers and raven black curls falling down her back, all the while her dress skimming her curvy hips.
When Niko returned to Saleloga he knew what action needed to be taken. He immediately wrote a lengthy but urgent letter to Falenu'u, expressing every feeling he had for her and his deep resentment for her engagement and promised that he would divorce his wife as soon as she would agree to give her hand in marriage to him. He ran over to Fasi and directed him to give Falenu'u this letter as soon as he saw her no matter what. Fasi agreed and ran over to the church where the girls were praying. Fasi stood in the back of the church trying to catch Falenu'u's attention with various whispers.
"Psh, Psh, Psh, Falenu'u! PSHHHHH."
"Eh Fasi whatchu doin' here get out!"
"No, Falenu'u come get this."
"Eh stupid head you wanna get me in trouble?"
"No, NO. This is from Niko come get it!"
"WHAT don't say HIS name! Ok I'll get it, wait right there."
Falenu'u shuffled to the back of the church and snatched the letter from Fasi's hands. Fasi snickered as Falenu'u took the letter back to her seat and began to read it. As the blood drained from her face and returned again, Fasi sprinted back to Niko and told him she had read the letter. Niko's stomach was flipping as he waited for her answer but he knew he had to get rid of his wife and kids soon if he was going to marry Falenu'u. So Niko went and consulted his father, consequently his father agreed to take his wife back to her home village with the children for a "trip". Soon the wife and kids were packed and on the ferry back to Upolu while Niko left for Falenu'u's village ready to marry the love of his life. He went into to her courtyard and swept her out to the Methodist church where he promised he would marry her.
Falenu'u's family was overjoyed that she was marrying the future high chief of Savai'i, one of the most honored families in all Western Samoa. Then after a few days honeymoon Niko's now ex-wife returned from her trip to find Falenu'u living and taking care of her hut. Leanu was so shocked she just collapsed on the mats and there Falenu'u explained that Niko's love for her had ended. Falenu'u also promised that she would take good care of Leanu and Niko's kids if Leanu couldn’t care for them. She also said that Niko would be much happier with her since he need support to be a good chief and a teacher is better support than a house wife. After that Leanu returned to her home village with her six children and Falenu'u and Niko lived happily ever after with 11 children.
This story is an important part of my heritage because not only is it a very interesting story but it helps me understand that my family has always been one that persevered and through determination got what they wanted. It also shows that true love is very important in my family since the past couple generations have crossed many obstacles to find it. Not to mention that the women of my family have a habit of making their husbands work for their marriages.
