Falling Together

Cultural Center

Dax.

"You see the coconut tree, we call it our tree of life. There's nothing in the tree that we can't use. It's empty shells are our drinking cups. It's trunks, build our homes. It's leaves woven together, are our plates. They also make the baskets that help us carry our crops back in from the fields."

Maisie is listening in awe as she learns what it means to truly be Samoan. My mom brought me to the Samoan Cultural Center when we first moved here. She wanted us to understand the great and deep love that the people of Samoa felt. The power behind the lessons taught here hit me just as hard today as they did back then.

Lotto is very close with the people of the cultural center. Because of everything Lotto does for the community our chiefs respect him greatly. Usually it would be closed on Sundays, but Lotto was able to talk to a few people about what I wanted to do and made it possible.

"Our women use them to make their jewelry too. Like these." The chief says holding out necklaces made from coconut husks. "Nothing goes to waste here." He says smiling, and drapes one of the necklaces around her neck.

"I never realized one thing could do so much."

"Just because one is small doesn't mean it can't do big things."

"May I ask you something?" She says as she moves her fingers in front of her. At the moment while they talk she is learning to weave her own plate from the coconut palm leaves.

"Of Course. That's why I am here." He laughs. Chief Aulelei is a skinny dark skinned man with a thick Samoan accent that is older in years and very respected. My mother knew him well and often came to the cultural center to help with classes or shows in her spare time. He is dressed in a respectable tribal skirt and has his completed Samoan tattoos.

"The tattoos that you have.. why do you have so many?"

"That's a good question. You see there are a lot of things that Samoans have to be proud of. Things we care about. Our family, our culture, our ancestors.. and we can show that through our tattoos. Not everyone has this glorious finish like me." He says with a wink, motioning to his legs with a laugh.

Maisie and I laugh too, He is a funny guy.

"You see, when you are chosen to be a chief of the people we will get these special tattoos. They come from our waist all the way down to our knees. They are very painful!" He says making a face that sends us laughing even more. "But They are an honor. What I have is the mark of a Chief. It takes about a week or two to complete. But it is a combination of everything we embody of our culture." He finishes proudly. "Our tattoos? It's a history that is so loved it's etched into our skin."

"So a woman could become a chief?"

"Oh yes. Even women can become chiefs. We don't discriminate here, if you have the heart and soul of a chief, then you will be recognized as one by the people." He says.

"That's amazing."

Chief Aulelei looks down appreciatively at Maisie's work and takes it from her hands. "This looks really good. Now we just finish it off by tying the loose ends like this... and then we chop off the excess leaf.." He does what he is saying and then holds out the finished plate to Maisie.

"I never realized a coconut tree could do all that."

"That's only a few things. We use it to start fires, to do our cooking, wrap our meat, cook our bread, strain milk from the coconut.. I'm sure there are even some uses we haven't thought of yet."

He reaches over and places a wrapped fish on Maisies plate and mine. "Eat please." We both smile and do as he says. "Like it?"

"It's great." Maisie says. Her eyes are rolled up like she wants to moan out loud but thankfully she's holding it in.

"Here in Samoa we do not have many friends. But we have a lot of family. We are called 'the happy people', you know. It isn't just because we smile all the time and dance like there is no tomorrow, no that's not it. Well it's some of it." he says chuckling. "But mostly it is because we know kindness is the greatest currency. And the love of family.. It's a powerful thing. And we do our best to share it with everyone."

Maisie looks over at me thoughtfully and smiles. Everything he is saying is touching her heart just the way I wanted it to. I wanted Maisie to see Samoa through my eyes. Through my mother's eyes, the way we saw it when we decided to leave everything behind and come here permanently. I wanted Maisie to understand that here with me, or us, she was home.

"Now, can it be my turn to ask you a question?" Chief Aulelei says.

Maisie nods and takes another bite.

"You have a good heart. I can see it in you when you speak and in your manners. You get that from your father. He too is a great man." he says looking at Maisie with a smile. She nods her head and agrees with him. Maisie has always loved her father. A daddy's girl even from thousands of miles away. If she had grown up here on the island with me and Noah she would have been our entire family's little princess.

"But I see in your eyes, that you are lost. You don't see this brave courageous girl that I see, when you look into the mirror, and that is a shame." I look up to Aulelei and can't help but feel shocked. Not I, nor Lotto, told him about Maisies accident. At Least not that I knew of. So how is it that he knew this.. That he could see what I see?

"There is pain in your heart and it makes you think you are broken when you are actually very strong. You see your trials as weakness, but it is strength." He says hitting his chest lightly while looking right in her eyes.

Maisie lowers her plate and stares at the ground.

"I have scars that will never heal. A piece of me is permanently broken. And broken pieces can not be strong." She says sadly.

Now I sit my own food down. I have never heard Maisie talk like this before. She has always been so amazing and resilient. She has always fought to stay above everything that's happened.. But now it almost sounds as if she is giving up.

"True. But even scars have beauty. What is a tattoo but a fancy colorful scar?" He asks with a smirk. Maisie can't help but smile. " Even the most ugly or gruesome of scars tell a story of strength. Do you know what story your scars tell?" He asks her.

Maisie shakes her head but meets his eyes evenly. She's looking at Chief Aulelei

"That you survived." he says tilting her chin up. "God isn't done with you yet."