Not just a memory

Sivai playing in the fire and Tu'mama looking on. She is Vale and Tulelei's sister and is mentally handicapped. She tends the babies in the family and keeps them clean and safe, which included being Sivai's main caregiver when he was there.
I would catch her fussing over Sivai while we were there this year and she gave me a big hug and cried when we left. I wish I could speak Samoan and get to know her more.

Sean and Sivai the first night we arrived. Sean is Tulelei's son and she had him after Sivai left.

It's been over two months since we've been back and just the other day I had a break down driving down the road in the middle of day. Austin was talking about snorkeling in the ocean and I couldn't hold the tears back. We've been telling people that we want to move to Samoa once Patrick has graduated and has is LCSW, I don't know if they believe us but we are. I catch myself daydreaming about it, planning out my days and how my house and garden will be set up. I have a picture in my head that I go back to and fill in the details. It's a small house with louvered windows and a large tree growing over it, probably a mango tree or a breadfruit tree. It faces south and is on the hillside, and there are chickens in the front yard.

The house above is where Sivai lived for a year with his foster family. It's right on the ocean and they don't stay there any more because they are afraid of the ocean ofter the tsunami over a year ago. It was a big deal for them to come back and have us be there this year. The tsunami swept away their umu (outdoor kitchen) and their toilet. They have been replaced with better accommodations, even though they have hardly been used.

This is the house Patrick and I first met Sivai in and where we stayed while Patrick was in Samoa.