Tsunami Story: Naiatea

 Naiatea: Samoana High School Student, 10th Grade, Village of Leone

It was early Tuesday morning when I woke up to a beautiful morning. The dawn had broken and I was up and ready for Samoana High Schools’s challenges. 

In my family, my dad leaves first with my two younger siblings, while my mother takes her time and leaves afterwards. If you get up early enough, you can catch a ride to the eastside with my dad. By the way, my parents both work on the eastside. 

This particular Tuesday morning was so beautiful. I was in my JROTC uniform and pepped up for school. I also heard the previous day that I was going to be promoted from a private to S5; therefore, my expectations were great and I was eager to enter those big gates. 

At about 6:50 am, an earthquake stuck and we were literally halfway out the door. It went on quite long and was pretty strong too. When the quake ended, my dad, two siblings, and myself headed out the door and continued on our way to school. Earthquakes had occurred before and tsunamis were usually caught by the Tongan trench. 

We left my village, Leone, with the radio on for warnings of some sort. It took a little while for a warning to be issued. We dropped of the kids, 11 and 13. and headed for the eastside. Just as we were passing Triple S gas station, the dj’s on the radio cut a song short and announced that a tsunami had hit Pago. They said that the wave was huge, and it came up to the second floor of Pago Plaza. 

When we heard the news, we turned around at Fagaima and were madly dialing my mom’s number. Worried, we picked up my siblings and raced off to the west side. My feelings were mixed. Was Mom okay? Where were they? How are my friends? Questions filled my head as we were heading towards my uncle’s house; his home was high above sea level, so we were certain that safety would be found.

After about 20 minutes of waiting, my mom finally called. She informed us that Leone had been hit with 2 15ft waves. “Oh great! More things to worry about” I thought. I was beyond scared now. I couldn’t stand the thought of my mom and best friend (older sister) were in a danger zone. That phone cll was short and when it was done I was left in suspense again. Was there another wave? Were the high enough?

In about 20 minutes, my grey-ish van pulled up at my uncles place. THANK GOD! My mom and sister come to us and begin telling us what had happened down in Leone.

Kateama, my sister, said she was in that bathroom doing last minute touches when the lights shut off. At first, she couldn't understand why the lights went out like that,  but then she head a loud roaring, rumble. She asked my mom if she heard it and my mom paused to listen. Once they both heard it they rushed out of the house, got in the car and sped up to the three poles, the mark where Togatupu, the name of my land, begins. They stopped. Running by them was a bunch of school children yelling and crying “TSUNAMI.” They could see the water going by so they got out of the car and ran farther back towards the mountains. She saw the water, she saw the trauma, and she saw the destruction.

When Kateama was finished with her story, I was upset and speechless. She informed us that it was horrible and that relatives were missing, hurt, and dead. I felt chills all over. We could have been a part of that. My mother and my sister could have been a statistic. OGT (Oh God Thanks!)

A few more hours into the day and the news felt like it was getting worse and worse! The casualties increased by the hour, the sirens never left my ears. 

The horror never left my face. The days following the disaster was about the same. I was still so sad about my village, people were still missing, and I still hadn’t heard from my friends. It may as well have been Armageddon. 

My immediate family and I were staying with my dad’s first cousin in Malaeloa. I was so eager to go home although I was staying with family, it did not feel like my home. It did not feel like my bed. It felt like a house; an empty structure. 

When we eventually made it down to Leone, it was heart tearing. Everything was literally torn into pieces. My village. My home. Torn into shreds. I couldn’t stand the sight and thoughts running through my mind. I quickly thought of the better things. we were alive; we were blessed. When we got to the house, mud was everywhere. A bunch of fish were laying on my once-green lawn. Even an eel was found. Brown was the color that ruled my house. We went inside the house only to find more mud and filth. 

The beds were soaked and muddy as well as the furniture in the living room. All that icky mud got our clothes and it took forever to get out. We spent Wednesday to Saturday cleaning our house. It is still not as clean as we want it and needs some work done on it. 

This disaster scrambled my feelings and taught me a lesson. The infamous words, “Expect the unexpected,” are embossed in my mind and heart. I never thought I would be alive for a tsunami but the future always changes and all we can do is live the life given to us. 

Lately, since school started, I have been occupied by my friends so O don not think of my village/home very often. I am happier at school and I’m just patient about my home. I would rather be in Leone but my current location, with my family, is just fine :)