O Uo Leiloa ma Uo toe Maua

Saunia e Maryssa Dennis

O Mekasini a le Ekalesia

(E faavae i se tala moni)

E ono mafai ona maua e Leah se isi uo fou?

1. Rin, 8 years old, sitting at her desk on the first day of school. She has an anxious look on her face. 2. Rin and Anna jump roping together outside at recess. 3. Anna hanging out with new friends at school. Rin is being excluded. This can happen at lunch time or during recess. 4. Rin and Ellie in a sewing class together, wearing the same pair of glasses. 5. Rin praying on her knees. (Head bowed, eyes closed, arms crossed across chest) 6. Rin hugging Ellie on the first day of school, backpacks on. Ellie wearing glasses, Rin wearing no glasses.

Sa tilotilo solo Leah i le potuaoga o le vasega tausaga-tolu. Sa faatulagaina kesi i ni laina mananaia, ma sa tautau i luga o puipui ia pepa lautele sesega o i ai ni savali. O le toatele o isi tamaiti sa talanoa ma a latou uo.

Sa nofo Leah i lalo i lana kesi. Na te lei iloaina moni lava se tasi i lenei vasega. Sa faamoemoe o ia o le a mafai ona ia faia se uo fou i le aoga i lenei tausaga.

“Ei.”

Sa ea a’e i luga Leah. Sa nofo i lalo se teineitiiti i ona autafa.

“O lo’u igoa o Anna,” o lana tala lea. “E te fia uo ia te a’u?”

Sa ataata Lea. “Ioe!”

Mulimuli ane sa aai faatasi Leah ma Anna i le taumafataga o le aoauli. I le taimi o la latou malologa, sa la taaalo ai i le faatafafa e fa ma feosofi i luga o le maea. I le faaiuga o le aso, sa faatofa atu Ana ia Leah i le faamalama o le pasi. “Toe feiloai taeao!” sa ia fai atu ai.

1. Rin, 8 years old, sitting at her desk on the first day of school. She has an anxious look on her face. 2. Rin and Anna jump roping together outside at recess. 3. Anna hanging out with new friends at school. Rin is being excluded. This can happen at lunch time or during recess. 4. Rin and Ellie in a sewing class together, wearing the same pair of glasses. 5. Rin praying on her knees. (Head bowed, eyes closed, arms crossed across chest) 6. Rin hugging Ellie on the first day of school, backpacks on. Ellie wearing glasses, Rin wearing no glasses.

Mai lava i lena taimi, sa avea Leah ma Anna o ni uo lelei. Sa la taaalo faatasi i aso uma. I le taumalulu, sa la faia ai ni auala uumi i le kiona. Ina ua aisa le kiona, sa laua faasee i lalo i le auala. I se tasi taimi sa avea ai i laua o se paga mo se poloketi faasaienisi e uiga i le vateatea. Sa fiafia Leah e fai faatasi ma Anna se pepa lautele o i ai se savali o paneta.

Ae i se tasi aso na amata ai ona pei e sui amioga a Anna. Sa lei toe talotalo atu o ia ia Leah i le taeao. Sa auai o ia i se vaega fou mo le faataitaiga o le matematika. Ma i le taumafataga o le aoauli, sa tau le tautala o ia.

1. Rin, 8 years old, sitting at her desk on the first day of school. She has an anxious look on her face. 2. Rin and Anna jump roping together outside at recess. 3. Anna hanging out with new friends at school. Rin is being excluded. This can happen at lunch time or during recess. 4. Rin and Ellie in a sewing class together, wearing the same pair of glasses. 5. Rin praying on her knees. (Head bowed, eyes closed, arms crossed across chest) 6. Rin hugging Ellie on the first day of school, backpacks on. Ellie wearing glasses, Rin wearing no glasses.

“Ei,” na fesili ai Leah, “o le a le mea o tupu?”

Sa mapuea Anna. “Vaai, ou te manatu e le tatau ona ta toe tafafao soo. Sa fai mai la’u uo o Audrey e ese lava oe.”

“Oi.” Sa faauu Leah. Sa fiafia faatasi i la’ua ma Anna. Aisea o le a popole tele ai Anna e uiga i manatu o isi tamaiti?

Na fai mai Anna e mafai lava ona avea i laua ma uo, ae ina ua mavae lena, e lei toe talanoa lava ia Leah. Sa taumafai Leah e aua nei lagona le tiga, ae sa faigata le tuua na’o ia a o taaalo Anna ma isi tamaiti.

E lei umi ae uma le tausaga aoga, ma amata la latou malologa o le taumafanafana. Sa pisi pea Leah i le tele o gaoioiga malie. Sa alu o ia i le vasega palei ma le vasega kuka. Sa ia aveina foi se vasega suisui ma lana uo mamae, o Ellie.

1. Rin, 8 years old, sitting at her desk on the first day of school. She has an anxious look on her face. 2. Rin and Anna jump roping together outside at recess. 3. Anna hanging out with new friends at school. Rin is being excluded. This can happen at lunch time or during recess. 4. Rin and Ellie in a sewing class together, wearing the same pair of glasses. 5. Rin praying on her knees. (Head bowed, eyes closed, arms crossed across chest) 6. Rin hugging Ellie on the first day of school, backpacks on. Ellie wearing glasses, Rin wearing no glasses.

Sa iloa e Ellie ma Leah le tasi ma le isi talu mai lo la laiti. Sa la o i le aoga e tasi, ae la te lei i ai lava i se vasega e tasi. O nisi taimi e sau ai Ellie e taalo i le fale o Leah. Sa maua e Leah se pea matatioata faafoliga e pei ole mata a Ellie. O lena mea na ata ai Ellie.

“Ou te le talitonu ua toeitiiti uma le taumafanafana,” o le tala lea a Ellie. “Maimau pe ana mafai ona tele atu ni taimi ta te vaai ai i le tasi ma le isi.”

Sa ataata Leah. “Ma a’u foi.”

Ua vave ona oo mai le isi tausaga aoga. Sa fiafia Leah mo le vasega fa, ae sa fai foi si ona popole. Sa lelei o ia i le i ai na’o ia lava i le tele o taimi. Ae o se tausaga o se taimi umi i le le maua ai se uo i lana vasega. Sa ia manatua ona lagona ina ua le toe avea Anna ma ana uo. Sa lei manao o ia e lagona le tuua toatasi.

Sa tatalo pea Leah i le Tama Faalelagi mo le filemu. Ina ua uma le taumafanafana, sa ia lagonaina le faamoemoe. Sa ia iloa o le a lelei mea uma.

1. Rin, 8 years old, sitting at her desk on the first day of school. She has an anxious look on her face. 2. Rin and Anna jump roping together outside at recess. 3. Anna hanging out with new friends at school. Rin is being excluded. This can happen at lunch time or during recess. 4. Rin and Ellie in a sewing class together, wearing the same pair of glasses. 5. Rin praying on her knees. (Head bowed, eyes closed, arms crossed across chest) 6. Rin hugging Ellie on the first day of school, backpacks on. Ellie wearing glasses, Rin wearing no glasses.

I le aso muamua o le aoga, sa savali atu ai Leah i totonu o lona potuaoga fou.

“Leah!”

Sa le talitonu o ia. Sa i ai Ellie i lana vasega!

Sa tamoe atu Ellie ia Leah ma fusi o ia. “Ua ou fiafia lava ua e i ai iinei! O le sili atu ona lelei lenei tausaga!”

1. Rin, 8 years old, sitting at her desk on the first day of school. She has an anxious look on her face. 2. Rin and Anna jump roping together outside at recess. 3. Anna hanging out with new friends at school. Rin is being excluded. This can happen at lunch time or during recess. 4. Rin and Ellie in a sewing class together, wearing the same pair of glasses. 5. Rin praying on her knees. (Head bowed, eyes closed, arms crossed across chest) 6. Rin hugging Ellie on the first day of school, backpacks on. Ellie wearing glasses, Rin wearing no glasses.

Sa ataata Leah. Sa ia iloa sa faatasi le Tama Faalelagi ma ia, e tusa lava pe sa faigata. Ma sa sa’o Ellie—o le a sili atu ona lelei le tausaga lenei!

O lenei tala sa tupu i le ISA.

Friend Magazine, 2023-02 Feb

Ata na tusia e Alyssa Tallent