...HERITAGE PAPER...

HERITAGE PAPER

In the magestic south pacific ocean lies a tiny island called, NIUE. A young Polynesian boy solemnly grew up with many of life's limitations. He and his family weren't very wealthy at the time. The island people and villagers were very happy and graceful people. They appreciated life the way it was. The young Polynesian boy relocated to the island of Tutuila, Amerika Samoa.

Compared to other families the family was great in size. He had two(20 brothers and two(2) sisters. The young Polynesian boy and his younger brother moved to American Samoa due to family obligations and to help take care of their aunty. His sister was already in Samoa living with their aunty. Back in the days many people traveled over seas by boat. At the time hardly any people in Samoa liked Niueans. As they entered the Bay area of Pago, Pago Harbor their arrival was a success. As they journeyed through Samoa it was a culture shock for them because, the language, life style, customs, and traditions were different.

The boy encountered many hardships in his life growing up because hardly anyone liked the Niueans. He also had to walk to and from school and he would sometimes have to wash his same clothes each time because of poverty. In those days they relied on natural resources a lot for food, light, and shelter. If they need light they would have to make candle or use the sun, moon, and the stars. Life on a daily basis was a lesson and value learned each and every day. When the young boy and his brother got any food they would have to give their sister, and they ate the left overs just because that's how you were raised. While growing up, going to school was pretty tough for the young Polynesian boy.

Back then there was only one high school in the entire island, but many other middle, and elementary schools. And there was only a certain amount they can receive. In order to go to high school you have take the test, and you need have one of the top 250 scores… "If you don't you aren't going to high school." If you don't go to high school you would have to stay home and do the "fai feau's" ( do all the work ) such as clean the house, go do the hunting and fishing, cooking, etc. That was the way life was back then if don't get to go to high school and further on your education.

Test day was the biggest thing in school back then, for many of the young children. And after they correct the test and got all the results they read off the peoples who got the highest scores from the highest to the least, on the radio. It was the day where all the children would have to be in the house by 5 'o clock P.M., and go to sleep really early the night before. The test was really important to the children. School in Samoa was very disciplinary because if you disobeyed the teacher, or the rules you would (get whacked). When you take the test you have to be really quiet, or else you are sent home and you are not accepted into high school. The test for the young boy was important because he wanted to succeed in life. The boy was really focused and ready for the test. After test day, the next day they read off the results on the radio and the young boy received the second highest score and was very overwhelmed with his accomplishments.

During his high school years he made his self and his family's name shine and prosper. He was an honor student and excelled in all of his subjects. During his sophmore year in high school there was an essay contest. A man from Hawaii was hosting the contest. He brought down $5,000 dollars with him. First place gets $2,500, second and third place $1,250 each. The essay question was to explain how Samoa and the life style was in the 1600's 'til now. Knowing that the young Polynesian boy was Niuen he hardly knew anything about Samoa, even though he excelled in school. The young boy had a friend whom was the Governor for Samoa that just past away about two years ago that was a senior in high school at the time. He asked the boy if he was going to enter… and the boy's reply was, No. And the friend was curious, so he asked why? The boy said because he does not know anything about Samoa. So that coming Sunday when the boy went to church his other friend left church a little early. So the young boy asked him, where was he going? And the friend said his father asked a Samoan expert to share with him all the knowledge that he knows about Samoa since the 1600's. So the friend invited him to come along with him so the young boy said… YES, thank-you! So when they went the expert told them all that he knew and when he was finished the boy and his friends' minds were blank. The young boy was speechless and was just amazed. So the friend asked the expert if he could write down for him and the expert told him that he was sorry but he couldn't do that because it was against the rules and that it is cheating, not knowing that he was one of the judges. So when the young boy got home he sat at the typewriter and started typing, and everything started coming to him exactly what the expert said like he sitting right next to him repeating what he said, and the boy was just overwhelmed. So the boy went the next day and turned his essay into his teacher the next day to proof read it before they hand it in on the deadline. And when he received his essay back his teacher told him that his essay was the best essay of all! As they read the essays they used numbers instead of names to make it fair. After two weeks later since he turned in his essay, the boy was playing basketball and one day the principal came up to him and he asked him to come with him to his office. And the boy thought to himself "what did I do wrong?" The principal told him that if they hadn't known that it was his paper they wouldn't have chosen him. The boy asked him, what were they talking about? And the principal told that he was the winner of the contest. And from there on, the boy and his family never had to worry about food and money. Now since the family was not poor anymore the family succeeded and moved up a little bit year after year. And they don't have to worry as much as they did before.

When I heard the story from my grandpa I was very appreciative and I learned a really good lesson after I heard it. And I will make sure that I will never forget it. Looking back then it gave me the desire to succeed. In order to succeed you must work hard. Hard workers deserves success, like they say…"What you choose today, determines what you will become tomorrow.


THE END!!!