My parents (RRaw week 2b Thursady 6, 2014) Cassandra barnette

My parents

From the time I could remember my father and mother would wake my siblings and I up every Sunday mornings for church. I could still hear the echoes of my mother’s voice resonating through my thoughts saying “Fai mo tu’u ki olunga” hurry up and get up. Church was a drag for me, sitting there felt like years, I would eventually see a window of opportunity to escape and grasp that moment as it came. My father would sooner or later find out, “bang” the iron palm comes striking down on the heel of my foot, the moments of freedom is short lived. Father would be standing there with a thunderous voice as if it shook the ground, lecturing me “nofo mau he lotu” stay in church he would say. My parents were always lecturing me on the principles of right and wrong, good and bad and to uphold the values and morals I have been taught.  My father would always say “ai akiho lelei taha, mo kataki ki lahi” do everything to your best ability, and endure. I am grateful for my parents always on my back 24/7 as if, I am still that little boy that had to be woken up every morning for church. The lectures with the iron palm, most occasions (laughs). These teachings have influenced me dramatically, which has become a practice in my everyday life to be a better person then I was yesterday.