1989
Sama the Thumb
November 1989


“Sama the Thumb,” Tambuli, Nov. 1989, 4

Sama the Thumb

It was a celebration so special that I traveled more than six thousand kilometers to return to my Samoan village of Faletele.

The village was bustling with activity. Crowding in with the few hundred villagers were more than a hundred of my relatives from many parts of Samoa and many honored guests from other villages.

I started walking through the village, heading toward the big, domed roofed fale [house] when I saw my beloved cousin Sama. Suddenly I was filled with pride and sorrow and love as I remembered when we first came to know Sama—Sama the Thumb.

I was just five years old. Sama was ten. His parents had gone to New Zealand for the dedication of the temple, and Sama had come to stay with us.

I was watching the young men and boys play ball. A bus stopped on the road, and one of my aunts got out, followed by a boy who we learned was our cousin Sama. When they went to the Tuita’ua’s fale, I followed them.

Tuita’ua Ioane was the senior member and head of our family. Hundred of relatives—brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, aunts and uncles. Grandchildren and cousins—honored and obeyed him. Tuita’ua is one of the great titles in Samoa, and the Tuita’ua is respected by all Samoans.

In the days that followed, we enjoyed getting to know Sama with his stories and jokes and his sense of humor. We soon accepted him not only as a cousin but also as a good friend. When Sama was with us, whether we were working or playing, we laughed and had fun.

On Sunday morning I couldn’t find Sama. All day I asked the people of the village if they had seen him, but nobody knew where he was.

Finally, in the late afternoon, long after our church services and our afternoon meal were over Sama came walking through the village in his white shirt and white lavalava [native skirt or kilt]. Tuita’ua Ioane called him into the fale. “Where have you been, Sama?” he asked.

“In Fuapa’epa’e.”

“You walked the twelve kilometers to Fuapa’epa’e? And back?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“Why?”

“Because that is the closest village where I can attend my church.”

Tuita’ua Ioane took off his wire-rimmed reading glasses and laid them on the Bible, which he’d been reading. “Sama, the village rule is that there will be only one church in Faletele and that all the people in Faletele will attend that church. Do you understand? You are part of my family, Sama, but you are also a guest in this village and you are under my protection. You know our rule.” He leaned forward and looked Sama in the eyes. “You do what you have to do.”

The following week none of the cousins mentioned Sama’s trip to Fuapa’epa’e. They continued to joke and laugh together as they worked and played together.

Trouble started on the second Sunday. I woke up to the sounds of arguing. Two of my cousins, Malini and Tofo, were chasing after Sama, who was dressed in his white shirt and lavalava.

“Sama, you know what the village rule is!” Tofo shouted.

Malini grabbed Sama’s arm. “How can you show such disrespect to Tuita’ua Ioane?”

Sama stood boldly in front of them. “Tuita’ua told me to do what I have to do. And this is what I have to do!”

As he started walking away again, Malini shouted after him, “Sama, don’t embarrass our family like this!”

At the end of the day when Sama came walking back into Faletele, some of the villagers made fun of Sama, calling him bad names. Some of them mocked him calling “Mamona” [Mormon] as he walked by. All the cousins were angry at Sama and wouldn’t talk to him—all of them, that is, except me. I had Sama all to myself the entire week. It was wonderful as we talked and sang and he told me stories.

“Maybe tomorrow you will remove our family shame and come with us to the village church,” Malini told Sama on Saturday night.

But on Sunday morning Sama was gone again. Next to each of our sleeping mats was a gift that Sama had made.

When Sama returned that evening, I ran out to greet him. He was eager to see the others, too, until he saw that his gifts had been broken and thrown away.

“The villagers made our cousins angry,” I explained. “But I kept my gifts. I like them very much. Thank you.”

Sama smiled at me, then went off my himself until it was time for the evening meal.

When he returned the cousins shouted, “You are a disgrace to our family!

“Find someplace else to sleep. You’re no longer welcome in the boys’ fale.”

They pushed Sama down, and raised their fists to hit Sama. “Because of you, our friends are calling us bad names!”

I was afraid that the cousins were going to hurt Sama, so I ran to get Tuita’ua Ioane. But he had heard the fight and had already come to the door of his fale. “You boys, stop it now!” He commanded. “All of you, come in here!”

At the sound of his voice, the boys immediately stopped. They walked meekly into the fale and sat down.

“Look at my hand!” Tuita’ua Ioane held out his hand. “See how these fingers are bunched here together? And how the thumb is out here all by itself?”

We all looked at his hand.

“We have a saying here in Samoa: ‘The thumb stands alone, but it is the strongest of the fingers.’”

Tuita’ua Ioane pointed at each of the cousins. “You boys are the fingers. But Sama is the thumb!”

Even though I was very young, I learned many things that night. Tuita’ua Ioane taught us about being true to yourself and valiant in your beliefs. His words and Sama’s example changed my life.

After thinking back to those days, I continued walking up the steps of the big fale and removed my shoes, as was the custom. Sama saw me immediately. And we hugged each other. Everyone was there for just one reason—to honor the Tuita’ua. Tuita’ua Sama.

But to me he would always be Sama the Thumb.

Illustrated by Lori Anderson