My Grandfather's burial.

Grandfather’s Re-burial

(In Tonga)

   

Stress day, the day my grandfather gets buried again in mats.  We had a couple of moments in a room with him alone, pretty weird if you ask me.  Me my cousin’s, my aunt's and uncle’s were ready to leave to the wharf A.K.A The ship harbour.  One of my uncle’s were waiting at the island we were heading, he was actually the governor of the island.  The island we were heading for was an island called Ha’apai.  So at our house in Tonga, stressed, un-confident we actually didn’t feel like going.  But too late the taxi’s had already come (and a car to put my grandpa in.)  So we took a bunch of flowers and his body, there were a lot of men to carry him.

We hopped inside all the cars and went to the wharf, as we were taking a ride to the wharf I noticed the car holding my grandpa in it was the lights were flashing.  As it was flashing the cars on the other side of the road went to the side, it was really cool and also it shows the people showed respect.  We arrived to the wharf getting ready to head off to Ha’apai, our other cousins were there too.  So we put Grandpa (Teau) on the boat first and then us.   As we were getting ready to go on the boat my uncle’s servant A.K.A Driver gave us all one Coke each.  Then we went on the boat, we got our passes checked and went to our room.  Some people stayed and slept outside, but we were just lucky enough to get a room.  It took a long time before we left.

Midnight, the boat still not there.  Everyone is not that sleepy, well just our parents.  Our cousins were acting hypo, even me!  We went outside and checked if we were nearly, but not even close!  So we felt like a snack, we all didn’t feel like going down stairs to get food so we just went to the cafe.  Wow the cafe is taking for ever, then I got in trouble from my older cousin she was angrier than ever!  Then she said, “shut up eh, it’s rude idiot!”  The man asked “what would you guys want?”  “Mai pie e taha” my cousin said.  The man was really good at speaking Tongan but not that good at speaking english.  So we went outside and ate, then went back down stairs just to have a rest.  We played some hand games and attempted to do some hand tricks.  After we realised staying in the room is so boring, we went outside again to look at the nice blue water it looked like an illusion.

Day time, we’re almost there!  Just cleaning up the mess we made.  It took a couple of minutes to get there, but when we were there it was awesome!  My uncle was waiting with another boat (and our other cousin’s that went on the plane.)

So as we were waiting everyone on the boat was too, but since my uncle was the governor we were lucky enough to go first.  So as we got out with the flowers and my grandpa there was a College with instruments, in my mind that was strange?  Then as we got closer to the other boat we the College played nice opera kind of music, it sounded beautiful!  When we went on the boat we were hyped up, we were excited!  Then the engine started, broooooom!  We went straight to my grandpa’s home, Ha’ano.

While we were riding we had rough waves, and when I mean rough I mean rough!  It was very hard controlling my self trying not to move and of course we were scared, but just a little.  Then at last we got there finally, it took 3 hours straight!

Arrival we got there safe.  We sang our way to the  church carrying my grandfather, we were all wearing black with mats around our waist.  In Tongan we call it “To’uvala.”  After we sang our way to the church we put my grandpa in the front of the church and sang gospel songs in Tongan, and we sang the National anthem of Tonga.  It was really weird because we didn’t stand up to sing gospel songs but we did when it was the National anthem.  After that went to wash our face because sea water came splashing in our faces!  After we wait a while for group 2 to come.  When they came we went to a ha to have a feed.  Then we went back to the church and took my grandpa’s body to his grave, I noticed there was only two people who was buried there, my grandpa and my great grandpa.  After we went to a hall and had a huge feed!  After our feed we were getting ready to leave, this time the group that went first is the group that’s going last.

Last night here, eating first.  After we ate we organised ourselves who would go first on the truck.  So the group I went on was first.  So we headed off to the wharf (for the small boats,) after we waited awhile.  When they came we were headed straight to the wharf!  So we’re at the wharf all ready, we hoped in the boats, we went in groups I went with the men, the ladies were on another boat.  We headed straight to Pangai, (a place in Ha’apai.)  When we got to Pangai we went across the new bridge, from one island to another.  We took a truck to my uncle’s house, but when we got there, there was not enough room!  So we had to go to my uncle’s guest house, we had a rest and a shower.  5:00 in the morning!  No wasting time straight to the big boat hurry!  We were all in a rush, everyone getting ready and heading straight to the car.  We got in the car and headed straight to the wharf.  When we got to the wharf we all got our checks done and went to our room, it was a different room this time, same design but just different places.  We were all the way at the bottom.  Then we said our goodbye’s and went back to my home country Nuku’alofa.  When we got to Nuku’alofa we headed back home, our home’s name is Tu’ataa, when we walked through the doors of Tu’ataa we saw my two cousin’s Tapu and Semi, (they stayed) just finished school they go Tonga College Atele.We were  glad we got home safe!

(The school Tapu and Semi go to.)

Some of the islands we went to, there’s Ha’ano and Pangai.