It’s not easy for the descendants of the Taivale family to let go of the house that has served the family for 57 years, and it is the only remaining oldest house in the village of Eva.
The house was built in 1967, and since then, five generations have lived there, as we learned from a family representative, Amanda July Taivale Tuiafiso Samu, who stated,
“The first people to inhabit this house right after it was built were Taivale Lanu and Lupe Taivale. They had eight children: Faloai, Tupou, Filifili, Soolefai, Meaati, Sieni, Faliutumau, Lanuola.
“Meaati was the ancestor of my father, Taivale July Samu, and his generation lived there until our time, during which even some of our generation’s children have come to see this house.”
Despite over fifty years passing and including major storms like Ofa and Valelia in 1990 and 1991, the house was not damaged.
Taivale, the elder, and Lupe, the matriarch who first lived in the house, are still lying in rest in front of this house to this day.
The roof has decayed, but the foundation and the wooden structure it was built with remain strong.
Many important life events have unfolded in this house, and that is why it has been hard for the family members to dismantle it, as it represents a history for future generations to come.
Na fa’aliliuina le tala mai i le Tala Samoa
Le maota e 5 augatupulaga na faafailele mai ai
E le’o faigofie i suli o le aiga o Taivale le tuuina i lalo o le maota ua 57 tausaga o tautua i le aiga, ma pau lea o le maota sili ona tuai oloo totoe i le afioaga o Eva.
O le maota na fausia i le 1967, ma ua lima ai nei augatupulaga e faaaogaina,e pei ona tatou fesiligia ai le sui o le aiga, ia Amanda July Taivale Tuiafiso Samu ma ia saunoa ai,
“O uluai tagata na nofoia le maota lea ina ua faato’a maea ona fausia, o Taivale Lanu ma Lupe Taivale. E to’avalu o la alo, o Faloai , Tupou, Filifili, Soolefai, Meaati, Sieni, Faliutumau, Lanuola.
“O Meaati, o le tuaa lena o si o’u tamā o Taivale July Samu, ma na soifua ane foi lana ia augatupulaga seia o’o mai i lo matou taimi, lea foi ua maua fanau a nisi o le matou augatupulaga, ua vaai uma lava i le fale lenei.”
I le tele o mala faalenatura i le silia i le limasefulu tausaga ua mavae e aofia ai ma afa tetele o Ofa ma Valelia i le 1990 ma le 1991, e le’i faaleagaina ai le fale.
O le toeaina o Taivale ma le loomatua o Lupe na mua’i nofoia le maota, olo’o tao’oto pea o la tino maliu i luma o lenei fale e oo mai i le taimi nei.
Ua pala le falealuga, ae peitai olo’o malosi lava le fa’avae ma laupapa na fausiaina ai.
E tele vaega taua o le soifuaga na fofoa mai i lea maota, ma o le ala foi lena e lei faigofie ai i sui o le aiga ona tu’uina i lalo, aua o se talafa’asolopito mo tupulaga fai a’e.