Sinua didn't speak much English when she got here. She did things a little different too and my mom spent time helping her out and teaching her that she needed to use hot water and soap to wash dishes. She showed her to to use the washer and dryer, how to fold and put the clothes away, how to use the vacuum and how to use the dishwasher. Sinua was there when we got up in the morning, home from school and when we went to bed at night.
Sinua was great. She would always do something that was just off. One day I was watchinig My Little Pony and laying the floor. Sinua was vacuuming up the family room and I guess she didn't see my hair cause the next thing I knew my hair was being swept up. It was so tangled around the vacuum bush and it took forever to get it untangled!
Our back yard use to have super tall grass throughout most of the yard. We had a umu pit out there too that when we weren't using it for cooking we would use it to burn trash and things. I still remember it like yesterday....Sinua we outside and started a fire in the umu and was burning stuff. Then she came inside to take a shower. The next thing I knew the fire department was in front of our house!!The wind had blown the flames and the grass had caught on fire! The whole back yard was in flames!! Sinua came out of the shower, the fire department put the fire out and we just kind of stood there. I don't remember the grass ever growing very tall after that.
When Sinua was going to get married Mom made her dress. It was blue satin and it was hanging in the family room closet. I remember being upset that I couldn't go to her wedding and when I came home from school I ran straight to the closet only to find her dress not there anymore. I sat in that closet crying because I knew that she wasn't going to come back and live with us.
Whenever she came over to visit should would always say the same thing. "Sis.... you gained weight. Can I have the clothes that don't fit you anymore? Can I have those shoes? I lilke those" And, unless it was something that I just loved, I would let her have what ever it was. I loved that she called me Sis or Sissy. It made me feel like I had a real older sister.
Even after she got married she was still taking care of us kids. We would always go and stay with her on the weekends or holidays. In the summer we would stay for a week and spend time with her and her husband. She was like a second Mom to us kids. As we got older we always knew when Sinua had been at the house. It was usually clean and something was always missing....mostly our school or dance pictures. She would come and take our Homecoming or prom pictures and hand them in her house. She was so proud of my brothers and I. The boys all served missions, 4 of us graduated from school, everyone is married now.... and she was proud.
Yesterday Jared, Jeff and I were able to go and say good bye to Sinua. She passed away unexpectedly April 13th while in the hospital. I had been so busy the rest of that week and this past week with my girls and work that I hadn't really sat down and thought about what had happened. But driving up to the chapel yesterday I thought about her and everything she had done for us. Walking into the chapel and seeing her picture instantly brought tears to my eyes. As I sat looking at her body and listening to the loving words people had to say I cried. As people started to file out of the viewing I stood on the side with her daughters as people said their last good byes and they closed the casket.It was a very emotional day for my brothers, parents and I. With it being Easter and me knowing that Sinua's death is not forever it comforted me somewhat. I know that she is no longer in any pain from her dialysis.I know that she's with her family and children who have passed away before her. I know that she's still watching over us. But it's still hard. I loved her very much and I look forward to the day when I'll be able to see her again.
1 comment:
What a sweet story.
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