Nyla Makaiwi Lolotai

Aumakua

“Mama wake up, you’re dreaming again… “I saw a white owl …” “Yes, yes mama but you’ve got to get ready for senior citizens your ride will be here in a little while!” It was the highlight of the day for my 82-year-old mom to meet with her friends, she would be missed by her centenarian friends if they did not see her smile today. “Mama, I’ve got a lot to do today, please try your best to get ready quickly”. Going on eight months now …we had established a routine that was working for the two of us. At first it was hard; we both did not plan on her living with me in Barstow. California was far from either of our plans. But here we are. I have second guessed my decision to keep her with me, but I could not let her go back to Samoa without medical support. Who was going to follow up on her cancer, her chemo treatments? My siblings were hesitant to let her stay with me, but I was always the one being the older to make all the decisions. It was decided and that was that. Occasionally she would ask me when she was going back home and I would have to explain to her “Mama, you are with me now, you’re not going back. Please do not miss home so much, we will be happy together, okay?!”