Paradise for a Sinner (25 page)

“Lita at school, ha! Why do you want to see her?” Pala raised her dark eyes from her weaving and pinned Winnie with a suspicious glare.

“I know Lila Tomanaga tried to get through to her about her bad habits and failed. I thought I might help.” Not Lita but Adam.

“You, a divorced woman who wants only a rich husband regardless of his lack of values. How could you do any good?”

Winnie swallowed that remark more bitter than raw cocoa. “I could tell her where I went wrong.” Her first wrong step, marrying Doug, who used her to get through medical school, just as Sammy would have used his marriage to the
taupou
to gain status. She should tell Pala she’d gotten a lucky break, but held back again.

Pala did not answer. She carefully set her work aside, rolled her mat, and took it inside the house. At first Winnie thought she’d been left to swelter in the sun without an answer, but the
taupou
returned. “She has been staying with her friend, Alisi, since the night Adam killed Sammy out of jealousy.”

“Innocent until proven guilty. We are in
American
Samoa, you know,” Winnie rebuked. “I do not believe jealousy was the motive.”

“Because Adam has a skinny
palagi
woman instead of me?” Pala released a harsh laugh.

Once more, Winnie curbed her words. “No, because Adam did not do the crime. Are you going tell to me where Alisi lives?”

“No, I intend to take you there. Anything I can do to set my sister on the right path I will do.”

Pala set off leaving Winnie to follow her undulating hips. Determined not to be led, Winnie caught up and took Pala’s hand in the friendly gesture often seen among the village girls. Pala stared at her as if she wanted to chew that hand off at the wrist, but Winnie held on and they continued through the village to its far end nearest the deserted stretch of beach. Outside another square house, Pala called her sister.

The sulky teenager poked her head through the open doorway. “What do you want?”

“The
palagi
woman wants to talk to you.”

Pala made a move to enter the house, but Winnie dropped her hand and said, “Alone.”

The interior seemed dim after being outside in the bright sun, and the air was stuffy despite all the louvered windows being open to let in air. A better day to be on the beach than cooped up here, Winnie thought. Alisi, a round-faced girl she remembered from the
fiafia,
sat on a mat where she and her friend had been pursuing movie magazines and digging into large bags of potato and breadfruit chips that weren’t going to reduce the size of the plump belly under her lava-lava. A couple cans of Coke rested among the snacks.

“None of my business, but shouldn’t the two of you be in school?”

“School is boring. I dropped out and got a GED last year. Alisi doesn’t feel well so I’m keeping her company.” Lita threw herself down carelessly and began paging through the magazines again.

Despite the evidence piled around them that she could hardly be sick and eat all that junk, Alisi asked politely, “Would you like a drink, some food?”

“No, thanks, just some conversation.” Winnie noticed a shadow outside one of the open windows. She swore when Pala’s youthful beauty faded and she’d had a few babies to expand her figure, she would become the village eavesdropper. Well, let her listen.

“Lita, no matter what anyone says about you, I believe you are a very clever girl.”

Beneath the heavy eye makeup and red lipstick, teenager smirked. “Maybe.”

“Lila Tomanaga told me you heard rumors about a
moetotolo
being on the loose but did not believe them.”

“I was wrong.” The girl looked sidelong at her friend who stared into the open can of Coke as if it contained holy visions. “The
moetotolo
existed. He caught Alisi out one night and forced himself on her, threatened her if she screamed or told. Now there will be a baby. Soon everyone will notice. Tell her, Alisi.”

The other girl kept her eyes lowered and shook her head.

“You can speak now. He can’t hurt you.” The pregnant teen stayed mute.

“Alisi wasn’t the only one. I know of at least two other girls. He said they were bad to be out at night, and he had needs, great needs that were not being met. Since they were already corrupt, no one would believe them if they accused him. He was strong. They did what the big
matai
told them to do. They couldn’t get away.”

“But you did. Isn’t that right, Lita?”

The girl shrugged in a world weary way. “The boy I walked with on the beach ran away. Afraid the
matai
will beat them, they always do. He left me behind for the
moetotolo
to take.”

“You screamed and fought because you are braver and bolder than the others”

“Yes! Lila Tomanaga told me God would forgive me and look after me if I gave up my wicked ways. I guess He did. When the
moetotolo
tried to cover my mouth, he knocked me against the palm tree. One of the coconuts fell and hit him right on top of the head. He collapsed. I didn’t know whether he was dead or not, but I wanted to make sure he never hurt me or my friends again. I bashed him as hard in the face as I could with the weapon God put in my hands and ran away. I haven’t gone with a boy since because God protected me from a rapist.”

That would be all of three days of celibacy, but Winnie did not point out this fact. “Just to be perfectly clear, the rapist was Sammy Tau.” She thought she heard a small gasp outside the window as she pronounced the name.

Lita gave her a sly smile and raised her voice. “Yes, my sister was going to marry a
moetotolo
. I saved her and the rest of my friends, too.”

“Why did you let people believe Adam Malala killed Sammy?”

“I offered myself to him and he rejected me. I would have made a better wife for him than Pala or you. I want to get out of this village, off this island. I want to live it the States and have lots of money, not stay here and preserve the old ways. Besides, I knew Adam would be let off. I read the magazines. Famous people never get convicted. But I would be. Don’t expect me to go running to the police to confess. Alisi won’t tell what she heard and my sister will be too embarrassed to speak about it.”

“You were defending yourself—and it could have been death by coconut, strange as that seems.” Now who was grasping at straws?

The unfortunate Alisi giggled when Winnie said that until Lita poked her in the belly with a finger across the display of chips and soft drinks. “Yes, death by coconut. That’s what it was. I bet Sammy Tau died before I hit him. Do you think there will be a reward for information, enough to get me off this stinking island?”

“Maybe. I will have to ask Adam’s lawyer, but it would be better by far to confess now. Otherwise, people might think you were paid to make up a story.” Clever, not stupid, Winnie thought again, and let her words sink into the girl’s calculating mind.

Lita cocked her head and considered. “I can tell them where I scratched Sammy on the cheek and bit him on his fat breast. I will give the police the name of the boy with me that night. He is part of Sammy’s
’aiga
and does not want to come forward to bring shame on the family.”

The teenager took a long drag on her Coke as if it contained fortifying alcohol. Maybe it did. “Besides, God saved me. Maybe if Pastor Tomanaga went with me to the police, I would not be put in jail. Later, Adam might give money to the
matai
for a scholarship on the mainland. I know I am worthy of such a scholarship.”

Well, no, Winnie thought, but the
matai
would be glad to be rid of the poor example Lita set for the village girls, and that might be enough incentive. “I’m sure you are.”

“What colleges do you have in New Orleans?”

Winnie’s mama did not raise an idiot child. “I think you would be happier on the west coast. Maybe in Los Angeles where you might see movie stars from time to time.” She had no desire to drop in on Adam one day and find Lita and half a dozen of her girlfriends staying at his place because island hospitality demanded it.

“Movie stars, I would like that.”

“Me, too!” the excited Alisi said. “I mean I could visit after I have my baby.”

Winnie began to see how things worked in the village, slow and roundabout, but in the end, everyone got what they needed. “When will you go to Reverend Tomanaga, Lita?”

“Today, tomorrow, pretty soon.”

Winnie dearly wanted to wipe the makeup from Lita’s face and frog-march her to the parsonage right this minute, but she knew haste was not the Samoan way. “Sounds good,” she made herself say. “Thank you.”

Outside, Winnie saw no sign of Pala and walked back to the Malala house alone. Her welcome was not as warm as it had been with Adam around. She guessed fish and guests stank after three days in Samoa as well as anywhere else. However, she helped Ela squeeze the grated coconut to make a corned beef
pulasami
for dinner. When the children returned from school, she assisted them with their simple arithmetic problems, let them practice their English on her, and generally kept the little girl out from under Ela’s big feet. Being useful, one of her strong points, Winnie figured.

The day passed painfully into evening as if the sun walked carefully across hot coals. An older couple, both of substantial belly size, came to visit Ela and Noa, and passed a few polite words with Winnie on the porch before going inside to hold a lengthy conversation in Samoan. The children nested for sleep in Adam’s makeshift bed, which they seemed to prefer to all other places. She gave up waiting for his return and went inside for the night.

Winnie decided to spend the next day at the clinic close to the parsonage where she might notice if the Jeep left with Lita in it. Eventually, it did. She wished she could stick out a thumb and hitch a ride into Adam’s arms, but knew her influence over the girl’s confession would not help his case one bit. The afternoon rains came with extra force since they had skipped a day and had to make it up. She watched the water cascade from the sky, another kind of waterfall that only made her think of Adam and their visit to
Nu’uuli
Falls.

Lua embraced her shoulders. “Do not worry. The
matai
and the Sinners will not let Adam go to jail.”

“The Sinners, sure. They would hate to be out a cornerback, but the
matai
seem to think he is guilty the way they locked him up.”

“Things are not always what they appear to be here. Have patience.”

Borrowing an umbrella at the end of the day, she reluctantly went back to the house where she now felt unwelcome. Ela’s mood had changed like the weather. She hummed as she prepared the evening meal. Somehow, that made Winnie more uneasy than her suppressed hostility. What was going on? What did no one tell her?

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Winnie visited Lila and her baby the next morning and discussed what she had learned from Lita. “I was a help then in saving Adam. I am so glad,” the new mother said. “Davita told me some of this, but not the details. I must pray for the soul of Sammy Tau.”

She invited Winnie to stay for a bite to eat, and when the phone rang, was much more forthcoming than Ela. “Adam is free. They are coming home this afternoon.”

“I should go tell his parents.”

“I am sure they know already. He would have called them first.”

But not me. Why hadn’t Adam asked to speak to her? Winnie lingered with Lila and the baby until late afternoon when she thought the Jeep might arrive based on her other trips to Pago. Her timing proved to be correct. As she neared the house, the bright yellow Jeep rolled down the rutted road at a very sedate speed to keep from running over or leaving behind the adults, children, and dogs running beside it and following. A cheer went up when Adam stepped down from the vehicle.

Taboo or not, Winnie raced toward him. She half-expected him to stop her at arm’s length, but he did not. Adam folded her into an embrace and accepted her jubilant kiss. When Winnie opened her eyes again, she noticed just over his broad shoulder Ela’s face harden into lines of disapproval that aged her ten years. Beside Adam’s mother, Noa smiled with unadulterated glee. Other people made up the welcoming group on the porch, the couple from last night and Pala, all of them displaying deep frowns. The old childhood threat about ugly faces freezing that way came to Winnie’s mind.

Lita emerged from the backseat to be engulfed by her hugging girlfriends including the pregnant Alisi. Davita turned off the engine and got down. He suggested a prayer. The crowd bowed heads and fell silent. He thanked God the truth had come out and freed an innocent man, that His mighty hands sent the coconut to bring down the guilty, but also asked them to pray for the soul of the departed. Amen.

Ela clapped her hands to draw attention. In a clear, strong voice, she announced, “Still more good news, my friends. The wedding between my son and Pala will go on as planned in May.”

Pala stood there between her parents doing her blushing maiden routine, eyes downcast, hands folded in front of her, but she raised her tawny lids just enough to send Winnie a very smug look. The woman must have hotfooted home after Lita’s confession and babbled to her parents. No sense in grieving over a rapist, back to Plan A. Oh, they would send Sammy off with a church funeral, condolences to the family, and a hearty meal, but the gifts for such a corrupt man need not be lavish. On with the wedding!

Winnie’s knees weakened. Adam’s arm held her close. He answered in an equally loud, firm voice. “No! The engagement was broken. I will not marry Pala. I want Winnie.”

“You refuse to honor the wishes of your elders?” Ela asked.

“Yes.”

“Then you are not my son.” She turned and moved back into the fine house that son provided for her. Noa hesitated, came down the steps first to embrace his son and whisper a few words, then follow his wife inside. Pala, shielding her face with her hands, dashed into the crowd to be trailed at a more dignified pace by her outraged parents. Her mother kept repeating the same phrase as she went among the people. Adam translated it as saying, “My daughter has many other offers.”