Every town has their stories, and you don’t know if they are true or not. Where I come from, a place I don’t even know the exact location of, we have our stories too. Stories that we cannot fathom what is truth or lies, reality or dreams. And, since I can’t decide, why don’t you try?
Our story starts in a little island in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, where a little girl once lived. The little girl was nothing special. She was not the King’s daughter or the second in command’s- the Chief’s- daughter. Although she was beautiful, smart, and determined. Her name was Losa. Losa means rose.
Losa fit her name. She was beautiful and delicate like a rose. She has long, black, wavy hair that touched her midback. Her skin was sun- kissed, and her eyes a golden-brown color. However, Losa also had the thorns that the rose possessed, that kept people away. Soon the rose bloomed from a little girl into a young woman...
Our story also starts with a giant that lived on an island far away from the island Losa lived on. Specifically, fiercest giant that ever lived- or so we are told. This giant stands at 25 feet tall, with hair that looked like maple syrup. His skin was the color of cappuccino, and his eyes were that of an amber with a brown tint. He was named Tamatoa, which means brave.
Tamatoa also fit his name. He was extremely brave, and... extremely arrogant. Tamatoa was the strongest giant on the island, so he was always challenged by other giants for the title of the strongest giant of them all. Tamatoa was always ready for a battle against another giant, for a giant could try to blind side him and attack him when he least expected it. When giants did attack Tamatoa they ended with broken bones a broken pride.
One day, the giants who were beaten by Tamatoa decided they had had enough! Tamatoa got to strut around, while they had to walk the road of shame. So, the beaten giants devised a plan to take down Tamatoa. They would attack Tamatoa all at once, because how could one giant beat 40 giants at once. That night, the giants hid in the palm trees that surrounded Tamatoa’s hut.
Tamatoa had come home to his hut after a quiet day. It was too quiet, Tamatoa thought as he approached his home. Now, Tamatoa was on high alert. Watching and listening for anything unusual, he was waiting for someone to jump out, but he was not prepared for two pairs of arms to grab his arms. Then for 10 other giants to pile on top of him, this causing his head to slam on to the ground. Tamatoa wrestled around trying, in vain, to escape the hold of the giants. Tamatoa would throw off a few giants and only more would come, making his head bash into the ground over and over. Soon, Tamatoa’s sight was getting blurrier and black dots were scattered around his vision. Then, blackness took over Tamatoa’s vision and thoughts. The beaten giants had now overpowered the ferocious Tamatoa.
While Tamatoa was out, the standing giants that had not been thrown around, hauled Tamatoa into a canoe. They pushed the canoe out into the wide, vast ocean. While the canoe and Tamatoa sailed away from the giants, the giants felt like they were finally the victors. When Tamatoa had finally woken up, he could only see the glittering water of the ocean. Tamatoa suddenly jumped to his feet, causing the canoe to dangerously rock back and forth- almost tipping over. Tamatoa looks around, shocked that he had lost to a bunch of sleazy, good for nothing giants! He screamed in frustration even if he knew that no one could hear him.
He sat back down onto the boat and started to use his hands as an oar, in hopes of finding land. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Tamatoa saw land. He also saw people on the land. The people also saw the giant.
The people were worried about the incoming giant. He was so much bigger and stronger than them. What would this giant do to them when he got to land? Losa looked at the giant and was shocked. He was nothing like the giants in her stories, where they were ugly and weird looking. Instead, this giant was handsome. His eyes to her were like gold: they glittered and glowed in the sunlight. Losa was suddenly taken with the giant.
Tamatoa looked at Losa and was surprised by her beauty. Humans in his story were always weak looking and frail creatures. Yet, the woman he saw was strong and had beautiful wavy, black hair that shone in the sunlight like an onyx. Tamatoa was smitten with Losa. Soon Tamatoa’s boat landed.
Tamatoa stepped out of the canoe. His feet hit the soft white sand. Upon his arrival the king, Malosi, stepped up to greet him. Tamatoa seeing the crown on Malosi’s head, bowed deeply to Malosi. Malosi stared at the bowing giant and said, “Why have you come here giant?” Keeping his head down out of respect, Tamatoa replied, “I had been attacked and shipped off to the sea. I was trying to find land for three days, when I finally saw your beautiful island, sir.” Malosi looked at Tamatoa once more, as if he were analyzing him. Finally, Malosi said, “You may rise giant. My name is King Malosi.” Tamatoa raised and softly replied, “And, my name is Tamatoa, Your Majesty.” King Malosi nodded his head in response then turned to his people yelling, “My people, welcome Tamatoa to our island!” Everyone turned to Tamatoa and yelled, “Welcome to our island, Tamatoa.”
Losa was curious about Tamatoa’s story about being attacked. She wanted to know more about him. She knew Tamatoa would need a place to stay, and while she knew her hut was too small to fit him in, she knew she could offer him some of her family’s land for him to build on. She carefully and cautiously walked towards Tamatoa. When she had reached him, she sweetly said, “Tamatoa, my name is Losa and I would like to offer some of my family’s land for you to build your home on, in exchange of helping us on our plantation.” Tamatoa turned to see the woman that spoke so sweetly to him, to see the beauty that had enchanted him with her beauty. He looked down at her then replied, “How kind of you to offer your home to me. I would love to stay with you and help you.” Losa looked at him then smiled and said, “Wonderful, you may follow me to my family’s land.” Tamatoa followed like a puppy would to its master.
When they had made it to Losa’s family land. Two men were working on the plantation that was on the land. Tamatoa looked at them questionably, wondering if they were people important to Losa. The two men looked up and saw the giant and Losa. They walked forward and stood in front of Losa and Tamatoa. Losa turned to Tamatoa and said, “I would like you to meet my brothers, Tua and Toto.” Tamatoa looked at the men and nodded his head in greeting, but the brothers did not even bat an eye in his direction. Losa looked at her brothers and ordered, “Brothers, greet Tamatoa!” Tua and Toto looked at him and reluctantly nodded in his direction. Tamatoa sized the men up. They were both 6 feet and 2 inches and were well built because of the hard work they did every day. Tamatoa looked at Losa, she was 5 feet and 11 inches and was also nicely built because of the work she did. Losa looked up at Tamatoa and smiled at him.
Losa looked back to her brothers and firmly said, “Tamatoa will be living on our land, in exchange for helping us on our farm.” The brothers opened their mouths to speak, but the grim look that Losa gave them made them close their mouths. Tamatoa looked at the two men and said, “Thank you for letting me stay on your land. I will help you the best that I can.” The men looked at Tamatoa and turned around to get back to work. “I apologize for my brothers. They are not good with new comers,” Losa gently said. “It is no problem Losa. I have been treated with worse hospitality in my lifetime,” Tamatoa replied. “Well come along let me show you around,” Losa said to him, and Tamatoa was once again following Losa.
Now, here is where there is a hole in the story. All we know during this time gap is that Tamatoa builds his hut on Losa’s land, and Losa and Tamatoa fall in love and get married. Losa’s brothers do not agree to the marriage of Losa and Tamatoa, but Losa’s parents do. Then from here we know what happens.
Losa’s brothers were scheming against Tamatoa. They were finding other people on the island that were against Tamatoa staying on their island, and were also scaring people into thinking that Tamatoa would hurt them. Soon, they had an army to fight against Tamatoa. They would attack Tamatoa when he was sleeping.
The night fell upon them and they were watching as Losa and Tamatoa fell asleep. Tua and Toto looked at their army and signed that it was time to attack. 10 men with knives attacked Tamatoa causing him to awaken. Losa jolted awake when she heard Tamatoa groan in pain and heard a thud against their wall. She saw men coming to attack her husband. Losa tried to help, but Tamatoa yelled, “Run Losa! Run!” Losa nodded with tears in her eyes and ran. She ran to the King Malosi’s palace and yelled for help. The Malosi asked what was wrong and Losa told him of her brother’s doing. King Malosi gathered his loyal army, and they ran to help Tamatoa. When they arrived at Tamatoa and Losa’s home, they saw Tamatoa fighting off men, who were anchoring themselves on his body with knives and daggers.
King Malosi’s army ran and tried to fight off many of the men that were trying to get to Tamatoa. Tamatoa was flinging the men off and finally got them all off, but Tua and Toto were still left. Tua was being beaten by the Malosi’s army, so it was up to Toto to get to Tamatoa. Toto took a spear and drove it into Tamatoa’s heart. Tamatoa fell and Losa ran to him. King Malosi was able to kill Toto before he got away, but the damage was done. Tamatoa was dying. Losa laid there next to him as he died. Tamatoa’s last words were to his wife telling her how much he loved her. As Tamatoa died his body was turning into stone, when his body had completely turned to stone Tamatoa had turned into a mountain. Losa cried and cried over her dead husband’s body. Soon her grief caused her body to turn into a water along with her tears. Her body of water wrapped around Tamatoa’s dead body, as if she were protecting him from any other danger. Losa became known as the Lake of Tears and Tamatoa was known as Mt. Tamatoa.
This is the story of my home. I don’t know if this is true or not, but I know there is a Lake of Tears and a Mt. Tamatoa at where I come from. Maybe this story is true, or maybe it is another story to explain nature that was made up. I would like to be optimistic and say it is true, but I can't say that for sure. And, since I can’t decide, why don’t you try?