Tufuga's Mat - Part 1

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TUFUGA'S MAT - PART 1

UNITED THROUGH BLOOD AND PAIN

f o r   c u l t u r e  ~  f o r   m e 

Written & Published : Lydia Rees
 
. . . 

I anxiously sit watching and waiting for when the tufuga arrives and every little bit of movement around me makes me grow a little more weary. In the distance I can hear the sea crashing, the wind passing through the trees, the lady in the field sweeping up what used to be luscious green leaves which have now fallen to their resting place, I wait.

My ankles press against the falas (mat) , imprinting the weaving crafts, folded legs that sat to make these mats for folded legs to rest on, lay on, sleep on, cry on. Flies fly back and forth, touching my skin, flying away, touching the mats, flying away, touching my back pack, flying away, heading in the direction a nearby group of onlookers , flying away, imitating the direction of my thoughts wondering aimlessly here and there and here and there. I sit.

How do you put into words the feeling of knowing that you're about to have hundreds of years worth of culture imprinted onto your skin; well whatever that is called, that's what I am feeling. Not butterflies, heck not even moths but the whole zoo dancing in my belly break dancing in my belly.

They have arrived. I watch as 6 tall dark men slowly make their way into the fale, 5 men carrying equipment and one leading the group which is the Tufuga (tattooist). I anxiously watch them all preparing the equipment, covering each pillow of different shapes and sizes with garbage bags, each set of hands covered in rubber gloves, equipment sanitised, sterilised and laid out ready for its master. Less than two meters away from me sits the tufuga, legs crossed & taking small swigs off a pall mall cigarette. I analyse his every move, from the twitch of his big toe, to the way he glances at the cigarette after every puff, that’s how nervous I am. I watch..

I pull my ie just above my knees to take one more glance at my plain skin, and when my eyes return to the tufuga, he signals for me to come. I’m asked to stand up in front of him & roll my ie up almost like those t-shirt nappies that we used to make as kids. Now feeling vulnerable and exposed, I turn my eyes to the ceiling and just hope that everyone around isn't watching me low-key squirm. I feel him grab me by the calves and pulled closer to him. I feel him measure my thighs with his hands, followed by gentle stroke from a marker. His fingers tracing the areas of my thighs which patterns will be laid, sending goose bumps everywhere. Lines running up and across my legs, indicating where patterns will be laid and which areas will remain untouched.


Samoan Tourism House, Apia CBD Samoa - 04/12/2017
After the left leg has been marked, I'm asked to lay down on my belly, my ankles are turned in wards, right leg bent, body slightly tilted, pillow under the stomach and face pressed against the mat. I feel different pairs of hands gripping onto my ankles, pressing down my lower back, holding my right leg in place and then suddenly, a scratch from the au, a final marking using ink. The scratch from the au was a big eye opener, because those needles were going to be stabbed into my flesh. mm nice. I feel the goose bumps kick up to 1000 and then the stretchers begin to create tension behind the left knee. Here we go, don't cry and don't poop yourself Lydia. Lucky I emptied my bowels at home or else blood wont be the only thing coming out !

The first line that the tufuga etches onto the back of my calf muscle didn't hurt all to much but then every other line that followed, felt exactly how you would expect it to, hundreds of little needles stabbing your flesh. As he alternated between different sized equipment, my pain tolerance fluctuated. I feel. Soon after the first section has been etched into the back of my calf muscle, every other line seemed to double in pain. About 20 minute in and I have listened, learnt and memorised the pattern in which the tufuga tattoos. 8 taps, equating to four small lines of different patterns and then break, and so when ever it was more than 8 hits, I lose breath because i have strategically planned out when to block out a specific amount of pain and when not to.

He slowly makes his way up the back of my thigh, and just behind the knee where the leg folds, the pain is unfathomable, indescribable and almost unbearable. Try pinching the back of your knees as hard as you can, directing the pain in one singular spot, or stabbing that area with a small sewing needle and that is just a glimpse of it. For the next 40 minutes, I switch into 2 other positions ( 3 in total) and finishing on my back. One pain that you can only experience with an au would be the tapping teeth of the equipment deep into your knee cap. Oddly enough, throughout the pain, I saw visions myself dancing proudly with my Malu, lifting my ie with pride, having my grandma and mother proud of the woman I have chosen to become, seeing the expression on peoples faces when they see my malu during impromptu dances. With the most honesty in my heart, I don't think I would have completed it if I didn't keep those thoughts in my head.


Bruising behind the left leg, Apia Samoa - 04/12/2017

Across from me laid a male who also chose to have his culture embedded onto his skin, and from the first tap to the last tap of the day, we laid side by side, sharing weak glances, occasionally a thumbs up and faint smiles. I watched him as he squinted in pain and he to me. Before embarking on this journey, I heard that when you're tattooed with a partner, you divide the pain and it become a less painful experience for the both of you and I now believe this to be true in so many ways. It is something that only a few words could describe. A lot of the time i would look over and see him making a fist in pain or groping the mat, clenching his jaw or curling up his toes and for a few moments, it distracted me from the fact that my own flesh was being pierced. Two complete strangers, travelling from unknown destinations, never met previously, who have now been joined together on a journey unlike any other, its a blessing. I know.

Bruising behind right leg, Apia Samoa - 05/12/2017
First leg is done and it is break time. I sit in a separate fale with the Father of all of the suluape kids. I lift up my ie to analyse the details, tracing each swollen line with my finger in silence. I follow the patterns that run up and across my legs, flinching at the slightest pain. "Amuia oe, e tasi le aso e ta ai oe, ae o lou paga, e toe sau taeao, ma lea aso, ma lea aso". He broke the silence by saying in Samoan "you're lucky, you only need one day to complete your tattoo, where as your partner needs to come back tomorrow, and the day after and the day after". I was saddened at the fact that I will mostly likely never see my partner ever again but i am certain that he will finish his journey, just as I.

And just like the hundreds of elders before us, we have now earned our spot

... On the Tufuga's Mat
 
 
 
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Tufuga - Tattooist / Master Builder
Fale - House
Fala - Handmade Mat
Ie - Saronga, Waist Wrap
Au - Traditional Tattooing piece of Equipment
 

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Stay tuned for Part 2

cya x

Satuimalufilufi, Apia Samoa - 13/12/2017
 
Firstly, if you're still ready, THANK YOU for your support and if you're a new reader, feel free to read some of my previous posts down below. I write in hopes to educate, and inspire whether its about my culture, me or just controversial topics that isn't


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