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Ana Lulai and Rachel Loane were cousins and best friends. They had just finished breakfast on Wednesday and were preparing for school.
Then the waves hit.
Yesterday Ana, 7, and Rachel, 5, were buried in a funeral near the rubble of their former home in Salaepaga, victims of the tsunami on Wednesday that has claimed almost 200 others.
Nothing is left of the family house, nor 20 others surrounding it, wiped out like the lives of the two girls.
Ana's body was found 200m from the house by Rachel's father, Loane. His daughter was found by a Samoan policeman soon after.
The girls' bodies yesterday lay under waterfront palm trees, wrapped together in a sleeping bag and a tarpaulin.
Grieving family members waited patiently for the pastor, who has been busy conducting funeral services around the island.
The pastor spoke for about five minutes when the service finally started.
The 30 or so mourners then watched as two male family members lowered the two small bodies into the ground.
The girls lie next to their grandfather, whose grave was left undamaged by the waves.
The pregnant mother of one of the girls was not able to say goodbye. She is recovering in Apia's Motootua Hospital from tsunami-inflicted injuries.
An uncle, Leo Muliaga from Mangere, said the pair had good manners and respected their elders
"They were best friends, very smart. They acted like little Samoan women. They were very polite, really respectful."
Mr Muliaga flew to Samoa a day before the tsunami, and was visiting his father in the village of Leauvaa when the earthquake struck.
He was to have returned home today but thinks he will stay longer to help the family clean up their land.
The story of Ana and Rachel was not the only tragedy in Salaepaga.
Relatives of another little girl, five-year-old Presces Aiotaota, were still searching for her body three days after the tsunami.
The bodies of her mother, Alavina Aiotaota, 34, and grandmother Miga Tavai, 68, were found yesterday, 20 minutes walk from their home.
Only Presces' father survived the tsunami, as he was away working in Apia. The family run the Vaotea Beach Fales.
The women were buried yesterday, soon after they were found on a hill in Lalomanu.
A relative, Temukisa Ah-hong, was helping with the search for the little girl.
The 22-year-old - a receptionist at Hotel Outrigger in Apia - was working when the quake struck.
"I had to lead the guests up the hill. We had people from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Norway, Germany. They were all really scared."
It is believed more than 15 people died in Salaepaga. They included tourists at two waterfront holiday homes.
MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR THE VICTIMS
Sunday October 4
* Malaeola Community Centre, 16 Waokauri Pl, Mangere, South Auckland, at 11am.
* Lotofalei'a Tongan Methodist Church, 34 Orly Ave, Mangere, South Auckland, at 7pm.
* Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa, 7 Lincoln Rd, Henderson, West Auckland, at 7pm.
* Samoan Community Incorporated Welfare Hall, 8 Giles St, Tokoroa, at 4pm.
Monday October 5
* University of Auckland Maclaurin Chapel, 18 Princes St, Auckland City, at 12.30pm.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Pacific Cooperation Foundation
Deposits can be made at at any Westpac branch. All the money raised will go to the Samoan Government
Red Cross
- Make a secure online donation at redcross.org.nz
- Send cheques to the Samoan Red Cross Fund, PO Box 12140, Thorndon, Wellington 6144
- Call 0900 31 100 to make an automatic $20 donation
- Make a donation at any NZ Red Cross office
ANZ bank
Make a donation at any ANZ bank branch, or donate directly to the ANZ appeal account: 01 1839 0143546 00
Oxfam
- Make a secure online donation at
Oxfam.org.nz
- Phone 0800 400 666 or make an automatic $20 donation by calling 0900 600 20
