Adora and the Banjo
Guam is an unincorporated territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. It is very well organized and is one of the five US territories with an established civilian government. The island’s capital is Hagåtña, which is Guam’s second smallest village in both area and population. It is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands. Approximately 4000 years ago, the Chamorros (Guam’s indigenous people) first inhabited the island. Today, many people are still a part of the Chamorro culture. The Chamorro culture is very important to Guam’s people.
Adora
One day, a young girl named Adora was on her way to a festival in the Chamorro village. These festivals were held every Wednesday, and she loved going to them. There was a lot of red rice, shrimp patties, pugua, and kelaguen. As she was walking to the festival , she spotted a brown tree snake.
“Hafa Adai, little snake,” she said, “what are you doing way out here?”
The snake slithered away, its brown back glittering in the sunlight. I guess it couldn’t hurt to follow the snake. I will surely be back in time for the festival, Adora thought. Unwisely, she ran after the snake, trying not to disrupt it as she followed. It led her to a dark, musty forest. Why would the snake be going in here? She wondered.
She kept her eye on the snake, but her senses on the forest. Something didn’t feel right. During the daytime, the forest wasn’t usually this dark. As she was getting caught up in her thoughts, she lost the snake.
“Oh no, how am I going to find my way out of here?” she cried. All of a sudden, she heard the slithering of a brown tree snake. She started to scream.
“Ayuda! Ayuda! Ayuda!” Adora screamed. Tears were rushing down her bright red cheeks. She was stuck in a dark forest, with no signs of human life anywhere, and a snake ready to strike.
Over her high pitched screaming, music started to play in the distance. Adora stopped screaming, and started to listen to the soft flowing melody. She had never heard such a rhythm. Suddenly, she forgot all about her current situation. All she could focus on was the music and where it was coming from. It was like she was in a trance. She was determined to find it. She ran as fast as her tiny legs could take her.
When she saw where the music was coming from, she froze. There, in the dark forest, was an instrument like no other. It was playing the “Guam Hymn”, which was the state song. Adora snapped out of the trance and started to cry.
“I have come all the way here for this?” she said, her voice cracking. She was lost in a dark forest with no where to go, and all she had was this instrument. But before all hope was lost, something happened. The instrument started to move. Adora’s curious eyes followed its movements. The music stopped, and it was floating in the air.
“Ti hu kumprende” Adora gasped. As Adora slowly stood up, the instruments strings started to play. The notes filled the air in harmony. Every note was tuned to perfection. It slowly moved, leaving a clear path behind for Adora to walk follow. When she reached the end, she was astonished. She was back at the festival! Everyone gathered around Adora to see what was going on.
“Are you okay?” her mother asked as she wrapped her arms around Adora. “I have been searching for you everywhere, but no one knew where you were. I was very worried.” Adora hugged her mother tightly and looked back behind her. She had just come out of the forest, but now it wasn’t there; there was only a field of open space. If she didn’t come out of a forest, then where was she? Before she could process her thoughts, someone from the crowd spoke up.
“What is this?” a young boy from the crowd stepped forward. He was holding the instrument in his right hand. Everyone gasped at the sight of the instrument. It was nothing like they had ever seen. Murmurs filled the air.
“What should we call it?” a young girl asked. Everyone looked around and Adora just smiled.
“It’s called a banjo,” she said. The crowd just nodded their heads in agreement. The name suited its appearance. Now, it is played all throughout Guam for people to enjoy and hear its soft, flowing melody.
Adora
One day, a young girl named Adora was on her way to a festival in the Chamorro village. These festivals were held every Wednesday, and she loved going to them. There was a lot of red rice, shrimp patties, pugua, and kelaguen. As she was walking to the festival , she spotted a brown tree snake.
“Hafa Adai, little snake,” she said, “what are you doing way out here?”
The snake slithered away, its brown back glittering in the sunlight. I guess it couldn’t hurt to follow the snake. I will surely be back in time for the festival, Adora thought. Unwisely, she ran after the snake, trying not to disrupt it as she followed. It led her to a dark, musty forest. Why would the snake be going in here? She wondered.
She kept her eye on the snake, but her senses on the forest. Something didn’t feel right. During the daytime, the forest wasn’t usually this dark. As she was getting caught up in her thoughts, she lost the snake.
“Oh no, how am I going to find my way out of here?” she cried. All of a sudden, she heard the slithering of a brown tree snake. She started to scream.
“Ayuda! Ayuda! Ayuda!” Adora screamed. Tears were rushing down her bright red cheeks. She was stuck in a dark forest, with no signs of human life anywhere, and a snake ready to strike.
Over her high pitched screaming, music started to play in the distance. Adora stopped screaming, and started to listen to the soft flowing melody. She had never heard such a rhythm. Suddenly, she forgot all about her current situation. All she could focus on was the music and where it was coming from. It was like she was in a trance. She was determined to find it. She ran as fast as her tiny legs could take her.
When she saw where the music was coming from, she froze. There, in the dark forest, was an instrument like no other. It was playing the “Guam Hymn”, which was the state song. Adora snapped out of the trance and started to cry.
“I have come all the way here for this?” she said, her voice cracking. She was lost in a dark forest with no where to go, and all she had was this instrument. But before all hope was lost, something happened. The instrument started to move. Adora’s curious eyes followed its movements. The music stopped, and it was floating in the air.
“Ti hu kumprende” Adora gasped. As Adora slowly stood up, the instruments strings started to play. The notes filled the air in harmony. Every note was tuned to perfection. It slowly moved, leaving a clear path behind for Adora to walk follow. When she reached the end, she was astonished. She was back at the festival! Everyone gathered around Adora to see what was going on.
“Are you okay?” her mother asked as she wrapped her arms around Adora. “I have been searching for you everywhere, but no one knew where you were. I was very worried.” Adora hugged her mother tightly and looked back behind her. She had just come out of the forest, but now it wasn’t there; there was only a field of open space. If she didn’t come out of a forest, then where was she? Before she could process her thoughts, someone from the crowd spoke up.
“What is this?” a young boy from the crowd stepped forward. He was holding the instrument in his right hand. Everyone gasped at the sight of the instrument. It was nothing like they had ever seen. Murmurs filled the air.
“What should we call it?” a young girl asked. Everyone looked around and Adora just smiled.
“It’s called a banjo,” she said. The crowd just nodded their heads in agreement. The name suited its appearance. Now, it is played all throughout Guam for people to enjoy and hear its soft, flowing melody.