My story - "Love gave me wings"

As a tiny village girl in Tonga, Silva McLeod looked up at the sky and dreamed she could fly. Then she fell in love with an Aussie boy and all her dreams came true.

- Silva McLeod

I was 18 years old when I first set eyes on Ken McLeod. My first impression was: “Oh my God, he’s handsome!” Then shortly after: “But he’s unreachable. Why would he go out with an island girl like me?”

I’d just finished high school and was working as a bartender on the island of Vava’u. Ken was 28, an electrician on an Australian government aid project, and he seemed to me to be a man of the world.

There were so many reasons why I thought Ken wouldn’t give me a second glance. I was shy and I truly believed I was unattractive. Growing up in the islands, light skin was seen as more beautiful. I was darker than my siblings, I had frizzy hair, and we were poor, so I’d grown up in a traditional Tongan hut with no shoes, no nice clothes.

There was one thing, however, that gave me confidence. I was good at school. If you show even a little potential in Tonga, the whole village is right behind you. If I wanted to get out of chores at home – cooking, collecting firewood, lighting the fire – I’d pick up a book, because then I’d be exempt. I’d graduated dux of the school and could speak a little English, which came in handy now because – when my shyness didn’t get the better of me – I could chat across the bar with Ken.

I don’t think it was love at first sight for Ken, but there was a definite attraction for conversation and companionship. He came into the bar most days after work, and after a while I noticed a twinkle in his eyes.

Ken and I started dating. Tonga is a religious island and Sunday is a day of rest. Everyone goes to church. Back in the ’80s, there were no shops open, no flights out, even swimming on Sunday was an offence, and Ken and I were the worst offenders.