I said Landai to all i met. Everyone shook my hand. Samuel told me once that some folk, the old especially, were still convinced that white people were dead people. If so they treat the dead well here and even shake their hands. Moondai I said on parting, we go.
A woman on the way to her garden. Landai! Moondai! Goodbye. More and more children are using Tok Pisin in preference to the local language. Jessica was very interested in the Australian experiment of using the aboriginal language during the first couple of years schooling. Tok Pisin or English after that? For global integration, English would be preferred. But for national integration, Tok Pisin is the go. Samuel and Kevin could talk English, Tok Pisin and all of the various Gorokan languages. People met randomly on the track could answer in one or all languages, often their English was clear, precise and very limited. More usually Tok Pisin was understood better than English. But learning the local hello was the very best thing to do.
The word "masta" is still pigin for european. I felt very uncomfortable with this. In a pmv one day was an albino child. I heard him called masta. I felt a bit better.
We walked back along the track towards the pmv stop. We now numbered around ten travelers for in addition to Gilbert's family we were joined by Jessica's cousin. The country held no fears for me now. I could walk anywhere in that country even with a screwed ankle. So i enjoyed it and felt sad cause i was leaving. There were views over the valley of course and lots of conversation after i had passed folk that were unaware there was a white man about.
Lisa with her hair undone, the schoolgirl again. But she will be the head of the house when in Goroka, she will need to feed and look after her two younger siblings. She says that their home in Goroka is in a Community but now it is more like a Settlement. She said that violence is on the rise as people who are not from Goroka move in. Lisa also spoke of the number of asians (chinese) moving into png. She thought corruption was the biggest problem facing the nation and that politicians were not doing enough. There is a university in Goroka. She plans to attend it.
Before i left Furiri i had given Jessica a few bits of my woeful first aid pack. Lisa who had asked once before if i had any medicine, had her ankle dressed the next day.
From the pmv stop to the Bird was a walk through the heart of Goroka town. I had friends walking beside me. I wore a bilum given freely and when i said goodbye i said Landai.
And then i went back to the 21st Century and showered and watched TV.
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