Sinabada's
pp. 32-34 · Read in the full issue
Diary
Sunday:
WE find ourselves on board a very grimy schooner, on final stage of journey to new Papuan home. We perch in stern; remaining deck space swarms with Papuans of every descrip tion. Do not join in deck sports, which in clude snoring on mats, chewing betel nut, expectorating into sea. or just look ing blank. Journey is 30 miles from Samarai, through bright blue sea. Wal low in tropical glamour, pretending not to notice large cockroaches enjoying leather of suitcases, nor the exhaust smoke, which occasionally blots us from view.
Negotiate rather wobbly wharf and two miles of depressed-looking plantation.
New home rears into view, high up on piles—as if bitten by bull-ant. Taubada, baby and self clamber into new domain; find staff lined up to greet us.
First the cook, with his name—Seloi— tattooed on chest to help those of un certain memory; Renie, his “wife”, in a shapeless calico dress and agony of em barrassment; Tobina, wash-boy, his head so stuffed with flowers as to resemble
window-box; Dodie, aged 11, who Seloi declares is his uncle; a small object known as Grain, who will run messages and tend the cum-cums. Staff lives in O.S. dog-kennel at bottom of garden.
Monday:
UNPACKING sets in, Seloi stands on head in packing-case, hands article to Renie, who passes it to Dodie, who allows Grain to remove wrapping. All fall into attitudes of admiration as each dim-dim possession is revealed. Special enthusiasm over sixpenny fly-swatter. Ex plained its use, whereupon each in turn pursues startled Papuan fly up and down kitchen. Only casualty is Grain—swatted ear.
Suddenly, smoke pours through floor.
Dash down to ground level to find Tobina lighting large fire under house for copper, explaining brightly, “Think might’e rain come”.
Catch sight of female in grass skirt, apparently in trance, under frangipanni tree; informed she is Louisa, woman work’im-garden. Question Renie about grass skirt habit, and learn Louisa wears seven of them, thus explaining curious portico effect all round. When top one gets dirty, the idea is to add another to cover it. Apparently, even her best friends won’t tell her when to start a grass fire.
Tuesday:
Extraordinary palisade in garden turns out to be house-belong-cum cum. Think cum-cums bored to sobs with no view, so get Grain to loose them for walk-about. Cum-cums burst out with grateful looks, which go to heart.
Suddenly find behind me a much tattooed gentleman, clad in large leaf, strip of string and 14 leg-bracelets. Fur ther in rear is native woman, skyscraper of bananas on head, leaf basket of pine apples on back, string of tomatoes in one hand. In return for fruit, this dashing greengrocer would like “tabac”. Trans action concluded, he departs, promising to bring yams, oranges, pawpaws, pump kins and sweet potatoes. “Our van will call at door”, apparently. Hope the “van” will get her share of the tobacco, and have the bananas hung up under veran dah.
Later, hear nervous clucking from the garden. Look out to see Grain slinking along behind party of elderly cum-cums, all displaying signs of early hysterics.
Question Soloi, who explains business be long Grain for catch’im eggie—so it be hoves him to keep close watch on his charges while they are gadding about.
Startled from bed, 10 p.m., by horrible flapping noise, shrill shrieks, like ban shees’ annual outing. Hasten forth, to find party of decrepit umbrellas fighting over bananas. Torch turns them into flying foxes, flapping hastily home. Put bananas in kitchen.
Wednesday:
DECIDE that I have material for ex cellent zoo.
Inquire into mysterious noises in ceil ing. “Three puss-cat”, says Seloi. W}iy in ceiling? Apparently puss-cats peculiar that way, and everybody humours them.
Muffled shrieks from Dodie, who dis lodges enormous green frog from side board. Wants to stun it with broom, but prevent him on grounds that dear old frog will stay and catch mosquitoes.
Later, entire staff yells and falls down steps into garden. Find them pursuing herd of large pigs, busy cleaning up garden with snouts like vacuum cleaners.
Many enormous spiders live in house, but all courteous about stepping to one side to let self pass, Ghecko lizards skate about walls; even found one leaving safe with guilty look, and butter on face.
Difficult time getting into bed because of heavy traffic in bats. They swoop through our doorless house like opening scene in thriller; but they do good work among the mosquitoes already queuing up on net.
Rain during night. Appalling noise breaks out, like blunt saw whining on green wood, overlaid with knots, but in lower key, and heavily amplified. Track sound to dining-room table. Dear old
frog is greeting downpour with enthu siasm. Persuade him to sample it.
Thursday:
FIND broken sherry-glass on floor, 6 a.m. Staff protest innocence. Self annoyed, but resigned.
Do some interior decorating. Dodie pulls down old curtains, daintily pat terned in mildew, helps hang new ones.
Show him best way to hammer in nail.
Hit thumb. Dodie laughs with unaffected enjoyment, but self not amused. Noticed D.’s disconcerting sense of humour pre viously, when self tripped over unex pected bump in kitchen floor. Decide can not explain why not funny.
Throw old curtains on floor and say “No want’im’’. Dodie gives excited yelp and gallops them off to kitchen. Five minutes later, am electrified to see en tire staff clad in curtains, with air of those showing advance spring styles.
About to sit down for dinner, when notice dear old frog squatting on chair.
Poke him sharply; ne springs among sherry glasses with air of one who knows them well. No casualties, but dear old frog taken long way into garden and abandoned.
Another nocturnal shower. Dear old frog heard commenting upon it. Treasure hunt with torch finds him inside Taubada’s pith helmet.
Friday:
TCBINA, crowned with orchids and cum-cum’s tail feather, goes mad with packet of starch; my gaze caught by curious independent look of washing, practically standing up alone and closely resembling three-ply.
Finish address on this subject, to find baby playing with lethargic beetle, with air of one about to consume it when ready. Am disposing of beetle over ver andah rail when dear old frog, very friendly, bounds upon my shoulder. Put him in shoe box, tell Dodie to find him new and better home.
Visited by three grass skirts, asking for “smoke paper’’. Grass skirts also keen to see baby, full of admiring murmurs at size and strength. Baby can’t stop laughing. Regular queue of grass skirts later. Realise more smoke paper only Denegeld, so firmly shake head.
Later, still, am telling Taubada of free dom from frogs when deep croaking sets in from under very noses. Dear old frog found perching on ledge under table.
Taubada squelches to nearest swamp and drops frog in. Peaceful night.
Saturday:
IN middle of shower, when look up, and see dear old frog staring down from pipe. Begin to feel must be expected to say “hey presto”, etc., and turn frog back into handsome prince. Personally conduct him to superior coconut tree great distance away.
Two women neighbours drive eight miles to call on me. Seloi says he savvies san’wich too much. Tell him make some tomato, some curried egg and hand Dodie tin of raspberry jam for filling inside sponge cake. Afternoon tea looks nice.
Hand round sandwiches confidently. Later, have one myself, and look abruptly at guests, whose faces bland and polite.
Find Seloi has put curried egg, tomato AND raspberry jam, all together, in all sandwiches. Laugh it off as sort of thing one must be prepared for in tropical housekeeping, but am not delighted. 7 p.m. Dear old frog noticed blessing home from top of Picasso print. Cast him forth. 8 p.m. Dear old frog singing gaily from
top of new curtains. Throw him out. 9 p.m. Dear old frog hopping happily on verandah. Turn him away. 10 p.m. One dear old frog carolling on book-shelf, another dear old frog bellow ing in waste-paper basket. Decide after all, it cannot be same frog all the time, but whole series of frogs. Make C.I.D. search of house and throw three dear old frogs far, far away in garden. Peace reigns. 3 a.m. Dear old frog greets another Papuan dawn.
R.M.
Mr, L. Bintley, A.R.1.8.A., has taken up duties as architect in the Public Works Department of the Fiji Civil Service.
Mr. Malcolm Sheehan, a well-known man on the New Guinea Goldfields for some years past, left recently by air for Australia, where it is understood he an ticipates re-entering the service of the R.A.A.F., of which he was a member dur ing the last war. At the Wau Club, on the eve of his departure, Mr. Sheehan was farewelled by a representative gathering of many old friends.
Dr. R. J. Snodgrass, of the Medical Department of the Fiji Service, has been transferred from Taveuni to Suva. He was replaced by Dr. M. L. McCauley.
Mr. Keith Hedstrom, youngest son of Sir Maynard Hedstrom, of Fiji, recently left the Colony to enlist for army service abroad.
Mr. S. G. Middleton, Assistant Resi dent Magistrate in Papua, recently en listed in the A.IF., at Brisbane.
Mr. Allan Gow, of Kavieng, T.N.G., arrived in Australia recently to join the