The Potato girl
There are many stories told in different countries, but there was one in Papua New Guinea that never been told. Some years ago missionaries first arrived at the costal part of Papua New Guinea. In 1942 World War II began, and many young Papua New Guinean along the coast line were victimized.
On the other end, Highlanders had no idea of what had happened on the other side of the country. They had never seen ra white man before, nor boats nor guns. When they saw or heard war planes flying above them they thought it was a big giant bird, and the strongest men in the clan would ran after them to hunt them down. They never walk up the highest mountain because they thought beyond that mountain is the end of the world, and they would fall endlessly. Place for the afterlife.
Some years after the war, missionaries build roads into the highlands, providing aid post, schools, clothing and tools. They even employ local policemen and councillor to work side by side between the locals and the missionaries. The man with the uniforms and proper clothing were highly respected. Proper clothing was like shorts with socks up to their knees, cowboy hat and gumboots, and even locals called them rich.
This story is not about WWII or missionaries in Papua New Guinea. This story begins with a councillor called council John. John wasn’t his real name though.His name was very hard to pronounce, so the white men gave him an easy name to remember and pronounce, Council John. Oh yes, council John was very much respected and he was rich. When he talks people listened, though they knew what he did or said was wrong. With his hand folded behind his back he walks like a king among his own people.
John’s wife, on the other hand, played her own role as the queen of the tribe, though she knew nothing about speaking or understanding the short cut English (Pidgin). She’s like the wicked witch.
Council John and his wife had only one son. They named him Jered, after an old Missionary Jered (That missionary was not dead yet, if you are wondering. I don’t know what the last name was) Jered was so young, handsome, quiet and humble little boy. He was his parents little baby boy, if you know what I mean. HEIR TO THE THRONE! Jered was first enrolled to Lapaki community school, for his first Grade one(1). He was just 6 years old.
Ambuke was a single mother of one beautiful daughter. They lived a single life like the others. Nothing bothering them. They worked, slept, find friends to talk to, they were happy. Ambuke was young, but looking for another father for her daughter was not something she misses. Her husband died when she was pregnant. They lived a happy life until her daughter, Miriam, turned 6. She’s about to go to school.
Two months before Miriam got enrolled, the mother would sell all their left over foods to pay for her school fees. She succeeded because the fee was like a dollar or something, but what about her stationaries like books and pencils. Damn, another problem. “What you gona do, Ambuke? Get married or something”
Early Monday morning, first day at school, Ambuke put raw potato onto the ash of the fire. She woke Miriam up and helped her getting ready for school. She wiped her grass skirt with pig’s fat to make it shine, and some on her body like baby oil. Who cares about shirts? The school doesn’t even had uniforms.
She took the potato out of the ash and said, “I have no money to buy you cloths. I can’t even afford to buy you books and pencils to write with.” She put 6 potato into her bag and continued,” I put some potatoes in your bag. You can have two while on the road to school. Two when the sun is above your head and when you came out the class for brake. And the other two, find someone who is well dressed, either a girl or a boy, and give it to him or her, and ask them if they could spare you an extra pencil.”
First day at school, she found no one. There were some but not the type of kids she would talk with. Every day Ambuke would tell her to do the same, but the daughter always came back unsuccessful.
Two weeks passed, and on a Wednesday the third week she came out for lunch, and saw Jered standing by himself watching older kids playing with marbles. She walked slowly towards him and stood beside him eating her potato. She was expecting him to make his move, like accidently pushing or touching her. Nothing. Jered was carried away watching kids making their special moves with marbles.
“You want some?” asked Miriam. She had no choice but to give her best short. It was now or never, but Jered didn’t realized someone was talking to him. She pinched him, and when he turned she asked the same question. “You want some?”
“What is it?” Jered asked.
“Potato? My mum cooked it for me. For lunch,”
“I’m ok. I already ate,”
“No, take two. I am full when I ate the other two. Here, take it,”
“Ok then. Thanks.” After thanking her he turned and continued to watch the boys playing that small round balls made of glass.
“I want to ask you something, if you don’t mind?” Miriam asked.
“What is it?” Jered replied.
“If you have an extra pencil or a book please spare me one? At least one of the two. I didn’t write anything since I came here.” Jered turned and saw how honest she was.
They both sat and Jered open his school bag and took out a new book and a pencil and gave it to her. Miriam was so excited and thanked him a million times or something, like Jered was going to die tomorrow.
After school she went home and told mum everything had happened. Every morning mum always cooked eight potatoes, for Miriam and Jered. They mat up every lunch and spend times together. This had been going on for sometimes.
Students sat for their final exams every 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th years before they got accepted to College or universities to continue there studies. Well, six years later Miriam failed her first exam, but as for Jered, he passed and continued his studies. After the 12th examination he applied to be a pilot, and was accepted. Years of studying pilot he made it at last, and reside at our Nation’s Capital, Port Moresby, and piloting a Twin Otter for a company called MBA.
Though he was a pilot, he was not given a proper house. He leaved in a single quarter with other MBA stuffs for 2 years. Two and a half years of flying and he decided to take a brake and went back home, visiting his people and parents.
He arrived home, and was welcomed by the whole tribes because he was the first among the entire district who was well educated and who could fly that big man made bird up to the sky. They even asked if he could see gods when up in the air. The next day he called out his aunt, and told her to find a girl by the name of Miriam. Years and years of study but still he didn’t forgotten her. He was well educated and lots of educated women likes him. He should even choose a Whiteman’s daughter instead, but still he called for her. (Damn! He might have tasted something good in her when they were kids)
“You go to her home and find out if she’s still available,” Captain Jered told his aunt. “If she’s with a husband, then leave her be. Don’t bother telling her I sent you. But if she is still available, ask her if there is still a change where we would go back in time, but this time you will cook me potato for the rest of our life’s together.”
Off the aunt and some women went to look for Jered’s wife to be, well, if he was lucky. They asked around Miriam’s tribes, and they pointed to her home. On the way to Miriam’s house they mat a beautiful, young, and strong girl, carrying a bag full of garden food, and behind him a pig. They asked her where Miriam’s house was. “Why are you asking for her? Who are you? Where are you coming from?” with surprised she popped up too many questions.
“Do you know her?” they asked the girl.
“Yes! Why are you looking for her?” she replied.
“You knew her, and that is good,” Said Jered Aunt. “We will go back to where we came from, but please answer one question, and tell us the truth. Is she married yet?”
“Ahmmm. No. Not yet. Is there a man who wanted to marry her?” She asked, and they told her everything. She sat down with her head facing the ground, playing around with her own fingers, and listened quietly. When Jered aunt still talking and trying to explain she interrupted, and said, “You must be Jered’s aunt. The woman who accompanied Jered to school every morning. The woman who killed a goat and celebrate before he left to high school. He told me all about you when we were at school.” With soft voice and tears running down her eyes she talked to herself and said, “My little potato boy. You became a man now and looking for your missing half. You are more educated, and should find an educated woman like yourself. I am not your type. Why me?”
“If there is still a change where we would go back in time, but this time you will cooked me potato for the rest of our life’s together.” Intercepted the aunt.
“What did you say?” Asked Miriam.
“That was what he told me, to tell you,” replied Jered’s aunt.
She thought for a moment, and she said yes. She told them her tribes people will bring her to his house tomorrow (That was their custom.) They brought good news to Jered, and all his tribesmen were getting ready to welcomed Jered’s wife to be tomorrow.
On the other hand, Councillor John and his queen, Jared’s mum, didn’t like the idea of their well-educated son to marry an uneducated farmer who didn’t even knew how to ride on any vehicle in her life. They tried to talk him out of it, but Jered stood on his decision.
At last they were married. During his four weeks of brake he built a new home for his wife next to his parents. His brake was over and he will return back to the city to fly again. Before he left Miriam told him she was a week pregnant. He told her, “We both knew both my parents didn’t like you, but that is not their decision to make. Whatever they say, just ignore them. You have your own house, and your own land to grow your own food. If I could find a house in the city I will come back and pick you up, and the kid myself. But for now, please stay safe and don’t let anyone bothering you.”
As soon as Jered left for work, the councillor and his wife teases Miriam from the tip of her hair down to last nail on her toe. The kind of words been hidden for centuries came out from their mouth because of her. “How special are you to marry our one and only educated son? Your father didn’t even knew you existed because, you know what, he died when your mother was still pregnant. Your old bitch mother is sitting by the fire. Why can’t you go sit next to her, you whore.”
She let them talk and did nothing. The only thing she was good at was to walk away with tears. They even told other family members and the tribesmen not to help her on any circumstances. This had gone for sometimes now. She was ok living alone, but since her baby boy was born, that’s when she needed help very much. She needs her husband by her side.
On the other side of the world, Jared would stood by the airport terminal after his shift, or day off, just to see if he recognised someone coming from home. He found one and he brought him good news that he’s a father of a baby boy.
“A week before you go back home,” Jered told the man who came from the village, “Please come see me at home. I will buy some clothes for my baby. Please.”
The man went back home after his business at the city, with bag full of clothes. First he stopped by the councillor’s house and asked for Miriam and the baby. “Miriam and the baby is not here!” shouted Jered’s mom. “Why? Did you bring them something?”
“Yes,” replied the man. “I came from Port Moresby, and your son, Jered, handed me this bag of clothes for his wife and son.”
“I will take that,” said the mum. “I will handed to them with good care.”
Miriam returned home with her baby tied around her breast, bag of garden food at her back and pig behind her side. As she approached closer she saw a big black smoke coming out of the Council’s back yard. She didn’t knew what had happened till she came even closer. Beside the fire she saw her mother-in-law wearing some new clothes while burning baby clothes. She already knew it was from Jered.
“Is Jered a fool or what?” Jered’s mum shouted with laughter. “He thought I gave birth to a baby and he send me this baby clothes. I don’t need baby clothes so I gave it to the fire, ahahahah.”
“Mum?” asked Miriam. “You can do whatever you want to me, but your grandson have no clothes, nor a blanket to keep him worm. At night I wrapped your grandson with warm banana leave, and sleep next to the fire place. Please give back the baby clothes, please I beg of you. You can have all my clothes but please have pity on your flash and blood. He is just three months old.”
“Witch!” shouted Jered’s mum. “Witch! A witch lives among us!” She shouted so all the surrounding community could hear her scream. “She is a witch! She and her son are both witches! They ate human flash! We have to burn them! Destroy them both!”
Miriam knew this will be the end for them. They would kill them one way or the other. All tribesman would kill them.
Shouting and walking towards her house were the whole community. “Kill the witch,” the crowd shouted.
She ran into the Councillor’s house, took a knife and chopped of one of her left hand finger, the small one. She did the same to her baby boy. She hid their fingers to one of Jered’s old overall’s pocket and walked out. The crowd saw that the two were covered in blood, and they believed Jared’s mum. They thought they just ate someone.
“We cannot kill them!” shouted Council John. “We cannot kill them. I don’t want the blood to be on my hand.” He looked around the crowds and said, “Instead I will send them away to the end of the world. It is gods wish. Let the gods punish the witch but away from our land.”
They asked for a missionary to help them disposed the witch and her kid somewhere else. Even the Priest believed the crowd because both the mother and the son were covered in blood. They took a chopper and flew to the Eastern side of the country. The chopper landed at a tip of a steep and rocky mountain at Morobe Province, and dropped the kid and the mother.
With no idea of where they were, with no food or water, they sat there for a day. It was around 12pm the next day, and she knew no help would come their way. She tied the baby around her breast, and started climbing down the mountain. As she climbed down she talked to her baby, “If I die, I will help you. If you die, you do the same to me. We both cannot die at the same time. One of us must survive, but I prefer you.”
She reached the bottom, but to which direction she would walk to get help, she had no idea. She just walked following where her foot took her. The sun was too hot, and thirsty, and hungry at the same time. Mother was too weak to walk no more. Baby couldn’t feed no more because mother's breast dried up. The baby tried to cry but he couldn't because his troth was all dried up.
The mother crawled till she saw some goat feeding on dry grass, and she said, “If I lay there, the owner of the goat will see us, and if I die my baby will live, and he will be their son.” She laid there and closed her eyes, and died. Few minutes later she woke up, and said to herself, “I am dead now. I will try find help for my baby boy.”
“You are not dead yet, lady,” Shouted an old man. The man spoke in his own language, which she couldn’t understand.
That old man had a daughter, about 16 years old named Jenny. They took them in, thought them how to speak pidgin, and Miriam became Jenny’s older sister, while the baby, whom they named him after his father, Junior Jered, became Jenny’s first born. After some years Jenny became a nurse, and Junior Jered became a Lawyer, while Miriam ran a mini supermarket. They all lived a very luxury life in Lae, the Capital of Morobe province.
As soon as Miriam and the kid were casted out of the family and were left behind the rocky mountain, Council John sent words to his son Jered, that his family were burned alive accidently. They conned Jered that they left the candle lit while asleep. They even burned down their newly built house.
Jered rushed home for funerals. He cried with his heart broken. He pulled out all his hair on his head, and was very shocked. After the funeral service he didn’t even wanted to go back to work. He stayed home for another week.
One day he went to his old room at his parent’s house, and sat there, and saw his old overall. He tried it on to see if it still fits. He put his hands to his pockets, and felt something bonny. He pulled it out, and surprisingly saw two fingers being chopped off buried under his pocket, an adult and a baby finger. He was very socked and sat at his bed and stared at the two fingers for hours.
He knew his parents had killed his family. Too many thoughts came to his mind as to why his family did that inhumane thing to him, and he started losing his mind. Few months later he totally lost his mind, and started making nonsense moves, and his talk doesn’t made sense at all. He didn’t get a bath, and wore the same overall for months. Many times he sat at one place for hours and threw the bigger bones to the air and said, “My wife.” After catching the bigger one, he threw the smaller one to the air and said, “My boy.”
One day he sat by the road playing his game, “My wife. My Boy,” and saw this big 22 wheel track parked by the road side having lunch. It was raining so he jumped at the back of the truck to take shelter, but suddenly the driver took off, with this uninvited half-sensed man at the back. Jered thought he would jumped out as soon as the truck stopped, but the truck still moving for 10 hours.
Hours of travelling the truck came to a stop, so he came out. He looked around and he came to a place he had never seen. A city like Port Moresby, but a different one. He stared at a billboard that said, “Let’s keep our Lae City Clean.” Damn, he’s in Lae now. How’s he gona get home?
He was hungry, so he went around the streets looking for left over foods. Junior Jered came out from a restaurant and wanted to go home when he spotted this homeless man looking for food. He asked him to come forward, and gave him some left overs he had, and jumped onto his car and drove home. The next day on the same time Junior Jered saw him again, so he took him home. Junior asked this homeless man too many questions, but all he ever said was, “My Wife, My Son, My Wife, My Son.”
“Ok,” said Junior, “Where is your wife and your son?” Jered put his hand into his pocket and pulled out the fingers, but all Junior saw was two old branches.
At home Junior send Jered to the bathroom to take a shower because he stinks, didn’t even knew he was his father. Junior waited for Miriam and his Mum Jenny at the living room. As they arrived Jered was still at the bathroom. Junior told his mums everything about this homeless, senseless guy he met at the street, and they all waited to meet him. After the shower Jered came to the living room to meet Junior’s family.
Miriam was at the kitchen, and as soon as he saw Jered, she dropped the plates and ran out. They all were surprised to see how Miriam acted. Jenny and Junior ran after her to ask her what happened. “I think he was my husband,” Miriam started talking. “When we sat down for our meal, asked him about his stories and his wife.”
They all sat for dinner, and Junior started asking Jered the question about where he came from, where was his family and so forth. “My parents killed my wife and my son,” Jered said with a soft voice while eating his meal, feeling shy to face them. He put his hands into his pocket and showed them the two chopped fingers. “This is all I have left for my lost family.” When he saw the two fingers in his hands, he got carried away and started playing his game, “My wife. My kid. My Wife. My Kid.”
Miriam couldn’t helped it. He jumped over to Jered and hugged him, and she cried “Your family is not dead, Jered. Your family is not dead. They are right here with you. You are my potato boy. We will go back in time and this time I will cook you potato for the rest of our life.”
Miriam called for Junior and showed him his chopped finger. She also showed him hers. She told Jered every story with tears, and Jered started filling something changed in him. He was totally healed when he knew he was with his family. *************************** END ********************************
On the other end, Highlanders had no idea of what had happened on the other side of the country. They had never seen ra white man before, nor boats nor guns. When they saw or heard war planes flying above them they thought it was a big giant bird, and the strongest men in the clan would ran after them to hunt them down. They never walk up the highest mountain because they thought beyond that mountain is the end of the world, and they would fall endlessly. Place for the afterlife.
Some years after the war, missionaries build roads into the highlands, providing aid post, schools, clothing and tools. They even employ local policemen and councillor to work side by side between the locals and the missionaries. The man with the uniforms and proper clothing were highly respected. Proper clothing was like shorts with socks up to their knees, cowboy hat and gumboots, and even locals called them rich.
This story is not about WWII or missionaries in Papua New Guinea. This story begins with a councillor called council John. John wasn’t his real name though.His name was very hard to pronounce, so the white men gave him an easy name to remember and pronounce, Council John. Oh yes, council John was very much respected and he was rich. When he talks people listened, though they knew what he did or said was wrong. With his hand folded behind his back he walks like a king among his own people.
John’s wife, on the other hand, played her own role as the queen of the tribe, though she knew nothing about speaking or understanding the short cut English (Pidgin). She’s like the wicked witch.
Council John and his wife had only one son. They named him Jered, after an old Missionary Jered (That missionary was not dead yet, if you are wondering. I don’t know what the last name was) Jered was so young, handsome, quiet and humble little boy. He was his parents little baby boy, if you know what I mean. HEIR TO THE THRONE! Jered was first enrolled to Lapaki community school, for his first Grade one(1). He was just 6 years old.
Ambuke was a single mother of one beautiful daughter. They lived a single life like the others. Nothing bothering them. They worked, slept, find friends to talk to, they were happy. Ambuke was young, but looking for another father for her daughter was not something she misses. Her husband died when she was pregnant. They lived a happy life until her daughter, Miriam, turned 6. She’s about to go to school.
Two months before Miriam got enrolled, the mother would sell all their left over foods to pay for her school fees. She succeeded because the fee was like a dollar or something, but what about her stationaries like books and pencils. Damn, another problem. “What you gona do, Ambuke? Get married or something”
Early Monday morning, first day at school, Ambuke put raw potato onto the ash of the fire. She woke Miriam up and helped her getting ready for school. She wiped her grass skirt with pig’s fat to make it shine, and some on her body like baby oil. Who cares about shirts? The school doesn’t even had uniforms.
She took the potato out of the ash and said, “I have no money to buy you cloths. I can’t even afford to buy you books and pencils to write with.” She put 6 potato into her bag and continued,” I put some potatoes in your bag. You can have two while on the road to school. Two when the sun is above your head and when you came out the class for brake. And the other two, find someone who is well dressed, either a girl or a boy, and give it to him or her, and ask them if they could spare you an extra pencil.”
First day at school, she found no one. There were some but not the type of kids she would talk with. Every day Ambuke would tell her to do the same, but the daughter always came back unsuccessful.
Two weeks passed, and on a Wednesday the third week she came out for lunch, and saw Jered standing by himself watching older kids playing with marbles. She walked slowly towards him and stood beside him eating her potato. She was expecting him to make his move, like accidently pushing or touching her. Nothing. Jered was carried away watching kids making their special moves with marbles.
“You want some?” asked Miriam. She had no choice but to give her best short. It was now or never, but Jered didn’t realized someone was talking to him. She pinched him, and when he turned she asked the same question. “You want some?”
“What is it?” Jered asked.
“Potato? My mum cooked it for me. For lunch,”
“I’m ok. I already ate,”
“No, take two. I am full when I ate the other two. Here, take it,”
“Ok then. Thanks.” After thanking her he turned and continued to watch the boys playing that small round balls made of glass.
“I want to ask you something, if you don’t mind?” Miriam asked.
“What is it?” Jered replied.
“If you have an extra pencil or a book please spare me one? At least one of the two. I didn’t write anything since I came here.” Jered turned and saw how honest she was.
They both sat and Jered open his school bag and took out a new book and a pencil and gave it to her. Miriam was so excited and thanked him a million times or something, like Jered was going to die tomorrow.
After school she went home and told mum everything had happened. Every morning mum always cooked eight potatoes, for Miriam and Jered. They mat up every lunch and spend times together. This had been going on for sometimes.
Students sat for their final exams every 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th years before they got accepted to College or universities to continue there studies. Well, six years later Miriam failed her first exam, but as for Jered, he passed and continued his studies. After the 12th examination he applied to be a pilot, and was accepted. Years of studying pilot he made it at last, and reside at our Nation’s Capital, Port Moresby, and piloting a Twin Otter for a company called MBA.
Though he was a pilot, he was not given a proper house. He leaved in a single quarter with other MBA stuffs for 2 years. Two and a half years of flying and he decided to take a brake and went back home, visiting his people and parents.
He arrived home, and was welcomed by the whole tribes because he was the first among the entire district who was well educated and who could fly that big man made bird up to the sky. They even asked if he could see gods when up in the air. The next day he called out his aunt, and told her to find a girl by the name of Miriam. Years and years of study but still he didn’t forgotten her. He was well educated and lots of educated women likes him. He should even choose a Whiteman’s daughter instead, but still he called for her. (Damn! He might have tasted something good in her when they were kids)
“You go to her home and find out if she’s still available,” Captain Jered told his aunt. “If she’s with a husband, then leave her be. Don’t bother telling her I sent you. But if she is still available, ask her if there is still a change where we would go back in time, but this time you will cook me potato for the rest of our life’s together.”
Off the aunt and some women went to look for Jered’s wife to be, well, if he was lucky. They asked around Miriam’s tribes, and they pointed to her home. On the way to Miriam’s house they mat a beautiful, young, and strong girl, carrying a bag full of garden food, and behind him a pig. They asked her where Miriam’s house was. “Why are you asking for her? Who are you? Where are you coming from?” with surprised she popped up too many questions.
“Do you know her?” they asked the girl.
“Yes! Why are you looking for her?” she replied.
“You knew her, and that is good,” Said Jered Aunt. “We will go back to where we came from, but please answer one question, and tell us the truth. Is she married yet?”
“Ahmmm. No. Not yet. Is there a man who wanted to marry her?” She asked, and they told her everything. She sat down with her head facing the ground, playing around with her own fingers, and listened quietly. When Jered aunt still talking and trying to explain she interrupted, and said, “You must be Jered’s aunt. The woman who accompanied Jered to school every morning. The woman who killed a goat and celebrate before he left to high school. He told me all about you when we were at school.” With soft voice and tears running down her eyes she talked to herself and said, “My little potato boy. You became a man now and looking for your missing half. You are more educated, and should find an educated woman like yourself. I am not your type. Why me?”
“If there is still a change where we would go back in time, but this time you will cooked me potato for the rest of our life’s together.” Intercepted the aunt.
“What did you say?” Asked Miriam.
“That was what he told me, to tell you,” replied Jered’s aunt.
She thought for a moment, and she said yes. She told them her tribes people will bring her to his house tomorrow (That was their custom.) They brought good news to Jered, and all his tribesmen were getting ready to welcomed Jered’s wife to be tomorrow.
On the other hand, Councillor John and his queen, Jared’s mum, didn’t like the idea of their well-educated son to marry an uneducated farmer who didn’t even knew how to ride on any vehicle in her life. They tried to talk him out of it, but Jered stood on his decision.
At last they were married. During his four weeks of brake he built a new home for his wife next to his parents. His brake was over and he will return back to the city to fly again. Before he left Miriam told him she was a week pregnant. He told her, “We both knew both my parents didn’t like you, but that is not their decision to make. Whatever they say, just ignore them. You have your own house, and your own land to grow your own food. If I could find a house in the city I will come back and pick you up, and the kid myself. But for now, please stay safe and don’t let anyone bothering you.”
As soon as Jered left for work, the councillor and his wife teases Miriam from the tip of her hair down to last nail on her toe. The kind of words been hidden for centuries came out from their mouth because of her. “How special are you to marry our one and only educated son? Your father didn’t even knew you existed because, you know what, he died when your mother was still pregnant. Your old bitch mother is sitting by the fire. Why can’t you go sit next to her, you whore.”
She let them talk and did nothing. The only thing she was good at was to walk away with tears. They even told other family members and the tribesmen not to help her on any circumstances. This had gone for sometimes now. She was ok living alone, but since her baby boy was born, that’s when she needed help very much. She needs her husband by her side.
On the other side of the world, Jared would stood by the airport terminal after his shift, or day off, just to see if he recognised someone coming from home. He found one and he brought him good news that he’s a father of a baby boy.
“A week before you go back home,” Jered told the man who came from the village, “Please come see me at home. I will buy some clothes for my baby. Please.”
The man went back home after his business at the city, with bag full of clothes. First he stopped by the councillor’s house and asked for Miriam and the baby. “Miriam and the baby is not here!” shouted Jered’s mom. “Why? Did you bring them something?”
“Yes,” replied the man. “I came from Port Moresby, and your son, Jered, handed me this bag of clothes for his wife and son.”
“I will take that,” said the mum. “I will handed to them with good care.”
Miriam returned home with her baby tied around her breast, bag of garden food at her back and pig behind her side. As she approached closer she saw a big black smoke coming out of the Council’s back yard. She didn’t knew what had happened till she came even closer. Beside the fire she saw her mother-in-law wearing some new clothes while burning baby clothes. She already knew it was from Jered.
“Is Jered a fool or what?” Jered’s mum shouted with laughter. “He thought I gave birth to a baby and he send me this baby clothes. I don’t need baby clothes so I gave it to the fire, ahahahah.”
“Mum?” asked Miriam. “You can do whatever you want to me, but your grandson have no clothes, nor a blanket to keep him worm. At night I wrapped your grandson with warm banana leave, and sleep next to the fire place. Please give back the baby clothes, please I beg of you. You can have all my clothes but please have pity on your flash and blood. He is just three months old.”
“Witch!” shouted Jered’s mum. “Witch! A witch lives among us!” She shouted so all the surrounding community could hear her scream. “She is a witch! She and her son are both witches! They ate human flash! We have to burn them! Destroy them both!”
Miriam knew this will be the end for them. They would kill them one way or the other. All tribesman would kill them.
Shouting and walking towards her house were the whole community. “Kill the witch,” the crowd shouted.
She ran into the Councillor’s house, took a knife and chopped of one of her left hand finger, the small one. She did the same to her baby boy. She hid their fingers to one of Jered’s old overall’s pocket and walked out. The crowd saw that the two were covered in blood, and they believed Jared’s mum. They thought they just ate someone.
“We cannot kill them!” shouted Council John. “We cannot kill them. I don’t want the blood to be on my hand.” He looked around the crowds and said, “Instead I will send them away to the end of the world. It is gods wish. Let the gods punish the witch but away from our land.”
They asked for a missionary to help them disposed the witch and her kid somewhere else. Even the Priest believed the crowd because both the mother and the son were covered in blood. They took a chopper and flew to the Eastern side of the country. The chopper landed at a tip of a steep and rocky mountain at Morobe Province, and dropped the kid and the mother.
With no idea of where they were, with no food or water, they sat there for a day. It was around 12pm the next day, and she knew no help would come their way. She tied the baby around her breast, and started climbing down the mountain. As she climbed down she talked to her baby, “If I die, I will help you. If you die, you do the same to me. We both cannot die at the same time. One of us must survive, but I prefer you.”
She reached the bottom, but to which direction she would walk to get help, she had no idea. She just walked following where her foot took her. The sun was too hot, and thirsty, and hungry at the same time. Mother was too weak to walk no more. Baby couldn’t feed no more because mother's breast dried up. The baby tried to cry but he couldn't because his troth was all dried up.
The mother crawled till she saw some goat feeding on dry grass, and she said, “If I lay there, the owner of the goat will see us, and if I die my baby will live, and he will be their son.” She laid there and closed her eyes, and died. Few minutes later she woke up, and said to herself, “I am dead now. I will try find help for my baby boy.”
“You are not dead yet, lady,” Shouted an old man. The man spoke in his own language, which she couldn’t understand.
That old man had a daughter, about 16 years old named Jenny. They took them in, thought them how to speak pidgin, and Miriam became Jenny’s older sister, while the baby, whom they named him after his father, Junior Jered, became Jenny’s first born. After some years Jenny became a nurse, and Junior Jered became a Lawyer, while Miriam ran a mini supermarket. They all lived a very luxury life in Lae, the Capital of Morobe province.
As soon as Miriam and the kid were casted out of the family and were left behind the rocky mountain, Council John sent words to his son Jered, that his family were burned alive accidently. They conned Jered that they left the candle lit while asleep. They even burned down their newly built house.
Jered rushed home for funerals. He cried with his heart broken. He pulled out all his hair on his head, and was very shocked. After the funeral service he didn’t even wanted to go back to work. He stayed home for another week.
One day he went to his old room at his parent’s house, and sat there, and saw his old overall. He tried it on to see if it still fits. He put his hands to his pockets, and felt something bonny. He pulled it out, and surprisingly saw two fingers being chopped off buried under his pocket, an adult and a baby finger. He was very socked and sat at his bed and stared at the two fingers for hours.
He knew his parents had killed his family. Too many thoughts came to his mind as to why his family did that inhumane thing to him, and he started losing his mind. Few months later he totally lost his mind, and started making nonsense moves, and his talk doesn’t made sense at all. He didn’t get a bath, and wore the same overall for months. Many times he sat at one place for hours and threw the bigger bones to the air and said, “My wife.” After catching the bigger one, he threw the smaller one to the air and said, “My boy.”
One day he sat by the road playing his game, “My wife. My Boy,” and saw this big 22 wheel track parked by the road side having lunch. It was raining so he jumped at the back of the truck to take shelter, but suddenly the driver took off, with this uninvited half-sensed man at the back. Jered thought he would jumped out as soon as the truck stopped, but the truck still moving for 10 hours.
Hours of travelling the truck came to a stop, so he came out. He looked around and he came to a place he had never seen. A city like Port Moresby, but a different one. He stared at a billboard that said, “Let’s keep our Lae City Clean.” Damn, he’s in Lae now. How’s he gona get home?
He was hungry, so he went around the streets looking for left over foods. Junior Jered came out from a restaurant and wanted to go home when he spotted this homeless man looking for food. He asked him to come forward, and gave him some left overs he had, and jumped onto his car and drove home. The next day on the same time Junior Jered saw him again, so he took him home. Junior asked this homeless man too many questions, but all he ever said was, “My Wife, My Son, My Wife, My Son.”
“Ok,” said Junior, “Where is your wife and your son?” Jered put his hand into his pocket and pulled out the fingers, but all Junior saw was two old branches.
At home Junior send Jered to the bathroom to take a shower because he stinks, didn’t even knew he was his father. Junior waited for Miriam and his Mum Jenny at the living room. As they arrived Jered was still at the bathroom. Junior told his mums everything about this homeless, senseless guy he met at the street, and they all waited to meet him. After the shower Jered came to the living room to meet Junior’s family.
Miriam was at the kitchen, and as soon as he saw Jered, she dropped the plates and ran out. They all were surprised to see how Miriam acted. Jenny and Junior ran after her to ask her what happened. “I think he was my husband,” Miriam started talking. “When we sat down for our meal, asked him about his stories and his wife.”
They all sat for dinner, and Junior started asking Jered the question about where he came from, where was his family and so forth. “My parents killed my wife and my son,” Jered said with a soft voice while eating his meal, feeling shy to face them. He put his hands into his pocket and showed them the two chopped fingers. “This is all I have left for my lost family.” When he saw the two fingers in his hands, he got carried away and started playing his game, “My wife. My kid. My Wife. My Kid.”
Miriam couldn’t helped it. He jumped over to Jered and hugged him, and she cried “Your family is not dead, Jered. Your family is not dead. They are right here with you. You are my potato boy. We will go back in time and this time I will cook you potato for the rest of our life.”
Miriam called for Junior and showed him his chopped finger. She also showed him hers. She told Jered every story with tears, and Jered started filling something changed in him. He was totally healed when he knew he was with his family. *************************** END ********************************
So touching, parents do have this type of metality nowadays too.
ReplyDeleteParents should respect our decision and choices too.
Very sad story with happy ending.