Saturday, August 11, 2012
Another weekend at Fanualama, and I knew it was going to be
incredible. As I woke up, I couldn’t
believe it was my last Saturday. Bishop
was leaving today so we had to say our goodbyes. First he took us to the market like usual
where we stocked up on vegetables, taro, peppers, cucumber, breadfruit,
cabbage, and of course… 3 pineapples! We
carried our groceries through the market with the sisters and it was lucky we
had extra helping hands. Clare and I decided
to walk to get Internet access, so the sisters took our groceries home. After checking some emails quick, we walked
to the Cathedral where the Aligegeo students were having practice for liturgy
tomorrow. We listened to their singing
and it was fun to recognize a majority of them!
Their voices are beautiful and I want to take videos of them singing
tomorrow. We walked home after practice
with Sister Loretta and prepared some lunch.
She decided to make the taro, which is actually potato and coconut mixed
in a bamboo stalk. At first I thought I
was eating bamboo, but I realized after that they just package it in
there. Sister heated the bamboo stalk on
the stove, broke it open, and peeled the potato out. It was delicious!
Richard unfortunately was still not feeling well, but he
refused to back out on his promise to take Clare and I to see his village, Lilisiana. As much as I felt bad he was sick, I wanted
to see where he lived so badly. We
hopped in Bishop’s truck with Patrick, Agatha, and sister’s 2 nieces Wendy and Gladys. We bid Bishop goodbye at the wharf and then
set off on our journey. Richard kept
apologizing for his English but I could understand him just fine! He and Patrick took us down a long sandy road
right along the water. Families were
posted up under their houses on stilts doing laundry by the water. Richard showed me his primary school, and I
could not believe how small it was. He
knew everyone we passed, showing me how close the villages are. These were all his “wontaks.” I had never witnessed a more beautiful place
in my entire life. Lilisiana is known
for their houses on stilts coming out of the water. These people ran out of land to build on, so
they created artificial island villages.
The people are also known for making shell money and all of the jewelry is
for sale all over Solomon’s, especially in Honiara.
We winded down this path and I just gazed at hut after
hut. The way they were built so
intricately seriously blew my mind. I
was in a trance until I literally almost ran into a wild pig! It was HUGE and was bathing in the mud. The little piglets followed behind. Richard decided to take us to his home, and
on the way we met Phillip, the main singer in church, and George, one of the
altar boys. Their huts were so tiny and
had many family members living inside.
We kept walking as the little children ran around unclothed staring at
us and decided whether or not to wave.
It was so lucky to be with Richard and Patrick so Clare and I didn’t
seem like tourists (well, we were as close to locals as we could get). We arrived the church where Father Moses says
mass and Richard’s house was just to the left.
I met his many many family members, including sisters, older brothers,
nieces, nephews, uncles, and his mother.
Their hut was probably the size of a triple dorm room at school. Everyone was so happy, and his brother Gabby
(the soccer player) even rode into the backyard on a canoe for good
measure. I took a moment to realize that
I was sitting on a wooden bench outside of my Solomon Island friend’s woven grass
hut in his village. It was out of this
world. Seeing Lilisiana in all its
beauty despite the impoverished people was a remarkable sight. There was no feeling of despair among these
people.
Richard led us down another road along the beach to reach a
freshwater lake. We walked and talked
for a long way, and I asked Richard to do an impression of me. He said in an exaggerated girl voice, “WOW,
COOL!” I couldn’t stop laughing. I mimicked him as speaking a mile a minute in
pidgin. We also joked how he couldn’t
flare his nostrils or say the color purple.
He pronounced it “poypull.”
Richard was not acting shy today at all and was actually leading a song and
dancing once we reached the lake. The
water did not look too pleasant or clean, so I held back for a second. Especially after I saw 20+ little boys
swimming! Richard danced his way into
the water and the boys loved him. Clare
joined, but I decided to just enjoy the view with Agatha. Plus, it looked like it was about to be
torrential so I helped Patrick wrap all of our “baskets” (bags) in palm
leaves. When the rain came it felt
wonderful. The boys and Clare were
making water lily necklaces in the lake.
I asked Richard if Lilisiana was named after the water “lillisianas” but
he didn’t laugh. I thought it was pretty
funny. Clare cracked up so I felt
better. We noted how humor is not
universal! I decided to get close to the
water to peer in and then I remembered something I had read about the Solomon
Islands in a travel book. “Beware of any
fresh water and do not swim: crocodiles
and snakes.” I don’t know how I
remembered that; it must have been my dad telepathically warning me. I jumped out of the water. I asked Agatha out of curiosity if any
crocodiles were seen at the lake and she said oh yes all the time. WOW. I
wanted to tell Clare to get out. All the
little boys were making this strange yipping sound and she said it was because
crocodiles swim away when they hear dogs.
Oh, wonderful. Clare said by the
time she realized she was in danger they could have used her water lily
necklace for her funeral so she just stayed in the water. Luckily everyone was
fine and we began our journey back. I
was having the best time and enjoying the sun once it came out again. Richard and Agatha headed back toward the
market while the rest of us headed back to Fanualama.
After evening prayer and a wonderful family dinner prepared
by Ben, Clare, Sister, and I went to Aligegeo to watch talent night. I really wanted to watch but I was going to
be so angry if they made me dance again!
Luckily, they didn’t but there was some other action that took
place. Just as I was getting very sleepy
at the end of the show, Sister had the man in charge put on dancing songs to
let the kids have fun for a few more minutes.
The boys, including Patrick, grabbed Clare and I and we danced for a
song. It wasn’t bad at all, just really
funny. We sat back down as they played
one more song before announcing the winners when all hell broke loose. One of the teachers, Lucy, who is Sister
Loretta’s niece, was judging and sitting behind the speaker with her small
daughter Cathy. All of a sudden, I saw
speakers fly and people start to fight.
Lucy was hit with one of the speakers and was bleeding from her
mouth. I thought the fight would die as
Sister yelled at the boys to calm down, but nothing stopped. I saw that everyone was getting angrier and I
was worried about Sister getting hurt.
None of the male teachers were doing anything to stop the fighting. I went to check on Lucy and as soon as blood
dripped from her mouth, one of the boys screamed that he saw blood and ran
outside. He was not going to get sick,
he was going to get a weapon because he was related to Lucy. It was essentially his blood. I got so nervous and realized that this was
an entire different culture and I had no idea how to handle myself. After seeing Lucy was all right, I just tried
to keep still on the bench not drawing attention to myself. Luckily, Patrick grabbed Clare, Sister, Lucy,
and me and led us out the door. He pushed
through all the boys and made sure we didn’t get hurt. I had no idea who had a weapon and who didn’t
so I just stared straight ahead with my flashlight. We were taking Lucy back to Sister’s so I
could clean her mouth and see how badly she was hurt. Clare was carrying her daughter and holding
hands with the others as the boys led us back.
All of a sudden the boy that ran out to get a weapon appeared in the
path with, yes, a machete. My heart
leaped and I stepped to the side. He was
saying how he was going in to get the boys that hurt Lucy but Sister grabbed
him. She and Patrick held him down and
led him back to the house with all of us.
I couldn’t believe how she was dealing with this. I found myself standing next to machete man
as we were walking and I quickly stepped behind him. I had no idea what was going on.
Luckily, by the time we reached the house, some boys and
Lucy had explained the story to me. Two
brothers who are from North Malaita started the fight. They are also the brothers of one of the male
teachers. They were angry because their
brother that is the teacher did not want to have dancing events. In their North Malaitan culture/religion,
dancing is not accepted. Deputy and Sister overruled the teacher because they
argued it was a nondenominational school.
The student brothers planned to wreck the equipment so no other dances
could be held and to defend their brother.
When Lucy got involved, the boys that are Sister and Lucy’s relatives
were just defending their own blood, literally.
Lucy is from South Malaita, married to a North Malaitan. She has blood relatives in the South and
in-laws in the North. The south and
north have tension from time to time, but because Lucy is blood-related to the
South, they decided to fight for their side.
South Malaitans also retaliate without any delay where other cultures
may wait some time to seek revenge. When
we made it home, I checked out Lucy’s mouth and luckily all her teeth were
in. She had a massive welt on the side
of her jaw and cheek and a bruise on her shoulder. I didn’t think her jaw was out of place so I
just wanted to put ice on it. But, did
you know that ice does not exist in the Solomon’s? I literally took a frozen chicken out of the
freezer, wrapped it, and placed it on her for 30 minutes while Sister Loretta
gave lectures to the boys. I also gave
her some Advil because she does not have a refrigerator or anything cold at
home. My practical Kilu’ufi experience
was put to use tonight.
One way or another, the 15 boys outside were all Lucy and
Sister’s family. Some of the boys went
to the brothers who started the fight and received 100 dollars from them. Apparently compensation is needed when
something like this happens so the fighting stops for the time being. Tomorrow, the villages and larger families
will be made aware and Lucy will then receive more adequate compensation. No police involvement, just family. It’s funny because the whole time I’ve been
here I knew Sister was Malaitan, but she seemed so similar to me that I totally
disregarded her following tradition.
She knew the 100 dollars was needed and also knew that she could calm
down a man with a machete. What a woman.
Well, I’m going to try to sleep after this one, and hope the
Aligegeo students are safe. I am
thankful nothing more serious happened.
It is safe to say I had a first hand experience of Solomon culture
today: villages, crocodile lakes, and
talent night brawls.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
I awoke this morning to Sister Loretta sitting at the
kitchen table with tea saying, “Pineapple is waiting for some people!” in her
high-pitched, hysterical voice. I told
them I had a horrible dream about a fight and a talent night and they replied
they had the same dream too! We shared
stories and breakfast while clearing up some of the details I didn’t understand
from the previous night. It was our last
Sunday mass, so we got ready and headed off to the Cathedral early with the
Aligegeo students.
The mass was beautifully said. The hymns the students sang were amazing as
well as their offertory processions. I
love that their culture is still alive through the church. The two are intimately linked, responsible
for preserving this tradition. Father
Moses said mass, and at the end, Ben Ivy invited Clare and me to the
altar. Simon and Phillip presented us
with two wooden crosses with engraved mother of
pearl. I couldn’t believe the
appreciation from the community, truly confirming the fact that I do not want
to leave.
After talking to the students for some time, we walked back
to Fanualama to change for our trip to Buma.
Buma is a Catholic settlement area where there are DMI (Daughter of Mary
Immaculate Sisters) and also Sisters of Charity, founded by St. Vincent de
Gaulle. Sisters, Clare, Agatha, and I
squeezed in the seat of Bishop’s truck as Father Moses escorted us. I heard it
was a long ride, but I was prepared.
Actually, just kidding. I
immediately started feeling sick due to the bumps and puddles and potholes left
and right. We were driving up and down
instead of going forward. I was bouncing
and eventually had to close my eyes and lay on Sister Matilda. We finally reached the village about an hour
later and met all the sisters. We also
met 2 Father Lawrences, one the son of Immaculate from the women’s group and
one who has traveled to Providence!
Before I could finish shaking hands, a 2-year-old boy Pius (pronounced
Pee-yo) ran up to Clare and I growling and speaking an unknown tongue (not
pidgin). Everyone hysterically
laughed. Pius is full of energy and
refuses to wear any clothes. I tried to
take pictures of the beach scenery and the chapel but if you look closely you
can probably spot him in the corner in every single photo from today. When we walked in the church he ran on the
altar and handed me a baby Jesus sculpture.
Sister Loretta had to sit down she was laughing too hard. When we were sitting in Father Lawrence’s
hut, Pius was so wound up and I noticed he started chewing 3 separate
betelnuts. Essentially, this means Clare
and I played with a 2-year-old who was high the entire day. Many children do it and become addicted, but
it is similar to tobacco. It is the
Solomon culture. We had a cappuccino
with the Sisters of Charity from Croatia and I learned they were all
nurses. They took me on a tour of their
clinic and talked about their baby delivering experiences. When we were leaving they gave Clare, the
Sisters, and me rosary beads. Father
Moses blessed them on the way home while I held the wheel.
We invited Christina over for dinner tonight, so Sister
cooked breadfruit (like chips) and Clare and I took care of the eggplant,
peppers, and pineapple. Christina will
be 20 on Tuesday so it was a birthday/friend celebration. We enjoyed our food as I ended up telling
everyone about the “My Strange Addiction” TV show. Sister just stared at me when I told her some
people eat grass or chalk. I couldn’t
stop laughing at her face. Clare and I
had some gifts for Christina and walked her halfway back to school. Clare and I decided to show the Sisters all
of our pictures from the trip and of our families. We ended up taking Photo Booth pictures and I
have never laughed so hard. We were so
out of breath from laughing but continued once I played a video I took of
everyone singing one of the liturgy songs in the truck on the way back from
Buma. It is such an amazing communion
song and has such a catchy tune that I keep singing it everywhere I go. It’s in Father Moses and Sister’s home
language. I have officially laughed
myself to sleep. Until tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
I have arrived in Honiara safe and sound, thankfully! After hearing so many horror stories since I
have been here: engine failures, breakdowns,
and lost at sea excursions, I definitely hesitated to step on the boat
today. I’ll recount the events of my
last day in Auki first.
I woke up and had a pit in my stomach, not sure whether it
was due to sadness of the last day or not feeling well. It was also Collin’s birthday! Happy birthday you 18-year-old! Father Moses said mass and I went back to the
house to prepare for my last day at Kilu’ufi.
I wanted to go meet the students in Clare’s classes, so I headed to
Aligegeo with Sister Loretta and her at 8 AM.
There was a morning assembly, and I was interested to hear if Saturday
night’s events were discussed. Lucy, the
victim, was not at school. The principal
reprimanded all of the students in the dining hall, followed by the deputy
principal. She is so tough, I felt like
I was getting yelled at. After her stern
warning to the students, she called Clare and myself to the front to thank us
for our time. I was so embarrassed to go
up, after all, I was working at Kilu’ufi for the majority of the time. They thanked Clare for all her hard work with
the speech contest and teaching, and thanked me for my participation in “school
activities” aka DANCING! The entire room
erupted in laughter. Clare made a short
speech and when we were walking through the hall to exit, I did a few exit
moves out the door for good measure.
I accompanied Clare to her two morning classes where we did
a word scramble. Some of the letters
they were unscrambling were from their vocab and also words such as America,
University, soccer, Clare, and Cayla!
Clare gave out cookies as prizes, which the kids loved. We answered their many questions about family,
sports, and our studies.
 |
| Baseball hat! |
I headed off to Kilu’ufi after, just in time to start ward
rounds in children’s side with Dr. Solomon.
Bishop Chris had given me some World Series baseball hats to give out,
and I’ve never seen such appreciative smiles from the little boys.
There were two children in horrible
shape.
One small baby was partially
comatose with an intense fever.
Another
younger girl was actually in a coma.
I
asked her uncle what her condition was, and he replied malaria.
When I questioned Dr. Solomon about the
malaria, she told me that her blood test was negative.
She was most likely suffering from meningitis.
I asked why her uncle had given me the wrong
information, and she said that he refuses to believe it was a condition that he
could have prevented.
I was a bit
confused, but Dr. Solomon explained that the girl previously had rubella, from
which she suffered a severe fever.
Her
parents did not take her to a clinic to help to reduce the fever in
time.
Even when she was finally given an
injection for rubella, it was too late.
She went home and as she was playing with her friends, she collapsed
with convulsions.
She is still having
seizures, so that is why her family believes she has cerebral malaria.
Although it hardly ever happens in the US,
when a child has a high fever that is not reduced by aspirin, brain damage can
occur.
She suffered the consequences of
meningitis, for which her parents were responsible.
Blaming it on malaria gives them peace of
mind and an answer, because they cannot adequately test to prove it is
meningitis.
I glanced back over at the
family and felt sick.
They were crowding
around her with wet washcloths, trying to help a little too late.
Dr. Solomon said that she would be fine, but
the family wants to take her home.
They
told her that the illness was untreatable and beyond her control.
They knew she was going to die, so they
wanted her to pass away at home.
Dr.
Solomon almost laughed when she told me the story because of their
ignorance.
She even said the family
wouldn’t care if she died.
They admitted
to her it was meant to be.
Poor
child.
Dr. Solomon convinced them to
stay (the hospital is free after all…).
I know the children’s ward is never “happy” but I was looking forward to
moving on to the rest of my day.
Once we reached the maternity ward, Dr. Solomon and I sat
and discussed how we would keep in touch in the future. She would really like my assistance with her
VAW (Violence Against Women) organization.
If she were to build a shelter, she wouldn’t have to get it approved by
the government, she would just have to buy the land. She knows that the ministry of health would
approve it even if the government does not see the benefit of having a place
like this. I agreed to brainstorm with
her and try to find some contacts for her in the US. She is such a strong woman, I do not have any
doubts that her dream will come true, and I would be honored to be a part of
it. She also wanted me to look into
having a team of psychologists or counselors to come train nurses. The future is looking bright for the women of
the Solomon’s.
Nurse Cathy was on the office, so she joined in our
conversation. For some reason, we got on
the topic of relationships in the Solomon’s, and I asked many questions. Because it is so common for men to have other
wives, I asked if the majority of men cheat on their spouse. They both replied that probably most men have
other women. I didn’t want to flat out
ask if their husbands had other women, so I just said that both of them seemed
happy and had a good relationship. They
hesitated and Dr. Solomon said that she would not be frightened to leave her
husband if he was with another woman because she knows the right people to
approach. She said the problem is that
many women feel they are trapped because of culture. I asked why women wouldn’t leave if they were
upset? They answered that most women
expect their husbands to have other wives.
If they decided to get a divorce, the children go with the husband. I was outraged. Cathy said that even if the mother has a
newborn, finds out her husband is seeing other people, and wants to leave, she
is obligated to stay because of her child.
Once separated, mothers can never see their children again. Dr. Solomon said once again that because she
knows the right people, she would be able to regain custody of her
children. She really just wants to
educate women that they do have a choice.
For instance, there is a bill being passed called “Family Protection”
enabling women to still see their children after a separation. However, if you live in the bush, a mother
would never even know this bill was being passed. Just another form of abuse. I commended both women on their strength and
asked if other women were just as strong; that they would hold in their
feelings despite being cheated on. They
said that most times the women are strong, but often they become
depressed. She said she has had women
cry to her in the labor ward about how a child is not their husband’s, her
husband abuses her, and she didn’t want any more babies. She also has witnessed mothers trying to run
across the road to kill themselves. The
Solomon’s used to be called “The Happy Isles” but since this abuse is
prolonging, it is not a happy place for many people. I could barely believe what I was hearing and
stayed quiet for a couple of minutes. He
phone rang and Cathy went to answer it.
She called for me and said that I was wanted at Aligegeo for a
“function.” Oh, no! This means I was leaving Kilu’ufi. I couldn’t even stomach the thought. I said my goodbyes and see you soons, and
tried not to shed a tear. Dr. Solomon is
looking forward to our project, as am I.
After popping my head into the Operating Theater to say buy
to Dr. Joe, Jason, and the nurses performing a lower leg amputation, I hopped
on the bus to Aligegeo. When I arrived,
I was escorted to the Home-Ec classroom where all the staff was there along
with Sister and Clare! There was
pineapple, cucumber, and biscuits as a thank you! Many of the teachers made a speech thanking
Clare for her help, and one teacher even referred to me as “the other
one.” Although my time at Aligegeo was
short, I was honored when they presented me with a hand woven basket and a set
of shell jewelry.
After the party, we returned to the house where I told Clare
and Sister that one of the nurses had told me our ship for tomorrow was
broken! They said they had heard the
same thing and went to town to refund our previous round-trip ticket. Tomorrow we would leave on another boat at 9
AM, but I was a little nervous about this schedule, engine problems, and
Solomon time. Either way, it was my last
night, so Clare and I sat outside with Agatha and Patrick for the rest of the
afternoon while he taught us pidgin on a IPad.
We were laughing so hard at my pronunciations and my statements. Sister Loretta was lying in a hammock rocking
back and forth and we were yelling funny phrases in pidgin. I am seriously going to miss her! I could sit and watch her facial expressions
and be entertained for hours.
Richard started calling me from the priest house near
Bishop’s. I walked up the stairs trying
to find him and found him drawing! He
and George come to study in the priest house after school because their homes
in Lilisiana are not great for concentrating.
Richard was finishing his drawing for me and I was so excited. He signed it and I cannot wait to frame
it. He also drew another one because
Clare had mentioned possibly turning his drawing into a fabric for Serengetee
T-shirts. Richard would make money for
his school fees and the money raised could be donated to Kilu’ufi for medical
supplies. I am excited for him and also
so sad to leave. When I was walking back
he said, “I am sorry that you are leaving.”
My heart broke!
I needed to cheer up and our final celebration dinner was
just the cure. Clare, Sisters, Agatha
and I enjoyed a cassava pudding, vegetables, chicken, and fish. We laughed the entire dinner and said that we
were going to stay up the rest of the night.
After cleaning up, Sister Loretta and Matilda gave Clare and me a
present. We received a necklace,
bracelet, and earrings each with a Pacific Arts Festival banner. The shell jewelry was beautiful and I was
seriously honored that they would do this.
The presents didn’t stop there.
Agatha presented us each with a lava lava with the map of the Solomon
Islands. She was too cute. She also gave us each a necklace Are-Are her
home village. The shells used for my
long necklace with a shell dolphin are native to her land. I felt so blessed and couldn’t believe that
the Sisters ended the gift giving by handing us each a wrapped present for our
moms! I told them that this was the best
Collin’s birthday I ever had! After
blasting island music, playing a round of cards, and Agatha braiding our hair,
I was starting to fall asleep. By the
time I finished packing it was near 12:30-1 AM and I never wanted the night to
end.
As I awoke on Tuesday, I realized it was still my brother’s
birthday… what a long day! Father Moses
was called out to say a mass for an opening kindergarten so Sisters led the
rosary instead. After, everyone shook
hands with us and I said goodbye to Richard, Simon, George, Gabby, Christina,
Veronica, and everyone. Ben was going to
drive us to the wharf with his nephew who is going back to medical school in
Cuba. We luckily found a boat that was
not loading yet and we were able to buy tickets. It was smaller so we heard the ride would
take 6 hours. I started worrying and one
of the Marist priests who is friends with the sisters started making fun of
me. His name was Father Julio and he is
hysterical. He was going to be sitting
with us on the boat and I told him he better start praying. He started walking to go get me a beer and I
stopped him! I don’t think that would
make me feel better at 7 in the morning… We sat outside with everyone for an
hour before loading the boat. Sister
Loretta stocked us up with biscuits and cucumber to take on board. Right before we were getting on the ship,
Liborio came with our paintings! He had
wanted to paint something for us but we couldn’t get in touch with him before
we left. I had asked for Fanualama chapel
and Clare wanted Mary and Jesus. The
paintings are absolutely breathtaking and so colorful. Libo is so talented and I will never forget
how he made those crutches in one afternoon.
I was happy to swallow my seasickness medicine but still felt sick
saying goodbye to Sister Loretta, Agatha, and Sister Matilda. They sat with us until they were kicked off
the ship. We joked around and tried not
to be emotional. I seriously plan on
seeing them again so I had to keep a smile.
Agatha handed Clare and I each another gift for our mothers. These women have gone above and beyond.
After falling asleep in the tiny seating area few times,
Clare, Ben, his nephew, Father Julio, and I finally arrived. I was so delirious the whole time I vaguely
remember discussing Immanuel Kant’s philosophy with Father Julio. I was so happy to stand up but wobbled over going
down the stairs. Don’t worry! The
medical student caught me. Woops. I jumped off the ship (I’m getting more
coordinated) and said my final goodbyes to Ben.
He is such a hard worker and great man.
I saw two sisters in blue so Clare and I walked through the gates to
meet them. Their names were Sister Maria
and Mary. Their driver drove us to
Rosiena, their home in Honiara right near the central market. I totally forgot how crowded this city is
compared to Auki. When we arrived I was
completely shocked at the interior of their home. Wooden floors, a huge kitchen, counters, 3
sofas, a TV, and fans everywhere! Our
room is huge and equipped with a fan!
We’re living in luxury right now.
After checking some email (they have internet), I took a shower WITH
WATER PRESSURE. I totally forgot what
that felt like! They also have hot
water, not that you even want it. After a wonderful dinner of pumpkin and
cucumber, I missed Sister Loretta’s laugh and Sister Matilda’s sarcastic
whispers. Once again, the 4 sisters
here: Sister Mary, Maria, Rosa, and
Saniela are just as welcoming, and I know when Thursday comes I will not want
to leave. We watched Olympic highlights
before heading off to bed. Being here makes me miss Auki, despite its few luxuries. I miss the small kitchen, the outside
bathroom, and the chapel outside my window.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
I couldn’t believe Clare was making sure I was awake at 5:30
AM! The sisters were all ready to go in
the car with their driver, Emmanuel, and we headed off to Kukum parish in the
dark. We opened the outside church and
sat in the dark until the priest arrived.
The view from the back window showed the sea. By now, I know almost every song we sing for
prayer, and afterward Sister Maria thanked me for singing! I told her that was the first time anyone had
ever thanked me for carrying a tune and she laughed. I think having a beautiful singing voice is a
trait carried by most Solomon Islanders.
At 7:30 we were back, and enjoying breakfast. The sisters told us that Sister Vero was
coming to see us in the afternoon! But,
Sister Rosa wanted to take us to Tenaru in the morning to visit Sister Catie
and Sister Stephany! I excitedly hopped
in the car as we drove 15 minutes down the road to St. Joseph’s at Tenaru. The sight brought back so many memories, like
crazy Sister Catie’s laugh and parrot! I
spotted her bright pink lap lap from the clinic and watched as she ran towards
our car and left all of her patients. I
was already hysterically laughing. I
couldn’t believe I was back where I started and how close I feel to the
sisters. We enjoyed catching up as well
as a nice meal with Sister Stephany and Rosa.
Sister Stephany actually had malaria so she wasn’t feeling too
well. We also saw our friend Jennifer
who was just finished taking her trial exam.
Even as Clare and I move on and travel, the sisters continue their hard
work.
After arriving back at Rosiena, the sisters were finishing
up with their English lesson from Laurel.
She is a volunteer traveling from New Zealand. Sister Mary and Saniela wanted to take us
into town to do some last minute shopping!
We also had to prepare for a dinner celebration tonight at the other
sisters; house down the road. It was the
Assumption therefore Sister Matrina’s feast day. The sisters took us to an unbelievable wooden
carving store where Clare and I were impressed by the Ngzoo-Ngzoo figures. They are warheads and symbolic of Solomon
tradition. There were many other sculptures
of canoes and faces. We headed to
Central Market and I felt familiar with the area! I couldn’t believe how much
more crowded and dirty it was compared to Auki.
Honiara is like the NYC of Solomon’s.
There are people from every province selling their goods, so the market
is 3x as big as Auki. Pineapples and
fruit were everywhere! We splurged on a
few fruits and various items before treating the sisters to ice cream! I got vanilla with ngali nuts which was
delicious (they ran out of coconut). The
heat was unbearable and I was excited to go back to the house.
Clare and I popped in the Insanity work out and Sister
Saniela joined us. We had a great
time. And to top it off, as I was
“swimming” (showering) I heard a familiar and beautiful sound: Sister Veronica’s laugh! I sprinted downstairs and found her sitting
with the sisters! I was so excited and
she just laughed and laughed. She said
the mountain was still waiting for me (Mount Chiromagati, the one where I
almost cried climbing to the peak) and started the teasing already. We cut up pineapple and mango as we shared
stories about Sister Loretta and Matilda from Auki. Sister Veronica and I also told the sisters
how I thought she was jumping on the roof when the earthquake hit! We also told the story of how I fell down the
mountain and laid in Cindrella’s yard screaming, “Where do I live?!” I couldn’t believe that was only 3 weeks
ago. I feel like Sister Veronica is my
aunt or sister and we have been apart for so long. I don’t want to leave her again; she is an
incredible and strong woman.
After prayer together, we walked to Panatina Ridge, the
other sisters’ house, for our celebration.
We shared laughter and so much food for Sister Matrina’s feast day! We were even presented with a cake and 2
straw hats! Just as I am really getting
comfortable, it is time to leave.
After getting home around 9:30 PM, Clare and I showed Sister
Vero all the videos and pictures of Auki, including Sister Loretta’s infamous
nostril flare film. We were
uncontrollably laughing once again.
Sister Vero and Sister Loretta are best friends and now I can see
why! Both of their laughs can light up
an entire room, maybe village! Before we
headed to bed, Sister Vero gave Clare and I each a bracelet. She said she will miss us. Seriously, I have been treated so special in
the Solomon’s. The people give, give,
and give more, and it is time that they are given some gifts themselves.
