Grandpa's Water was Kerosine

By Maunori Esoke

My uncle bought a whole chicken and gave it to my grandfather to cook. My grandfather wanted to cook the chicken so he put the chicken in the pot and wanted to pour water into the pot before cooking. He got the nearest container and pour the content into the pot, closed the lid and he put the pot over the fire to be boiled.

   After a few minutes, my aunty didn’t hear the pot boiling so she asked my grandfather if he had poured water into the pot and my grandfather said that he had done that. My aunty asked where he got the water from. My grandfather pointed to a container nearby.

   Suddenly my aunty grabbed the pot and put it on the ground, saying that it was the kerosene container. When they opened the lid, they found out that the pot was about to go up in flames, so they removed it and washed the chicken several times.

   Then they boiled the chicken again.

*Maunori Esoke is a ten-year old from Famo Village in Kainantu, EHP. He is currently in Grade 4 at Ambarina Primary School, Madang. His writing appeared in The National's Young Life section.

The Pain of Separation

*Dedicated to Elaine M Waine 

Oh, what a feeling! What a feeling!

The pain of separation!

It is not a script, to be read in a narration

Nor a voice, to be uttered in languages

Nor a word, to be printed on pages

Nor a view, to be painted as images

To my heart it adheres, and in my mind it appears

I won’t miss it, and I don’t cherish it!

It’s the pain of separation

Yes, it’s a feeling! It’s a feeling! 

Oh, I’m feeling! I’m feeling it!

The pain of separation.

It is beyond toleration!

As I watched him depart

I was torn apart,

And tears filled my heart.

To my heart so dear, and my mind so near

I will miss him, for I do cherish him!

But the pain of separation,

Yes, I’m feeling! I’m feeling it!

A Glimpse of Hami Yawari

The people of Southern Highlands Province are probably still mourning the loss of one of its humble leaders, Mr. Hami Yawari. To lose an inspiring and influential figure is like the Palestinians losing Goliath, and if that is the only Goliath, its people will be scattered like a flocks of sheep without a shepherd. Fortunately there is Mr. Agiru to lead the province. Sheep however, tend to know their shepherd.  

I had a very short, yet a treasured glimpse of Mr. Yawari when I became his attending doctor at Emergency Department at Port Moresby General Hospital. He was known to have chronic renal failure, a fatal complication of uncontrolled diabetes.

   Apart from costing your life, it is a very expensive disease, in terms of money. To give you an idea, it costs about five to seven grand to have a single haemodialysis session at PIH (Pacific International Hospital), where your blood is diverted into a machine that will purify it from wastes, and return it to your body. Essentially it performs the function of the kidney, so you need at least two sessions per week to keep you alive!

   When my boss assigned me to take care of Mr. Yawari, I was very nervous. I’ve always had a hard time managing highly educated citizens, because of two reasons.

   Firstly, most expect a senior doctor, or a consultant to examine and treat them. So when interns like me try to treat them, many will ask, ‘Where is your boss?’ On one occasion, a very prominent government executive told me when I went to collect his blood: ‘This is the body of a fifty year old man you are playing up with!’ For goodness sake, I was trying to collect his blood to do certain blood tests to help him.

   Secondly, they ask a lot of questions. Of course that is good, because they have the right to know the advantages and disadvantages of everything we do on their body. But when I cannot answer a question, I would tell them that I don’t know, and would get my boss to answer that. Yet they would do things, or make gestures that really hurt psychologically, such that those simple procedures like inserting a cannula into their veins will fail!

   Reluctantly, I approached Mr. Yawari and his wife, greeted them and introduced myself. I then took his history and proceeded on to examination. He cooperated very well. I expected him to ask me for my boss, but he didn’t.

   After I formulated what his problem was, I started explaining to him what I think his conditions were. He listened very attentively. Then I explained the procedures I planned to do as part of my diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. He objected to none, and in fact offered his arm to me so I can insert an IV cannula and collect some bloods.

   All the while, he never asked for the consultant or even the registrar (a level higher than me, but lower than a consultant). But being very sick, I decided to get my boss to review him, to which he did.

   Not a word of complain proceeded from his mouth, nor a gesture of lack of confidence in me. Consequently, I gave him all my best, as an intern, and even prayed for him. I suggested to him that if he wanted his life to prolong, he needed an urgent dialysis. The next day, they transferred him to PIH, where he remained for a month till his untimely death.

   I mourned silently in my heart at the news of his passing away. But I thank God that He led me to Mr. Yawari to use him to teach me one meaning of humbleness: accepting those that are ignored and rejected. This was the one educated ‘big man’ that stooped so low as to allow an intern to manage him.

   It was just a glimpse of him, but one that is worth remembering! It was a contagious glimpse that infected me with humbleness!

An Adventure with Potholes

The lone hostess hurried up the aisle to the front, and buckled herself to her seat. It was take-off time.

   Then there was a small push, as if a giant thumb has slightly tapped it, and the Airlines PNG Dash 8 moved forward, gradually gaining speed. Leaning comfortably back on his seat, Tunude peeped through the oval window and watched the buildings and parked planes moved past. He knew that the plane was speeding along the runway of Jackson’s airport.

   Suddenly, a wave of frightful, yet pleasant sensation conquered him. He thought his heart was sinking. He held his breath briefly, but let go in a sigh as the sensation disappeared. He looked out the widow again, and saw the runway dropping back, waving goodbye to the plane. Have a pleasant ride, it seemed to say.

   The sun smiled at the plane cruising through the cloudless sky. Trivial winds blew against the plane, vainly slowing its speed. For a moment, Tunude thought he was sitting on the sofa in a hotel room. Even the beautiful flight attendant serving him a glass of juice brought to memory the waitress who had served at the hotel a few days ago, though her face makeup reminded him of a human toy that he had once owned as a child.

   He took a sip from the juice, and was meditating the tasty orange flavour when a sudden jolt splashed some juice onto his trousers. He peeped out the window anxiously, but vast clouds of pure white stared back. He was inside a tiny blue capsule that is attempting to come out of thick white cotton.

   The plane jolted, jarred and jounced as it pierced through the huge ball of clouds. It swayed, shook, and slowed as it turbulently battled with the clouds for a clear sky. The engine even made strange, scary noises that propelled fear into Tunude’s heart. Not of clouds, or death but the fear of the unknown.

   After a good three minutes, the clouds disappeared, taking the turbulence with them. Tunude sighed relief, as blue sky reappeared. The cry of the engine was now soothing, but fear lingered in his heart. As if complementing the relief, the ‘Fasten Seatbelt’ sign illuminated and the plane dived towards Madang airport.

   Landing was smooth, but the plane vibrated as it taxied along the runway, and to a stop. Finally it was time to disembark, so Tunude unbuckled, picked up his hand luggage and walked out. He forced a smile at the attendant, who parted her painted lips into a beautiful smile that vaporized all traces of fear.

   Where was that wonderful smile when the plane jolted through the potholes in the sky, Tunude thought, to sedate my pounding heart and slow my speeding blood?

   A driver of a white bus was waiting for Tunude. He placed his two green bags and his blue umbrella into the bus and slid the door shut. Lutheran Guest House, which was painted on the side of the bus, was revealed as the door slid shut. A few minutes later, they arrived at the wharf, where LuHealth was waiting to take him across the ocean to the small island he was headed to.

   With Tunude now on board, LuHealth slowly pulled out of the wharf and headed for the open. The sky was empty, with only a few thin clouds scattered against the blue background. Straight above, but heading west was the lone sun, vaporizing the clouds that stood its way. Fixing the potholes in the sky, aren’t you? Tunude mused.

   The sea was also blue, but slightly darker than the sky. It was as serene as a child in the womb, but with the few low waves, not as smooth as a baby’s bottom. The boat cut through the waters, leaving waves and bubbles in its track. It looked as if the boat was creating clouds on the sea, where it traversed.

      It was an enjoyable ride, surrounded with magnificent views that Tunude’s camera cannot resist. About half an hour later, the silhouette of the destination island appeared on the horizon. It was a shade of green between two blues; the island sandwiched between the sky and the sea. In a few minutes, he would be it. The thought of stepping onto the island that he had heard about since childhood, made joy leaped in his heart.

   But joy was silenced by a sudden gush of sensation, like that which he felt when the plane lifted off the ground. He quickly realised that a big wave had forced the boat upwards, and the boat is now free-falling behind it. With a loud thud that shook his heart, the boat landed on the water. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed his fright, but everyone seemed as calm as before. Fright, fight or flight, he chose all.

   The sea was pregnant with waves as they neared the island. More army of waves met them, as if to prevent them from reaching the island, but they submitted to the boat as it glided over them. Some revolting waves however, sent the boat flying into the air, as if spitting it out of their mouth. Some splashed against the boat, forcing showers of sea water to rain over Tunude’s face. The waves rumbled under his feet, as they rocked the boat with their natural strength. Fear rose with the waves, and evaporated every pint of peace. It’s a seaquake to drown ya, fear told him.

   The boat finally reached the shore, triumphant.  Tunude was first to step off the boat and onto the sand. He was greeted by a local, named Sumerg, who had come to pick him up.

   “Welcome to Karkar Island,” smiled Sumerg. “I’m sure you had an enjoyable ride here!”

   “Sure, it was wonderful!” Truth fled. “But the potholes in the sea rumbled my heart to fear, and deprived my bladder of tears!” Truth returned.

An Independence Message

   The Independent State of Papua New Guinea just turned 36, and nationwide, proud citizens are celebrating 36 years of Independence.
   Being independent means that one is not dependant. But from what?
   Well, according to collective definitions of various dictionaries, being independent, in the case of a nation, means that the country is free from any outside control or influence. Essentially, the nations that had authority over Papua and New Guinea during the colonial era are no longer in the picture. PNG is now self-governing, enjoying freedom from exogenous influence.
   So when you celebrate today or on every September 16, enjoy it, knowing that no nation can have influence and control over you regarding governance.
   Freedom from exogenous control and influence does not mean an absence of endogenous control or influence.
   One particular internal influence is currently on the lips of many Papua New Guineans! It probably existed in the immediate pre-independence era and has matured with time. Like a spider, it has constructed web into every major sectors, trapping them in its influence. It celebrates with all independence celebrations, and graduates with the birth of all generations. Cherished by the successful, and nourished by the wealthy powerful, it has flourished in all places.
   It is the virus of corruption. Sad to say, PNG is not independent from its influence.
   Corruption is the willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain. It is a lack of integrity or honesty that makes one susceptible to bribery. It is the use of a position of trust for dishonest personal gain.
   Look around. There is not a government department in PNG where the presence and influence of corruption is not felt, beginning from the office of the highest public servant to that of the lowest. It is rooted in the heart, stemmed in the mind, branched to the limbs and fruited in words and deeds, often leafed in and protected by the court of law.
   My friend, the fight against corruption must be at a personal level. Cultivate a garden of integrity in your heart. Nourish the seed of honesty in your mind. Cherish it because that is all that is needed to root out corruption. Corruption is absent only in the presence of integrity, for the presence of integrity withers the influence of corruption.
   “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than he who is perverse in his ways, and he is rich.”  Proverbs 28:6. It is better to be poor, but with integrity, than to be rich and without integrity.
   Do not be willing to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain. Do not use you positions of trust for dishonest personal gains. Do not liaise, nor coerce a person in a position of trust to act dishonestly for your personal gain. All such acts are essential nutrients for the virus of corruption to flourish.
   Since 16^th September 1975, Papua New Guinea is independent from outside control, but has never, and scaringly will never be independent from the virus of corruption.  
   Take your stand, make your choice! The fight against corruption can be stopped. It all starts with you and me…

Somare challenges Nape

When Speaker Jeffery Nape disqualified Sir Michael Somare on September 6, he stated that his actions are ‘non-justiceable, that is, they could not be challenged in a court of law.’ If no one can challenge his decision in a court of law, then is he, and his office above the law?
   It also brings into question whether or not the parliament, and thus the nation, is guided by the rule of law.
   Well, Somare has decided to challenge his disqualification in the court of law, saying that the disqualification is ‘null and void and of no effect. This implies that his legal advisers don’t agree with Nape’s statement that his actions are non-justiceable.
   If Sir Michael loses the case, that would mean that Nape is right. That would further mean that the National Court supports the fact that some actions of the speaker are non-justiceable. I would see it undemocratic, and frighteningly, rule of law is not in full existence in the parliament.
   If Nape loses, I’ll accept the invitation to rejoice with the rule of law, and I’ll allow my eyes to see Nape’s legal advisors sacked, or given refresher courses in legal advising.
   We have only to continue reading the pages of time.
   While Somare is challenging Nape at the national level, respective clansmen are taking the matter to the ethnic level.
   Ben Okoro, former MP for Sinesine-Yongomugl (current MP is Nape) who is running a construction company in East Sepik, was threatened by Sepiks in relation to Sir Michael’s dismissal by Nape. He was told to leave the province.
   I fear that I Simbus will retaliate by forcing the Sepiks out of Kundiawa or the problems might start and escalate in the nation’s capital. I just hope that nothing of that sort happen. Leave the fight to the politicians, to do it in a non-physical approach.
   The media should also be careful when reporting such sensitive issues, because they can act like fuel to a fire.
 Yet, it is a sure fact that an ethnic clash looms…be not a part of it!

Boy Shot as Target-Practice

On the night of 13^th August, 2011, I was at work at the Emergency department of the Port Moresby General Hospital, when an incident happened. The next morning, I reported it to my blog viewers, under the title Boy shot by Cops.

   A month passed, when the story hit the headlines in Post Courier in their 14^th September print. The front page article titled ‘Help our son’ featured the family of Lincoln Menda, and their plea for help for their son to get life-saving operation overseas where there are appropriate facilities.

   Allegedly, Lincoln became the victim of a police shooting on the night of August 13, at the 4 Mile bus stop. The bullet penetrated his skull and the brain, and a fragment is currently lodged in his skull, or possibly the brain since both his legs and the right arm are paralysed.

   The dilemma now is that the fragment cannot be removed here in PNG, not because of lack of human expertise but because of lack of sophisticated machines to support him during and after surgery. Though the cost will be high, it will be less than half, or even a quarter of what was spent on Sir. Michael during his stay in Singapore.

   If you ask for my opinion, I think the State should meet the necessary cost to remove the bullet fragments and save this young man, because that bullet fragment came from a state-owned rifle, which was fired by a state-employed personnel.

   The Post Courier reported that according to police reports, ‘Lincoln was shot while attempting to flee from the police vehicle.’ Well, I must say that the report is defective and full of flaws.

   Firstly, Lincoln’s punishment is too big for his crime. I don’t know what the relevant PNG law says, but I am fully confident that shooting a victim is not the right punishment for a victim that attempts to flee from the police vehicle. Biblically, all sins are punishable only by death, regardless of their seriousness as viewed by man. But it is not for humans to inflict the punishment of death; only a sinless God can allow such punishment.

   The police officers should have gotten their asses out of the vehicle and chase the fleeing offender. Instead, they just watched their trigger happy reservist target-practised on Lincoln. More logical, if they want to shoot, is to target the legs so that the offender will stop running. Guns should only be used against on offenders that also threaten cops with gun. I wonder why police personnel don’t shoot buai sellers that flee when they see police vehicle approaching.

   Secondly, the police reports contradicted what they verbally reported to the doctors on the night of the incident. I was one of the attending doctors that night, and I didn’t hear a police officer admitting that cops shot the boy. All they said was that they were called in to stop a street fight, but when they arrived, they saw the boy badly injured so they rushed him to the hospital.

   Because they lied at the first place, their official report is sure to be faulty. Two wrongs will never make a right: when one wrong shuts the front door, the other wrong will shut the back door, so that Mr. Right is trapped, and cannot come to your aid.

   It seems to me that some cops are shooting petty offenders as target-practice. Their uniforms are used as cloaks of power over the civilians, and the rifles as wand to control them. They cause fear and confusion to reign in the hearts of people, and even terror in the minds of innocent people that they are supposed to protect.

   If that is the truth, then I’m afraid I’ll have to call then terrorists!

Re-dialling 9/11

    In the movie The Little Rascals, 4-year olds Porkie and Buckwheat were sent on an errand to call the fire department when their club house caught fire. ‘Yes sir!’ they saluted their superior and took off. There was a queue at the phone booth so they stood in the line. Finally, Buckwheat picked up the phone, then asked Porkie: ‘Quick, what is the number for 911?’ ‘How do I know,’ Porkie replied. The two left, but the phone booth remained as always, opposite the local fire station!

    I wonder how many calls were made to 911 on 9/11?

Today marks the Tenth Anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on United States in 2001, in which more than 3000 lives were lost when planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York. Google news reported that President Obama visited all the site of crash today.

    On Saturday afternoon (Yesterday), flight attendants of United Airlines joined hands in the dedication of the Wall of Names, which listed the forty passengers and crews who died on the hijacked flight. Bells tolled 40 times as the names were read from off the Wall.

    Meanwhile, Taliban forces in Afghanistan revived the pain of that tragic 9/11 when suicide bombers strike on Nato forces base in Afghanistan on the eve of 9/11 yesterday. About 50 US troops were injured.

    I have in my possession documentaries that provided astounding proof that the 9/11 attacks were incidents designed by the US government to achieve certain malicious intents. People were starting to see that everything was not right about the Twin Towers and Flight 93 that allegedly crashed outside Pennsylvania. That made President Bush to make the following statement, when he spoke to the United Nations Assembly, November 10, 2001: “We must speak the truth about terror. Let us never tolerate outrageous conspiracy theories concerning the attacks of September the 11^th. Malicious lies that attempt to shift the blame away from the terrorists themselves, away from the guilty.”

    It seems that there are no true terrorism in the United States of America. Really, I mean, apart from the 9/11 attacks, what other attacks are reported in the media of terrorist acts in the States? Not many, I guess. One that I can think of is the Oklahoma bombing in 19^thApril 1995. Like the 9/11 attacks, something smelt fishy around the particulars of that event. Eye-witnesses testimonies and news reports contradicted the official government explanation of what happened. Apart from these, I think there are no other major terrorist, or supposed terrorist attacks.

    An interesting observation was made in one of the documentaries. An anti-terrorism legislation in the United State would give the President the powers to suspend the Constitution. But since there was no real terrorism in the United States, they staged the Oklahoma bombing, in which a US national (called Timothy) blew up a federal building. In just five days, there was an anti-terrorism legislation in the US.

    But that legislation didn’t give US the power to unilaterally enter any nation as she pleases. What she needed was law against international terrorism, that of a war footing. So they staged the 9/11 events involving international terrorists, and within days, there was an anti-terrorism law that gave power to US to enter any country it wishes to occupy.

    Suppose this is true. Just imagine how easy it is for the United State to occupy any country it wishes to occupy! Some big guns can stage attacks or incidents that will see US forces entering the nations responsible.

    9/11 could be a birthday of tyranny! US could be an evolving tyrant. It’s now ten years old. Just wait and see when it matures, for when it does, the whole world will be dialling 911!

Speaker Nape is above the Law

If I am seated at a round table to discuss certain topics of interest, politics is sure to take the last place on the list. I am not a fan of politics, especially PNG politics because it’s mingled with corruption. But I’d like to say and share my views.

   Sir Michael was happy when doctors discharged him from hospital in Singapore, but certainly not when Nape discharged him from parliament on September 6. He was able to leave the hospital bed and sit on his seat at home, but there is no longer a seat for him in parliament as of 4 pm, September 6.

   Now, that is not the kind of parliamentary welcome you would want to give the ‘founding father’ of the nation, or the longest serving politician, and especially when he hasn’t fully recovered from his illness.

   I am not his examining doctor to say that he has not fully recovered, but I think he hasn’t. He walked out of the country but was wheel-chaired in. Obviously other important agendas were on his mind, ones that surpass his health in their importance.

   When sacking Sir Michael, Nape also declared the East Sepik regional seat vacant. Since 1968, the people of East Sepik have decided to let only one MP in the person of Sir Michael to occupy that seat. Now that it is vacant, I understand that Sir Michael is no longer a member of parliament, and will remain thus until the next general election, or a by-election if seemed appropriate by the Electoral Commission.

   Obviously it is shocking to MPs and citizens who have great respect for Sir Michael. What is shocking to me is that Mr. Nape stated it clearly that his actions are ‘non-justiceable, that is, they could not be challenged in a court of law.’ (The National, September 7). You don’t have to be a genius to know that if an action is non-justiceable, then the actor is above the law. It seems to me that the office of the Speaker of Parliament is above the law, in certain parliamentary matters.

   Legal contradictions are never absent in courts. That is why we have prosecuting lawyers and defending lawyers in any court case. One lawyer thinks he is right, and advises his clients as thus, sometimes contradicting the ‘right’ views of the other lawyer. Sir Michael’s lawyers advised him differently and contradictorily to that given to Nape by his lawyers.

   Persuant to the requirement of Section 104(2) d) of the Constitution, Sir Michael will be automatically disqualified as MP for East Sepik regional seat if he misses the September 6 session, because he would have missed three consecutive meetings of parliament, the others being June and August sessions.

   He did miss the May 2011 session, but is understood as one granted a leave by parliament for it.

   However, the Speaker disregarded the granted leave, giving his reason that the absences were ‘without excuse.’ That means that Sir Michael had already missed three consecutive parliamentary meetings (May, June and August 2011), hence his disqualification despite his attempt to prevent that by attending the September 6 session.

   If being sick, and undergoing three different heart operations, is not a good excuse to miss parliament sessions, then what is? Unless Sir Michael has other undisclosed intent for his absence, Nape’s reason as ‘without excuse’ is too shallow and without weight. Whether he was officially notified or not about Sir Michael’s absence, I don’t wish to know. What I know is that Sir Michael was absent because he was sick.

   Rumours had it that when Polye and Duma were removed of their portfolios this year by Abal, the two men teamed up with the opposition and confronted the speaker. They asked him to declare a vacancy in the PM’s seat and accept the opposition’s move to nominate a new PM.

   But Nape gave them conditions that he would comply only if Namah or O’Neill is nominated. Polye and Duma were not to be candidates for PM. Nape saw Polye and Duma as a threat to his role a speaker.  When they agreed to his terms, he easily facilitated the removal of the NA led government. As long as he remains speaker of parliament, he will allow through his powers only the government that is compatible with his position.

   This is an un-researched, undocumented rumour I grabbed from the streets so don’t believe it. But if it is true, then Nape is corrupt, and they must have paid him a lot facilitate corruption!

   A Simbu lad said that Nape is a ‘Sanguma’ from Sinesine-Yongomugl. He has the voice that can sack the founding father of the nation, while pronouncing his act as ‘unjusticeable’. If no one can challenge him in a court of law, he is, in subtle practicability, a dictator decorated with democracy – a ‘democraciated’ dictator!