Letter 19 / 12 / 82
Rumour has it that our 'parents' arrive tomorrow - the Marous from Townsville. We are not at all sure how things will turn out. Having them around (we don't know how long for) might really help to sort things out such as who we are related to etc. We are most relieved to hear that they aren't expecting to stay with us but with other relatives.
Under the hot tin roof
Its Sunday, church time, but I just can't face it today. I feel really washed out, probably the effect of this endless enervating heat and humidity. So I'm sitting up in bed (keeping my feet up) trying to type. If we weren't so visible from the church (the service is on and the walls are mostly made up of doors on all sides which are open) I'd take my mattress outside away from the heat of this tin roof. Fr Tabo is actually away today, so there won't be many in church this morning. Peter has taken James on the bike and gone away down the other end of the village to the AOG (Assemblies of God) church, thought we had better maintain ties with them before the Marous arrive, we haven't been there since we came back.
Tap
Quite unexpectedly the other day we got a tap! And then yesterday it had water coming out of it ... I actually did the washing in all clean water instead of re-using to the point of being ridiculous. But then last night the water went off, don't know why, hope its very temporary, because its so nice to be able to turn a tap on, even if it is out the back of the house - anything is better than going to the well which is very deep.
Soft sardines
My pressure cooker arrived among the things on the boat last week, and I finally got it out and got the handles screwed back on. Its lovely to be able to pop sardines in there for half an hour and then be able to eat them bones and all - just like the tinned ones only nicer! We have shown that to one or two people here and they have been most impressed - they are such tasty little fish and so fiddly to eat normally.
People are also very impressed by our 'tent' - we have our screen house set up outside our front door. It gives us somewhere to sit and converse with people as they pass (and to be seen generally), James sleeps in there in the afternoon, and now it has given people a reason to talk about us. On these hot nights a lot of people opt to sleep on the beach rather than inside - which of course has its own problems. Some build elaborate sleeping platforms, but most are more lazy and they can see that a screen house would be ideal, they all want one.
Need a language helper
We still don't have a regular language helper. All our efforts to invite people over for food have failed, they just don't turn up. I think they would if we invited several families at a time, but I just don't think I can cope with fifty or so! Usually I would have daughters, sisters, aunts etc to help me and provide plates etc. We were feeling quite despondent after our first few attempts, but now people are at least opening up a bit and talking to us more, maybe we were trying to go too fast as usual. The old chap, Sam Passi, who actually offered to come around, didn't even show up. He is recognised and respected as the one who knows most about the language, so he feels sort of responsible for us to make sure we do things right. The other day he offered to come and help us on an irregular basis, he is afraid he will be intruding. Anyway, he hasn't turned up yet; but he is a man of principles, I'm sure he will turn up eventually. In the meantime I guess we'll have Mrs Maraou for a while again. Trouble is, she'll expect us to be speaking fluent Miriam by now, and we really haven't progressed much at all - though we are getting much better at catching fish.
Fishing for niwop
Peter finally got me fixed up with a fishing reel of my own so I can join the women under the midday sun fishing for black bream ('niwop'). They are big fish and nice eating but they have very small mouths so you use a small hook and dough for bait. At least with dough bait I'm not likely to catch a shark accidentally. I really wouldn't be able to land most of the fish that Peter catches, they put up a pretty good fight - you should see some of his scars where the line has cut him on his arms. And when there is a shark on the end it often takes several men to hold the line. The fishing hasn't been brilliant the last couple of weeks (well, we have a bout a fish a day, or every other day), but they reckon things really hot up when the north-west season starts. At the moment the real sardines (the herrings) have mostly gone to
Waiting for rain
Well, Peter and James are back, very hot and tired. The AOG 'church' is a tin shack with a sand floor - gets very hot, and sometimes James comes home filthy after rolling on the floor with the other kids (but mostly he's very good). And we've had a lunch of cold sardines on Sao crackers. Unfortunately James had a little sleep during church and so he won't sleep now. Not that any of us could get much rest, its so humid, we may yet have to resort to the beach - James has been hinting at it for some time. He lies on the floor and says "kwa" (water)! Every day there are hopeful areas of black sky, and every now and then a damp smelling gust of wind, but nothing ever comes of it. They had a big storm here just before we came back and that was enough to start the grasses sprouting on the black hill (after they burnt it) and in fact the whole village was looking grassy and pretty ... just as we were wondering if we could hire a goat to keep our grass down it all dies again because there hasn't been any more rain. (No, there aren't actually any goats here, I don't think we'd be popular bringing them in either for a number of reasons, including the spread of the dreaded screw-worm fly.)
Anyone for Lamington?
We haven't got definite names for number two yet, but we are considering some of the local ones ... how about "Lamington"? There's a gorgeous fat black kid here called Lamington, Lammy for short. He has a brother called Gormy - don't know what that is short for.
Soggy
Right now my brain feels very soggy. Sweat is running down my face and arms, I'll just have to go and face the sharks for a while ... actually having James climbing all over me in the water might be considered a worse fate. He loves swimming, he even likes the bright green seaweed which he calls "wee-weed". I just go swimming in one of my dresses, like the other women, which solves the problem of maternity bathers.
The doctor came here the other day and I got called in for a check - I didn't know he was coming. He seemed satisfied that all is going as it should be, the baby is the right size and all that. It was also interesting to watch the dentist while I waiting at the clinic. Just using an old kitchen chair with no headrest, pulling teeth (including wisdom teeth) and doing scratch fillings - real bush medicine. His main equipment seemed to be syringe for local anaesthetic.
Nearly Christmas. We have promised to spend it with our old neighbours ... I guess the Marous will be there too. The worst bit is knowing that so many will be drunk over Christmas, at least here there is less traffic. Even one tractor can be pretty hazardous to little kids when the driver is drunk. It would be nice to have a boat and disappear around the back for a few days. (We still don't know whether to get the long-boat or opt for a little dinghy.)
