Free Fall

I experienced lots of new interesting things while living up in New Guinea as a lay missionary in the late sixties .None more so than the difference between our cultures ,and the wonderful happy disposition these people have,their trust in us,and their ability to give unending faithfulness .
As I was the nurse at the station i got to see a lot of things i was not really qualified to handle .One momentous event stands out,and was not medical .It happened out on patrol that lasts three days,this was a very hard clinic as i had to go to three villages that were four five hours apart.This meant that i had a clinic in the morning weighing and immunising all the children ,checking records and making more ,packing up and walking the four five hours through the bush to the next village ,arriving more often wet and cold,as it rained in the afternoon.I took two girls with me to carry the bags and supplies.
We usually made camp slept as best you could ,sleeping on hard pungle flooring,if that did’t get you the mosquitos did,they were vicious ,then you had best be up before the flies came ,so sleep was usually very little.We then would have the clinic as early as the people would arrive,they would have been summoned by the drums that night ,The next village was a hard walk as it meant walking up the ridge down into the valley crossing a river and then scaling up the ridge again.I hated this walk as i was always tired from no sleep the night before.
The girls and i would walk along with them trying to teach me their language,i was hopeless so it was good fun they laughed a lot , this made the walk go a little better,if that was possible.I had developed a reputation at this village unbeknown to me. as we climbed over the ridge at the top i could see the whole village on the other side of the river just sitting waiting .Much calling out started and laughing i asked the girls if they knew what was wrong ,
“Youpella misses ,emi all come long river see you”.
well that is nice i thought they must have liked me last time, for them to do this.Maybe that walk is worth it ,if it meant so much to the village i had come back,my chest really puffed up with importance.
“Misses mepella kissem leaf belonga tree “asked Marie “Yes “ I replied as they gathered the leaves I noticed a sense of excitement on the other shore,more singing out back and forward to one another ,I didn’t really take a lot of notice as this singing out is common .
Now I had developed a unique way of getting down the ridge into the river.I would place two or three banana leaves on the edge ,sit on them and slide down into the river, on my bum,and as I was always wet I would just swim upstream two three hundred yards,just lapping up the joy of the river.I would turn over float a way back to the track and then begin the arduous task of climbing up the ridge again,This was the best part of the three day trip.
Well you could imagine my surprise when I started my decent on my banana leaves ,the whole village stood up and started clapping .I was half way down no way i could stop ,or even control this ride i just went free-fall .This was a very steep decent and I had no way of controlling myself,so i usually just shut my eyes and hopped for the best,this day was not one of them.
As I came sailing down my foot hit a rock I shot up in the air,turned and landed head first in the river.When I came up with the wind well and truly knocked out of me ,the whole village was clapping and singing out ,it was all I could do to keep myself afloat.
I turned on my back and lay there for awhile .
“ thinking i will never be able to climb out of this river,no worries i will just spend the rest of the day dying here,”Maria came up and asked
“Yopella emi good pella mis you swim now”
“No i am half dead Maria I couldn’t even wipe my nose at present “
“Dispella ail i come long river see yopelle swim”
“Well I am sorry they are going to miss out today” with that i tried to stand up and felt terrible pain in my foot,oh no I thought and I have to get up that steep ridge .
With that I started swimming to see if it would help,they all started clapping again .
Well I am glad I am at least amusing all you folk ,I swam back stood up and started walking up the side,pain unbearable,how am i going to do this i thought.I needn’t to have worried as then all the men came into the river and started to pick me up.They carried helped and pushed me up that ridge in no time ,thank goodness for them.I spent an extra day on this patroll because of my foot,but was treated as aQueen ,and my reputation was not effected in fact it was enhanced.