MY Friend Joseph.

I spent three years in New Guinea working on the missions,it was a time of change for the country,wont say if I thought it was for the best or not here.I lived in the mountains and there were no roads over the mountain ,so you went in by plane.We had a house up the hill at Karatim one of the stations I went to first, I was very green and inexperienced at this time.

I had to deal with a lot of things that i wasn’t really trained for,but to say to these people I cant do that ,was to say that it wasn’t possible to stand on your head,they would just laugh and say
“Mepella emi wait long house “
“No mepella emi no got nouse belong dis fella”.
“Emi ok misus mepella wait’, of course you will wait ,but it still wont give me the know how to do it.

Well one of these occasions happened a few months after I arrived,I had been to do a clinic only a couple of hours away .When we returned to the village I noticed it was quiet there,but all I wanted was a hot shower and a rest ,as I hadn’t slept very well last night ,as we had a very sick baby that needed treatment most of the night.

I got my bucket of water took it outside to the shower room and had a shower,as I have said before soap yourself up and pull up the bucket and jump under ,nothing leisurely about it ,just to get yourself clean,but it was still good to get the mud and grime off after walking for a couple of hours down the mountain side.

I took myself back inside the house, got a drink and sat down thinking I would just have ten minutes snooze before I tackled that banking.I must of dozed off as I woke with a start as it was dark No lights on at all.Now it was always dark there as you only had lanterns and candles.but I thought it was funny that Maria my house girl wasn’t here getting my dinner.Don’t get me wrong I often cooked my dinner but I couldn’t get that old wood stove to light for the life of me,also she was here when I came home ,that was very puzzling .

Just as I was about to get up I heard a sound under the house ,houses were up off the ground here to let the air flow under them.It was a very slight sound like a whisper
“”Someone is talking under my house “it made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, I then started to think where is Anne she was the teacher here with me.she never stays in the classroom this late.I went to my room ,as quiet as possible to get my torch,as I turned around ,there standing at my door was a man,I screamed .He indicated to be quiet and then proceeded to indicate to go with him quietly.Yes sure I am going to follow you when you have invaded my personal space.what do you want.I must admit by now I was feeling vey scared ,my understanding of pidgin english just flew out the door.
“Youpella emi come long village with mepella”.
I just looked at him and was unable to move ,he moved over towards me saying
“Missus yo come quick, joseph emi kissem beetle nut emi go long long”
Well I got what he was saying beetle nut and long long meaning he was high on this nut they chew.

So why it is that he wants me to go to the village was beyond me,I was about to ask him why when Maria came in all excited talking fifty to the dozen.
“Miss Kathy yopella go kissem needle give Joseph ,emi kill allpella long village”now this was serious had their been a mass murder while I was away.Seams as if Joseph escaped from the jail and came back to the village ,proceeded to get high on beetle nut.He then got his bow and arrow and chased all the villagers away,who were all now sitting under my house.
“Joseph emi sit long house man yopella kissem needle now”Ok Maria and what do you think I am going to put in this needle to knock him out,and how do you think I am going to get it in to him,as a dart gun I have not .You have to love these people they think I can do anything.Looking through the medical supplies I could see that there was nothing I could put him out with, for long enough ,for the Police to come out from Lumi ,as it was a two hour walk.I found a mild sedative and hopped for the best .telling Yarni that he would have to tie him up when I got the sedative in him.Oh how positive I sounded I didn’t have a clue how I was going to do this.

Walking down to the village Yarni and two other men were telling me how we were going to go about this.They were going to grab him and I would give him the needle,oh yes Yarni what about the bow and arrow he has ,have you forgotten about that?We approached the house carefully and Yarni crept up to the door looked in ,Joseph was sitting on the floor,he looked up sprang at Yarni who came bolting out the house, with Joseph chasing after him.They ran off into the bush like a streak of lightening. I looked at the other two and thought it wasn’t going to plan!

We went into the house and sat down waiting to see if Yarni would come back .I decided that I would fill the syringe and have it ready. as I felt I was only going to get one chance to do this.Yarni reappeared at the door and whispered that Joseph was coming back,so I was to stand at this outside door while they grabbed him ,then give him the injection when he entered.Oh they were so confident ,my heart had already left my body,I was sure that he would hear it before he came in the door.With that there was a commotion at the door Yarni was screaming my name “Miss Kathy Miss Kathy “ I turned around there was Joseph standing next to me,the three brave men off out the door leaving me,Joseph was right there I jabbed the syringe in his leg and pushed,”God hope this is fast “or I am for it.Joseph just crumbled down on the ground.with that so did I.When my big body guards returned there were the two of us sitting on the ground.

Joseph was tied up and still sleeping like a baby when the police came for him.we were the local heros .But I tell you I didn”t feel anything like a hero.Joseph came back a few months later and was my best friend for the time I was there ,in that if I wanted anything he would be the first to do it.