ISO YAWI
An entry in the Crocodile Prize
Cleland Family Award for Heritage Writing
IN precolonial times, before the contact of western civilisation on Papua New Guinea, there was a village called Pima in the Kubalia area of East Sepik.
The village was near the edge of the Sepik plain and the people loved the environment and lived a peaceful life.
One morning the wind blew with unusual calm, making its way through the trees as the leaves swayed to its rhythm.
The air was fresh and birds glided from branch to branch making the beautiful sounds loved by the village people.
Under one of the trees sat Ningiraga, rubbing her hands on a necklace.
The touch of each round bead was so smooth and soft that she did not want to lose its feeling.
But she treasured the necklace for more than its physical properties. It had been a gift from her boyfriend – it was a symbol of love.
As Ningiraga sat, she heard someone calling her name. It was her grandfather, Nanglunduo, who would call her when he needed help.
“Ningiraga!” “Ningiraga!”
She tucked the necklace into her grass skirt and ran to the house.
“I’m here grandpa” she replied.
She thought her grandfather might have found out about her love relationship. But he had called for another reason.
“Ningi, my dear, I want you to join the young village girls to do the decorations and prepare for Yemo’s bride price ceremony.” Nangluduo said enthusiastically.
“Her husband and all the relatives have completed the rituals,” he added.
“When will the ceremony start?” she asked.
“Tomorrow night, I sent a garamut message to the other villages to come, and just today they responded they will be ready.”
Her grandfather was an expert in garamut and kundu. He knew all the different styles of beating the drums and had taught some of his skills to Ningiraga
Ningiraga was delighted that her lover’s village was to attend the ceremony. She would be able to meet her boyfriend Yuahahu and they would continue the conversation of love started two months ago in his village.
She hurried out of the house to join the other village girls and women. They were about to assign tasks.
“Ningiraga,” called one of the elderly women, “I wanted you, Raga, Mia and Kaipra to cut new sago leaf shoots. Here are the bamboo knives.”
“How many are we going to prepare?” Ningiraga asked.
“We will prepare about thirty, and we want quality work here, old woman answered.
The girls took the bamboo knife and went into the sago palms. The work was a small task and it did not take much time for them to complete it and present the decorated sago leaves to the lady in charge.
While they were working Ningiraga’s necklace fell into the grass without being noticed.
Next day Ningiraga woke up, stretched, yawned and put up her hand to feel the necklace. It was gone. Her heart pounded as she started to look for it. She called to her friends but none had seen it. They searched all the places they been but no one found it.
The day was painful for Ningiraga. She thought that a terrible fate might have caused her to lose the necklace. Dark thoughts shivered through her mind and started to creep into her heart. Her symbol of love was gone.
At nightfall, the other villages came for the bride price ceremony. Ningiraga made her way through the fires created by the young boys and began to check their necks. When the chief made his first speech of welcome, she noticed the chief’s daughter, who stood beside him, was wearing her necklace.
“Today we all come for the bride price ceremony of Yemo the daughter of Yefu!” the chief declared.
“But before we continue, my daughter has found a symbol of love and it is worn around her neck. If any young man recognises it, come and stand next to my daughter.”
Yuahahu walked to meet the chief and his daughter. When Ningiraga noticed this she felt something cut her heart.
“Excuse me! The necklace is mine,” she cried.
“No!” said the chief’s daughter.
The chief motioned with his hands for them to be calm.
He asked Yuahahu, “Which of these ladies would you prefer, my daughter or Ningiraga.”
“I prefer your daughter, chief,” he replied.
Yuahahu wanted to make a name for himself, so he chose the chief’s daughter.
Ningiraga was publicly humiliated. The love she had for Yuahahu caused intense pain. She felt deeply wounded and walked away from the meeting ground.
Yuahahu felt guilty and followed her. When she saw him coming, Ningiraga ran into the bush and across the savannah grassland of the Sepik plain. Yuahahu ran after her and the crowd followed.
As she came to a creek she stepped into the water and turned into a stone. When Yuahahu saw this, he jumped over her and turned into a tree.
Today young people are told thestory to remind them to be faithful to the person they love.