MAMA JAY
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picture - Mama Janet in front of United Church.
By Omsy Bobo in Wewak
MAMA JANET SIVIRI is 67 but age has not
wearied the Christian grandma.
She is still an active member in the United
Church in East Sepik Province, far from her homeland of Kerema, Gulf province.
In many parts of PNG people decide to live
a life they want.
Some people choose to make their home
in other provinces, because of problems they create and they never want to
return, tribal fights, and maybe for security reasons or maybe to forget old
painful memories.
In the case of my wantok, well known in
Wewak Town as Mama Janet, she lost the heart for the land long forgotten, beautiful
country..YU YET KAM NA LUKIM....Kerema.
She hears the tuneful calling of the Kerema love songs but her heart is now somewhere else.
In February I arrived in Wewak on my new
teaching post at Bishop Leo secondary school, I was welcomed by a friend and a
visitor.
He appeared to be a strange looking man, I
suspected he was from the Sepik river, but he spoke softly to me in a friendly
manner.
He asked me gently, young man where a you
from? and how are you? I, a teacher of a hundred students was very afraid to
reply to his questions.
That afternoon I was returning from the
stores at Kaltex shopping centre, he spoke fluent English.
He greeted me with a smile, and offered to
shake hands with me.
Immediately my fear was gone. Instantly I
grabbed his outstretched hands and felt the warmth of his friendship.
He said: "Are you a visitor here in Wewak?"
I was back to my confused state after I
heard his voice, because it sounded very sago grubby and poi-like. Then he
offered his name, he was John Mariosu, an elder of the United Church at
Kaltex compound.
We chatted for a few minutes and he left,
for his home near Kaindi Teachers College.
That evening I asked my driver to describe,
where I could locate the Urban United Church in Wewak, he was very kind that he
did without delay.
On the first Sunday of March, 2017, the next day, I dropped off from the bus and headed to the United church, where I was introduced to the elders of the church.
During the service the preacher highlighted
to the congregation, many important, things relating to life, I sat quietly and
listen carefully, he stressed on to say that "life is full of
wonders and boredom only if you put Christ first you will achieve the dreams
and hopes, which will become reality in life.
As I sat in the church the preacher
announced for the songs, there I could obviously hear, the old widow Mama
Janet, who sang loudly, the chorus on top of her voice, the song that deeply touched me, and I wondered, where the
youths have gone to as there was none to pick up the tune.
With her greying silvers, and in her white
meri blouse and a flowery lei of frangipani, she looked saintly.
Alongside her sharp echoed voice came a
much heavier voice, this time it was a heavier voice to back up, Mama Janet's
vocals.
The songs were well sung that Sunday
morning, as I returned home, talking about the "Golden Oldiess" they
are still the best.
Mama Janet Siviri is originally from Kukipi
village, Malalaua sub-district in the Gulf Province.
She arrived in East Sepik (PS Kantri) as a
young woman in 1978, when she accompanied her late husband.
She said her hubby was a businessman and
because he was in a business deal with people here in Sepik, he was introduced
to the business community here in East Sepik.
Mama Janet says she has five beautiful
children and they are all working.
The eldest boy is in Kavieng working.
Mama Janet wants to stay in Sepik and has
become part of East Sepik Province.
When asked what she does in her free times,
she meditates, since then she has never forgotten church, she warns young
people to turn to God, because, that's where life begins.
Thanks my Ski poi. I know mama Janet very well
ReplyDeleteThanks captain my saki boy. have a blessed and safe festive season
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