TRUSTING IN THE GOOD LORD

Changed from a dartboard gambler to a Christian - the true story of Kama

Arnold Kama (left) and wife Jacklyn with siblings and relatives pose for a photograph at Mongkeng place before heading to church for service.

By PISAI GUMAR

SOME people do it tough.Others gain traction riding rough.

Others, like my friend Arnold, like the rough going tough, and inching along every nook and cranny, with arrows.

Like many settlers who migrate in search of greener pastures, Arnold Kama is no exception, wandering-off from Simbu down the meandering highlands highway to the Morobe coastline.

Kama found a dusty spot and settled at Erap Junction bordering Nawaeb and Huon Gulf districts.

It was an odd daily life for Kama. He had to face a long winding walk full of struggles each day between Erap to Nadzab to pursue his dreams.

One day, Kama decided to buy a dart board with a set of plastic arrows that cost K60 and erected this at Nadzab market. He was joining the cola dart enterprise in an effort to make ends meet.

It was easy money. Thirsty folks, lured by the appeal of a free cola, joined the throng of bullseye dart players.

At K2 for 3 arrows, it was sweet. Very few people ever got a cola shot because the dimensions of the board, its dizzying height, and the lightness of the dart, added to the near impossible task of scoring a coca cola shot.

Not to mention the runup distance to loft a handy missile, this added to the impossibility to nail the bullseye and added to the crafty fun.

The sun is hot. The place is dusty. Market is full each day. And dart  boards, hung or knocked onto poles at about 4 to 6 meters up test the nerves of cola fans.

As typical of all the dart masters, Kama had to have patience and a loud commanding voice. 

He stood each day under the hot sun and shouting at the top of his voice using all the smart words that came  out from his mouth to lure people.

People come to play the dart game and win a tin of soft drink to quench the bitter thirst from chewing too much of Wampar buai with Situm daka and Labu kambang added with Wain brus.

The player pays for and aims for only triple, double and bulls eye in the hopes of  a tin of cola.

This dart games, using the training plastic arrows to shoot from behind the hockey line goes some three-five metres above the space to reach the dart board.

While their wives go about selling fresh vegetables, or buai in the markets, the menfolk gamble with the dart board in the hope of a cola. 

Interestingly, beside the dartboard, sellers hawk their kulau (coconut juice).

This is a better healthier option,  but no, the men delight in trying and losing sorely, their money and their thirst.

“Being a dart master, I find it to be a shit task to do for a living using many bad tricks” Kama says.

“I drink paiawara (steam) to get me going standing under hot sun to entice people using my words.

“While doing so, I trick many people who are unable to count the numbers instead con them by reducing their numbers and steal their money from throwing the arrows,” Kama said.

Adding that “later, I realized that the monies I collect from deceptive manner wasn’t a blessing to my life and so I give up from being a dart master.”

Kama is from Sinesine-Yongomugl in Chimbu who came and settled at Erap in 2006.

He was employed with G4S Security Company and worked as a guard at Ramu Sugar Township.

He later moved few kilometres down the highway to Mongkeng, currently known as Gravel to most settlers around Nadzab area, and built himself a home.

Gravel was the old tarmac used during WWII by the American and Australian allies.

In 2011, Kama changed employment, and worked for Airlines PNG at Nadzab terminal then resigned to start a small poultry project.

Kama then bought himself a Toyota land cruiser to solve many of his logistic problems endured in delivering his day old chicks and chicken feeds from Lae Chemica Didiman Stoa and Zenag.

Likewise, the vehicle transported his chickens to sell at Nadzab and Erap markets.

As a self-taught mechanic and driver, in 2019, Kama marketed himself for hire to fix vehicles for others while selling vehicle parts as well.

In 2020, with whatever little he have saved, Kama decided to buy a used 15 seater Nissan van, that was sold to him on a family price of K5000.

He named the vehicle after his wife as “Meri Kawas”, the love of a lifetime named Jacklyn, who is from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (ARoB) while working as security guard.

They started the PMV business between Nadzab, Mongkeng and Erap route.

Kama and Jacklyn have six children of three boys and three girls.

The demand for mobility between Nadzab, Mongkeng, Erap and Markham Farm keep increasing due to rise of population and the palm oil project at Ganef.

The PMV fare for the route is K1 that gives Kama K15 for one trip to and from Nadzab that encourages Kama to make about 20 runs per day depending on passenger’s mobility.

The most demanding runs Kama does is between 6am-11am and 3pm-6pm, mostly settlers that wanted to get their fresh produce to Han Paus (wallet) market at Nadzab and return home. 

However, whatever the vehicle generates also goes to fuel and repair of the bus including paying a standby driver and a crew.

There is another grey 15 seater PMV bus, known as Waipe - both are known as ‘Haus Dua” buses as they generously get you directly to your house whenever you have plenty to carry and walk, if got dropped-off at bus stop.

Kama, after struggling to make a living through various ways, found nothing but all shits as he told this writer.

Kama, soon after owning the PMV bus, committed his life to God for the many blessings he acquired.

“Dealing with God on daily basis is more crucial as I find comfort and harmony in Gods’ mercy thus I attend church services every Sunday and give my one-tenth to church for the blessings he brought upon my life”.

“I find comfort in God’s scriptures in Psalms 23:1 and 121:1-2 including Isaiah 58:13-14” Kama says.

Kama said that “when we count on God’s unending love and blessings upon our lives, we may think of our immediate needs and wants like taking care of our lives, our family, the children, the food, water, shelter, the knowledge and wisdom God gives us daily”.

“But we cannot define the actual meaning of how God keeps us breathing every day and night therefore it is more important to deal with God daily and I am a satisfied man now when dealing with God," Kama says.

Kama and family attend the Nazarene Church of Markham district located at Mongkeng.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and mind and God will direct your path to honest and truthful ways in earning a life on earth," Kama says.