The Crocodile Prize Anthology 2015 Edited by Philip Fitzpatrick & Keith Jackson Copyright © is retained by individual authors ISBN-10:1515182630 ISBN-13:978-1515182634 Cover by Joe Bilbu SIR VINCENT SEREI ERI (1936 - 1993) The Crocodile, by Vincent Eri, was the first novel to be written by a Papua New Guinean, and was published in 1970 by Jacaranda Press. Vincent was born in Moveave in the Gulf Province and later became Director of Education, PNG’s first Consul General in Australia, a Member of Parliament and Governor-General. His novel is set in Papua New Guinea before and during World War II and is a coming of age story about Hoiri, whose life poses a continuing contradiction between traditional life and the modern world. CONTENTS Foreword vi The Crocodile Prize Organising Group 2015 x Our Sponsors xi Award Winners 13 Book of the Year 17 Short Stories 19 When Life Gets Tough in January – Hazel Kutkue 20 285 Shades of Red – Derrick Dusava 25 The Street Vendor – Johnson Makaen 28 The Year I Failed University and Mama Got Me Married – Arnold Mundua 31 Port Moresby for the Newcomer – Michael Geketa 38 The Dream – Marlene Dee Gray Potoura 40 Avaia Vui Tatta … – Pauline Mago-King 45 The Intervention – Clive Hawigen 48 Weight-Loss Clinic University – Fidelis Sukina 52 The Yellow Rocks of Andru Johanna – Arnold Mundua 54 The Buai Smuggler – Johnson Makaen 57 Firefly – Akilino Powesiu 59 Keeping the Cold Chain – Clive Hawigen 62 Taro Love – Francis Nii 64 Revenge is Such a Bitch – Clive Hawigen 66 A Blessing in a Name – Marlene Dee Gray Potoura 69 Riot in Wewak – Iso Yawi 71 Vulnerable and Invincible in Love – Emma Tunne Wakpi 74 The White House – Johnson Makaen 78 Mama Salome – Marlene Dee Gray Potoura 80 Beyond the Cave’s Shadow – Raymond Komis Girana 83 Fonde the Kaspar – John Kaupa Kamasua 85 The Little Ants – Steven Mavii Gimbo 90 Papa – Hazel Kutkue 92 The Spark – Benjamin Howard 94 The Deadly Erereng Boozers and My Embracing Coconut Palm – Leonard Fong Roka 99 Burn My Shadow – Akilino Powesiu 102 A Losing Battle – Dale Digori 105 The Crocodile Prize Anthology 2015 A Young Woman’s Introduction to Anatomy and Dissection – Hazel Kutkue 108 A Dog Lover’s Story – Charlene Dinipami Nii 112 Serendipity – Akilino Powesiu 114 A Case of Seriously Mistaken Identity – Dominica Are 118 The Undeserving Parents and the Little Treasures – Noglai Alua Kristina Kin 120 Marriage by Plan, Marriage by Love and Marriage by Circumstance – Charlene Dinipami Nii 122 The Silence of the Free – John Kaupa Kamasua 124 Lost Friends – Donna Mali 127 Cursed with Daughters – Nicola Daniel 129 Kathleen Furi Juffa’s Home for Wayward Bastards and Orphans – Gary Juffa 132 The Secretary – A Gender Champion – Kela Kapkora Sil Bolkin 137 The Hillside Find – Joycelin Kauc Leahy 140 Aisle Flattery – Marlene Dee Gray Potoura 143 Maoro Turana – Clive Hawigen 147 Poetry 150 We Are Poets – Philip Kaupa Gena 151 How Poor I Became Because of You – Paul Fuzo 152 In the Seclusion of My Mind – Jeffrey Mane Febi 153 See Here Those Loose Threads – Michael Theophilus Dom 153 Exiting a Hotel in the Pacific – Michael Theophilus Dom 155 I am the Betel Nut – Michael Theophilus Dom 156 The Lost Generation – Steven Mavii Gimbo 157 Tears for the Fly River – Iso Yawi 160 When All Hell Breaks Loose – Busa Jeremiah Wenogo 161 Freeway – Town! – Caroline Evari 162 Casting Ink On Paper – Iso Yawi 163 Changing Trees – Doreen Bauloni 163 One Life – Philip Kaupa Gena 165 My Common Sense Diminishes – Jimmy Awagl 166 Anatomy’s Tale – Lapieh Nazaria Landu 167 The Old Man’s Legacy – Iso Yawi 168 Sweet Nostalgia – Paul Waugla Wii 169 A Lonely Heart – Dominica Are 170 Love by Another Name – Lapieh Nazaria Landu 171 Em Normal – Jimmy Drekore 172 Apail has Gone to Walk in Other Faraway Rains – Mathias Kin 173 Recluse of Regret – Dilu D Okuk 174 Those Gatherings – John Kaupa Kamasua 175 Call of the Mama Graun to West Papua – Tanya Zeriga Alone 175 The Dance – Daniel Kumbon 177 The Closet – Dale Digori 178 ii The Crocodile Prize Anthology 2015 Port Moresby City – Fidelis Sukina 179 Welcome to Bibliocracy – Michael Theophilus Dom 180 The Book – Dale Digori 181 The Red Cigar Seller – Caroline Evari 182 Bush Tracking – Jimmy Awagl 182 Friends with the Poor – Fidelis Sukina 183 Disconnected – Dominica Are 184 First Day at School – Philip Kaupa Gena 185 Haiku for the Wahgi River – Thomas Okun 185 A Duet to Paradise – Jimmy Drekore & Marie-Rose Sau 186 Tough Gordon’s Bus Stop – Philip Kaupa Gena 187 Hate or Love? – Martinez Wasuak 188 Slumber’s Caress – Thomas Okun 189 The Culture Apprentices – Terence Ako 189 A Question of Identity – Margaret Brownjohn 190 Eavesdropping on Mama’s Prayer – Malo E’avuka Senar 191 Words of Night – Diddie Kunaman Jackson 192 Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover – Jimmy Drekore 194 Lifetime Job – Eugenia Diou 194 Little Benito’s Discovery – Clency Amos 195 The Laws That Rule – Abner Yalu 196 Writing for a Greater Prize – Philip Kaupa Gena 197 I am a Tempress – Joycelin Kauc Leahy 198 Kaiyo the Igam Terrorist – Abner Yalu 201 The Flag of the Nation – Jimmy Drekore 202 PNG Time – Samantha Kusari 203 Essays & Journalism 205 The Shadows in My Eyes – Busa Jeremiah Wenogo 206 The Feathered Flute – Konetero Ron Dotaona 208 The Rich and Poor in PNG – Reilly Kanamon 210 Conservation – Melanesia’s Neglected Community Value – Tanya Zeriga-Alone 212 Siki’s View of the World – Johnson Makaen 215 Reading Culture Declining in Schools – Jimmy Awagl 216 Is it Just Us or is the Whole World Stupid – Francis Nii 218 If You Can Read This Thank a Teacher! – John Kaupa Kamasua 219 The Sea – Busa Jeremiah Wenogo 222 The Pen & Notebook are Falling Into Inexperienced Hands – Reilly Kanamon 224 Aropa Airport: Leaders Voice Joy; Participants Voice Caution – Leonard Fong Roka 227 Meet Amos Nepehi – John Kaupa Kamasua 230 Police Brutality at the Dinner Table: There is No Excuse – Michael Geketa 232 iii The Crocodile Prize Anthology 2015 2015 – A Year of Nothing or the Year We Move Beyond Bondage? – Busa Jermiah Wenogo 234 Tragic Death Highlights the Plight of the Karamui People – Mathias Kin 237 A Process to Right the Wrongs – Leonard Fong Roka 241 A Tribute to Mehere – Lapieh Nazaria Landu 243 Desperately Seeking Collaboration – Rashmii Amoah 245 Demolition by Ignorance at the University of Papua New Guinea – Kela Kapkora Sil Bolkin 249 Beyond Downtown – Busa Jeremiah Wenogo 252 PNG’s Sporting Revolution – Benny Geteng 253 I Will be Asking Your Foreign God for a Refund on the Bible – Martyn Namorong 256 Simbu’s Successful Creative Approach to Service Delivery – Francis Nii 258 Polygamy in PNG: Traditional Value or Present Day Promiscuity – Benjamin Howard 261 Anzac Day 2015 – Lawrence Kaiapo Gerry 264 The Case for Women’s Education – John Kaupa Kamasua 266 My Journey to PNG Attitude – Raymond Komis Girana 268 The Time to Write – Baka Barakova Bina 270 Tourism Arts & Culture 274 From the German Doctor’s Idea a Great Project is Born – Daniel Kumbon 275 The Wonderful Tourism Experience of the Kupe Trail – Leonard Fong Roka 278 Country Roads – Daniel Kumbon 280 Anslom Gawi – The Classical Guitar Savant of Mount Hagen – Martyn Namorong 282 The Kaspeke Tourism Project – Leonard Fong Roka 284 A Journey Through the Buin District of Bougainville – Leonard Fong Roka 286 The Remarkable Story of the Huli Wig School – Betty Gabriel Wakia 288 Heritage Writing 291 Suau: the Sons of Seafarers – Konetero Ronnie Dotaona 292 What Forty Years of Independence Means to Me – Daniel Kumbon 294 The Karim Lek Courtship Tradition of Upper Simbu – Arnold Mundua 297 The Important Cultural Ritual of the Sepik Crocodile Etching – Emmanuel Marosi 302 Powerful Custom: The Rituals and Rules of Tribal War – Francis Nii 304 The Fading Voices of Our Ancestors: Languages Under Threat – Dale Digori 308 Ningiraga and Yuahahu and the Pain of Unfaithfulness – Iso Yawi 311 iv The Crocodile Prize Anthology 2015 The Buga Bolum Thanksgiving Ritual of the Mitnade People – Roslyn Tony 313 Salt Baking by the Keri Tribe of South Simbu – Mathias Kin 316 The Last Night at the Hauskrai – Benjamin Howard 322 The Origin of Bo Ingu Nem – Jimmy Awagl 324 The Roonou – Agnes Rita Maineke 325 The Simbu Kuakumba Side-blown Flute Initiation Ritual – Roslyn Tony 327 Matiti the Mermaid – Lorraine Basse 330 When a Girl becomes a Woman in Kubalia – Florence Jonduo 332 Writing for Children 335 The Song of the Turtle – Joycelin Leahy 336 Madung – Cinta Clare Tekwie 338 The Basket that Gave Birth to Night – Leonard Fong Roka 341 A Dream Unfilled – Dominica Are 344 How Wanginalo Became a Great Fisherman – Iso Yawi 345 Ali the Alligator in the Alley – Marlene Dee Gray Potoura 348 The Wild Hotel Crocodile – Arnold Mundua 351 Bidu’s Happy Thoughts – Dale Digori 354 The Day the Dogs Ate the Pork – Jimmy Awagl 356 My Beautiful Home – Lake Koena – Euralia Paine 357 Sibona the Little Mermaid – Diddie Kunaman Jackson 359 King Bee Tries to Understand Why He Had a Sleepless Night – Paulus Bonny 362 Illustration 365 Coffe Tree - Emmanuel Landu 366 Facial Tattoos – Dale Digori 367 Simbu – Mathias Simon 368 Transition: Only in PNG – Joycelin Leahy 369 Author and Illustrator Profiles 370 v The Crocodile Prize Anthology 2015 FOREWORD This is the fifth year of publication for the Crocodile Prize Anthology. It is something of a milestone because literary endeavour in Papua New Guinea is not renowned for its longevity. It is worth noting that there has been no waning in the quantity or quality of entries, or in the number of new writers entering the competition – on the contrary.