Beyond The Palm Trees
Robyn Harbour
Real short stories of people who live in the South Pacific. These stories will take you into the heart of remote villages and far flung islands where custom and culture are so different than what we experience in the western world. Stories of repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness and salvation.

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book excerpt

Chapter 8 Ghost Daddy Ghost Daddy lived under the kitchen floor. Four years ago daddy belong Roslin had died. He had the sugar disease. Many people in Roslyn’s village had the sugar disease. Chips, Twisties, lollies and sweet biscuits were all sold at the store in the village as well as Coke and other sugar drinks. Many men could not drink their tea unless it had up to five tea¬spoons of sugar in it to sweeten it. By the time they had the sugar disease it was too late. The doctors had first cut off finger be¬long foot from daddy’s feet. Later they had cut off his legs below hinge belong leg. The sugar disease kept growing in his body and one morning Roslyn found him on his sleeping mat; he was dead finish. According to the custom of her village, Roslyn’s daddy was buried under the kitchen floor. He was now a ghost daddy. Ghost Daddy was still involved in the daily life of the family; he lis¬tened to all the conversations. He knew what was going on. The difference now was that he could not see. There was dirt and coral between him and the family. Roslyn was married to Job. They had two pikininis, John and Sally. In the evening when Job was asleep, Roslyn would sit in the kitchen and tell Ghost Daddy about her day. When the nights were cool, Roslyn would keep the kitchen fire burning to keep both her and Ghost Daddy warm. Last week had been different. Job was not sleeping on his mat; he had run away with another woman. The children were asleep on their mats and Roslyn was sitting on a small stool near the fire in her kitchen. She was silently sobbing; she did not want to wake John and Sally. ‘Daddy belong me,’ Roslyn cried, ‘Husband belong me, him find anotherfala woman, him run a long way to anotherfala vil¬lage.’ Roslyn waited to give Ghost Daddy time to digest the in-formation. ‘Daddy, what mefala do now? Who help me long food garden? Who catch fish for kaekae? Me plenty sorry. Suppose you talk strong long mefala.’ Roslyn waited again, but no answer came from under the coral. ‘Could Ghost daddy really hear me speak,’ she thought. For the first time since her daddy’s death she questioned his immortality. Exhausted, she had slowly crept to her mat. She had no answer. Ghost Daddy had not spoken. There were no more tears that night; the well had dried up for the moment. She was hurting, disappoint¬ed by Joe’s behaviour, disappointed that Ghost Daddy had not an¬swered her and worried about the future. The next day her brother-in-law, the village pastor, had come to visit her. She had always refused to listen to what he had to say but this time it was different. She was more open now to the message he had to tell her. That there was a God who loved her, who would listen to what she had to say, would answer her in a way she could understand. Joe did not return to her. She realized that she was better off without him. Their marriage had been only a custom marriage, not legal. She would get on with her life, and with the help of God, Papa belong you me, she would work hard and provide for her children. Maybe one day she would meet a good man, one who would be faithful and care for her and her children.