Travel Reference
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“I would like that but am nervous of sharks,” I added.
“Always one man he stays in boat, look out for sharks. Get one spear, he stab at sharks, no
problem then,” he smiled. “We eat now.”
I had brought around some orange juice that I had made up in a plastic bottle, as well as
some cans of beans and sweet corn. I handed this to Manu. She thanked me graciously,
saying, “Oh, but we don't eat this now; we have lamb tonight. We save this for some other
time, thank you, Jonathan.” Her daughter came over quickly and took the cans from her
mother, eying them with interest. She smiled at me for the first time and went off inside
giggling.
The stew in the pot consisted mainly of salted lamb that was shipped in from New Zealand,
mixed with lumps of a type of yam that tasted a little bitter but was quite palatable. There
was a strong flavor of coconut in the stew, and it was quite greasy but most welcome. I
wolfed down my food as did the others in polite silence.
“Please, you get more, my friend,” urged Faali, waving me towards the big pot. “Plenty
food for all.”
I did as I was bid, afraid not to offend them while not wanting to look like a glutton either.
I ladled out a little second helping under the watchful eye of the daughter. She smiled and
took the ladle out my hand and, dipping it into the pot, spooned out a heap more food
onto my plate. I could have sworn there was a flicker of tenderness in her big, brown eyes.
“Thank you, Maleea; that's plenty for me.”
I asked Faali later about the pearls they dived up and how they found them.
“You want to dive pearls?” he asked casually.
I almost choked, “Yes, that would be very nice if it is possible. I have heard so much about
Penrhyn and her pearls.”
“I speak with other divers about this, maybe gonna be OK. Before sometime many sailors
they come and they take too much; we people here get nothing. Bad sailor just go take
plenty pearls,” he said, gazing out at the lagoon, looking at the old visions of the boats of
the bad sailors loaded with pearls scampering off with their loot.
It never ceased to amaze me how some individuals would take advantage, as in this case,
and spoil it for everyone else. I had been naïve enough to believe that all cruising folk were
decent people that had opted for a lifestyle that wouldn't support unscrupulous people. I
was proven wrong many times. I recall people like that old bastard at Panama who watched
as Gavin retrieved his outboard engine and completely rebuilt it, then he stepped in and
claimed it. There was also Steve from the Southern Star who threw crabs into a blazing fire
