Story bilong Eliab Kaplimut (Interview)
(Indigenous perspective)
This interview was conducted by Dr Iwamoto Hiromitsu and transcribed/translated by Pastor Jacob Aramans

Mi laik stori long taim bilong Namba Tu Bikpela Pait. Taim bilong Sekan Wol Woa na Japanis i kamap long New Ireland. Nem bilong mi em Eliab Kaplimut. Mi bon long namba wan dei blong mun Mei 1932. Na mi bin stap inap olsem klostu 10 pela yia, bihin long taim mi bin bungim pait i kamap. Pait i kamap long 1942. Na dispela em long Sundei long apinon olsom long 2 kilok. Japanis paita ballus i stat dropim bomb lon Kavieng town na sut tu lon machine gun lon ballus i go daun. Olgeta haus lon town lon Kavieng i kisim pire olsem fire i kirap lon em. Igo inap tru lon 6 o kilok long avinoon em ol man long town na master wantaim ol Chinese ol i start wokabaut bihinim Westcoast side igo antap long Balkai na sampela i bihinim road ikam inap tru,ol i wokabaut ikam olsem long here. Mi liklik istap long haus bihinim road igo inap outside. Namba tu dei ken lon dispela taim ol i tromoi bomb na sut nachine gun lon Kavieng town em ol Japanis soldias ol i kam daun long ol woa ship blong ol long buses long namel long Kavieng na ol i start march bihinim road igo highway, bihinim Bulumski Highway i go outside ken.Namel lon dispela yia five pela yia em woa i stap long long Papua Nuigini long New Ireland em mi nau bin kirap wantaim mama papa na lusim Navalus na bihinim road igo kamap long Parwailon dispela taim em mipela igo stap lon Parwailon shotpela taim tasol, mi ting tupela dei, tripela dei mipela i move go lon bush na stap lon bush nau.Taim mipela stap long bush em kaikai i short, wanem ol Japanese i wokim igat tupela kain lain Japanis i stap. Narapela lain ol kolim ol Kambetai, narapela lain ol i kolim ol Lemetai. Ol kambetai ol i bihinim wanpela tok tasol sapos man i wokim wron or i steal or wanem samtin em bai katim neck blong ol. Ol Lemetai em ol man i stap gut,ol i stap gut na helpim mipela long wok garden kamapim kaikai bekos dispela taim blong pait na kaikai i short. Nogat kaikai, tasol mipela stap wok lon garden long taim blong Japan em mipela wok lon grup. Mi tu mi go insait lon pasin wok tu, wokim garden blong wanwan ples. Na garden i stap, wanpela ssamting Japani interest lon em i mipela katim cuscus, ol i katim saksak no samting mipela kisim lon taim blong taim Japanese. Ol kolim saksak tupela samtin em wanpela cuscus i gat flower lon em ol Japanese kolim saksak meri na saksak ino karim ol Japanese kolim saksak man. Olrait dispela saksak mipela wokim blong kaikai blong mipel.Narapela samtin gen lon taim blong nogat oil blong kookim kumu or meat, wild pig or wanem samtin fish tu. Mipela save sigarapim cocanas, olsem 100 or 200 log wanpela dei blong rausim wara igo long bigpela 44 gallan drum half, na boilim bai oil i kam up na kisim oil na storim lon bottol istap lon kukim meat na kumu long kaikai lon taim blong pait. Dispela taim tu school istap blong ol Japanese tu ol i kirapim ples blong school lon taim blong fait em stap Uvitu we top up na antap lon bush. Na ol pikinini ol i save kam lon school lon hal em ol pikinini man na meri i stat lon namba five i kam Saliparuai long Luarum kirap lon Mangai Lurutu. Dispela Livutu antap long bush long ples blong skul na tisa. Japanis i tisim mipela long countim lon Japanese na singsing blong ol Japanese na sampela tok ples blong ol Japanese olsem ol i soim mipela long pasin blong manners. Ol sampela i save long em " arinato" em mean olsemm thank yu tru. Long tok good dei em " waiugudenus". Ol lainim mipela long stori na tanim long tok Japanese, ol stori tumbuna tokim long tisa bilong mipela long taim bilong skul. Ol lainim mipela long physical education olsem exercise, olsem march, sanap long lain o taim mipela malolo ol tok "masmei" em mean malolo. Orait kam bek ken long wok ol i tok "kakari" em olsem yu start wok beitan. Ol lainim mipela long about turn long english na march igo kam na about turn long tok Japanese em "mariamekimhiresmi". Samting mi lusim skul long em long narapela tupela pikinini man na meri i wokim mistake long taim mipela istap long skul long taim blong drill o physical education o practisim march. Orait tupela pikinini i wokim ron na i laugh, tisa i koros na paitim tupela. Wanpela pikini i kisim 5pela 10 kanda (50), na narapela tu i same tasol. Long apinun ol i painim hard long wokabout. Nem bilong Japanis tisa Mr Satu, tupela tisa na narapela mi lus tingting long nem blong em. Namba blong pikini igo long skul em klostu 100. Japanese i wokim bikpela haus blong skul. Nogat blackbod ol i toktok nating. Na ol Japanis tisa i tok long broken pidgin na ol i lainim mipela long Japanis. Orait mi lukim olsem tisa i paitim tupela, next dei mi ronowe, mi no tok save igo stap long ples na bihainim ol lain bilong coast ol watcher (spies) blong ol Japanis ol kolim ol "centiry". Na ol i stap long Nabris lukluk long 6 kilok apinun na pinis long 6 o'clock moning. Na ol wok long change, change na narapela lain i kisim long 6 kilok i go 12 kilok narapela kisim long 12 kilok igo long 6 kilok. Orait mi stap wantaim ol long Nabris em namel long yia nau. Dispela five pela yias wo istap long PNG. Wanpela samtin kamap long watch long ol America soldias na Australia soldias igat sik guria, na i bin pundaun i go long solwara na mipela ino save long em na istap wanpela nait olgeta na ikam long shore. Na ol Centiry blong ol Japanese i poret long dispela taim. Na lukluk igo na lukim boat blong dispela man igat sik guria ikam long shore, em wanpela igo ripot long headquarters long Livatu long antap na i bin kisim body blong dispela man na planim. Long disla taim ken mi ronowe long Nabris igo stap long bus, stap wantaim mama papa na kirap nogut em wo i pinis. Ol balus pundaun ol leta tok wo pinis, em long 1945. Captain bilong ol Japanis nem bilong em Tarosiki Imai. Taim wo i pinis em kam bek ken long 1980. Em kam lukluk long ples em bin stap long na cemetry tu. Cemetry blong ol istap klostu long ples mission blong mipela. Na disela taim mi tisa long yia 1980. Na Tarosiki Imai i bin bikpela man blong Lion's Club long Japan. Na taim em go bek, raitim pas tok olsem em bai donatim wanpela bas ikam long skul donation kam long Lion's Club na sampela Library Buks tu em salim. Tripela taim olgeta Tarosiki Imai. Mi igat 10pela pikini olgeta na last bon blong mi nem blong Tarosi Imai. Tarosi Imai i blong Lemetai i stap long ples blong mipela. ---- THE END ----