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

Charles: Mi Charles Kiet Pajoce, mi bilong Mukure. Mi bin stap long Lorengau, mi wok pinis long Australia. Turu long mi no save ling pasin bilong Austraia ol i bulim mipela nau mipela wokim wok bilong ol. Mi stat wok long 1940 na war bungim mipela long 1944. Long 1944 ol i bombim mipela long Lorengau na mi no ronawei, mi no poret mi bihainim Australia yet igo. Mipela i bin lusim taun Lorengau, kukim olgeta haus. Mipela go stap long bush long Buliat. Mi no save long wanem as mipela igo stap long bush. Long dei bilong mi tru, mama na papa i karim mi, mi nogat save, nogat skul, nogat save long wanem mi no raitim dispela. Long taim bilong mi stap yet long mission, ol mission i baptaisim mi long em 1920. Long 1920 mi kamap kristen mi gat tingting, igat save, igo long wok. Bihain mi stap wantaim Australia mi tingting mi mas go painim church. Long church bilong mi yet, mi go long church long Pagarr, mi confess na mi kisim holi communion na mi kam bek. Mi go stap antap mi kam bek long nambis olsem long Savalau. Na taim mi kam disla nambis igat olgeta boat bilong ol Japan. Ol i kam bung ol istap line stap turu long Awai na go inap turu long Rara nambis. Ol lainim ol wanwan. Mi wokabaut long nambis bilong Tiro mi lukim ol disla boat. Na mi no poret. Mi go klostu long Lukos long rot bilong mi yet, mi go bek antap long long ol Australia istap. So mi no lukim ol Japan i kam sua, mi lukim ol istap long ship tasol. Taim mi go stap Buliat ol sampela man ol i kam, ol i tok ating ol Japan i kisim pinis taun long Lorengau.Na ol kirap na tok yumi mas ronawei na mipela i bin lusim Buliat long nait mipela igo silip long Dranong. Mipela stap long Dranong, morning taim mipela kirap na wokabaut go long Powat. Mipela go long Powat na mipela go liklik tasol na mipela malolo long rot na igat wanpela lain soldia tu istap long mipela na ol masta blong Gavman. So mipela kamap long dispela peles nogat man na mi tu mi no save long neim bilong dispela peles em bush nating bilong ol Misiai blong ol bikples. Mipela stap na wanpela Luluai kam mi no save long neim biong em tasol em i kam salutim kiap na em i askim, kiap bai yu go wei na kiap i tokim em, mi bai go olsem long wara bilong yu na go kamap long nambis. Na dispela Luluai tokim man bilong Australia olsem, yu no inap go long hap bilong mi bikos hap bilong mi em boat bilong Japan istap pinis. Yu no inap igo sapos yu go Japan bai kisim yu. Na dispela Luluai i tanim bek na igo pinis. Na mipela Australia wantaim soldier, ol carrier, mipela stap long rot kiap askim ol man. Yu igat save long sampela liklik rot? Na nau ol tok mipela save na bai yumi kamap wei? bai yumi go kamap long hapsait. Bai mipela wokabaut long disla liklik rot bai mipela kamap long Kapo. Mipela kamap olsem 7 'oclock or 8'oclock or samting mi no save.Go long ples nogat man, nogat dog, nogat pig, nogat meri, haus nating olgeta man poret long war na ron awei. Orait mipela go stap long haus, laitim paia na silip. Morning tulait ol tok bai yumi go autsait long nambis long Patosi. Na igat tupela rot mipela igo long em. Wanpela rot igo olsem long peles bilong Mangat narapela rot igo olsem rot bilong hat wara bai ol kanu kisim mipela go bung olsem long Patosi. Na taim mipela go bung long Patosi, em nau em laik tutak. Kiap kamaut na lainim mipela olgeta man. Policeman, carrier, ol soldia ol istap ol i save tok long ol, mipela kanaka mipela no save. Na dispela kiap tokim mipela olsem mipela bai lusim Manus tomora moning tasol mi no laik yupela i soim mipela long Japan maski, maski Japan yet ken painim mipela na mipela yet ken painim Japan na mipela no laik yupela soim mipela, yupela pasim maus. Na mi tokim yupela Japan kisim Australia olgeta pinis mipela ino inap win. Lukim nau yumi stap ya bai mipela go, mipela win or mipela dai long solwara. Japan sutim mipela, mi nogat save so em tok mi tokim yupela.So mipela kisim wanpela kantri bilong mipela mi tokim yu ol stret neim bilong em ol America na sapos ol disla kantri i winim mipela bai yupela lukim mipela Australia kam bek na sapos ino win, Japan kisim olgeta ples. Tulait long morning igat tupela liklik boat nau ol dispela soldier wantaim ol man bilong Gavman ol go long tupela liklik boat long morning na mipela olgeta ino go stap. Em laikim ol kuru tasol. Ol kuru tasol i ken go long boat sapos mipela laik go dai maski ol tu dai em gavman i kisim ol nogat tok. Em dispela taim tasol ol gavman igo long boat na tupela boat i ran igo aut igo daun , mi no gat save mi no save ol i go we.Mi no save wanem hap ol i go, ol igo madang or Lae or Wewak or em mi nogat save. Em nau mi stap long Patosi Island mi kam bek long bush na mi kam na long ples bilong mi long Mukure. Taim bilong America kamap long Savare em ol ino pait, ol sutim ol boat long solwara ol i laik rausim ol boat pastaim ol warship em long Sarere moning. Na i kam boat, disla warship bilong Japan igo stap long Hawaii em redi long pait so em wait, wait, wait balus ino kam wanpela tasol na em kam bek na ol narapela ol wok long kisim, putim cargo insait long Papitalai School Mission ya igat boat istap ol wok long kisim kaikai go antap.Disla taim ol America kam ol rausim disla warship blong Japan, em rausim em olgeta. Bomb igo long boat na olgeta man i dai. Go long hap bilong mission ol wankain, ship igo daun, solwara go na ol wok long karim kaiaki long hap igo long sua blong Japan. Mi sindaun long nambis, mi wok long lukluk. mi lukim olgeta kainkain balus na mi poret na mi burukim bush. Long sarere na Sunde America igo malolo liklik. Taim mi stap wantaim ol Japan ol i bin wokim disla airport na mi tu mi wok wantaim ol. Mi nogat disla kain sarip olsem , sarip bilong Japan em i kurugut olsem na mi putim go na pulim kam bek na katim garas na mi hat wok turu. Mi bumim garas na olsem hard long mi. Mi lukim disla samting ol tok yupela killinim disla bush na mi save wanem kain samting bai kamap na mipela killinim disla ples, rot na nau lukim airport istap. Mi go wok dikim kokonas raun olsem, raunim has blong kokonas, raunim dikim, kisim long han na go antap pasim long het blong em kam tambolo na sakkim kokonas tree pundaun. Mipela nogat samting bilong mekiim wok, han tasol i mekim wok. Mi tu mi wok wantaim ol bikman long Momote. Ol kalabusim mipela, yu noken malolo yu wok tasol. Na taim yu les liklik na ol koros, em nau bai hipim olgeta ston long han hamas haua bai mi sanap olsem inap kalabus blong mi , em disla kain Japan bin wokim long mipela na mi no pilim i gutpela tumas. Mi tu mi bin sanap mi karim ston na mi tingting bihainim yupela. So em ol disla kain samting mi wok long pilim long taim blong Japan long wok. Mi pilim hat na mi gat soa. Ol i laikim mi mas climbim kokonas na givim ol drink, so mi no laik ol i kisim ap palang na ronim mi, ol laik kilim mi na mi ronowei igo long bush. Mi no hamamas long pasin bilong Japan. Ol dispela samting mi yet mi lukim , mi yet mi wok long airport an taim ol save olsem balus, war laik kam klostu na sampela tais olsem swamp mipela no katim kokonas longpela na rola tasol go na bihain kisim olgeta wesan na pulmapim igo antap long disla kokonas na balus ikam land long em. Em ples swamp, graun wet bai mipela kisim wanem na karamapim nogat samting em ol kokonas tasol ya na rola igo na lainim ol igo tambolo em nau, wesan igo antap na balus ikam na land long ol disla kokonas em mi stap mi lukim na mi wokim. So ol save ating taim blong Japan na America statim woa long ples stret. mi ting olsem long Sarere bai ol i bomim sip, Sande malolo na Mande bai ol America i kamap. Tasol em i laik kam ol Japan em tenpela balus land pinis long Momote airport redi long pait long Mande morning. Na mi bin lusim hia mi go long wok. Mi go wok long Papitala mi go wantaim wanpela Japan na em i tok yu kam mitupela go long boat. Na mi go wantem em long boat mitupela ron ikam olsem long Sarami long karim sampela cargo or samting mi no save. Na taim mitupela stap yet long boat ya em olsem ol putim motor long em. Na taim mitupela stap yet long bris, balus blong kalasim ol kam lukluk long kalas nau mitupela ronowei igo hait insait long bris. Orait Japan mas save war laik kamap long disla Mande na tenpela balus ikam land pinis, ol stap long tambolo na mi go wok na wanpela Japan kisim na mitupela ron kam, karim sampela cargo na ron go olsem point long Lombrum. Mitupela no save long balus blong America kam. Mipela ron long solwara na igat tupela balus kam pas na igat wanpela kanu blong ol man blong mi no save long Mano o Werei o wanem hap. Ol karim lip saksak go antap olgeta na ol sail long kanu na taim tupela balus bilong America kam ol ting olsem wanem, na nau ol toromoi bomb long disla hap kanu blong ol kanaka. America toromo bomb igo em ol disla kanaka man na lip saksak kanu olgeta pinis kilim olgeta. Mi swim long solwara nau. Mi swim long point Lombrum ikam bek long peles. Mi no save long Japan, em tu poret ronwei igo long boat blong mitupela paia lait, mi tupela swim ikam kamap long peles. Disla taim tasol America bin kamap long Mande na ino gat malolo em pait long sun long nait long sun long America kisim ples. America inogat taim ol pait hat turu na kisim ples kwik taim Japan westim taim. Dr Iwamoto: Yu stap wantaim Japanese taim Japanese istap long hia, so yu wok wantaim Japanese. Wanem kain wok yu wokim? Charles: Mi katim kokonas na wokim airport. Em kalabus blong mipela olgeta man long Manus, olsem wan wik o day mipela mas wokim wok. Sapos mipela no wok em ol laik save katim mipela o paitim mipela. Dr Iwamoto: Yu save sampela nem blong Japanese? Charles: Mi no save Dr Iwamoto: Yu save hamas mun yu wok wantaim ol Japanese? Charles: Sori em bai mi no nap tokim yu longpela taim na mi lus tingting. Inap yu ken lukim olsemm mipela pinisim airport na balus bilong Japan yet ikam daun. Mipela nogat kar na samting bilong wokim wok , mipela usim han tasol. Em mipela olgeta man bilong Manus. Dr Iwamoto: Sampela Japanese paitim yupela tu? Charles: Sapos man ino mekim wok em ol ken paitim em liklik so nogat, em nogat. Dr Iwamoto: Japanese kilim sampela man bilong yupela? Charles: Yes, mi lukim ol kilim luluai blong Drosul long Momote ol katim nek blong em. Dr Iwamoto: Blong wanem ol kilim em? Charles: Mi nokken save long rong em bin wokim. Dr Iwamoto: Ol man tasol wok wantaim Japanese o ol meri tu? Charles: Nogat man tasol. Dr Iwamoto: Yu save sampela Japanese ken tok long tok pisin? Charles: Ol toktok liklik tasol, ol no clear long toktok tasol liklik hap tasol. Dr Iwamoto: So Americans ikam na Japanese ronowei o dai pinis so bihain long disla taim yu wok wantaim America tu? Charles: Yes Dr Iwamoto: Wanem kain wok yu mekim? Charles: Mi wokim haus bilong ol America istap long em na mi digim ol dai man (soldia) ol planim na bai ol karim igo long America na planim ol long hap. Ol i laik kisim bek olgeta go long America na planim ol long matmat long hap. Mi digim long shavol na smell i save bagarapim mi turu. Olgeta narapela wok mipela i wokim em i gutpela wok. Dr Iwamoto: So em gutpela taim, taim ol America ikam. Charles: Em gutpela taim, em America ikam pinis na Japan go out. Dr Iwamoto: Ol peim yupela long wok long America? Charles: Em mi save tasol mi tok nogat mi nogat moni. Ol ino paim mipela, mipela wokim wok tasol ino mipela tasol em olgeta hap island Manus mipela kam stap long hia wokim wok blong America. Dr Iwamoto: Ol givim yupela kaikai? Charles: Yes, kaikai ol samting em planti turu ol i save givim. Dr Iwamoto: Ol Japanese mekim pasin nogut long meri blong yupela? Charles: Disla mi noken tok, mi no lukim na mi no inap tok. Dr Iwamoto: Ol America mekim pasin nogut long meri? Charles: Em long pasin bilong soldia tasol save laik ronim sampela meri long olsem taim ol igo waswas. Ol no mekim pasin nogut save ol laik ronim em au mipela save ronim ol disla soldia. Dr Iwamoto: Bihain taim wo i pinis, America igo pinis na bihain disla taim yupela kisim compensation? Charles: Nogat, olgeta nogat mipela liklik tasol. Mipela kisim long Australia. Dr Iwamoto: Wanem kain compensation moni o wanem? Charles: Yes, mipela kisim moni. Dr Iwamoto: Yu kisim tu? Charles: Yes, five hundred. ---- THE END ----