SOMARE MENEJA BILONG BIKPELA KAMPANI

This is a story I was told at the Joint Services College of PNG in 1976. I have never forgotten as I told every class in Tok Pisin at the RAAF School of Languages. It is a  good story.

It is a story of the kindness of Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare.

Wanpela man i kam daun long hailans na i laik painim wok long Port Moresby. Em i raun long olgeta tret stua na askim ol tasol i no gat wok. Wanpela de, em i go long stua long Badili na askim papa bilong stua. 

Tasol stua kipa em wanpela kong kong na i tok kros long man. Em i tok olsem " Yu no inap rit?" Long windo bilong stua i gat wanpela notis olsem NO GAT WOK. Man i no inap rit.

Man bilong bus i tok sori na i stat long lusim stua. Tasol dispela kong kong i tingting long wokim trik. Em i singautim man long kam bek.

Em i tok olsem " Mi no gat wok. Tasol mi save long wanpela man em i gat planti wok. Nem bilong em Michael Somare. Em i meneja bilong bikpela kampani (Haha).

Yu go long haus bilong em na em bai inap givim yu wok. Kisim PMV na go long Waigani. Dispela man em bilong hailans bus na i no save long Michael Somare. 

Em i kisim PMV na go. Orait em i painim haus bilong Michael Somare na toktok long sekyurity ausait. Tasol sekyurity i askim em long givim em pas. Man i no gat. Sekyurity i tok olsem " yu no ken kam insait".

Tasol Michael Somare i stap long gaden bilong haus na i kam. Em i askim man long wanem samting em i laikim na i kam. 

Man i tokim em olsem wanpela man bilong China i tok olsem Somare i meneja bilong bikpela kampani na em bai inap givim em wok.

Michael Somare i tok olsem yumi go lukim em. Orait tupela i go long stua long Badili. Man bilong China i lukim tupela i kam insait na em i pret nogut tru.

Somare i tok olsem " Yu tokim pinis dispela man long kam na mi bai inap givim em wok? Yu ting olsem yu fani a?"

Man bilong China i tok olsem " Nogat sir". Somare i tok olsem "Mi ting olsem yu no fani. Nau mi tokim yu stret long givim em wok. Bai mi kam long neks wik na sampela more taim bihain. Sapos em i no stap long hia yu bai inap painim trabel."

Stori i go olsem GC Sir Michael i kam bek na man i wok long dispela tret stua. Em i tok tengkyu long Sir Michael. Man i stap long stoa longtaim.

My daughters tell me this is old man Tok Pisin. I see this as polished and elegant Tok Pisin. The standard of Tok Pisin is dropping as it becomes mixed with English words.