One Job

I’ve decided that there is a job position here in Tonga, in many establishments like post offices, phone services, and travel agencies, which requires a single ability. This one ability that allows you to have employment is to be able to let you know that the one, and only, person at that establishment that can help you, is out at that moment. This is it…no typing, no sending emails, nothing…ok. It has been amusing…until yesterday when it became faka-heila ‘aupito (very annoying). Sometimes I’m on a time schedule when I go into town, especially if I’m hoping to catch a ride back to Tefisi instead of walking, so it’s very important to hit and run every place on my agenda. I made it to the post office at around 12:30, and should have known better because it’s around lunch time, but someone’s there!! Yes! That rocks, lucky day...
“Ketaki, any packages or parcels for Senoni?” Nice gentlemen hands me, what I call, The Great Lists…for that 2 minute period of your day these lists can contain the greatest feeling of joyful cheer when your name has graced the wondrous pages before you. I look over the first great list…alas…no Senoni. I move to the second great list, my eyes graze over the many names until I see one very familiar…oh yes it is mine! Sweet! With victory in my heart, I turn the great list around to show the nice gentlemen, who works at the post office, that I do in fact have a parcel. He takes it and walks towards the back where all the packages await there departure. When he returns he’s carrying my package, or parcel, whatever and it’s just inches away from my grasp…inches. As I was getting ready to thank him with almost tearful joy, my dreams were dashed… “Our package/parcel guy is at lunch, can you come back?” the man says.

Let me take a moment to explain the complexity of the “Package/parcel Guy” job: He gives you your stuff, you give him 2 pa’anga, he writes your name down, and then you sign. Hell, half the work is done by you! But what I can do? This guy is just doing his job…letting me know that the only guy who can help me is at lunch. I probably would have been less bothered if “Piss on your Parade guy” hadn’t actually gotten the parcel and waived it in front of me before saying that I can’t have it…that’s just mean.

I had other things on my list, and I’ve already lingered here long enough, alright I’ll come back…I have till 4:30 before the post closes…so I thought. I returned at 4:10 to find closed doors, and imagined a sign posted for my enjoyment saying “Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, you can’t have it!” I thought to myself “Stupid head Package/parcel guy, and his minion….” Sigh, there are worse things…a coconut could fall on my head…perspective gained.

I just got back to Vava’u from a long hiatus, so this is pretty much what’s happened in the 2 day’s I’ve been back. I’m very happy to be back. I was worried that my house would be taken over by spiders and centipedes, but I sprayed my house with an entire can of heavy duty bug killer before I left. Good decision, probably did some ozone damage...but you would too if you had ever encountered these insects and arachnids that you’ve only ever seen in horror flicks where the plot is death by bug.