Gelo is about to “drop”!
Grandparents = “Bubu‘s in Tok Pisin.
Crazy you might think (or even say out aloud!). How can humans become “bubu‘s” to a canine? What unnatural business did Rob get up to this time?
Well it’s true or it feels that way anyway.
Both “Gelo” and “Manam” have become like our kids. So whens one’s kids have kids then they become one’s grandkids. True or false?
We met Gelo when we first moved into the Transit Lodge at the Hospital, within the first few days after we arrived in Goroka – Eli from Lae and me from downunder – on the 11th of Feb, 2007. We took to each other right from that 1st meeting.
Then…
Within two weeks of moving into our new home on Gonix (that’s the name of our street) we got broken into one night and the person that jumped our fence stole our water pump. At this stage we had no “Gelo” but the next day – I went back to the Hospital and I literally stole her. She had no “owner” so in reality I did not really steal but borrowed her (so to speak).
Well as it turned out… Gelo has turned out to be an incredible guard dog. Nowadays we even leave our front gate unlocked whenever we head out for a few hours. This is basically unheard of in any of the PNG towns.
See… Gelo is totally vicious towards any man, women or child that she does not know! The way it works is – once someone has come inside the fence and either eats with us or stays the night – she get’s to learn the person’s smell and forever after that will always remember whether that person has been inside the fence. Any “smell” that she does not remember is essentially the enemy. So obviously when someone new comes in she will need to be tied up for an hour or two and slowly introduced to a new friend. Should someone try and jump the fence or just try and walk in whilst we weren’t home the poor sods would get ripped to shreds – not metaphorically but literally!!
So our little baby girl is now ready to “drop” !
She has already prepared her private space – last night I think. And when I got home from work this afternoon – she was nowhere to be seen. We both went looking for her and there she was, curled up in her very own maternity ward. Eli then crawled underneath the house and laid out a sheet and a blanket for our kid. The maternity ward that Gelo built looked close to a hole that a bomb or a meteor leaves. I’m not kidding the hole was close to half a meter deep!
And then… we both held, stroked, cuddled and spoke to her (like a parent would to a child in a similar situation) and for a few moments I felt connection, love and joy towards our “child”.
Shortly afterwards a new feeling started to rise within me and knew at that moment that once the grandkid(s) come I will not be able to hold back the tears.
It’s the closest I’ve come to in my life to know what it must be like to become a parent!
Perhaps sad but true!
Great picture Elli. Good to see you if only in photo form.
Geoff