20/7/2010,
I did a funeral in a small village near Labasa a few months ago. The villagers very generously offered me a thanksgiving ‘vesu waka’ (yaqona) and with it some mats, dalo (taro) and a live piglet. The mats could be sold for the Labasa Parish and the priests and sisters could eat the dalo but what to do with the piglet? One of the catechists volunteered to take it home and fatten it up for me. About three months later he told me that, no matter what he did, the piglet wasn’t growing and I had better take it and sell it. I asked him what price I should ask. He said that 60.00 dollars would be about right.
A few days later I said Mass in an Indo-Fijian settlement and while drinking yaqona afterwards I mentioned to the men there that I had a piglet that wouldn’t grow and that I was going to sell it. One of them pricked up his ears immediately and asked me how much I would want for the piglet. ”$60.00,” I said casually.” “I’ll buy it from you,” he responded. “O.K.” said I, “I’ll bring it next Sunday when I come for Mass. You have the money ready.”
“It’s a deal,” said he. So we completed the bargain the following Sunday.
Now today, six weeks later, I have come back from the settlement where I met my friend again.
“How is the piglet?” I asked him. “Oh, I sold it a couple of weeks ago,” he answered. “How much did you get for it?” I enquired. “120.00 dollars,” said he with a great big grin!
I don’t know how he managed it.
That piglet must have liked curry!
