Finding Aka Masalgi's grave

On arrival at Naghir at low tide, I walked the anchor as close as possible to the beach.  I stepped carefully, keeping my eyes on the rocks and bombies.  When the anchor rope was taut, I dug the prongs of the reef anchor into the layers of coral, stone and shells and then lifted my eyes to survey the beach and bush before me.  The white, marble oblongs rising from the scrub told me we had arrived near the cemetery.  I was reminded of my desire to locate Tony's grandmother's grave which I knew was a long way from the cemetery.

The headstones were visible from the water.

     I went back to the boat and piggy-backed Kibby over the reef.  We held hands and together spoke a few words to the Mills and Kaurareg spirits and asked for permission to visit.  Tony joined us and we went to explore the graves.

Aunty Lala's chapter in Ina's Story begins with the death of Athe Sorogo in 1936 and his traditional burial. 

Aunty Lala's chapter ends with the Christian burial of Aka Wagab in 1948 and her observation that culture had changed in 12 years.

James Mills.  Born Samoa.  Died 1916.  Aged 72 years.

      Apart from a couple of names on the headstones, I recognised all the deceased from Ina’s stories.

     After meeting with the others under a casuarina tree further along the beach for a quick snack, I set off alone, determined to find the grave of Tony’s grandmother, Aka Masalgi.  Aka Masalgi’s spirit has been kept very much alive in Ina’s Story.  Ina spoke about always being close to Mama when she was young.  Mama stroked her head as she fell off to sleep on her woven coconut mat, combed her hair with the combs carved from wongai wood and lavished her children with love.  Mama had enough room on her lap for all her children and arms long enough to hug them all.

     Ina remembers her mother died of a broken heart.  She was buried, hours after her death, beside the flowering Bougainvillea bush, just near the back door of the family house.

     Ina said, ‘For a long time after Mama’s death, on moonlit nights, me and the children took our coconut mats and pillows out to her grave and slept next to her, yarning before we drifted off to sleep.  I felt Mama with me, talking to me.’

     When I think about Ina and her love for her mother, Aka Masalgi’s death makes me teary.

     I had to find her grave and pay my respects to a loving mother who died too young, the great-grandmother of my children.

     I was prepared for a long and arduous journey, of bush-bashing through thick scrub. I had water, a camera and if I got into trouble, my mobile phone.  I promised myself I wasn’t leaving till I found Aka Masalgi’s grave.

     I set off along the beach.  Tony and Kibby were heading to Dogoman at the other end of the island with John and Eileen.  Tony was checking out the fishing spots and looking for a place to build his Naghir house.  I turned off just after Pine Creek and stood before the dense bush.

      ‘Watch out for death adders,’ called Dr John as he kept walking.

      I broke off a branch from a fallen casuarina tree.  I wasn’t going to let the threat of venomous snakes deter me.

     It was hard going.  I headed towards the towering sea almond trees, certain I’d find evidence of habitation like corrugated iron or lengths of two-by-four and then I’d find Aka’s headstone.  All I found was more bush, as tall as me. Worse, there were the vines that kept tripping me.  When I turned and could no longer see the blue ocean, I started to think my goal was unattainable.

     I pulled out my mobile phone and called Ina in Cairns.

     ‘Where are you?’ she said.

     ‘Well, that’s interesting you asked.  I’m in the middle of the bush on Naghir looking for Aka Masalgi’s grave, but I can’t find it.’

     ‘It’s near the sea almond trees.’

     ‘There are two lots of sea almond trees.’

     She gave me a few pointers, but the bottom line was I had no idea where Aka’s grave was and I could only keep bush-bashing.

     ‘I can’t tell you anymore,’ she said, in defeat. ‘Who brought you out anyway?’

     ‘Tony,’ I said.
     'Where is he?'
     'He's gone to Dogoman to look for fishing spots and find where to build his house.'

     ‘Hmph,’ she reckoned.  ‘Tell him to look for his grandmother’s grave and that’s where he needs to build his house.’

     She wished me luck and I had a feeling I was at the wrong group of sea almonds.

     I headed back to the beach walked a bit on the sand for ease and then tackled the   scrub again, banging the stick against the ground to warn off snakes.  If necessary, I would zig-zag through the bush, even if I spent a lot of the time tripping over the vines and pushing through the thin, though irritating branches.

     I approached the second copse of sea almonds from the west and there, on the other side of a line of head-high bushes was a white rectangle.

     It was Aka Masalgi’s grave.  

I’d found it, almost in the shade of the sea almonds.  I sat on the edge of the grave and tried to imagine Dato Frank’s house, the flowering Bougainvillea and Ina and her siblings sleeping next to their mother’s grave.  

What a resting place!  I could see the blue horizon just over the tops of the bush.

     The only evidence I could see of past life was section of a cement slab about four metres away.  I took a few steps towards it and the thunderous crash of a creature making a hasty escape frightened me.  Tony had told me there no pigs or goats, but what I heard was unmistakeably big and heavy. I took the fastest route to the beach. 

 I gazed towards Dogoman and Tony, John, Eileen and Kibby were ambling back from their adventure. 

     I waited for them on the sand and couldn’t wait to tell Tony about finding his grandmother’s grave.  I was quite proud of myself, having braved the bush and snakes and not giving up in the hellish heat.  
     Sometimes I feel Tony thinks I am a bit of a princess since I don't go fishing or hunting and I don't get my hands dirty doing yard work.  I prefer to stay home and write.  I was certain if Tony thought I had been a princess following my discovering Aka's grave, it was as a Xena warrior-type princess, intrepid, determined, fearless. 

     ‘Tony, Tony,’ I said when they neared, gushing with the enthusiasm of an explorer who’d just located a treasure chest of gold.  ‘I found Aka Masalgi’s grave.  It took me almost an hour.  I had to call Mum because I got a bit lost in the scrub, but she gave me directions.  You should have been with me.  It was amazing.  Do you want me to take you to see it?’

     ‘Do you mean that one?’ he said, using his chin to indicate something in the distance.

     ‘Huh?  What one?’  It bugs me at times like this that Tony always has one eye on his surrounds.  It's a hunting attribute, but not necessary in this case. For God's sake, I wanted to cry out.

     ‘That one.’ He pointed to the top of a rectangle, white against the green trees.

     It was Aka Masalgi’s grave, visible from the beach and only a short distance away at that.