Chapter 43

A group of elders waded out to the LSM with Yani acting as interpreter. They were here to see Big Man John who was now clearly the wealthiest man on the island. He was a Big Man among Big Men. He was expected to make a substantial contribution to the community feast.

Having been burned by this tradition because he did not understand it, Dr. McDuff was now in a position to advise John Frum of his duties. “You’re obliged to be very generous by native custom. Ordinarily an island Big Man would provide at least a couple of pigs for the feast. Most lowland pigs were drowned in the flood, but they know you have pigs in cans — Spam.”

“How much should I give them?" he asked. “What do they expect?"

"The Big Man must not ask,” he was told.

“We give plenty gift for John Frum," Yani said holding up three fingers on his left hand. "I give this many C-Ration.” Then holding up his right hand, "Give one hand K-ration."

“I think Yani spent too much time with the white man,” John said. “Give them two hands cases C-Rations and one hand cases Spam.”

Even Yani was impressed with John Frum’s generosity, but he did not think it was necessary to go to such extremes.

“I don’t know how much longer I’m gonna be here,” John said to McDuff, “But after I leave, they aren’t gonna say John Frum was a cheap bastard.”

___

When the sun went down the Americans could see the brightness behind the palm trees that was obviously the central bonfire. The sound of agitated drumming also filled the air. They could not see Yani, and guessed he had most likely gone ashore to open Spam cans.

Again McDuff had some words of advice, “Stay on the ship, John. You don’t know what you might run into at the feast since you don’t know their customs.”

The drums built to a crescendo and stopped dead. The collective silence became collective babble from the site of the feast. John saw a lone figure running down the beach, followed by a group of somewhat eager islanders.

John saw the movement on the shoreline, and called, "Yani! Is that you out there?"

"Yani here,” he called out. “Island fella want see John Frum."

"John Frum happy to see them. In my country we call this celebration Fourth of July.”

The tide was out and the water was no more than a foot deep in the lagoon. In the bright moonlight, John could see three figures start to wade out toward him. One of them was clearly the ancient one — Poon.

Yani spoke with the other men as he approached. John listened and tried to make sense out of the exchange. The most he could understand was an occasional "John Frum" and a definite "geko." Geko was mentioned several times and from Poon’s body language, he appeared to be offering a gift of something wrapped in banana leaves.

"Yani, what is going on? What do they want?" he called into the darkness.

"Poon fella say he make present John Frum. Him fella, kanaka fella bring long pig for Big Man Frum.”

John waded out to meet them. "Are you saying that Poon wants to give me some long pig from the feast?"

"Yes. I say Yani no eat long pig. John Frum no eat long pig."

John thought, Can it be that some of them know about trichinosis? Has experience taught some of them that pig meat can be dangerous in the tropics?

Not wanting to offend the old wise man, John said, “Yani, bring long pig to John Frum. I taste."

Reluctantly, Yani took the banana leaf package from Poon amid a great deal of approving clamor. It sounded like "John Frum pooja, — John Frum pooja." The younger men waded back to the strand, leaving Poon to follow as best he could. When they hit the beach, they broke into a run back toward the bonfire, yelling "Jon Frum pooja!"

John and Yani sat on the beach. The American unfolded the large green leaves and found a piece of meat inside. It was burned more than roasted; charred on the outside; more raw than rare in the middle. He held it up to Yani and said, "You eat?"

Yani made a face of disgust and said, "No eat long pig. Only kanaka eat geko."

John theorized an explanation: Long pig was a description of the skinny pigs that ran wild on the island. Yani had been exposed to civilization too long and had lost his taste for the primitive food of his people.

He took a knife and sliced into the charcoal covered meat and hit a bone. It ran lengthwise through the meat and he severed it from the mass. The meat around the bone was fairly rare, but he gingerly bit into it. It was sweet to the taste, and he turned to Yani who was watching in morbid fascination.

"It needs salt, but it’s better than Spam," John said, holding out the meat toward his island friend. Yani grimaced and spat vigorously.

John laughed and said, "Who would have thought I'd find an Orthodox Jew ten thousand miles from Jerusalem." He gnawed the bone he asked, "Why don’t you eat geko, Yani? Spam is made of pig."

"All fella eat pig. Only kanaka eat geko." 

There was apparently some fine line of distinction that was escaping him. "You eat pig, but not long pig."

"Yes," his face brightened. At last, John Frum understood.

John examined the meat again and tested his knowledge of porcine anatomy. What part of the pig did this come from? Judging from the bone he was holding, it would probably be one of the front legs.

“This pig’s front leg?" he asked Yani.

Yani shook his head negatively, and volunteered a piece of information to this very dense American, “Long pig not pig.”

“So, that’s it. Long pig isn’t a pig, but some other kind of animal.” He didn’t now what else was native to the islands. He asked his friend, “If it isn’t a pig, what kind of animal is it?”

Yani thought the American was teasing him. He thought the answer was rather obvious. “Long pig Japfella!” he said. While John cautiously considered the revelation, he recognized that the gift in the banana leaf had toes. It was a human foot. In a spasm of anguish, John Frum was violently ill.