Point Six Market

Wednesday, December 9

At six o'clock this morning, Melissa surprised me by knocking on my door and asking if I was ready to go to market.  I didn't even know she was going with us!  I finished gathering my things, and the two of us walked down to Grace's house.  When we got to Grace, we found that her sister-in-law had borrowed her big canoe, so we got to travel in the small canoe.  We loaded our things (including my 3 dozen banana muffins) and began to paddle over a still sea.  The water was only inches below the edge of the canoe. 

 

When we arrived at Pipisala after our short paddle, I found my legs had gone to sleep sitting crosslegged in the canoe, so I had a little bit of trouble getting out of the boat.  Rows and rows of beautiful coconut plantations greeted my eyes.  We walked through them for about a mile and then arrived at the little community of Point Six.  As we approached one of the young men we passed asked if I was selling what I had in my box, and he bought two muffins before I ever reached the market.  It was a foreshadowing of things to come!  I approached the fringe of the small market and was suddenly mobbed for my banana muffins.  Hands reached in and grabbed three at a time, and I laughingly told everybody that I hoped they were honest!  They are (as I well knew), and so after the mad rush each person paid for their muffins.

 

The two ladies with me answered lots of whispered questions about who I was.  Did I come on a sailboat?  No, she's the Bible translator's wife.  Did I speak Lavukaleve?  I answered that one as I asked for food.  We arrived a little late, and almost everything but beetlenut was gone.  But I found a pineapple and bought four donuts for my kids.  Then, Grace and I walked over to the small store and bought some more hooks and fishing line so I can practice fishing.  After visiting with some familiar faces for a few minutes, we started the walk back across to our boat.  I was surprised when both Melissa and Grace sat down on the shore and said, "Let's rest!"  So, we visited while the sun rose higher and hotter. 

 

Finally, we got back in our boat, and I tried to match Melissa stroke for stroke as she paddled.  We saw another canoe in the distance and heard something shouted across the water.  My friends told me that the guy was commenting on my good paddling!  The waves were a little rougher this time, and several times they came over the edge of the boat.  Once, Melissa's paddle bumped my plastic box which once held the muffins.  It flew into the water, but I was able to snag it as it floated past.  We arrived safely home, a little wet and laughing. 

 

Everybody things I should make 150 muffins and go back to Point Six on Saturday, but I told them that I will be at the market at Marulaon.  So, if they want to buy any muffins, they can just come to my village to buy them!