This is my last day here. Yariut arrives to say he has been unable to find me a bracelet. he has hardly finished speaking when in walks an elderly man. With both hands extended, he hands me a gift. It is a man's carrying net. This is the real thing, not made of nylon or thread. But made of orchid fiber. The fibers are dyed and woven. I am thrilled with this. It is more than a bracelet. A treasure! I have become a part of the community. But, it has happened gradually, taking a week to unfold. The fault, if there is any, does not lie with the Yali people. The shedding of loose trappings takes time - expectations, cynicism, the I factor. My dreams have shown it clearly. I wonder what another 2 weeks would bring. Yet, "When you've heard the message, hang up." What I've learned, and its acceptance into the depths, will continue as I travel. Each experience is a learning block in the building of something greater. To not give up on ourselves, and others, too quickly is the challenge, and the call.
A steady stream of men enter the sitting room, I serve coffee, and sit for a while - a good-bye ceremony of sitting and drinking together.
MAF lands and I say good-bye. On to Wamena and the next adventure.
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