Joseph Angli: Personal Account

What I am going to talk about is an account of my life since the time of my childhood up until now before I die. Some of you may have a same experience such as mine. For me I would say the 24 years of my life on planet earth is the most enjoyable and memorable years of my life. Though I encountered ups and downs in life, my family would not let me down. We are always there for each other and there is often an atmosphere of peace and unity in my family. The reason for that would soon be discovered. We come from Biwat Village in Angoram District, East Sepik Province.

My father is a retired Correctional Service prison commander who served in the 1960s up till his retirement in 2009. Because of his duty to PNG CIS, we travelled a lot around the country until his retirement. My mother is a “jack of all trade”. She only completed her primary education. But nothing seems to be too hard for her despite her education level. She is a determined lady and learn as much as possible. She is the mistress of the house and takes good care of the six of us. I admired her for sense of duty and hard work. Apart from all that, she is a dedicated Christian. I have four sisters and a younger brother. I love them very much.

For a typical Papua New Guinean father, a male child means a lot to him. He is the wonder drug, the backbone of the family. That is what my father believes in. It may be quite different for other Papua New Guinean fathers. But for my father, it is not. That is the fact and he would accept only that. The reason for that I still do not know.

My parents have four lovely daughters before me. My mum was satisfied with that. She was contented because she has four extra hardworking pair of hands to count on. But my dad was not. He had always wanted a male child. He would constantly argue with my mum for not giving him a son. My poor mum could not find the right answers to me father’s fury would humbly forgive him and pray that one day God will give them a son they deserve. The more she prays, drove me father really mad. He started cursing God for such misfortunate and went to the extreme of banning mum from praying in the house or go to church. However, this does not prevent her from believing in God. She is a committed Christian and performed her unfailing duty to love her husband and her four daughters unconditionally despite my father’s harsh approach towards them.

I was told by my mum that before I was born, they had never experienced the peace they experience today. Their lives were filled with constant fear and disunity. My father would go drinking every fortnight. He would spend ever thing on beer. When he comes home from the club, he would quarrel with them. He often chases them out of the house and says cruel things to my mum and my sisters. He would spend all the money on beer and my poor sisters would often go hungry. Of all those things he did to them, my mum still forgive him and convinced that one day a son will be born. God will give them a son who will bring peace and unity into her family.

Before I was born, a Christian woman, one of my mum’s friends, had a dream. In the dream, she saw my mum giving birth to a baby boy and he shall to be named Joseph. My mum’s prayers and tears asking God for a male son was only awhile away before it would come to pass. How this will happen is all in God’s hands, said my mum.

Before long, after the dream, my mum got pregnant. My dad heard of the dream but he was having doubts. On the month of May 1989, my mum underwent labour and was admitted to Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae. My father was working in Lae at that time. Finally, the long awaited moment has arrived. On 17^th of May 1989, I was born. My father wanted to name me Charles but my mother’s friends stick to their dream and named me Joseph instead. But now I have lots of names. Anyways, my birth finally ends their forever miseries and proclaimed as the ultimate price for peace to come about. Something they had always longed for. There was great rejoicing and celebration on the day I was born. Of course, my dad was drunk that day, but it was for a different purpose and a different reason altogether. He was dead drunk and praised my mum for giving him a son. He was thankful to my mum’s friends for coming to their rescue in those past dark days then.

The good Lord blessed them again with another son sometime later. My mum and dad then and till now were the happiest couple with six children. I considered myself lucky for having four older sisters to fend me and a younger brother to keep me company.