056

Yes, about the time of the old people.

056-001 Ore , taos naat mal wan ni tiawi .

At that time, the village of Erakor, Efate, was seven villages.

§ 056-002 Nrak pei natkon ni Erakor Efat rupi natkon ilaru .

One was called Em̃eltafra.

§ 056-003 Ipiatlak iskei rusoso ki esap Em̃eltafra .

This one is called Em̃elsa. This one is called Emlaliu.

§ 056-004 Iskei rusoso ki ena esap kia Em̃elsa . Iskei rusoso ki Emlaliu .

This one is called Ekasufat.

§ 056-005 Iskei rusoso ki Ekasufaat .

This one is called Em̃lasei. Etmat is the sixth.

§ 056-006 E , pak etan Em̃lasei . Em̃lasei . Etmat kin ipi klates .

There are six villages.

§ 056-007 Esan rupiatlak natkon ilates .

But the place they call the main village is called Ekasufat.

§ 056-008 Me san kin rusoso ki , ipi np̃au natkon ga kin Ekasufaat .

The head chief is there.

§ 056-009 Np̃au naot itkos .

And when Christianity came, that's what the story says, Christianity came. Those from Ifira came, from Pango, from Eratap.

Go malen kin nalotwen imai , § 056-010 ore natrauswen itili teflan malnen nalotwen imai . Teni Efil rumai , teni Ep̃ag rumai Ertap .

We did it, spoiled the food that they would abandon for Christianity.

§ 056-011 Tukfo ona ki nana , pregsaki nafnag nen kin ruktao nalotwen nen .

They came with all the weapons, spears and so on. Those who were looking after these things didn't go to their gardens.

§ 056-012 Rutrau mai . Rumai plak sernale ni nafkal , ola me nana . Tenen kin ruto lekor nen kin rutap pak talm̃aat gar mau .

And all the grandparents were eating wild arrowroot.

§ 056-013 Go nafet apu me ati gar ruto pam namkanr .

When you eat namkanr, it stings your mouth, but the old people were strong and ate it.

§ 056-014 Go kupami esan ipam nasok nkanrom , me tiawi rupo kerkerai pami .

This is not good food at all, but they didn't have other things to eat.

§ 056-015 Nafnag nen ita pi nafnag wi mau me rutiiki tenen rukfami .

They ate it, it stung their mouth, they swallowed it, and it stung their bellies. They shat it out and it made them numb.

§ 056-016 Rupami ikat nkanror rutnoli ipak nmarter ipo kat nmarter . Rusuerkin ipo mer .

But they were strong for it. Until the time when the brown missionaries came here.

§ 056-017 Me rupo kerkeraiki . Panpanpan malen kin brown misnari rumai pak esa .

And they gave them Ekasufat.

§ 056-018 Kin go ru = kir , rutuer Ekasufat .

And when they left Ekasufat, they came to Egis, here.

Go malnen kin rutm̃alu Ekasufaat , § 056-019 go rumai tu elau Egis esa .

The place where the school is now. But they got dysentery and they shat blood.

§ 056-020 San kin skul ni teesa itkos malfane . Me rukraksok disentri , me rutafki nra .

And the people were dying day and night.

§ 056-021 Go runa natam̃ol rutrau mat aliat me p̃og .

Until some that were there went across (to the island).

§ 056-022 Panpan kin go me tenrfaal nen ruto kin rupo nrookot .

My father was one of them. He was a boy but they took him across to Erakor.

§ 056-023 Neu papa neu me ipi iskei . Ipi teesa nanwei me ruplaker nrookot kin rupak Erakor .

And when they went to Erakor it was bush.

§ 056-024 Go malnen rupak Erakor ga ipi namlas tu .

And they went and they would clear the island so that they could build houses which they went to live in.

Go rupan go rupo taasai naur sees nen rulaoki nasum̃ § 056-025 kin rupan pa tkos .

Until my father would marry in 1918 and we would be born on Erakor island.

Pan papa neu ga , iku kia , ipo ptour 1918 § 056-026 kin go komam upo paakor , naur Erakor .