A morning in the rain with Aunty Bev

By Phil Jarratt

“I was actually born in an aeroplane,” says Kabi Kabi Elder Aunty Beverly Hand, waving her arms through the air like a plane as we sit by a pot belly stove on a damp, misty morning in the forest near Mapleton.

“Mum was being taken from Goroka to Mount Hagen to have me, but I couldn’t wait,” she continues. “At least that’s the story she always told me, but I never got any details beyond that. She also used to say that I was born with a veil over my face. Sailors believe that this is a good omen, and if a member of the crew was born with a veil, you’ll be safe from shipwreck. Mum said if ever I was on a ship, I should tell the captain and I’d be put at the top table!”

Aunty Bev’s…