Pakia Gap

By Leonard Fong Roka

 There is no other road on Bougainville central mountain backbone, Crown Prince Range, except the Panguna mine’s Port-Mine-Access road. The highest point of this road is called the Pakia Gap (picture); it is cold and foggy and refreshing to us travellers. It is also history and politics for us Bougainvilleans and also the post-conflict political problem.

I celebrate Pakia Gap’s significance in my own way for it is my pride when people talk about the blessing they feel passing Pakia Gap.

 To the Torauan paddler and his sea, it is too high

To the South Bougainvillean coastal man, it is too freezing

But to the Panguna man, it is sweet home, motherland;

The table for the two ridge divided Ioros kisses: the Pinenari and the Kavarongnari.

 

Bone freezing winds chills

Ear sweetening songs of the bush soothes

Eye narrowing fog blankets

Virgin bush caresses your spine

And the weary traveler is in Heaven.

 

From the east and the west coasts, cars climb

Snail pace and in agony your brae of bitumen road;

From the west they tally their gain from Camp 10 and Shoofly Corner and I get you,

Pakia Gap. From the east they rung you from Pakia to Policeman Corner and Finger Point and I get you,

Pakia Gap.

 

She dawns on the weary traveler:

Bone freezing winds chills

Ear sweetening songs of the bush soothes

Eye narrowing fog blankets

Virgin bush caresses your spine

And the weary traveler is in Heaven

And fall his own way home laughing.

For Pakia Gap is sweetness to the Bougainvillean.

 

Pakia Gap is where the Bougainville east coast and west coast rub noses

Pakia Gap is where Ioroan lovers kiss

Pakia Gap is where history Bougainville modern history opens

Pakia Gap is where politics is trapped

Pakia Gap is where peace must born

Pakia Gap is where Bougainville belongs; and

Pakia Gap is freedom!