Brisbane, QLD


Thursday, October 30, 2014

A BROKEN HEART

Another post in the series "My Story". 
By 1968 I had been teaching in Pt Moresby, Papua/New Guinea for four years. I had a great time and made lots of friends. I had a steady boyfriend for three of those years. I was very much in love with him and hoped he would pop the question but alas it wasn't to be. Early in 1968 he had got bored with me and was playing the field behind my back. Rather than face up to me with the truth he got himself transferred to another town in PNG. I stupidly still hoped there was a chance as we hadn't said good bye for good. We wrote to each other and he came back to Pt Moresby for a visit after a few months but I knew when I saw him that there was no more love left in him for me. He flew back and out of my life forever. I was heart broken. I felt pretty depressed as this had happened to me before. It was before I had gone to P/NG. I wondered what was wrong with me why can't I keep a guy interested?
The heartbreaker and me.

 To overcome this disappointment, I threw myself into sport and my job.
 I played hockey, squash and tennis. I made new friends. I met a nice guy at squash and I started seeing him for a while until I found out that he had a wife back in Australia. Another botched romance.

 At least I loved my job at Korobosea School (above) and I did well at it. I had good reports from the District inspector.
 When the position of Senior Assistant, Education Officer Grade 11 became vacant at my school, I was promoted. So things were looking up.

 I was still teaching and teaching two classes together. That was a challenge but I soon got the hang of it. The kids were great to teach.

I met a girl who was happy to share her donga (2 man little house) with me in Boroko a suburb of Pt Moresby. So I had moved out of the hostel and enjoyed living in a house. We were able to employ hausbois to do house work for us at a very cheap rate. At first it felt odd to have servants but I soon got used to it.

 They did the ironing,

 and washing 

 and gardening. They would do the cooking too but we preferred to do that ourselves. They enjoyed posing for the camera.

I had a letter from my best friend, Kerrie, in Australia saying that she was coming to P/NG to work. I was very excited to have her arrive. While she was waiting for her own accommodation to be sorted, she stayed with me and my donga mate. She was impressed with having hausbois to do the work. The bois often had lots of friends visiting them called wantoks (one talks-- one who speaks the same language -- but it means friends)
Kerrie encouraged me to go out with her to the RSL club for dancing, talking and drinks. I wasn't keen as I didn't drink at all in those days but I did like dancing. She had made many friends at her work and at the club and she kept trying to find me a new boyfriend.
One morning she arrived home after an all night ball with a rope over her shoulder and a fellow tied to the other end around his neck. She called out to me, 'Diane look what I brought home for you." Needless to say they were both a bit under the weather. He was in the Australian army and was very charming when he sobered up. We went out a few times but I was a bit reluctant to get involved again and get hurt again. One night he asked if he could borrow my car to drive back to the barracks as he didn't have a car and it would save him getting a taxi. He promised to bring it back the next morning. Silly me did lend him my Triumph Sports car.
The next day he didn't arrive until late and he was on foot. I had a feeling of panic sweep over me. "Where's my car?" I asked
"I'm sorry but I had an accident and its in the army garage. Don't worry the boys will fix it for nothing in their spare time." I was not impressed. Days passed, weeks passed, no car. The excuse was the boys are busy and haven't had time to fix it. The truth was  that he had been speeding-seeing how fast it would go--then hit a culvert and bent the chassis which was near impossible to fix. Then I also found out that had a wife in Australia too. At least I hadn't fallen for him so I wasn't hurt but very angry about my car. Months went by, the promises kept coming but still no car. I had to buy another scooter to get to work.

Next post I'll tell how I got my car back and finally found happiness.


33 comments:

  1. i like the uniforms your team wore, and at least you had several boy friends. i never had one all through school and married the first boyfriend i had after i graduate high school and boy was that a mistake... i am always amazed that you have all these photos from your past. i might have 10 or 20

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  2. I'm enjoying these posts about your life!

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  3. What a rat and a coward. Well you met your Prince Charming :) loved the photos, not of the rat, but sweet ones of the children and interesting others.

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  4. I'm glad you DID find the right guy for you after all this heartbreak. And you did! Your life has certainly been full and interesting.

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  5. I love when you take us on these nostalgic journeys with you!!

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  6. Good heavens! Aren't you so thankful that era has passed... never to come again. I am glad to know that you have had a happy ending... or is this just the middle. LOL

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  7. oh, my goodness. i'd have 'killed' your friend who brought him home to you! :)

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  8. I am thoroughly enjoying your life story and admire your honesty about past loves in your life.

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  9. Diane, what an interesting life you've had. I love the hockey outfits. And of course, I can relate to having hausbois, but then it's normal all over Africa. What guy to take and smash your car. Like Sandra, I'm also always amazed and impressed that you have all these photos from your past. I keep meaning to FB my only remaining maternal aunt and ask if she has all our family photos. I look forward to your next post... Jo

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  10. I'm awaiting the romantic happy ending, too! I'm sure how you met TOH is another one of your adventures. I can just imagine how sad you were about your cute little car.

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  11. Looking forward to the next post, I would have killed him over the car and ended up in prison I am sure !!! Married men are the pits especially when they don't tell you!

    As for having servants, again our lives are so similar, we had them all in Rhodesia and S. Africa as well. Take care, t'other Diane

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  12. There were many ups and downs but I sense happy ending coming soon.

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  13. Wow, what a story Diane. I would have been so mad about the car.. The students all look so cute.. Wonderful post, thanks for sharing more of your life.. Have a happy weekend!

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  14. I wonder how long it would take me to get used to servants? About five minutes I think. It seems married men there rather took advantage of single young women. I doubt the car would ever be the same after a bent chassis. What a pity. The school looks very neat.

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  15. Well - this is a SAGA!!!
    Anyhow all ended up well - you got Bill and lived happily ever after.
    All you needed was PATIENCE!!!
    Remember the saying, I certainly do from college days when you were
    supposedly naughty!
    "100 lines Huggins - to be on the headmaster's desk before
    8.00 pm":
    "Patience is a virtue, a virtue I must strive to attain"!
    Just for the record - that does not fit onto one line - ha ha!
    Cheers
    Colin

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  16. I've very much enjoyed reading your story, although I would have been very angry about the car. Your school looks wonderful.

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  17. Guess we all had trouble finding love at times!!!! I had a boyfriend (went 'steady' with him) all through high school. When I went to college one direction and he went another direction, we broke up...BUT--I missed him so much at first and never thought I would ever have another special boyfriend.... BUT---I did, and things worked out for the best!

    Hope you got your car back --and sent that fellow packing and OUT of your life.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  18. Oh my, what memories. Most young girls have a heart break or two, and without the wisdom one usually gets with age, it seems such a tragedy and you can't imagine ever being in love like that again!! Luckily time, and experience usually heals the wound, but the scar and memory remain.

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  19. What a sad story about car. You should almost have lost your faith in men! I can imagine you were so angry about him.

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  20. I don't believe I would have loaned my car to anyone, but that's me.
    Great having someone to do your work. Good idea back then and I presume now if possible.

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  21. Wow, how did I miss about the car. A double-rat! Well, we've met a few in our lives. Just made us know the real McCoy when we met him :)

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  22. Oh I do enjoy these posts, most people have an heartbreaker in their past, not me but I am not most people I was lucky I meet the love of my life early one and married him and after 30 years I am still in love with him.

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  23. I love these posts and I too am amazed at how many and the quality of the photos you have from then. It's marvellous!
    The Rat/s haha, their loss dear girl, and someone else's gain. Come on Prt 2!

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  24. Things have kept me away from blogging for a couple of months so it is good to be catching up with all my blogging friends again. And returning to some blogs is a bit like coming home - your mixture of memories, fine old photos and writing style is always a pleasure to read.

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  25. Wonderful memories but tinged with disappointments .... especially heartbreaker!! I would have been so cross about your Triumph sports car so looking forward to the next installment to see what happened.

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  26. I am a sucker for romance tales. They are all the better for a few ups and downs.

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  27. Suas histórias são verdadeiras, por isso, são muito boas de ler.
    Voltarei mais vezes aqui.
    Abraço e bom fim de semana!

    vitornani.blogspot.com

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  28. Wow! No luck with men at all! That's so unfortunate. Are you writing this to make a book out of it? It's very interesting, although I hope your luck with men gets better soon!

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    1. It ends happily ever after. yes it is part of a book I am writing of my story for my children and grandchildren.

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  29. I am lucky to say that I only once had a broken heart, not because he left me but I left him, he just did nothing but hanging around, he wanted to be an actor (lol) no success. So the head won over the heart and fortunately ! He went back to Italy came back married a German, made her 3 kids and lived from her money. After the 3 kids they got divorced !

    Nothing was wrong with you, it just happened that both of them weren't the right guys !

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  30. Wow talk about a string of hard knocks!!! I sure hear you about the men - that has been pretty much my experience so far as well and yes, one totaled my car!

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  31. Hi Diane,
    As a coincidence I came across your blog and fantastic photos on the internet today. I am one of the children in your photos; you were my first teacher at school at Korobosea in 1965. Brings back great memories of an amazing lifestyle and time. I will try to email you to make contact. Kim Short (now live in Perth).

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    1. That is pretty amazing. I'm sorry that I can't remember which student you are in the photos although I vaguely remember the name. You are the second student to find me here. Feel free to contact me by email.

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