Chief

Out of our team of 7, yours truly was the oldest at age 28 and the youngest was 19. We stayed in many different villages while on the islands of Vanuatu. It seemed like the entire village came to greet us as we walked into each new place. Everyone lined up to shake our hands and say hello. The first place we stayed I heard a faint “Christina, Christina”. I looked at the girls in the room, “is someone calling me?” I went outside to find Mama looking for me to say dinner was ready and please tell the others. This seems like a very natural situation but the odd thing was she walked past half our team to tell me. The next morning while we were all still in our beds I hear the same faint call “Christina, Christina breakfast is ready. I look at the other girls and we all start laughing that she called me again seeing I am not even a leader. Why does she keep calling to me?

This continued to happen in every other village we stayed. We continued to crack up ever time. Our leader asked me “why do they keep calling to you?” I laughed and told her they must all know that I am the chief of our group. From then on she referred to me as chief. One of the villages the mama guest straight away who was the oldest and youngest. Instinct of a mother I guess. We may never know the true reason I became the chief.