rats

I posted something the other day mentioning polygamy. Went out for dinner tonight and heard this one from a very reliable source. And it’s all true:

A Highlands MP – has 7 official wives – countless girlfriends (plenty young female university students; he pays their uni fees), likes to party – has AIDS. First two wives are dead (one from suicide), both had AIDS, both spoke to relatives and police in last weeks of their lives claiming he had knowingly infected them with the virus. A special committee was formed to investigate, and at this stage he is going to be charged with manslaughter, one of the first people in the country to be charged under new AIDS laws. He flies to Australia regularly for treatment. Those he has infected haven’t been as lucky.

Unbelievable.

The story came out in the papers this week, but his name has not yet been published; he hasn’t yet been charged. A friend spoke to him last week in Moresby. He was wearing boardshorts, hanging out by a pool, relaxed and having fun. He sleeps around so much that he is known in Enga for having four testicles. Ipatas is proud of this moniker.

Soon after talking about this, a big fat rat squeezed its way out of the airconditioner in the town's chinese restaurant. There is an upper skirting board running around the room, with plants and lights. The rat skuttled through, knocking plants aside, not bothering to hide its noise. At one point it slipped and teetered for a moment over the side. It was relaxed and having fun.