Sarah was a gem of a friend to me

Sarah Kaut Nasengom will always be a very special friend to me. She was my second year roommate at UPNG whose friendship and kindness helped me overcame depression in 2011 during the separation of my parents at one point in life.

I feel compelled to thank her for her kindness and to remind her of how special and unique it was for me to have met her as a friend and a sister. I believe God knew what was going to happen to me and before I knew, appointed Sarah as my roommate for that academic year. She was nice to me, she gave her best to me. In saying nice I mean thoughtful, caring, helpful and considerate in her action and her speech.

Not only did I overcome depression, I did well to score a GPA of 4 which allowed me to secure a room for the following academic year and get back to my HECAS scholarship.

Here is a brief of what actually happened to me. I still remember that fateful morning where I woke up to fetch a jug of water for tea. I had been sad and depressed for some months and it was eating me emotionally and physically. I was deeply affected because I was the only sibling away from home at that time when my parents separated.

My health was in a pretty bad state. I was under weight and was not eating a balanced meal.

That morning I was preparing for class. The last thing I remembered was connecting the jug to the power.

I closed my eyes and took a nap and that was it. The jug exceeded its boiling limit and all the contents began to dry up. I struggled to wake up. I felt dizzy. I didn’t have the strength to walk or to talk. I was weak and helpless.

I took a piece of paper and wrote a note for Sarah to pass it on to my bestfriend, Leiao Gerega whom I believe would respond kindly. In that note, I ask her to inform my aunt Angie and if she had time in the afternoon Leiao should come by to Rainbow where I would be waiting.

Sarah went to class and delivered the note. When I woke up at around 4pm, Leiao was there.

She took my bag, stopped a taxi which took us to my aunt’s house at Fort Banner.

Aunty Angie was kind enough to meet Leiao and saw her off after that ordeal.

I was diagnosed with chest infection and was put on antibiotics. For three weeks ,I stayed away from classes.

When I showed up on the first day on campus ,few of my friends met me and said I looked like I had been ill for a month or two. I looked really sick and was struggling emotionally.

Leiao was kind enough to share her lecture and tutorial notes with me for catch up. I was really appreciative of her effort and company at that time.

When I returned to my room, Sarah welcomed me with a pleasant greeting. Her modest and pleasant personality inspired me to embrace a positive attitude and to focus on getting good grades at the end of the semester.

She would share information about career pathway in public relations, research and diplomacy and relate specific jobs to me and how to get there through hard work, determination, discipline, commitment and respect.

I knew I met a rare and a special friend in Sarah. I knew Sarah’s company would help me become the better version of myself because she reminded me of myself and the values that I believe in life. If you want something, work hard for it and earn it honestly!

I was right. Sarah was my like-minded friend and a sister. Her kindness provided a friendly environment which had an impact on my thoughts, behaviour, feelings, motivation and well-being as a person.

I thank her for the food she would share and more than all the laughter which I needed at that time.

Interestingly to my surprise, I later learned that Sarah had a special connection to Kaiapit through her father. Sarah has been to Ampan Primary School during the time when her father was a teacher. I come from a village called Gantisap in Kaiapit and this, I thought gave me a personal emotional connection because I went to school up to grade eight at Ampan.

Being very close to my father, Sarah’s connection and likeable personality gave me a sense of belonging. I knew I had to take charge of my life, be responsible and not become a victim of circumstance.

And I made it past second semester. I thank Sarah for sharing her life and by giving her best to me. It was the warmth and love that helped me grew personally. I thank her beyond special because not everyone can value their childhood connection to a place and continue to deepen that family connection with those they meet along the journey of life.

She had a bunch of cheerful friends in Lorraine, Vanessa, Norah and Phyllis. They all became friends to me. They still call me ”roommate”.

I kept in touch with Sarah after uni and followed her progress in life. Whenever I meet Sarah in Mosbi, I would stop and greet her and continue my journey. Even at times when I am walking along the road and I see her in a bus, I would still wave and call out to her as a greeting. I often feel obliged to meet her because she was the inspirer, a gem and a precious friend whose friendship touched my life and enabled me to grow.

She went on to work as a researcher with the National Research Institute(NRI) and I knew she would excel and reach her potential in life.

I was really proud last year when Sarah became a recipient of the flagship United States Fulbright Program. She has truly inspired me personally and professionally to pursue the extraordinary in life. With mad respect for her achievement, I jokingly love to call her Kumul Amerika for being my sister from the island of Siassi.