Love your neighbor

Documents to deliver for a stranger

Here in the islands we have a somewhat unique issue of transporting goods. Seeing as how most people don’t have a post office box and, besides which, the postal system is rather slow, how do you get something from one island to another? A lot of families are split between different islands, and with the cultural expectation that better-off family members will help out those who are worse off, there’s a fairly steady flow of goods between islands. Additionally, there are often official documents that have to reach government offices on the big island.

So, when you know someone going to another island, you often will ask them to deliver something for you. Or maybe you don’t know them, you just go to the airport and look for someone who looks trustworthy (hello, Abby!) You know how in the US, they ask you if you’re carrying anything for anyone else? Well… um… yeah.

I’ve ended up carrying a variety of things for others. Most common is an envelope with money. After that, documents, clothing gifts, food, jewelry, and random wrapped packages, labeled with who they’re going to. One time I was even given a 3 year-old to transport to her mother on another island. (she did great, but I wasn’t so sure at first!)

Two bags become "one"

I normally find it a little stressful, because, what if the person on the other end doesn’t come to pick up their stuff? What if I give it to the wrong person? What if there’s a prohibited item in one of the packages?

 

Today I’m flying from my island to the big island, then on to Madagascar. For the flight between islands, I was given: 5 large cucumbers, 2 kilos of tomatoes, a bag full of lettuce, a bag full of frozen samosas, a portfolio full of documents, $60, and a mysterious tiny bag with something wrapped in paper. 

And when I got to the big island, I got persuaded to help a lady out who had too much luggage. We’re only allowed one checked bag, and she had two. But one of hers was light enough to put with my bag and be under the weight limit. So we saran wrapped the two together and I now have “one bag.”

Maybe this is one of the more unusual applications of “love your neighbor as yourself,” but I try to keep helping out as I can, even when it means hauling more stuff through airports and getting them to their destinations.