Cross-cutting issues that hit the discussion board never went amiss or got off the rails when he had his say.

That said, though, he did believe in listening more and talking less.

His ambition was to follow what inspired him the most in life.

Logging into his Facebook account, he noticed someone he was familiar with, although the name had slightly changed. Was it her?  Was it the same girl who’d been in high school with him?

He put in a friend request which she accepted. It took some time to strike some real chatting as five years was a long time to comfortably bridge even with high school friends.

Things turn out to be fine chatting about this and that; however gradually the tone began to change.

He remembered the first time she asked a question that might lead to them meeting in person.

Hey, are you going for Christmas holidays at home, she had asked.

Undecided, am thinking of going to Radaz (Rabaul), he responded.

She seemed to want to know all of his ill formed travel plans. Am going out with a girl from Radaz, he joked.

She interrupted with a question that changed the whole thing into a hamburger.

Oh, so you going out with a girl, and how about me?

What? He couldn’t understand if it was just a joke.

A day later he replied, No, just kidding about what I said, I think I’m having a crush on you!

She immediately replied. I thought I was the only one having this feeling.

From that moment things changed. He had never believed in distance relationships, but this was different.

At least once a day text messages kept them connected.

The essence was trust - knowing each other since tenth grade in Manus Secondary School before she transferred to Kokopo.

Radaz was not too far away.