Chapter 227: Michael and the Ring

Tuesday, August 3, 1971

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Sandy cooed in my ear.

I mumbled something unintelligible and turned over, pulling the pillow over my head.

“Everybody is meeting in the dining room for breakfast,” Sandy added. “Don’t you want something to eat before we go?”

“Go?” I thought, her words causing something in my memory to tickle the surface of my barely functioning consciousness.

“We thought you’d like to see everyone off this morning,” Hanna called from the bathroom.

“Off?” I asked still mostly asleep.

“Yeah. Mom, Dad, Jimmy, and Aunt Melanie are going back home. So are all your cousins,” she told me.

“But I was going back to the cave this morning,” I cried.

“You’re so silly. We have to go say goodbye to our families,” Hanna said.

“I’m never going to get back to the cave! I thought as I turned over and buried my head under the pillow again.

“Good ‘orning, Mik-hell,” Adriana told me aloud as I entered the dining area.

“Good morning,” I replied, a little surprised to hear how much better she sounded. “Your diction is really improving!”

“She’s doing so much better,” Vickie said with pride in her voice. “Do you want me to get you some breakfast?”

“I’ll get it,” I replied as I started down the breakfast buffet. I had never seen the kitchen in the Royal Residence. It seemed like every time I came to eat, the food was already there. It was almost like a perpetual buffet of fruits and pastries as well as seafood dishes fixed a dozen different ways. Never a big fish-food person, I found myself liking almost all of the different ways they had of preparing and serving seafood on Tapato. The trick, I discovered, was never to ask what it was, or how it was prepared.

I could sense the sadness in my cousins at their impending departure. Did I tell you I hated goodbyes?

“We really don’t want to go,” Julie said as I sat down between her and Jenny, “but we have cheer-practice starting and we have to be there.”

“That’s okay; we’ll all be home in a couple of weeks or so. Just as soon as the deal with the State Department is finished,” I replied.

“But we’re going to miss you!” Jenny whined.

“And I’ll miss you too,” I replied. “But it won’t be long until we’re all back in Tennessee.”

And so it went as I bid all my cousins goodbye. When Jessica came in carrying her bags, I panicked for a moment.

“I don’t want to leave paradise,” she told me sadly, “But if your, ... er, OUR new home is ever going to get finished, I have to get back. I’ll miss you all, but it won’t be long and will give me the chance to work on it without being distracted.”

Mikeya had arranged a large bus-like vehicle with bench seats and no sides to ferry us out to the airport. I ended up next to Hanna and her folks.

“Thanks for coming,” I told Robert just as we pulled into the airport.

“Cindy and I want to thank you for all you did,” he replied. “And all three of us appreciate your understanding.” Then he grabbed their suitcases and started into the terminal. When he reached the door, he held it for Melanie and Cindy, and then turning to me he added, “And make sure you take very good care of my little girls!”

Hanna just smiled as we followed them into the terminal. When they announced their flight, Randi, Julie, Jenny, Candy, Mandy, and their moms, exchanged tearful goodbyes. Hanna’s family all hugged us as they said their goodbyes as well. Then we stood at the window as their plane started down the taxiway. Hanna hugged my left side while Sandy clung to my right arm as we watched the TWA flight take off.

“Now can we go check out the cave?” I asked no one in particular.

Kalani and Mikeya left the bus in Manatiku pleading too much to do to get ready for the State Department’s arrival this coming weekend. Catherine departed claiming she had to send a couple of cables. Of course, David went with her, but he asked Beth if she would help Kip, Karla, and Luisa ride herd on us.

Kathy Lynn got off explaining that Sunny was going to need a nap soon and Ivana and Trealyn also got off, over Trealyn’s very vocal objections.

That left twenty of us plus my four-security people to get over to Teramisili. Since Anna had become pregnant with our twins, I had quit thinking of her as part of my security detail, even if she was carrying her automatic with her this morning. But for the life of me, I couldn’t see why all of the girls were so set on exploring a musty old cavern with Kip and me.

“We wouldn’t dare miss it!” Abby giggled when she sensed my thoughts. “Not after everything that Anna and Sandy told us about the one in Colorado!”

“So ... that’s why none of the girls spoke up and offered to watch her,” I thought to myself, remembering how Trealyn had begged to be allowed to come along. Then I rolled my eyes and let out a faux sigh. “I may not make it out of there alive if that’s what all of you are expecting!”

“You’ve never let us down,” Izzy chimed in.

“This is probably a foolish question...” I started, “ ... but how are we going to get all of us over to Teramisili?”

“Papa has taken care of it,” Ileana said when she sensed my concern.

Sure enough, Ha’tu met us at the dock and led us out to one of Tapato’s two naval vessels, an eighty-six-foot British motor launch that had been converted for cargo and passenger transport among the islands. Standing next to the gangplank was Gerald, who extended his arm in the style of Tapatoan military men.

“Welcome, Pele Solakanali,” he said with a respectful bow. “Thank you for allowing us to escort you.”

The other four members of the Royal Guard stood straight as they saluted. They were the same four warriors that had challenged me last week. I nodded to them and looked at Ileana questioningly.

“Mother was worried about the pirates,” she thought back to me.

“I am honored,” I said to Gerald, then waved my hand to indicate that he should lead the way.

Once we were all on board, several men, shirtless and wearing knee-length dungarees, undid the lines and then the boat’s captain smoothly propelled us away from the dock.

I was offered a seat with the others, but declined and made my way aft to a raised platform where a uniformed officer was standing beside a similarly uniformed helmsman. The officer immediately snapped to attention, but I waved him off as I offered my hand.

“I’m Michael. Dow-a no-bei-con-o la’kawa English?” I asked, using the phrase I had learned to find out if someone could speak English.

“I am Gaashewana, but my friends call me Gash. And yes, I speak English, your highness,” he replied.

I had become so used to not scanning the Tapatoan natives because I could rarely understand their thoughts, that I was surprised when he answered me in such perfect English.

“It’s Michael,” I replied automatically. “And your English sounds very American.”

“San Diego State College, Class of ‘67,” he explained proudly. “Bachelor’s degree in accounting.”

“Accounting?” I asked. “Then how in the world did you end up in the Tapatoan Navy?”

“My mother is Tapatoan. My father was from California. He was stationed here briefly in ‘44 and fell in love with my mom. Then after the war, he came back and married my mom. Growing up, we had a small sailboat that Dad taught me to sail. I guess I never got over my love of the sea,” he explained.

The trip to Teramisili took over an hour and Gash spent the time telling me about growing up on Tapato and sailing throughout the entire archipelago.

“Have you always had a problem with pirates?” I asked.

“Not really,” he replied, pausing to give his helmsman some instructions in Tapatoan before resuming. “My grandfather used to tell me stories of pirates back before the war, but they rarely came this far south and east. Their ships were not large enough to cross the Pacific this far and not as many easy pickings around here back then. But lately, they seem to be getting their hands on larger and better equipped ships. And as our tourism grows, they have more reasons to come this way.”

“Have they raided any of the islands yet?” I asked.

“Not yet. But I believe it’s only a matter of time because we have little to offer in the way of resistance. For now though, they seem to be targeting the fancy private yachts that have begun to frequent the new resorts on Tapato and Hafu.”

“And there’s nothing we can do about it?” I asked.

“Your Highness, you are standing on one of the only two naval vessels in the islands. And the only armament we have is that antiquated 50 caliber machine gun left over from the war. I’m not even sure we can still buy shells for the damned thing!” Gash said with disdain.

As I made my way back to the rest of my family, I made a mental note to discuss the problem with Kip. I wasn’t sure I wanted the Foundation to get into the business of equipping a navy, but we needed to do something about defending the people of Tapato.

The pier on Teramisili was in sight when Gash came forward to where we were sitting.

“I’m not going to be able to stay here,” he told us. “We’ve received a distress call. Pirates are trying to board a yacht.”

“Of course,” I told him. Then as an afterthought I added. “Why don’t you take Gerald and the four Royal Guards with you?”

“But we are supposed to protect his highness,” Gerald spoke up.

I just looked at him for a moment. His face was funny as he realized that he was thinking he needed to protect a god. Captain Gash was watching us very closely and suspected that something was going on, but couldn’t quite figure it out.

“We will go with the Captain,” Gerald finally sighed.

The old stone wharf was deserted but I could detect signs of recent activity around the pearl harvest shed. I noticed Kip and Karla were busily checking out the few buildings as Gerald waved us a sad goodbye. I quickly scanned and gave Kip the all clear.

For several in my family, this was their first visit to Teramisili and I heard Ileana explaining how it was just one of the many small islands that make up the archipelago that is Tapato.

“During the harvest season, some pearl divers work out of here,” Ileana said. “But mostly, the island is used as a burial ground.”

“Does anyone live here, like all the time?” Eve asked.

“A priestess lives on the mountain to our north. It has a small amount of tillable land, and fresh water. Some of you met her the last time we were here. She and her family watch over the island and assist the pearl divers in the harvest. They also keep up the two small warehouses down at the pier and conduct funerals when they are needed.”

“Only one family lives on this whole island?” Rose asked.

“You’ll understand better when we actually get to the Marae. You’ll see that the southern part of the island is one big, flat, barren, rock, with no sign of vegetation anywhere. And since it’s only fifty feet above sea level, it’s constantly battered by the winds and the waves. No one could possibly live there,” Ileana continued her travelogue, as we began our hike towards the southern end of the island.

“That sounds pretty bleak,” Rachael noted.

“I’m sure it can seem that way to others, but actually, Teramisili is a holy place. Its name does not translate well, but the closest translation would be ’Tremor of Souls’. For more than eleven hundred years, it has been the burial grounds of our people,” she explained. “Our holy women would come here to prepare the body, and then in a sacred ceremony, it would be burned. Then the priestess would gather the ashes and inter them in crevices and small holes hewn out of the rock. Or sometimes, if the family wished, they would scatter the ashes to the sea. It is said that the spirits of those who are buried here can use the great Kalanapoi to safely cross the waters to the Golden Isle. The Isle of peace and tranquility.”

“What is this great ka-lana-whatever?” Izzy asked.

“Hmmm ... I guess you could call it the spirit of the islands, or some might say, our love for our islands. It is difficult to explain in your language, but it is sort of the culmination of all the spirits of all the people who live on the islands, as well as the spirits of everyone who has ever lived here. My mother, and my mother’s mother, and all those before her were charged with protecting this spirit of the islands. It is their most sacred trust. For without the Kalanapoi, no one could ever reach the Golden Isle.”