Chapter 18

Earth time: 1:36 AM Saturday, June 16, 2012

Aina time: 9:31 PM day 41 of 1410 (last day of the first week of summer Makua)

"Lois! Are you still working? It's so late! The sun set two hours ago."

"Hi, Kalea! Yeah, I've been looking over some of the latest data from the gene sequencers. I guess I wasn't paying attention to the time... What do you have there?"

"A wine cooler! Want to try some? Kiana and Kahoku built a heat-pump in the machine shop as part of their class project, and it makes great ice-cubes out the back end!"

"Sure! Thanks..."

Kalea poured Lois a glass, and Lois sipped the fresh wine and juice. Kalea walked behind her and put her hands on her shoulders. "My gosh Lois! You are so tense!" Kalea started to massage the muscles in Lois's shoulders. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Sure! What?"

"I was speaking to Kahoku last month. He's my nephew, my elder sister's child. He said Kiana petted his feet. She's committed to him."

"Oh, good for him! I know Kiana. She's a wonderful girl! Ah, poor Mayoni. I know she was interested in Kahoku too."

"Well, Kahoku still has two seasons to make up his mind. Remember with the Hopewell, the girl commits first..."

Lois sighed and tried to relax as she enjoyed the kneading of her neck and shoulders. "Ah, that feels great... So, what brings you to the science-lab at this time of night?"

"You, actually. I wanted to ask you something. But you weren't in your hut. I thought I'd find you here. Is that a cot by your other desk? Do you sleep here?"

"Well... sometimes..."

"Lois, I know you get enough physical exercise, but you should try to rest your mind sometimes too... Get out of here more often... And you're still so stiff! How about you lie down on your cot and I'll give you a back rub? Like I used to on Earth..."

"Wow! That sounds wonderful. Okay!"

Lois went over and lay down on the cot, but instead of rubbing her back, Kalea started to take off Lois's shoes and socks. "Lois, I used rub your back over a nightgown, not over jeans and a belt. Okay if I take these off?" Kalea tugged on Lois's jeans.

"Uh, okay I guess..."

Lois raised her hips to let Kalea unbuckle her and slide her jeans off. Lois felt just a bit uneasy lying there with bare legs and simple white panties, but then Kalea got up and closed the door and returned with a blanket to cover her legs and hips. Lois was soon sighing in enjoyment as Kalea's expert fingers worked the muscles in her back. She felt Kalea lift up the back of her shirt and unclasp her bra, and realized she didn't mind at all. "Wow... This brings back so many memories... February 8, 2010... I think it was after four in the morning when we finally got to my parent's house... I was feeling so guilty, dragging you out of Aina to help me get home... Oh that feels so good! Right there in the lower back..."

"It was my choice, Lois. You didn't drag me."

"I was so exhausted. Helping Kau'i deliver through her long labor, the frantic bike-ride to the transfer station, hiking through all the snow after the blizzard in West Virginia... I thought I would crash as soon as we hit the house, but then we learned of the plague from my parents... What a nightmare!"

"Yeah..."

"And no way to warn Aina or Kara. I was so depressed... I think I spent the next two months just chopping fire wood..."

Kalea lightly caressed the back of Lois's thigh for a moment, before returning to rubbing her back. "You made a fearsome pile, I'll say that..."

Lois sighed, feeling her body relax as Kalea's fingers worked the tension out of her muscles. "Oh, that feels nice! It brings back so many memories. You would come and rub my back at night, after my parents were asleep. You tried to cheer me up... help me to heal... You were such an optimist! Even by mid-April, when I was sure Kara was dead... I was so depressed... I don't think I ever thanked you, for how much you helped me..."

"We helped each other Lois. I needed someone to bare my soul to, over how I had mistreated Hiapo and Tal... I had been unfaithful to them... You were a great listener, and my moral compass... You were exactly what I needed, someone who was both honest and kind. I think you saved my marriage. I owe you a life debt."

Lois just grunted and was silent for a while, enjoying the relaxing massage. She finally cleared her throat and said, "So Kalea, how was your day?"

"Pretty eventful. I'll tell you in a bit. How was yours?"

"Really busy. I'm putting my new batch of medical students through a series of exams. They're so smart! I'm finding it difficult to challenge them. And Anapela has some new ideas on how to approach analysis of the X-tree lifeforms. I'm trying to understand her reasoning... Oh, right there, yes, right down on the hip bones. This feels fabulous... I also talked to the expedition briefly, about an hour ago. They're still in the gorge..."

"Still? It's been nine days since their encounter with the sunflowers..."

"I know, and I'm anxious to get a hold of their sample too! But Mark and Kara wanted to do a bit more exploring in the maze. They said it's so fantastically complicated they're beginning to think the whole maze might be an artificial construct! Isn't that amazing? They found one dead-end in which a huge river dumps into a small lake. One gigantic whirlpool. Mark thinks it might be the continent's main drain to the ocean. He said the noise was tremendous... A bit dangerous too. He said the suction was unreal... Mark named the place Lake Mayoni, since the name means running water. He said his daughter laughed for an hour... We also tried out the link from Mayoni's digital camera to the digital short-wave. It worked fine. I have two pictures of the solar tower to show you... Ah, your fingers are magic, dear Kalea... I also got a chance to wish Mayoni a happy birthday..."

"Huh?"

"She turned 18 in Earth years... about two hours ago I think... So Kalea, what's up with you?"

"Ah yes, I should tell you. It's Hiapo. He asked me to be his * hana * lua * "

Lois was silent for a moment, and then gasped. "Wow! Hiapo's getting the hots for another woman? And he wants you to set up the first date?!"

"Well, crudely put, but essentially correct."

"Isn't he a little old for the girls in the marriage class?"

"Age isn't an issue Lois..."

"Well... okay..."

"And it's not really for more sex either... Though he does find her very attractive. The sexual interest is certainly there. But I think Hiapo is mostly thinking about companionship..."

"So he wants you to set up a date?"

"Yes."

Lois shook her head. "Why doesn't he just ask her himself? Is he embarrassed to be raiding the cradle?"

"No... He's not embarrassed... He is a little shy... And I know her better than Hiapo does. He thought this would be a better way..."

"Well, I guess. Asking your own wife to set you up with a date! These polygamous marriages seem so strange to me! Bizarre!"

"Bizarre? Really?"

"Really... Wait! What does your sister-wife think of all this?"

"Tal? She's good friends with Hiapo's interest. She's thrilled with the idea. I guess I am too..."

"She is? You are too? Oh gee Kalea... I was out of line. I need to apologize. It's not my place to criticize your morals or marriage customs..."

"Apology accepted!" and in the spur of the moment, Kalea pulled the blanket down from Lois's hips and kissed her butt through the cotton panties.

Lois blinked in surprise. "Whoa! What was that all about?!"

"I'm supposed to kiss your cheek when I accept you apology!"

"Huh? Oh! Ha! Very funny..." Lois sighed and returned to enjoying the massage. "So Hiapo wants another wife... Who's the lucky girl?"

"Lois..."

"Yeah? What?"

"No, I mean the name of the lucky girl is Lois."

Lois remained motionless for a moment, but Kalea's fingers sensed the spasm as the shock of realization swept through Lois's body. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Well of course. No one would joke about such an intimate matter as this..."

The two drifted into a long period of silence. Kalea continued to knead the muscles in Lois's back. Eventually Kalea said, "If I had a penny, I'd exchange it for your thoughts..."