Chapter Thirteen
Coconuts
I looked upward to the shifting clouds and listened to the crash of the waves for a moment. All that was missing from this idealic scene was the blue sky and the proverbial corona sitting in an ice bucket.
I glanced over to Colt, only Colt wasn’t there!
I abruptly lunged up to my feet and glanced around in panic. My hand rose to my chest as my panic abated at the sight of Colt approaching from down the beach. Introspectively I acknowledged how much I was falling for the big warrior without a cause.
There was something about Colt that seemed off and in concern I stepped out toward him, “What’s wrong Colt? What did you see?”
He shook his head and made to pass by me to grab up the pack, but I grabbed his shirt and he stopped. He glanced at me and then he really looked at me. I mean really looked at me.
“What?” I asked hesitantly.
He was slow to speak, “I’m worried that I won’t be able to protect you.”
The words came from deep down and I knew it cost him being the dominant macho type that he was to admit to such a weakness.
“I’m not worried.” I said softly.
“You’re not? Well you should be!”
He looked away and I pressed again, “What did you see Colt?”
His jaw muscles bunched for a moment before he spoke, “Do you remember that luxury cruise liner that we saw come down through the whirlpool with us?”
I nodded.
“Well I found it. It ran aground up ahead around that headland. I smelled something when we stopped here and I waited until you fell asleep before I went to investigate.”
His eyes came back to mine as he flatly said, “They’re all dead.”
“Pirates?” I asked somehow knowing.
“Looks like it.” He affirmed.
I could only imagine the grisly scene that he had come across, but it didn’t explain his reaction. He seemed unsettled on a far deeper level than this occurrence should have gotten him to.
“You were a soldier; surely you’ve seen such sights before?”
He sort of shrugged in agreement before saying, “It was pretty bad back there actually.”
I shook my head, “Were there women?”
He nodded.
“You’re imagining me in the hands of those pirates aren’t you?”
He nodded again and looked away.
I stepped closer and brought my hands up to his face to turn it to mine. He looked shocked.
“I’ve never felt safer in life than I have when I’ve been with you.”
His face was gripped by raw emotion, “I’ve never had anyone like you in my life. I don’t want to disappoint you!” He said with emotion.
My hands drifted down to his arms maintaining contact as I asked, “What makes you think you’ll disappoint me?”
He shook his head and broke my hold on him. He stooped down and picked up the pack and then with a hand to my shoulder he directed me into the jungle.
“Looks like the jungle just got to be the safer of the two travel options available to us.” He said cryptically.
I swallowed as I stepped forward into the heavy vegetation. That wasn’t saying much in terms of safety.
*****
“Do you believe in God, Colt?” I asked, as I leaned back against a tree resting for a moment.
Colt looked at me and shrugged as if to indicate he really didn’t have a position on it.
“I do.” I said confidently.
“Why?” He asked directly.
My reasons weren’t ones that I could easily put words to, but they were still there and perhaps I had built up some faith. Despite my best intentions however all that came out was, “I just do.”
He snorted derisively and said, “I have my reasons.”
“Reasons for what?”
“Reasons for being mad at God!” He said vehemently and then he gave me a look as if daring me to speak further on the matter.
I wasn’t to be intimidated though, “Well if you’re mad then that means you still believe He exists.”
Colt came away from the tree that he had been leaning against and approached me threateningly. It was hard to stand my ground, but I did. It was apparent that I had made him very angry.
“Who are you to question me about how I feel about God? It’s a little like the kettle calling the pot black don’t you think?”
I knew what he meant and the pain I felt at his betrayal of the trust I had instilled in him to share my story had my hand connecting hard against the side of his face in an openhanded slap. No sooner had I slapped him than I took off running.
“Kim! Kim, I’m sorry! Stop!!!”
I didn’t stop and before long I couldn’t even hear his voice anymore. I’d managed to lose him, which was just fine!
I didn’t need him!
I brushed at the tears running down my face and kept running. Some things never change.
*****
Several hours had gone by and I had worked through my anger, my hurt, if you will and I was ready to admit that running off instead of pursuing communication had been a mistake. He’d said the wrong thing, but then I admittedly had been pressing him on a sore point.
I’d been out of line with the slap, but I’d reacted out of hurt because…… because I’d grown rather close to Colt and it had especially hurt to hear my past brought up against me by him of all people.
I glanced around the jungle environment and not for the first time I admitted to myself how much I wished that he was here.
I heard waves. I was near a beach again?
I was pretty sure that I hadn’t gotten turned around when I’d run away from Colt, but that I had more or less run in a straight line. The only explanation for the sound of water was that this was an island or that the landmass was unusually thin here.
Within ten minutes I made my way to the jungle’s edge. I’d approached the edge with caution, because I’d heard activity and the last thing I wanted was to end up being caught by pirates.
Peering through the foliage I saw that I had stumbled upon a natural harbor. A harbor with ships in it. Big ships at that and they weren’t pirate ships. It was a navy of some kind!
I stepped out of the jungle onto the beach. I walked toward the water debating about what to do.
Something caught my eye down the beach and I saw men in the uniforms of sailors further down its expanse. I raised my hand to wave and I was even about to yell to get their attention, when something slammed into me knocking me to the sand.
The attacking force was that of a man of that much I was sure. I actually felt a momentary relief that it wasn’t a dinosaur or some other meat eating beast.
I bit into the hand across my face as I struggled to break free of the oppressive clasp of my unknown assailant. At almost the same moment as I saw the dark curly hairs on the backs of the fingers that I was biting I also smelled him.
I abruptly stopped biting and completely relaxed from my struggle to be free, as I realized that it was Colt that held me. Why had he attacked me like this?
No words seemed to be forthcoming from him as he continued to hold me completely immobile. Was he still mad at me?
He was modulating his breathing to shallow rasps for air and instinctively I matched his breathing.
What was going on?
What had I missed that Colt thought was cause for danger?
Where we lay on the beach was behind a blown down palm tree, but I could partially see under the downed tree at one spot. The sailors I had seen and had been about to call out to had come closer to us.
They had rifles, but there was nothing odd about that to my way of thinking. What was Colt so worked up about?
I saw it then and my eyes about bugged out of my head at the implications. I must’ve made some movement then, because Colt’s grip on me tightened reflexively.
I think I stopped breathing as a sailor glanced directly at the spot that we were hiding in. Could he see us?
The sailor drew closer, which only served to underscore what I had missed upon first perusal. What an idiot I had been!
I’d gotten us killed this time.
The sailor came closer still and I closed my eyes in expectation of a cry of alarm being sent out to the others. Time went by and I opened my eyes only to see the sailor headed back down the beach to join up with the others of the shore party, who were loading into a pontoon boat of sorts.
A couple of the sailors had turtles under their arms, which explained their trip to shore. Colt and I stayed absolutely motionless as the outboard motor of the pontoon boat took off with a whine. The boat headed out into the bay where five other bigger ships were moored at anchor.
Colt’s hold on me loosened and he took his hand away from my mouth. I could still see my tooth impressions on his big fingers. I winced at the sight of that.
I’d only dug myself in deeper. First I’d slapped him, then I’d run away, and now I’d bitten him to the point of drawling blood. I deserved to be spanked.
I couldn’t even begin to express how relieved I was to be back with Colt. His words and the meaning behind them had hurt but they weren’t enough to send me away for good.
I eased over onto my back in the sand as Colt stayed over top of me staring out at the retreating boat. I closed my eyes. Sometimes it could be said of me that I acted before thinking and this whole episode was living evidence of my occasional weakness.
Yes, the men had been sailors. Sailors belonging to a navy, but not just any navy, the Japanese Navy. It wasn’t a modern Japanese fleet either. There caps had been emblazoned with the image of a rising sun insignia that I’d seen on more than one World War II classic war movie.
I opened my eyes and stared up at Colt as he continued to stay over me in full guard mode. The ships in the harbor were weighing anchor and leaving one by one.
“How is that even possible Colt?
He shook his head, “I have no idea. This place only gets stranger and stranger.”
He looked down at me and before he even spoke I could see the worried tension that his face was rife with. He was going to apologize all over himself again and that wasn’t right.
My fingers pressed against his mouth to halt the continued apology that I felt was forthcoming.
It was me that spoke first, “I’m sorry! I was digging too much into your past and while your words were hurtful I overreacted and I’m sorry that I ran away and even more that I slapped you! I forgive you for what you said that was hurtful. Will you forgive me for my part?”
He nodded looking relieved.
I was relieved to. This man had never stopped from being of help to me or saving my life since I’d been in this inner realm. I winced as I caught sight of his bitten fingers again.
“You can bite me back if you want.” I offered.
His dark eyebrows rose and I began to quickly lament my offer. He wasn’t actually going to bite me was he?
His eyes had a twinkle to them as he said, “Later.”
My face was red hot and I glanced away to the tune of his deep chuckle.
He rose and took my hand and tugged me forward, “Come on I see something that might be of service to us.”
He led me up to the jungle’s edge, but then let go of my hand as he began to tug on something hidden in the tangled shrubbery. It was a boat!
The boat was a native dugout with a crudely fashioned outrigger. Colt seemed unusually excited over the discovery. I stared at the boat not understanding what could be of any significance about it.
Colt sighed and said, “Natives built this. There are no natives on this island. Everything about this place is hostile so somewhere out there are more islands. Islands with natives, who you look like ethnically. Who knows you may even have a few distantly related cousins living around here. We could use some help for sure and I think this is a good opportunity for us to find it.”
I put my hand on my hip and cocked my head to the side and said, “Did it ever cross your mind that they might be cannibals?”
“You got a better idea honey?” Was his laconic response.
I didn’t actually and so I remained silent.
“Can you still speak Polynesian?”
I nodded bitterly, “I’ll never forget it.”
Somewhat surprised I felt Colt’s finger stroke across my cheek only to hear him say, “Sometime you’re going to have to tell me what that look on your face is all about.”
I glanced at him speculatively, “Only if you tell me what causes you to be moody and that dates back to your past.”
Surprisingly he nodded and I felt like we’d just made a huge step forward as a couple. I helped him pull the dugout to the beach and after Colt had thrown a boatload of coconuts on board he shoved the boat into the surf.
It was hard going for a while, but we eventually made it out into the open ocean.
I held up a coconut and got his attention.
“Did I ever tell you that I hate the taste of coconut in all of its forms?”
He smirked, but didn’t say anything. Sourly I tossed the coconut back onto the pile and stared out at the sea moodily.
I pointed off to the right and said, “Head that way.”
“Why?” Colt asked curiously.
I looked at him and pointed again in the direction I had indicated. He dutifully turned the dugout to line up with the course I had given.
“You think there’s land out there?” He asked skeptically.
“I know there is.”
“How?” He asked puzzled.
“I feel it.”
He gave me an odd look, but I didn’t elaborate any further. I’d never been so sure of an instinctive guess as I was right now.
*****
I was sick of coconuts. Fortunately our time at sea was coming to an end.
The beach before us was crowded with people. My ancestral people and yet they weren’t. I looked like them, but that was about where the similarities ended.
I had left this culture behind a long time ago and yet it was as if I’d stepped into my childhood once more.
I stepped free of the dugout and made my way towards the headman.
Everyone was smiling and appeared happy to see us. Old memories assailed me and I was almost overcome by them for a moment.
The language they spoke other than a few changes was the same as I had grown up with and I conversed fluently with the headman, who turned out to be the chief of the whole island. The headman was thoroughly helpful about many things and I could tell that Colt was growing anxious to know what I did.
Finally conversation was at an agreeable halt and I turned to Colt. He was looking around with a wry expression, but when my point of focus shifted to him his eyes swiveled to mine and he asked, “Just tell me we’re not for dinner.”
My smile widened, “No we are not, but we are invited to a special feast in our honor. They don’t get many visitors who speak their language and they are more than glad to help and give us a place to stay. Come, the headman has given us free range of the island. He says that there are no dinosaurs on the island.” I gestured to the dim outline of another island that lay along the distant horizon, “That one however is another story.”
Colt followed along behind me as our smiling entourage kept pace with us. They were especially interested with Colt. They seemed interested in his hairiness. They kept reaching out to feel his arms.
“Can you tell these dudes to back off from the whole touching business? Where I come from dudes don’t touch other dudes.”
I said something and the gathered men laughed, but they did stop the touching.
It was several hours to the feast that was being held in our honor and I made good use of it by showing Colt a look into the past of my people that had changed very little down here in this sunken inner world. All in all Colt seemed to be quite fascinated by the historical cultural display going on all around us.
We were having a good time when suddenly I saw Colt’s face clamp tight with displeasure and I quickly turned to see what had aroused his anger. Old memories came back to me as I took in the sight of the girl that couldn’t be older than ten or eleven on her knees pleasuring an older man. The scene of carnality was unabashedly out in the open for all to see.
Colt glanced at me and started to say something, but I cut him off, “Colt this isn’t your western civilized culture. Things are different among the island people. They are far looser and more easy going than your western culture with its heavy Christian accents would have them to be. Here it is nothing to sleep with another man’s wife or for a father to sleep with a daughter. The man is likely the girl’s grandfather. Such things are expected as a sign of respect.”
Still looking disgusted Colt said, “I don’t care! That shouldn’t be happening island culture tradition or not!”
I was quick to reply, “I wholeheartedly agree with you, but our purpose here isn’t likely to change anything in terms of how they have lived for thousands of years.”
Colt was looking at me speculatively all of a sudden and I knew what he was going to ask even before I heard the words.
“Did you?” Colt asked as he pointed to the girl.
“My uncle, but that is all that happened.” I said feeling embarrassed by the admonition that it had once been me as a girl over there on my knees.
“I’m sorry.”
I glanced back to Colt in surprise, “Why are you sorry?”
“No little girl should ever be made to do that, cultural sign of respect or not.”
I shrugged and turned away feeling oddly touched inside by his statement. Colt was different. How few men there must be surely that when presented with an island culture such as this would stick to an outdated sense of morality and refuse the easy pleasure that could be theirs for the taking.
Colt had but to make a gesture of interest to a girl or one of the many grown women casting greedy covetous looks at him and he’d have several of them on their knees before him. Inside I felt an alarming new found awareness of the man I had been matched up with. Such a thing was not in him to do. He was not at his heart of hearts a man that was ruled by his lusts.
I glanced at Colt and to his surprise I reached forward and took his hand. I led him off to see more of the island, which thankfully passed by uneventfully. I never let go of his hand.