Retribution
Chapter 2
The autumn afternoon brought with it the most soothing
warmth Levi could have imagined. The golden rays washed over
his body as he sprawled in an old rickety bamboo rocker. An
exquisitely woven piece of furniture willed to him by his late
makuahine, who had been his well of endless hope while she lived.
Through all the days of his boyhood growing up on the wide open
ranges of Malu she had been his strength. Sadness filled his eyes
as sweet memories carried him back to the days of his youth when
mother had been the great strength of his existence.
The lilikoi wine spread it’s warmth through his heaving
chest as he sank deeper and deeper into memory.
. . .
He saw his brother Kalani. Older and seemingly wiser was
this tall, lean boy that he idolized. The ease with which he
progressed through each day made Levi marvel and smile. He’d of
done anything for Kalani who was so much like a man at such a
tender age, but then, their makuakane had died so young, leaving
his wife widowed and his sons fatherless. Levi felt some anger
toward his father for leaving them so soon. At that young age he
could not understand why his father had gone and died. He
blamed him for the grief he suffered, the same as any loved-one
left behind blames those who leave us with such untimely grace.
Only time had eased the emptiness that had gnawed at those tender
years. A time of happiness that he felt cheated out of. A time
when he was powerless to fight back.
. . .
The sudden high pitched screech of an Io (Hawk) exploded
overhead and Levi was thankfully wrenched from the unpleasant
digressions that had swallowed his thoughts. Pulled back from the
hugging grasp of his youthful memories. His gaze turned skyward
and he immediately saw the source of the disturbance. He smiled
with instant recognition.
“Lani!” he called as he bellowed a sound remarkably
similar to the great bird’s own screech. “Come Lani,” he
beckoned, and the winged creature gracefully descended in a slow
wide arc, finally landing with a firm elegance upon the top post of
the wide verenda’s ohia railing.
“It’s good to see you my frined,” Levi uttered softly, the
magnificent bird nodding and chirping in short clipped resonance.
And Levi knew his greeting had been reciprocated. Both sat for
sometime in complete and satisfied silence, the other’s company
enough to content them both without the need for further verbal
communications.
Lani had flapped over to the rocker’s side arm and perched
silently as Levi slowly rocked in the glow of the aging day.
Storm had named this wild creature Lani, meaning Sky. Of
course he knew the giving of a name held no significance for the
creature, but he had a need to call his aikane (friend) something.
Besides, the name seemed appropriate. Levi shrugged and settled
heavily into his swaying chair, Lani perched steadfast at his side.
. . .
Hours before the falling of night, back down at sea level,
Neki and his new charge, who’s name was Ilish Downs, found
themselves sitting under the flimsy confines of a tin-roof cafe, for
lack of a better description, although the description is fairly
accurate.
The establishment actually consisted of two sides, a back,
and the standard corrugation tin roof, which had an overhang twice
again the depth of the shed. This gave it the look of a beach-bar,
complete with the customary chest high bar-counter with wooden
stools standing tenuously along it’s entire length, two of which
were presently occupied by Ilish and Neki. Beyond the bar lay the
wooden lanai (patio) area that spread out under the extended
overhang, which at the moment roared with the splatter of
raindrops that cascaded down in a torrential downpour. Seemed to
thunder with even greater ferocity than did the locomotive, which
by the way, Ilish was extremely grateful to have escaped. Most
thankful was she toward Neki.
“I cannot begin to thank you enough sir,” she assured he
knight in shining leather. “For your bravery on my behalf. And
for saving me from the filthy clutches,” she shuddered repulsively,
“of that villainous fiend.” She raised her voice to painful heights
in order that she be heard over the thundering cloud burst.
Neki smiled and offered her some dried fish, which filled a
small wooden bowl that sat upon the well oiled bartop. “Have
some opelu,” he insisted. “It’s ono, or as you would say,
delicious.”
Ilish wrinkled her brow and held her delicate fingers to her
ample pink lips.
“It’s just dried mackerel,” Neki assured her. “Haven’t you
ever eaten mackerel before?”
“I should say not sir,” came her flustered reply.
Neki put the finger pinch of fish back into the bowl. “Why
do you keep calling me sir?” he asked expectantly.
“Why it’s the proper way for a young woman to address a
young man,” she assured him properly.
Neki threw his head back with a sniff. “My name is Neki,”
he said softly, leaning over the bowl of dried fish so as to bring his
face right up close to Ilish. “And that’s what I like to be called.
Because it’s my name. If my parents had wanted me to be called
sir, they would have named me so. Besides,” he continued with a
growing smirk. “If you keep calling me sir, everyone will think
that you belong to me. That you are my servant girl.” He eyed her
closely, measuring her reaction. It wasn’t long in coming.
“Your servant girl!” she repeated, her whisper filled with a
sudden anger. “How dare you!”
“I didn’t dare anything,” Neki complained. “I’m merely
trying to explain how the local mind works. You are a girl.”
“Indeed,” Ilish interrupted.
“Yes well...” Neki continued. “You are a girl indeed. A
woman in fact, and you insist on calling me sir. This would imply
to all locals, myself included, that you were in my employ. My
girl, my maid, my servant...Or whatever you would call it.” He
waved his hand dismissively.
“that’s absurd...!” Ilish began anew, but caught herself
before her voice became a roar. She took a deep breath, grabbing
at a piece of fish. She hoisted the ocean catch to her mouth in
frustration and cringed as the salty flesh filled her mouth. She
glanced at Neki and saw his smile stretching wide. In anger she
swallowed the interesting mouthful. She reached for and grasped a
cup of water that the barkeep had laid before her. She took a great
swig of the refreshing liquid, her emerald eyes softening after a
few moments.
“Forgive me,” she finally relented. “Here I owe you my
very life perhaps, and all I can do to repay your act of kindness and
bravery is to carry on like a wild woman.” Her flashing eyes held
such sincerity that Neki found himself touched by their innocent
glow.
“Don’t worry about it,” he replied, pinching a piece of fish
and swallowing it. “I am often tread upon as if I were a door mat.
Only useful for cleaning one’s foot upon.” He stared at Ilish. She
was so beautiful. Her red hair. Her green eyes. He wanted to
reach over and kiss away the troubled look he himself had just
caused to spread across her perfect face. “I’m just fooling with
you,” he finally smiled.
Ilish stared at him for a few silent moments. His hair was
so thick and black she thought. His brown eyes so wide and
loving. His hands so big and strong. And that smile, she thrilled,
was about to melt her heart.
“Y-You, I-I’m...Oh!, I just don’t know what to do with
you,” she fumed, the smile on her face wiping the anger away.
“Why don’t we just start again. As if this were the very first
moment we became aware of one another.”
“Fine with me,” he smiled. She melted a little more.
“Good!” she responded. “Then let me introduce myself.
Which in and of itself is a rather forward thing to do...But under
the circumstances...”
“Yes, do intorduce yourself. I would truly like to learn
your name so I might know what to call you. Besides, Servant
Girl,” he quipped playfully, pinching another load of fish from the
wooden bowl.
“Your impossible,” she giggled, her eyes sparkling like
luau torches reflecting off a shimmering lagoon. “My name is
Ilish Downs,” she offered shyly.
“Ilish...” Neki repeated softly. “I don’t think I’ve ever
heard such a name before.”
“I should think not,” she answered. “It is of Irish origins,
although I was born in America. Have you ever heard of Ireland
and the Irish?” she asked.
“I’m not an idiot!” Neki retorted sharply, his tone defensive
and wounded, immediately regretting the outburst. “I’m sorry,” he
professed. “I’m sure you have no doubt been filled to the top of
your head with tales about all the natives and savages running
about these islands. I cannot blame you for being ignorant of the
truth.”
“I did not mean to offend you,” she said tenderly. “I only
thought that...”
“That I, nor any of us savage natives could possibly have
any idea at all of the world the lies beyond our shores. That is the
way of the haole.”
After a moment of rather uncomfortable silence Ilish tried
again. “What’s a haole?” she inquired cautiously. “I’ve been
referred to as such on two occassions now and I’m growing rather
tired of my ignorance, which you have already established as one
of my non-virtues. So if you would be so kind as to lessen my
ignorance with an answer to my question I would be even more so
in your debt.”
Neki swallowed another pinch of fish. He glanced at the
bartender, a big round Hawaiian man with the biggest face Ilish
had ever seen. But a face possessing a smile as pleasant as the
early rise of dawn.
“Bring us some lilikoi wine,” Neki requested. “We’ll be
sitting over there.” He pointed toward a small table at the back of
the sandy floored lanai.
“I don’t think I should have any wine,” Ilish worried. “It
wouldn’t be proper for a young woman to partake in public.” Her
expression was absolutely sincere.
“Young ladies from your part of the world sure have a great
deal of improper behaviors to keep track of, don’t they?” Neki
inquired teasingly. He winked playfully as he took the two cups of
wine from the bartender, who had made them with such efficient
speed that here he was even before Neki and Ilish had sat
themselves down.
“Sit please,” Neki gestured as he nodded his thanks to the
retreating barkeep. He sat himself across from Ilish, his eyes
glancing for a moment at the lapping waters that nibbled at the
sandy shoreline just a few yards from where their table stood. The
salty breeze clung but was far from unpleasant. In fact it’s
heaviness was rather relaxing.
Neki immediately drained his cup and gestured for the
bartender to bring another. “Take a swallow,” he cajoled,
smacking his lips as he locked gazes with the beauty of Ilish. “The
taste and warmth of it will fill your chest.”
“Why sir!, I mean Neki...” Ilish flustered. “Such suggestive
words shall make me blush.” Her emerald eyes danced as she
began to enjoy the vibrant company of this most striking young
man. His easy manner was most alluring.
“But not improper I hope?” Neki pleaded. “If I, for
whatever reason, must endure another improper situation I shall be
forced to...to...” He looked out at the ocean. “Cast myself into the
arms of Moana Wai and never set foot upon dry land again.” He
shifted his gaze to Ilish, his infectious grin stretching wide. She
stared at him for a long moment, then took a sip of the sweet,
heavy wine, it’s warmth immediately filling her chest just as Neki
had promised.
“My...” she cooed. “But that is most delightful indeed.”
“Of course it is,” Neki agreed as he stood to take his
second cup of wine from the barkeep. “Thank you sir!” he
exclaimed. “And another for my most proper lady friend, if you
don’t mind.” He glanced at Ilish fully expecting an immediate
protest. There was none. The bartender had already turned,
heading for the bar in pursuit of more wine.
“Bring the whole skin,” Neki called after him, the barkeep
waving his hand in positive response.
“I really shouldn’t,” Ilish finally managed half-heartedly.
“What would father think of me?”
“I should like to hear more of your father. I do not
understand a man who would allow his daughter. His most
beautiful daughter.” Ilish blushed again. Was it because of the
compliment or perhaps the wine. Neki continued. “I cannot
understand how he could allow you to travel to such a remote,
although magnificent, place as our island. And by yourself no
less.”
“Fisrt of all,” Ilish instructed. “I’m a grown woman and
can make decisions for myself. Secondly...” she continued, her
voice rising ever so slightly as her sharply featured face took on a
reddish glow. “Secondly,” she repeated. “My poor father
passed-on two years ago.”
“I’m very sorry,” Neki offered immediately. “I didn’t
know. I had no idea.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Ilish smiled. “How could you have
known...”
“Stil,” Neki offered. “I’m very sorry.”
“Thank you,” she replied, eyes cast downward in quiet
reverence.
“Thirdly,” she exclaimed suddenly. Perhaps the wine
began to work it’s magic. “And thirdly,” she repeated again.
“Who are you anyway that you should feel compelled to question
the validity of my visit to this island of yours?” She took another
sip of wine, her eyes meeting those of Neki.
“I do no so much question it as thank the gods for it,” he
explained smoothly, his irresistable grin back in place across his
handsome face.
Ilish took a deep breath. This wonderfully brave and funny
man was sweeping her off her feet.
“Tuck that grin away,” she ordered with a quick smile of
her own, her eyes glinting with affection. “And tell me more about
this person. What did you call her, Moana Wai? This being into
who’s arms you wish to cast yourself.”
“Ah...” Neki moaned approvingly as the barkeep returned
with their skin of wine. “Just what we need,” he beamed. “Thank
you sir.” He took the skin and immediately refilled his glass and
moved to refill that which Ilish had surprizingly drained. To his
delight she did not protest.
“So..?” she prodded. “What of this Moana Wai?”
“Well,” he began, lowering the sloshing cup from his lips.
“To understand at all you must first know the english meaning of
the name Moana Wai.” He took another sip of wine, smacking his
lips noisily. Ilish smiled. “Moana is the ocean, and Wai is the
water. Ocean Water, you get it? That’s what Moana Wai is,
Ocean Water. But it’s all just a legend,” he concluded with a
dismissive wave of his hand.
“But I want to know the legend,” Ilish pleaded, grasping his
hand with her smooth, delicate fingers.
Chicken-Skin shimmied up his spine at her touch. It
excited every nerve ending in his body. He continued his
explanation after a moment of trembling bliss.
“Moana Wai is the goddess of the ocean water. She is said
to be a most beautiful temptress who can lure men, willingly, to
their deaths within the green blindness of her cold, cold depths.”
He had slowly leaned forward as he spoke and was now scantly an
inch away from pressing his lips to hers. Ilish did not back away,
her face flushing as red as her flaming hair.
“You...I, I mean she certainly could,” he replied
stutteringly.
“Could she then?” murmurred Ilish as their lips pressed
together, her green eyes closing in deep appreciation, shocks of
excitement racing through her body. The wine, the salt air, and
Neki’s magneficent presence all conspired toward the sickedness
surging deep inside her until she could take no more and broke
away with a startled gasp.
“I...”” she gasped as she stood, her hands clamping over her
mouth, her eyes flaring wide with utter despair. “I should never
have allowed such a thing to happen. Oh..., the improperness of it
all.”
“That’s it!” roared Neki as he stood and made for the sea.
“I’m casting myself...” he taunted. “I mean it. I’ve had all the
improperness I can stand.” He stopped and returned to the little
table where upon he lifted his still half full cup of lilikoi wine to
his lips and drained it dry. “There...” he sighed. “Now I’m
ready...” He turned toward the sea again.
“You are the most exasperating man I’ve ever met,” Ilish
complained. “Please sit down. You are causing a scene. It is
most improp..I mean,” she waved her hands apologetacally, “most
unseemly for us to be acting as we are. Especially in such a public
place.”
“Well...so long as it’s not improper I guess I could...” He
sat and refilled his glass. Ilish stood staring down at him. She had
truly never been in the company of a man whose manner was so
uninhibited. She was afraid it might rub-off on her, this free
willing spirit that Neki seemed to possess. And what scared the
most was the fact that she would not have cared. She could well
learn to embrace such an open and unhampered attitude. Of
course that gun he wore around his tapered waist did suggest
another, darker side to this man that se delighted her senses. And
how could she ever forget that truly dark soul aboard the train that
would surely have ravaged her or worse had it noe been for Neki.
She smiled at him sweetly and sat herself back down. Neki
instantly offered her more wine.
“No thank you,” she assured him. “No more wine for me.
Although it is the most delicious elixir I have ever tasted.” Her
eyes were still dancing with excitement.
“Do you still want to know about Moana Wai?” he asked.
“Not to mention that I’ve yet to explain what it means when
someone refers to you as a haole.” He paused for a moment his
eyes wandering playfully. “You do ask a lot of questions,” he
smiled, flashing sparkling white teeth.
“Tell me as we walk along the beach,” Ilish answered
suggestively as she stood and walked out of the lanai and onto the
soft hugging sand of Hilo Bay.
“Take off your shoes,” urged Neki as he called to her from
the bar where he paid the bartender, swinging the sloshing wine
skin over his shoulder. “It’ll make walking much easier.” He
rushed to catch up with Ilish.
All around them the seaside town stretched out in a cluster
of wooden and tin structures full of people haggling and laughing,
swearing, drinking, and of course fighting. Pilikia (trouble) was
the town’s unofficial name, it’s real name being Hilo of course.
Having been named after a famous polynesian navigator by the
mighty Ali’i of a bygone era. But it was Pilikia town that stuck,
mainly because of the rowdy bands of paniolo that rode in every
pay day, heading straight for her sandy shores when the cattle
drives had found their final destinations at the local slaughter
houses and docks at the far southern end of the town’s outer limits.
The saloons were plentiful. The brothels legendary for
their exotic offerings. And everywhere there was fish for sale.
Fish of every conceivable kind. Fresh fish, dried fish, salted fish,
spiced fish, raw fish, steamed fish. Fish, fish, fish...
The streets were filled with horses and wagons. Crying
children and their mothers gasps tangled in the gentle trades.
Merchants plying their wares. Palm tress swaying in the tropical
breezes like sentinels from another more peaceful time.
The sun had sliced through the clouds again and beamed
down over the bustling cow town. The ocean sparkled blue and
mighty canoes stroked past Neki and Ilish, just off shore, as they
walked together upon the beach, away from the pushing crowds in
the noisy market place.
“It’s strange,” Ilish offered, “how a day which I will
remember as one of the worse I have ever spent will also count as
one of the best.” She hels Neki’s gaze for a long moment.
“Memorable on any count,” she added, gathering her wind blown
strands of red hair and pulling them together at the back of her
head, deftly applying some kind of pinning device which Neki had
never seen before. She was even more beautiful in the fullness of
the bright sunshine.
“I regret only that my uncle was the first of my ohana to
cross your path.”
“If it had to be, in order that I meet you, then it was worth
it,” she replied shyly, her eyes sparkling in the beaming glow of
the breezy day.
“I would have thought such bluntness improper,” he teased,
his eyes fired by the compliment.
Ilish smiled her wonderful smile. “Inded,” she agreed.
“But I feel a freedom here I’ve never felt before. Maybe it’s the
warm weather. Or perhaps it’s being in your carefree presence.
Whatever it is, I like it. And I like you.” She twirled gracefully,
her bare toes carressing the nibbling grains of sand that massaged
between them. “I feel like a caged bird set free!” she proclaimed.
“And my first inclination as would be fiiting is to fly and fly and
fly!” She spun again as they walked slowly forward, her arms
flailing in a show of unbridled liberation. And for the first time
Neki noticed what she wore.
A long pink dress so perfectly cut to her exquisite shape
that every tantalizing curve could be admired. Not tight by any
means, was this garment, but it hung from her delicate frame like a
rippling skin. It dazzled him to see her in such glory. But there
was something else. The glory was tinged by a thin shroud of what
could only be described as sorrow. He could see it reflected in her
eyes. He soaked-in her strange melancholy beauty for a few more
moments before he forced himself to shake-off the prospect of her
pain. He didn’t want to deal with it at the moment. He just longed
to be with her. He broke away from the dark path and steered the
conversation and thus his thoughts to an earlier subject of
conversation.
“Moana Wai,” he began, intent on focussing on a subject
other than the pain he still saw lingering in her dancing emerald
eyes. “Moana Wai is said to have fled to the sea when her lover
was killed in a bloddy battle between warring camps of kane
warriors.” He took Ilish by the hand as they walked. She did not
object and a smile filled his face. He continued the tale. “Her
despair was so consuming that life held only agony in it’s cup of
existence, for her anyway. At least that’s what she thought, and
she wanted. No she craved death.” Ilish’s eyes widened as she
stared into Neki’s glowing brown windows of illumination. “She
actually prayed for the silent peace of death, so she could be with
her slain lover. But her beauty was an obstacle.” They went on for
a few steps without any further conversation, then Neki started
again, his eyes heavy with sorrow. This particular tale always did
this to him.
“You see,” he continued. “In our culture beauty hampers
the coming of the final rest. So much that is ugly lingers with no
relent in this world.” He flailed his arms as he sunk deeper into
the grip of the story. “And beauty. The kind that Moana Wai
possessed transcended the physical. Yes, physically she carried a
beauty as radiant as any star. But her true beauty went much
deeper than that. In fact her’s was a beauty that permeated to the
soul, and thus the gods forbade her death as they concluded her
goodness was needed on earth.”
“But they felt her pain and realized that mortal existence
would be to much for her to endure. And if forced to remain in her
present state, her beauty, inside and out, would manifest the pain
into ugliness, destroying yet more precious beauty.”
“So the gods, in their infinite wisdom, made her a goddess
and gave her dominion over the ocean. Although it is said that
sometimes, when she misses the land that she loved so dearly in
better times, that she ventures upon the solid earth in search of her
lost lover.” He fell silent for a long moment and watched as a
water spout lifted itself on the waters surface. “You see,” he
gestured. Ilish gasped as her eyes caught sight of the swirling
funnel of water. Neki chuckled playfully. “It’s only a water spout
spurred by the winds,” he laughed.
Ilish snaked her arm through his and held herself close to
his warm body, the bulging holster at his side nudging a little
reality back into the pleasant situation. But even it’s presence
seemed to add to the contentment of the moment. A contentment
that washed over Ilish, along with the sun and the breeze and the
salty shore. It was improper to feel this way this quickly about this
man that she hardly knew. That she knew not at all in fact. But in
the soothing afternoon sun she did not care.
End of first section of Chapter 2 (see homepage)
Unpublished Works © 1997 GJB
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