Gaia Girls Way of Water

by Lee Welles

  You have been to the bottom, you have seen how all water and all life revolves back through the sea. Tell me, Miho-san, how can we have dolphins or whales, if we don’t have the all the life that thrives in the deep? Wakarimashtaka—do you understand?”

  Miho looked out toward the horizon and saw there, the trawler, the boat engulfed by screeching gulls that she had seen while on her whale journey to New York. It was if her vision narrowed and zoomed in on that ugly ship. The nets that were being pulled onto deck had every conceivable form of ocean life caught and writhing within. The men on that ship were busy tossing most of it back over the rail.They plucked a few choice, market-worthy fish from the ill-gotten bounty and shoveled and tossed what had once been a riotous, living reef—including the ruined remains of what had once been a beautiful bull shark—back into the water.

  What used to be glorious and vibrant and full of life was broken and gone forever. Miho’s heart ached at the sight. She knew how vital the reef was and the sight of most of it being tossed away like garbage made her feel woozy and dizzy.

  Miho’s dream attention snapped back to the mermaid cove. But now, instead of her mother, a fat, furry sea otter sat in the chair. Gaia lifted her wide, whiskered face to Miho and said, “Miho-san, remember, the sea is my heart. Keep that in your heart as you meet the other three.”

  When Miho awoke, she sat on the edge of her futon, trying to put the words from the dream together with everything she knew. She could smell wonderful smells coming from the kitchen and could hear the clanging and banging of her uncle going from kitchen to table and back again. I should be glad he didn’t yank me from this dream to “Make breakfast!”

  When breakfast was over, Ojisan showed her the other surprise. It was a letter for Mr. Hernandez. Ojisan wanted him to come and help establish the Kiromoto Institute for Cetacean Studies. Miho thought that was an awesome idea! There were so many lags here and she could help him understand in a way he never could before.

  Miho giggled a little at Ojisan’s English writing. “Let me write this again,” she suggested. “I can write some in Spanish too; that’s his real language.”

  “You can speak Spanish?” Ojisan looked surprised.

  “Si, pocito. That means, Hai, a little bit.” She felt warm to her toes at the look of admiration that crossed her Oji’s face.

  “I go work now,” Ojisan said in English. She was amazed at the difference she felt hearing this now, as opposed to the first time she heard that statement in Nagoya. It now meant something very different. Ojisan was going to be the general in her army.

  Miho went to the beach and again, tried not to look at all the happy families enjoying the day. The waves were wonderful. An onshore breeze shaped them perfectly for body surfing. The ocean had been such a source of stress and worry; it felt good to just play.

  Miho was a master body surfer—especially now. She could anticipate the wave’s movement and adjust her body so that the maximum amount of energy was turned into a smooth ride to the beach.

  Miho noticed a girl and her little brother playing in the surf. They kept edging closer to where Miho came to shore. After one wave ride, Miho rose, smiled, and said hello to them. The girl said hello; the boy stared.

  “How do you do that so well?” the girl asked.

  “Mujo-kan,” was Miho’s reply. She used her toe to sketch the kanji in the sand at their feet. “You must feel the energy of the water and put yourself into the shape of the wave. Come on, I’ll show you!”

  The remainder of the morning, the three of them rode waves and dug holes and built fortresses in the sand. The summer sun pushed down on them, but the sea breeze came and lifted the heat off the sand and over Goza. Miho was happy.

  She met their mother, who was very nice and gave Miho some juice. The girl, Sakata, asked if she and her brother, Koji, could meet Sensei and learn Shodo too. Miho loved that idea! The classroom would feel more like a classroom if there were other kids in it.

  Sensei liked the idea too. In the classroom that afternoon, he told her that Mr. Masuaki would be coming to start the school back up. “But you will still be my Sensei, right?” Miho asked.

  “I will always be your Sensei. Even when I am gone, you will be able to look at my work and keep learning.” Miho chewed her bottom lip. She didn’t like to think of Sensei being gone. He laughed, “Not for a while yet, Miho-san. Now, keep working.”

  She turned back to the long roll of paper in front of her, consulted Sensei’s example, and bent back down with her brush. She lost herself in the ebb and flow of the brushstrokes and soon, her work was done. Sensei was pleased.

  She cleaned her tools and then helped Sensei back into the store, worrying because he needed both his walking stick and her arm to hold. She told Tomiko what Ojisan was planning. “Good!” Tomiko said, almost smiling, “that will mean more customers for the store.”

  Miho left her work to dry in the classroom and decided to go to the mermaid cove. She held her breath as she climbed over the rocks at the top. A little part of her wished that her mother would be there. But her mother wasn’t there. It was Gaia, whiskers twitching and dark eyes sparkling, who stood in the chair waving her front right paw. “Konnichiwa, Miho-san!” Gaia called in her high, dancing voice.

  “Konnichiwa, Gaia-san.”

  The slick otter slipped into the water and Miho took her place in the chair made from rock and relentless waves. Gaia rolled a few times and then stopped toes up. “An army, eh?”

  “Not like a bombs and guns kind of army. A…a…an army of understanding! So they can love the minds in the water too!” Miho hoped that was what her mother was trying to tell her in the dream. She also hoped her army would have some ideas about how to set up her next mission. Miho had her sights set on the bottom trawlers.

  “I knew I chose wisely.” Gaia’s pleased voice seemed to magnify every spark that leapt off every wave. “You have done well. Rest and enjoy the water as you did today. Soon enough you will meet the others; they will be the heart of your army!”

  Just as Miho was about to ask who these others were, the brown eyes and twitching whiskers were gone. Miho smiled, now knowing that was just Gaia’s way, to slip from the otter form that was easy to talk to, and once again become the soil and the sand, the wind and the water.

  After dinner, she presented her scroll to Ojisan. He smiled and read it out loud, “Kiromoto Center for Integrated Cetacean and Oceanic Research.” He looked at Miho with enough question to make him tilt his head a bit.

  Ojisan asked, “Why ‘Integrated Oceanic Research’?”

  “It’s all connected, Ojisan.” Miho said. She felt kinda old and wise, as if her mother or maybe Sensei or maybe even Gaia were helping her find the right words. “How can we help the dolphins if the world they live in is ruined? We can’t help them without looking to the deepest, darkest places. Wakarimashtaka?”

  “Hai.”

  AUTHOR’S THOUGHTS

  Writing the second book in the Gaia Girls Book Series has once again launched me into the fun, yet scary, task of developing a good mix of real vs. fantasy. I want the reader to know what is real and what I made up to serve the story.

  There is a lot about Japan that is real: O-bon, Shodo, Japanese words and phrases, and sadly, Oikomi—the dolphin hunts. In reality, the hunts happen from October-April. I placed them in the summer months to better fit the overarching Gaia Girls story. (Read Gaia Girls Enter the Earth to understand!)

  The sad reality is that approximately 23,000 small whales and dolphins die each year during Oikomi. The people who engage in these hunts argue that Oikomi is their cultural heritage and should continue. There are many reasons why I disagree. There are many human cultural practices that are no longer appropriate—slavery is a great example. Early on in America, the culture told a story in which only men could own land or be educated, hold office, or vote. I think that story has been found to be fiction! Never be afraid to question what history says is fact.

  Second
ly, even if you believe that dolphins have no more mental capacity than your typical beef cow, understand that the resulting “food” from Oikomi is poison. Some dolphin meat has tested 400 percent higher in toxins, such as mercury and PCBs, than what is considered safe for human consumption! It is amazing to me that Japan allows this to be fed to their citizens. The people of Japan will ultimately be the ones to eliminate the demand for dolphin meat and I believe they are moving in that direction. Thankfully, the demand for dolphin meat is on the decline.

  Sadly, the demand for live dolphins is increasing. Hotels and tourist destinations want “swim with dolphins” pools. Amusement parks of all kinds want dolphin attractions. I come from a bit of a zoo background and believe in the educational element of zoos, parks, and aquariums. However, I also believe that whales, dolphins, and porpoises are sentient beings like you and me. To pull them out of their natural, social state of living and force them into an amusement park setting is, in my mind, as cruel as slavery. I do believe that captive-born cetaceans can have a rich and fulfilling life when brought into excellent aquarium operations. They may even live longer in aquariums than they do in the wild because they have no predators and they receive excellent veterinary care. My suggestion is to be discerning about the parks you visit!

  But if you really want to help the dolphins, you will have to care for their home. You can help the dolphins by signing the Seven C’s Pledge that is included in this book. Visit Seas the Day http://seastheday.theoceanproject.org/ to learn more. The Ocean Project will love to have you on their team!

  Bottom trawling is also real and one of the greatest threats to our oceans. Dave Allison at Oceana is the one who described bottom trawling to me as “hunting squirrels by taking a bulldozer into the woods!” The Oceans need our attention and yet, most of the ocean is unseen. We know more about the moon than the bottom of the ocean!

  It is easy to assume all is well in the depths. However, the creatures of the ocean are threatened by wasteful drift nets and long lines. Worldwide, commercial fishing kills 800 marine mammals a day! What kinds of fish we choose to buy, and who we buy it from, will have a tremendous effect on the future of the ocean. Oceana is making strides worldwide to get governments to support the seas. You can help! www.oceana.org

  Lastly, Goza is a real town in Japan and Ago-wan is the real bay you have to cross to get to it. I have used the name and the geography; that is where the similarity ends. The trains don’t go “clickety-clack;” they are fast and smooth. The Japanese language, both written and spoken, is much richer and more interesting than I was able to convey within the story. I have no idea if there is a fish market or, if there is, what it looks like. Goza’s beautiful beach is a popular summer vacation destination and I hope someday to enjoy the reality that was the backdrop for this fantasy!

  Lee Welles lives in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. She writes a weekly newspaper column, does corporate consulting and above all, loves learning.

  Gaia Girls Way of Water is the second book in the seven book series. Look for Lee’s next installment in the Gaia Girls Book Series—Gaia Girls Air Apparent.

  Lee would love to hear from you. To let her know what you thought of the book, or to get information about her school and event appearances, contact her at gaiagirls@leewelles.com.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF

  POETRY

  Nature inspires poetry. It is one of the many ways we humans try to capture the magnificence of our world. Some people can do this so well, their poetry is still read hundreds of years later.

  I, however, can’t write poetry for beans! I’m indebted to the masters of this craft and the beauty their words lent this tale. I hope you explore these wonderful works in their entirety.

  “Once more upon the waters!...”

  Lord Byron, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage

  “The sea! the sea! the open sea!...”

  Bryan W. Procter, The Sea

  “The sea is never still…”

  Carl Sandburg, Young Sea

  “Under heaven / nothing is as soft…”

  Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

  “The bleat, the bark, bellow and roar…”

  William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

  “She will start from her slumber…”

  Matthew Arnold, The Forsaken Merman

  ECO AUDIT

  The Chelsea Green Publishing Company is committed to preserving ancient forests and natural resources. We elected to print Gaia Girls: Way Of Water on 100% postconsumer recycled paper, processed chlorine-free. As a result, for this printing, we have saved:

  103.4 Trees (40’ tall and 6-8” diameter)

  43,913.2 Gallons of Wastewater

  17,660.8 Kilowatt Hours of Electricity

  4,840.1 Pounds of Solid Waste

  9,509.3 Pounds of Greenhouse Gases

  Chelsea Green Publishing made this paper choice because we and our printer, ThomsonShore, Inc., are members of the Green Press Initiative, a nonprofit program dedicated to supporting authors, publishers, and suppliers in their efforts to reduce their use of fiber obtained from endangered forests. For more information, visit www.greenpressinitiative.org.

  GLOSSARY / PHRASE GUIDE

  Japanese syllables are pronounced fairly evenly. Most often, syllables are divided at the vowel. Pronounce each syllable without stress. Most consonant sounds are the same in English and Japanese. For the sake of simplicity, the author opted not to indicate long and short vowels, or the vexing “silent u” in the text of the novel. For read aloud pleasure, simply sound them out! For more information on pronunciation of these words, visit www.japanese.about.com.

  Ama – Woman of the Sea

  Aikido – Martial art that uses throws, joint locks, and the attacker’s own energy against him/herself.

  Awabi - Abalone

  Baka-da! – “What you did was stupid!”

  Bento – Single portion take-out food

  Chichi –Father, referring to your own father (another person’s father, is Oto-san)

  Domo Arigato – “Thank you very much.”

  Domo Sumimasen –“ I’m sorry to have bothered you, but thank you.” Literally, “Thank you; I’m sorry.”

  Ei- Eternity

  Enso – Circle, symbolizes the absolute, eternity, and the universe

  Futon – Type of Japanese mattress, designed to sit on the tatami-covered floor

  Gaijin – Stranger, foreigner, not Japanese

  Genkin – Money

  Genki - “I’m fine.” (informal, used mostly with family)

  Gozaimasu­– Adds formality and politeness to phrases (Example: Ohayo gozaimasu – formal Good morning)

  Gochisosama – “It was a feast.” A compliment to the cook.

  Hafu – Half Japanese. Considered a slur

  Haha – Mother, referring to your own mother (another person’s mother is Okasan)

  Hai – Yes

  Haishi­- Chopsticks

  Hiragana – 46 symbols used to represent the syllables of the Japanese language (ko, ha, wa etc.) Hiragana is most often combined with kanji and/or katakana

  Iruka - Dolphin

  Itadakimas – Blessing before a meal. Literally means “I receive”

  Kanji – Ideographs (symbols) that represent ideas, concepts, or things. There are over 1,006 that are taught in primary school and 1,945 that are considered essential for everyday use!

  Katakana – Symbols used to represent words borrowed from other languages, especially English. Foreign names are written in katakana.

  Kendo (Ken-do) – Martial art using a sword. Literally means, “The Way of the Sword”

  Kimo – Courage, guts

  Ko - Child

  Konbanwa – “Good evening.”

  Konnichiwa – “Good day.”

  Nani – “What?” or “What did you say?”

  Matcha – Green Tea

  Machigata – “Wrong.”

  Majime – Serious

  Mizu – Water


  Motto – “Keep it up!” or “Keep going!”

  Nemurimas – Sleep

  O-bon – 3-day celebration honoring the dead

  Ohayo – “Good morning.”

  Ohayo Gozaimasu – Polite good morning

  Oikomi – Annual hunt in which dolphins, porpoises, and/ or small whales are driven into bays and either killed or captured for sale.

  Oji (Ojisan) Uncle

  Oka (Okasan) Polite term for mother; used to speak of someone else’s mother.

  Okayu – Rice porridge

  Oke – A round, floating wooden tub used by Ama to rest on and put catch into

  Okudasai – “I would like...”

  Satoru Satori – Understanding, enlightenment

  Sayonara – Goodbye

  Sensei – Teacher

  Shizuka – Quiet

  Shinju – Pearl

  Sho-do (shodo) – Brush calligraphy. Literally means, “The Way of the Brush”

  Shogayu – Hot, ginger water

  Sobo – Grandmother, referring to your own grandmother (another person’s grandmother is, Oba-san)

  Sumimasen – Excuse me

  Tatami – Straw mats used to cover floors. Rooms are often measured by how many tatami mats will cover the floor.

  Tegane – A tool used by Ama to pry abalone and other edible creatures from the sea bed.

  Uso bakkari – “That’s a lie!”

  Wagashi – A sticky sweet treat

  Watashi no namae- “My name is…”

  Watashi wa wakarimasen – “I do not understand.”

  Wakarimasen- “I don’t understand”

  Wakarimashtaka – “Understand? Do you understand?