"Better?" Te' asked.
"Definitely," I said, surprised at how similar her construction technique was to the conventional wood-frame houses I'd seen built in the Midwest. "It's still a bit hard though. Will we sleep on it like this?"
"There's one last step," she said, handing me one of the palm fronds. "Now we're going to make the carpet."
She began tearing the leaves into one-inch-wide strips, laying the strips on the floor in neat parallel lines. Then she placed another strip perpendicular across the leaves and deftly wove it over and under each of the underlying strands. With each successive strand, the leaves began to form a beautiful two-foot-square mat of interlaced leaves that looked as pretty as any placemat I'd find at Crate & Barrel or Target. When she finished, Te' lay the mat over the bark and asked me to sit on it. The soft leaves absorbed my weight and felt as soft as carpet.
"This feels almost as comfortable as my broadloom back home," I said, running my hands over the cushiony mat. "But it's much prettier. The two of us might be able to find a whole new vocation when we return to the United States. People would pay big bucks for this kind of natural fabric. What else can you use this stuff for?"
"We use the same weaving technique to make baskets, handbags, fishnets, all kinds of useful objects," Te' said.
I shook my head at the myriad uses of the island's natural resources.
"You guys really are self-sufficient on this little island, aren't you?"
Te' smiled at me as she thinned her eyes.
"Are you sure you want to go back to America?"
"Ask me in another week or two. I'm growing more fond of this lifestyle with each passing day."
"Help me weave some more mats then," Te' said, happy to see me beginning to enjoy the crafts of her tribe. "We need to cover the whole floor and add a few more layers for extra cushioning."
"Our very own wall-to-wall carpet," I nodded.
As the two of us continued weaving our natural-fiber mats, I looked up at Te' and smiled with a silly grin.
"What are you thinking?" she asked. "You look like a child who's just discovered her first pearl shell."
"I'm just so happy to be with you," I said. "All this nesting makes me realize there's nowhere else I'd rather be in the entire world."
14
After we finished building our carpet of plant leaves, Te' and I made love until we fell asleep exhausted under the warm canopy of our new home. The last thing I remembered before my lids fell heavily over my eyes was the sight of the luminescent figs gleaming like Christmas tree ornaments in the fading light of the setting sun. In the morning, we picked some more fruit from the branches above us and playfully rubbed the sticky pulp all over our naked bodies before going for a cleansing dip in the lagoon.
As I emerged from the surf gazing at Te's sexy tanned body, I could hardly believe my luck. Fate, or happenstance, had landed me in a tropical paradise with the woman of my dreams. We spent the next half hour spearing fish for breakfast, then she placed the catch in a small holding pen we'd built out of large rocks near the shore.
"No fresh sushi for us this morning?" I asked, wondering why she wasn't filleting the fish right away as she had yesterday.
"I thought this might be a good time to teach you the next essential step in your survival skills. I need to teach you how to build a fire. You never know when you might need one. Besides, fresh fish tastes even better when it's grilled over an open flame."
"I was wondering when we were going to get around to that. But are you sure it's safe? I thought you wanted to keep a low profile in case your father came snooping around."
"There's an art to building a fire with a low smoke signature," Te' said. "Just as there is to building one with a strong smoke signal, which might come in handy later. Let me show you how to gather the necessary ingredients."
By now, the soles of my feet had fully healed and all the rubbing on the sandy beach and jungle floor had begun to form a thick, leathery second skin. I was surprised how comfortable it was to scamper across just about any surface without any external protection. More importantly, Teuila's cut had finally closed and she was able to remove her bandage and use her hand freely. Now the only items of clothing either one of us wore was my fading cargo shorts and her tapa-cloth dress, re-fashioned as a wraparound loincloth. It felt exhilarating to traipse about our corner of the forest completely topless, unconcerned about the judging eyes of our neighbors.
Te' led me back into the forest where we began collecting dead twigs of varying thickness. When we had a handful, we returned to the edge of the beach where she dumped the pile in our old sleeping pit.
"There are three things to keep in mind when building a fire you don't want anybody to see," she instructed. "The first is the smell of burning material. We have an onshore breeze today, so at least we're protected from people approaching from the sea. The second is the appearance of the flame, which is why we're building this fire in a pit protected from surrounding lines of sight.
"But the biggest danger is from the smoke, which can be detected from further distances. The trick is to use the driest and smallest materials, so the fire burns more efficiently and doesn't smother. But first, we have to get it started, and for that we need some special materials."
Teuila grasped the shank of her adze and began scraping the blade along the edge of one of the longer branches, producing thin curly strands of dried pulp. Then she picked up the pile of filaments and rubbed them between her hands, breaking them into finer, shorter pieces.
"They look a bit like the strands we used yesterday to make cords," I said.
"You could use this to make rope also," she nodded. "But since this material is drier and more combustible, we're going to use it as a fire starter. But now that you mention it, we’re going to need another three-foot long length of string. Do you think you could do that while I prepare the other elements? This time we’ll need the rope to be a little thinner, so use about half the amount of strands for each side as before."
"No problem," I smiled. "After all the rope we created yesterday, that technique is indelibly imprinted on my brain."
While I lifted one of the fronds lying in the pit and began separating it into thin strands, Teuila chopped the long branch she'd shaved earlier into a two-foot length then chopped a small indent into the side of the branch on each end. Then she picked up a shorter dead branch about one inch in diameter and sharpened one end to a sharp point while rubbing the other end against a nearby rock to create a rounded stub.
"That doesn't look like a very efficient spear," I said, twisting the doubled ends of my palm strands into a thin rope.
"We're not going to use this as a spear," she said. "We're going to use it as a drill."
"A drill?" I said, raising my eyebrows. "But it doesn't have any thread."
My mind suddenly flooded with images of Tom Hanks' character in the movie Cast Away blistering his palms while he rolled a dry stick in his hands trying to build a fire.
"And what are you going to use to turn it? I'd hate for you to damage those pretty hands again."
"Don't worry," Te' said, smiling at me. "My hands aren't even going to touch it. We're going to build a bow to create the necessary friction."
While I looked at her with a puzzled expression, she picked up two pieces of flat driftwood and carved a small notch in the center of each board. When I finished splicing the strands of the palm leaf into a three-inch length of braided string, she took the cord and tied each end around the notches in the stick, bending it to create a tight bow.
"This is going to help us build a fire?" I said, shaking my head wondering how she could use the bow to generate any kind of friction.
"Oh ye of little faith," Te' smiled. "Watch and learn, my apprentice."
She took the short beveled stick and placed it against the inside edge of the string then twisted it a hundred and eighty degrees, creating a tight loop around the shaft. Then she positioned the rounded end of the stick int
o the notch of the larger piece of driftwood and placed the smaller piece of driftwood over the pointed end. Then she angled the bow parallel to the ground and began swiping it forward and back. As if by magic, the beveled stick began rotating rapidly in the shallow hole in the driftwood.
"Holy cats—you weren't kidding!" I said, amazed at the ingenuity of the device. "That way is so much more efficient than the way Tom Hanks did it!"
"Tom who—"
"It's just another one of our crazy Western stories that I'm sure you'd find amusing." I noticed Te' was pressing firmly on the top piece of driftwood as she sawed the bow. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"When you begin to see smoke, place the shavings around the twisting piece of wood. We'll need to act fast to ensure the heat ignites."
I watched with fascination as Te' jerked the bow forward and back until the lower end of the stick started turning black and small wafts of smoke began rising from the fulcrum.
"Now, Jade!" she panted. "It needs fuel!"
I bunched the dry shavings around the edge of the stick, watching the smoke grow thicker and denser. When tiny orange embers appeared under the shavings, Te' bent down and cupped her hands around the pile, blowing gently into the nest. Within seconds, it erupted into flames as she began piling small twigs onto the pile. Eager to not have all her hard work go to waste in the fledgling fire, I began to throw a bunch of larger twigs and leaves onto the pile, throwing up a large plume of gray smoke.
"Be careful," she said, pulling the material off the flame. "We don't want to smother it. A fire needs plenty of oxygen to burn efficiently. If it has more fuel than it can burn at any one time, it just creates more smoke. The key is to feed it only as much as it needs to keep burning at the desired intensity."
Within seconds, the smoke began to dissipate as the fire steadily grew while she fed it increasingly large twigs and logs. When the flames reached a height of six inches or so, Te' looked up at me and nodded.
"We're almost ready to begin cooking our fish. Can you gather ten or fifteen small rocks so we can build a cradle for the grill?"
"Absolutely," I said, my mouth already watering at the idea of our eating warm food for the first time in three days.
When I returned to the pit with a handful of rocks, Te' placed them in a two-foot-wide circle around the fire then held some long branches above the top of the flame, charring them a dark brown color.
"I think we've got everything we need now," she nodded. "If you bring me two of the larger fish from the pen, I can cut them up and begin grilling them."
I went to the holding pen and snared two fish with a spear and carried them back to Teuila. She placed each one on the large piece of driftwood, cutting off its head and slicing it under its belly, removing the entrails and pulling the flesh away from the spiny skeleton. Then she spaced the charred poles about two inches apart over the top of our fire pit and placed the fillets on top of the makeshift grill. As the flesh began to sizzle, she fed the fire with medium-sized twigs, keeping the top of the flame a few inches below the slats.
"You're a master at this outdoorsy stuff, aren't you?" I said, shaking my head at how seamlessly she'd learned to live off the land.
"You get pretty handy at doing these things when you've been doing it your whole life," she said, turning the fillets over with her bare fingers. "Tonight, it'll be your turn. But for now, let's enjoy our new catch."
As we ate the perfectly charred fillets with our bare hands, I oohed and ahhed at how delicious the fish tasted.
"Ok," I said. "Scrap that basket-weaving idea I suggested earlier. I think your real calling is in the kitchen. I think we should open your own authentic Polynesian restaurant when we get back to the States."
15
After we finished eating, Te' and I strolled hand-in-hand along the shore of the lagoon while I stopped periodically to pick up pretty shells strewn along the beach. I marveled at the magnitude and diversity of the beautiful specimens, sprinkled like gleaming jewels across the pink-colored sand. Displaying in all kinds of shapes and colors, I felt like a kid in a candy store as I picked up the fascinating objects and turned them over in my hands.
"I've been to a lot of beaches in my life," I remarked. "But nothing like this. I've never seen such a huge variety and quantity of seashells ever. This is truly a magical island."
"Maybe it's because there's no other islands for hundreds of miles around," Te' nodded. "Or maybe it's just because there's fewer tourists picking them up."
"Is that what I seem like to you?" I said, pinching my eyebrows in disappointment.
"Well," she said, squeezing my hand playfully, "I suppose you're still technically a tourist since you aren't officially living here. But if you keep learning all of my native island secrets, we'll have to make you an honorary citizen soon enough."
As I continued picking up and examining one beautiful shell after another, Teuila suddenly became silent as she gazed out to sea.
"What's it like on the other side of the ocean, Jade?" she asked. "Will I be like a fish out of water in America?"
I stopped and placed my hands over Te's shoulders as I gazed into her eyes.
"Not as long as you're with me. You speak near-perfect English, and you have an amazing array of practical skills. I can teach you everything else you need to thrive in my country, just like you're showing me here."
"Does that mean you want to stay with me?" she asked with a pained face. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you again."
I pulled her close to me, feeling her heart beating against my chest. For the first time since my first college affair, I felt that she was the only one for me.
"I will never leave you, Teuila," I said, squeezing her arms. "I've never felt such strong feelings for anybody my whole life. You're the only one I want to be with—forever and ever."
As we held each other close, I peered down at the warm water washing over our feet. Bobbing on top of the surf I saw a skinny threaded shell, shaped like the head of a spear.
"Look at that," I said, pulling away for a moment. "This one almost looks like a unicorn horn."
"A what?" Te' said, furrowing her brow.
"It's another one of our silly Western fairy tales. But it also reminds me a bit of your ingenious little fire drill. I think I'd like to keep this one as a memento of my trip to your island."
Te' rolled it around in her palm and nodded as she peered up at me.
"Would you like me to attach it to a wrist bracelet made out of palm twine? That way you won't lose it."
"I'd like that very much," I said, kissing Te' gently. "My very own Anutian charm bracelet."
Suddenly, a larger swell washed over our feet and I peered down seeing a shiny green stone. It was about an inch and a half in diameter and shaped like a heart, glistening in the morning sun. I picked it up and examined it carefully, shaking my head in amazement. Under its emerald-green coating, I could see tiny specks of black embedded in the rock.
"I can't believe," I said, shaking my head. "I think this is a natural Jade stone. What are the odds we'd find it on a remote beach like this?"
Teuila picked up the stone and turned it around in her hand, rubbing it gently with her fingers.
"It's smooth and soft, just like you. What a perfect name for such a pretty stone. Do you mind if I keep this one to remind me of you?"
"Of course not, baby," I said, my eyes tearing up in a swell of emotions. "Do you know what this unusual shape means?"
"Is it from another one of your American fairy tales?"
"In a roundabout way," I chuckled. "It's a powerful symbol of love where I come from, symbolizing the shape of our hearts that beat strongly when we feel especially close to someone. And I can't think of a more perfect memento for you to take away from your native island, because that's exactly how I feel about you."
I paused, as I gazed gently into her eyes.
"I love you, Teuila."
"If that's what all this pounding in my ch
est is that I'm feeling right now, then I guess I'm in love with you too, Jade. I think the Gods are trying to tell us something."
As I looked at Te' with tears of joy streaming down my face, I noticed some movement at the edge of the cape a few hundred feet offshore. I narrowed my eyes trying to focus on the object, then my eyes flung wide open when I realized it was the bow of a canoe slicing through the water. I grabbed Te's hand and pulled her behind one of the dunes.
"What is it?" she said, recognizing the fear in my eyes.
"It's a canoe," I said, pointing in the direction of the craft. "I think your father is getting closer than we hoped."
Te' poked her head carefully above the dune and peered in the direction I'd pointed, then ducked her head back down, her chest puffing up and down in frantic bursts.
"Is it from your tribe?" I asked.
"It looks like it," she said. "If we stay hidden, hopefully they won't come ashore. We haven't left any visible signs of habitation nearby. They're probably just searching the boundary of the island to see if they can find any sign of us."
As we lay flat against the side of the dune, I heard the sound of rhythmic singing emanating from the lagoon, growing progressively louder, then it began to diminish. After another minute or so, Teuila lifted her head again.
"What are you doing?!" I said, grabbing her hand. "They might see you!"
"It sounds like they're almost past the lagoon," she said. "I just want to see who they sent out to look for me."
Te' peered over the top of the sand for a long moment as her eyes grew wider and wider, then she ducked down again into the pit.
"What is it?" I said. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"It might as well have been," she said. "Those men weren't from my tribe. They must be from the tribe on the other side of the island. And they weren’t singing. Those were war chants. I think they have something far more sinister on their mind."
Polynesian Pleasure Page 8