Finally, the two men stepped out of the cabin and the chief said something to Manaia as he pointed toward the men working in the square. Manaia scurried to join them, but this time he sat quietly among them, joining them in their labor. Then the chief sat on his chair on the porch, motioning for the four guardsmen guarding his hut to maintain their positions.
That's it? I thought. He's letting Manaia off scot-free? What about Teuila? Is he just going to leave her in there? Didn't she tell him about Manaia's treacherous behavior? He must have convinced the chief that she was making it all up to drive a wedge between them in the hope of rejoining her white girlfriend.
It looks like we're on our own again babe, I sighed.
At least it looked like her father had temporarily demoted Manaia and was going to keep him in his sights for the time being. However he chose to address the coming assault, I couldn't help much sitting here in the crossfire between the two tribes. Besides, my stomach was getting increasingly noisy, telling me I had to get something to eat soon. I decided to head back to our private lagoon and try to catch some fish while I planned my next steps.
22
It took me longer than expected to find my way back to our lagoon on the other side of the island. After getting lost a number of times, I had to retrace my steps more than once to get back on the trails that Te' had marked. By the time I saw the familiar shape of our crescent-shaped beach, the sun was almost setting over the horizon. I knew I wouldn't have long to catch some fish in the fading light, so I grabbed a spear from the treehouse and waded into the shallow waters of the lagoon.
Without Te' herding the fish toward me with the big rake, it was hit and miss trying to spear one, but I got lucky when a big grouper ambled nearby and I snared it on my second attempt. By this time, I was so hungry that I didn't bother trying to build a fire and instead tore open the flesh with my paring knife and dug into it like a grizzly bear eating fresh salmon.
When my stomach finally began to quiet down, I paused to consider my options. I knew that I could spend the night holed up in our treehouse in the hope that Teuila would find a way to steal away from her camp under the cover of darkness. But what if she couldn't escape? And what if her tribe lost the battle? What would the other tribe do to her? Even if her clan won, her father wouldn't be likely to let his guard down as long as I was on the lam.
I had to do something. I couldn't just wait here and pray that the odds rolled in our favor. There were far too many variables that could swing this in the wrong direction. With Manaia working to undermine his own tribe, there was no telling which way the battle could go. At the very least, I could keep an eye on the other tribe and send a warning to Nona and Teuila if I recognized any change in their plans.
I grabbed a few figs from our banyan tree to wash down the sushi, then I went for a quick swim in the lagoon to wash all the filth from my body. It felt refreshing to be clean again, and for a moment I thrust my hand down the front of my cargo shorts remembering the image of Teuila's naked body walking toward me in the lagoon. Then I quickly buried my leftovers and picked up my adze and pocket knife, following the trail toward the other tribe's camp.
With the light beginning to fade over the horizon, I struggled to remember the path Teuila had taken to make her way to the other village. After an hour or so, I became lost again and headed toward the shore to follow my way around the edge of the island. I knew the other tribe's camp was in a clockwise direction from our lagoon. If I just followed the shore, sooner or later it would lead me to their camp.
As I stumbled along the rocky shoreline, trying not to step on any sharp shells or sea urchins, I glanced up toward the sky. The moon was almost full, casting a bright glow over this side of the island. At least I could see what I was stepping on for the most part. The last thing I needed right now was to crack open the soles of my feet again. Whatever was going to go down over the next twenty-four hours, I knew I needed to remain fleet of foot and nimble.
As the moon continued rising over the shimmering sea, I began to hear the sound of men chanting in the distance. I peered to my right and saw the flicker of a fire burning in the distance. Recognizing I was getting close to the other tribe's camp, I stepped off the rocky shore and began to wind my way through the thick woods in the direction of the light. When I got to within a few hundred yards of the camp, I paused near a tree and crouched down low to get a closer look at the tribesmen assembled around the fire.
A large twig suddenly snapped underneath me, and I cursed under my breath for not being more careful where I stepped. Teuila had made it look so easy passing through the thick brush like a jungle cat, barely making a sound. Apparently, I still had a lot to learn about how to behave like a true Anutian.
When I looked back in the direction of the campfire, the number of tribesmen appeared to have thinned somewhat, and I wondered if they were sending out another reconnaissance mission to Teuila's side of the island. At least Manaia was nowhere to be seen, I thought. He's probably too afraid to try slipping away now that Teuila's father suspects him of foul play. He's undoubtedly waiting until the last moment to see which way the battle is going before he chooses which side to fight on. My lips curled into a sickening scowl imagining Te' wedded to that coward.
Suddenly, I heard some bushes rustling behind me and I twisted around to see what it was. Peering up in horror, I saw a band of painted warriors surrounding me with their spears raised over my head.
Damn, I thought, immediately recognizing I shouldn’t have been so eager to bathe in the lagoon. My white skin and yellow hair were shining in the moonlight like a beacon atop a lighthouse.
23
As the tribesmen shouted at me, angrily stabbing their spears in my direction, I shrunk back against the tree, fearing for my life. I had no idea what they would make of a half-naked white woman spying on their camp. From Teuila's description of the rift between the clans, I wasn't even sure they'd seen a Westerner before. One thing was for certain—they were in no mood for a peaceful welcoming committee.
One of the warriors noticed my adze lying on the ground and he picked it up, shouting something at me. I shook my head indicating I didn't understand what he was saying. He motioned to two of the other tribesmen and they lifted me up, finding my steel paring knife tucked under the waistband of my cargo shorts. He ran his fingers over the sharp blade and flinched when it drew blood.
Great, I thought. Their first exposure to a white person, and the first thing they find are two weapons of mass destruction.
The lead warrior said something to the other tribesmen, and they grabbed my arms, dragging me in the direction of the village. As I stumbled to catch my footing, I peered toward the large bonfire burning in the center of their camp. All my fears of being burned alive and eaten by cannibals were suddenly rekindled. I twisted and screamed for them to let me go, but the two men just tightened their grip on my arms until they were throbbing in pain.
As we approached the main camp, the tribesmen sitting around the fire turned toward me with puzzled expressions on their faces. Everyone was wearing grass skirts with war paint streaked across their naked upper bodies and faces. An older man with a beaded vest and elaborate headdress stood to greet the search party. The two tribesmen holding me marched me within three feet of the old man, then they forced me to kneel on the ground in front of him. I peered up at him and they shouted at me, pushing my head back down. I shook my head, unsure what they wanted me to do and the guards puckered their lips, tilting their heads in the direction of the man's feet.
This must have been some strange island ritual that I'd been spared at the other camp because of my infirm condition. I knew based on the superior elevation of Teuila's father's hut that the Anutians placed a high value on the height difference between individuals as a reflection of their relative power standing. It was obvious that this was the other tribe's chief and that as an unwelcome outsider I'd have to pay homage by submitting myself to his lowest level.
I look
ed at his dusty feet and leaned forward slightly as the two warriors nodded. Pinching my lips tightly together, I bent down and touched my mouth to the top of each of the chief's feet. He then motioned to the two tribesmen to lift me up, but when he saw that I stood three inches taller than him, he instructed them to push me back down onto my knees.
"O ai oe?" he said, grabbing my jaw and thrusting my face up to look at him.
"I'm sorry," I said feebly, "I don't speak your language. I'm from America."
"Amerika?" he asked, with a puzzled expression, peering at my faded cotton shorts and bare chest. "Uana oe lava?"
He seemed confused by my unusual appearance. I was pretty sure that if he'd ever seen a Western woman before, she would have been fully clothed.
The lead warrior stepped forward and presented my knife and adze to the chief, mentioning something as he motioned to me. The chief pinched his thumb gently over the end of the knife then turned the adze slowly around in his hands, noticing that it was well worn.
"O fea na mua?" he said, jutting it toward me with a furrowed brow.
He must have wondered what a naked Western woman was doing so close to his camp carrying one of their local tools. I wanted to tell him that I meant no harm and that Te' and I had noticed his tribesmen while bathing in our lagoon, but it was obvious that no one among the group spoke English.
"English?" I said, swinging my fingers from my lips, feigning a speaking motion. "Does anyone here speak English?"
The chief paused for a moment, then motioned to one of the tribesmen to fetch someone from one of the huts overlooking the square. A few minutes later, he returned with a native woman walking a few paces behind.
The chief mentioned something about iglisi to the woman, then he jerked his head in my direction.
"Do you speak English?" she said, looking at me.
"Yes, thank God," I sighed. "I mean you no harm. I'm here alone—"
The chief yelled something at the woman and she turned back to face me.
"What are you doing here?" the woman asked. "How did you get on this island?"
"I came on a chartered cruise from New Zealand. When our crew stopped to visit your island, I got lost and they left without me. I've been here alone for the last week or so."
The chief shook the adze angrily as he shouted at the woman.
“O fea na mua!” he repeated.
"Where did you get this axe?" the woman said. "It looks like one of ours."
I paused as I peered at the chief unsteadily. I wasn't sure how much I should disclose about my knowledge of the other tribe with so much tension brewing between the two clans.
"I met a native girl from the other side of the island," I said. "She taught me how to use it."
The woman said something to the chief, then he looked at me suspiciously, trying to discern my intentions.
"Oe sakina mo latou?" he said.
"Were you spying for them just now?" the woman translated.
"No," I lied. "I was returning from my camp when I got lost. I meant you no harm—"
The woman repeated what I said to the chief and he paused for a long moment, studying my face. I knew my story sounded improbable, but I hoped that he would find a naked Western woman carrying a stone axe as no threat.
He reached down and ran his hands over my head, rubbing his fingers through my hair. Then he leaned over and caressed my face, running his hands over my shoulders onto the front of my chest. Suddenly I felt less afraid and more embarrassed with so many male eyes ogling my naked figure. The chief cupped my breasts and squeezed them with his hands.
"Fata masali!" he shouted, peering around the campfire at his fellow tribesmen. They all laughed as he continued running his hands down my body. When he reached my shorts, he paused, feeling an unusual object under the cloth. He reached into my right pocket and pulled out the spiral unicorn shell that I'd found on the beach with Teuila.
"That's mine!", I shouted, reaching out to take it back.
The chief peered up at the translator, and when she told him what I'd said, he scoffed and threw the shell far to the other side of the sandy courtyard. Then he motioned for the two guards who'd carried me down the hill to tie me to a large pole standing in the middle of the square. As they lashed my hands tightly behind my back around the pole, I squirmed, screaming at the top of my lungs.
"What are you doing with me?" I cried. "I'm innocent! I don't have anything to do with the other tribe. Let me go!"
As the tribesmen reassembled around the fire laughing amongst themselves, the native woman paused, looking at me.
"Why are you doing this?" I said to the woman. "Can't you see I mean you no harm?"
"You're aligned with the other tribe. Our chief will keep you here until our grievance with them is settled. It's best that you don't resist. It will just make things more difficult for you."
As she walked back to her hut, I glanced at the group of tribesmen leering at my bare breasts. I had no idea what they intended to do with me, but the look on their faces gave me a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach. I wasn't sure which would be a worse—being burned at the stake or getting raped by these savages.
As I dropped my head to my chest in resignation, I caught a glimmer of light reflecting off the sand near the edge of the fire pit. It was my unicorn shell.
"I'm sorry Te'," I said, realizing she'd have no way of finding me if she managed to get herself free. "I wanted to be with you. Hold close my love if I never see you again."
24
Teuila shifted her weight uncomfortably on the woven mat covering the floor of her hut. It had been twenty-four hours since she'd last seen Jade, and the crunchy sound of the leafy fibers reminded her of the first time they made love after building their treehouse. But the tight twine digging into her wrists quickly dispelled the pleasant memory as she began to focus on their current predicament.
She was pleased that Jade had evaded her father's dragnet and managed to pass word that she was returning to their lagoon, but there were still too many immediate threats that placed them both in danger. Compounding her anxiety, she didn't have any idea what her father's plans were for defending the village. If he decided to dig in and try to hold off the other tribe's attack, there was no way of knowing which way the battle would go. And if he chose to make a preemptive attack against their village, she'd be left here alone awaiting the outcome.
And with her father not believing Jade's story about Manaia's suspicious behavior, it was looking increasingly likely that either way, she'd be tied to him as long as she remained on the island. Even worse, Jade would be left to her own devices, with no way of protecting herself if Manaia mounted another concentrated search. Although she was capable of feeding herself and knew how to build a fire to stay warm, Jade didn't have Teuila's knowledge of the island or her ability to blend into the terrain. It was only a matter of time before either her father or Manaia would find her.
Jade's only chance now was for her sailing crew to return to the island and find her before the others did. But how would they even know she was still alive or where to search for her? Teuila wished she'd taken the time to help Jade build a marker atop a nearby hill to draw the attention of passing vessels. And what if she was bitten by another snake or stepped on a sea urchin? she thought. Jade didn't have Te's knowledge of the local plants to heal herself back to health.
Things were looking increasingly bleak for a happy reunion. Either Jade would be rescued by her Western friends or she'd be recaptured and sent home on the next cargo ship. Or worse, if she was found by Manaia. There was no telling what he might do to dispose of her in a more expedient manner. As Teuila's face contorted into an anguished grimace, the flap covering the hut's entrance swung open and the chief stepped into the hut.
Thank God! Te' sighed, thankful to finally have another chance to talk to her father.
"Father," she pleaded, twisting against the ropes tied behind her back. "Why are you treating me like this?"
&n
bsp; "I'm sorry, Teuila," he said, squatting down into a cross-legged seating position in front of her. "But I can't trust you to not try running away again."
"So what if I did?" Teuila said. "What's so wrong about wanting to be with the person you love?"
Her father sighed as he shook his head dismissively.
"It isn't right for a woman to be with another woman that way. It's your duty to marry a man when you become of age and produce children to keep our community alive. Besides, running off alone breaks with our longstanding custom of aropa, where we've always shared everything communally."
"But I love her, father! I don't want to be with anyone else. If you loved me, you should want me to be happy."
The chief paused for a long moment as his face tightened with anguish.
"What makes you think this Western woman would be happy staying on this island with you anyway? She's ignorant of our customs and would soon begin longing for her material things. Eventually, she would just pollute our culture like the missionaries before her."
Teuila sighed, hesitant to tell her father of Jade and her plans to leave the island when her friends returned. She knew he'd never permit her to leave her family and the island. Beyond the insult to his personal authority, it would set a dangerous precedent for other members of the tribe. If she was allowed to go west, what would stop others from wanting to experience the temptations and luxuries of more developed societies? But she knew her father was right that Jade would likely soon miss her life on the other side of the ocean if they tried to stay.
"We've had a very happy couple of days living on our own on the other side of the island. Jade is beginning to appreciate the quiet comforts of our life on Anuta. But even if we did decide to leave, our community is strong enough to survive without me. Aren't you interested to know what life might be like outside our sheltered little island?"
Polynesian Pleasure Page 11