Spoils of Eden

by Linda Lee Chaikin

  The white-pillared, three-storied structure was a replica of Amabel’s ancestral home in Vicksburg, Mississippi. When their granddaughter, Nora, had jointly inherited Kea Lani with her brother, Ainsworth, Nora had set about to transform Kea Lani’s Southern mansion grounds into an island paradise. The magnolia trees so carefully shipped from Vicksburg to grace the long, shady lane leading up to the mansion were transplanted to Tamarind House and replaced with two rows of date palms. Nora’s private grove contained banana, mango, and cherimoya trees, as well as guavas and one French Guiana pineapple slip that she’d managed to wrangle away from Rafe, which she said was growing “very well, indeed.” Many of the trees and plants on Kea Lani were not native Hawaiian, but brought in from other tropical locations around the world by horticulturalists.

  Ainsworth hadn’t concerned himself with what his maiden sister was doing in Kea Lani when it came to her interests, which he’d called, “flowers, fashion, and furnishings.” She was also interested in preserving the history of the Islands and the monarchy, something he found a thorny issue. Hawaii’s annexation to the United States meant the fulfillment of America’s Manifest Destiny and was therefore inevitable. He was determined to see the momentous occurrence take place in his lifetime. To that end he’d given his time, cultivating friendships in American politics and donating money to elect congressmen who were in sympathy with annexing the Islands. Ainsworth’s other effort was focused on accumulating more land for sugarcane and, since Rafe’s success with pineapples, contracting more Japanese and Chinese laborers to work the fields.

  When Eden arrived home to Kea Lani from Kalihi Hospital, Dr. Jerome immediately called Ainsworth, Townsend, and the rest of the Derrington family to explain the dire news of the death of Ling Li’s son, and why this had been declared an emergency by the Board’s physicians at Kalihi.

  “The boy died from bubonic plague.”

  A gasp came from Candace, while the others wore stunned faces. As they came to understand what this horrific announcement could mean for Honolulu, Ainsworth sat down weakly in a chair, head in hand.

  Townsend’s mouth turned hard. He immediately began to stride about the room, hands shoved in his white linen trousers.

  Silas frowned, and his nervous fingers reached into his jacket for the skinny cigars he smoked. A glare from Candace, as she snatched up her fan and meaningfully swished it, stopped him from proceeding. He smiled regretfully with an accommodating bow of his chestnut head.

  Zachary frowned, then his light blue eyes came alive. “What a story for the Gazette! I’ll beat them all!”

  He strode toward the front door. “I’m going to Tamarind House to find Great-aunt Nora.”

  Eden hurried after him, coming between him and the door. “No, there’s a ban. There’s not to be a word of this made public. A panic will result.”

  “Ban! Since when? Where’s the freedom of the press? C’mon, Eden, that’s nonsense.”

  “No, Zachary, Eden speaks the law,” Jerome said. “If panic spreads, so will the sickness. We must do everything we can to avoid an outbreak. The Board has decided that the residents of Rat Alley must be confined, and the huts that are contaminated must be burned. This is the only way to stay the disease. If we’re not successful, all of Honolulu will be at risk.”

  A silent shudder moved through the room.

  “Is it legal to burn the huts in Rat Alley?” Ainsworth asked.

  “Don’t forget, you’re dealing with the Chinese.” Townsend cast the remark over his shoulder. “They’d as soon knife you as look at you.”

  “Oh, Uncle … ” Candace chided.

  “Now wait a minute, my dear,” Ainsworth said. “Townsend could be right. These are their homes the authorities intend to burn.”

  “Homes, maybe, but still shameful shacks. We ought to do something about that slum. No wonder the rats accumulate.”

  “Shacks, yes, but still better than what they had when they first signed those labor contracts to come here and work,” Townsend said.

  “Most of the residents of Rat Alley have fulfilled their contracts and are now on their own, trying to create businesses. They would be right to wonder why were willing to burn Rat Alley out from under them, but leave the haole districts untouched.”

  “They may misunderstand, but we still cannot tell the residents of Chinatown it’s the plague. If we did so, they would panic and flee, bringing the disease with them wherever they go. You know what could happen. A catastrophe in the making!”

  “They’re always suspicious,” grumbled Townsend. “They wouldn’t hesitate to burn us out if it were the other way around.”

  “Regardless, this must be done with extreme caution and justice,” Ainsworth said. “I’m sure the Board has carefully considered and debated the consequences, and they’re probably working out the legality of the decision to burn at this very moment.”

  Jerome was ashen. Eden worried about him, but little she said or did seemed to influence him to take more concern for his health. She’d come to see that he was a driven man. Whether it was about Molokai or Rat Alley, he’d give himself to the cause. She realized her father’s sacrificial attitude might one day lead to his own ruin.

  “Ling Li’s family lives and works here on Kea Lani,” Ainsworth said, his emotions once again under control. “His bungalow must be checked to make sure no one else is sick. Has Ling returned?”

  “He is to remain under quarantine for forty-eight hours in Honolulu, as is his family. Ling tells us his youngest son had been staying in Rat Alley for the last month with his great-uncle. Let’s hope he came down with the sickness in Honolulu and not Kea Lani,” Jerome said.

  “God help us,” Ainsworth repeated, shaking his head. “If it spreads throughout our sugarcane workers, it could mean not only the death of the workers, but judgment against Kea Lani’s productivity for years to come.”

  “Judgment?” Townsend scoffed. “The very use of that word is outdated. What have we done to deserve ruin more than Parker Judson, Hunnewell, or Galloway?”

  “You might search your own heart to answer that,” Ainsworth said quietly.

  Townsend mumbled under his breath and resumed pacing.

  The others too, looked shaken. If the plague spread, it would show no partiality, from the poorest in Rat Alley, to the wealthiest in Honolulu. All were vulnerable.

  “Were wasting time,” Townsend said shortly. “At least send me to check Li’s bungalow.”

  “Eden has requested to call on Ling’s family,” Dr. Jerome said to Ainsworth. “She can check the other family members while there. If there’s anything suspicious, his bungalow will need to be burned.”

  “Why fool around? Let’s just burn it now and get it over with!” Townsend snarled impatiently.

  “Because Eden isn’t a thoughtless tyrant like you!” Zachary shouted, startling not only Townsend, but the others.

  Townsend’s handsome face mottled with temper. He strode toward his son, his hands in fists at his sides. “You dare speak to me like that?”

  “I’ve had a good teacher!” Zachary shot to his feet, and Townsend trembled on the verge of taking a swing.

  Grandfather Ainsworth’s voice cut into the ugly moment. “Townsend!” The sound of his father’s commanding voice halted him. “Zachary! Both of you! This is no time for behaving like fools. There will be no burning of anyone’s hut on Kea Lani until we have the facts at our disposal. Jerome will be the deciding voice in the matter as representative of the Board of Health.”

  Townsend stood there as if in a daze, then turned from Zachary. Zachary stumbled toward the door, thrust it open, and rushed out, not bothering to close it behind him.

  Eden’s breath slowly released. Her heart ached, pounding in her chest.

  “Let him go,” Ainsworth said quietly. “He won’t go far.”

  Candace stood at the window, rigid, her face pale.

  Eden looked over at Silas. He stared at his father, Townsend, whose back was toward the
m all. His jaw tightened, and for a moment Eden thought she saw a flash of some strong emotion but could not interpret it before Silas snatched a skinny cigar out of his pocket, as if in defiance, and struck a match. He stared at the flame for a moment as if transfixed, then held it to the cigar’s tip and walked out onto the lanai.

  Silence settled over the room, and Eden shut the door, her fingers stiff and cold. Townsend’s rages always left her cold. As she stood there, her hand on the doorknob, she had an overwhelming desire to find Rafe; she wanted his strong embrace holding her close to his heart. Then she straightened her shoulders. The Lord is my high tower, my hope, my joy, and all my tomorrows are under His watchful, gracious eye.

  Just then the thought came to her, I must see Ambrose to call for prayer, not only for Ling and his family in the loss of their youngest son, but for my family, too. We desperately need God’s grace. Who knew whether He might heed their prayers and quell the plague from reaping a harvest of souls not ready for death? And whether He would send showers of mercy to those in her own family who did not know Him?

  Eden hurried upstairs to her bedroom, grabbed her woven sun hat from the bedpost, and came back down. Grandfather Ainsworth had sent Townsend and Silas to call the area planters together at Kea Lani to hear Dr. Jerome’s report. As they went out the front door, Jerome walked up to her.

  “Father, you’re weary to the bone. You haven’t had much sleep since you arrived yesterday. Why not rest in your room until the other planters arrive?”

  “I must call on Ambrose. We’ll need many from the churches to organize and manage food camps for downtown Honolulu. This must be a widespread effort.”

  “I was going to stop there anyway. I’ll tell him.”

  Her thoughts jumped to Kip. He was undoubtedly at the church bungalow with Noelani, who would be careful to keep him out of sight.

  Eden took her medical satchel with her. She may need to prescribe a sedative for Ling’s wife, Hui, though she knew the woman was strong and rarely showed emotion.

  This was going to be difficult. How did one knock on a door and tell a mother that her youngest son was dead? Could Eden comfort her in any way? Certainly with shared tears, but with what words of hope? I have a solid foundation for joy in the future. We “sorrow not, even as others which have no hope,” the apostle Paul had written. No hope without Jesus. There was no reincarnation, no refining purgatory, no second chance. Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart … ”

  Eden walked quickly down the porch steps and across the yard toward the mission church road. She would ask Ambrose to go with her to call on the Ling family.

  The mission church was ahead, waiting like a well beside a dusty road on a blistering hot day. Eden quickened her steps and brushed past the ferns. She came into the open yard surrounding the church—and stopped. The church door had opened, and Rafe walked out, settling his Panama hat. He stopped, too, as surprised to see her as she was to see him. Their gazes held for a long moment. Then Eden drew in a courageous breath and marched toward him, determined. Rafe closed the church door behind him and walked to meet her. He had the looks that once belonged to his rugged father, Matt Easton. His years of hard work, swimming while growing up with Keno, and their expert pearl diving contests, had muscled his form.

  She stopped in front of him. “So, Mr. Easton. As I entered the nursery last night for my medical satchel, I understood the true reason behind your generous three-day bargain.”

  His rich brown eyes taunted her beneath dark lashes.

  “If I recall, I told you I hadn’t changed my mind on turning Kip over to the Board.”

  “So you did. Though I had no idea you’d abduct him from his bed.”

  A brow lifted. “Oh, come, Eden. Abduct my own son? He is going to be an Easton, you know. He’ll be named Daniel, after the first Easton who set foot on Hawaii.”

  He was telling her plainly enough that he was rejecting the regulations of the Board of Health and pursuing his own independent plans.

  “I gather you’ve used your reprieve to garrison your stand against Ainsworth?” he asked.

  “The truth is, I haven’t had a moment’s peace to consider how I shall tell Grandfather. After what’s happened to Ling’s son in Rat Alley, I don’t think Grandfather will be much concerned about my personal plans.”

  “I wouldn’t count on that.”

  She looked past him toward the church and struck out boldly. “Is Kip inside with Ambrose?”

  “Ambrose is out preaching somewhere like the faithful shepherd he is.”

  She met his enlivening gaze with courage, then looked away.

  “Too bad about Ling’s son,” he said.

  The mention of Ling took her by surprise. “How did you learn of Ling’s son so quickly?”

  “Zachary rode by here. He was on his way to Hawaiiana to warn me. I was here meeting with Ambrose. Have you been to Rat Alley?”

  “Yes, with Dr. Bolton and Lana. Oh Rafe, it was dreadful. It was the first time I’ve seen a victim of the plague—”

  “You didn’t go inside!”

  “I had to go in. I’m a nurse. Even more than that, a student of Lanas,” she said proudly. “We thought the boy might have been sick with some tropical disease, but—”

  “And I suppose you’re going to be leading the way back into disease-ridden Rat Alley to search for the sick and dying?”

  She wasn’t sure how she felt about the frustration in his voice. As a matter of fact, no. Sadly, there’s little to be done for the sick … but I shall help my father, and Dr. Bolton at the camps. “Oh, Rafe, they need to burn the houses. This could be more dreadful than we realize.”

  “Burning is the only way to stop it.”

  She looked again at the church. “Is Kip in there?”

  He folded his arms and cocked his head, looking down at her. A brief smile touched his mouth. “Why would I keep Kip in the church? No, he’s not here. Do you think I’d involve Ambrose in this? Then he’d need to answer to those despots on the Board.”

  So he understood the risks better than shed given him credit for. “Then where is he? Do you realize the situation you’ve gotten me into with those despots, as you call them?”

  “Do you really think I’d allow you to face the Board and be blamed for Kip’s disappearance? You don’t think much of me, do you, Eden? We bargained for three days. When the agreed-upon hour strikes, you can be assured I shall face the Board’s questions. You won’t be called upon to answer. I wouldn’t be very gallant if I expected you to take the blame for losing their medical prey, now, would I?”

  “You make our—their motives sound so dreadful, when it isn’t at all!”

  “I’ll be the judge of that when it comes to Kip. He’s my responsibility. I took him on knowing full well what the repercussions might be. I’m not backing out of that responsibility now just because the cauldron’s boiling. I consider him my son. And no son of mine is going to wander about the leper camp to be preyed upon by the lawless and corrupt.”

  She grew silent. Down deep in her heart she admired him tremendously, but dared not say so in her situation. “As if I’d ever allow that to happen to Kip.”

  “As I’ve said before, you won’t be able to stop it. It’s the Board’s decision who gets sent to Molokai.”

  She had thought that she would take the heat for Kip’s absence. She realized she’d misjudged him. Again. “Where have you hidden him?” she persisted.

  “That, my sweet, is no longer your concern. You certainly have enough to worry about with this epidemic about to break. And if I had my way, you’d be safely tucked away at Kea Lani far from all disease, rats, and corpses.”

  She tried not to enjoy his concern, yet she did. “I desire to be involved with issues that are of eternal importance.”

  “You won’t find me faulting anything so commendable. It’s one of the virtues that drew me to you.”

/>   She was warmed by his compliment. “What were you doing alone in the church just now?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I’ll take your word that Kip and Noelani aren’t in there.”

  His mouth tipped up at the corner. “Why, thank you, Miss Derrington. I’m honored. If you must know, I wanted to be alone. Though I can be alone and pray anywhere, especially while riding out in the pineapple fields, I took advantage of the peace and quiet since I was already here.”

  She looked at him, liking what she heard. “By the way, I intend to visit the Christian women’s group on Hawaiiana before I return to Kalihi. Unless you forbid me entry.”

  “Now, why would I do that?” His smile was disarming. “You’re wearing my ring, after all. And haven’t I been trying to get you to move in permanently?”

  She avoided his gaze by absorbing herself with her hat. “I may not get back here for weeks, and someone needs to encourage them with the Scriptures—except I need to borrow Noelani’s Bible. Is she in the bungalow?”

  “No, but you’re welcome to use mine. Shall we go?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “Poor old Ling. This is rough news for him and his wife. Will you be all right calling on her alone?”

  “Yes, I think so. I’ve spoken with Hui before.”

  “The meeting with your father is to begin shortly. Since you have your work cut out for you, I’ll ride over to Kea Lani. By the way, do you know what had Zach so riled? When he rode by here, he was fit to be tied.”

  “He and Townsend had a terrible flare-up over burning Ling’s bungalow. I’m worried about Zachary,” she said. “He’s been disturbed ever since Silas arrived in April, and matters are only getting worse. You heard what Ainsworth wants to do—train Silas alongside Townsend to manage the sugar enterprise. It was cruel of my grandfather to announce it at the table in front of Zachary.”

  “Yes, I couldn’t understand why he did so until I learned from Zach that Silas had plans to use the Gazette against the annexationists. I think Ainsworth was forcing Silas to make a choice: either play Ainsworth’s way, or pack up for San Francisco.”