se watch on his daughter, Nona screamed at him, warning that if Teuila was not attended to soon, she could suffer the same fate as her mother.
"Do you want to be responsible for the death of the chief's daughter on the eve of her wedding?" she shouted in their native language.
The guard mumbled something and took off scurrying down the path. Nona looked at Te's cut shaking her head, then she wrapped a banana leaf around the wound and peered into her granddaughter's eyes.
"This wasn't an accident, was it?" she said.
"Forgive me, Nona," Te' said. "I love her. This is the only way I can be with her. Can you help me?"
Nona glanced down the sandy courtyard, then escorted Teuila toward the rear of their cabin, where she lifted a flap of leaves and pointed into the forest.
"Lau manamea," she said. "Be with your lover. I’ll pray that you both find happiness. Go quickly now, before your father returns."
As Teuila scampered into the forest holding the green bandage tightly against her swollen finger, she yelped in glee, knowing she'd soon be in the arms of the only person she ever truly loved.
10
When I got far enough away from the cluster of palm trees, I ducked into the bush and paused to get my bearings. From my new location, it would be difficult to find my way back to the waterfall. All I could remember was that it was about an hour's hike uphill in a roughly forty-five-degree angle from the village. But from my vantage point in the women's lagoon, it would be almost impossible to pick up the trail through the thick jungle. My only chance would be to double-back towards the village and hope that nobody saw me.
To make matters worse, my feet were sore and bleeding from climbing the rough palm tree. I thought taking my shoes off would help me to climb the trunk more quietly, but I hadn't counted on puncturing my skin in multiple places. And it would be too risky to try to return to the pit to retrieve them. Like it or not, I'd have to make my way back up to the waterfall in bare feet.
I shook my head at the irony of my predicament.
The only way to truly appreciate another culture is to immerse yourself in it, I reminded myself. Well now I'm really going native. Let’s see how quickly I can develop tough Anutian soles.
I peered over the top of my sand dune to see if the coast was clear. I hadn't heard from the guard since he ran off into the jungle, but I knew it would be too risky to use the cover of the thick brush to find my way back to the village. The carpet of broken twigs and sharp rocks on the forest floor would just make my feet worse, and the rustling of leaves could draw attention to my position. My only chance would be to backtrack along the beach before he returned.
But just as I prepared to sprint down the beach, I noticed my guard running toward me from the direction of the village, along with the chief and a group of other young tribesmen. They paused at the location where I'd squatted, and it didn't take long for the chief to find my hiking shoes.
"O a nei?" he shouted, holding my shoes up in the air.
The guard shook his head in bewilderment, then pointed into the jungle in the direction where I'd thrown the coconut.
"Ona mamao," the chief said, throwing my shoes far into the lagoon. "Salalau solo!" he said, gesturing into the jungle in multiple directions.
As the group fanned out into the thick brush, I waited for a few moments then dashed back along the beach in the direction of the village. Feeling my blistered feet burning in the hot sand, I hobbled my way across the lagoon, glancing into the bush for any sign of the tribesmen.
Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea taking my shoes off after all, I thought, watching the impressions my feet left in the sand. I'm the only one on this island with Western shoes. It would be a whole lot easier to track me from the unique tread they'd leave on the ground than with my bare feet.
I just hoped the blood from my soles wouldn't leave another type of trail.
When I got to the edge of the village, I crouched low behind the back of the huts lining the central promenade, trying to stay out of sight. Small children giggled as they ran across the courtyard, playing a game of tag. One of the boys ducked under the crawlspace of the cabin I was hiding behind, and I pulled myself up on the side of the hut, trying to conceal my legs. He glanced in both directions to see if the coast was clear, then scampered back across the courtyard behind another hut.
Great, I thought. Just what I need right now. A bunch of kids playing hide and seek. At least they're showing me some good hiding spots.
As I slowly made my way toward the far end of the courtyard, I paused when I saw the chief's hut. There was no armed guard outside the front door, and I peered inside the darkened interior for any sign of Teuila. Her grandmother was peeling vegetables on the front porch, and she glanced in my direction, noticing movement across the lane. We locked eyes and for a moment and I was afraid she'd call out. But instead, she placed her finger to her lips, then motioned with an open hand toward the trailhead at the end of the square.
She made it! I breathed a sigh of relief. God bless that woman. Maybe I had a friend in the village after all.
I crept past the remaining huts lining the square then dashed onto the trail and scampered up the familiar path leading to the waterfall. Once I was on the path, I recognized the familiar landmarks and made good time picking my way up the slope. Even though the brush was thick, I was far more worried about bumping into one of the chief's chase team than I was about encountering another tree snake. When I reached the pineapple tree clearing, I knew I was on the right track and I smiled remembering the sight of Te's pretty ass climbing the tree.
Soon, I thought, I'll have her all to myself.
Thirty minutes later, I heard the sound of the waterfall nearby, and I breathed in the fresh scent of the misty air wafting over the trees. I didn't know if it was because all my senses were on high alert being on the run, or if it was because my heart was pounding knowing I'd soon be back with Teuila, but everything around me suddenly seemed so much more alive. The flowers at the side of the trail looked prettier, the air smelled sweeter, and the birds chirping in the distance sounded happier.
For the first time in many years, I was madly, deliriously in love.
When I reached the waterfall, I looked around frantically for my island girl, but there was no sign of her. I furrowed my brow, puzzled why she’d have taken longer to reach our destination than I had. She appeared to have had a head start on me, and she should have been able to scale the uneven path much quicker than me, especially with my chafed feet. But seconds later, she broke through the heavy brush on the opposite side of the waterfall and rushed toward me.