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.
"Thank God you made it!" she said, throwing her arms around me. "I was so worried about you."
"Our little trick worked," I nodded, tilting the underside of one foot up toward her. "Although it looks like it's going to take a little longer than we hoped for the soles of my feet to get properly toughened up."
Teuila looked at my scarred soles and shook her head.
"What happened to your shoes?"
"I thought it would be safer to climb the tree without them. But it didn't take long for your father to find where I'd hidden them. I guess I'll be walking around barefoot like a real Anutian sooner than we thought."
Teuila chuckled as she squeezed my hand.
"It's probably better this way anyhow," she smiled. "Those treads would be visible a mile away."
"Why did you come up the other way?" I said, pointing to the direction of the jungle where she'd emerged.
"I wanted to throw my father off the trail," she said, pointing to the imprint of my boots on the muddy embankment. "But it won't take long for them to find us. We h
ave to get out of here as soon as possible."
I noticed that the leaf wrapped around Te's index finger was dripping blood down her hand.
"What happened?" I said. "You're hurt!"
"It's just a flesh wound," she said. "It looks worse than it is. We'll be able to patch up our wounds when we get to safety."
Suddenly we heard the shouting of men's voices approaching our position. I looked at Teuila with terrified eyes.
"What should we do?" I said. "In which direction should we head?"
"There's no time for that," Te' said. "We have to hide. There's too many of them. They'll catch us too quickly."
"Where?" I said, looking around the clearing. "In the brush?"
Te' glanced around the glade, then peered into a still section of the pool furthest from the waterfall.
"How long can you hold your breath?" she said.