"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."