Grandfather II - 3. Chapter 3

“Billy, are you still working for your dad?”

“No, I worked five years for him after I finished my studies. Now I have my own investment company. Do you remember Gene? He was two years behind us.”

“Wasn’t he the one who dated that red haired girl?”

“Yes, now he manages my investment company. He married her and they have a nine year old boy who looks like Gene with his mothers red hair. He’s really cute.”

“When Amanda and I get married, any chance of this wine for our wedding?”

“I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll supply the wine for the bridal toast. If there’s any left over you can have it, unless your dad claims it.”

“Fair deal”

“Now you’ll have to give me a few months heads-up on the date and number of guests. I’ll have to put the wine aside.” Chaz had a big smile on his face.

Dinner over I said good night to Charles passing on Dad’s comments. Chaz and Amanda walked us to the door. “Don’t forget you’re coming to dinner tomorrow night. I didn’t say anything to your dad, but he’d be welcome.”

It was dark as Akela and I walked to the boat. Since it was dark, he took my hand. I placed my arm around his shoulders and smiled. Walking up the gangway, we heard a noise. Akela stopped, “I’ll be right back.”

I watched as he ran to the western corner, across from the pier. I went to my cabin to get ready for bed. I had just removed my shirt when I heard my name. “Billy, can we come in?”

We, who does he have with him, “Yes, come on in.”

“Billy, this is my friend Liko” Liko looked like he was twelve years old and he was dirty, very dirty.

“Akela, show Liko where he can shower. Then come and help me prepare something for him to eat.”

I left them alone, I went to the galley to pull together something for Liko. There was a little of the roast left that would do for one person. While I was preparing the food, Akela came into the galley. “Billy, can he come with us?”

I looked at Akela. I didn’t remember any discussions about him joining me on the boat. I wasn’t opposed to the idea, I’m sure he’d be company. “You need to tell me more.”

“We lived on an island that was between this island and the island next to Big Island. All of these islands were formed hundred of years ago by volcanos. Our island started to rumble, our dads put us in a canoe and shoved us off toward this island. There were three of us, when we got close to this island, our home island erupted. We paddled fast to get to this island. When our island began to sink, there was a strong rush of water into the crater that was formed. We were afraid that we would be drawn back to the island. As the water was pulled toward the island, we were close enough to this island so we began to swim carrying the boat to a small inlet that was protected. Liko, Kana and I watched as our island disappeared. We slept on this island, Kana wanted to go and get help. He took the boat and left. We never saw him again. Liko and I built a hut from the limbs and leaves we found on the ground. We ate fruits and some plants that we recognized. If I leave, he’ll have no one, can’t you take him with us?”

“How old is he?”

“He’s sixteen, he was eleven when we left our island.”

I couldn’t leave these two on this island. “Okay, assign him a cabin. Take his sarong and wash it. I’ll have some food for him.” I got a hug, and if it was possible, he would’ve crawled in my skin. He left and ran to Cabin 1. He had a very dirty sarong that he dragged to the washer. Liko followed and I had the impression that Liko did whatever Akela suggested. It would have been cruel to leave them on this island.

“Billy, can you fix his hair like mine?”

“Sure, Liko sit here. Akela go to my office and bring me a comb, scissors and a rubber band.” I took the food out of the oven, it was too hot to eat. It needed a few moments to cool. Akela brought the scissors, comb and rubber band. I trimmed Liko’s hair, braided it and tied it off with the rubber band. When I was done, he smiled and hugged me. Of course, he was as naked as the day he was born.

I fixed a plate of roast beef and vegetables for Liko. I poured a glass of milk, “Akela, are you hungry?”

Akela went to the refrigerator and took out two of the fruit we had on tour. He cut one in half, giving one half to me and a half to Liko. I watched Liko eat, I knew he had to be hungry, but he didn’t gulp his food down. He chewed it slowly as if he was enjoying each morsel. Finishing his dinner, “Liko, do you want more?”

“No thank you Billy, it was good.”

“I guess we need to get to bed. Akela, in the morning you need to get whatever you want to bring with you. I doubt we’ll be back here for a while. Be sure to bring all of your papers with you. You’ll need passports.”

I left the boys and headed for my cabin. I took a shower and when I was finished I found Akela in my bed. “I thought you had a cabin?”

“No, I sleep here with you.”

“Ok, but we sleep.” I was tired and it didn’t take me long to fall asleep.

When the alarm went off, I woke to Akela cuddled against my back. It felt strange as both of us were naked. I quickly got out of bed and went to start the coffee. I guess habits are hard to break. When it was just Captain, Moe and me, I often walked around the lower deck nude, so it was when I was returning from making coffee. My guests were watching me walking to my cabin. “Get a shower boys, then we’ll have breakfast.”

Liko went back to Cabin 1 whereas Akela followed me to my cabin. My choice? join or not. Time being a factor, I joined in. Akela smiled as he washed my back, I had to return the favor.

Showered and dressed, shorts for me, sarongs for the boys. I headed to the galley to start breakfast. I sent the coffee up to the salon and started to prepare scrambled eggs and sausages. I had the boys prepare toast.

“Akela, get orange juice and milk out of the refrigerator.” I poured two glasses of orange juice and sent it to the salon by the lift. As soon as the eggs and sausages were done, I added toast and sent 2 plates to the salon. Akela added the toast, I added the eggs and sausages, setting the plates on the table. I wasn’t sure how they would react to the eggs and sausages. They had eaten mostly fruits and vegetables. I was to find out, if it tasted good, it was eaten.

With breakfast being over, the boys were going to go and get their stuff. I watched Akela speaking with Moe. Whatever it was, Moe agreed and now all three left to get the boys belongings.

“You’re getting quite a crew.”

“It sure looks that way. Once Akela told me about Liko I couldn’t leave them on the island. Those two are very dependent on each other.”

I return to the galley to begin preparations for tonight’s dinner. I became so busy I forgot abut the boys when Akela walked into the galley, “We’re back”

“Good, just put your papers in my office and as soon as I’m done here I’ll look at them.” When the prep work was finished, I went to my office to check their papers. I not only found the papers but also a chest on the floor.

“Akela, what’s this chest?”

He opened the chest, it was filled with what looked like gold coins. “How did you get this?”

“Remember I told you about the my island erupting. When we got close to this island, the water was pulled toward our island as it sunk. There was a piece of this trunk showing under the shallow water. Liko and I pulled it free and slowly pulled it up the mountain where the water wouldn’t reach it. When we opened it, we saw the gold.”

“But you didn’t spend any of it?”

“No, we were afraid. If the wrong people found out they might hurt us to tell them where we got the gold.”

“Put this in my clothes closet, in a corner where you can’t see it if the door is opened.”

When they had done that, I looked at the papers. There were the birth certificates and deeds to property. There was one I didn’t recognize as belonging to the boys. “We have time, let’s walk to the resort. You need some kind of shoes that’ll prevent you from slipping on the wet deck.” There I am, walking to the resort flanked by two island boys.

We went to the gift shop, I bought six sarongs. Akela brought one over, “For you.” I laughed then we bought three pairs of sandals, I’ll buy deck shoes when we’re at the Big Island.

“Billy look.” Akela had a shell necklace of white puka shells.

“How about these, they are colorful?”

“No, white for you, color for us.” I wanted a colored one also, I picked out one white and three blue. I had the white one on, the boys had their blue ones on as well as their sandals, I carried my sandals. As we left the shop they spotted the ice cream vendor and being boys, they asked if they could have an ice cream cone. So we each had one.