Indian Summer - 9. Heritage

"Mom, do we have any Hawaiian ancestors?"

I hadn't figured out a strategy. I was winging this one.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, I met this Hawaiian guy a few days ago, and he thought we might be related."

Mom could smell bullshit a mile away.

"Let's see, a blue-eyed, blond-haired, white-skinned European is related to a brown-eyed, black-haired, dark-skinned Pacific Islander. Well, this time of year, the skin color might not be so different, I suppose. Maybe he mistook you for the original missionaries to Hawaii, believed to be white gods."

I looked at my feet and did the guilt bit. "Mom! I just asked a simple question. There's no reason to be sarcastic."

She rolled her eyes, but took pity on me. "In your dad's desk in the family room is a drawer full of genealogical records. Your dad and I both came from a long line of Latter Day Saints. The family records were carefully researched and maintained. That's how I determined there were no American Indians in the family tree. I didn't notice any Hawaiians, but that wasn't what I was looking for."

I was surprised. "I didn't know you and Dad belonged to a religion."

Mom looked pensive. "Your grandparents all quit the church when your dad and I were young. That's how we met, actually, through a family support group. Leaving the church can be traumatic with that much personal history in it. But we still have the family records. You'll have to do the research yourself this time. Look at the two family trees in the first folder. If you find something that interests you, look for the generation number on a hanging folder, and then the person's name on a manila file folder. That's where you'll find the details for the individual. And if you find a Hawaiian ancestor, I'll eat my hat."

I gave her my best happy grin. "Thanks, Mom!"

I found it in generation four on Dad's side. One Makaio Alana, a convert to the LDS church in the late nineteenth century, moved to Salt Lake City, married one of Brigham Young's granddaughters, and the rest was history. The information on Makaio continued back a couple more generations to the time of the original missionaries to Hawaii. Once I was into the file, I was hooked. It wasn't only names and dates, there were interesting details, one of which was about Makaio's grandfather, who, while fishing, had been guided to safety after an unexpected storm hit. His guide was none other than the family deity - Pueo.

An hour later, I emerged from the basement with a document in my hand and a self-satisfied smirk on my face.

"Thanks, Mom. That was very helpful. Look at this."

Mom put on her glasses and looked. "Well, I will be dipped in shit!"

I was shocked. "Mom! I've never heard you say anything like that before. If I'd said that when I was younger, you'd have washed my mouth out with soap and water."

Mom's eyes twinkled. "Sometimes the occasion calls for it. I'm glad you have an interest in your heritage, even if it was inspired by a hot Hawaiian surfer."

"Mom, how did you know..."

The grin on her face told me I'd been conned by an expert.

I gave her a hug and grinned back. "I won't make you eat your hat though."

She hugged me back. "That's kind of you."

Now I wanted to know more about Native Hawaiians in general, and about Pueo specifically. We didn't have an encyclopedia. If we'd been in town, I could have gone to the library. Then a memory came back about a tree house I'd recently been in, a study desk, and a bookshelf with a thirty-volume set of Encyclopedia Americana, 1958 edition, complete with subsequent yearbooks.

************

"Sure, you can use my encyclopedia - no problem. But what made you so interested in researching Hawaiian mythology?"

Kenji and I were sitting at a picnic table in the park, the one I'd leaned against a few nights earlier while Pedro busted a nut inside me. I'd gone to the park specifically to find Kenji. We'd gone swimming for a while, and then I bought us soft drinks from the snack bar.

I fudged slightly. "I discovered I have Native Hawaiian ancestry, and I wanna learn more about their history and culture."

Kenji looked a little disappointed. "I thought maybe it was because of that Hawaiian surfer dude who was hanging around the park the other day, the one with the board shorts similar to yours."

I almost choked on my Fresca. "Yeah, I saw him too. I wouldn't mind being related to him, and in a way, that's what inspired my interest."

Kenji grinned at me. "I think you saw him that night too."

I tried to fake it. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, I came down to the park that night after dark. I thought maybe I'd find you here. I did, but you two were standing on the beach naked holding hands. I wonder if you did more than hold hands."

I blushed. "Well, ummm... yeah we did."

He laughed at me. "It's okay, Dallen. I'm glad you were having fun. And by the way, I think maybe I've found a boyfriend."

I grinned at him. "I'm happy for you. Let me know how it works out."

Kenji grinned. "Thanks. So, will your research take a while?"

"Probably an hour or so."

"Why don't you come by this evening after dinner? Dad and I will be at my karate practice, so you'll have the place to yourself."

"Okay, thanks. I'll do that."

************

Printed encyclopedias were a good source of information, however finding what you were looking for could be tedious. It took a while, but the results were very satisfying.

Besides being an owl, Pueo was a minor god, the deity of specific families. He was a powerful deity too - empath, protector of the innocent, healer, and capable of bringing the dead to life. One of his roles was ancestral guardian. If you were a descendant, he was around and available, although he sometimes took on different forms. So it was almost like reverse shape-shifting. The owl became a cat, or centipede, or plant - whatever was most useful at the time.

It worked the other way too, the traditional shape-shifting way, as much as I understood it. Humans, and gods too, could become the owl. It seemed rather complex.

This gave some possible insight into the strange behaviors I'd been exhibiting - healing Tocho, joining the connection with Tocho and Mateo, and making the one-sided connection with Kenji.

Which raised more questions. What about Kahoni? Had Pueo taken human form? Or perhaps, like Benny, Raven was Kahoni's spirit guide. Or perhaps Pueo was Kahoni's spirit guide, and in either case, Kahoni had instructions to mentor me in love and empathy. And who was our mutual friend? It wasn't Benny. Benny had told me I needed to seek other guidance, so I would have to watch for more clues.

Kenji's high-spirited arrival interrupted my reverie. Two sets of footsteps pounded on the stairs as they ran up to the landing and burst into the room. Two nearly-identical, smiling, oriental faces appeared, the attached bodies dressed in identical karate uniforms.

"Hi, Dallen. This is my friend Akiro. Did you find what you were after?"

I smiled, the only thing possible when Kenji was around. "Hi, Akiro. Yes, I did, Kenji. I have a couple of things to check yet. How was your practice?"

He grinned broadly. "Great! I think I'll have my black belt soon. Take your time. Akiro and I are gonna practice upstairs for a while. Would you please hang out until we're finished?"

I wondered if this was Kenji's possible boyfriend. I smiled at him. "Sure, I've got some more research to do."

It took me about fifteen minutes to check on Native Hawaiian sexuality. I learned that the early Hawaiians were very open about sex. Sexual experimentation was expected once puberty was reached, and formal practical training was provided by older relatives. There was no stigma associated with any sexual practice, heterosexual or homosexual. Sex was practiced for both fun and procreation, and was as likely to occur as conversation when two people met.

At first, I'd heard Kenji and Akiro practicing karate, but then they seemed to be taking a break. Or maybe they were lifting weights. I was finished with my research, and decided to find out what karate practice was all about. I went up to the bedroom, where the only sounds from the room above were scuffling and quiet laughter.

Climbing the stairs to the exercise room, I could see karate uniforms scattered about. In the center of the room, Kenji had a giggling and cooperative Akiro pinned to the practice mat. The K-Y tube was lying uncapped next to them, and Kenji was bent over positioning his pole, watching himself in the wall mirrors. Akiro let out a yelp of surprise as Kenji penetrated him.

"You okay, bro?"

"Yeah."

"I don't wanna hurt you. If I do, tell me. Okay?"

"Okay."

Akiro wrapped his arms around Kenji's back and leaned up to kiss him. Kenji's hips moved with a steady rhythm as he began to work his way towards an orgasm.

I was happy to see Kenji expanding his horizons. I put away the books I'd been using, and then climbed the ladder to the upper platform. Once there, I looked over my research notes and enjoyed the night sounds and the view across the river. It was a relaxing spot, and I soon fell asleep in my chair.

************

I was awakened by the sounds of Akiro's departure, as noisy as his arrival. Now wearing his swimming shorts, Kenji climbed up the ladder and joined me, unusually silent.

"Are you gonna spend the night with me again?"

I smiled at him. "If you want me to. I told my parents I probably would."

His grin was back. "Cool! I'll go get some snacks from the house. Star Trek should be on. Do you wanna watch it this time?"

"Nope, and I don't need a snack."

He jumped up and headed for the ladder. "Me neither."

It was a race for the bed. Kenji got there first and lay on his back.

"You're on top."

I couldn't resist it. "Is that because you can't get it up right now?"

His smile faded. "You heard us."

I knelt between his legs and grinned at him. "Actually, I came up to watch you practice karate and found you practicing screwing instead. It's all cool, Kenji."

He paused before responding. "I like Akiro. I think we're gonna be boyfriends. But I still wanna be friends with you too."

I leaned over and kissed him gently. "I'm happy for you, and I'm glad we can still be friends."

He kissed me back, and then looked up, grinning happily. "Maybe we can have fun together with Akiro sometime."

I grinned back as I greased my boner. "I like that idea."

Yeah, I liked the idea. I didn't know what the three of us would do together, but with Kenji's creativity, that wouldn't be a problem. The idea of having fun with two thirteen-year-old karate kids at the same time turned me on something fierce.

Kenji squealed with excitement as I pinned him down and swiftly skewered him. I screwed him hard, and the connection told me he loved it.

************

The next afternoon, I went to my swimming hole rather than the beach. I needed some time alone to think. Spreading out my blanket in the sun, I lay down and listened to nature.

Overhead, Raven called to me as he played in the air currents. It sounded like he was laughing at me. He probably was.

Across the creek, the Ghost Cat appeared, watching me closely as he drank from the stream. This time, he didn't instantly vanish. He wandered away through the trees, looking back from time to time before lying down in the shade.

In a nearby tree, Pueo's soothing call spoke to me. I'd seen Pueo in the encyclopedia, and now I saw him for real for the first time. I wondered if I was imagining his presence until he flew to another tree, dropping a tail feather on my blanket.

They were all very real, but how did they fit together?

Kahoni suddenly dropped down beside me on my blanket, naked like I was. I should have been startled, but I wasn't. It was almost like I'd expected to see him.

He smiled. "You have investigated your heritage. I think you have questions."

Now I was surprised. "How did you know all that?" Then I was a little sarcastic. "Oh, that's right, we have a friend in common who knows everything about me."

Kahoni laughed. "Sometimes I learn things on my own. But here is a start to our discussion. My full name is Kahoni Alana."

A smile spread slowly across my face. "Direct descendant of Makaio Alana?"

Kahoni grinned at me. "Close, but not quite, Kaina - which means cousin as well as brother, by the way. Direct descendant of Makaio's brother, Keilani, who remained in Hawaii."

The bullshit story I'd told Mom was closer to the truth than I'd realized.

It was becoming clear. "So, you're filling a mentoring role like Benny, only for my Hawaiian heritage?"

"That is correct. Only in this case I am a blood relative, and we share the same ancestral guardian, or as you would say, spirit guide, Pueo."

My next thought brought some disappointment. "So you were responsible for my encounters with Kenji and Karen? I thought I'd done that on my own."

Kahoni laughed. "Yes and no. Yes, but not in the same manner as Benny. I learned that Pedro and Mateo had provided some suggestions and I let nature take its course. You were responsible for those encounters." He grinned broadly. "Pueo, empath and protector of the innocent, ensured they worked out well for you."

Protector of the innocent, indeed.

"So, how did you learn that Pedro and Mateo had provided suggestions?"

Kahoni smiled. "Let's say that Raven and Pueo have a long, mutually-beneficial relationship. Flying high above, there is very little that Raven does not know. He takes great pleasure in sharing tidbits with Pueo when they might be useful. As a creature of both the night and day, Pueo often returns the favor."

More was coming together for me. "So, I now know for sure that I have two spirit guides, the Ghost Cat and Pueo. And the unusual gifts I have are from Pueo, or perhaps sometimes a combination of the two."

"That is correct. The spirit connection you and I share is the result of our common Hawaiian bloodline and our common link to Pueo. It is much like your connection with your Indian brothers, but not as universal. Your ability to provide physical healing comes from Pueo. The empathy Pueo provides gives you the additional ability to join your American Indian brothers' spirit connections at times, and it gives you the ability to connect mentally and emotionally like you did with Kenji."

"Thank you... Kaina. That explains our relationships to each other and the spirit world. But who is our mutual friend?"

"For now, that must remain a mystery. There is someone you don't know yet who will make himself known to you. When you can walk on your own as a Ghost Cat, you will know everything."

It took a moment. Kahoni knew about my vision. And that was part of the mystery. I must wait.

Kahoni's hand moved between my legs, his fingers toying with my pucker. I was instantly hard.

"Since I'm here, is there anything else you would like? The passion isn't limited to the night, you know." He stroked my boner and smiled. "And you appear to have the desire."

In the daylight this time, I got a good look at his rigid pole, and I wondered how he could insert something that big so gently. Yes, there was something else I would like. Several times, if possible.

Returning his smile, I reached into my shorts pocket and handed him the lube.

The passion lasted all afternoon and into the early evening. The sun was low on the horizon when Kahoni kissed me goodbye. His endurance and quick recovery time were the same as before, and once again I would be a bit sore for a few days.

I was going to catch hell for being late for dinner. I had become adept at making excuses. What would it be this time? I'd fallen asleep and only woke up when it began to cool off. I hadn't used that one yet. Hopefully it would do the trick.