Any Port in a Storm: Chapter 13

(I'll do what I can to get another chapter out in the next few days, but I am hella busy this weekend.  It might not be until Monday or Tuesday.)

Ash's Story

Eventually the talking settles and Leinani looks at her daughters and says what I believe to be an apology.  Her tone is contrite and her look was one asking for forgiveness.

Huali was shook but seemed to accept her mother's words, Miru was far less forgiving.  She glared at Leinani.  The tension in the room was palpable and I sat there completely in the dark.  I was obviously the source of this family drama but I didn't know why.

I quietly clear my throat.  “I could wait outside.”

“No.”  Miru says.  “We are done.”  Miru says something to her mother.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No.”  Miru replies, eyes still focused on her mother.  “You are a ray of truth in this...”  She finishes her barbed statement in Leinani's tongue.  Huali stiffens and growls a warning to her little sister.  Leinani raises a hand to calm her eldest child.  She gets up and gives both her daughters a hug, Miru does not return it.  She says something to me and takes her leave, in her wake she leaves silence and introspective stares.

I sit there and watch the interplay between the sisters.  Whatever was said rocked Miru to her core, Huali seemed to have already moved past it and was far more concerned with her sister.  Miru at last breaks the silence.

“Tell me Ashley.  Out there...”  She swings her arm out toward the island cliffs.  “...do parents lie to their children?  Did you lie to your children?”

Miru was upset and the last thing I wanted to do was escalate this situation.  I try to answer as calmly as possible.  “Tony and I have no children Miru.  But it is common to tell small lies but be truthful for the important stuff.”  I glance toward the door.  “Whatever Leinani told you was probably done for your benefit.  Her heart was probably in the right place.”

“Pfff.  My benefit.  I benefit from knowing things.  Real things.”  Miru scowls.

“If you don't mind me asking...”  I begin before I am interupted by Huali approaching and laying a large hand over my shoulder.  In her eyes was a deep sympathy.  There was more to this Huali than her warrior appearance, this woman had a heart to her.

“You...lost your children?  They were on your ship?”

I shake my head.  “No Huali, we never had any children.”

“Oh.”  The big woman says.  “You are barren.  Mother told us of this curse...”

“No, nothing like that.”  I reply.  “We just hadn't gotten around to it yet.  This trip...well, we were thinking of changing that.”

Huali was confused.  “Tony Butler battles for you...weds you...and does not breed you!?  Is Tony Butler a fool?”

I can't help but laugh.  “That's not how things work out there Huali.  We don't just...breed.  It's more complicated than that.”

“Complicated?”  Huali scoffs.  “Tony might be a good warrior but he is a poor husband.  He shames your honor.  Father was right.  You are both stained with sin.”

I didn't know how to respond to that.  I thought at first Cormac had instilled basic Christian values in his children but Huali's words hinted at it being much more complicated than that.

Miru pours out three cups of water from a pitcher on a nearby table.  The pitcher and cups were all made of the same hand crafted clay.  Passing the cups out she takes her place in her seat beside me.  I gratefully take the cup and drink the clean refreshing water.

“We have so much to learn.  I have so much I want to know.”  Miru says.  “But first, why don't you tell us how you ended up here?”

I nod.  “Sure Miru.  I have a lot of questions about your life as well.”  I take another drink.  “Okay, how we got here.  It all started in a place called Michigan...”

Tony's Story

“You don't know the Bible?”  I ask curiously.  How could she speak of sin and wear a crucifix without even knowing what the bible was?

Mara shakes her head.  Just then Kea returns with a pottery jug of drinking water.  Mara rises and speaks with her sister for a time, asking Kea to go boil some water and bring clean banana leaves.  Makea was impatient to hear my stories but Mara points at my wound and explains the situation.  Kea warns me again not to start the question and answer without her then hurries off.

Mara brings me a simple squat goblet of water.  I drink it down and she pours me another.  “Thank you.”  I sigh, god damn did that taste good.

She nods.  Producing another small clay bottle she crawls up beside me and kneels by my swollen knee.  Without asking or any warning she pours a small crescent of oil on my thigh.  Setting down the bottle on the frame of the mattress she begins to very lightly massage just above my knee.

“Uh...Mara...”

“Shhh.  This will feel good.  I will make you feel good.”

“Mara...”

She smiles up at me.  “Yes?”

I hesitate...then succumb to her beauty.  “Um, nothing.”

She returns to her work.  The rich smell of coconut fills the air as she works the oil into my skin.  Oil is applied again, and then again, so that soon my right leg had a sheen over it from the edge of my shorts down.  Again, without asking, she pushes the leg of my shorts higher.   

“Mara...I'll do that.”  I pull them high and scrunch the leg at the top of my thigh.  I knew I should stop this but I feeling bad and this felt so good.  Besides, I didn't want to be rude and refuse her hospitality.

More oil is applied and Mara works her magic.  Her delicate hands at first simply stroked over my leg with no pressure applied.  My flesh became warmer beneath her touch.  With long graceful movements she rubs up my quads then back down the sides of my legs.  She isn't shy, the hand along my inner thigh came within inches of my balls.  I should say something, but I don't.

I sit back and watch her care for me.  I could just look at her for hours.  What a vision!

She shifts to kneel between my legs and starts to really massage the muscles.  Never too hard but enough to really feel it.  Her touch is incredibly gentle at the sides of my aching knee and around my ankle.  She probes a bit with her fingertips to find the source of sprains and avoids direct pressure to those areas.  Up and down she rubs.  My thighs, the sides and behind the knee, my calves, then around my ankles.  Everything she did felt incredible.  She had a small grin on her face, seeming to enjoy this as much as I was.

She looks up at me and says sweetly.  “Are you comfortable?  Do you need anything?”

I shake my head.

“Would you like a song?”

“You sing?”

She takes a deep breath, her healing hands continuing to soothe the ache in my leg, her topaz blue eyes focused on her work, and she begins to sing a song so jarringly familiar and so deeply beautiful that I am momentarily struck mute.  

“Amaaaazing Graaaace, how sweeeeet the sound.  That saaaaved a wretch like meeeeeee....”

Something moved in me and brings my voice to life.  “...I ooonce was lost, but now am found...”

Mara's hands stop and looks up at me with wide eyed wonder as she sings the next verse.  “...was blind, but noooow I seeeee.”

Our voices come together, masculine bass with female soprano.  “Twas grace that tauuught my hearrrt to fear, and graaaace my feeears reeeelieeeeeved.  How precioussss did that grace appear, the hooour I firrrst belieeeeved.”

Time almost stands still as we stare at each other.  

“You know it?”  She whispers.

“Everyone knows that song Mara.”  I smile warmly.  “Perhaps you aren't as cut off from the rest of the world as you believe.”

A tender smile slowly blossoms and brightens her arrestingly gorgeous features.

As we gaze into each others eyes I feel...something...stir...  

Ohhhhhh shit!  No!  No, no, no, no!

I tear my eyes from hers and shake my head and my equilibrium spins.  “Unhh, I'm not feeling right.”

“It's the fever.”  Mara says.  “Kea will be back soon.  I can clean and dress the wound but the fever will get worse before it gets better.  Don't worry...”

I push her away to arm's length.  “Just...clean me up.  Or give me something, I'll do it myself.  I don't want a massage.”

“I'll make you feel good...”

“No.” I interrupt.  “Clean it off.”

“Oh.”  I could see she was confused.  “Okay Tony.  Can...we sing some more?”

“No!”  I snap.  “No more songs. Where is Kea?”

“Boiling the water.”  Mara says with rising worry.  “I'll care for you.  Do not be scared Tony.  You are safe, you are loved.”

“Stop!  Just...no more talking.  I...need to rest.”  I lay head back against the headboard and close my eyes.  After a still moment I feel Mara scrape and wipe the oil from my leg.

This damned fever, my weakened condition, the weeks of maddening monotony before landfall, it was all causing my mind to play tricks on me.  I'd just met this girl!  Love at first sight didn't happen in the real world!  I was a happily married man!  I loved Ashley, I was committed to her.  She was good woman and I was a good and loyal husband.  It would take more than a pretty face to tempt me!