by Aaron Hicks
Uktesh asked, “Would you like us to look for her with you?”
Guy shook his head, “No, I will not ruin your trip, you stay and ‘ave fun. If you see ‘er tell ‘er I’m looking for ‘er and zat I’ll be at our ‘ouse by ze time ze bonfire ends.”
Uktesh nodded and said, “I’ll make sure to tell her if we see her.” Guy walked off, and Uktesh shouted after him, “Good luck! Tell us what happened at breakfast tomorrow!”
Laurilli settled against him and he put his arm around her waist. All of them were silent as they worried about the missing Annabeth.
Three men walked near the fire and started drumming on djembes. Soon a woman started dancing around the fire. She wore the semi-formal kiekie the island women wore when dancing. Laurilli and Heathyr each had ordered three, but because of the detailed design each one took weeks to make. They were always bright colors, usually red, yellow, blue, or orange. They were a full-length dress that had embroidery alone the bottom, up the side slit, along the waist, and along both edges of the single strap that was a complementary color to the dress.
They were cut to hang on one shoulder with a different colored cloth that wrapped around the other half of the woman’s chest. It too was embroidered. The woman would remove that cloth and use it to pull a partner into the dance, so Heathyr had told Laurilli to add an undershirt, though the locals didn’t feel the need for one. The lone dancer was quickly joined by more women similarly dressed; Leilani and Pamfilo included. Laurilli jumped up and joined them too.
Uktesh looked at Heathyr and asked, “Do you know this dance?”
She said, “Yeah, it’s the one they teach in the dance class for visitors.”
“Join them! If I knew what they were doing I’d join in.” Then he thought about it and added, “Unless it’s a girl-only dance.”
Heathyr stood, laughed, and joined Laurilli in the circle of dancers. Uktesh stared at Laurilli, who seemed just as skilled as those who had been doing this their whole lives. Leilani and Pamfilo came back and tugged Repus and Esolc into the circle to dance with them. Soon Laurilli grabbed him too. Uktesh watched how the guys were moving and copied them. He moved slowly at first, but as he gained confidence he and Laurilli spun around each other as they moved around the fire. Too soon the music died away and the dancers began returning to their seats. But the drummers started another song and soon everyone was dancing again.
Sometime later Uktesh collapsed on the sand, breathing hard, and Laurilli fell next to him, while others continued to dance. Uktesh felt like the whole island was dancing around the fire. “You seem tired,” Laurilli said.
Uktesh yawned and said, “Yeah, I’m glad I was able to dance with you for so long, but I think I’m done for the night. I don’t want to exhaust myself, since I’m joining you guys for training tomorrow. You should go back and enjoy yourself if you want to. I’ll have fun just watching you.”
Laurilli lifted herself on her elbow so he could see her leer at him, “Sure you will.”
Uktesh laughed, “I didn’t mean it like that, but that too!”
She kissed him and moved to join the dancers. She was replaced moments later by Heathyr who said, “She didn’t get her unending energy from me.”
Uktesh sat up and said, “I’ll need to thank Thulmann when I see him again.”
Heathyr said, “If you ever see him again.”
Uktesh patted her leg and said, “We’ll see him again. He struck me as a man who could handle himself.”
She nodded, but didn’t say what Uktesh knew she was thinking, that good fighters died in wars along with the bad. Esolc crashed to the ground next to him, and Repus soon fell next to Esolc. “We did it!” they both said excitedly.
Uktesh said, “What did you do?”
Repus and Esolc said together, “We outlasted you!”
Uktesh laughed and said, “Congratulations! But will you both be able to train tomorrow? Or did you use all of tomorrow’s energy today?”
Repus said, “Fear not master Uktesh, we will be neither bright-eyed, nor bushy-tailed, but we’ll be ready to run in five hours!”
Uktesh just realized how late it was and said, “Well perhaps this one time we can push back training from sunrise to noon. Especially since Laurilli doesn’t look even close to being ready to leave.”
She was dancing with Pamfilo and Leilani and all three were laughing. Leilani had her hands on Laurilli’s hips and she and Pamfilo were teaching Laurilli to somehow rotate only her hips. Uktesh realized he was staring when Laurilli looked at him and winked. He felt his face begin to heat and said, “I definitely want her to learn whatever they’re doing.”
Heathyr stood, stretched, yawned, and said, “I think I’m going to go to sleep. You guys have fun.”
Uktesh stood up and said, “Let me walk you back to your house.”
She shook her head, and said, “No, you have fun. I’m safe on the island.”
While it was true that the island didn’t have a lot of crime, he said, “Nah, I don’t mind and I need to stretch my legs anyway.”
Heathyr said, “Very well,” she hooked her arm in his. He caught Laurilli’s eye before they walked back to the pool area.
Uktesh said, “It’s cold now that we’re away from the fire.”
Heathyr said, “Something that I would be shocked to hear during the day is certainly true at night.”
As the passed the buffet area Uktesh asked, “Are you having a fun vacation?”
Heathyr nodded, “It’s nice to get away. I don’t know what I’ll do with myself for the rest of our six months, but I’ll think of something. What about you? Are you having fun? How are your hands?”
Uktesh smiled at her and said, “I’m having a lot of fun, and I’m basically fully healed. Although my right hand still gets sore if I work it out too much. Now comes the task of getting back into fighting shape after a two months break.”
Heathyr patted his hand, “I’m sure you’ll do fine.”
They turned onto the path to their houses, and Uktesh said, “Yeah, I’m not nervous about my ability to get back to full strength, as I was during those first few weeks. I just dread the pain that I know my training with cause. Gone are my carefree days lazing away at the beach, or pool, or taking naps in the afternoon.”
Heathyr said, “I’d be surprised if you and Laurilli have the ability to go a full week without a noon-time nap.”
Uktesh said, “Well, that’s true. For the sake of your daughter we may have to continue those.”
Heathyr laughed and said, “For her sake?”
Uktesh pressed his hand to his chest and said, “I’m nothing if not a gentleman.”
Heathyr said, “True enough. You’ve also proved it by walking an old lady back to her house.”
Uktesh tried to give her the same look Li gave him when he was being self-deprecating and said, “You’re not old. You’re just helpless and in need of a protector.”
As they came to Heathyr’s door, she bumped him with her hip and said, “You’re lucky my daughter likes you, young man, or them’d be fighting words.”
Uktesh smiled and said, “There, you’ve already reverted from an old lady to a hot blooded youth ready to fight at a moment’s notice.”
Heathyr laughed and said, “Goodnight Uktesh.”
Uktesh waited for her to unlock her door before he replied, “Goodnight.” He started walking back to the beach and when he heard the click of Heathyr’s door locking he picked up his pace.
Pamfilo had taken over teaching Laurilli how to rotate her hips. Repus and Esolc were swaying with Leilani between them. When Laurilli saw Uktesh she ran his way, leaving Pamfilo to join Leilani between Repus and Esolc.
Laurilli threw herself into his arms, and he reflectively caught her before she fell to the ground. She put her arms around his head and said, “I may have danced too much.” She kissed him and said, “Also I didn’t know that that pineapple punch had alcohol in it and I may have drinked too much.”
Uktesh laughed and said, “I believe you did drink too much. Is the world spinning?”
She leaned back in his arms until her head was vertical to the ground and said, “I’m always dizzy when I’m around you!”
Uktesh sighed, and said, “That must make training hard.”
Laurilli pulled herself up and put both her arms around his neck again before she said, “You have no idea!” She jumped out of his arms and climbed up his back while she shouted, “Piggy back ride! Piggy back ride Uktesh!”
Uktesh knelt down and she quickly set herself on his shoulders. When he stood he had to reach up to steady her as she swayed almost fell. “Careful now,” Uktesh said.
Laurilli knocked him on the top of his head with her knuckles, “You touched my breastesses,” she paused and said, “breastess.”
Uktesh could only say what he was thinking, “I did?”
Laurilli hit him again, “Of course you did! It was the thing that was squishy, remember?”
Uktesh didn’t remember. But he knew if he had it had only been to keep her from falling face first into the sand, but he said, “Yeah I remember now! They felt like heaven!”
Laurilli hit him again.
That’s getting old. Drunk Laurilli is more violent than sober Laurilli.
“No you jerk it was just one breastess.”
Uktesh said, “Yeah that’s what I meant. And it was the bestest breastest.”
Laurilli somehow leaned her chin on his head and said, “You bet it was.”
Uktesh reached his hand up and stroked her hair, “You ready to go home?”
She nodded with her chin still resting on his head, “Yeah, I don’t want you thinking you can get away with that.”
I don’t know how that applies, but she clearly needs sleep. He couldn’t hold back a yawn. And so do I. The proceeded slowly back to their house since Laurilli was either asleep or passed out. Uktesh unlocked their door and put his keys back in his pocket before he carefully slid Laurilli from his shoulders and gently laid her on their bed. He went back to the door, shut it, and locked it, before he started to remove her clothes. When she was just in her underwear he put one of his shirts on her and started getting ready for bed himself.
After he’d relieved his bladder he thought, we’ve got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow, and a busy two weeks until the day of the play. He slid into bed next to Laurilli and pulled her close before he yawned and closed his eyes.
IV. A Play in the Life of
Three months two weeks left
Uktesh woke up with Laurilli curled up next to him. The night before they’d decided to go to bed early so that they would both be fresh for the play. He realized that her hand was rubbing his, and that his hand was resting on her stomach. He mumbled, “Morning.”
She spun in his arms and kissed him until he was breathing hard. “Morning. I don’t know if I’m ready for the play tonight.”
Uktesh kissed her and said, “You’re ready. But I still don’t like that I’ve never actually practiced the part where I fight the dragon or any scene after it either.”
Laurilli sighed and rolled out of bed. He couldn’t help but follow her with his eyes as she made her way to the bathroom.
“You act like you’ve never seen my underwear.” She closed the door and she shouted through the door, “And how hard will it be? Mom will be in a giant paper and wood costume and you only have to stab her once with your sword.”
Uktesh said, “Yeah, but something feels off.”
Laurilli sighed loud enough to be heard, “You always feel like something’s off.”
Uktesh said, “I’m usually right!”
He heard the toilet flush, then the sink water start to run, and Laurilli said, “Only because you’re constantly doing things that are getting both of us in trouble.”
Don’t rise to her bait; instead calmly state that she is the one who keeps getting us in trouble, “Me? You’re you one that started that fire!” Well, I guess I did rise to the bait.
She burst out of the bathroom and shouted, “You nearly sunk the boat!”
Uktesh said, “You almost destroyed Leilani’s business!”
She gasped, “You said that was your fault too!”
Uktesh shouted, “I lied!” They heard a knock and both shouted at the door, “What?”
Heathyr’s scolding voice drifted through the door, “I can hear you two from my house.”
Laurilli said, “That’s because Uktesh is blaming me for the damage to Leilani’s bar!”
Uktesh said, “Only because it was your fault!”
Heathyr said, “Someone let me in, I’m not having this discussion through a door.”
Laurilli unlocked the door, and Heathyr walked in.
“Again, no clothes Laurilli?”
Laurilli groaned, “It’s so hot! Even at night it’s still hot!”
Heathyr said, “I suppose Uktesh is similarly underdressed?” Uktesh nodded.
“That is a discussion for a different day. Today, you both need to put the last few days behind you and either become the greatest actors on earth by pretending to be madly in love when you’re ready to kill each other, or get over it.”
Laurilli said, “Uktesh started it!”
Uktesh retorted, “You’re the one that said I keep doing stuff that gets us in trouble.”
Laurilli said, “But then you went into specifics about the fire!”
Heathyr said, “Knock it off, both of you!” She sat in one of the chairs. “Here’s the plan. You both explain your side of the events and I’ll determine who was in the wrong. Laurilli, ladies first.”
Laurilli said, “Thank you mother. First the fire; I admit that was my fault. I didn’t know that an oil bomb would never stop burning! Even that is partially Uktesh’s fault because he kept going on and on about the bomb that killed that shark. But the boat was all Uktesh. He’s the one that destroyed the below decks and put a hole in the hull.”
Heathyr said, “And Leilani’s?”
Laurilli said, “Okay, here’s what you’ve got to understand. First, I didn’t know that you could do so much damage with a rock slide. Second Uktesh was already up at the forbidden cave. And third, he left me so he could go play with the dragons.”
Heathyr said, “Uktesh your side.”
Uktesh said, “Okay, I agree with the fire. I didn’t know about it until it was about to be set off, but I also didn’t know about oil never going out.” They’d thrown water on it, but the fire had just risen to the top of the water and floated there. They’d hit it with sticks, thrown sand on it, and it finally went out. “The ship was a slave ship! I knew it was because it had chains and heard people crying out for help. So I destroyed the chains, and I may have been too forceful with a few of my perfect attacks. That I take full responsibility for, but I know if Li had been there she would’ve gone with me.” He saw her nod in agreement.
“The rockslide though couldn’t be my fault,” he turned to Laurilli, “I told you where I was going, what I was doing, and you said you wanted to keep practicing your Bull Rushes Down. I didn’t even know you’d tried to follow me until I got back down the mountain. Look, I know you were just trying to get a rise out of me, but it was clearly a bad idea. We should just go back to bed and pretend to start the day over.”
Laurilli nodded and said, “Mom, we’ve decided to go back to bed. Please wake us up in two minutes.”
Heathyr left and Uktesh could hear her mumbling, “I don’t know why I try.”
Laurilli said, “Okay, you were on your side.” Uktesh moved to where he’d woken up. “I was like this.” She scooted into him and she put Uktesh’s arm under her and folded it around her stomach. “You were like that, and I was rubbing your hand.” She started to rub and hand, “Okay go.”
Uktesh yawned and said, “Morning.”
Laurilli rolled in his arms and kissed him, “Morning.”
Uktesh asked, “Are you nervous about the play?”
Laurilli
said, “Oh yeah, that, not anymore, you?
Uktesh said, “I’m still a little nervous about the dragon fight because they’re refusing to train me until after the play. They say it’s because they want me to devote my all to their training, but I think it’s more, I’ve feel like something’s off.”
Laurilli said, “You’re usually right about this stuff. We should be careful.”
Uktesh laughed and kissed her. “Morning.”
She smiled at him. “Morning.”
Uktesh got out of bed and said, “Okay. Bathroom, breakfast, quick training, lunch, shower, and then the play.”
Laurilli said, “That sounds like a good plan.”
They heard a knock, “Hey you two wake up!”
Laurilli said, “Come in mom, we already did that.”
Uktesh went into the bathroom as Heathyr shut the outer door behind her. Heathyr asked, “You two better now? Did that foolishness actually work?”
Uktesh heard the smile in Laurilli’s voice as she said, “Yep, it worked just fine.”
Heathyr’s voice held an air of disbelief as she replied, “We’ll see.”
Uktesh walked to the sink and washed his hands before he went out into the main room. “I say we eat, then swim for a bit, then train. How does that sound?”
Both the women nodded so Uktesh grabbed his swimming trucks and went back into the bathroom to change. He waited until Heathyr said that Laurilli was changed before he came back out. Together they headed to the dining area. Esolc and Repus were already eating so with a brief, “Good morning,” the three new arrivals went to get food and drinks. Uktesh decided on hard boiled eggs, eggs over easy, two with runny yokes, and two with hard yokes, and four eggs scrambled together with cheese and ham. Once he had pleased his plate on the table, he went back inside the food room to get two glasses of the berry drink he loved.
Just as he was cracking open the boiled egg he looked around for Guy. It had been two weeks since his wife went missing. She had never made it back to their house after the bonfire. They had helped him search for a week, but with the size of the island, the search was called off with the assumption that she had either left her husband or had an accident and fallen into the ocean, never to be seen again.
