by John Morano
Binti crawled back into her den. She could feel her young swimming all around her, oblivious to the fact that their mother was among them. Like children who forget their parents when they enter a carnival, these youngsters were consumed with the carnival of life that opened before them.
The mother octopus searched the recesses of her home to see if all the eggs hatched, if any of her offspring needed help getting on their way. But Binti’s job was done. She’d lived the life of a female octopus—done it wonderfully—and now was the time for her to swim with the spirit-fish, to curl up with Molo. The octopus made a final trek to her doorway. She wanted to be looking out on the coral valley while she left it. Binti laid her ivory body down and watched her children rise.
One hatchling swam by, abandoned its escape, and sat on his mother’s arm for a moment. Binti was overjoyed. Many mothers never even see their young hatch. Binti not only witnessed her children emerge, but she actually touched one. It was the most enchanting moment of her life. And then it got even better.
The youngster turned white like his mother, who smiled proudly at his precociousness. He climbed along her arm, up her mantle, and stretched his miniscule limbs around her. It was an embrace so full of love and life, Binti would carry it with her to Molo and the spirit-fish. Then the little octopus whispered something to his mother. He said, “Rock your baby to and fro, not too fast and not too slow . . . Give yourself unto the light gladly. Have no fear, it gave you life.”
The words warmed her cold body. Binti had given birth, in at least one of her eggs, to a little Molo. You are like your father, she thought, unable to speak. And that is a wonderful thing to be. Then she wondered if perhaps one of those babies racing into the reef was like her.
The tiny octopus clinging to her mantle said one last thing to his mother. “The seeds that were silent all burst and bloom . . .With hope in our hearts, with trust in our eyes, we arise. We have risen, we arise!” The Moloian child flashed purple, green, and gold and then streaked off into Makoona.
THE END
Author’s Note
Although you might have difficulty finding Makoona on the map, the undersea characters and environments certainly do exist and are based in fact. The cleaning station, for instance, is a naturally occurring establishment in waters all across the planet. The practice has even been documented in land-based communities and fresh water settings as well. Wherever possible, the story reflects accurate habits and habitats. Unfortunately, the same is true for the unscrupulous fishing practices depicted in the text.
Some of you might also recognize some of the words spoken by Molo. In fact, the octopus speaks almost nothing but lyrics written by Robert Hunter, most of which were recorded by the Grateful Dead, among others. Molo also mouths several lines from the Weir/Barlow collaboration, “Throwing Stones,” another Grateful Dead gem. It would seem fitting that one of the most psychedelic creatures on Earth, an octopus, living in one of the most psychedelic environments on Earth, a coral reef, quote from one of the most psychedelic bands on Earth, the Grateful Dead. The band has agreed with this reasoning as they have given their blessing for Molo to spout their lyrics in this book. For that, I am incredibly grateful.
Thoughtful readers might see similarities between Meela and Amelia Earhart. Please keep in mind that this novel is a work of fiction in that regard. Does the author know where Amelia Earhart is or what actually happened to her? Or what her mindset was relating to her disappearance? Does anyone? At this point, who’s to say that the famous aviator didn’t spend time on an island tinkering with outboards and eating flounder with a refugee boy?
Lastly and most importantly, coral reefs as we know them are generally in danger, and their inhabitants are in real peril. Like the rainforest, there is often only a superficial understanding of what secrets reside in this spectacular gift of nature. And like the rainforest, it would surely be a tragic legacy for the human race to contribute to destroying something so incredible, so important. From a selfish standpoint, wouldn’t it be reckless to diminish this vital ecosystem before we gain a deeper appreciation of its diversity and place in the greater life of the planet?
Environmental organizations like World Wildlife Fund, the Nature Conservancy, Ocean Conservancy, and others, along with universities, individuals, and in some cases, governments all over the world are leading the way to find new methods of protecting and perceiving these marvels. This book is written in tribute to all those who value the awesome spectacle, the compelling stories, and the majestic life that can only be found on the coral reef. It’s not too late to save these underwater wonders, but the time to act is now.
John Morano, 2001
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About the Author
John is professor of journalism at Monmouth University in New Jersey. He studied at Clark University, Penn State University, and Adelphi University. John began his writing career in New York at Modern Screen Magazine, the nation's oldest movie magazine, served as lead film critic and managing editor. From there he moved to Los Angeles to he founding editor-in-chief of ROCKbeat eturning to New York to become ditor for Inside Books Magazine.
After years of covering the entertainment industry, as an academic John became interested in environmental issues and penned his first novel A Wing and a Prayer. With the success of his first book, The John Morano Eco-Adventure Series was born, and several more eco-adventure novels ensued. John is married, has two sons and two dogs, is an amateur paleontologist, and loves playing basketball when his knees let him.
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About the Illustrator
Sarah E. Anderson is a visual artist practicing primarily in acrylics and pen and ink. She contributed the illustrations for the previous installment in the series, A Wing and a Prayer.
Sarah received her bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Carnegie Mellon University with a focus in 2D media such as painting, drawing, and printmaking. She has also studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia and the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France.
She currently resides in Columbus, Ohio and is attending Ohio State University, pursuing a doctorate degree in occupational therapy. Her other interests include playing video games, going to museums, running half marathons, and reading books, when she has the time.
Sarah would like to thank John Morano for writing such a wonderful story and inviting her to contribute to it. She would also like to thank her parents and friends, as well as Grey Gecko Press, for their continuing support.
Connect with Sarah
Email:
[email protected]
Web:
seandersonart.com
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Text & Illustrations ©2016 by John Morano
Design ©2016 by Grey Gecko Press
Cover illustration by Diana Buidoso
Interior illustrations by Sarah Anderson - www.seandersonart.com
All rights reserved. Other than for review purposes, no part or portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real persons (living or dead), events, or entities is coincidental.
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Also available in ePub and trade paperback editions.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Morano, John
Makoona / John Morano
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016917367
ISBN 978-1-9457600-5-1
ePub Edition
Table of Contents
TITLE PAGE
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE: NO GOOD DEED
CHAPTER TWO: TIME AND TIDE
CHAPTER THREE: AN OCTOPUS’S GARDEN
CHAPTER FOUR: THE ENDS JUSTIFY
CHAPTER FIVE: A SHELL GAME
CHAPTER SIX: FISHING FOR AN ANSWER
CHAPTER SEVEN: AN UNDER-ESTIMATED PROPHET
CHAPTER EIGHT: A FRIEND IN NEED
AUTHOR’S NOTE
SUPPORT INDIE AUTHORS AND SMALL PRESS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
MORE FROM JOHN MORANO
RECOMMENDED READING
GREY GECKO PRESS
