Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
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A/N: I really wanted to give you some answers this chapter about the contents of the small captain's chest, the old ship painting, the skulls etc as well as celebrate Christmas, but it all got away from me. I have started chapter 36 which will include some answers or new theories, as well as Vivi's current status, Bella's recovery and the Christmas celebrations. If all goes to plan, chapter 36 will be posted this weekend.
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Chapter 35 – Celebrations of Love
"Wake up, Bella," I whispered in her ear, as she lay sleeping in our bed. "It's Christmas day."
She roused slightly and mumbled incomprehensibly before pushing my face away with her hand. My fiancee of two weeks did not like to be woken up. I chuckled quietly and nuzzled her neck persistently.
"Eehhhmmm," she whined sleepily and opened bleary eyes to squint into the early morning dimness. "For fucks sake, Edward, it's not even daylight yet!" she hissed at me, yanking the covers over her head.
"But I want to open presents," I wheedled, as I spooned her in the large bed and stroked her healing leg.
"After breakfast, Edward," she retorted firmly, but belying her irritation by snuggling back against me. "You know what Esme said last night – no presents until after breakfast."
"Hm, but if we start breakfast now, we'll get to the presents so much sooner," I cajoled, sucking gently at the pulse in her neck. "Please, Bella, pleeease."
I'm pretty sure I broke her, because she flung the covers back and sat up to glare at me with a pointed finger of admonition. "You are such a baby –" she spat.
"Edward Anthony Cullen!" yelled my mother from her bedroom at the end of the hall. I cringed at her tone. "If you don't keep quiet and wait until sunrise, there won't be any presents until after lunch! Am I clear?"
Bella smirked at me triumphantly and flopped back against the pillows.
"Edward!"
"Yes, ma'am," I mumbled.
"What?" Mom demanded sharply.
"Yes, ma'am," I responded loudly.
As I laid down, I heard both Emmett and Larry snigger at my expense from their own bedrooms.
"Way to go, Edward," crowed Emmett. "Every year, it's the same with you. You'll never learn, will ya? 29 years old and you still behave like a kid on Christmas day."
"Bugger off, Emmett," I hissed, thumping the bamboo support post behind our bed that separated the two bedrooms.
Bella rolled onto her side and snickered into her pillow.
I scowled, lying rigidly on my back with my arms crossed angrily over my chest, and counted down the minutes until sunrise. According to my watch, it would be about 30 minutes. As Bella fell back into a light doze, I ruminated over the events of the past two weeks since Bella had agreed to marry me.
…
The morning following our engagement, the family was admiring Bella's engagement ring over breakfast. They all agreed it was beautiful and Bella loved it, admiring the green gem on its koa wood band at every opportunity. I was immeasurably proud of my achievement, but I know it would not have been possible without Emmett's help and Alice's donated earring.
Mom was holding Bella's hand as she admired the natural ring. We all watched as the raw gem sparkled in the morning light flooding through the dining room window.
"Oh, it's just beautiful, Bella," Mom gushed from her seat beside Bella. Dad stood behind his wife, beaming at my beautiful fiancee. "Oh, come here, you sweet girl," she entreated, as she gathered Bella into her arms, kissing both cheeks in congratulations. "Welcome to the family, sweetheart." A grin of overwhelming delight split Mom's face from ear to ear.
"Yes, Bella, welcome to the family," seconded Dad, as he leaned down to kiss the crown of Bella's head. "We couldn't have chosen a girl more suited to Edward if we'd searched for a hundred years."
Bella blushed shyly. "Thanks, Esme, Carlisle."
Jasper and Emmett looked on fondly and offered me their own congratulations and best wishes to the bride-to-be. They clapped my shoulder affectionately whilst Mom and their wives fluttered around Bella.
"Welcome to the hen-pecked club," whispered Emmett. "Life as you know it will never be the same," he added sorrowfully, clapping his chest with a meaty fist of regret. Jasper sniggered, but nodded affirmatively.
Rose shot us a glare of reproach, as her husband's not-so-quiet words reached her ears. She narrowed her eyes dangerously at her stupid spouse. He paled, falling over his words as he hurried to correct the grievous error of speaking within earshot of his wife.
"Only joking, Rosebush." He let loose a nervous laugh that sounded more like a squeak of fright. "You know me, baby, half of everything out of my mouth is crap."
Rose growled. "Yes, I know," she replied dryly, "but you usually say what you think, Emmett, even when you don't stop to think before you speak."
Emmett gasped. "No, Rosie, I was just teasing Edward," he rushed to explain. "I don't think I'm hen-pecked – not at all."
Rose frowned deeply and glared with narrowed eyes at her husband, who should have stopped digging his own grave three sentences ago. Jasper rolled his eyes and me and shook his head.
"We'll talk later," snarled Rosalie. Emmett gulped and nodded his head agreeably. His shoulders slumped and he threw himself into a chair beside Larry who was eating his breakfast.
"You're an idiot," Larry remarked perceptively between mouthfuls.
Jasper and I guffawed.
I didn't think Larry had been paying such close attention, but he apparently absorbed more than we gave him credit. His assessment of Emmett was uncanny. I vowed not to emulate my eldest brother.
Jasper and I returned to our seats at the table beside our partners. Alice bounced excitedly in her chair opposite Bella. I could almost see the details forming in her head as she planned the perfect island wedding.
"Rose, we have so much to do," Alice squealed. She began ticking items off on her fingers. "We have a dress and a cake to make, flower arrangements and bouquets and we need rings! We need to choose a venue, decide on the menu and decorations ..."
A venue?
I shot her husband a WTF expression. He just shrugged - he wasn't about to argue with his wife after Emmett's run-in with Rose just moments earlier. Where did Alice think the celebration would be held? It's not like we could book the Monarch Room at the Royal Hawaiian for the reception.
I was about to say something, when Bella interjected quietly. She reached across the table and grasped Alice's frantically waving hand in her own. "Alice, calm down. The celebration will be held here at the house. The dress will be something from our collective wardrobes; the flowers are easy – we're surrounded by tropical blooms, and I'll make the cake," she said.
"Oh, no you won't," disagreed Mom. "I'll be making the meal and the cake."
Rose spoke up. "I'll take care of the flowers, bouquets and decorations," she offered.
Alice squealed piercingly in delight sending arrows of pain through my eardrums – she was like Tinkerbell overdosing on fairy dust. "I'll design and make your dress," she stated, wagging her index finger at Bella. "No arguments."
Bella backed off with hands raised in surrender.
"What will you make it from, Alice?" asked Mom perplexedly.
"I don't know yet, but I'll think of something. You just leave it to me," she ordered. Her eyes were bright and wild with the idea's swirling around her head. She was the happiest I'd seen her in months.
"Jasper and I will build something for the ceremony – an arch or a gazebo or something," Emmett pledged. Jasper agreed with a 'yep'.
"I'll help ya's," proffered Larry happily. He was swept up in the happiness whirling around the table.
Bella leaned back into my cuddle as our family rallied to make our wedding as beautiful and meaningful as possible. I heard her sniff. Turning her face toward me, I wiped the tears that slipped from her eyes and down her cheeks.
"What's wrong, Bella?" I whispered worriedly.
She flung her arms around my neck. "Nothing," she wailed. "I'm just so happy. I never expected this."
"Why not?" I asked her. "Just because we're not in Hawaii, doesn't mean we can't make our commitment to each other special, romantic and beautiful." Speaking of which – "Dad, Bella and I spoke last night. We'd like you to officiate at our commitment ceremony. Um, we know it won't be legal, but …"
Bella turned around in my arms, wiping her eyes. "Yes, Carlisle, we'd be honored. Please say yes?" she implored.
Dad swallowed and spoke with a husky voice as he swiped at a few of his own tears. "Son, Bella, I'd be honored to officiate. Thank you both for asking me." Mom beamed at us and mouthed 'thank you'.
The wedding plans progressed rapidly following that morning, though they were still very much in the, well – the planning stage. Bella and I set the ceremony date for the 25th of January – a mere six weeks away. After making the crucial decision of when, we were more than happy to leave the actual how to Admiral Alice.
The only thing I needed to worry about was what to use for wedding rings. I thought I would either make two Koa wood bands to match Bella's engagement ring, or melt down a few of the Portuguese gold coins to fashion into bands. I thought either choice would be beautiful, with the gold rings being the more complicated option. I resolved to discuss it with Bella and we'd barely decided on our preferred choice a few days later, when Mom and Dad pulled us aside and offered their 25th wedding anniversary rings.
To say that Bella and I were stunned, honored and overwhelmed by their generosity was an understatement. Neither of us had ever expected my parents to offer us such a meaningful and important testament to their successful marriage.
Bella spoke up, while I blinked stupidly at my parents trying to think of an appropriate response.
"Oh, Esme, Carlisle, I-I don't know what to say," Bella whispered.
"Just say yes," my mom replied from her place beside Bella on the sofa. She took Bella's hand between her own and stared at Bella intently.
No pressure much, Mom!
"Now, Maisy, the kids may want to go with a different option," Dad chided gently. "They might want to make their own wedding bands."
Mom blinked in surprise and disappointment. It was obvious the idea had never occurred to her, despite the fact that I'd made Bella's engagement ring.
I coughed. "Ahm, well we have been considering what we could use for rings. We were thinking either Koa wood bands or gold bands made from some of the Portuguese gold coins."
"Oh. Um, I never thought of the gold coins," Mom said softly. "They'd be a beautiful connection to this island," she agreed.
"Mom, Dad, would you mind terribly if we think about it and let you know our decision in a few weeks."
Mom's face fell. I could see she was hoping for a decision from us, right now.
Bella saved the day once again – or I thought she had. I just didn't anticipate my mother's uncustomary reaction.
"Esme, your loving generosity means the world to both of us. We can't tell you how much your offer means to us, but those anniversary rings are special. They celebrate the longevity of your marriage. I-I don't know if either of us would feel right about accepting them when we have other options," she whispered entreatingly.
Mom's mouth wobbled and she pulled her hands away from Bella's to clutch them in her lap, wringing them nervously. "It's not like we don't still have our wedding rings," Mom retorted sharply.
Bella winced, believing she'd insulted my mother. She bowed her head to stare at her own hands, now wringing themselves to death in her own lap.
I sighed and rubbed her back gently.
Dad wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder, kissing her temple lovingly in consolation. He addressed both of us. "Esme and I understand your position, Bella," he said in a conciliatory tone. She looked up at him with a wan face. "We only wanted to give you and Edward options. Esme understands that you have options despite our circumstances, don't you sweetheart?"
Mom nodded her head but refused to look at us. I saw a tear roll over her chin and onto her hand. Bella looked at me with a stricken face. "Do something," she mouthed at me silently. I nodded, standing up to wave away Dad so I could sit beside my mother in his stead.
Pulling her into my arms, I squeezed her in a loving hug while she sniffled into my shoulder.
"I love you, Mom," I whispered near her ear. "You are the most wonderful and generous mother a son could ever want. Every day that goes by, I give thanks to the universe that I am your child. Your offer means the world to both of us."
She sniffled emotionally. "Please don't cry, Mamma," I implored. I was at a total loss as to how to console her, short of accepting the rings this very moment. "If we don't accept, it won't be because we don't love you for the opportunity."
I saw Bella reach out to rub Mom's back between her shoulders. "Oh, yes, Esme – to bless our marriage by wearing your anniversary rings would be something wonderful. To bless our marriage by wearing the rings made by my husband's hand would be equally wonderful – it will be a difficult decision for us to make."
Mom lifted her head from my shoulder and turned to face Bella, wiping her moist eyes and wet cheeks. "Really?" she squeaked, "you're not just saying that?"
"Really," Bella acknowledged firmly.
Fuck me. Crisis averted.
"Oh, I don't know what's wrong with me," Mom breathed hoarsely. "I feel so hormonal." I blushed bright red and hurriedly swapped places with my Dad who smirked at me.
"Your day will come," he snickered in my ear as we passed each other.
I shuddered.
…
As I rolled over to watch the sun come up, I reminisced about Christmas Eve. Last night we'd surprised Bella with a party cake to celebrate her 26th birthday.
We'd all managed to keep it a secret from the guest of honor – even Larry managed not to say anything, but it is with regret that I admit I may have given him some incentive by threatening to bury his Vegemite jar in the goat pen. Larry wasn't very fond of Jezebel, which is what Emmett had taken to calling her. Whatever the reason for his silence, I had to promise to return the jar of black tar-like paste to him before we sat down to breakfast this morning.
Mom kept the dinner menu simple, but tasty so it would appear to Bella as though there was nothing unusual about the day other than it was Christmas Eve. It wasn't until she brought out the big guns with an Aussie desert of soft, squidgy marshmallow meringue, topped with lashings of whipped cream and sliced fruit, that Bella suspected there was something more. Mom inserted a short, slim beeswax candle into the middle of the dessert and lit it. We all sang happy birthday to a surprised Bella, while she blushed and covered her face.
"What is that?" inquired Dad, pointing to the dessert.
Larry piped up knowingly. "It's called a pavlova, Dr Pops, and it's me favorite dessert. Me Mum made one of these every Christmas," he imparted, as he waited impatiently for a large portion. He slurped up the super-sweet dessert leaving a cream mustache on his upper lip. "It's real good, Mrs Lady."
"Well, thank you for the suggestion, Larry, and I've told you to call me Esme, so please do," she said mock-sternly, as she served Emmett a large creamless portion from the opposite side.
"Okay, Mrs Esme, glad I could help."
"Hm, hmm, hmmm," hummed Bella happily, as she ate her birthday dessert. I grinned jubilantly and opened my mouth for a taste of the proffered portion from her spoon.
"Hmm, it's sweet, but not as sweet as you," I told her when she waited for my verdict.
We managed to demolish the entire dessert, washing it down with moringa tea to rinse away the sweetness. When the plates had been cleared away, Alice and Rosalie opened the cabinet doors to the sideboard and pulled out stack of wrapped gifts.
"Present time!" yelled Emmett and Larry together.
"Oh, no, you shouldn't have," rebuked Bella lightly. "Alice you told them it was my birthday, didn't you?"
Alice looked contrite for all of five seconds. "Yes, but I had to, Bella – Esme just wouldn't give up," she explained, with a 'forgive me' expression on her face. "You would have had to disclose it anyway for your wedding – this way you get presents and Edward won't be irritated when he finds out he missed your first birthday together."
"That's right," I agreed with a mock scowl. "There are no secrets between us."
Bella huffed and eyed me warily. I leaned down to kiss her mouth lovingly. "Happy birthday, Bella. Now, open your presents," I growled.
The gifts she received were all handmade of course, but each person had thought about who she was and what she needed or would like.
She received a tightly woven bag from Rosalie and Emmett decorated with beads. The single shoulder strap was long enough that she could wear the bag across her body leaving her hands free.
"Thanks, you guys, it's beautiful. The weaving is so intricate and the kukui nut beads are amazing."
"We're glad you like it," Rosalie responded with relief. "Emmett made the cordage, and carved the beads and I wove the bag using my resurrected macrame skills."
"Well, I love it," Bella complimented with an enormous smile of appreciation.
"Open mine next," Larry begged as he pulled a large parcel from the stack of gifts and pushed it at Bella. She pulled the string keeping the bow closed and folded back the banana leaves to expose the present inside.
"Oh, um, it's … um it's different, Larry," Bella said awkwardly. She picked up the gift to study it from various angles.
Larry had made Bella a sunhat he'd woven using green palm fronds. Alice had shown him how to weave. It look pretty good actually, if a little strange. It had a hat band of pinky-red braided grass around the crown, which Mom had dyed for him using the skins of Malay apples. Around the brim at 2 inch intervals, hung acorn shaped seed pods tied to strings.
"It's an Aussie swagman hat, Miss Bella," Larry explained eagerly when she stared perplexedly at the strange decorations adorning the headgear. "Most of 'em have corks, but we don't have none – Mr Emmett said so. They 'sposed to jiggle around and keep the flies from your face," he added when Bella still looked unsure about their purpose.
Dawning comprehension spread across Bella's face. "Oh!" she exclaimed, popping it onto her head. The seed pods bobbed around her face. She looked gorgeously ridiculous, but I'm pretty sure it would do what Larry proclaimed it would do and that's all that mattered. "I love it, Larry, thank you."
He grinned happily and fist bumped Emmett and Alice who'd helped him with the gift. "They not real popular hats no more, Miss Bella, but I reckoned you might 'ppreciate it. Miss Alice said you like to explore the island and forage for food and stuff."
"Yes, I do. I'll certainly get lots of use from it – it's perfect."
"Open ours next," said Alice excitedly as she handed a wrapped bundle to Bella. She jiggled in her seat nervously as Bella gentle squeezed and shook the bundle to test its contents.
"Just open it, Bella," begged Jasper dryly, "before Alice here loses all patience and opens it for you."
We all laughed. Jasper wasn't joking. Alice had taken control many times before when it came to opening the gifts she gave you. She had no patience at all and often spoiled the surprise by blurting out what it was before you could get the paper off the packaging.
Bella grinned at Alice mischievously, before giving in to the pixie's whining and opened the gift. Inside was an absolutely gorgeous necklace made from small red, pink, yellow and creamy white conical shells. There were five strands of shells twisted around each other and tied off with larger shells at the ends with a thin length of knotted leather, instead of a metal clasp.
"Oh!" Bella breathed in astonishment. "It's a shell lei. Oh, Alice, Jasper, it's absolutely beautiful. This must have taken both of you many, many hours to make?"
"It did," Jasper agreed. "Alice could give the navy a run for its money with her aptitude for military precision when it comes to organization." There was another round of good-natured laughter at Alice's expense and she blushed prettily. "I thought I'd go blind sorting those shells by color, and then piercing them with holes."
"How many did you shatter," Bella asked with a laugh.
"Too many to count," Jasper responded dryly. We all laughed.
Bella wiped yet another emotional tear from her eyes – this past fortnight had been hard on her tear-ducts. "Oh, Alice, this is too much. The workmanship is beautiful. Where did you learn to make a shell lei?"
"I've seen it made once before when Jasper and I visited the island of Ni'ihau. We wanted to give you something you could wear on your wedding day, so I practiced first with some larger shells until I got the technique right and then I started threading my first strand."
"You were very lucky to visit Ni'ihau. Very few guests are allowed onto the island," Bella remarked. "Not even I've been there."
"Really, wow, you've never been? I was fortunate that the elders allowed me to accompany Jasper when he visited on a business trip a few years ago."
"I'll treasure it always. Thank you both." Bella laid the shell lei reverently on the table to accept the next gift offered by Mom and Dad – a rather large rectangular parcel.
"What is it?" Bella asked as she gently shook it. A slight rattle sounded from within the pleated banana leaves.
Mom rolled her eyes. "Open it and find out!" Dad winked at her and motioned for her to get on with it, making Bella giggle.
"Oh, my," Bella gasped as she folded back the wrapping leaves. Inside, there was a stack of heavy handmade paper, 8 pots of dried water color paints and a paint brush. Her mouth fell open in awe as she fingered the paper and stroked her palm with the soft bristles of the brush.
Dad coughed self-consciously. "We, um, thought you might like to explore your artistic creativity. We've noticed you drawing with the gray pencil. Esme says you're quite talented."
Without warning, Bella began crying. She sat at the table sobbing into her hands.
"What's wrong, Bella?" shrieked Mom worriedly. "Don't you like it? You don't have to paint if you don't want to," she cried apologetically. Mom reared to her feet to rush around the table to Bella's side. Pushing me out of my chair without ceremony, Mom sat down and pulled Bella into her arms, rocking her too and fro.
"You okay, down there?" asked Larry curiously. He peered down at me on my new seat on the dining room floor, watching as I dusted off my hands on my jean clad thighs.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Larry. Help me up, will ya?" I asked, reaching up automatically with my hand. He grasped it and pulled me easily to my feet. He was built like a workhorse with the strength of an ox.
Dad, Jasper and Emmett were laughing quietly into their fists when I got back onto my feet. I scowled at them and moved around the table to Mom's abandoned seat rubbing my abused hip.
"Any injuries?" Dad choked out.
I scowled again. "No!" I hissed in embarrassment. "What makes her do that shit?"
Dad shrugged philosophically. "She loves Bella. At this exact moment, her well-being is more important than yours," Dad explained quietly. "You'll get used to it – I did."
We all watched the two women for a few more minutes. Mom whispered to Bella and in return Bella nodded or shook her head depending on her answer to Mom's softly spoken questions.
"She likes the gift," I told Dad.
"I know, Son – she's just overwhelmed."
I nodded. "How'd you both make all those art supplies?"
"We made the paper using pulverized paper-mulberry bark, and your mother mixed up the paints using starch, water and natural dies – apparently they're easy to make. We used the tops trimmed off some gourds to make a pallet for the paints, then left them to harden into discs."
"What about the brush? It doesn't look like one of Mom's," I said curiously, squinting across the breadth of the table at the rustic implement.
"It's not. Emmett made the handle, and Esme used breadfruit sap to glue goats hair into the hollow base, then bound it with olona cordage. It's not quite the same quality as a sable brush, but it's the best we can do."
"It's wonderful," I assured him. "Jezebel made a donation, huh?"
"Yeah, Rosalie gave her a haircut."
I sniggered.
Eventually, Mom and Bella rejoined the party, wiping their eyes and clinging to each other at the table. Mom stood up and came back to her seat, nudging my shoulder to get me to move so she could sit down by her husband.
At least she didn't push me off the chair this time.
I stood up and returned to Bella.
"You okay?" I whispered as I sat down and stroked her hot face.
"Yeah," she sniffed. "It was just all too much, you know?"
"Yeah, I think I do. There's only one more gift – mine – you're not gonna cry again are you, baby?" I begged. "You'll give yourself a headache."
"Too late," she laughed, dabbing at her eyes with her dinner napkin.
"You ready?"
"Yes. Let me have it," she said with resignation.
I smiled and handed her my gift. Mine was also rectangular, but slightly smaller than the one given to her by my parents. We'd actually had remarkably similar ideas, but had employed them in different ways. I'd used my artistic talent to make Bella a portrait. I watched with my breath held as she pulled the portrait mounted in a recycled picture frame from its wrappings.
I'd drawn a picture of her grandmother, A'ala, using a photograph taken when she was a young woman of 25. I embellished here and there, relying on the descriptions Bella had unwittingly given me. Alice helped by critiquing the portrait, since she was the only one of us who'd ever met Bella's beloved grandmother. Now that I knew we could make more paper, I wouldn't need to be so cautious with my sketch pad.
"It's wonderful, Edward, and uncannily accurate," Bella choked out, her voice thick with emotion. You've captured my grandmother, exactly how I remember her."
I chewed on my lip, a nervous habit I'd picked up from Bella. "So you like it?"
She gulped and nodded jerkily. "Yes. How could I not like it?" she whispered. "It's the only connection to my grandmother I have now, apart from a 50 year old photograph, which I don't even know why I have with me."
Placing the portrait on the table, she swiveled on her seat to face me. "Thank you, Edward. You could not have chosen a better gift for me. I will cherish it always."
Reaching up to hold my face in her hands, she leaned forward and kissed me deeply, reverently, pulling me in with her gracious love.
…
A/N: Photos for the chapter are on my blog at jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com.
I've also posted a ring poll on my blog, so that Wrecked readers can choose the rings for Edward and Bella's wedding/commitment ceremony that they like most. There are five ring sets to chose from and each voter can make up to three choices. Rings are displayed in random order, so their position in the poll is not an indication of my favorite. The rings with the most votes will be used in the story, so head on over to my blog and have your say. Voting closes on Sunday the 2nd of December 2012.
The Royal Hawaiian is a hotel on Waikiki beach known as the 'pink palace'. It opened in February 1927 and is set on 14 acres of prime Waikiki beachfront. The site of The Royal Hawaiian was used as a playground for King Kamehameha I after he conquered the island of Oahu, and Queen Kaahumanu's Summer Palace was previously located in what is now the resort's Coconut Grove garden. During WWII, The Royal Hawaiian was leased exclusively to the U.S. Navy as a rest and recreation center for the Pacific Fleet. The resort reopened to the public in February 1947.
Pavlova is a much loved Aussie dessert traditionally made with enormous quantities of egg whites and caster sugar (superfine) which is then baked in a cool oven for a few hours. Pavlova is a Christmas dessert staple in Australia. It's traditionally decorated with lashings of whipped cream, fresh fruit and sprinkled with chocolate shavings.
A Ni'ihau shell lei is regarded as one of the finest Polynesian art forms. They are rare and expensive heirlooms, and are the only shell lei in the world that can be insured. The islanders of Ni'ihau traditionally use kahelelani, momi, and laiki shells, which are only found in the Hawaiian islands.
The paper-mulberry tree is plentiful in Pacific Polynesia. Its bark is used to make the traditional Polynesian kapa or tapa cloth. The Japanese are proficient at making paper from the bark of the paper-mulberry tree. The bark is pulverized to a pulp; water is added and sometimes lye – a strong alkali. Water color paints can be made using a mixture of starch, water and dyes which are then left to dry and harden. Some artists do still make their own paint brushes and many types of hair can be used – even human hair. As Esme is a university art graduate, it is likely something she learned to do at some point in her education or career.