CHAPTER 3

Skipper looked fondly at his first mate surrounded by the cheering natives. He couldn't help but grin. Turning back to Lalani, he noticed that she was watching him with a smile on her own face.

Blushing a little, he smiled back. It had been a long time since he had the attention of a beautiful woman, and he was feeling a little out of practice.

"Lalani," he said as they started walking again, "Can you tell me how you came to live with the Kanaka tribe?"

She sighed. "It was many years ago," she answered. "I was a little girl . . . a . . . a child. My family was on a small boat. There was a fire - I don't know how it started. I had been sleeping." Her voice cracked. "It has been so long since I have talked about it. So long since I talked English. Spoke . . . English?"

"You don't have to talk about it," he said gently. "Would you like to hear our story, instead?"

Lalani nodded gratefully, as she linked her arm in his.

As they slowly strolled through the jungle towards the clearing, Skipper told the tale of the Minnow and the storm that gripped them. He was just getting to the part about getting beached on this island when they walked into the clearing by the huts.

Mr. and Mrs. Thurston Howell, III were lounging on their chairs in the shade of a small tree, sipping on cool drinks. Mrs. Howell was fanning herself with a large banana leaf. She heard voices coming through the jungle. As she glanced over toward the trail, she saw feathered headdresses heading their way.

"Oh, Thurston," she yelped. They jumped off their chairs and were ready to flee into their hut, when they saw Skipper at the front of the pack.

"I say, Captain," said Mr. Howell angrily. "You've led the bloodthirsty heathens right to our front door."

"Pipe down, Howell," Skipper bellowed. "It's the Kanaka tribe . . . Lilo and her family."

Mrs. Howell let out a squeal and scampered over to Lilo and her parents. "Oh, you dear girl," she gushed. "How are you doing since you got married?" she asked as if Lilo had any idea what she was saying.

Lilo beamed in the woman's affections and hugged her back.

Haruki led his grandmother over to a seat by the table. Then he motioned to Professor for a drink for the woman. Professor walked to the water barrel and filled a cup for the old woman, who took it with a grateful, toothless smile.

By this time, the young group who had brought up the rear was entering the clearing.

"Lalani. Lalani," Gilligan called as he caught up to Skipper and Lalani. "Thanks again for the spear. It's great. But how come you gave it to me?" Gilligan stood in front of Lalani holding his spear with a quizzical look on his face.

Lalani laughed. "When Haruki and Lilo told me about your . . . duel? . . . I thought you might like something to practice with so you can get better," she answered. Her eyes shifted to Kapena and then to Skipper. When he caught her eyes, she smiled at him.

Noticing the late afternoon hour, MaryAnn told the others that she needed to go to the kitchen area and come up with enough food to feed their visitors. Lalani heard her and translated to the Kanaka tribe. There was a flurry of activity.

Kapena gave instructions to the young men in the group. Haruki, Ikaia and Nahele were sent into the jungle to gather fruits, and Pilipo and Akoni were sent to the lagoon to fish. Pilipo grabbed Gilligan's arm and chattered to him, making the point that the young sailor should come help them. Gilligan clutched his spear in one hand then ran into the supply hut to gather his hooks and fishing line.

While the young men headed into the jungle, MaryAnn, Ginger, Lilo and Ulani went out to the kitchen area. MaryAnn got some ground taro that she had fashioned into a flour-like substance. She showed the young native girls what she had and then showed her the brick oven that Professor had built for her. It wasn't long before they were all busy with different ingredients, coming up with dinner rolls and small pastries to put in the oven.

There was a lot of laughter and chatter as the young women tried to communicate. The atmosphere was becoming festive.

Mr. and Mrs. Howell sat in the shade with Meka and Kapena. Kapena kept trying to put his headdress on Mr. Howell's head. After a few minutes of coaxing, Mr. Howell went over to his hut to retrieve a supply of different hats for Kapena to try on. He also brought back a small bottle of brandy. The four of them shared the brandy and the hats, and had their own little party going on.

x

Gilligan, Pilipo and Akoni hiked through the jungle toward the lagoon. Once again, the native men were laughing good-naturedly as Gilligan tried to learn their words.

As they approached the lagoon, Gilligan ran ahead to check his lobster traps. He was rewarded with three large lobsters and two huge crabs. He left them in the trap while they baited some hooks and threw in some lines.

While they waited for a fish to bite, Gilligan ran around the lagoon pointing to objects and asking the words for them. More often than not, his attempts at repeating the words caused the natives to break up in laughter.

x

Back in the clearing, Professor worked on building up a fire, and Skipper went on a scavenger hunt to come up with as many dishes, plates, bowls and cups that he could find.

Lalani laughed when she saw him come out of his hut with his arms laden with dirty bowls and cups that Gilligan had left in nooks and crannies.

"We have . . . what is word? Dishes," she said triumphantly. "We have dishes and sleeping blankets in our dug-outs. I will get them with Kalia." She motioned for Lilo's mother to join her. Turning back to Skipper, she smiled and asked, "Would you like to walk with us?"