Chapter Three
It had been a year since Hakea and Hiji arrived. Thema was going to be 14 in a few days. Mali had taken some time to discover the healing powers the herbs around the island had. It had caused much celebration.
Also, Hakea had not only finished the small hut, but she also restored a damaged hut that was by the driftwood pile.
One day, Lala was about to go fishing. As she entered the water, something thick and heavy surrounded her leg. She looked what it was and saw a disgusting cloud of green.
"Eww, that is disgusting!" Lala scanned the water and saw a lot of these clouds. Hiji was about to get in, not minding the green clouds.
"Hiji, no! Don't you see these disgusting things?"
"It's okay, it's just algae."
"Well, I'm not fishing in it." Lala wrinkled her nose, as if the algae smelled (it didn't) and walked away to bathe in the pond for a good three hours.
Hiji was left5 confused. Should he fish? He dived in and try to find some fish, but it was fruitless. The algae clouded his vision and it took a lot of effort to swim in it.
"Hakea, we have a big problem. We can't fish."
"Shoot, that is a problem. I'll go tell Mali about this. He'll think of something."
"Hakea, wait-" Hiji said, but Hakea had already left. He watched her hair dance as she ran, and he felt funny. He shook it off (litarally) and went to see the vines.
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Mali worked hard to see what could he do. It has been Week Five of No Fishing, and food was running low fast. Finding a new food source was harder than he imagined. Mali couldn't wait for Thema to turn 14 so she can help him at the research table. Hakea felt bad for Mali, she knew how much he hated work.
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A week later, Thema worked alongside Mali. Mali hasd yelled "Yes!" and punched the air, when she said she would like to research.
Hakea didn't work, along with Hiji and Lala, b ut she did took care of the two youngest ones of the tribe, Yap and Atepa. She enjoyed this a lot and wished for some of her own.
Thema and Mali approached Lala and Hiji that very same day.
"Come with us." they said. The little group walked from the pond to the coconut trees north of the beach.
"Hiji, climb this tree." Mali ordered. With ease, Hiji climbed the tree and ropped a coconut at Mali's feet.
"Brilliant, but the coconut trees won't last. We must go to Hakea." Thema said as Lala climbed the tree. Thema and Mali walked over to where Hakea was playing with the children. Mali noticed how wonderful it was to walk beside Thema.
"Hakea, we would like to ask you to start a building project by the smaller pond. We noticed the strange patch of soil over there might grow something, but it would need more water. Instead of carrying it there, we could just turn the stream's direction toward the soil. Do you think you could build a wall?" Thema asked.
"Sure. Let me just finish up this game." Hakea smiled.
"Perfect." Thema grinned, going back to the research table. Mali stood on the spot before going back to the research table. Hakea smiled again, for she understood what was going on.