Chapter Thirteen
Some years later

Atepa held her son, Laki, in her arms. He looked just like Kuruk, only with the air of elegance around him. Chip, the oldest, was a wanderer. He was never seen near his family. He hung out a lot with Bindi. She and Hokou spent a lot of time together now. It crazed Chip a lot, but he held strong.
Being 16 and already a master scientist, Bindi had still a long way to go, but she didn't wanted to become an elder, like Yap, who after being granted a totem, ran all over the village dealing with problems.
No, Bindi wanted to be a mother, but with who? She desperately wanted to keep her promise to Hakea. With a lot of free time on her hands, Bindi decided to do some farming.
Lala was still beautiful, even with her shiny golden hair a little duller. Her blue eyes sparkled, and she loved being beautiful. She was arrogant and loved to gloat. Yet, she spent the rest of her days buildning a new sewing hut with her own two hands.
Hiji was buried next to Hakea. Mali came next, along with Thema. Hokou could hardly believe it. He had just turned 22 and both his parents were dead. Hokou, being very careful, buried both of them. Bindi was there, with comforting words.
Tamil became very private after Hakea's death. He had become more withdrawn from the world since Dada had come to visit. Almost nobody remembered him. Even his doting mother forgot about him, living as if she had never married and never was a mother, just a free young spirit always.
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On Bindi's seventeenth birthday, she and Hokou celebrated by the lagoon, behind the waterfall.
"Bindi." Hokou suddenly said, solemn.
"What is it, Hokou?" Bindi asked, getting worried. She hoped he didn't have to ruin her birthday by speaking of the dead.
"Bindi, I'll like to give you something." He took out a beautiful shell necklace, intertwined with feathers.
"Bindi, on your eighteenth birthday, I want to marry you."
Bindi spaced out. Her mind went blank. Then, she imagined, with all her new free time, many children playing around her. Bindi immediately smiled at that thought, because she would share her life with Hokou. And she couldn't think of anything better than that.