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Rockmower's Children
(A Tale of Isola)

Chapter I,
Hong’s Story

I can’t believe today is my 60th birthday. I didn’t feel like working today, so decided to write this tale to be read at the next Isola day.

150 years ago my great, great grandparents came to Isola. Their native island was ravaged by a volcano. Six adults and 1 child (my great, great grandmother Yula) survived the trip. They were a weary and worried lot that crashed on the South shore in a beautiful little cove.

Fortunately they found a berry bush and one of the adults, who had been a builder on their home island discovered a covered well with clean water. She removed the lid, and between the well and bush they were able to survive till they could get established on Isola.

I won’t bore you with all the early history of my tribe, but I do want to point out a few significant details. First, shortly after landing the early pioneers discovered that someone had lived there before. We found many significant clues but couldn’t discover where or why they had left.

Also, shortly after landing we felt a presence (we thought it was a god) that guided many of our actions and showed us how to find or do certain tasks. We later learned that this wasn’t a god, but a spirit we call ROM.

ROM says he was the first person to master all the arts necessary for living and that he then practiced a new art he called spiritualism. He did this until on his 154th birthday he left his body and inhabited Isola itself to guide all who live here.

ROM is a combination of wizard and magician. He talks to us telepathically and guides us to certain discoveries on the island. He occasionally performs magic like causing a villager to fly to a certain spot where there is something important.

Well anyway, to get back to the story, when I was 24 and Kini was 21 we were wed. The South shore was quite crowded by this time and Kini wanted to go someplace private. As you all know by now we went into the cave and then we slipped, fell into the waterfall and landed here on the West shore. I was very frightened and wanted to try and go back home, but then Kini saw the children. She explained that we couldn’t abandon them and I knew she was right.

We caught some fish and built a fire for the kids. We then found the oldest child a 14 year old boy named Mau and taught him to fish also. After that we got busy and since Kini was being trained as both a builder and scientist in our old village, she built a hut so we could all get inside and then started researching this part of the island.

I hadn’t really decided what I was going to do at home, but I saw now that I needed to teach myself and Mau farming as soon as possible. Luckily I had paid attention when my Dad did farming so I taught myself pretty fast. Mau took a little longer, but then he was just a kid at the time.

Ah, my beautiful Kini! She is so much smarter than me. Not only did she do all the early building and research, she also taught herself basic medicinal skills and took over teaching the kids we found here! She soon became a Master builder, then a Master Scientist all by the age of 40. Then at the age of 48 she had our last child, little Yuca. We had 3 other children, Caia who is a scientist and a mother herself. Our sons Noriko and Hokau are farmers like me.

Four years ago my lovely Kini became a master parent and because she was the first person I knew who had mastered 3 skills, I got the others together and we named her as an Esteemed Elder of the tribe and built a monument we call a Totem to her. Oh, I could go on forever about my beloved Kini, but I have to end this at some point, or Isola day will be over before it can be read.

I will tell you that yesterday in celebration of my birthday, the villagers honored me by naming me an esteemed elder also. I don’t really think I deserve the honor, although I have become very good at farming, and researching which I used to help Kini and the others with. Also, due to continued illness I took up Kinis’ healing art and since I was able to devote more time to the plants I became a full doctor some years ago, but I have since passed that work on to others.

Well, anyway, I need to wrap this up so I’ll just say that I am appreciative of the new totem the villagers are carving for me and I do love so many people here. Not just my own children but all the ones who we found here and who have been born since. Kini tells me I’m getting to old to indulge in my hobby of carpentry now and should spend more time teaching the little ones. I suppose she’s right of course still it’s hard for me to sit that long after such an active life. Gosh I wish my parents could see how my life turned out. I still miss them sometimes. Maybe I’ll ask ROM if he can give them a message for me.