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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.

Chapter II
Kinis’ side of things.

Oh dear, where do I start? Hong was after me for years to keep a journal. He said it was important for our kids and the other villagers to know the history of this tribe. I see his point, for just look at the state things were in when he and I first came here. Still, it’s so hard for me to find the time. I have kept a few notes over the years and of course there are my scientific journals.

As the lead scientist, I instilled in all the little ones I’ve trained the importance of keeping a journal of their research. In fact, it’s the one hard and fast rule I have pertaining to research not only by the scientists but for all the trades. At the end of each day, we hold a tribal meeting and each adult must show his or her work related entries to a master in that field. The masters then compile them and store them for safekeeping.

We plan to start a library soon and when we get our school built (hopefully in a year or two) the journals will be available for the teachers to write lessons from.

Today is both a day of mourning and a day of celebration for the tribe. It’s a celebration because we have now recovered 3 pieces of something called the Gong of Wonder and know where the last piece is but haven’t yet been able to recover it. None of us are sure what this gong is, but ROM told Hong that we should try to recover and reassemble it. Beyond that he(ROM)has been quite vague.

When we uncovered the first piece, we weren’t sure what it was. Then one of the children recalled that before they left, their parents had broken something up and hidden the pieces. Hong was intrigued by this and asked ROM about it. ROM told him that it was something called the Gong of Wonder and showed him where it had hung. He explained that there were 4 pieces to it and that it would be very good if we could find them and reassemble it. He explained that he would give us limited help in finding the pieces but that once we had them he would be glad to assemble them for us. Beyond that he won’t say anything except “Wait and see children just wait and see.”

Well, I’ve been ducking around the issue, but I really do have to face the sad part of the day. Last night my dear dear Hong passed away. Next week he would have been 67 years old. I am so very sad, for I and the others shall miss him dreadfully, but me most of all. Oh how I did love him even though he could so infuriate me at times. Especially with his modesty. I read his journal this morning just to be near him in thought.

The old goof! Here he thought I was the brilliant one, but did he tell you of HIS accomplishments? No not my dear old Hong. He mentioned of course that he was a farmer but did he bother saying he was a full master farmer? Did he also mention that he was a full master doctor or a master parent? Did he also mention that he became a master scientist and was already an adept builder (he called it a hobby!)? No my poor dear just went along pretending to be a poor old everyday guy when in reality he may have been the most brilliant mind since ROM (and truth is he may have even been smarter than old ROM). Why who knows what he might have accomplished had he been blessed with ROMs’ extended life span.

Oh I will miss him. //librarians note* the rest of this paragraph is smeared too badly to read presumably by our dear Kinis’ tear stains, except for the last sentence//


The tribe will be much poorer without Hongs’ guidance.

Well anyway, no mother (at least not THIS one) can call a journal complete without bragging just a little about her children. Of course I have around 30 children at last count, but I only gave birth to 4 of them. Caia was our first child and like her mum she decided to be a scientist. Hong tried hard to get her to show some interest in the other trades but she just doesn’t care for any of them except of course parenting. She has blessed us with 3 grand children and as she is young may have 1 or 2 more. She really hasn’t decided yet. She is married to Mau and he is truly the best son in law a mother could want. Like Hong he is disciplined in several areas, and I fully expect him to become an elder himself.

Then there is Noriko. Like his father, he is a full master farmer, and a pretty good scientist and builder but he really doesn’t devote much time to those trades. He will help out if there’s a project that needs help, but mostly he just likes to fish and tend the garden. He married a young girl named Kiki who is also a master farmer and like Noriko is pretty good at research and building but doesn’t really practice them unless there is a project that requires help. The one thing they’re both really good at is having kids. They have 6 count ’em 6 kids and plan on having more!

Then there was our precious Hokau. His memory is really to painful to focus on. The poor child died mysteriously when he was only 13. Hong tried so very hard to save him and 5 other youngsters who all came ill at the same time, but alas everything he tried failed. This upset Hong so badly that for the next 3 years he spent every moment that wasn’t directly tied to feeding the tribe to studying medicine.

Finally there’s my dear little Yuca, the last of our kids. She is so brilliant! Like her father before her she is showing an interest in all the trades. Though she’s only 23, she’s already adept in building and farming and will soon be a master scientist. She says as soon as she accomplishes this she wants to have a child then take up medicine. She says that as soon as she becomes a full doctor she wants to go back to farming and then building. She swears she will be a master in all 5 skills if she tries hard enough! I think with that kind of inspiration she just might make it! I surely do hope so.

Well, I was going to take time to tell you about my grandkids but it’s time to go preside over the feast we are holding to celebrate Hongs’ life. This is another of the traditions Hong started for us when we lost the children so many years ago. He says, uh said, that it’s a much healthier thing then having a day of mourning like our old tribe did. Huh! And he claimed I was the smart one! Oh how I will miss him.

Chapter III
Kinis’ tale continues

Well, it’s been 3 years since my dear Hong passed away. I and the whole tribe still miss him terribly, but we’ve learned that life does go on. We have made pretty good progress since I last wrote here. A number of the younger children have grown old enough to work and are busily engaged in farming and research which remain our two greatest needs right now.

Mau, whom you may recall was the oldest of the children we found here, and Kamin his brother have both become elders. Noriko is close to becoming an elder, and so is his wife Kiki. Our dear little Yuca is so determined to master all the skills. She is a master scientist now and like she said, she took time off to have a child. She has chosen a sweet young man named Koko as a mate. She is so smart, Only 28 and already an adept builder and adept farmer and soon an adept parent though this is mostly because she spends a lot of time telling stories to the little ones and of course has her own baby now. She just came in and told me that they have decided to name their baby Koyuca. Kids! Where do they come up with these names?

I promised to tell you about the grandchildren, so now I’ll take a minute or two to do so. Caia and Mau had a total of 4 kids. Mau Jr. Like his father and grandfather is multi talented. Already a master scientist, he is also adept as a builder, farmer and parent. He shows no interest in healing, saying with a wife and 2 kids of his own he doesn’t really have time for it.

Their 2nd child Kiri is a dear young girl who devotes all her time to science and parenting. She has 1 child but expects many more.

Their 3rd child Kopu isn’t physically strong, but is an avid scientist. A master scientist at only 19, he doesn’t show any interest in anything else except the library. He sort of appointed himself as the chief librarian and with all the work that went into designing and organizing the system, every one else was glad to let him do it. He does have some assistance from time to time, but it’s really his show. We haven’t been able to take time to build him a library yet, but for now he’s happy using one corner of the science building.

Their 4th child Tarik is also showing a great interest in science, but is still quite young, only 16, so who knows what he will do.

Now for Noriko and Kikis’ children: They have been blessed with 2 sets of twins.
Kazuo is another of those multi talented men that Hong seems to have inspired. He is a Master scientist, adept farmer (soon to be a master) and in his spare time has taken up building. Of course he also has a child and is expecting another soon.

His sister Ginger is an adept doctor which is her primary interest, but says that research is an important aspect of her training, so she’s also well on her way to becoming a master scientist also. She has no time for “ MEN! ” and so hasn’t started a family of her own yet. In her spare time she does like to help her cousin at the library.

Then there is Uru who like most of us is a master scientist and parent (2 kids and growing). He also has shown some interest in farming but he’s not very devoted to it. He says he really just likes fishing as a way to relax and is glad that it helps the tribe at the same time.

Their next set of twins are Bati a boy who likes farming and Kumi a girl who likes science. Since they’re only 12, they’ve got a couple of years before they get serious about anything.

Finally, their youngest child Rongo is 9 and his primary interest seems to be playing in the garden and trying to climb trees so maybe he’ll be a farmer.

I’d really like to tell you about all the great grand kids too, but there is so little time it will have to wait.

Chapter IV
Yukos’ Secret

Yuko came rushing up to his Grandma Kini. “Grandma, I love you!” he said. “Can I have some of your papyrus and a quill and some ink?” He asked.

“I love you too Yuko, why don’t you sit here with me a minute and tell me why you want those things?
You don’t yet know how to write. Are you wanting to practice your letters like you learned in school?

“Oh Grandma!” exclaimed Yuko. “I can too write, I just do it in pictures like Elder Gamey showed me to do. I’m just not real good at it. But I really want to write about my secret!”

“Sweetie, you know that papyrus and ink are hard to come by, can’t you just use some of the white rock and tree bark like you do in school? It would work fine and you could fix any mistakes you might make which is hard to do with ink and papyrus.”

“Ah grandma that’s for kids and besides it’s not permanent like when you write your stuff! I want to hide my secret writing in the cave behind the waterfall and that would erase the white rock on bark.”

“Well dear, why don’t I help you. You can tell me your secret and I’ll just write it down for you?” “But grandma if I tell you, then it won’t be a secret anymore!” said Yuko. “But of course it’ll still be a secret. You know I’m the senior elder and so I have to keep it secret if you tell me.”

“Ok grandma, my secret is I can fly!” “What! You can fly?” “Yep! I fly all over the whole world and when I fly I talk to ROM, and he says only special kids can fly! He helps me, I start running real fast, so fast the wind can’t keep up with me then ROM lifts me off the ground and I fly all over everywhere!”

“He sometimes flies me till we see something really cool like a beetle which is good cause I can make all the girls scream and run if I bring a beetle and put it in their hair. But sometimes it’s just shells or butterflies or maybe some of those little rocks that are pretty that the scientists all like and I really want to fly over the water but ROM says we can’t go too far because kids aren’t allowed in the deep water but that’s ok cause”

“Slow down sweetie you’re going way to fast for me.” About that time there was a loud buzzing sound in the grass outside the hut and little Yuko ran outside to see if it was another beetle. Kini, smiling that special grandmothers smile, patiently sat down and wrote little Yuko’s secret for him on a spare piece of papyrus that was too small to use in a journal. But, instead of putting it in the cave (for she knew that by know little Yuko was off on some other adventure and had probably forgotten all about it) she put it here in the library for safekeeping.

//Librarians note:
Of course Kini didn’t have the heart to tell little Yuko that all villagers could fly. He was the only child in the tribe at the time, so he hadn’t seen any other kids flying around and the adults simply didn’t like flying anymore. Sometimes they did if there was and urgent situation, but usually they preferred to walk or run.//

//Librarians addendum: Kini whom the whole tribe called Mother Kini, Grandma Kini to the youngsters, passed away two days after bringing me this story to file. She made me promise that when Yuko became a father that I would give it to him. I had forgotten all about it till today when I had the pleasure of delivering his first child a daughter named Akini in honor of her great grandmother.//

Chapter V
The Gong of Wonder

Oh glorious day! This is the 3rd anniversary of Mother Kini joining her beloved Hong and it is also the day we finally assembled the Gong of Wonder.” I Noriko as the eldest surviving elder was voted by the tribe as first person to ring the gong and lo and behold it granted us an abundance of badly needed food.

I know the whole tribe is delighted to see this day. In celebration of it, and in memory of Hong, Kini, and Kamin, we the four living elders have proclaimed a week long holiday in which no work will be required. After all, the tribe has earned this holiday.

When Kini was dying, she made Kamin, who would become the senior elder promise that we would assemble it as soon as humanly possible. She had been conversing with ROM and he had warned her that the tribe could be in serious danger if we didn’t get the gong reassembled. He wouldn’t say what the danger might be, only that it was very important.

Kamin assembled the elders and informed us of this, so we agreed that all other work must be stopped except for the planting and harvesting of the crop, which would be done by the elderly, until we could recover the last piece.

Hong had told us before his death where all the pieces were located and what we had to do to get them. He had received this information in a vision from ROM. At the time of Kinis’ death, we were still only about ½ way done clearing the vines off the wall of writing.

You, of course know that we had to finish that plus clean and reassemble the pieces of what we call the painted floor in the ancient place. Oh the tribe was quite unhappy, for we drove them mercilessly to complete this work. Once it was done, all the tribe was given a day of rest then we voted on whose totem to use for the final task. The vote was hugely in favor of using Hongs totem so that’s what we did.

Now that the deed is done, we will rest and recuperate before getting on with the daily task of living in paradise, or at least our part of it.

One funny thing though, ever since ROM finished melding the pieces of the gong like he promised, none of us has been able to contact him. Frankly as senior elder, this frightens me a little, for we have come very much to depend on his help and guidance. I sure hope he hasn’t left us for some reason.

Noriko said the last message he got from ROM was something about having to go save those ingrates who had left their kids to fend for themselves.

Chapter VI
Prologue

I am Tia Kini and I am ashamed at how long it's been since anyone has written in the history journal of this tribe. I should explain a few things before we get started.

It has been about 300 years as near as we can figure since Mother Kini left us. Completing the Gong of Wonder was the last significant challenge left to our forefathers.
Because of this, shortly after it was completed, hardly anyone bothered to become a scientist anymore. I fear that we have stagnated a bit in these last 3 centuries and have forgotten the things the ancients (as we call the founders) knew.

We had a flood about the time Noriko died, and lost our supply of papyrus. Since we didn't have any real scientist left, no one was able to make more. We have kept some notes, but have had to resort to using the soft white rock or some berry ink to write on tree bark.

The bark seems to crumble after a short time, so every few years someone would have to copy down what was on the older bark onto new bark. This was such a tedious chore that in time the habit developed of writing down only items that were of special or historical importance.

After I reached my 60th year and was considered too old to farm,
I decided to do something about this. I have discovered that if I take some powdered clam shells and mix them with ground bark and press the whole thing with fish oil, that I can make a useable if crude form of the papyrus the ancients used.

The piece I'm writing on is about 10years old. It seems to be holding up, so I'll use it to post an update to the journal. Only time will tell if this stuff is stable enough to use long term.

Well, I could say that so much has happened in three centuries, but the truth is very little has really happened. Oh some of our traditions have changed. For instance we now appoint the oldest living person as either Tribal Mother or Tribal Father and they lead until their time comes to pass on.

Farming and parenting have become the two skills we mostly require, so that is what most of us do. We do try to keep a village doctor, and a village builder to keep both us and our huts in good shape. They choose their own apprentices, but at any one time it is rare to have more than a master and an apprentice in either field.

Research, what little of it gets done, is performed mostly by the elderly. Rarely a child will come along who is too weak to farm or build, and if they aren't selected to become doctors, they will usually take up research. One steadfast rule of tribal life is "If you don't contribute, you don't eat!"

A few years ago, a strange thing happened. We awoke one morning to find that all the children had disappeared! We searched for months, but no one has ever been able to find who took them, or where.

When this happened, the tribe numbered about 80 with twenty of them being children. Disastrous as this was, it was far worse to discover that there was only one woman under the age of 50! Worse, though she tried and tried all she ever had was sons!

Our little tribe may have ceased to exist, but when all hope was gone and the few remaining villagers were well into their 60's, a miracle occurred. One of the fishermen found a barrel floating in the ocean. He dragged it to shore and inside were 3 little girls. One man was only in his early 40's at the time. He and a few others survived long enough for the girls to grow up and have babies of their own. I am the daughter of one of those girls whom the tribe had named Kini in honor of the woman who originally saved this tribe.

Well, at 75 I tend to tire quickly and as it is nearly time for me to ring the Gong, I shall end this update to the journal. If I survive long enough, I shall try from time to time to make further entries. If not, perhaps those who lead after me will do so.

//Archaeologists notes: We came across the ruins of this civilization some 10 years ago. We are very excited that Dr. Jim found and was able to preserve these rare writings. As the only linguist on this survey team, I have worked day and night to try and interpret the ancient manuscripts.
It was an enormous find, when one of the crew found a piece of slate that had apparently been used to teach children their alphabet and counting. I was able to use this as my own version of a Rosetta stone to decipher much of the writings. I only hope I have interpreted it correctly.

I admit to taking some liberty in interpreting the title on the main journal. The similarity to my own name was so intriguing, I went with what I can only describe as a flash of intuition. You see, I believe this may be the same island from which my ancestors migrated some 800 years ago.

Since our third night on this island, I've been having strange dreams. I've also found myself inexplicably
drawn to certain places, and each time a new discovery was made at or very near that spot. Examples are the remnants of what we believe was an ancient fire pit, and what we are sure are the remains of an ancient cast iron pot.

The team member who found the primer I described above, is my cousin Aaron. He too confides in having these sudden flashes of intuition, and a keen yearning to go here or dig there etc. Well, it's very late, and I am going to turn in. I've notice a great tangle of vines just to the North of where our camp is. I think in the morning, I'll take Aaron and see if we can hack our way through it. Something tells me there is a very significant find hidden in there.

Dr. Roch Moore//