Well, we don't yet what is going to happen to Obi and the others, so you'll just have to stick with me to the end.

I'm so cruel sometimes.

Chapter 28
The Master Celebrated


Piku had taken to completing all construction projects alone, leaving the others free to research with the master scientists and try to advance the tribe further. Piku didn't mind. He loved his fellow carpenters but enjoyed the solitude as well. One day, during lunch, he grabbed Mua and took her for a walk.

"I want you to see this." He said walking his wife to a spot just south of the lagoon. "Look at this spot, Mua. Why have we never done anything with this?" Mua looked at him, confused. "Look!" he continued. "Can't you see it?" Mua looked down and Piku could tell she was not understanding. He knelt down and brushed some of the grass and dirt aside. "Underneath these stones and dirt and grass are tiles. Beautiful glass tiles. Someone once treasured this spot. It was special once. I want to restore it."

Mua looked at Piku and started to speak but had no words. Piku turned to face her, "Mua, I'm 50. I can't do this work for much longer. As a last gift to this tribe, our large family, I want to do this. Leave them with something beautiful to remember it's founders by." A tear snuck down Mua's cheek and she kissed Piku. "I think that would be wonderful."

Over the next few years, Piku worked everyday to clear the old ruins. Scraping and wiping and moving rocks. He poured his heart and sole into the task and slowly, the beauty of what once was, started to show.

Meanwhile, Ahi had progressed greatly in the skill of farming. While Ahi was fishing one day, Obi approached Akio, Coen and Piku and pulled them aside. "I want to honor Ahi." He started and the three men looked at him. "I know that we have all worked hard, all of our lives. And we have all gone far above and beyond mastering our skills. But Ahi has been the one to help out wherever he was needed and at only 32, has nearly mastered three of our most difficult skills. I believe this is something to be recognized." He finished. The three looked at each other and then looked back at Obi.

"What do you want us to do Dad?" asked Akio.

"I will need a large piece of wood, a log. I also need a sharp knife, some sea stones from the bottom of the lagoon and all of your help. We must keep this quite until it's ready, tell no one."

"I'll get the stones" said Akio. "I learned to dive from the best" he added smiling at his father. Obi grinned with pride at his son.

"Coen and I will get a log. We'll find the largest we can." Said Piku.

"When you find it, please bring it to the edge of the forest, but no further. We'll need to work on it there, where no one can see it." Piku and Coen nodded and rushed to the forest.

Over the next few months, the four were seen heading to the forest on many occasions for hours at a time. They would emerge looking dirty and tired and covered in sawdust. When asked what they were up to, neither man would say a word. They would just simply smile and nod. In between their trips to the forest, they would each continue with their regular tasks and Piku had nearly completed his project of uncovering the ruins.

One day, the four gathered around the fire and called the rest of the tribe to join them. As they approached, they all noticed a large object covered in blankets and curiosity and excitement flowed through the tribe.

"Ahi, I'd like you to join us, son" Obi called and Ahi stepped forward, blushing slightly but not really knowing why. Obi put his hands on Ahi's shoulders and spoke only to him. "Ahi, you have grown into an amazing man, a husband, a father, a carpenter, a scientist, and a farmer. You have accomplished more in 32 years than any of us have ever done in this tribe. For that, we," and his paused to indicate the three other men standing beside him, "felt that it was time you were properly recognized for your accomplishments. And not just for the moment. We wanted to ensure that every successor of this tribe knew who you were and what you had done in your life and sought a way to ensure you were honored for the rest of your life and every life of this tribe to follow." With that, Obi stepped aside and the four men parted to show the covered the object. With a graceful sweep, Coen and Akio pulled the blankets off to reveal a large, stunning, hand carved totem. Ahi gasped at it's brilliance. It was red, with carved sea stones embedded throughout the intricate carvings. Behind him, he felt the whole tribe take a sharp breath with him.

Ahi stepped forward to take a closer look at the totem. "It's beautiful, Dad. It's absolutely beautiful!" and he turned to his father seeing tears streaming down his face. The men embraced as Noa and Aida stepped forward to join their husbands. As they celebrated, Piku stepped between them. "And I thought," he said, "that since I have now completed uncovering the old ruins, we could display the totem there, for every generation to follow to admire and be inspired by." The tribe clapped and hollered in agreement and Aiko and Coen lifted the totem and carried it over to the glass tiled area as the rest of the tribe followed. The two set the totem down in the centre of the tiles and turned to face their families and friends.

The entire tribe had stopped and froze. Their eyes were wide and mouths open. As Obi and Ahi stepped forward from the crowd, Coen and Akio turned to see a bright light shining from the centre of the tiles, shining up over the top of the large totem. The two took a few steps back and joined Obi and Ahi. The rest of the tribe collectively backed away as well. They watched as the light grew brighter and then the totem slowly lifted into the air. It moved with precise grace and control and after lifting up about 8 feet in the air, it moved sideways and slowly lowered back to the ground, completely unharmed. The bright light, now shooting to the sky, began to fade. Shielding their eyes from the light, the men noticed something on the ground in the centre of the tiles. As the light disappeared, Coen walked over to object and saw a large jagged piece of metal. "Ahi, come here!" he said. As Ahi approached, Coen looked up. "I think it's the fourth piece!" Ahi knelt down to examine the object with Coen. It was the fourth piece. Somehow, someway, they had uncovered the fourth piece of the gong.