CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Kenta Seeks Guidance

Kenta Morningbay loved his sister, Irina. She was good-natured and kind and never treated him as a nuisance or made him feel that she did not want him around when she had friends visiting. If he asked for her help, she gave it, and when it was her turn to cook, she often made his favorite meal of roasted cashew salad, even though she was not particularly fond of it herself.

Besides all of that, Kenta knew everyone at Lessons thought she was a wonderful teacher, which made him proud. And he was happy she was going to marry Gabor Summersea, who was a very fine fellow.

Even so, he had only been partly joking when he’d told Karuna he couldn’t stand to hear another word about the upcoming Union Day.

It wasn’t the usual type of wedding talk making him feel that way — not the happy, excited chatter about flowers and food and so on. No, Kenta had been listening for weeks to an ongoing disagreement between his sister and their mother. And it was all over a dress!

Irina was a modern young woman — at least, as modern as one could be on an island where time seemed to be standing still. As a bride-to-be she should have been filled with happiness anticipating her Union Day, but the unresolved squabble with her mother was threatening to ruin everything. Mrs. Morningbay was stubbornly insisting Irina should follow tradition and wear the village Union Gown.

Yes, the village gown! Many, many years before, a single dress had been made for brides. It was a cleverly constructed garment that could be adapted for any size by the use of folds and ties and clasps. The Union Gown was ornate and still beautiful despite its age.

But recently, some of the island brides had chosen not to wear the traditional gown, and had instead made dresses of their own design for their Union Days.

That is what Irina also wished to do. The problem was this — her mother favored the village Union Gown.

“I will make a dress in secret,” Irina had confided to Kenta one day, “and when I show it to Mother, she will see things differently.”

Irina worked very hard making her dress. She dyed her fabric soft shades of blue and yellow, and assembled it to achieve the look of flowers dancing and waving against a summer sky. It was beautiful, and Irina had been sure the lovely gown would be enough to change Mrs. Morningbay’s mind.

It was not.

“I have been looking forward to the day you would wear the same gown I wore as a young bride,” Mrs. Morningbay lamented. “How can you take that from me?”

They both ended up in tears. Neither appeared willing to give in to the other’s wishes.

Kenta had watched and listened and some days it seemed as though his mother and sister did nothing more than take turns coaxing and crying from morning until bedtime. It made his heart heavy and he wished there was a way he could help resolve the matter.

Finally, with the Union Day getting closer and closer, he decided something simply had to be done. Exactly what that something might be, he did not know, which is why he made up his mind to seek help.

That week’s End Day provided him with the perfect opportunity, since there were no lessons to attend and no community work to do. Free to spend the day however he wished, Kenta made his way to the Place of Matters in order to seek an audience with the Elders.

The Elders were awake when he arrived, nibbling on chunks of fruit and warm fig tarts that had been brought in for their morning snack.

“Now where did I put my napkin?” Elder Star grumbled. “Did one of you take it?”

“Who’d want it after you used it to mop crumbs and berry juice off your chin?” Elder Moon said with a chuckle. “But in any case, it’s on the floor by your foot. No, no, the other one!”

Elder Star pawed about without success, muttering and growing crankier each time his fingers touched the floor without locating his napkin. Once, he grabbed his own foot, which made the other Elders laugh and did nothing to improve his mood.

“Here then, let me help,” Elder Sun said. He leaned down and lifted the cloth into Elder Star’s groping hand.

Thus engaged in the important matter of retrieving this napkin, the Elders did not notice Kenta, who had been approaching slowly. It wasn’t until he cleared his throat that they turned creakily toward him.

“Who’s there?” asked Elder Star, squinting as he often did, although it did nothing to improve his vision.

“Kenta. Kenta Morningstar,” the boy answered. “I’ve come to seek your guidance.”

The Elders nodded solemnly to show him he had their attention.

And so he told them of the situation, and how earnestly he longed for things to be settled between the two women in his home before the Union Day.

When Kenta had finished speaking, two of the Elders were immediately ready with advice.

“They can pull leaves from a frond,” said Elder Star. Elder Star often made this suggestion. Whoever drew the shorter of several leaves, all of which were hidden from sight, was required to let the other person have their way.

“Or toss an oyster shell,” offered Elder Moon. This worked much like a coin flip, and was Elder Moon’s favorite solution in such situations.

After several moments Elder Sun, who had taken the time to ponder the matter, proposed something quite different, something that did not leave the matter entirely to chance. Kenta thought Elder Sun’s idea was clever and very likely to work. He made up his mind at once that it was the one he would employ.

But before he could proceed, he needed to find Pascale.