Feather Bag

They followed the same path, crossed the same stream, and came to the same wall as the day before. At least, Lei was pretty sure it was the same wall. It was hard to tell.

Every time one of them caused a twig to snap or plant to rustle, Lei jumped. Any minute now there would be an ambush, she was sure of it. If she wasn’t positive that this was the way to save Kaipo, there was no way in the universe she’d reenter this jungle. But they made it through, and now they were at the end of the trail, staring at the wall in front of them. Lei’s brain wasn’t unscrambling what she was seeing.

“Shouldn’t there be an opening up there?” she asked, panicked.

Kaukahi crossed her arms and cocked her head, like a pirate assessing a plan of attack. “This is definitely it, but there should definitely be a puka,” she said.

Ilikea paced in front of the wall. “It’s like certain someones rebuilt the wall…overnight?” She put so much emphasis on the words someones and overnight that Lei thought she was going to give Kaukahi a spit-shower.

“Ugh, this is for real the most boringest day ever. I’m hungry. Can I just go back to the beach?” Kaipo groaned, turning to leave before Lei grabbed his arm.

“Kaukahi, do you have any rope or extra net in that wonder bag”—Kaukahi held out rope before Lei even finished the question—“of yours? Thanks.”

Lei backed Kaipo against a tree.

“Look, this hurts me more than it hurts you. Today is gonna suck. Just sit tight and wait till we get through this wall, okay?”

“No.”

“That was rhetorical.” Lei worked fast, tying his wrists behind the tree at his back, then wrapping the rope around his torso and upper arms a few times for good measure. “We need you close for the hot-or-cold game when we get through this wall. I don’t need to waste time searching the island for you if you decide to wander again.”

Kaipo squirmed but couldn’t pull away, so he switched to arguing. “We’re too close, I don’t even hear it anymore, anyway. It doesn’t matter, I’ll just hang out on the sand and it’ll be fine.”

Lei ignored him and turned to Kaukahi and Ilikea. “Okay, let’s rock.”

All day long they worked at moving stones. For lunch, they stopped to eat some of the musubi Lei packed and dried fish Kaukahi brought.

When Lei tried to feed Kaipo, he clenched his teeth together.

“Dis is too far,” he ground out as Lei lowered the musubi. Kaipo unlocked his jaw. “I am perfectly capable of feeding myself. Untie me.”

When Lei just cocked her head, Kaipo sneered, “Are you seriously taking me as a prisoner? Tūtū’s going to love hearing about this.”

The threat of her grandma hearing pushed Lei over the edge, and she angrily passed the food to Kaukahi to hold while she worked on untying the ropes. As soon as they fell away, Kaipo jumped from the tree. Kaukahi stepped in front of him, arm out, offering the musubi. He swung at her and knocked the lunch to the loamy jungle floor.

“Hey!” Kaukahi exclaimed.

Kaipo turned and ran, heading for the trail to the beach.

Lei shouted “Aiiii!” and took off after him. Ilikea transformed into a bat and darted over their heads, dropping in front of Kaipo so suddenly that he stopped short. Lei didn’t bother to put on the brakes. She slammed right into his back, so that they both fell to the ground like football players.

“What the heck, boss?” she panted.

“Mmph,” he said against the dirt.

“We’re trying to help you, you…you…farting feather bag.” Lei cringed.

A hand holding a rope appeared next to Lei.

“Farting feather bag?” Kaukahi laughed.

“Ugh.” Lei hit the ground with her fist, then pushed herself up. She and Kaukahi hauled Kaipo to the tree and tied him back up. “Knock off the dramatics, huh?”

Being upset was safer than the alternative: being scared. And if Lei was honest with herself, the rate that Kaipo was rotting at was really freaking her out. She held tightly to her anger, tugging knots to make sure they were secure.

“Dramatics?” Kaipo spat. “You think this is dramatic? Have you ever stopped to think maybe, just maybe, I don’t want the old pendant back? Huh?”

Lei flinched at his words as he pushed on.

“If we do find it, I’m going to go right back to having to protect you again. And why would I want to do that? Huh?”

His voice was echoing off the wall of the volcano, his bite burning her skin, too close to Kaukahi’s earlier words for comfort. She shook her head as he glared at her, waiting for an answer.

“You’ve made it crystal clear that you don’t even want to be here in the first place,” he continued.

Lei’s cheeks were on fire. She could feel Kaukahi’s and Ili’s eyes on her but didn’t dare look their way as shame slithered across her back.

“All I hear about is Ridley this and Hennley that. You probably don’t even remember half the stuff I’ve taught you. What’s the point of me getting the pendant back? You think I don’t know what you’ve all been saying? That I’m turning kuewa. Of course I know that. And you know what? I’m looking forward to it.”

The knives in her chest dug in deep. Lei took a shallow breath, trying to avoid the pain. She balled her hands into fists, chewing on her lip until she tasted blood. But even then she couldn’t bring herself to speak. To defend herself.

Because he was right.

She picked the musubi up from the ground and carefully began plucking off the pieces of leaves, bark, and dirt. If only she’d never picked that flower. If only she’d listened to her best friend.

She replayed every scene where she complained about being in Hawaiʻi, complained about not doing fun, touristy stuff, complained about Ridley and Hennley, and her life in Colorado. How could she have been so awful? No wonder no one wanted to hang out with her. Ridley was better off with Hennley. Lei swallowed her tears as Kaukahi cleared her throat.

“Ah, I’m going to keep working on this wall,” Kaukahi said. “Seems we could all use some space, and we’re not going to get that here.”

Ilikea patted Lei on the shoulder before going to help her descendant move rocks. After a bit, Lei joined them. She could always think more clearly when moving. The heavy lifting grounded her. Kept her in her body instead of floating overhead, mingling with all her doubts and embarrassments.

“I remember plenty of your stories, Kaipo,” Lei said after a while, sweat dripping down her neck. “But I might not always catch the meaning. Like, the story about the ʻiole and the heʻe. I get how the rat caught a ride on the octopus’s head and that he left a pile of poop as a present, but what is the lesson there?”

Kaukahi snorted and Ilikea kicked Lei’s ankle. “Now’s not the time for your weird humor.”

“It was a real story!” Lei protested. “Fine, I would say that my favorite ʻōlelo noʻeau that you’ve taught me over the years is ʻhoʻi hou i ka mole,’ which is what I’m trying to do here. Trying to get back to my taproot, to my family, even if I was cut off for a bit. I’m sorry. I’m back now, for good. And you’re stuck with me forever.”

With that, Lei removed the final stone.

Her fingers were raw, nails broken, arms tired, but the hole into the side of the volcano was big enough to walk through. Kaipo didn’t respond, so Kaukahi got her headlamp out, ready to go in.

“Hold on there,” Ilikea said. “Don’t go rushing into things willy-dilly.”

“Nilly,” Kaukahi said.

“Shh, let her go,” Lei said.

“But it’s not the best time. The sun is setting,” Ilikea pointed out.

“Well, yeah, but what better time is there? The sooner we get his pendant, the sooner Kaipo will be better,” Lei said. The sooner he can forgive me. The sooner the nightmares will end.

“Right. But try using what you claim to have in that noggin of yours.” Ili tapped Lei on the head. “ʻIo would’ve dropped the pendant in from the top, right?”

“Yeah?” Lei said, batting Ili’s hand away.

Kaukahi leaned against a tree, watching them with a look of boredom.

“So, if you’re going in from a different entrance, but expecting to find a pendant that’s been dropped from above, during the daytime we should be able to follow a glow, right? There should be sunlight seeping in if there’s a hole big enough for a pendant to fall through.”

Bat-girl had something there.

Kaukahi frowned but nodded. “Fire reasoning, Ili.”

“I hate it when your common sense fights my wants,” Lei grumbled.

“Huh?” Ili asked.

“Never mind. I hear you, but I don’t think we can wait till morning. If your emphasis earlier was right, someones are rebuilding the wall. We can’t risk them undoing our work again. I vote we go in, and just use our headlamps to find the way.”

Kaukahi looked between Ili and Lei. “Well, well. Dissension in the ranks. This’ll be interesting.”

That ruffled Lei. “I’m not dissenting, I’m offering an alternative and reasons for the suggestion.” She fully realized arguing with Kaukahi was useless, but she couldn’t help herself.

Ilikea must have felt the same. “It is possible to have a disagreement without it being a whole thing, you know?” Her arms were crossed, mirroring Kaukahi’s stance. “Listening is key.”

“Oh my tree snails, would you all shut your ever-loving haupia holes?” Kaipo grumbled from the tree. “Just make a decision already!”

Lei and Ili locked eyes. Ili’s mouth was in a tight line, but she gave a tiny nod. That was all Lei needed to see.

“We’re going in.”