Loku and the Shark Attack (3 page)

Chapter Four

Loku bit his lower lip in fear, and a drop of blood dripped from his mouth into the water. Within seconds the sleek blue-grey body of the shark came to the surface. Its fin sliced through the water as it circled the boy. Huge jaws opened and rows of sharp teeth gleamed. The shark lunged toward the log, smashing it in half. Loku clung to what was left. His legs were dangling dangerously low. He knew he had to reach the rock or die. With all his strength, Loku shoved the log into the shark's jaws. Then he turned and swam for his life. Kicking wildly, he reached the rock at the centre of the river mouth.

Holding on was difficult, but he found green sea squirts to grasp. He could see a large grey fin circling in the water near the broken log. The shark was still some distance away, and it was time for Loku to fulfill his task. He took a deep breath and dived beneath the surface. He soon found the entrance to the underwater cave and, in a matter of seconds, he spotted the old turtle. He quickly guided him out of the cave. Pressure was building in Loku's lungs as he swam desperately upward. With a gasp, he broke the surface.

Loku clung to the rock with his left arm and held the turtle secure with his right arm. Then he saw the men on the riverbank. They were aiming their spears toward the water, ready for the shark.

A sudden incoming wave washed Loku away from the rock, and he lost his hold on the turtle. He was exhausted and out of breath. He felt himself sinking in the rough waters.

Now,
he thought,
I die for sure.

Then he felt a great force beneath him. It was the turtle swimming under him, using all the strength of its flippers to push him back to the surface. Seconds later, Loku was on the rock with the turtle at his side. His feet found a thin ledge to rest on, but terror still gripped him. The rock was quickly disappearing beneath the rising waves.

Where was the shark? His eyes darted around nervously. Then he looked to the shore. The men on the bank were getting into their canoe. Holding onto the turtle, Loku kicked off the rock toward land. He kicked and kicked and did not lift his head again...

Chapter five

Two strong arms lifted the boy and the turtle out of the water and into the canoe. When his eyes cleared Loku saw the faces of the men for the first time. He recognised one of them. It was Jikup, the man Nul had followed. He wore a gleaming necklace of shark teeth as proof of his prowess as a shark hunter. A chill ran down Loku's spine. Jikup knew the turtle was Loku's totem animal.

‘Give us the turtle,' one of the men bellowed.

Loku was horrified. He was being told to sacrifice his sacred animal, his spirit guide. Looking down at the gentle old creature he saw two sad and wise eyes. Loku watched as a drop of water spilled from the turtle's eye and slid down its leathery cheek. It should not have to pay for my foolish mistake, thought Loku.

‘I won't give it to you. I caught the turtle.'

‘We need it to lure the shark,' said Jikup picking up his spear.

Loku suddenly thought of Nul. With a new-found confidence he shouted, ‘Spear my leg, but let the turtle live!' Quickly he lifted the turtle over the edge of the canoe and into the water. The men cried out in anger and surged forward. Jikup reached out to grab Loku's shoulders when the canoe suddenly lurched. The shark was beneath them!

The canoe rocked and a paddle was flung into the water. The men struggled to regain balance. Moving from side to side, they tried their best to spear the threatening shadow. The shark's tail swished with fury beneath them. Bang! The shark's nose bashed into the side of the canoe. Then it turned and came to the surface. It opened its great jaws, and several rows of teeth closed on the floating paddle. Then it was gone.

Loku was terrified. The shark was larger than the canoe. Paralysed with fear, he sat still while the men watched for movement beneath the darkening water. Their bodies were taut and their feet were placed on both sides of the bottom of the canoe for balance. All were silent as they aimed their spears at the water around them.

Finally, the shark re-surfaced. The men hurled their spears with precision, before crouching low in the canoe. Water churned around them, rocking the canoe violently. The shark rolled onto its side, revealing two deeply-imbedded spears. Its white belly glinted in the soft light from the moon. Two glaring eyes promised death to them all. The injured creature thrashed its body and came crashing down on the side of the canoe, knocking Jikup over the side.

Loku and the men watched helplessly as the shark turned toward Jikup. Their spears were gone and their friend was in danger. Jikup was frantically trying to reach the canoe. The oldest man of the three picked up the remaining paddle and strained with all his might to meet him. The shark was heading straight for Jikup. The two called out to warn him.

Just then, Loku spotted Jikup's spear in the bottom of the canoe. He picked it up as the canoe came between Jikup and the shark. Surely the shark would destroy the canoe this time.

Jikup called out again, and his cry triggered a change in the frightened boy. All fear left him and Loku held the spear with courage and confidence. But where was the shark? No one could see it. Suddenly Jikup screamed. Blood coloured the water around him. The canoe came up next to Jikup, and the men positioned themselves to lift him aboard.

But the shark was attacking.

Loku's toes pressed against the sides of the canoe, balancing him as he struck. The shark felt the sting of Loku's spear straight through its right eye.

Then Loku quickly grabbed the remaining paddle and jammed it between the shark's jaws, while one man balanced the vessel and the other reached for Jikup.

Jikup was finally in the canoe. It was Loku who gripped his arm and hauled his legs back in. Blood spilled from a gaping wound on Jikup's arm. The older man placed bark over the wound while the younger man rolled the shark over and cut it with a machete. Jikup was shaking and shivering, and blood was pouring out of his wound. They needed to get to the shore quickly to save him.

The older man untangled their vine net and threw it over the dying, but still struggling, shark. On the way back to the shore, the shark bumped the side of the canoe – once, twice – but most of its life was gone. Loku and the two uninjured men paddled hard, using only their hands all the way to the shore.

All were very thankful to have earth beneath their feet again. They carefully lifted Jikup from the canoe and propped him up against a tree. They pulled the dead shark onto the shore, instructing Loku to tie the net to the closest tree. Then they carried Jikup into the bush to find healing leaves to treat his wounded arm.

After securing the shark net, Loku pulled the canoe onto the grass. Exhausted, he sat alone by the water's edge, looking in vain for the turtle.

He had saved Jikup's life, and the shark would provide food for Jikup's tribe. Loku hoped his father and their tribe would not have to pay for his earlier recklessness.

He fell asleep peacefully beneath the clear night sky.

Chapter six

The sun was shining when Loku awoke. He saw smoke from a nearby fire, and he could smell cooked meat. He walked toward the fire and was surprised to see Jikup's entire tribe gathered around it. Women were wrapping shark meat in leaves and cooking above slow-burning coals. Several men were sitting around a sleeping Jikup. Children were kicking a coconut husk around. Loku thought of his own tribe – his people – his family. His eyes searched the crowd for Jikup's two companions until he saw them walking toward him. The older man was carrying something in his right hand.

He signalled for Loku to sit down and the three sat facing each other.

The older man was holding Jikup's shark-teeth necklace. Had Jikup died? wondered Loku.

Sensing the boy's confusion, the older man spoke. ‘We do not know if Jikup will live, but we do know it was you who saved him from the shark and helped lift him into the canoe. Jikup wants to give you his necklace in thanks. We wish to place it around your neck in a ceremony. We have invited your father and the elders of your village to come and share our feast. They will be here soon.'

The men stood and smiled briefly at Loku before returning to their group. Loku watched them walk away with mixed feelings. It was good they thought he was brave, but he was not sure he wanted to wear Jikup's necklace. After all, Jikup had wanted him to kill his tribe's totem animal. He felt he must speak with Jikup.

He did not have to wait long. Jikup's friends were beckoning Loku to come to them. Jikup was propped up and spoke slowly between long breaths.

‘I am the only one who knew your totem. The other men, including my father, did not know whose son you were until I told them last night. I am sorry I tried to make you kill your totem animal.'

Jikup's eyes closed and his breathing weakened. His wife rubbed a special powder on his forehead and helped him drink a healing brew. Loku stood solemnly for a moment before walking away quietly to the riverbank. His heart leapt for joy at the sight of approaching canoes. His father had arrived.

His father greeted Loku with a steady gaze before opening his arms for a long embrace. One by one the elders from Loku's village pulled their canoes onto the shore. They took turns greeting Loku, holding his shoulders affectionately and pressing their foreheads to his. They had never greeted Loku like this before. This was a formal greeting for men, not for boys.

Loku, his father, and the elders from Loku's village were invited to sit with Jikup's father and the men of his village. The two tribes rarely met, usually only gathering to discuss drought, or in the aftermath of an earthquake, or to celebrate the rainy season. This type of gathering was rare, and on this day, there was a new feeling among the people of both tribes.

When everyone was seated on woven mats, Jikup's father welcomed them.

‘Loku saved Jikup from the jaws of a shark, and now we wish to give him Jikup's warrior necklace. He has shown the courage of a man.'

He turned to address Loku. ‘We tied you up because we didn't know your intentions. You crossed into our territory with the curse of a self-lit bush fire, and you took one of our canoes. This was wrong. You owed us a debt for destroying our food. You accepted the task we set for you, and you surprised us all by showing great courage. You rescued my son. We are all grateful to you. You have proven your manhood.'

Everyone took a step back and lowered their heads slightly as Jikup's father placed the shark-teeth necklace over Loku's neck. Loku looked into the older man's eyes for the first time and thanked him before sitting down to eat fine shark flesh. The feast had begun. There was an abundance of food, but there was still a heaviness in the air. Jikup could die.

After the shark feast, Loku was free to return home to his own village. His father thanked Jikup's father before leading the village men to their canoes for the long trip home. Loku shared a canoe with his father and the two paddled in silence for some time.

Loku was the first to break the silence.

‘I don't want to wear Jikup's necklace,' he said.

His father looked at him with a curious eye.

‘Why?'

‘He asked me to kill a turtle,' said Loku sadly.

‘The turtle is not their totem. They are allowed to kill it and eat it,' his father explained. ‘I am proud of you for accepting a man's apology. You have learned the way of a man.'

Loku would have enjoyed these last words a little longer, but he felt a strange sensation of being watched. Had Jikup died? Could it be his ghost? Loku searched the shoreline, but there was nothing to be seen. His eyes scanned the river, and he noticed movement in the water. He smiled with relief, then joy. Swimming beside them was the old turtle, its leathery neck raised above the water. Loku's shark-teeth necklace glistened in the sun.

Nearing his village, Loku could see two figures wading in the water, walking out to meet their canoe and pull it in. This was an old sign of respect and Loku squinted to see who had come to meet him. His heart swelled with warmth. It was Nul and
Lapun Papa,
walking out against the whitewash of the breaking waves.