Telesa - The Covenant Keeper (8 page)

“Nice run there Leila.”

“Yeah good to see a girl outrun Maleko the running man!”

The class erupted into good-natured laughter as Maleko took a bow. He took a swipe at a teasing boy standing behind me before turning to flash me his smile.

“Awww, I was just going easy on you, being nice to the new girl. Don’t want you to get scared off us Samoan boys ay!?”

Mr Otele gave out directions for our game of touch rugby but I wasn’t listening. I was exulting in this new sensation. Is this what belonging felt like? Is this how it felt to fit in somewhere? I wasn’t sure. I had never been just one of the crowd. No different from my peers. People teasing each other. Laughing. I had spent so many years looking at life from outside the window that it felt strange to actually be in the room with everyone else. Mr Otele’s call for the touch game to begin forced me to put my thoughts aside.

The touch game was fun. It seemed to consist of throwing the ball around and then running like crazy whenever it came to you, trying not to get touched by the opposition. It also involved a lot of screaming from the girls whenever one of the boys pretended to tackle them. And, of course, the requisite showing-off theatrics from Maleko. I was fast realizing that not only was he the class clown, he was also the life of the group, his energy and enthusiasm infectious.

I was sorry when the bell went. Tired, sweaty and hot, but wishing we could play on. Back in the changing rooms Sinalei’s prattle wasn’t as annoying as it had been and I even fielded questions about Washington D.C. from some of the others. I had dreaded curiosity about my background, but it proved to be easier than I had thought it would be. No, I wasn’t here for good. Yes, I liked it here. No, I didn’t have any brothers and sisters (that seemed to generate some disbelief – solo childness being an oddity I supposed). No, I didn’t miss my school back home and yes it was VERY different from SamCo! I deftly deflected questions about parents and, once I emerged from the girls’ room, it was with no small sense of achievement. I felt like I’d passed through an inquisition and come out okay. And walking to last period with Maleko and a tall quiet girl called Leone was nice. Except for the on-going trash talk from Maleko about my running skills. He wanted another chance to prove he could outrun me and was determined not to let up until I set a time. My ease came to earth with a splat when I got to my next class. Geography. With Mrs Jasmine, another Indian teacher. And sitting in the back row was Daniel.

Suddenly I was painfully aware of how little attention I had paid to my hair. My face. My rumpled uniform. I felt like an ungainly, sweaty beast. And that annoyed me because it felt like it was HIS fault that my looks were coming up short. There was an automatic scowl on my face as I took my seat at the opposite end of the room, hoping he wouldn’t notice me. But Maleko ruined that possibility with his loud blow-by-blow account to the entire room of our ‘race.’ It had now assumed mythic proportions and involved us sprinting to a photo finish with Olympic glamour – and he, deciding at the last instant to pull back and ‘let me take the hairs-breadth lead.’ Since I was a girl. And new. And he was being an honourable gentleman.

I groaned, hiding my face behind a textbook and sending up a prayer of relief as Mrs Jasmine walked in to the room, putting an end to the clamour. The next forty minutes were devoted to the monsoon rains of India, which suited me just fine. Attention, even the positive kind, made me squirm, and I hoped that Maleko would have moved onto his next hare-brained idea by the end of school. It was not to be, because as soon as the bell rang, he was at my desk. With Daniel right behind him.

“So, Leila when do you want to have our race ay? Daniel here can be the ref. I was thinking that it should be something short distance you know? Like say 100 meters, that way it won’t be too draining for you. I’m sure it must be waaay hot here for you and I wouldn’t want you to get heatstroke or anything. How about we go race now? It’ll be over in a few seconds. For me anyway!” His face was eager but I had to laugh at his proposal. I well knew that my strength and his weakness, was endurance. I was fitter than this bubbly wired boy but there was no way I could take him on in a speed event. I shook my head at him as I stood.

“Nope. Sorry Maleko. This isn’t a good day for me. And there’s no way I would race 100 meters with you. I will take you on in a 5k any day though.”

Maleko looked questioningly at Daniel who’s eyes had widened slightly at my reply.

“5k? How far is that?”

Daniel spoke before I could. “About twelve laps of the track.”

Maleko’s expression was comical. His face fell and his shoulders slumped. I had to smile; he was so transparent. He knew he was beat.

“Oh.” He looked thoughtful and then wrinkled his nose. “Girl, I don’t want to run that far. Are you sure we can’t try something a little shorter? I know, how about we throw a few rugby tackles into the challenge? I’m sure I can take you on those!”

Even I had to laugh at that one. Walking to the hall with the two of them felt like the natural thing to do, Daniel leaning forward to open the door for me, “Go ahead.”

Once in the hall, Maleko took off after a lithe girl with a braid that fell to her hips. “Hey – Malia! I need help with the math homework.”

Without quite knowing how, I was walking down the emptying hall with the Chunk Hunk. With Daniel. Without knowing why, I was almost paralyzed with trepidation. What should I say? What does one say to a Chunk Hunk? One that you wanted to obliterate from the planet the day before? And now? Now, walking beside me, deliberately shortening his stride to keep pace with me, I felt nothing but breathlessness, my mind a swirl with rapid-fire conversation possibilities. Should I apologize for the debate? Or pretend like it had never happened? Should I talk about the Geography homework? Ask his opinion of the monsoon rains on the delta plains? That had me rolling my eyes.
Oh, get a hold of yourself, Leila. So he’s handsome. Well, make that magnificent. So what. Big deal.
I took a deep breath to plunge in to a question but he beat me to it.

“So, you’re a runner?” His tone was light. Casual. I strove to match him.

“I run a bit. Nothing too awe inspiring. I don’t think you should take Maleko’s version of events too literally. I may be the new girl, but I think I wouldn’t be far wrong to say that he tends to exaggerate things a little.”

Daniel laughed. “A little? I think you mean a lot. As in, Maleko is the master of exaggeration! We never take anything he says literally.”

Our eyes met in perfect agreement, which had me flushed again. So much so that I almost walked straight into the willowy girl standing at the head of the stairs.

“Oh sorry!” My apology was relaxed but the hardness of the answering look in her eyes instantly had me on the defensive. What was wrong with this girl? I remembered seeing her in my Biology class. A stunning brunette who fit all the brochure pictures of tropical island beauties, she moved with a practiced grace. The same grace that was clearly evident as she put one hand on Daniel’s arm, a half pout on her face.

“Danny, I’ve been looking all over for you guys. My dad is waiting for us… ” her voice trailed away suggestively as she half inclined her head towards him, a deliberate attempt to shut me out?

Daniel groaned and rapped his fist on his forehead. “Agh that’s right. Sorry Mele, I’m coming.” He looked around over his shoulder. “Maleko was just here. ”

I quickstepped past them both and dashed down the stairs, throwing a hasty goodbye over my shoulder. I didn’t wait to see whether the Chunk Hunk had heard me. I didn’t need to. I didn’t need any antagonism from possessive girlfriends.

I was almost to the gate when a rush of heat brought me to a standstill. The light turned a hazy red and a wave of dizziness descended on me like a blanket. I swayed. What was happening? I was hot. So hot that there wasn’t enough air to breathe. I was drowning in the wet humidity. Panic clawed its way up through my constricting chest as I struggled to stay upright. Before I met the ground face first, a hand steadied me and a voice asked.

“Leila, are you okay?”

I grabbed the hand with relief, trying to steady myself. It was Sinalei at my side, concern on her face.

“Not really. I’m so hot. I think maybe the heat today and PE just got too much for me. I just need to sit down.”

Cautiously I walked to the grass and sat down. Sinalei kneeling beside me was rifling through her bag.

“Here.” She was triumphant as she handed me a bottle of water. “I knew I had another bottle here somewhere. Go on, you’re probably dehydrated. Too much running at PE.”

Eagerly, I gulped down the water, taking deep breaths in between each mouthful trying to slow my racing pulse and attain calm. There were a few curious glances as the school continued to stream out of class and down to the bus stop but, after only a few minutes in the shade, I felt better enough to stand.

“I think I’m okay now. Thanks Sinalei, I guess I’m still adjusting to the weather here.” A rueful grin. “And I should take it easy in PE. I won’t be in such a rush to humiliate Maleko next time.”

She laughed with me and pretended mock horror. “No way – are you kidding? That was the best PE ever, watching that show-off get outrun by a girl was classic timeless memories stuff. You have to keep doing that.”

She accompanied me to the gate to wait for the bus. I laughed off the whole heat flush incident but secretly I was worried. Where had that come from? Once back at the house, I took a cold shower, standing under the deluge until my fingers were wrinkly and my face was numb from the spray. Only then could I shake off the heat wave from earlier. I soothed away my worries. It was nothing, just a little too much running in PE. It would be an early night for me. A quick dinner, another cold shower and then I tumbled into bed with the ceiling fan on full blast.

That night, the dreams began.

 She stood in a forest – lush, living, breathing rainforest. A canopy of green, hung with vines and trailing with white orchids. It was night. A flying fox screeched nearby, startling her. She wore a woven cloth wrapped around her like a bath towel. So finely made and so worn with time that it fell in soft folds around her knees and caressed her skin softer than silk. A band of brown feathers fluttered at its hem. Her feet were bare on the moist earth. Her skin glistened with coconut oil, catching the fire of the moonlight as she raised her hands to feel the necklace made of pointed boar’s tusks at her throat. Where was she? Why was she dressed like this? She could hear water rushing nearby. A waterfall? The sound made her acutely aware of the burning thirst in her throat. She had an overwhelming urge to submerge her body in the rushing falls. Drink deeply of its cool freshness. Lie in the liquid moonlight, awash in its swirling embrace.

Turning towards the sound she started making her way cautiously through the trees. Bushes scratched at her legs. Ferns tugged at the hem of her dress. Leaves entangled in her hair. Her raging thirst grew, the closer she got to the falls. With relief, she parted the leaves and there it was. A small waterfall splashed from a rocky rise in the land, falling gracefully into a circular pool, edged with smooth rocks and trailing ferns. The water sparkled like black diamonds at the base of the falls. She walked forward to the edge of the pool and hesitated. She hated to wet the fine mat but she had nothing on underneath. Oh well, it was only her in the night. Flushing with embarrassment, she quickly shrugged out of the woven cloth and slipped into the welcome concealment of the water.

The cold was a shock. A jolt of refreshing coolness that had her shivering in the warm wet night. She slowly swam towards the waterfall and was pleased to find that she could stand at its base. Cupping her hands to the silver froth, she drank deeply, glorying in the clean sweet taste. She drank again and again, like a water-starved nomad in a desert. Finally satiated, she leaned forward to let the rushing waters sweep over her hair and down the length of her oiled body. Then she felt it. A chill down her spine that had nothing to do with the night air. A prickling of unease. She was not alone.

Slowly, she turned. A woman stood at the end of the pool. She was hauntingly beautiful and yet terrifying at the same time. She was tall, with a length of sandy brown hair that fell to below her waist. At her throat was a boar’s tusk necklace identical to that which Leila wore. She was half naked, her woven dress clinging to her hips, feathered hem skirting her ankles, full breasts covered by her thick hair adorned with vivid red flowers. She held a long carved knife in one hand, the blade glinting in the darkness as she raised both arms to the night sky. A dreadful smile lit her face as she exulted,

“Yes! Pele, my beloved daughter, finally you return to me.”

Chapter Three

I woke with a startled gasp, sheets a tangled mess around me, my shirt soaked through with sweat. Pulse racing, I tried to calm my ragged breathing but the room was so stifling I needed to get out. Hoping Aunt Matile hadn’t woken with the sounds of my nightmare, I slipped silently through the sleeping house and out into the garden. Sitting on an upturned plastic bucket under the fragrant branches of the frangipani tree, I breathed deeply in the night air.

What did it mean? Where had that dream come from? Was I losing my mind? Was all the pressure of being in this alien land, searching for information about a mother that no-one wanted to talk about finally getting to me? Fluffy chickens roosting in the breadfruit trees rustled and clucked close by and Terminator strolled over to snuffle hopefully against my fingers.
It was just a dream,
I kept repeating to myself as I quietly crept back to my room. But sleep was a long time coming.

The rest of the week was uneventful. I was slipping into a routine with Matile and Tuala. I didn’t ask any more questions about my mother. They were kind and careful. I was polite and helpful. I washed dishes. Matile smiled with startled surprise. I helped Tuala sweep up the cut grass. He brought me an ice cold Diet Coke back from the corner store. I gave Terminator a much-needed bath. Which he hated me for. And which made Matile laugh. I had not given up on my search for information about my mother though. I risked Matile’s wrath and asked Kolio about her when he came to weed the banana patch at the back. He must have been warned by Tuala and Matile not to say anything though – because he only looked uneasy and shook his head, “I don’t know anything. I don’t know anyone like that.” Falute was the same. I went outside to help her hang up the laundry, and in-between pegging up lemon-fresh sheets, I asked,