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[Dragon]

Chapter 18 ~ The big rock candy mountains



The waves of heat swallowed up the distance as they escaped from the asphalt and into the cooler air above. A lone figure could been seen walking down the quite highway. Tall, muscular, definitely out of place alone.

In the distance...

As the temperature decreased with the onset of evening the heavy feel of the days heat still lingered. As the sun touched the top of the horizon and slowly started to disappear the temperature was still in the low 90s The three men gathering scraps of burnable junk and loose twigs and wood for their burn barrel knew the temperature wouldnt last into the night. To survive another night out under the stars the wise veterans of many starry nights knew that one bottle of Old English and their tattered blankets would not be enough to stave off the chill of the clear night sky. They added the sage brush they had gathered as it crossed the plains and struck a match to it and the other kindling that was there. Before long all three men had grins on their faces as the flame roared high out of the old rusted barrel. Now, after claiming their piece of dirt to make their home for the night, they all gathered up large sticks to do a little prairie dog hunting before it became too dark Prairie dog stew could hit the spot when you were hungry and cold out on the plains of Oklahoma in the middle of the night. Each of the three men made a friendly bet that they would be the first to gather in their nights supper. They did not see the lone figure making his way towards their camp in the distance.

Leaga wasnt sure how long he had walked. He was down to his last drink of water as the sun touched the horizon. He was disappointed that not one person offered to give him a ride. "Pili was right, hitchhiking is harder than I thought"; he mused to himself. At least one hundred cars or trucks had passed him in the last few hours, and only one had even slowed down to get a better look. The shirtless young man wondered if there was something wrong with the way he looked Maybe no one around here has ever seen a Samoan; He said to no one. Leaga scanned the side of the highway and looked for streams or a lake in which to refill his empty water bottles, but there were none in sight. Only the occasional prairie dog popping his head out of his underground lair was to be seen. Leaga had no idea what kind of animals these were and assumed it was some kind of gofer that he had heard about in school. He also had no idea that he would be dining on a make shift stew made of the same kind of animal later that night.

The small fire in the distance caught his eye. It didnt look like a wild fire and burned in one spot so Leaga assumed it must be manmade. It was a good hundred yards off the highway but he figured he would risk the detour if it meant he may run into other people and possibly fill his water bottles or better yet, find something to quell the growling in his stomach.

Albuquerque Slim was the first of the three hoboes to holler out; "I got one, I got one! I'm the Champion prairie dog killer two nights in a row"; he laughed. Both Texas Joe and Cooter pretended not to hear him and continued trying to whack their own prairie dogs least they come back to the camp ground in utter defeat. After fifteen minutes of missing their marks, both Joe and Cooter were successful as well. They made their way back to the fire with their feast in their hands as Slim was the first to notice the tall stranger standing near their camp grounds.

"Hello"; Leaga said to the three men as they stood silently looking at him. He noticed they all were poorly dressed and each was carrying what appeared to be an overstuffed rat at their sides. He also remembered to smile big at each of them in turn he didnt want any trouble with anyone out here in the middle of nowhere. To his pleasant surprise, all three men returned the smile.

"Hi there big fella! My name is Albuquerque Slim, but you can call me Slim And this here is Cooter, and the fella there with the cowboy hat on is Texas Joe"; he said as he pointed out his two friends. Joe stood forward and was the first to offer his hand to Leaga;

"You got a name?"; Texas Joe said in his deep southern drawl.

"Yes, my name is Leaga. I am very please to meet you. I am sorry to bother you three but I am just looking for some water Or wondering if you can tell me where a lake or spring is around here"; Leaga said as he held up his two empty plastic bottles.

"Heck yeah we can show you where to get water Leaga. If you like, you can bed down with us here tonight if ya wish. You can even have some of my stew if the other fellas dont wanna share"; Cooter laughed as he held up his dead prairie dog.

The thought of eating an unknown animal didnt appeal to Leaga, but right now his stomach didnt care what he ate. He only hesitated a moment before telling the three old friendly hobos that he would stay.

Later that evening after Leaga and the three men had ate their fill (Which to Leagas surprise was quite savory and good), and Joe had showed him a small creek filled with clear cool water only a couple of hundred yards away, they all sat down on the ground near the fire barrel. Leaga was surprised at the temperature It must be at least 30 degrees cooler then it was this morning; he thought to himself.

Slim offered him an old tattered blanket with multiple colors for him to sleep on or cover up with. Leaga, not wanting to seem impolite accepted the offer and laid the tattered old blanket beneath him. He was happy that he had found three such nice people so far. Joe and the other two men mentioned they had a ride coming to take them all the way to Dallas, Texas early in the morning and they needed to get to sleep early so they could get up on time. Leaga questioned if it was possible for him to get a ride as well, they all said it would be no problem. The best part was; they all said the ride was "Free"!

Leaga laid back his head and looked at the stars. He had never seen so many in his life. He thanked God that he was having such luck this day on his path to find Amio.

Just when Leaga thought the day couldnt get any better Cooter pulled out an old guitar from an old rucksack he carried with him and started to play. All three men joined in as they sang a song about a mountain a mountain made of candy;


"...One evening as the sun went down, and the jungle fire was burning, Down the track came a hobo hiking, and he said boys I'm not turning, I'm headed for a land that's far away, beside the crystal fountain, So come with me we'll go and see, the big rock candy mountains.

In the big rock candy mountains, there's a land that's fair and bright, where the handouts grow on bushes, and you sleep out every night.
Where the boxcars all are empty and the sun shines every day, on the birds and bees and the cigarette trees, the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings, in the big rock candy mountains...."


Leaga closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep with the visions of candy mountains swimming in his head.



To be Cont....

[Dragon]

Chapter 19 ~ The Hobo Highway


Leaga was awoken by the sounds of Slim, Joe, and Cooter gathering up their meager belongings around their camp site. The sun was just beginning to peak above the horizon, but already the heat of the oncoming day could be felt.

"Rise and shine partner, our ride is due any minute"; Joe drawled.

Leaga, wiping his eyes looked around. They were still 100 yards away from the highway, but the three men started to walk in the direction away from the road where occasional large trucks were making their way even this early in the morning. Before Leaga could question their reasoning he heard it. The low rumbling sound of a large engine could be felt on the ground beneath his feet. He picked up his pace and caught the three men as they walked at a brisk pace even farther from the highway. A shrill whistle reached his ears as the vision of a long slow vehicle in the middle of the plains rumbled towards their path.

"There she is! Right on time"; Slim grinned.

Leaga had seen a train before, but he had always seen people enter one at a station. Scanning the horizon quickly he pondered how the train would stop for them when no such place was near. He also wondered why the train would be free as the men had said last evening. The giant train was over 100 cars long and was lead by three orange and black engines. The letters BNSF was written on the side of them, but the letters held little meaning for Leaga. The men stopped as they came to the pair of tracks that would intersect the direction of the train. Leaga was about to question where the train was going to stop when Cooter let out a yelp, lifted up his old guitar and shouted; "Here we go boys!", and started running parallel to the tracks. The other two men followed his lead and Leaga did as well. The train caught them and starting passing them in moments. The train was not going that fast, but it was moving much faster than the three older men could run. Leaga started thinking they had lost their sanity when after about seventy cars had passed them; Cooter leapt at the train and grabbed on to a ladder attached to one of the box cars. Like something he had done a hundred times, he swung his leg over and pushed open a door that was adjacent to the ladder. It opened enough for him to reach over and pull himself through the opening into the darkness of the box car. He swung the door fully open on its slide, and knelt down reaching out his arm yelling to the other men; "Come on boys, grab a hold"!

Joe was next to jump. He looked as if he might stumble but Cooter grabbed his leaping form and pulling on the back of his shirt he helped pull him up into the same box car. Leaga and Slim were left still running next to the train. Leaga was not having any problems keeping pace, but he could tell Slim was having difficulty and looked as if he was going to quit;

"Go ahead boys.Ol Slims gonna miss this one"; He panted.

Leaga was quick to act. He ran up next to Slim and grabbed him under his left arm and on the back of his belt. In one fluid motion while still running next to the box car he tossed Slim up and into the moving box car. The other two men looked on in shock as their comrade landed safely besides them. No sooner had Leaga helped the struggling man that he leapt into the opening himself.

"Well I never seen such a thing in my entire travels boy!" ; Joe laughed.

Slim and Cooter gathered their wits and started laughing as well. Leaga smiled at them and then joined in.

The "free ride", Leaga was soon to realize is how these men traveled. They referred to themselves as "Hobos, and free spirits". Leaga had never heard the word before, but after meeting these three he decided that being a hobo must be a good thing. Cooter spent the next several hours strumming songs that Leaga had never heard before, but they were still soothing to his ears. Slim explained to him that this train was headed for Ft Worth, Texas; and he would be a heck of a lot closer to San Antonio than he was the night before. Leaga spent the next few hours dangling his legs outside of the box car and taking in all the sights of the open plains. His new found friends told him the names of areas they would pass. The train went over the reddish muddy waters of the Red River they explained as the train crossed from Oklahoma into Texas. He enjoyed the sites of the Texas town of Wichita Falls as the train blew its mighty whistle as it passed the last intersection as it turned South East and headed for its final destination in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. The long journey that remained was hours of flat unbroken landscape. An occasional oil rig in the distance or a small farm house would catch Leagas eyes but besides that there was nothing to see. The three old hobos retreated into the shadows of the box car and went fast asleep. Leaga, already becoming accustomed to the intense heat of the Texas sun enjoyed the rest of the trip in silence as he sat in the open door and gazed into the distance. Thoughts of Amio helped to pass the time as he listened to the lullaby of the box cars clanking down the tracks.

The sounds of men running and hollering awoke Leaga. He must of dozed off on his back during the long trip as he sat up to see the night sky and two men running besides the box car that he and his comrades had made their home the last several hours. These hobos, if thats who they were; were much younger than the ones Leaga had befriended. They leapt into the opening deftly without trouble as Leaga stood with his three new friends;

"Looks like this ones not empty Doug"; One of the new hobos stated as he looked at the group.

Slim was the first to approach the duo and introduced himself, his fellow travel companions, and Leaga. The one called Doug, large with a full red beard remained silent; the other man was smaller and simply nodded to them but never gave his name. Leaga sensed something about the two new men. The ways their eyes darted to each of his friends and himself reminded him of the two Tongans he had tussled with years before on the docks of Pago Pago. It was obvious to him that they were 'Sizing them up'. They didnt wait long before proving him right.

"So, I see you four have used Our box car! Ya know, Doug and I usually charge rent to bums that use our box car so what ya got in those bundles over there";

The nameless one demanded as he pointed to the hobos old duffel bags that held their only possessions.

"Look, we dont want no trouble"; Joe started; "and we have just as much right to ride in this box car as any other hobos".

Before Joe could finish what he was saying the bigger of the two new men yelled at him;

"Hobos! Hobos?... We are not ****ing hoboes! Doug and I are travelling men! Dont place me and my partner at the same damn level of you bums! At first I was just asking nice what you wanted to share with us, to help pay your toll in our box car. Now were taking it"!

The one called Doug moved first and reached out for Cooters guitar, snatching it from his grasp. Before Cooter could say a word of protest the big stranger smashed it against the floor of the box car. Simultaneously the one that was nameless grabbed a hand full of Slims shirt and pulled back his arm as if to punch him. Leaga had seen enough!


The big mans fist swung like a piston towards Slims unprotected face, but instead of the satisfying crunch he expected his hand felt the immovable object of the young Samoans hand. His eyes widened as he screamed;

"Why you young punk You want some of me? Ill kil...."

Before he could finish his sentence Leaga pushed hard against his chest with both hands slamming him into the side of the box car. His breath raced from his body as his legs gave out and he started to slide to the floor. Doug was quick to come to his partners aid and swung the remaining handle of Cooters instrument at the back of the tall youths head. The handle snapped over the top of Leagas head, but if he even noticed it he didnt show. Leaga bent down and grabbed the nameless man around the throat and lifted him to his feet and turned to face Doug.

Leaga with a vice grip around the unknown mans neck swung him physically at Doug. The back of the helpless bullys head smashed into Dougs bearded face and his lips exploded into a ruby fountain as blood sprayed into the air. Doug threw up both hands to protect his wounded face but Leaga continued to push the now unconscious un-named man into his partner and towards the open door of the box car. Dougs scream was drowned out by the sound of the train whistle as both he and nameless friend tumbled from the train and flew into the night air.

Leaga turned towards his three hobo friends who had huddled back into the shadows of the box car. First Slim, then the others all starting smiling at him. They walked up towards him and patted his back and arms.

"Never in my life! Ill be darned. Losing my strings was worth that show"; Cooter exclaimed.

Leaga was not happy he had to hurt the two bullies, but he was happy to help his friends.

Less than an hour later, Leaga and his three companions where shaking hands and saying their goodbyes. The lights of the Ft Worth night sky were bright, and the lights of Dallas in the near distance were even brighter. Slim made sure that he pointed the young Samoan in the direction of highway 35 and told him to go south. "Hope you find your sweet heart"; were his last words as Leaga turned one final time to wave goodbye.

The lights of the night drifted into the distance behind the young warrior. Soon he would be with his love again.



To be cont....

[Dragon]

Chapter 20 ~ The Letter from Home /and/ Rachel leaves home


Emo sat on the floor and slowly chewed on the buttered crackers, while he drank the black coffee his granddaughter had made for him. It was Saturday and the mailman had delivered the mail later than normal. Emo's old leathered hands methodically opened and read each and every letter. Most were from credit card companies or sale fliers from local San Antonio grocery stores. The last piece of mail addressed to the Vagai family though was post marked from Savaii.

This was the first letter his family had received from home and he tore it open greedily. It was from the wife of his oldest friend. It seemed his friend was dying. He folded up the letter and contemplated rather or not he should tell Amio. His oldest friend was also the great grandfather of Leaga, whom he knew Amio missed greatly.

Later that evening he consulted with his oldest son (Whose home he now lived in), and with his eldest daughter (Amio's mother) on what should be done. They all agreed that some money should be sent to his dying friends family, but the point of disagreement came on rather they should mail it, or deliver it in person.

A voice from the small bedroom just off the living room called out; "We should take it there in person! I will go grandfather. Please.... I must go".

Amio slowly opened the door and came and sat on the floor just off to the side of the adults. She had blossomed into a beautiful young woman over the past several months, and she found much favor in her grandfather's eyes.

"Do you miss home that much young one? Do you know that you will have to go back to the village.... remember one of the reasons why we left"; Emo consoled her.

Amio's memory flashed back to that horrible night only briefly. Her longing to see Siosi again was way stronger than her fear of facing her past; "I don't care grandfather. I must go... I must"!

Emo looked to his eldest son who face showed approval. His eldest daughter had a look of concern on her face that showed she disagreed with Amio going back to their village... Emo knew though, as the matai of the household the decision was his.

"It's settled. Amio will go back and deliver our condolences and money for my friend's family and their faalavelave"; Emo said flatly.

Amio's mother thought to disagree, but said nothing. The look on Amio's face told her that if she was to disagree her daughter would never forgive her. She got up and made plans for her daughter's trip.

Later that night Amio's mother slowly opened the door where Amio and the twin's slept. "Are you awake?"; she questioned into the darkened room. Amio sat up on the floor where she slept and looked at her mother. "It's all set. You will leave tomorrow in the afternoon. Go to bed now"; Her mother said, then closed the door.

Amio could hardly believe it. Only one more day and she would be on her way to reunite with Siosi. The year and a half without him was forgotten now, as she dreamed that night of him holding her in his arms.


........................................................................................



Rachel Parker wiped the tears from her face as she turned the key in her Honda Civic. She was going to do it this time...this time she would leave Mathew for good! A scream emanated from behind her and she turned to see her husband of four years running from the house with blood still covering half his face. Rachel screamed!

The world seem to go into slow motion and she felt as if she was a part of a horror movie that she was watching. A bloody hand slammed against her window only seconds before she had slammed down the lock. Her husband's face was a mask of rage and terror. He screamed incoherently at her on the other side of the widow while he brandished the ten inch kitchen knife that he had cut her with. With a balled fist he started to punch the window... more and more blood spattered on the window until she felt like a helpless fish in a crimson bowl. When her mind reached the edge of sanity she screamed herself...at the same time thankfully the eleven year old civics engine finally turned over.

She slammed her foot on the gas pedal and the small car shot forward down their driveway. She cut the corner of their yard sending their trash can twenty feet into the air and exploding last night's left over's onto the lawn. The car fishtailed momentarily then locked into the pavement and the small car which was her savior rocketed down the street. With her uninjured arm she wiped the tears from her face and looked in the rearview mirror... the man she saw jumping up and down and waving the sharpened chef's knife was not her husband... was not the man she married... this was a monster.

Her car was still going well over 70mph when she saw the sign for the highway. The giant green sign said; "San Antonio 240 mi"; She finally relaxed as she merged with the south bound traffic and brought the car down to the legal limit. She took a deep breath and looked at herself in the vanity mirror on the sun visor. The tangle haired, and tear stained face that looked back at her was not the Rachel Parker she knew... Was not the Rachel that was so happy four years ago as she walked down the aisle with her father and looked upon the face of the man she then loved with all her heart. That Rachel was so happy; A new grade from Grapevine community college she had met Mathew at a frat party the year before on the campus of the University of Texas where she had went to visit her cousin. Mathew had been so intelligent, caring, and always looked deep into her eyes whenever they spoke. She had knew that first night that she would one day marry this man. A promising career with a large financial institution after his graduation... A large bonus and a move to the main office in Dallas... And the night he proposed all stood out in her mind now. She had been so happy cleaning and taking care of their new beautiful little three bedroom house; She didn't even mind that Mathew had asked her to put her career on standby for now... It had been the perfect life.... That was, until the night Mathew first started to hit her.

"Stress from work, I'm sorry honey... I drank too much at he office party, I'm sorry honey"; that is how it all started; and she gave all her will power to forgive him each time, and each time he had promised with tears in his eyes it would never happen again.

Four years of mental and physical abuse had made her reach her braking point. Mathew had hidden her 'pills' and started not using protection the last month and a half... he was trying to get her pregnant. "If you had a kid at home to take care of, you wouldn't bitch so much about being at home all day"; he had said. Mathew was right, she would love to have a child, but not like this. Not in this life. Not with him. She had taken enough and finally stood up to him telling him she was leaving. Mathew had went berserk! The fight had started in the bedroom but he had chased her screaming into the kitchen. He pulled the large chef's knife from it holder and threatened her while he waved it in front of her face. She fought back for the first time since their marriage and reached for the large skillet that was drying on the wash rack. The knife cut a long gash down her left forearm, but not before she swung the skillet with all her might. It caught Mathew above his left temple and he dropped like a sack of potatoes. She stood there for several moments looking at his prostate form on the kitchen floor; The blood oozed slowly from the large cut above his left eye she had bestowed upon him. For a moment she even prayed that she had killed him... it wasn't until he started to stir that her body went into action and she ran upstairs to grab the small travel bag she had packed the week before while he was at work.

Rachel grabbed the keys to her car off the hook where they kept it and bolted out the door as Mathew started coming to. He looked at her as he sat up and could see that she planned to leave; "Where the **** are you going bitch? Come back here now!" He screamed.

"Thank you God for protecting me"; Rachel said alone in the car. In the distance another large green sign loomed over the highway; "San Antonio 206 mi" it read.

.........................................................................................

Amio hugged her mom and grandfather goodbye as she picked up the small carryon bag with her belongings in it. She put her hand against the coat pocket as the stewardess checked her boarding pass. There was $700 in a small envelope her grandfather had given her for Leaga's great grandparents, and she checked frequently to make sure she didn't lose it. Turning one last time as she walked down the catwalk to the plane she waved once again to her mother. Smiling she boarded the plane... the plane was still on the ground, but in her heart she was already flying in the clouds.

.........................................................................................

Rachel drove for over an hour before she pulled into a rest stop to use the facilities and freshen up and wipe the dried blood from the cut on her arm. After a make shift bath in the sink, and some gauze over her cut she felt a lot better. She was still terrified that Mathew might follow her and quickly retreated to her car after grabbing a few bags of chips and a can of coke from a vending machine.

As she pulled back onto the entrance ramp to the highway she saw him. A tall stranger was hitchhiking on the side of the freeway. As she pulled closer she could see him more clearly. He was well over six feet tall and extremely handsome. He had long hair that was dark in color with streaks of gold mixed throughout. He carried with him nothing but a water bottle and a tee shirt draped over his shoulders. The shorts and sandals he wore showed off his well chiseled body well in the late afternoon sun. He smiled at her as she passed him by. She looked in the rearview mirror to look at him one more time... then she decided to do something she had never did before... she pulled over her Honda to the side of the road and stopped. She was nervous as he walked briskly to come up to the car. She had never given a ride to a hitchhiker before, but for some reason right now she did not want to be alone. Cautiously she rolled the passenger window down a few inches and made sure it was still locked. The stranger bent low to look into the window and with a big smile he said; "Hi. I'm trying to get to San Antonio... do you think I could ride with you if you are going that way?".

Rachel took one look at his eyes and for a moment was at a loss for words. Then she felt goose pimples rise on her arms and she bent over and unlocked the door; "I'm going that way too. Come on in".

The stranger climbed in and sat down in the passenger seat. He raised his right hand to Rachel and smiled again; "Hi, my name is Leaga".

To be cont.......

[Brat Jr]

I'd say its getting good, but it started that way!
Nice work D

[Dragon]

Chapter 21 ~ Something happened on the way to San Antonio


"Unchained melody" played softly in the background of the small Honda as the AM/FM radio started to pick up signals from a station in the city known as the 'home of the Alamo'. The two people inside continued to talk as they had for the last hour since meeting. Rachel had never met such a person in her life. He was younger than her, at least by a couple of years; but as they talked it seemed he had travelled more in the last two years then she had her whole life. The story he told of searching for 'his beloved', both charmed and inspired her. "If there are young men like this out there in this world, maybe not all is lost"; she thought to herself.

Rachel debated with herself on how much of 'her story' she should tell Leaga. She decided just to tell him she was going to San Antonio to visit her sister, and she made up some "BS" story about her cat to explain the bandage on her arm. "No reason to involve this nice young man in my marital problems"; she concluded.

Leaga noticed the highway sign boldly proclaiming; "San Antonio 63 miles". He felt his pulse quicken and felt in his front pocket for the small piece of paper that had the Vagai families address on it. Assured that it was still in his pocket he smiled and ate some more of the potato chips that Rachel had offered him. The salty, crispy sensation on his lips were the last thing he was aware of when the world turned upside down!

The large pickup truck slammed into the side of the small Honda Civic. Rachel screamed as she lost control of the car and it slid towards the ditch. She slammed on the brakes at the same time the rear of the car was sliding towards the ditch. Unfortunately the tires caught traction on the side of the pavement before it hit the graveled shoulder of the highway and flipped on its side. If there were any people watching they would of held their breath as the small automobile flipped on its side and then launched itself into the air in what could only be described as a barrel roll. Rachel continued to scream and Leaga held out his hands on the dashboard as the end of their lives seemed to flash before their eyes. The sounds of the metal smashing and the glass breaking was a banshee's scream in cool evening air. It wasn't until the mangled car came to a halt that the sounds of Rachel's screams were silenced. Leaga as well had been tossed to and fro like a ragdoll and blackness was all he saw.

The pickup truck pulled up slowly alongside the mangled wreck. A pair of cowboy boots hit the pavement and walked to the back of the tool box that was mounted in the back. The man driving walked slowly and with a purpose as he slowly unlocked the tool box and pulled a worn baseball bat from its contents. He slowly walked towards the overturned vehicle as he let the baseball bat drag along the ground as a child would drag a stick. Standing in front of the upside down car he peered through the steam of the exploded radiator. The look on his face was solemn until he spotted the male passenger in the car... then his expression slowly turned into rage.

Rachel's soft moaning turned into a scream of pain as she was physically pulled from the shattered driver's window by her now bloodied hair. Her face was crisscrossed with small cuts from the shattered windshield and blood trickled down her face. Her scream increased as her hair was released and her head smacked down on the side of the gravel. She wiped at her eyes to clear her vision and looked up into the face of madness!

Mathew stood above her with the bat in his hand. His face red with rage he screamed; "How could you? You bitch! Not only did you try to leave me, but I find you with a man in your car. I was willing to forgive you for your little transgression back at the house, but not this"!

Rachel swallowed her panic. She knew that the words she uttered next would either save her or it would be the last words she ever spoke; "Honey....honey... I'm sorry. I was just going to visit my sister.... I gave this kid a ride... he was hitchhiking... I was scared to travel alone... Please... please don't hurt me".

"Don't lie to me Bitch"; Mathew screamed!

In his eyes Rachel could see he was contemplating what his next step would be. The lights of vehicles were coming in the distance and she knew he would have to be crazy to hurt her with possible witnesses coming soon. She thought she saw a look of pity in his eyes, then that thought faded as he raised the bat high above his head and planned to bring it down upon her already blood covered face... as he contemplated the site of his wife's smashed skull he failed to see the tall shadow that had walked up behind him.

Mathew screamed a howl of rage and madness as he swung the bat towards his wife's head. He was shocked as the bat was ripped from his hands; "What the f...."?

He spun around to look up into the eyes of Leaga. Leaga's face was a grim mask... Mathew in his rage reached for the baseball bat, but Leaga held it high above his head, well out of the range of the madman's grasp. In one sharp motion the Samoan warrior brought the bat down across his thigh and snapped it cleanly in two like a child snapping a twig. As he threw the broken bat on the side of the road a large semi truck slowed to look at the carnage. Looking at the scene of the two men in the heat of battle and the overturned car the trucker thought best to keep moving.

In sheer desperation Mathew leaped for Leaga's face and grasping his hair tried to dig his thumbs into his "wife's lovers" eyes; Leaga grabbed him by the shoulders and brought him down hard on the same thigh and knee in which he had broken the bat... Mathew's sternum snapped just as easily. The jealous husband's howl turned from rage to agony as he fell to the still warm asphalt. Leaga without hesitating walked over to Rachel and helped her stand. She looked from Leaga to her fallen husband and back again. After shaking off the initial shock she reached down through the shattered back window and grabbed her bag. She grabbed her new friends hand and pulled him towards the still idling pickup truck. "Come on, let's get out of here"; She advised.

Leaga and Rachel climbed into the cab of the truck. Rachel deftly slipped it in to gear and took one last look at her husband who was still doubled over in pain on the side of the highway. "I guess I should of told you about him Leaga... I'm so sorry about all of this"; she sobbed.

Leaga turned towards her and looked her in the eye placing his hand on hers; "Don't worry about it. Sometimes the lesson of love can be a painful one".

Rachel wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand, and without looking at Mathew again punched her foot against the accelerator. The trucks tail lights cast a red shadow on the fallen abuser as they left him in silence with his own screams.

After forty-five minutes of silence Rachel finally spoke while pointing out another sign, it read; "San Antonio/Alamo next 3 exits". She started to laugh until tears sprung up in her eyes again. She turned to Leaga and said; "Give me that address your looking for... I plan to give drop you off right at their door step... You deserve it"!

Leaga reached for the paper in his pocket and handed it to her. He took a deep breath and looked at all the lights of the city as they helped to light up the darkened sky. "Soon Amio, soon"; he thought.

................................................................................

The giant plane skidded to a halt on her island home. She had only been gone for a little over a year, but right now it felt like a life time.

At the terminal she saw one of her cousins waiting for her. After hugs and a few tears of happiness they were on the way to their little village. Her cousin talked nonstop the entire trip towards the village. An hour later they both knew they were close. Blanking out what her cousin was saying she took a deep breath; "Soon Siosi, soon" Amio thought.



To be cont..................

[Brat Jr]

To be cont..................

When?

[Dragon]

To be cont..................

When?

Sorry, I hadn't written anymore until today.  I will post what I have so far

[Dragon]

Chapter 22 ~ The Shortest Chapters (part I)


"Upolu, Tutuila, Savai'i, Aunu'u, Manono, Ofu-Olosega, Motu o Manu, Apolima, Fanuatapu, Ta'u, Nu'usafe'e, Nu'utele, Namua, Nu'ulua, and Nu'ulopa"; He thought of all the Samoan Islands he had ever visited... or lived on for that matter....

Truly, Savai'i was his favorite.

"How long have I been away?"; He thought to himself.

The lone figure sat on the edge of a cliff over looking the giant Pacific on a section of the island that no one had stepped foot on for hundred's of years. He had planned on only staying for a short while... he missed his 'adopted home' more then any other place on the earth... but he could never stay here very long. At least not anymore.

During the night he had a vision. A person was coming... a person that was 'special' in some way that he could not yet decipher.

The tall, broad shouldered man stood and looked around him. The trees on this point of the island were the tallest to be found... "As good as place as any to wait"; he said aloud.

He climbed the tallest tree with little effort, and waited. Looking out to the horizon of the great ocean he pondered what type of person was coming that could make him want to stay here for any length of time... "Could it be the one?"; he hoped silently to himself.

He had hope at least for now. It had been a very, Very long time since he had that emotion...


To be cont...........

[Dragon]

Chapter 23 ~ A Death in the family





Amio looked through tears as she gazed solemnly at the body of Siosi's great grandfather. Laid out on the kitchen table and draped in leis and in his finest ie lavalava, as was the villages custom to view their deceased before the date of the burial.



No sooner had she arrived in the village when the terrible news of his passing reached her. Dozens of the village members from children to elders were lined up to show their respects. Even worse was the news that his last words before he died yesterday were; "Leaga". It wasn't so sad that he had asked for his great grandson, whom he loved as a son; but the true sadness was that Leaga was not there.



"Not here?" Amio questioned one of her cousins in shock!



Her younger cousin lowered her eyes and said softly to Amio; "No, he is gone. I think he has been gone for at least two years".



Amio stood stone still with her mouth agape, until she almost pleaded with her cousin; "Please! Tell me! Where did he go? Why did he go"?



Falila; Amio's third cousin did not know the answers. She recommended that Amio should ask Leaga's great grandmother... for surely she would have the answer.



The Faife'au of the village and his wife were there conducting prayers and comforting anyone that needed a shoulder to cry on. They had been there the last two days to comfort the dying man and his wife. Amio did not need to speak to them at the moment; she wanted to talk to someone that knew where Siosi was.



After paying her respects Amio sought out Siosi's great grandmother. She was no where to be found in the front of the fale kitchen were her husband's remains were dormant for all to see. Searching the small fale was not hard and after walking towards the back of the fale Amio saw her.



Sitting cross legged on the floor she sat rocking looking at her hands. Dried tears left trails down her aged face. She did not look up or at Amio as she took her place and sat next to her.



"I am so sorry for your loss"; Amio said while holding back her tears.



The old woman simply sat there and continued to rock slowly, all the while looking at her hands. Amio sat in silence next to the elderly widow until at last she spoke;



"He will be home soon. My husband has gone fishing and will be home soon. I must wait for him"; she said softly.



Amio's heart filled with sadness as she realized the old woman was in shock... she had not even come to terms yet that her husband of over sixty years was gone. Amio sat there for several more minutes hoping that she would speak or give her an indication of where her true love was.... She said nothing.



Amio decided to leave the fale. There was a gloom of sadness permeating it that could not help but bring a person down with it. Searching for anyone else that might have word of where her true love was....



"ohhhh"; Amio gasped!



Walking out of the front entrance she ran smack into a giant Samoan male. Her eyes widened as she looked at him. Six feet tall now, and well over 300lbs, the same ugly face, crooked nose, and evil resting in his eyes.... Mole!



Mole looked her up and down appreciating what womanhood had done to her since she had left the village with her mother and family; "Hey Amio... How's it going. Came back all this way just to see me?"; he sneered.



She brushed past him without answering. A look of disgust and the sour taste of bile rising up in her throat. She ran down the trail leading away from the gathering at the fale and looked for any of her cousins. Mole watched her hips sway as she ran away and smiled as only a barracuda could. "I think I will have to come see you again my dear"; he said to himself, and could not help but giggle a little bit to himself. After paying his respects to the great grandfather of the one person he hated in all this world he looked around the fale. He saw the "crazy great grandmother"; he thought.... then he brushed aside a lavalava that sectioned off a small section of the back of the fale. "Leaga's room"; he said softly. Looking at the empty room, there was nothing but a mat on the floor and a couple of books and pencils and pens in an empty cup by a small wooden box that served as a writing desk .....he got an idea...



"Mmmm, since that fool is no where around it would be very cool if he had left Amio a 'F*** off letter'. That might do the trick and she will see who the 'real man' of the village is now"; He said rather too loud. No one was around to hear him. His laugh would of sent shivers up anyone's arm that had.



...



"What do you mean she left for Savaii?"; Leaga almost shouted at Emo!



The old man took no offense at the shocked youth, but directed him to sit down with him at the kitchen table. Leaga had just showed up out of no where at their front door. It was obvious he had not heard the news of his 'adopted father' yet, and his mind was focused only on seeing Amio.



"Sit down Leaga. Let me tell you what has happened"; He said as Leaga started to have a feeling of dread.



He spent the next few moments telling the young man about his great grandfather, and the mission that he hand sent Amio on for her family. Leaga's heart sunk.



"Grampy"; he sobbed..."I must leave to Savaii too... I must see Grampy and Amio".



"Hold on a moment boy; Let me try and call the Faife'au again and see if anyone answers. We have tried to call him since this morning and nobody has answered. Sadly as you know, his is the only fale with a telephone in our village". The old man said as he picked up the telephone by the kitchen table.



Leaga watched him and could tell by his face that no one answered, his heart sank even deeper. At that moment he made up his mind; "I am going to Savaii.... Now"!



The matai of the Vagai family looked at the determined youth; "I am sorry my son, you may as well go back home but you need to know that we cannot help you. We spent all our money on Amio's ticket and money for your great grandmother".



Leaga's heart hit the floor.



Then it came to him. Walking, riding a train, swimming.... it did not matter. He would get home! "Sir, it matters not. I am leaving right away to Savaii. If my Gammy calls please tell her to tell Grampy I love him... If Amio calls, tell her I am on my way"; Leaga said with a certain maturity to his voice.



The old man convinced him to at least wait until his daughter could pack him something to eat. He waited.



He said his good byes and thanked the Vagai family for the information... and he was gone.



Fast as he came he had left. Amio's mother watched him as he walked down the street with a look of purpose. He turned the corner and headed west. "Good luck Leaga, I hope you make it back in time"; She prayed.




To be cont..........

[Brat Jr]

Thanks D 

[Dragon]

Chapter 24 ~ The Letter





A lite sprinkling of rain fell on the dark wooden casket as it was lowered into the ground by the six pallbearers. Amio looked around her and saw many faces showing no signs of concealing their tears. Siosi's great grandfather was well loved in the village and had did many wonderful things for all of them over his long life. Tears also welled up in her eyes but more for the person that was not there, more then for the person being lowered into the cold ground. Her head was bowed low as the Faife'au spoke some last words about him and his family but her eyes continued to dart around... she kept hoping that Siosi would show up at the last minute. He did not.



More upsetting to Amio then everyone's tears and the blanket of sadness that encompassed the village, was also the lack of tears by the elderly wife. She was there and she watched the proceedings, but it was like she was still not aware of her husbands death. She was looking towards the ocean with a small smile on her face, all the while continuously wringing her weathered hands. This bothered Amio more then anything else, because if the great grandmother did not 'snap out of it' she would never be able to answer any questions about where her true love had gone. Before she knew it, the last hand full of dirt was flung upon the ground to add to the mound that covered the casket. "Oh Siosi, why weren't you here?"; she said to herself as she headed back to her cousin's fale.


...



The train was faster then a normal cargo train. It's boxcars were empty after delivering its goods to a depot in Eastern Texas and now was bound West again towards Las Vegas. The young man hid in the browned shrubbery near the tracks and waited for the two engines to pass by and then started running along side quickly trying to make up the pace of the rapidly moving train. The young man was well over six feet talk and his skin was the color of bronze. Long hair, possibly bleached by the sun whipped behind his head as he tried to keep up. If anyone was watching they would of thought him crazy as he ran bare footed along side. A pair of old sandals in one hand and an old tee shirt in the other; An old pair of shorts were his only adornment. Spying an open box car he reached out for the ladder but the speed of the train yanked it from his grasp before he could get a firm hold. He looked back while he ran and saw the end of the train was growing nigh... Instead of waiting for one last attempt at the ladder on the last car he picked up his speed and made a springing leap at the open car beside him. The muscles bunched in his massive thighs as he sprung towards the opening. He barely was able to grasp inside the rail car with both hands and then with using all his strength he lifted his legs over his back and literally somersaulted into the empty car. Breathing deeply he threw the old tee shirt on the floor of the box car and laid down on it. Turning his head he looked out the open door as the dried grass of the plains passed him by. "Nothing is going to stop me from getting home"; he vowed to himself. After several minutes the noise and motion of the train allowed him to fall into a restless sleep. Hours later he would reach the trains final destination... The lights of 'sin city' would be Leaga's wake up call.



...





"Mmmmm, isn't the food good Amio?"; Falila asked not looking at her. Amio looked at her cousin who had more food spilled on her Puletasi then in her mouth. Amio only nibbled on a piece of chicken and for the first time in her life was actually disgusted at the amount of food that her people consumed. The feast had begun only hours after the burial and it seemed it was going to last longer then the ceremony itself. "Must we celebrate everything? Even death by stuffing our faces?"; she whispered to her cousin. Falila over the sound of her own chewing did not even hear her... But on the other side of the woven mat she was heard all too clearly. Mole had picked the spot directly behind Amio and her cousin just with the purpose of eavesdropping in mind. He hoped to find the right opportunity to come sit with them and share a meal... maybe even start trying to be nice to Amio and swing her favors in his direction... For now he decided just to listen.



"Maybe after we clean up I will try to go by Siosi's fale again and see if his great grandmother would let me look around his room. Maybe there will be some sort of clue to where he's gone"; Amio stated flatly to her still eating cousin. Falila, still not looking up from her plate replied; "Yeah, sounds good. What ever you want to do girl". Amio decided not to speak of it anymore with her cousin. "When food is present, she might as well be deaf"; Amio thought to herself.



On the other side of the fale mat Mole sat straight up and without even finishing his food he got up and headed up the path towards his enemies home. Staying crouched he moved swiftly. No need to get noticed and get dragged into the 'clean up detail' like the girls would. "Plus, I have a letter to write"; he chuckled to himself. The fale was dark when he arrived. Mole was thankful he carried a small lighter with him. Holding up the small flame he walked through the fale. He had seen the old lady living with the Faife'au the last two nights, and he expected this night would be no different. Finding a small candle in the main living area he carried it to the back of the fale to the area where Leaga had slept. A mat and an old box was the rooms only furniture. He saw an old can with pens in it and grabbed a piece of paper from beneath it. He decided to write quickly, not only due to his poor penmanship, but also for the purpose for which he wrote. "If someone is going tell someone to basically 'F'-off, they don't spend a lot of ink doing it"; he said to the empty room. After several minutes Mole had a sinister look of satisfaction on his face. He re-read the letter twice and then was very careful to sign it 'Siosi' and not 'Leaga'; he knew that dumb bitch would know something was 'fishy' if he didn't sign it as she addressed him. Just as he was about to leave he noticed the old rusty knife Leaga used to carry with him all the time on the side of the box. Picking it up he decided to fold the letter in half and place the knife on top of it. Laughing like a hyena he ran from the house and back towards the main village fale. "Maybe theres some povi left"; he said merrily as he made his way back down the path.



After the clean up and helping all the village elderly carry wrapped 'to go plates' to their homes it was very late. Amio sighing sadly decided it would be best to wait until the morning to try and see Siosi's great grandmother. She slept lightly that night, and was anxious to find out what revelations the morning would bring.



...



Never had Leaga seen such bright lights. The city was still over two miles away from the train depot where his free ride had stopped but he could see it clearly. He stared in awe as one of the lights even shown brightly far up into the sky. It was like the hand of God was shining a light up into heaven he thought. He was happy that he was closer to his destination then he was that morning. He could not smell the ocean so he knew he still had a way to go, but this city of lights gave him hope that he might find some other ways to continue West and towards his beloved. Smiling he slipped on his sandals and his tee shirt. Walking briskly in the cool desert night air he felt hope for what the evening would bring.



...





She realized that Siosi's great grandmother was not at home when she arrived. Looking around and seeing no one, she decided she would forgo permission and simply enter. Walking softly she made her way to the area of the fale that she knew was her true loves room. Upon entering the room she instantly noticed the small rusty knife on top of the box she had seen a few days prior; she hadn't remembered seeing it before but that was all forgotten when she spied the piece of paper beneath it with an inscription on it. It said 'Amio'. Carefully unfolding it she sat down and read the small note:



"Amio,



I am leaving this place and will never return.



You have broke my heart with the terrible evil you committed.



I do not blame Mole for what happened, but only you!



It is your fault that it happened. I never want to see you again.



If you ever do see me again, do not dare to speak to me.



In my mind, you are dead.



Siosi"





A small whine formed in pit of her stomach which turned into a wail when it reached her lips. She fell prostate on the floor with the crumpled letter in her hand. Her cries turned to screams that she buried in her arm as tears stained the old wooden boards of the fale. "No no no"; she cried over and over until her voice was nearly gone.



Two hours later she walked outside of the fale. The bright light of the sun did not even make her squint. Her shoulders were slumped in defeat and she dragged her feet as if drugged. She carried the small knife and the crumbled letter in her hands. She felt as if her very soul had been ripped from her. Her breath still caught in her throat as she passed the hidden figure in the taro leaves. Her eyes were empty of tears and she stared off into the distance as she walked down the path. She did not notice Mole slowly coming from the shadows and matching her pace. Though her mind was blank with despair she did finally hear the heavy breathing behind her. She slowly turned and looked into the grinning face of Mole.





To be cont.............

[Dragon]

Chapter 25 ~ The Shortest Chapters (Part II)


The next Day....

Sitting high in the trees looking out over the ocean he hadn't moved in the last several days. Perched without bending a branch was even a feat that the smallest tropical bird would find difficult, but not for him. Though as large as any Samoan his being was as light as air when he willed it so.

"Some one is coming"; he thought.

He sensed many things over the last twenty four hours on his island. Morning, sorrow, evil, horror, death, and despair.... "What is causing such a termoil on my island? I do not sense 'his' return yet. What are my little people up too?"

He decided he would wait for the person who was headed to his favorite spot to 'give' the information to him. They would not understand that they would, but emotions were easy to read for him; Thoughts were always harder but he had learned to extract them as well.

He returned his gaze out to the ocean that he loved so much. The person coming would take two to three days to find this spot he was confident.

"It seems I have much to learn about modern Savaii and its people..."; he smiled.



To be cont..........

[Dragon]

Chapter 26 ~ The End of the Path





...Present Time....





The young woman should of been terrified.



She was not.



She stood motionless and looked at the huge man standing in front of her. He was a head taller then her and the look on his face showed nothing but malaise. His girth was the width of two normal men and his bare chest heaved up and down like he had just ran a great distance. His chest was flabby and if seen from a distance, another man might mistake his upper torso for breasts. Sweat ran in rivulets down his face and between his "moobs", his lips were parted in a snarl. The young woman simply stared at his face with a blank expression, shoulders slumped, with a letter crumpled up in one hand....and an old rusty sea knife in the other.



Mole wiped at the sweat that was trickling off the tip of his crooked nose. His nose had been broken severely in three places, and the lack of proper healing made the sweat beads drip off at an angle. He was the first to speak;



"I see you went to your 'boyfriends' house... he's long gone you know... heard he was disgusted with you and never wanted to see you again.... Don't worry about being lonely though; That's what Mole's here for"; He giggled.



She said nothing in return.



Mole licked his lips and looked around. No one was in site. "As good of place as any"; he thought to himself, and reached his arms out to take hold of Amio's shoulders and grabbed hand fulls of the cloth that made up her puletasi...he looked her in the eyes again before he proceeded; her eyes were right in front of him, but it was like she was looking at something one thousand miles away. He hesitated no longer.



Mole ripped the material of her brightly colored garment completely off her body. She had not worn undergarments this day because of the intense heat of the day that she was no longer accustomed to... so she stood there naked before him.



Mole looked at her as he dropped her cloth to the ground. First he stared at her breasts, which were now perfect as ripe mangoes in his opinion. He thought back to the night he had dug his fingers into her young flesh and the desire was creeping on him like a tidal wave to do it again. He let his eyes wander over her entire body and his manhood started to take notice as he leered at the small patch covering her womanhood... he could wait no longer!



He laid her, almost pushing her to the ground and the matted grass below them on the small trail. She laid there still and gave him no reason to pause. His hands fumbled as he dug beneath his giant belly and fought to untie the knot of his lavalava. When he was successful he whipped his large lavalava to the side of the trail and peered down on her. She still had not said a single word and in Mole's twisted thoughts he took that as an invitation to continue.



"Don't worry baby! This time Mole's gonna make it last!"; He panted.



He reached slowly down and placed his hands gently on her carmel colored knees and slowly, even gently spread them apart. He was talking to himself that he was going to 'take it slow' this time but, the sight of her fully blossomed womanhood almost made him howl with lust. He plunged on top of her with his full weight.



His sweaty body almost blanketed her entirely except for her head and arms. He struggled to hold him self up with one hand and with his other hand dug around his massive girth to locate his rather inadequate manhood. He finally found it!



He placed himself directly over the area where he was sure her 'flower' would be and began to lower himself into what he knew would be ecstasy. He was breathing even more heavily then before and his tongue hung out side of his mouth...



Then he watched as his tongue, severed and bloody landed on Amio's chest!



His jaw had slammed shut and had made him bite his tongue clean off. He tried to scream but he could not! His jaws were slammed permanently shut by the old rusty dagger that had pierced up under his chin and all the way to his nasal cavity! He tried to pull away and scream again but only a gush of blood fountained out of his clenched teeth.



Amio finally looked into his eyes as she placed her free hand behind Mole's head. She communicated with him using only her eyes and her actions. She pulled down on Mole's head as she drove the old rusty knife harder up into his head.



For a split second Mole fought back harder then ever but in reality he was already dead. The knife had pierced his brain and as his nerves shuddered with one last fleeting moment of life, he collapsed on top of her.



It was no easy task getting herself out from under his dead weight, but after a couple of minutes she succeeded.



Picking up her torn puletasi she held it in her hand along with the now bloody, but still crumpled note that she still believed had been written by her true love. She started to walk away from the path and into the darkness of the tropical jungle. She had no path to follow and the branches and leaves scraped against her skin as she walked slowly further away from the village. She was determined to create her own path and had no thought of stopping until she reached the end. Her eyes again were focused on something a thousand miles away from Samoa.



Naked and covered with the dead man's blood, with a torn puletasi in one hand and a bloody piece of paper in the other; she disappeared from her village, never to return.





...





It had been almost ten years since David had left his small town in Kentucky. He walked out of the casino, two hundred dollars short of what he entered with, but he was still happy. Las Vegas truly had been a welcoming city to him since he moved here a decade ago. The city did not care that he was short and wore thick glasses. It did not care that he was prematurely bald and barely even had a wisp of hair to cover his suntanned scalp, nor did the city care that he was Gay.



He had suffered through over twenty five years of hiding his secret. Being gay in a small town in Kentucky had been hard enough... the fact that his 'tastes' ran to young boys made it even harder. As he walked down the brightly lit strip he remembered the reason he left.



Eric had been a young boy when he first applied as a summer hire at the Ace Hardware store that David managed. He had been quick to hire the handsome young man because he seemed honest and sounded like a hard worker...The fact he was only 15 didn't hurt either he recalled. A 'touch here', a 'touch there' started off the Innocent courtship, or at least that is what David had thought. The day he finally cornered him after closing time one night and professed his affections is when it all back fired. Eric had looked at him like he had the plague, and had almost punched him in the face before running out of the store threatening not only to tell his family but also the sheriff.



David was mortified. He jumped in his car and after racing home he withdrew all his money from an ATM and hit the road West. He didn't stop until he reached Las Vegas, and he was happy he did. Vegas was great... And he never had a problem finding young, willing boys to satisfy he carnal pleasures.



He stood at a light and waited for it to change so he could cross the street to the parking garage where he had parked his car. Waiting on the other side of the street getting ready to cross in the opposite direction he saw him.... David's jaw dropped as he could not believe his eyes. The 'man of his dreams' was getting ready to cross his path!



He had never seen such a beautiful young man in his entire life. He was well over six feet tall and stood there shirtless with nothing but sandals and shorts on. His skin was the color of bronze like a surfer boy who lived on the waves. His hair was long and flowed freely in the cool desert breeze that drifted along the Vegas night; From this distance he could not tell the color of it but it was streaked with bands of gold.



The light changed and David's eyes were glued to the heavily chiseled muscles of the young man's chest. When he walked close enough to look in his eyes David almost fainted..."He has the eyes of a god"; David thought to himself.



He could not let this opportunity pass. He turned around and tapped the tall young man on the back.



"Excuse me, but are you lost? I would love to help you"; David said as his checks blushed.



The young man turned around and looked at the smaller bald man.



"Yes, as a matter of fact I am. I would love some help"; he replied.



David stared into the face of Leaga and believed in 'love at first site' for the first time.





To be cont..........

[Dragon]

Chapter 27 ~ The hunt for Captain Bear



The bright sun had dipped below the horizon over two hours ago and Leaga was able to see the road signs much more clearly now as the lights from the BMW shined brightly on their reflective surface.

'Los Angeles 281 Mi'; the sign read. The small shield shaped highway sign besides it said; 'Hwy 15'.

Leaga was clueless really when it came to all these directional signs and hwy signs, there was really nothing quite like them around his village. Back at home you could figure out the direction your were heading in simply by smelling the ocean. He wasn't too concerned over the issue of direction or distance though; David seemed to have that all under control.

Leaga looked over at David who broke his concentration looking at the highway and turned to Leaga and offered one of his big smiles; Leaga returned the smile and then continued to stare out at the endless road in front of them. David seemed a little 'strange' to Leaga and his voice was eerily high pitched like a woman's. Leaga did not let him bother him though, he figured God had put many different types of people on this earth and all of them were different; Plus, David had been very good to him. After asking Leaga where he was going and what he was trying to find, he only laughed briefly when he had replied; "The ocean". He had asked if Leaga was hungry and the young Samoan man couldn't help but light up at he thought of a meal... he was starving hungry.

David had taken him to a small diner where Leaga ate a giant hamburger and fries and a wonderful concoction called a 'chocolate milkshake'. It was so good he recalled, David even bought him a second one. Leaga was a little embarrassed to simply ask a stranger for money for the remaining trip so he had asked him if there was anyway to 'earn money quickly'. A thousand evil and sensual thoughts had raced through David's mind, but he fought his urges in front of what was clearly a 'very nice and naive young man'.

"Why the closest ocean around here is Los Angeles I would guess, but that is over 300 miles from here"; David had told him. David watched as Leaga's expression turned dis-hearted over that information but quickly added; "Well I have friends in LA, and I visit them at least twice a month. How bout I just drive you there?"

Leaga's face lit up and he thanked David at least three times before they had even left the diner.

The road now loomed before them and Leaga drifted off to sleep in the spacious leather chair. Leaga had never even seen a 7 series BMW, but he thought he might like to get one someday like David. As he slept quietly with his head propped up against the window David stole glances now at then at his sleeping form. David longed to touch his hair or the smooth golden brown muscles of his thigh, but he did not. "I may be a dirty old 'queen', but I can act like a gentleman"; David said to himself. His thoughts though did make him smile and they also made the long trip go by quickly. Too quickly for David's liking.


...


The naked young woman made slow time as she trudged through the dense tropical jungle. Small cuts and scratches criss crossed her bare form as she created a path that didn't exist before her passing. She had no idea where she was headed, but she seemed drawn to go where no one would follow. She gave no thought to killing Mole, and the dried blood on her hands didn't bother her at all. Her village had made a huge uproar at finding Mole's dead body and his mother screamed and cried when his older brother had told her the news. No one had even thought it was Amio who committed the act until Falila mentioned to everyone that she was gone. Even then the elders were worried that someone had killed Mole and had abducted Amio, and that she also now was in terrible danger. Within three hours of Amio leaving the village dozens of the young men and woman swept out in all directions searching for her. They would never find her.


...


"Wake up sleepy head"; David said softly as he taped Leaga on his leg. The thrill of touching the bareness of his knee had reddened David's face, but Leaga didn't notice and woke up slowly with a smile.

"We are here? The ocean?"; Leaga asked groggily.

"Yes, we are sort of. We are at one of the marinas here at the Port of Los Angeles. It looks like there are at least a dozen marinas around here. It is as good as place as any to start looking for a boat headed for Samoa"; David said recalling the final destination that Leaga had told him he was headed.

Leaga with a huge smiled jumped from the car and headed towards the pier and the dozen or so large boats moored there. David did like wise and followed close besides him.

Leaga let David do most of the talking as he seemed to have a natural gift for talking to strangers. After about thirty minutes of no success Leaga started to think none of the large boats here even ever left their moors. David though did not give up and finally met an elderly couple who were sitting on the deck of a modest sized yacht enjoying an evening ****tail.

After explaining the situation to them they both looked at each other and then looked at Leaga. He reminded the elderly lady of a lost puppy with big sad eyes. "Let's help him Glenn, he seems like a nice young boy"; she said to her husband. Without responding the husband slowly got up from his lounge chair and walked through a small door way. "He's going to go make a few calls dear. We don't get out much any more, but Glenn knows a lot of connections"; the lady smiled and then offered both David and Leaga a drink.

Less then ten minutes later Glenn returned to the deck. "Well I found someone headed to Hawaii, and word has it, after that he is actually going to the island you named as your home; Samoa"; Glenn told them.

"Fa'afetai Iesu!"; Leaga could not help but say out loud. Neither David nor the elderly couple knew what he had just said, but they all could not help but smile at the clearly very happy young man.

"There is a catch though", Glenn added; "It is not a yacht but a barge, and it's not around here. All the big ships port out of Long Beach. The Captain of the ship is hauling automobiles for Matson's Freight Company and he leaves in the next four hours. By the way, he goes by the name of Bear".

Leaga looked at David with a pleading smile. David couldn't help but return the smile and gave in swiftly; "OK lad, we better get going. Long Beach is maybe an hour from here, and I'm not familiar with that area.



They said their goodbyes to the friendly old couple and were on their way to Long Beach and to find Captain Bear....



...Ninety minutes later they stood near the gang plank of one of the biggest barges on the Pacific Ocean; The Red Goose. They waited patiently, just happy to know they found it before it debarked to Hawaii. One of the thirty deck hands that help keep the huge barge afloat had told them to wait there while he went to fetch the Captain.



After several minutes Leaga and David watched as a short, barrel chested man with a huge scar running down the left side of his face made his way slowly down the gang plank. David could see why they called him 'bear'; He was not very tall, but the width of his chest was like two men standing side by side and from head to toe he appeared covered in hair. His beard was black and full, his hair was bushy and of the same Hue. Both of his huge forearms were covered in thick black hair as well. David, who always preferring a 'smooth shaven' appearance, suppressed a shudder.



"Well? What do you two want? I ain't got all day...we're shoving off within the hour"; he said with a gruff voice that matched his appearance.



David turned towards Leaga as if saying; "Well, tell him your story"... Which he did.



For being in a hurry Captain Bear was nice enough to listen to a condensed version of Leaga's tale. When he was done the gruff Captain spoke up; "Well your right. I am headed to Hawaii and then Samoa; Pago Pago harbor to be exact. I don't recall you mentioning you could pay for your ride, and I hate to give you bad news but I really don't need another crew hand to feed on this voyage.....so, unless you think your worth at least 'two' of my men, I can't afford to have you aboard".



Leaga was not phased and his determination showed through. He stepped forward until he was almost toe to toe with the Captain and said in a serious tone; "Sir. If you will give me a chance I will show you I am worth ten of your men! Plus, I only want a ride. You don't have to pay me, I will work for the fare."



Captain Bear laughed until his belly shook. "Alright, you got spunk kid. Come on aboard! We'll see if we can't get some work out of you before we get you home".



With that the Captain walked back up the gang plank, still laughing to himself.



Leaga turned towards David to thank him again and say goodbye. David was crying. Leaga was not used to another man showing such emotion from just saying goodbye and went to shake his hand. David ducked inside his hand and gave him a hug. Leaga was a little shocked but allowed the man to hug him. Not knowing what to say now Leaga simply nodded and turned to walk up the gang plank himself.



David stood for several moments after Leaga had disappeared to the upper deck. Tears stained his cheeks as he cursed himself for a coward; "You should of said something more to him you old queen"; he said softly to himself. He hoped that he would meet that beautiful young man again someday.



Forty six minutes later the giant barge pulled out away from the pier. David watched as its engines pushed it out to sea.





To be cont...........

[yote19]

tick tock, tick tock.....

[Dragon]

tick tock, tick tock.....

Oops, sorry. I had forgotten I was posting the story here as well too.

I actually finished the story (Part 1 that is).  I will post the rest in a few moments.  I probably won't be writing any more for quite a while do to work and studying. 

But when I do, I will post it here as well.

[Dragon]

Chapter 28 ~ The return of Leaga


Too long.

"It has taken too long for me to get home"; Leaga thought to himself as he gazed out on the waters of the great Pacific ocean.

Captain Bear assigned him to 'watch duties' this night and in passing he reminded Leaga that they would arrive in Samoa the next day; for Leaga it couldn't be soon enough.

It had taken several days for gigantic barge to reach Hawaii, and then it had stayed in port over night even after unloading its cargo of over two hundred cars for Matson's freight. There were only sixteen cars remaining in the barge and most of them were ear-marked for American Samoa. Earlier that day Leaga was on clean up duty with two of the other workers to help clean off dust of the cars in the hold. Washing them helped get any sea salt off as well and it was apart of Matson's contract with Captain Bear to take car of all the car's he and his barge delivered. There were invoices taped to each car on the drivers window, and after the long process of unloading all the cars at the port near Pearl Harbor there was plenty of room to move around now in the hold and look at where the cars were destined. Leaga had found two vehicles that had their final destination marked as; "Apia, Independent State of Samoa". One was a Toyota four runner with nothing special about it except its newness of course. The other was on the other hand was quite a vehicle. A large black SUV that had very dark tinted windows all over and the invoice even mentioned the vehicle was 'bullet proof'. Leaga wondered who would need such a vehicle, which looked to be very expensive. One of the other deck hands saw Leaga admiring the SUV and said; "Be sure and wash that one good island boy... I think that one is being delivered to the Governor".

"The Governor?"; Leaga thought to himself...He laughed and then continued on with his choirs.

The ocean continued to be unusually peaceful as Leaga gazed into the distance hoping to catch a glimpse of home soon.


...


Had it been several days or several weeks?

The lone naked Samoan girl neither knew nor cared.

The smell of the ocean reached her nose as she felt the spray of the salt water even high above the surf. She stopped at the ledge of the rocky cliff that looked out over the water twenty feet below. She stopped walking.

She was covered with scratches, dirt, and dried blood as a multitude of scratches covered her lithe frame. An old puletasi no longer colorful but darkened with the soil of the jungle dangled at her side in her hand... a waded piece of paper hung loosely from her other. She looked out at the ocean and the rising sun as it fully peaked above the horizon; it's warmth barely able to effect her chilled body. She slowly held up the crumbled letter in her hand and stared at it for several moments without opening it... a single tear found it's way down her dirtied cheek.

She found a branch over hanging near the cliff and she slowly shuffled near it. She lifted her puletasi and tied it in a loose knot on the branch. After it was secure she placed the crumpled letter within the knot of the material. Without looking back or even a second of hesitation she took the remaining two steps to the very edge of the cliff. Looking down she could see the rise of the ocean as it collided against the rocky cliff. She jumped.

Without grace or forethought her body plummeted into the maw of the ocean. Her body disappeared beneath the swirl of white foam that formed around the cliff and the jagged rocks below.

Several moments later a female form could be seen swimming towards the open waters further and further away from the land... Amio never resurfaced.


........................................................................................


The long pier was made mostly of rotted wood and rusty metal, but still a sense of excitement overcame him as he practically ran it's whole length. Reaching the land it was connected too, Leaga had to fight the urge to bend down and kiss his native home. At last he was home in Savaii!

He had thanked Captain Bear profusely and said good bye to all his shipmates as the barge neared the pier. He apologized in advance for not sticking around to help unload the only two remaining vehicles that was their cargo. The broad captain had said he under stood and smiled warmly as Leaga jumped to the pier clearing the eight foot gap that still remained and he sprinted away.

Looking for transportation to his village he spied many old trucks and travelers that might be headed in that direction. "Maybe after they get what they came to pick up they could give me a ride in the right direction"; he thought to himself. But then that could be several hours from now. Leaga decided to get home on his own. He glanced around briefly to gain his orientation and started running in the direction that he knew was the road to home. His long legs ate up the ground and the miles as the tireless young warrior made his way home; less then ninety minutes later he would arrive.


The funeral was just finishing up as the mourners made their way slowly back to the hub of the village. Several of the younger people got busy with their chores for the big feast to take place later that evening. One of the village elders was the first to spot the young man running up the path to the village. He was much taller and broader then he had remembered him, but with that hair and those eyes it was no mistaking that Leaga had returned.

Leaga skidded to a halt in front of the old man who was dressed in his best suit; "What is going on? Was there 'special church' today? I am looking for my Grampy and Gammy... did you see them? Is my Grampy alright... did he recover from being ill?"; Leaga asked almost faster then the old man could listen.

The old man reached up and placed his hand gently on Leaga's shoulder. Looking at the ground and not even meeting his gaze he said; "Sorry boy. Your great grandfather died several weeks ago...and... I am so sorry to tell you we buried your great grandmother today".

Tears welled up in both his eyes and he stared at the old man in front of him. He had known that there was a chance he would not get home in time to see his great grandfather, but the news of his Gammy took the wind out of him and placed a giant crushing grip around his heart. Without thanking the old man he bolted towards the small fale where he was raised. He must get home... He must find Amio!

Leaga sprinted up the path that would lead to his family's small fale....


....To be cont.......

[Dragon]

Chapter 29 ~ Maku-toa's tale


The sudden action of the Great White Shark near him alerted him at the same time his senses told him of the human entering his domain.

Most of his kind were solitary hunters and did most of their hunting in the darkened waters of the late evening. The Great White Shark had no such boundaries and it moved swiftly towards the shore. Maku-toa followed close behind.

The large predator swam low to the ocean's floor and the morning sun pierced the depth and cast it's shadow on the cold floor beneath it. It was twenty feet in length and looked to be several years old with a lot of experience in the hunt. It's vision was poor so it preferred to swim low and let the sun above cast any preys shadow where it could see it more clearly to strike. Known to have no peers in the vast ocean the Great White Shark was oblivious to it's surroundings and to the massive Tiger Shark following it. Normally other predators, even Tiger Sharks would give the Great White a wide berth, but Maku-Toa was no normal Tiger Shark. At least twenty feet in length himself, his long muscled frame cut cleanly through the waters as he kept pace with little effort. Maku-Toa actually smelled the human way before the other great predator but his intentions were of a different kind.

Long had the spirit of man affected him. He had guided many in their lives, and even though it had been hundreds of years since they truly worshiped him; he had not given up on their species.... and something was different about the human he sensed in the waters this day. The human was not guided by him, but was connected to him by the human emotion of love. He knew that the human bore at least closer investigation before the Great White made a meal of them this day.

The Great White saw the shadow of the form above him. Was it a seal, a large wounded fish, a human?.. He cared not... All he saw was an easy meal. His massive tail muscles thrust his huge form like a torpedo from the darkness of the bottom to the area where the 'meal' awaited him. His giant jaws unhinged and opened in anticipation of the morsel. A thin membrane covered his eyes to protect them from the blood and thrashing of the prey as he prepared to strike and render it into several bite size bits....it was too late he saw the speeding shadow as it crashed into his side and pushed him several feet off target of his intended meal.

Furious he circled around to come face to face with whatever it was that denied him his meal. Swimming closer to greet him was another great predator... Maku-Toa awaited.

Normally he would never back down to any other Great White Shark, let alone any 'puny' Tiger Shark or other hunter of the deep... but this shark was different. It swam closer to the great white until they were almost eye to eye. There was something in this shark that he could not even comprehend. An intelligence that baffled the large sharks cloudy mind. The Great White at first thought to attack but then some baser instinct buried deep within it's tiny mind took over... it swam away feeling a new sensation it had never experienced before... the feeling of fear.

Maku-Toa watched as the Great White swam away. He did not want to harm a fellow creature of the ocean, but he would of if he had too. He turned his attention to the slowly sinking figure of the human girl. The breath of life that the humans needed to survive had already left her body, but he knew he must protect her form. She continued to slowly sink to the bottom as he circled around her protecting and warding off even the smallest ocean born feeders. Her body would eventually bloat and rise to the surface he knew, but for now he had a sense of responsibility to care for her that he couldn't explain even in his wise ancient thoughts.

He felt almost a love for this human girl. Her form finally stopped as her naked body laid against the sand and coral sixty feet below the surface. Had she been alive she would of been shocked to see the enormous Tiger Shark circling around her... protecting her... Maku-Toa, with his abnormal eyes of blue and grey watched over her... he felt his spirit brother would of wanted it so.


To be cont...............

[Dragon]

Chapter 30 ~ The Shortest Chapters (Part III)


"What silly people my children are and what faithful creatures do I live among..."; He said barely under his breath.

Still sitting high in the breadfruit tree he had watched the whole drama unfold. The beautiful girl, even though covered with earth and dried blood had stirred the manhood in his being like he hadn't felt for many years. He would never act on such a base emotion though, especially for someone who belonged to "the one" that he was waiting for...the one he was hoping was coming.

The sadness and despair in this girls heart and soul made her an easy book to read, and he read her thoughts like a child would a comic book. He saw her whole life laid bare before him as quickly as she could take one step towards the cliff.

By reading her thoughts he now knew the name of "the one" he was anticipating; "Siosi...or Leaga", as he was more well known. Knowing his name though didn't make the man sitting so high above the world catch his breath,.... but the vision of Leaga did.

"He is like a god"; he could not help but murmur.

How long had it been since he had seen such feral beauty? How long since he had seen someone that looked like the majestic warriors of old? Too long indeed he decided with a sly smile.

His thoughts of Leaga had made him ignore the young beautiful girl below, but he turned his attention back to her now as she plunged into the mighty waters below....

He watched for several minutes... Saw her survive the fall...

Saw her swim out into the open surf...

Saw her take her last breath...

Saw the "silly shark" who was so faithful to his people even though most of them would surely eat him for dinner if they had the chance....

He smiled.

Surely the one he was anticipating would come for sure now.

"Come to me Leaga, I am waiting!"; He roared to the skies above...

Somewhere in the villages to the south, the people shivered with the sound of the approaching thunder.


To be cont.......

[Dragon]

Chapter 31 ~ Journey to the end

Pili had been a good friend to Leaga since he was a young boy and he continued to be so to this day. He handed Leaga his best sandals and his large machete for cutting his way through the untraveled parts of the jungle. Falila stood and watched both men as everything unfolded. Pili was about to say something when both he and Falila heard the thunder over head; "Whoa, bro...sounds like a big storm must be coming"; Pili exclaimed.

Leaga chose to ignore his friend as he put on the sandals and slung the large knife over his back. The thunder was not even noticed by him as it was all the rest of the citizens all over Savaii... his mind and thoughts were elsewhere.

Pili had met with Leaga shorty after he found out about both his great grandparents death, and the fact that Amio was missing or abducted.

"How long has she been missing?"; Leaga questioned.

Pili hugged his friend who he had not seen in months that seemed years and said; "She went missing the same day that someone killed Mole".

Leaga raised his brows in surprise. Taking Pili by the arm he stated; "Take me to where he was killed". Both of them left Falila there and left towards the trail Pili pointed out.

The two young men walked up the trail to Leaga's great grandparents fale until Pili pointed out the spot where his old nemesis' demise occurred. Looking around at the dirt and the dark patches of dried blood still on the ground he could tell it had not rained since the day of the murder. Motioning Pili to remain still the tall, muscular figure of Leaga walked carefully into the trees and shrubs boarding the jungle that encompassed most of their village. Returning shortly he looked solemnly at Pili; "How was Mole killed?"

"He was found dead with a knife through his lower jaw pointing straight up into his brain. When the matai removed it; before Mole's mother came... it was your knife you found in American Samoa". Looking a little scared Pili added; "Don't worry though bro, I didn't tell anyone it was your knife".

Leaga simply looked at Pili then looked around slowly to make sure they were alone. With no look of surprise he said; "Amio killed him, then she ran away".

Pili's jaw opened in surprise; "You can tell all that simply by looking in the bushes?"

"It is not important...I just know"; Leaga replied.

Thirty minutes later the thunder clap filled the sky and Leaga was preparing to leave and Pili was wishing his friend would let him go with him to search for Amio; "I should go with you bro, we can search a bigger area if i go... she been gone for several days, she might be hurt... I could help carry her back with you".

Leaga shook off his good intentions. It was obvious that Pili could not keep up with his lean, athletic friend, and taking another look at Leaga's massive chest and bulging arms confirmed that he would need no help carrying his true love if indeed she had been hurt.

"Wait! I have something for you"; The girl yelled as she walked quickly towards the two young Samoan men.

Falila, who was Amio's cousin; and also Pili's girlfriend walked up and handed Leaga a small bag and a small plastic water bottle; "You may need something to eat. She's been gone almost a week and it may take you days to find her"; she said. Falila knew that Leaga would probably go after Amio after her boyfriend showed him the spot where Mole had been killed. She had not said anything to Pili, but she had the same feeling; that Amio had given that 'night crawler' what he deserved after all this time.

Leaga nodded thankfully to her then looked at his friend in the eyes. With no words being spoken he simply grasped his friends shoulder and nodded. Pili returned the nod with a smile and watched as Leaga bolted into the jungle. Neither he or Falila; who would someday be his wife, would ever see Leaga again.

...................

Leaga's bulging leg muscles propelled him through the jungle faster then any other man in Savaii could of traveled. His keen vision helped him to follow the trail which was quite obvious to someone that played many games of hid and seek in the jungle as a youth. He was a little surprised that no one else had seen the obvious signs of Amio walking the way he now followed like a blood hound.

After two hours of tireless running he slowed to drink the water from the small plastic bottle. He decided to keep the bottle so he could refill it from any spring he would find or even from hanging vines if need be. He prepared to sprint off in the direction the trail was leading him again when he stopped dead in his tracks. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck... he was being watched.

His keen, island sharpened senses scanned the surrounding jungle for the person watching him... but despite his acute senses he could not find anyone. He decided it must be his mind playing tricks on him due to the stress of worrying about Amio and he took up the trail again.

The day turned into night. The darkness of the jungle barely illuminated by the full moon above it's canopy was as dark as pitch. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and even though he had to slow down to follow the trail, nonetheless; he continued.

Hours later the sun was breaking over the horizon of the great ocean when Leaga finally reached the cliff over looking the sea. He had covered the entire distance in half a day; what had taken Amio several. With a small twinge of panic he looked around and then peered over the edge.

Twenty feet below the powerful waters crashed against his island home of Savaii. Jagged rocks were everywhere below and he worried that Amio might have fallen off the cliff in the dark. A faded piece of cloth tied to a tree limb caught his eye. It was Amio's puletasi.

Slowly he walked towards her knotted garments. Carefully, as if not to harm it, he unwrapped it from around the branch. A small piece of paper fell to the ground. He bent over and opened it.

All the writing on the paper had faded away. Either the sweat from Amio's hand or the moisture of the jungle air had erased the false words that had sent his beloved to this place. Leaga held the paper up to the sunlight, but it was no help. Leaga looked around for several moments and then looked at the petite footprints that could still be seen at the edge of the cliff. The impression on the ground told him all he needed to know.

Leaga removed the giant machete from his back and discarded the plastic water bottle on the ground. Walking to the edge and standing on the exact same spot as his beloved did hours before. He gaged the distance he would need to clear the rocks below and with a mighty spring of his gigantic muscles he propelled himself out into the air and dove towards the ocean below....

As he was falling he couldn't help but notice that same feeling he had experienced hours before. The feeling of being watched....


To be cont...........

[Dragon]

Chapter 32 ~ The Shortest Chapters (Part IV)


He couldn't help but shudder with sheer delight as he felt Leaga headed his way. The hope that this young man could be 'the one' was never far from his thoughts.

He had learned much of Leaga's life here on the island by the thoughts he read from Amio, but he truly did not know the whole man. Most of her thoughts were clouded with the pure love she had felt for Leaga and he was desperate to know him completely.

Anticipation was getting the better of the man sitting high in the bread fruit tree and he couldn't wait any longer. After a couple of hours since becoming aware that Leaga was headed in his direction he reached out his mind to look upon him.

"What?"; he said aloud to himself.

He saw Leaga stopping in the jungle to drink from a water bottle. He could see his tall, bronzed muscular form. He could see the sweat glistening over his massive chiseled chest and body. He could see the long tangle of his hair as he wiped it from his 'marvelous' blue/grey eyes....But, he could not read his thoughts!

"Oh my, what type of man are you? I cannot even remember the last time someone was able to close their thoughts to me......"; he pondered.

As night crept over the island, the man sitting high in the tree's contemplated what he was going to do when Leaga finally arrived. Looking at the moon he carried on a conversation long into the night;

"So Mr Moon, what should I do? Should I hop down and surprise him? Should I tell him right away about what I am... Who I am?. mmmm.... How shall I introduce myself to him?"

This is a question he wondered for several hours.

He thought back over the many years he had been and thought of all the many names he was known by;

"Maybe Mr Moon I will introduce myself as Tagaloa. After all, that is what his people first called me. Or maybe I will go with Fa'atupunu'u, or Nimonimo.... Or maybe I can tell him that wonderful name that Salamasina called me... No; he would not understand any of that and besides; those names seem a bit stuffy"; He laughed.

He continued to think of the many names over the many lifetimes that he had existed. Maybe he would go with a Roman name he had held, or a Persian name, or even a name he held before any people even ventured out into the giant western ocean now known as the Pacific.

Then he thought of it; "Fa'atasi! I will allow him to call me Fa'atasi...for surely, I am 'once', and we shall hopefully be 'together'...yes I like that name"; and again he laughed as he carried on his one way conversation with the moon.

His thoughts were many as the darkness slowly turned to light and he grew even more impatient as the one he waited for drew ever closer. He had several thoughts about what he would do but when the time came he did none of them; and decided to watch.

Leaga crashed through the jungle and stopped short at the cliff's edge.

Fa'atasi watched in silence.

Several minutes went by as the sad scene unfolded where Leaga realized what had befallen Amio.

Fa'atasi almost intervened as Leaga dropped the water bottle and large knife and stepped towards the cliff, but he did not.

He watched as the man who potentially was 'the one' sprung out far from the cliff's and dove perfectly into the waters below.

Fa'atasi watched as Leaga's head finally appeared above the surf several yards from the land.

He watched as Leaga drew in a huge breath and headed deep into the ocean's depths.

He knew what he would find....

He knew how he would react....

And...

Fa'atasi knew what he finally must do.


To be continued in... "The last chapter?"

[Dragon]

Chapter 33 ~ The last chapter... "The Poem"





Falling weightless he plummeted

inviting yet terrible waited the sea

no oxygen mask or snorkel

just a lavalava from waist to knee



Searching for his true love

the loss of her would cut like a claw

did she reach dry land anew

or is she asleep in the churning maw



Eyes stinging from the brine

he shakes the salt off his brow

I must find her...I must

I cannot live without her now



Breath after breath he takes

going deeper and deeper each time

please God don't take her life

if you must have one then take mine



Finally all but exhausted

the minutes have turned to hours

a long and sleek old friend of the deep

shows up to lend his powers



Knowing at once no harm would follow

he grasps his savior's mighty fin

after taking one last huge breath

he goes deeper then he's ever been



Darkness is all around

the sun is a daily stranger here

as eyes adjust to the murky gloom

the bottom growing near



The mighty shark slows his decent

releases the man he turns and face

eyes meeting in the mighty deep

was this a farewell in this dark place?



Not a word is spoken

not that a man and beast should ever meet

if sharks shed tears then one truly was

he leaves his friend with no speak



Watching the great hunter leave

the pressure of the sea squeezing on his chest

he looks around in the gloom

he spies his true love in rest



This is not the girl he remembers

the waters... they swell and bloat

but though mis-shapen he can see

not a scratch on her is note



His gilled friend had stood guard for her

from all the other predators that would dine

but even the mightiest of all the sharks

could not hold the hands of time



He screamed he pulled his hair

he cried in the vacuum of the sea

he was too late to save the one he loved

he prayed why her not me



Her dark tresses floated all around

with the rhythm of the deep

he vowed his love eternal then

a vow he swore to keep



Nothing to do for her

no strength could change her rest

his lungs screamed for air so clear

but instead he longed for death



He grasped her hand in his

clinging on as the last bubble of air

rose up into the waves above

both of us together he thought...that's fair



No bright light greeted him

no purgatory... no hell

only blackness swept him away

and finally held him in its spell



A love this strong is hard to find

but it would be a pure endeavor

as the couple lay at the bottom of the sea

in love like this forever



...





He watched him die while holding onto his true loves hand. Willing himself not to rise for life giving air.



"Would I do that?"; he thought to himself. He figured he might of many many years ago. Maybe when he was....when he 'still thought' he was mortal. But not now...never now.



He recalled when he first found out the 'truth' about himself and how he had reacted. He thought he would never be able to share that truth with anyone again...that was; until he found 'the one'.



He dove in the churning ocean after sitting and watching, and thinking for hours. The sun had long ago went down below the horizon and the moon offered little illumination in the dark waters below; But one such as he needed it not.



Without a single breath he dove for the exact spot where he knew he would find the two sleeping lovers. Moments later he found them.



Beautiful in their death he swam in place and watched them for a while.



He looked towards them both and debated on one or both...quickly he made up his mind and grabbed the man by the wrist and pulling him behind he continued to swim deep in the ocean far, far out to sea.



...





The sun was warm on his skin and made him cover his eyes.



"Was it all a dream?"; he wondered.



"Amio!" he screamed aloud on the small sand covered atoll.


A voice from behind him; deep and unknown but somehow calming spoke softly.



"It is all true Leaga. Your loved one is gone...Amio is no more. But you... You are here with me, and you are very much alive..... again".



Leaga turned to see the man who spoke to him. He was tall and as broad as he, but appeared a few years older. The man walked slowly towards Leaga then took a knee besides him.



Leaga noticed the man's dark eyes with flecks of gold in them... they reminded him of his own.



"Be still now lad"; the man continued; "and I will tell you my tale".







To be continued (someday), in "A Samoan tale Part 2, the story of Fa'atasi".

[Dragon]

There, I have just posted the last 6 chapters of the story.

Hope you enjoy!

[soccerpride]

It is so great!!! I cannot wait until Part II, I truly hope you make it soon!!! Thank you so much for sharing.

[Brat Jr]

This story and others have been AWESOME reading Nate. Thanks for sharing your gifts with us at WPS

[Dragon]

No prob, thanks to all who enjoy them

I do it as a form of meditation/relaxation... Some smoke weed, I write silly stories LOL

[soccerpride]

I never thought of writing as a form of meditation/relaxation. What a great way to accomplish this, while putting your creative juices to work. I am going to read the Tarzan one later today. Excited!!!

[Dragon]

I never thought of writing as a form of meditation/relaxation. What a great way to accomplish this, while putting your creative juices to work. I am going to read the Tarzan one later today. Excited!!!

OK.

I recommend you DON'T read the "Bubba the predator" stories...there pretty gross

[soccerpride]

LOL! OK I have been warned!!! I will let you know if I decide to venture in that direction.