Monday, July 31, 2017


Turning the key, the engines came to life and they got under way again and continued their circumnavigation around the small island. They found a few small coves with potential, but nothing that they could use. The sun hit the horizon when they arrived at the first landing spot, pulled up close to the beach and secured the boat as they did before. Deciding to spend the night, hiding the goods and supplies and then returning with the first light to Papeete, seemed to be a good idea. Helena and Leo would remain on the island attempting to find a way to the grotto over land. If someone came, they would just hide while the people were around.
Because of the information from Leo, Helena and Gábor felt they would be back in a few days. Ivan was sceptical but said nothing. He's had more experience with police and authoritarian governments than he cared for. Certainly, the gendarmerie would ask a lot of questions and the embassy would be involved too. Possibly his friend would have to find a lawyer to give him a chance to clarify the situation aboard the cruiser. The French were not as bad as the Russians as he remembered from Russia, but the nature of any authority was such as to exert power in order to control and manipulate, often excessively.
Together they walked in search of a path towards the cave they saw. The dense vegetation hindered their progress, but then Leo found a clearing with a large rain tree and a sheltered crevice in the rock wall to stow the supplies until they either found a way to enter the grotto or a good hiding place. The place to store the gear and other items was a relatively short distance away from the beach and it was a good location. Even if it rained, it would remain dry. It would make a great cache. Unloading the supplies and stowing the goods took only a short time and then it was too dark to organize things.
Pitching the tent, they dug out the compact camping cooking gear and cooked a light supper, ate, and then laid back and rested under the trees a few meters away from the tent. Tossing ideas as what they could do to enter the tunnel to the grotto, nobody really watched their surroundings. As they observed the sky, a meteor with a fiery tail streaked across the western section of the stars studded heavens, then suddenly Ivan jerked his head aside and a split-second later a thumping sound right beside Ivan's head scared them out of their reverie.
Like a greased monkey, Ivan rolled away from the blanket to the left and crouched into a defensive posture. Hands in front of his chest, fingers open and curved like claws, ready to fight, he scanned the sky overhead. At that moment he looked very dangerous. Gábor covered Helena's prone body. She had been just as ready to move, but he had moved before she could. Leo had barely twitched. An object lay on the blanket were Ivan's head had rested seconds before. Ivan relaxed and with that, Gábor too eased off Helena.
"Aren't you a bit too amorous, Honey? We're not alone, you know," said Helena a few seconds later, and that broke the tense moment they'd just had.
The object, a coconut, had fallen between Leo and Ivan, but so close to Ivan, that in fact, he had received a glancing blow to his ear. Fortunately, he had very good reflexes and moved a fraction of a second before the nut connected with his head. He touched his ear and there was a little blood on his fingers and he cursed at the tree in his native tongue for a few seconds.
"Almost got killed by a nut," he protested, rubbing his right ear and threatened the offending palm. "I'm going to cut your nuts off, you bastard."
"That will fix him," remarked Helena laconically. "Would you like any fixing?" the double meaning included an application of a Band-Aid.
"Nah. I still have some hopes. This is just a scratch on the ear."
They all looked at her and laughed. Helena had a wonderful sense of humour and Ivan appreciated a witty woman. After many years without a partner, he wished to find one like Helena. Gábor was indeed a very lucky man to have a mate like her. Despite his protest she checked on his ear. It was nothing serious.
“Nothing you couldn’t live without is missing”, she reported.
Ivan, grumbling something under his short beard, moved his camp to the safe side of the tent, away from the tree. The Fabien's followed his move, relocating also. It wasn't very wise to be under trees that had objects growing on them that had the potential to kill if one was unaware of the danger. The beam of a flashlight in Ivan's hand danced over the area.
"For a second I thought someone else was here and we didn't keep a good enough look-out. Perhaps we should do that. There's a good spot on that high rock over there."
"We need airspace watch," jested Gábor. "Those nuts are worse than bombs. They don't whistle before they strike." Ivan agreed and pointed to the near, large towering rock formation, which rose a bit higher than the closest coconut tree.
"Kitty, would you check that out?" he said to Leo.
Leo nodded and then bounded up to the top with ease and found a level area about four to five square meters covered with grass, with a view out to sea. One could easily get to the top from the rear. Leo insisted on doing the first watch. For three hours, he would have to stay awake and Helena wondered if it was that good of an idea to involve a kid in this.
Ivan thought it was okay and didn't think of Leo as a child. He would not be sleeping much after his brush with death anyway. Taking the second watch, he would be with Leo, Gábor the next and Helena could take the last. They thought it to be a good plan and Helena settled down.
Leo and Ivan took their blankets, climbed the lookout rock, and made themselves comfortable. The view was great and they could observe a large portion of the ocean from that elevation, including the landing. They engaged in quiet conversation. Below Helena turned to Gábor.
"That was a close call with that nut. We will have to watch when we walk around under those trees; I imagine they could kill a person if one falls on their head.”
Nodding in the dark, and then realizing she could barely see him, he replied. “This is a good spot, but if it is this good, anybody will want to land here and could discover our presence here. We didn't see anything better or as suitable as that grotto. It would be the best place if the entrance were high enough to get into with the boat. We’ll find a way to make it accessible. What do you think? Do you have any ideas how to make the entrance a bit higher, just to get the boat inside?"
“Not really, at least not at the moment. Also, if we raise it, it would make conspicuous and would attract attention,”
"Right,” he confirmed. “If we enlarge it, we would need to camouflage it. I would like to go there again tomorrow morning before I leave for Papeete and see if I can visualize something. I would like to go with Ivan because he can handle the boat better until you have had more practice with it. Do you mind staying with Leo here alone until I come back?"
"We all could go to see the grotto and then you can drop me and Leo off here and then go. How long do you think it will take you to get to Tahiti?"
 "About three hours, depending on sea state and the winds. From here to there, the wind is on our back and the sea will not be slowing us down. Coming back is another story."
"I want to come with you, but I understand someone needs to be with Leo. He looks okay and heals fast, but it is better if I stay with him until he knows his way around. Two is better than one. Please, talk to a lawyer about counsel."
"I will if I need to, and you just be careful. There are a lot of steep rocks and crevices where you could get hurt. The nearest hospital is in Papeete and we'll be gone for at least a day."
"Okay, dad. I'll be a good girl. There is nobody around to be bad with anyway." She purred, leaned into him, and blinked mischievously.
"I'll be back as soon as I can and you will get your chance to be bad. You're good when you're bad. And you owe me one, remember?"
"How can I forget? I think about it all the time," she admitted and snuggled closer to him.
"Patience, pretty one, is a virtue."
"Patience and virtue is for geriatrics. And what is that anyway?"
He laughed softly and both lay back and embraced.
Reflecting on the certainty with which Helena seemed to know that Leo was alive, the crazy thought to start looking at the atoll, the encounter with the dolphins that guided them to the place where they found Leo, and the miraculous recovery of their son seemed so unreal to him that his entire view of what was wishful thinking and logical reasoning tumbled around in his head like laundry in a dryer.
Were Helena's intuition more than just hopes of a mother clinging to wisps of an unlikely event? Against all odds Leo was alive, survived in shark-infested waters, to end up on the atoll of Niau. The crew also survived and the only thing the gendarmes could charge him with was aggravated assault on a man that had battered his son.
And then there was his son Leo. The discovery of his son's intelligence through Ivan changed his perception about what intelligence was supposed to look like. It changed a lot with regards to his feelings toward Leo and his mate. He no longer had ambivalent feelings about Leo although some questions remained unanswered. His concerns about Helena's or his possible gene defects dwindled and his love for her didn't flicker anymore but burned with a steady flame and much brighter than in the past few months or even in the beginning.
Leo's appearance didn't matter and whatever another child would look like, he would accept and protect it with his life. How intelligent Leo really was remained open to discovery and on this island they could relax and focus on his education. Once they returned to Canada, Ivan would stay and continue with Leo's training here, alternate with them every few months and in a few years, Leo would re-join them in Canada. He put his arm under Helena's neck and she laid her arm across his chest.
"Are you still interested in having a big family?" he asked his wife.
"No human could wish for a pride any more than I do, Honey. Have you been thinking about that right now?"
"Yes, among other things," he confessed. "Perhaps we'll have a human child the next time."
"There goes my Pride," Helena said and snuggled closer to him. He laughed and held her close in his arms as he slowly drifted off to sleep and had some dreams. Helena lay awake and had her own thoughts. Happy with the discovery of the grotto, she envisioned how she would make it liveable and have it accessible by the boat. Ideas came to her and many were discarded, but one of her biggest concerns was to leave Leo behind. True, she trusted that Ivan would look after him, but as a mother, to leave her child behind, that wasn't an easy thing to do. She had no idea how intelligent Leo was and what he was capable of, but not seeing him for several months would be very difficult. She got used to him and felt a connection that seemed to be beyond the normal bond a mother has with her child. It was as if she knew what he wanted and vice versa.
When he fell overboard and disappeared in the ocean, there was a link, a connection that didn't break with his absence. While they were in Papeete, she felt with certainty that he was alive, and during the search for him she had the impression that he was on solid ground and it gave her the idea of looking for him on one of the many island and atolls. That it was the first atoll where they found him was pure luck, and when the dolphins showed up, the nebulous idea that Leo could be there, condensed into a conviction and it didn't astonish her much when they discovered Leo, battered but alive.
Her eyes, used to the darkness, scanned the towering spire where Ivan and Leo took up the lookout. Listening to sounds of a few unintelligible words, she smiled and put her arms around her husband, the man she loved and the man that was the father of that extraordinary being with a body of a lion, and that would undoubtedly present them with some surprises.
A thought about her parents came to her mind. If they just had an idea about Leo’s intelligence, and could get over their revulsion for his appearance, and blaming Gábor for it, she would want to visit them, make peace, and heal their differences.
She loved her parents, and even her brother, but their worldviews were old-fashioned and full of conservative ideas that she couldn’t share. Leo’s condition was in their eyes demonic, a curse of God Almighty, and it was her mother that incited her father to be against their grandchild. For her, Leo was the devil incarnate and she wished with all her heart her mother could break away from her religious superstitions. She had many arguments about that. Her mother had always insisted that there was a god that ruled over everything, loved unconditionally, but one had to obey his laws. Helena had bristled and countered. If god loved unconditionally, he would have never made laws and still would love his creation, regardless. Of course, her mother thought differently and they never settled in peace. Letting out a sigh, she nestled into her husband’s arms, kissed his head, closed her eyes, and joined him in his sleep.

Sunday, July 23, 2017


Without preamble, Leo in his peculiar voice began his account of what he knew. Gábor focused more on him and noticed that he understood Leo better if he paid attention.
"Nan fell on ne. All went wlack. I see again, sonevody dushing ne thrrough water for long tine. Swallowed waterr, dings not verry clearr. After night and day and anoderr night, soneding under ne, dushing ne I see land, felt ny wody touching sonedin sharrd, harrd and starrted going, not verry farr den fell down and see dlack man walking away den went sleev. Next you cane." He finished and looked at them and they looked back at him, wondering what to make of the situation.
This story was just too much. Something, perhaps dolphins, it seemed, rescued Leo, and also the other man. If he walked away, he must still be on the Island and the authorities must know about his presence by now. They would have talked with him. Lundy must have seen Leo falling and assumed him dead, or perhaps out long enough to call others to recover a strange animal dressed in clothes. It was not a big island. Possibly considering Leo to be an injured animal, he could have thought it couldn’t go far. And now that they had come and taken Leo, there was no evidence of an animal. The "Animal" Lundy saw, either survived and was living trapped on the island, and in that case they would find him, or was swept into the sea and drowned. Alternatively, the sharks could have got him.
But Lundy was alive, so there was no case. This was perfect. They laughed and hugged each other, including Leo and Ivan, relieved from the burden of a dead man because of a stupid accident. All they had to do now was to keep Leo dead, mourn for him properly, and hope Lundy would not connect Leo to them. After all, Lundy could not know why Gábor had shoved him when he just wanted to take an "animal" to the captain, thought Gábor. The crew, and all aboard, knew the child of the Fabien's had perished in the ocean. They never saw Leo; it was the best thing that could have happened. Gábor wasn't aware that he had shouted at the man to leave his son alone. That realization came later.
They set out to explore the beach in a good mood. In Helena's and Gábor elation, it escaped them that Ivan had a furtive expression on his face; something was not fitting, but his friend's relief was contagious and so he didn’t follow his chain of thought for the time being.
He served as a combat instructor for the Soviet Allied Afghan military and had a pretty good feeling when something did not fit, but he could not put a finger on it yet and did not want to spoil the party. Nevertheless, he would think about the situation, as time would allow.
With Gábor in the lead, they walked up on the beach and saw the first signs of civilization, a plastic Coca-Cola bottle. As they progressed, more signs of civilization popped up. A piece of driftnet material, some burned timbers, and a wooden frame with a piece of plastic tarp, torn and flapping in the breeze indicated that people visited this place. Somebody obviously came occasionally to this island and it must have been some time ago judging by the state of the frame and the plastic. This landing site would not be ideal for Leo and Ivan, but it could be good when they brought provisions and no one was around. They must find a place that others did not use and allowed them to hide the boat.
They continued to look around and found no other refuse or sign of human presence further up the hills and inclines. The area was dense with vegetation and they saw many coconuts, of course, banana, mango, and papaya trees, and others they could not identify or just did not know their names.
Then to the delight of Helena, they discovered the famous pomelo, the Polynesian version, and a relative to the mainland grapefruit, but on steroids, bigger and much sweeter. She picked a few and some bananas and papayas and handed them to the others to carry. They would eat them back on the boat. On the cruiser, they had a pomelo, surprised at the size and the sweetness of it; it became their favourite in one taste. It also had several medicinal benefits. Gábor talked about it for days after and swore they would gorge themselves on them when they returned to Papeete. Back at the boat, they sat down and ate the fruits they had "harvested." Leo's face was hilarious to watch when he tasted the "grapefruit." His eyes squinted and his mouth puckered up. He shook his head rapidly and saliva ran from his mouth, but he kept licking it and his face screwed up into a sour mimic.
"Did you hear about the nun who had been taken advantage of by the gardener as she was picking mushrooms?"
"No," said Ivan and Helena smiled; she did.
"Well, she was doubled over as she harvested champignons and this guy took her from behind, and for a half hour she tried to get the mushroom and afterwards she remembered her vows of chastity and went to the Sister Superior and confessed her sin and asked for absolution to be whole in the eyes of the Lord again. Sister Superior advised her to squeeze six lemons into a glass and drink the juice.
“Will that make me whole in the eyes of the Lord again,” she asked, and the answer was, “no, but it will take care of that silly smile on your face.”
Helena and Ivan could not stop laughing and it brought the whole family closer to each other. Ivan, seeing Leo's twisted face, had a blast, imagining the nun drinking the sour juice. It had him in stitches. Leo did not laugh as a human would. His vocal chords produced more of a loud purring-growling sound in his throat, his eyes closed a bit, his upper face lifted and revealed his canine teeth, but it didn't look threatening and he licked the fruit again. Helena laughed more about Leo's face than the joke. She loved this joke too but heard it a few times in the past and it had lost its effect. Not this time, with Leo's facial expression aiding the visual imaging of the fortunate nun experiencing heavenly pleasures on Earth, was priceless.
The first time in Budapest when they saw three nuns in a café laughing about something, Gábor told the joke to one of their colleagues from the Athletic club, that man retold this joke in the club later, and it became a classic. They realized then that laughter was a key for all people to tear down mental walls that separated mankind from each other and didn't allowed for friendship and acceptance of differences. They discovered laughter unites.
Looking forward to having more Polynesian grapefruits, they now discussed their situation and decided to circle the island and see what other options they had.
The short exploration lasted about an hour and it was now 1600h. All boarded the boat again and Gábor waded out to the tree he previously tied the line to and untied it. Ivan started the engines and kept the boat in position while Gábor untied the line and coiled it while returning to the boat. Helena, together with Leo, retrieved the anchor and stowed it away in the stern locker. With Ivan at the helm, they moved a short distance from the shore and continued their exploration from the sea. Helena and Gábor used the binoculars and Leo just with naked eyes could pick out details even better than his parents with their binoculars.
At the western side of the island, they noticed a few small waterfalls, nothing spectacular, yet it indicated a fresh water supply. Gábor decided to take a closer look. Cautiously and aware of the surge they approached the wall. It looked very forbidding and the vegetation clang to the crevices like a blanket. Sharp rock formations awash looked very intimidating and Ivan watched warily as he got closer. When he was about ten meters from the steep wall a small cave appeared, about seven meters wide, flanked on both sides by some nasty looking sharp rocks, like sentinels. Only about a half meter above the present water level, it would not be possible to hide a boat in there and when there were swells, the water reached the ceiling.
As the swells rose and fell, the hole was covered and uncovered and they could see the high-water mark was just about even with the present water level. At low tide, the cave would be about a meter clearance and more visible. This would not serve as a hiding place for the boat. At high tide, the water would squash the boat against the ceiling, probably puncture, and sink it. Additionally, it would be perilous to scale the wall to get to higher ground. Gábor thought to see something and wanted a closer look and to see if it led anywhere. Informing the others of his intention, he put on his fins and mask, grabbed his light, and rolled into the water.
Ivan decided to retreat to keep a safe distance. Gábor dove, his fins kicked, and then he was gone for about a minute. Resurfacing, he told them the bottom was about seven meters down, and then headed for the cave entrance. He floated there, near the wall, rising and falling with the swells, and Helena was a bit apprehensive seeing him that close to the jagged sentinels, but he waved back, indicating all was well, and with the next swell he disappeared from their view. For about five minutes, he was gone and Helena got nervous, but then he reappeared at the entrance and motioned to her that all was okay and should join him. She was curious about what he'd discovered and asked him what it was.
"It's a tunnel and it goes in farther, and then it opens into a bay," he informed her.
"What did you find?" Helena asked.
"Just come and see. You too, Leo. You won't need a mask. When we come back, you should see it too Ivan. It's gorgeous."
Helena tied up her hair, got into the water with fins, and waited for Leo. When Leo got in, the three swam into the opening. When the swell came, it just about touched the ceiling and pushed them deeper into the tunnel. They swam and continued on for about five meters, and then the ceiling opened up at least three meters over their heads.
Gábor shone the light onto walls glittering with crystals and water dripped onto them from the ceiling, fresh water. There was light coming from the left and as they continued to swim toward it, it became brighter and then suddenly there was the sky. Looking around, they realized to be on the bottom of a cauldron. Eerie as it seemed at first, it was breathtakingly beautiful.
An oval opening, about a hundred meters in diameter with steep rise, and lush vegetation in bloom covered the steep walls, allowed a wide view of the sky. The upper edge of the hole was covered with flowers. The wall itself had small trees growing on it, but nothing strong enough to allow them climbing the wall, which was about ten meters high. A white band of sand, about forty meters wide from the wall stretched out in front of them. They stared with wonder and then Gábor pointed forward. Swimming toward it, Helena touched the white, sandy bottom about five meters from the beach and stood up. Leo and Gábor followed.
"I don't believe this. This is incredible. Is there a way up?" she said and removed the fins and the mask, placing them on the soft sand and shells.
Gábor pointed to his right. "If you want to climb rocks, I think it might be possible over there," he pointed to a kind of a ramp while removing his fins also and lay them besides Helena’s and then doffed his mask.
"I didn't get to check it out. I wanted you two to see it. This could be the perfect place if the entrance was a half-meter higher. The boat without the superstructure could possibly make it in, I'd think."
They walked on the sand and saw nothing indicating anybody had ever walked here. With the exception of bird and crab tracks, it was virgin territory. Then Leo's voice called to them and they turned toward the sound. It was coming from above and they saw Leo's head looking down at them.
"Conn." Gábor and Helena looked at each other with a smile, happy to see Leo taking the lead. "Let's join him."
"Where is the path?" Helena shouted, unnecessary. The sound rose in the confined area. Leo indicated toward the far right wall that Gábor had pointed out before. They found the path that was easy to climb, but slippery from moss and plants growing on the stones and rocks made it up without a big effort. Arriving on a relatively level plateau circa two hundred meters long and about seventy meters wide with several trees, slightly elevated, with thick, short grass and some bushes, all three stopped in wonder. The breeze, sweet with the scent of hibiscus, jasmine, tiare, and other tropical flowers pleasant in their nostrils, made them breathe in deeply and smile.
The view was breathtaking. Turning in a circle, they saw the volcanic cone rising high with craggy rocks, fissures, and plants. Small trees grew where they could. They felt they had discovered paradise. Helena pointed at the bridge that spanned the tunnel under which they came in, leading in an angle toward the sea wall. It looked almost inaccessible, due to the heavy vegetation, but Gábor saw a few possibilities for gaining admittance to it. And as he got closer, it turned out to be correct. A path that reminded him of a Japanese garden setting in Okinawa, winding and twisting in a few turns led to a relatively clear area, and then they were on the "bridge". A gentle slope toward the sea made for an easy walk. Hand in hand, Helena and Gábor followed Leo who had discarded his clothing since they had arrived on this island and moved on all four limbs effortlessly.
Reaching to the edge, they looked straight down and saw Ivan in the boat about twenty meters from the wall, looking toward the shore. Helena, yelling to Ivan, got his attention. He glanced up with a look that was worth a million dollars. Grinning, Gábor waved. The surprise on Ivan's face was complete and Gábor committed his face to memory.
"You need to see your face," he shouted to Ivan. His friend shook his head and called back.
"You should see yours. If I had your grin I could eat a banana sideways. That would be worth a picture."
"You've got to see this. We'll come back and then you could come up here."
"I wait forr hin herre," said Leo. They made their way down again, got into the water, and swam back to the waiting man in the boat. Ivan had his fins on and a mask around his neck.
"Won't need it," said Helena, but Gábor knew Ivan well enough to guess he would want to see the bottom of the sea and perhaps the sea life.
"See you from the edge," he said and entered the water with a splash. Leo followed Ivan with his eyes until he disappeared from view, then turned and loped off to meet his friend and mentor inside the grotto.
"Knowing you, and the look on your face, it's telling me you are cooking some plan in your head how to get in here,” Helena grinned at Gábor. "If you find a way, I'll reward you with a night you won't forget," said Helena with a wide smile.
 "I'll call you on that. But you're correct. I'm looking for ideas. A submarine is one. It is between tides now and the tunnel is barely open. Perhaps at low tide it will be enough to slide in, but I doubt it"
"Too bad the entrance is too low and the boat can't fit through. It would be the ideal place," said Helena with a voice that expressed disappointment about the inaccessibility of this beautiful place, but she was looking for a way to make it possible. Gábor had a furrow between his eyes and forehead, his right hand was scratching his head as he did when he faced a problem and searched his mind for a solution. Obviously he worked on an idea.
 "Let me think about this. There may be a way, so let's put our heads together. When Ivan returns we will have a brainstorming session. He and you always have ideas I can build on, like when we designed the staircase for our basement, you remember?” She did and it raised her hopes.
"This is not as easy as that was," she objected.
"You're not giving up, are you?"
"Never. As long as you are around it would be impossible. You wouldn't let me live it down. You seem always to come up with something unexpected in any situation. I've noticed that a long time ago." She had a secretive smile on her lips and a mischievous smirk on her face. Gábor threw her a loving glance; he had the impression she talked about more than his ability to come up with architectural ideas. Again, he marvelled how she could support him so easily by just trusting him. Still, at this time, it seemed impossible to come up with an idea.
A little later Ivan appeared on the high edge with Leo beside him. Gábor and Helena waved at them and Gábor turned to her.
"This is a Kodak moment. Never would have believed he could chew on both of his ears at the same time. He seems to like this place. I think the three of us will come up with some solutions to make this place the ideal hideaway. Leo feels like home already, at least that's the impression I got."
 On the way back to the boat, his mind had started to look at the situation and nothing came to him at the moment, but he was sure there was a way; there always was. He needed a sounding board to toss ideas against and then something would start to crystallize. Helena was perfect in that regard and Ivan had also some wonderful ideas when they were working on the house.
His train of thought ended when Leo and Ivan returned to the boat. His face had still had the traces of the impression of their discovery and Gábor knew him well enough to see that his mind was in high gear thinking of a way to have access to that grotto.
“This place is truly a paradise, my friends. We must find a way making it accessible somehow. We could try overland from the landing site, but that would be hard if we had to lug supplies through the jungle. The tides this close to the equator are not very variable, a half meter at best, and with the opening now not more than a foot, it will not be possible to enter, unless we could raise the ceiling somehow. The problem then would be that anybody could see it if they get close enough. Houston, I think we have a problem.”
He scratched his head and eyed the steep raising, sparsely covered with plants rock façade as if it was an enemy.
Turning back to the family behind him, he made a gesture with his hands, expressing a momentary indecision, and finished his thought.
"We need to get our heads together and find a way to get in there. But for now, we better get going before it gets dark. We need to get around the island and see what else there is."

Tuesday, July 11, 2017


She tossed her hair and tried to tame the dense mess into a half-orderly arrangement and looked at her husband. He appeared confident and capable at the helm and a surge of appreciation for him washed through her. Reaching for his hand she leaned into him and found the closeness to him very comforting. The dark times only resolved them to stick it out together and with Ivan's discovery of Leo's true being the love they had rekindled in ways that became inclusive and unconditional. All in all, they were a model couple and life was a pleasure and now they were again a happy family; Leo was alive and with them and Ivan was the new member of the family.
Gábor tightened his arm around her shoulder and the warm sun felt pleasant. Her closeness filled him with a deep happiness and having found Leo alive, he realized the wonderful life he had. The heaviness he had felt about Leo's appearance had lifted and he understood that Leo was a unique being. He no longer saw him as an animal or a pet. It wasn't Leo that needed to change to suit his expectations. It was he that needed to learn to accept and love unconditionally. Helena rested her head on his shoulder. Her hair draped over his arm and he enjoyed the soft caress of it on his skin.
"I am in love with you, Gábor. I have never felt this way in my entire life and if we have more children, I don't care how they look as long as they are yours and mine. And come to think of it; as long as they are intelligent it wouldn't matter much whether they are human or alien."
"Lena even if we have no more children, you're still the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. Any child or product of our love is welcome with me. I will accept you and any child without any conditions. I love you, Lena, and Leo is no longer alien to me. He is our product."
One hour before they arrived at their destination, they sighted the high peak of Mehetia and woke Ivan. He got up, taking the binoculars he scanned the horizon for traffic and then wanted to take the helm, but Helena insisted on keeping it, so Ivan just sat down and Gábor joined him.
"How was the rest?"
"I feel like I escaped the Gulag."
"That good, eh?" Gábor grinned and then turned serious.
"We need to find a place to go ashore and unload all the gear, then I'll go to Tahiti, talk with that frog and see what comes of it. If they arrest me, you will have to come here to deliver supplies until the frogs let me go. Leo needs you until he is okay again. When you are back, you can stay with Leo and you can bring more provisions, but you need to stay below the radar. If they find you, you can tell them that your ‘Platonic pet,’ and I mean Helena," he grinned again, this time at Helena, "and you are here for some quiet time, fishing. Under no circumstances may they connect Leo to the kid that went overboard. From now on, he is officially lost at sea. But why am I telling you all this? We talked about it in Canada." Ivan listened to Gábor's speech without moving a muscle, a slight grin was on his face and something stirred in his mind, but he didn't interrupt his friend. When Gábor finished, he commented.
"I don't know why you're telling me this again. Perhaps you started enjoying listening to yourself. Maybe you are bored being silent, or you are getting Alzheimer's. Either way, it is good to hear the plan again with a bit of variation caused by Leo's little adventure. Yes, I think your plan is good and I think we will have to find a cove or perhaps even a cave we can hide the boat in and stay out of sight. Helena, do you think you trust yourself enough to run this big place without me and Gábor for a leetle while?"
His pronunciation of "little while" made Helena laugh.
"With a bit of practice, I could run a country. And as far as that, ‘Platonic Pet’ remark of yours is concerned, Mr. Fabien, you'd better stay out of jail or your friend will take your ‘Fatherhood’ role. So far, he's done a very good job taking care of Leo, and he could qualify. I'm still young enough to be wanted. Do your best to stay with me, and don't tempt me to look for another father of my children," her repartee came with a wink at Ivan and a teasing look at Gábor. Ivan grinned from ear to ear and bowed to Helena. Gábor jokingly approved her choice, but still felt a stab of insecurity in him. He always wondered why a beautiful woman would be with a man thirteen years her senior. But then, Ivan was more than thirty years her senior, and if she regarded him to be a potential contender, he considered himself better qualified as long as he remained a free man.
But what if he did end up in jail? Would Helena be interested in Ivan? He was an enigmatic personality and Gábor knew Helena found that attractive. In case he ended up in prison, he was sure Ivan would take care of Helena emotionally as well as in any other way, and to his own surprise, he wouldn't begrudge him an intimate relationship with his wife, if he ended up in jail. He had full confidence in his friend to treat her lovingly and with respect, but as long as he was a free man, he preferred Helena to be his own mate. He was grateful to Helena for turning the tables on him and made a good point. Wanting her, he backpedalled.
"In that case, I feel younger already then and as free as the wind."
They burst out in laughter and Leo woke up. Helena at the helm indicated to Gábor to see if Leo needed anything. It was a gentle prod to enforce his ‘Fatherhood’ role and to re-ensure him he was her primary choice as a man in her life. She really loved Gábor and the age difference meant nothing more to her than an assurance that older men in general are more dependable than younger ones and knew how to treat a woman with respect and not as a toy. They didn't need to prove their virility by having other women and neglecting the one they were with. Helena had far more interest in a free association with her husband and liberal as she was; she had no interest to seek other men for her, but was not shy to flirt. It kept her vibrant. The natural attraction between the genders didn't turn into a political issue for her. Ivan's attractive masculinity was interesting enough to see him as a potential lover if it wasn't for Gábor. Out of love, consideration, and respect for her mate and not desperate need for intimacy more than what she had with him, Ivan was a distant possibility only. He had no partner and as far as she could see, he was not looking for one, and to her and Gábor he was a very good friend and mentor to Leo. His recognition of their child's real being earned him a place in her heart that would allow him the privilege to be family and perhaps even an intimate partner if Gábor was gone from her life. But as it was, Gábor was all she desired, and she doubted she would find another man like him.
Having had enough experience to know the difference in men, she knew, in him she had found an incomparable diamond and lover. It didn't mean that Ivan was invisible. He had what it took to have women show interest in him and she wasn’t immune, but she had Gábor. He was a very good lover; playful, inventive, didn't tire easy, and he paid attention to her needs. He was always passionate even after several orgasms. He remained hard and awake after his climax and could continue for hours without ejaculating. Sometimes she had to ask for a break during their amorous activities. It seemed to her that he had to will his penis to relax, but whenever the mood struck her, she took full advantage of his extraordinary ability.
Once she had thought herself to be a nymphomaniac, and perhaps there were some elements in her, but she didn't crave sex all the time with the previous men that she had been with. However, Gábor seemed to have the power to ignite her more than any man ever had, and he wore her out at times, but it was always fun and satisfying and left her wanting for more. It was with him that she discovered that the squirting orgasm wasn't a myth, and the foreplay with him was maddeningly erotic. She was certain he could go on much longer and tried to keep up with him. He treated her the way she wanted to be treated, and when she'd had enough, he did not pressure her. His self-discipline was superb and during the hard times she got a taste of it. He was a man of extremes, she figured.
Occasionally she wondered if he was as satisfied as she was. Would he want sex more than she could give him? Did he think about having an additional partner when she was too pooped to continue? How would she react if he did have someone other than her alone to be satisfied? In her fantasies, she had imagined him with another woman while she watched. He had some very attractive clients, but he had never displayed any interest in them.
Always the professional, the reserved, honourable gentleman amused her. A bit more spark in him for an extra marital encounter just would make him more interesting. She felt she loved him enough to be okay with it, but she doubted he would go for that. His strong principles chained him and so her racy fantasies remained just that. Perhaps with time he’d loosen up, but she would want to witness it. But she vowed she would never restrict or limit his freedom and was sure to love him no less if he would love another alongside her. Someday she would breach the subject, but only when they had gotten over the hurdle that Leo's form presented.
In her view, marriage didn't give a spouse the right to curtail the partner's freedom, but a promise to support each other in pursuit of happiness. When she was a young girl, she saw birds in cages and always felt sorry for them being in captivity. Restricting freedom for any living being, in any form, for any reason, she thought, was cruelty. All living beings yearned to be free and she would never take that away from anything or anybody. There was far more enjoyment in observing and enjoying them when they were at their natural, unforced behaviour then being trapped and forced to endure captivity. She had always resonated synchronously in their enjoyment.
That attitude she had never lost and when they married, their vows expressed that sentiment. As long as he loved her, it wouldn't bother her if he did have an occasional affair. Perhaps she could even accept an additional partner for him if he would so desire and as long as she would be compatible. There was not a jealous bone in her, but did she have the desire to have another man? Looking into her heart, she saw no desire, and only in desperation had she thought about it once. Gábor was more than enough, but she liked flirting for fun nevertheless. It was never serious. She never felt imprisoned by him and felt no need to break out, but she didn't exclude the possibility of an occasional fling categorically, however, she doubted there was a candidate interesting enough as long as Gábor was near.
Looking back over her shoulder she watched him kneeling beside Leo, checking on his injuries. He had changed since Leo went overboard. He appeared to have had an insight of some proportions.
"How do you feel, son?" It was also the first time Helena heard him calling Leo "son" and a warm feeling washed over her.
"Betterr," Leo rumbled. His voice was stronger and his eyes were alert. "Wherre arre we?"
"Almost there, in Mehetia, your place for a while, all for the two of you. You will be re-playing Robinson Crusoe and perhaps you're gonna be a star someday. Your mother is the captain now and I have time to talk with you for a little while. Do you feel well enough to listen?"
"Yes," said Leo with his peculiar, resonating voice.
"Good. When we arrive there, we will look around for a suitable place where you are safe and can remain hidden, but also with access to the island’s interior. Most of the shore is steep and volcanic. There is a good chance we'll find a cave or a cove with protection from storms where we can hide the boat inside. The island is about two kilometers in diameter and is more or less a circle; a cone that is about four to five hundred meters high, which means the terrain will be steep. You should have no problem to move about, but Ivan is an old man. Take it easy with him." He grinned at Ivan who had joined them, sitting a bit aside like a silent guardian over both, but he listened attentively.
At Gábor's "old man" remark he mimicked a senile person, shaking his head and hands as if he had Parkinson's disease, and moaned sickly, which made Leo smile. His eyes closed a little and a content expression sat on his face. Leo knew Ivan was anything but weak. Gábor continued.
"I'm sure there is water to be found that is potable and plenty of fruits, but you will have to get your protein from the sea. If you hunt anything else, like birds, they soon will be extinct and you would create an environmental problem. Stick with fish and Ivan can get you other meat from Tahiti. We will come and be with you as soon as we can, but for now, I must go to the Gendarmerie to answer their questions about you and the man who fell into the water with you. They may want to keep me for a while because they think I killed him, so Lena and Ivan will be the only ones you will see for a time if they hold me."
He looked questioningly at Leo. "Did I explain to you well enough? Is there something you want to know?"
Leo looked from Gábor to Ivan then Helena and back at his father and growled: "Nan alive."
"What?" Gábor was sure he misunderstood, but Ivan and Helena looked shocked at Leo. "What do you mean? How do you know? Tell us. This may change a lot," Ivan said and Helena threw a glance to Gábor, hope flashed in her eyes. Gábor had just begun to understand Leo and thought he did not hear correctly, what he said. In the past two weeks, he came to the realization that Leo was as intelligent as any adult was, but had difficulty expressing himself with words. Leo was not an animal, as he had feared.
"It has to wait," Helena said. "We are there. Ivan, could you take the helm please?" Gábor had a hard time not questioning Leo more about this new revelation, but they had to get to the island and look for a place to land. Changing places, Ivan took the helm from Helena and directed the small vessel parallel to the shoreline outside of the surf.
During Gábor's narrative, they reached the eastern side of the island; its steep walls were almost straight up and down into the water with a very narrow rock strewn, sandy beach that would not allow a boat to land. It was too steep and rough. Watching the water in front of them for rocks and coral there was none yet. The waves broke on the steep shore, seagulls and other seabirds screeched and a roar and hiss were the sounds they heard. If one would listen to them without seeing them, they would aid meditation, but in sight and vicinity, it sounded and looked threatening, representing danger. Apprehensively they moved along the shore at a safe distance, looking for a possible landing area. Approaching the southwestern side, they spotted a possibility. Ivan lifted the binoculars to his eyes and scanned the area.
"No boats, no life, hmm, I think we could check it out. Secure loose items. It will not be easy to land if there is surf," ordered Ivan and slowly approached the beach. The waves became smaller and the boat glided forward with Ivan's skilled manoeuvring. It was not as bad as they feared. When they were about ten meters from shore, Gábor dropped the Fortress aluminum anchor, it touched bottom at the twelve meters marking, and he handed the rode to Helena. "Pay out the scope as we go, please. I'll go to the bow and take a line ashore to make fast."
He talks as if he is a seasoned sailor, thought Helena to herself, and liked it. She eased the line out as the boat rode the swells and closed in on the beach.
The visibility was fantastic, and she saw fish, shells, pebbles and sand among some rocks, as deep as ten meters, and noticed the relatively steep underwater contour as the seabed rose. The surf was only moderate and when they were about five meters from the beach, the water was only about a meter in depth and a sandy shelf extended to the beach. Gábor slid into the water, touched bottom with his feet, a line in his hand, and began to wade towards the shore, buffeted by small breakers. Several coconut trees fringed the beach and some large boulders and rocks littered the shore. Gábor selected a tree trunk and tied the line to it.
"Take up the slack, Helena." She already pulled the line in and secured it, and Gábor admired her astuteness. Helena would make a great first mate.
"Let's look around, guys." All slid over the side and joined Gábor.
"Welcome to Sir Leo's Island," said Gábor grandiosely and made an inviting gesture with his hands. Helena smiled broadly and Ivan made an oriental thank you move with his hands. Leo just looked around and with his head lifted, sniffed the air. "I like it," he purred.
"Well, now that we are tied up and nobody is around, I would like to hear what Leo has to tell us about this man he went for a dive with," began Ivan and both the other adults agreed strongly.
"So what's the story, Leo?