22 AREAREA (Fun)

There was a kind of a picnic atmosphere on the beach; everybody seemed to be there and there must have been about a hundred people decorating the building, setting up drums, and spreading blankets on the grassy areas.

"You will have a party tonight?"

"Tamaaraa," Tahitian feast for popaa, a ‘Welcome' for European guests. The people will perform a Tahitian Maeva tonight. Better rest a little." Leilani looked coyly at Ivan and Gábor, wondering if they'd be interested.

"There are many vahine and potii here and not many men and they welcome the opportunity to dance with men rather than other women all the time. You're not married, are you?"

"Not yet. What are you doing after the party?" Laughing out loud, Leilani scanned over Ivan and Gábor thoroughly. Both men had that certain magnetism and charm that attracted Leilani. If they had been brought up in the old Polynesian ways, she would invite them both for hauti (play, making love). She could see herself with either, but Gábor was married, regrettably, and that was the line she wouldn't cross unless invited.

"Probably sleeping, but it depends on what the night wind blows in."

"Are you going to the Maeva?" Ivan inquired.

"Wouldn't miss out on it when there are new people around."

"Okay, count me in then." Ivan had an anticipatory look on his face, and Gábor also was looking forward to the festivities and wished Helena was here too. He thought about Leo and his heart tightened in his chest. Would Leo ever be accepted enough to see these kinds of performances, go to concerts or any cultural festivities? Gábor heart ached and all of sudden he didn't want to be here, not when his family could not be. But he also looked forward to seeing Leilani at the festivities and hoped he could see her dance. Beautiful as she was, he was curious how she danced and moved.

Ivan noticed the shadow on his friend's face and guessed what was going in his mind. He had a date with a gorgeous woman while Gábor was away from his wife. For sure he must be missing Helena. Feeling compassion for him, his resolve to go through with the plan he had in his mind, strengthened. He thought about how to introduce Leo as an ambassador of another species. These people here were eager to accept strangers and he wondered how they would react to beings other than human.

Leilani's remark about intelligence in dolphins and birds came back to him, and he wanted to know more about her and her views. Tonight would be a good opportunity to get to talk to her and he hoped to get to know her better. Crossing the throng of bodies, they continued toward the ‘hospital'. As they approached the clinic they saw a young woman from a distance at the entrance looking expectantly toward them.

"Ah, she's back," said Leilani, the pride in her voice subdued, but still perceptible as she spoke about her daughter.

She was as beautiful as the woman beside them; slender and very pretty, her youthful figure filled to full ripeness. The resemblance to Leilani was uncanny, more like a younger sister to Leilani than her daughter. Wearing a hibiscus flower above her ear like all the women and men here, Gábor noticed that some wore it over the right and others over the left ear and he asked Leilani about it. He had read somewhere that there was a significance as to on which side it was worn but forgot what it meant.

"I read some time ago that a flower over her right or left ear designates whether a woman is available or married, but I forgot which is which. Would you remind me, please?"

Leilani looked at him as if she wanted to guess his intention as to why he wanted to know. Was he interested in her daughter, or was his question out of curiosity? She was sure that the ring on his left finger was a wedding band, but the look on his face showed more than fleeting interest.

Was he the kind of men that came to the islands because they thought the females were exotic and easier than the ones back where they came from? Did he lust after other women like her husband had after he married her and had a child with her? Gábor didn't strike her like that at all, and she wouldn't like to think that. Having studied long enough in Europe she had enough insight into western culture and customs to know the jealousy and moral guidelines that ruled their lives, but under that was the secret reality.

In Polynesia of yore, things were very different and she had been brought up much closer to the old values and concepts and had imparted that in her daughters. Regardless of that, she would not tolerate her daughter being exploited by those people who were only interested in a quick roll in the sack. Quietly she explained.

"The difference is whether she is married or not. Over the right ear she is available, over the left, she is married or seriously involved with someone and is taboo, but sometimes a woman has a flower over her right ear even if she has a husband. With that, she indicates that she is available and open for a possible engagement, but that doesn't mean they won't take intimacy seriously. Approaching and flirting is okay and may lead to something, but it's up to her. Many boys have their eyes on her, but as it happens, Vai is not looking for a man as yet. Cheap thrills are not what it's about for her or most of the women here."

That was a shot across the bow and both men got it and understood the implied rule. They were now close enough to be audible and Gábor stopped talking and scanned over the young woman, keenly aware that her mother was observing him.

No shoes on her feet, she stood about the same height as Helena. Her oval face and high cheekbones, wide forehead, and big, observant blue-green wide apart eyes, topped by eyebrows rising in a gentle curve over her eyes were that of a supermodel. Her long, deep brown wavy, almost black hair framed her shoulders and hung down to the middle of her back. It was held in a barrette similar to her mother’s. Natural long and dark eyelashes contrasted with her bright eyes. Her straight nose and sensual mouth with full lips and a good chin were all set into a skin of golden brown complexion. The swaying palm fronds alternately exposed or shadowed her face. Her beauty stunned Gábor and Ivan. This young woman appeared to be between seventeen and twenty-five, depending on the light, and involuntarily, the two men's eyes scanned the two figures. Both female's bodies and the facial bone structure was such as they would remain beautiful into a high age, and both had the fine lines of athletes.

Leilani's daughter wore a blue pareu with red and orange flowers printed on it, and it wrapped around her body in a way that she looked like a picture postcard model. Her fully developed breasts, high, firm, and just perfect, not too big or too small, and fair sized nipples showed through the fabric as if she were cold. Her eyes revealed intelligence, alertness, and deep wisdom. The keen and observant expression on her face changed into a broad smile as she looked at Gábor, then Ivan and back to Gábor. An almost undetectable flicker of curiosity and interest flashed in her eyes that seemed to change color between bright emerald green and blue, depending on the playing light.

With a soft, singing voice, very similar to that of her mother, she greeted them. "Maeva. So you are the two popaa the whole community talks about."

Leilani faced the two men and with a smile, she introduced her.

"This is Vai, my youngest daughter," raising her left hand and using the right she touched one finger on her left hand saying. "She looks after the patients when I leave the Med-shack," then she touched another. "She wants to study to be a veterinarian and sometimes practices on humans," touching her ring finger she continued. "She has some funny ideas about people and society and finally, she is rebellious when it comes to education," she concluded laying a finger to the last small finger.

"Next year she plans to go to Europe to study in the Czech Republic. She also has a set of ears that hear every circulating rumour, and she is up for crucifixion next for her heretic views. She just finished school, but let that topic rest or she'll launch into a lecture without end."

Vai looked at her mother and in English with a slight French accent, she sweetly returned her mother's remark.

"Mother is the one to talk." Mimicking her mother she reiterated her mother's hand gestures, but made only two points.

 "She went to England because in Paris they thought her to be an anarchist. They didn't think it was chic and were happy when she went to London. I think she just wanted to escape the wrath of god. Point two; she left it to me to battle through school and endure all that what she had escaped. Did she not tell you that?" She smiled and then added more seriously.

"It's true. I want to study in Europe where there are better opportunities and not so much religious indoctrination. I'm interested in facts, not dogmas, and fairy tales. I think missionaries running schools stinks. They are more interested in brainwashing than allowing one to learn. I'm glad school is finished here and I don't have to listen to stories they want us to believe are true. I've never believed in stories unsupported by facts or at least strong evidence, and things that I can't explain, I will not explain with another improbable hypothesis, like those priests. So that explains my pending crucifixion."

Leilani spread her arms to her side, palms up and looked at the two men still staring at Vai. "See what I mean about lecturing?"

"It's never too early to drop out of school." Ivan injected, pouring fuel onto the girl's fire. Leilani looked with reproach at Ivan.

"Are you saddling her horse? She is just nineteen and needs to finish her education. She started three years late and had to catch up with the other kids, which she did remarkably well despite her rebellion," she smiled proudly at her daughter and put her arms around her shoulder. Turning her head she faced her with a smile. "Her rebellion had her nearly expelled from school."

"Supporting another does not necessarily mean ganging up on you. I have no schooling to speak of. I survived so far on my own wits, and nobody yet has discovered my ignorance until now. You two are the first to know," responded Ivan apologetically, but with a laugh in his voice. Leilani looked at him with played disdain. Vai nodded to his words with admiration and Gábor had a grin on his face. He knew Ivan well enough to know when he made fun of himself. Ivan was very intelligent and used his capacity well, but often letting others think he was an oaf. That way he knew more than others thought he did and used it to his advantage.

"Education is important," her mother insisted.

"Only the kind that allows one to learn instead turning one into a parrot," injected Gábor. His brush with the educational system had left enough fears with him to last a few lifetimes. He knew what this young woman meant. Vai looked at him with bright eyes and smiled, grateful for the moral support.

"Exactly what I'm saying. I love to learn and I want to know a lot of things. Discoveries and research from teachers with genuine knowledge based on evidence and facts I'm interested in, not beliefs or pseudoscience. I'm just not happy to be forced into studying things I'm not interested in just to pass grades. What do religious studies have to do with science or medicine? I want to study as you did Ma. None of the stuff the Fathers and Sisters tell us about has any scientifically supported evidence and is based only on faith. I doubt whether any of these priests, including the Pope, would jump out of an airplane with only their faith that says god will save them. Yeah, of course only after splattering on the ground. But they want us to follow them and their bible. Have faith, they cry, jump, they say, but they are making sure they would have a parachute." Gábor looked at Ivan who listened with a grin on his face. He liked this girl.

"Everybody needs schooling, Vai," insisted her mother.

"Ever saw a fish going to school, Ma? They have all the knowledge they need to live life without schools."

"Most are found in schools," said Gábor wryly.

Ready to battle Vai turned to him.

"And they study religion to pass grades so god could save their souls? I seriously doubt that."

Gábor stepped back lifting both hands chest-high. "Peace. I'm on your side," he laughed. Vai looked pacified.

"She has fire and some very good points," remarked Ivan. Leilani consentingly looked at Vai then to Ivan and admitted: "There are no schools around here without a religious slant and she must pass through them in order to advance," then, turning to Vai she continued.

"You're through and can go along your own path.  You know I will be behind you all the way."

"I know, Ma. I'm sorry if I upset you. We talked about this and I know you're with me on this. It is just very frustrating to listen to that nonsense every day. I'm not some dumb child. I'm glad I'm through, no more school for me here. I want to see more of what’s out there."

Ivan looked at the two women and saw the very strong likeness in their faces, and if the young woman were any indication of her mother's influence, they would make a great team, but veterinarian? Where could she possibly find work here? Tahiti would be the best place in the South Pacific. Perhaps some other islands had need of them. She would know more about it than him.

Leilani excused herself; she wanted to tend to Lundy, grabbed some items, and went inside through the garden to a fare, a Tahitian style building on posts with a bit of French influence in it. Vai offered them tea and they accepted. They had their packages still on the porch and Vai asked them where they wanted to go.

There was another fare here they could use, she said, glancing pointedly at Gábor. The men informed Vai that her mother had offered it to them as long as they needed it. Lundy was the only patient in a two-bed fare; another one was available. Vai looked happy and flashed a smile at Gábor.

"Sorry to have been harsh with you. Let me help you with that," she said and grabbed one of the backpacks before Gábor got it, and with a smile, he took the other small package he intended to give to someone as a gift, while Ivan picked up his backpack. Vai walked in front of Gábor and he admired her round butt and legs and the sway of her hips. Vai had the same sexy walk as Helena and their bodies were nearly identical. There was the same dance in her walk as in Helena.

While the water heated up, the men followed Vai and entered the other fare behind her. It was a clean place with two beds, a table, and a few hooks for clothing, a cabinet for personal items, nothing fancy, but very practical. A string curtain made from shells separated a shower stall from the room, which contained a toilet as well.

They put the small items on the bed and the backpack on the floor and accompanied the young woman back to the main building. The water was boiling and Leilani put petals of Jasmine flowers into the pot and poured hot water on them. Vai got the cups and Gábor used the time to look the two women over while Ivan engaged them in a bit of talk about the imminent festivity. Leilani was about fifty kilo and when she stood in front of him her eyes were at the height of his lips. Her blue eyes had dark rings around her iris and bore witness to European blood in her. Her open, heart-shaped face, bronze-tanned and bright, smile dazzled the two white men. Perfect white teeth flashed behind her sculptured, generous, full lips and took both men's breath away. She had a figure very much like Helena; slender and willowy like that of a teenager. Her hair was loose from the nape of her neck down, where a hair clip made from shell material held it, and from there it fell to the middle of her back and ended in another hair clip close to its end, perhaps to keep her hair together and not to get in the way when she worked.

She had a stronger flare to her hips than Vai, evidence that she had children, and with her hourglass figure, she looked very sexy indeed. Her round buttocks were high and firm and ended in nice legs, shapely calves, and fine ankles with small feet. Her youthful slender frame had all the right curves and her moves were graceful and elegant as that of a dancer.

She had changed into a western style skirt and a blouse with a v-cut just to the middle of her sternum and a necklace of black pearls decorated her neck and chest. Her round breasts, close together and a bit larger than Helena's seemed firm and he caught a glimpse of the dark areolae when she bent a bit forward as she did now while filling their cups with the aromatic Jasmine tea. Her golden skin showed no blemishes anywhere. He looked at her heart shaped face, wide, large eyes, straight nose, and full lips when she straightened up again.

Her age was hard to guess, but if Vai was nineteen and had an older daughter, the mother had to be about forty unless she had a child at a very young age, yet she didn't look more than thirty.

Vai was the younger version of her mother and there was no doubt the two women were related and they could easily pass for sisters. If Vai resembled her mother, her sister would too. Leilani's parents had passed down a great genetic bloodline and he wondered if he'd ever meet Vai's sister to affirm his observation.

He noticed Vai looking at him, and smiling as if expecting an answer from him and with a jolt, he got out of his scrutiny of the doctor's body.

"Hm-um, I was out of it for a minute. What did I miss?"

"Maybe a few things, but not much, I'd think," Vai smiled, having noticed his eyes on her mother's body. Gábor's face flushed. Leilani glanced at him and smiled, obviously enjoying his interest in her.

 "I asked what you are you doing here in Polynesia. There is not much here on Niau." He thought fast. What were they doing here?

"Uh, I work with Ivan on the same case. We came for holidays and then we decided to do this job, to find a person who fell overboard," he answered fast and turned toward the door to hide his face. He knew he wasn't a good liar.

"Insurance agents? You don't look like one. Sounds like a boring line of work."

"The money pays the bills."

"So when will you take Mr. Lundy to Papeete? What will you do after, I mean, after checking out the sights," she smiled and threw a glance at her mother, then looking at him again she continued. "Checking out the girls? Cultural events? The island; clubbing perhaps?"

"Vai, Aren't you a bit nosy?" her mother tried to restrain her daughter's inquisitiveness.

"It's okay Leilani, I don't mind. In fact, I enjoy it. It is not often that a young woman talks to me or is interested in what I do in my spare time." He turned to Vai again and delighted in her attention. She had a great smile and fascinating eyes and she was openly curious.

"I practice archery and martial arts when I'm in Canada, but here I am checking out the sites of your forefathers and I want to know about the living culture, how we foreigners have affected your lives and how the original people cope with it. It is like studying the cause and effect on people."

"That sounds interesting enough. Are you married? Wife, family, pets, any serious attachments?"

Leilani looked very uncomfortable, but when she looked at Gábor, she saw authentic interest in him to reply and answer her younger daughter's interrogating questions.

"Yes to all, Helena and ... Uh, we came together to Tahiti." He stumbled when he mentioned his family and the women noticed it, he was sure of that and quickly continued to cover up his faux pas.

"Yes, we have pets in Canada, two cats, and an old dog."

"I have a few dolphin pets and when I have time, I go swimming with them and have a lot of fun. They are very smart and sometimes I think they have more brains than the men do, at least here. I mean they have it more together, you know what I mean?"

Leilani broke into the conversation. "Vai means "Water" in our language and it fits her to a "T". She spends all her spare time with them and when I see them together, it is as if she is a dolphin too; she swims like one, plays like one, and I swear, she can talk with them too. If you have a chance to see her, you'll agree. She goes to the beach sometimes and when she whistles, they come, even if they prefer the southern beaches."

"Ma gave me the Va'a to use, my father's outrigger canoe, and I cross the lagoon to get to the southeast coast."

While Leilani spoke, Gábor contacted Leo. He was there and so was Helena, of course, and he wanted to share with them. This was interesting stuff. Ivan got in too and they ‘listened' to this conversation.

"Can you really speak to the dolphins?"

"I don't know if they speak as such, but they seem to understand concepts, and I can tell for sure when they are upset or happy. They "speak" with their body, with ultrasound, which of course we can't hear and then the way they move through the water. When they want you to understand something, they get physical, bumping you or coming at you with great speed, scaring the lights out of you, and then veer off, leaving you in their wake like a stunned fish. It sometimes gets like a boxing match and you have to watch out. You are better off getting out of the water when that happens."

"Did you consider studying Marine Biology?" asked Ivan.

"Yes, as a hobby or perhaps as a sideline, and I love cats, dogs, and horses, all kinds of animals, really. I love to cuddle with them, look after them when they need help and that is not possible with dolphins, at least not here. They live in a different world. They would die on land, and I would die in the water. As much as I love them, I must respect our differences. I think accepting our difference is the key to true love."

 "That's a very wise thing to say from someone so young, Vai. I've met someone else who is also very young and wise for his age. Perhaps I will introduce you to him one day, but I must talk with him and his parents first. I'm sure you'd like him."

Ivan breached a sensitive issue, he knew, and looked at Gábor and saw in his eyes a question. "Are you talking about Leo?"

"He is." Leo and Helena thought as one. "You know. Why are you asking?"

"I have a hard time believing it. You are risking exposing Leo."

"Sooner or later he will be known, Gábor. We cannot hide Leo forever. And we have to start somewhere."

"Leo is not ready."

"Maybe not and neither are you, but I did not mean to introduce him today. I need to know more about Vai and Leilani. When Leo says he is willing to meet her, then we will see how best to do it.  For now, I just want to prime the girl. Her mind-field is ready, Gábor. Leo needs friends and peers who can be with him and support him when he gets into the outside world and she could be one of them if I see it right."

All this dialogue took less than a second and the women experienced only a fraction of a pause in their conversation with Ivan.

"Helena, what is your take?" Gábor wanted to have her input, but Helena needed time to think about it and conveyed such.

"Let's get back to Vai and Leilani. Stay tuned."

"So where is this person you are talking about and who is he?" Vai asked.

"He is from Canada and lives in the woods. One day, if he is willing to meet you, I'll let you know. It's a promise."

"Canada is a long way from here."

"He promised me a dinner in Canada…what was it, Ivan… Horseshoe Bay?" Leilani told Vai and her eyes sparkled.

"What? In Canada? But… but you don't know him," groused Vai in mock outrage over her mother's apparent frivolity.

"I will by the time when I'm back here," Leilani shot back with a wicked smile.

"Ma, I thought I knew you." Vai laid her hand on her chest and her mouth formed an "O". "You're shocking me."

"Oh, thank heaven. I was afraid I'd lost that edge." Leilani laid her hand on her chest, just like her daughter. It was a game they played, intended for the popaa that were not used to the direct and immediate expression of feelings and danced around an issue that led almost always to the reason that man and woman existed.

Leilani had brought up her daughters in the way of her old culture that wasted no time with what so-called civilized cultures practiced called ‘getting to know each other'. In her view, once the acknowledgment of the attraction to another was established, there was no sense in useless conversation before the parties involved got down to the business of pleasure. There was no better way to get to know one other than becoming intimate with them.

There was no faking or conventionalism in this form of relating, no game playing where the partners got married and found out in the marriage that they fell for pretence and now were trapped and locked into a situation from which conformity made it difficult to escape from. People got to know each other very fast and if it was good, they continued with their relationship, and if not, they found another. The partners based a relationship on the experience with their chosen mates and not on ownership of the person.

Ivan and Gábor looked at each other and Gábor smiled at his friend even though he was a bit miffed with him. Leilani seemed to like Ivan, judging by her willingness to take him up on his offer to have dinner with him in Canada, but he wanted to know what ideas Ivan had and he needed time to link with Leo and Helena so he could have the whole idea of what was going on in Ivan's head. Helena and Leo in the background seemed to get the picture, and their thoughts were aligning with Ivan. Gábor squinted.

Leilani excused herself again and got up to see after Lundy. This time Ivan went with her and Gábor and Vai followed behind like colleagues would, but he stayed behind her. Vai walked in front of him, her hips swaying almost erotically and he caught himself looking at her buttocks and hips as he had earlier. Her slender frame was very feminine and trim. She had a smooth walk and somehow reminded him of Helena. Helena in the background snickered and was pleased too.

"I'm pleased to see you are still receptive to the female charms. I like her; she is sexy. I can see us becoming close friends. We could meet them after you come back, and we all could check out Papeete and she could be our tour guide. She has the kind erotica you like. Leilani is just as beautiful and Ivan seems to have caught on fire. I'd like to meet them sometime." The image from Helena was warm and fuzzy.

He had to agree; this young woman had something of a natural erotic emanation very similar to Helena's. Leilani too was very attractive. Good for Ivan. Gábor looked past Vai. Lundy was in the fare to the left from theirs and the layout was the same. When Leilani entered with Ivan, Lundy was awake. His head bandaged with a lot of gauzes, the left side of his face covered down to his jaw, he looked as if he wore a lopsided turban. Some blood had seeped through the bandage.

"Hi Doc," he greeted Leilani.

"I brought you a visitor, Mr. Lundy, Mr. …" The doctor looked at Ivan.

"Cherenkov, Ivan Cherenkov," Ivan filled in. "Perhaps you've heard about my father? We're not related." Lundy's face looked confused.

"Who are you?"

"I am an insurance agent for the Cruise line you work for, and we heard about your accident and were sent to find you or your body if possible, so a claim could be settled. I'm glad we found you alive."

"What insurance? And what cruise line?"

"You don't remember? Emerald Seas. The Line has insurance for all crew. If something happens, we pay."

"Who pays? How much?"

"We do, but it all depends. How do you feel?"

"My head feels like a football after a punt."

"I'm here to take you to Papeete, to a hospital and when you've recovered, you can go back to work on your ship, as soon as you like."

"What ship? Where am I?"

"On an Island called Niau, near the Tuamotu, two hundred nautical miles east of Tahiti."

"And how did I get here?"

"You don't know?"

"Not really. I have some pictures in my head of a ship, a lion, dolphins, and a deserted beach. The next thing I see is the doctor here."

"You don't remember fighting with another person and falling overboard, being in the water?"

"Only visions, but not clearly. I have no clear pictures, only impressions; they come and go. It only came to me now as you asked."

"Concussion," Leilani said quietly beside Ivan.

"What about his memory?"

"Partial amnesia? Hard to tell."

"Okay, Mr. Lundy. Get some rest. We'll talk some more tomorrow."

"Okay."

Gábor had been in contact with Leo during the conversation and felt uneasy about Ivan's "story" of being an agent for the Liner Company, but it went down without a glitch. Helena felt a mental sigh of relief when Lundy claimed loss of memory and hoped it would remain that way for a long time.

However, she knew from past history of a few patients in her line of work that in many cases memory trickled back over time as the brain recovered from the trauma, not a hundred percent, but good enough to make statements, which in their case could be a problem. Gábor felt compassion for the man when he looked at his face and could only imagine the scars he would have from Leo's claws. The doctor did a great job, but there were four claw marks, and three of them looked really nasty, they would leave him looking disfigured. His left eye would look strange for sure.

Confused by this compassion Gábor wrinkled his forehead. He had reason to hate the man for attacking his son and endangering his life. At the same time, felt pity for his sustained injury and loss of memory about a big time of his life. Leo could be very dangerous it seemed, and Gábor wondered if he had a wild side in him along with his looks. Leo picked up on his thought and replied only to him.

"Dad, it was not intentional, I didn't mean to harm him. We may be lucky if his memory loss remains stable. What do you think?"

"If he recovers, we will have still the same problem. Can we find out how stable or unstable the memory loss is?" injected Helena.

"Leilani is the doctor and perhaps she can find out, but she would need information to probe into his memories and provoke him to remember events."

"What if Ivan mentions the dolphins or he sees you? If you show yourself to him he may remember you and could connect you to the cruiser and he would know you're not who you pretend to be."

"I will stay out of his sight for the time being and see what happens when the dolphins are brought up," Gábor the ended the link.

When Ivan stepped with Leilani out of the room, Gábor touched his hand slightly to his forehead, indicating to Ivan to link up and Leilani thought he indicated something about Lundy's mental state.

"He is confused and there is a severe case of concussion to be expected. I will see if I can rouse his memory about the accident. He lost much blood and we have no blood transfusion facilities here and no x-ray. He has to go to Papeete. Only there can he be taken care of properly," Leilani explained her concern while Ivan linked in with Leo and his family without her noticing.

The four-way connection took only a second, and they agreed on the idea of using the dolphins to provoke Lundy's memory when they talked to him again, but to keep Gábor out of sight until they were either sure the amnesia was stable, or that they were without any witnesses if Lundy started to remember events.

"We could leave tomorrow if he is transportable. Nonetheless, do you think there is a chance of finding out if dolphins were involved in his rescue? Do you think Vai could communicate with the dolphins and find out if they were instrumental in saving Lundy? If she has that connection with them, it may be possible to find out some things and that info may be helpful to bring back some of Lundy's memories, you think?" Leilani considered that thought and found it intriguing. She turned to Vai who, who heard the question and looked thoughtfully at Ivan.

"I could try. But it is getting late today, plus we'd better get ready for the arearea."

"What's an arearea?" asked Gábor. He was picking up the words and enjoyed the use of them. Helena and Leo were getting the education of their lives in Maori language skills and laughed.

"It means ‘Fun', Vai informed Gábor and added:

"You will see some of the dances we have and the traditional costumes, and since you are interested in ‘living culture', you will have your fill tonight. You must participate in the men's dancing and we will have some good laughs. It's a lot of fun." A mischievous laugh formed in the corners of her mouth and she looked at her mother.

"Ma has not danced since my father died and she needs a shake-up dance. You two had better have a good rest before it starts. She," and she pointed with her chin toward her mother, "is a wild dancer when she gets going."

"So are you, Vai," her mother deflected the praise.

"I had a very good teacher. You taught Ina and me, remember?"

"I do. You girls wore me down."

"We kept you from hauti is more like it."

"That too," laughed Leilani.

"What's ‘hauti' and who is Ina?" Gábor asked.

"Hinanu is my first daughter. She lives in Papeete," replied Leilani.

Okay. And what does ‘hauti' mean?"

"Making love," replied Vai before her mother could stop her.

"Around here in Polynesia we're a bit more open about sexuality than you Westerners and have no compunctions like you do," Leilani explained.

"Your Judeo-Christian guilt and shame complex is totally the opposite in our old culture. We have always nurtured sexuality as a cherished activity that was a pleasure for everybody to enjoy without shame or guilt. We're having no bad feelings when we feel good. Of course, with the arrival of your missionaries that has changed for many, at least on the surface. But in my family and many people on these islands the old ways are still practiced underground. We had no choice but to conform or die as heathen. But nevertheless, when we have the chance to celebrate, we do, and resurrecting the old, sensible customs with dancing, is one way to get it started.

The funny thing is when your captain Cook arrived here, they all enjoyed our ways and our culture, then your missionaries came and told us it was all sinful and forbade almost everything we did and showed us that the ‘proper' way to live was living in misery, greedy, jealous and hanging heads over some original sin and walking around with dresses that get filthy and harbour diseases. Additionally, we're paying for food and goods that nature provides freely. Before them, food was available for free. Today we have to buy our own produce.

In this day and age, the Westerners come here to find all that what we had before the missionaries ‘improved' our lives. They think we must be glad that they came to show us what it takes to be happy. You two appear to be different from them. The dances and celebrations today will give you a little insight into our culture that many have forgotten."

Both men felt a bit awkward and didn't know how to reply to that, so Ivan broke the uncomfortable moment with a remark meant to ease the situation.

"Your ways sound more like an hors d'oeuvre to me. Let the dance begin." Even Helena had a good laugh roughly hundred forty-five nautical miles away. Helena wondered how Gábor would look when he tried to dance Polynesian style. He moved well, had great coordination and if it was possible to see through Ivan's eyes Gábor's movements, then it would be like her watching him through her own eyes. She looked forward to the experience and conveyed it to him, but reminded him to save at least one dance for her. Telepathically he replied.

"As long as you are around, there never will be any dance that was not reserved for you."

"Choose well. We are free to love, anytime, anywhere and anyone as long as it is mutual and not forced. Have fun. Remember that love is to be shared. I'll dance with you when you come back," she promised, but left a quizzical husband to ponder what she meant with "We are free to love, anytime, anywhere and anyone, as long as it is mutual and not forced."

She couldn't have meant for him to get it on with the women here. Ivan's grin told him he was ‘listening' and he shrugged his shoulders. To him, it sounded like Gábor had a liberal wife with a great sense of humour. Their relationship was solid as bedrock. The undercurrent of Helena's thoughts must have meant that Gábor should enjoy the festivities. There are very few secrets in the mind-link, but still, some remained obscure; he would have to get used to it or learn how to cover his thoughts.