13 MEHETIA

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."

12 HOME AWAY FROM HOME

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?

11 HELENA’S RECALL

Helena recalled their meeting at the end of July when she got the job at the athletic center. She had worked in a hospital in Budapest and didn't like what was going on. The nurses battled the administration and there was a permanent uproar over wages; the corruption was extensive. Nepotism and favouritism flourished, and patients had to foot the bills for doctors' mistakes and were expected to bribe them for proper treatment. Installations and equipment had to be begged for in every department and by the time they got them, they were obsolete. The budget was never enough, and she just could not stand the steady advances from the doctors who thought she was fair game because she was single. She dated three doctors from that hospital and found them so much in love with themselves, that there was no room for her. It was not what she wanted. She felt to be a sperm depository and wanted to meet someone with substance.

Her first sexual experience was at age fifteen with a boy from her school at a party and lasted less than fifteen minutes including foreplay, getting disrobed, and then dressed and clean up after. It wasn't the great experience she had heard about. At first, he was nice and gentle with her and she knew what he wanted, but he entered her before she was ready and it had caused some hurt. And then he just kept going, unaware or not caring for her discomfort. That foreign object penetrating her felt weird in the beginning, but then she felt pleasure rising and gave herself to the feeling. The disappointment was that he had his orgasm before she really enjoyed it. His face distorted and then she felt a pulsing, warm liquid filling her. That was the best of the entire encounter; the rest was a jumble of emotions, confusing and worrisome, as he seemed not to be paying much attention to her, but was very concerned about being discovered doing something immoral and a sin.

They spent a few months together and it was always the same with Csaba. He wanted sex as often as she did, but he came so fast, it was like a summer rain shower, gone before she got wet and she rarely had an orgasm. And those rare instances when she had a climax, it was nothing to brag about; she called them minis. Most of the time she had to finish what he started, sometimes with a sex-toy, but without a partner, it was not fulfilling.

Nevertheless, she did love him and even thought about being his wife one day, but it didn't work out. He found an older woman, and she let him go with love and remained friends with them until they moved to Austria. After he broke up, she didn’t have a boyfriend until she started working in the hospital. Studies took up most of her time, and then she got into yoga and Aikido. That helped her to control her hormones.

Then she met a doctor from Italy and thought to have found a good man, but he was insane with jealousy and hit her once at a party that they both attended. His mistake was to hold her by the arm with the other hand. His brief flight off the balcony ended seconds later with an attempt to do a hazardous headstand on the front lawn of the prestigious Turkish bath house with two-dozen people applauding his performance and calling out scores between 5.5, from a German tourist, and 5.9 from a Danish female figure skating champion. Six would have been the perfect score.

She had wondered briefly if she would not be better off with a woman lover like one of her classmates who swore by it, however, she enjoyed the feeling of a good and hard penetration, the twitching, pulsing member of a man in her mouth or vagina, especially when it ended with a climax for her, which rarely happened with any of the men she had met in the past. She had performed fellatio a few times with a forty-year-old African surgeon while doing her practicum on physiotherapy and fortune had it that he was a non-smoker and loved fruits as much as he loved her. His semen was almost sweet and she enjoyed sucking his cock and coupling with him, but when he told her he was Muslim and she would have to conform to their customs if she wanted to continue with him, she ended the affair. He thought she would go with him to be his second wife. It was a tempting offer because she cared for him dearly, but she found Islam too restrictive for a woman. She would never give up her self-sufficient and autonomous lifestyle for any man, especially for a relationship based on any faith. Respectfully, she declined his offer. After that, he had moved back to South Africa to his wife and family.

She met another man, a young doctor, and after a short courting season, she relented and had sex with him and after an uneventful romp in the sack, both lay in bed together, having a drink and then she listened to his snoring for the rest of the night. Examining her feelings, she realized it was her own desire for some intimacy and sex that made her give in to his pursuit. She hated herself for being shallow and tried to mobilize more empathy for him, but couldn’t.

Not satisfied, she tried to revive him in the morning by giving him head and perhaps have him again and he did return from the dead, a testimony to her skill pleasing a man, but then he came too fast, and that's when she found out that smokers and coffee drinkers tasted awfully bitter. Almost everybody smoked and drank coffee in Hungary. It was hard to find a non-smoker those days and she spat out his semen and he had felt insulted. Expecting her to swallow, he felt rejected and she felt sorry, but couldn't suppress her revulsion over his foul door and the taste of his sperm.

Following that incident, she swore to never let a man come in her mouth if he smoked or consumed too much coffee. After that, he didn't get an erection and that was it. He lost interest in her and the rest of the day was spent in an uncomfortable silence and avoidance of close contact.

Although she had tried to explain to him that she cared for him, just not the flavour of his semen, he took it as a rejection of him. She had tried to generate some feelings for him but found he was more concerned with his performance and position in society than her needs, and that turned her off in a hurry. Her parents talked with her and advised her to lower her expectations if she ever wanted to get married, but after observing how married couples’ faces dropped after being together for some time, she saw marriage as being a trap. Her friend Zsuzsa married one of the doctors who adored her and she thought him to be the best, until she found out that she was not the only one he adored, but did not allow her to find out if there was a better one than the best. A two-sided blade will cut both ways said Helena, and she was not going to be married to become someone's prisoner or showpiece.

The following spring she met an older man who was happy with a younger woman and he was good to her but had a problem satisfying her. He had no imagination and once he had his orgasm, he fell asleep and nothing she did could keep him awake. When that happened in the middle of mutual oral sex, she decided to call it off. They separated as friends and saw each other only at conferences to say hello, how are you. She had two other men after him, but she dropped her expectations toward men.

A year later, she heard about this job opening at the National Athletic Centre and applied. She had the interview and a day later. Olmos called and said she had the job and would work with Dr. Fabien, a massage therapist, trained in acupressure and shiatsu. He also was a life-skills counsellor, non-smoker, and fruit-lover, according to the institution's profile on Dr. Fabien and that was something Helena considered a plus. Colleagues that knew Dr. Fabien had a good opinion of him but didn't know any details about him. Apparently, he kept to himself, but was friendly and a kind of a wise man with an enigmatic personality. He sounded interesting as a colleague and she felt good about working in a smoke-free environment, yet, burned several times by working with colleagues and being harassed as a woman, she had no intentions at all to date and wanted to forestall any advances. She thought she would test the waters and see what kind of a person Dr. Fabien was. A dependable, authentic, and trustworthy personality, someone with integrity would be nice, but people like that were hard to find.

Fraternizing between co-worker and employers was frowned upon on any job and she broke that rule regularly, but wouldn't allow a man or woman to throw their weight around because of their position. The "Politically correctness" idea, in her point of view, created falseness in behaviour, and she was secure enough to repel or divert any inappropriate advances. As a matter of fact, she took them as a compliment rather than an insult. When it came insistently in form of an offer to improve her position, she turned tables on the offending person and it had resulted in dire consequences for the other. Helena was not easily intimidated or afraid to speak her mind.

She was not opposed to dating a colleague, but it seemed men used the opportunity to get close to a woman. She loved to work together with people whose calling was to help and assist people to be at their best and figured a cordial relationship with staff members was contributing to that aim. Rules that limited that cordiality were counterproductive and were only in the interest of business. In her view, personal relationships were unstoppable and only produced tension and gossip among workers. Envy, rumours, jealousy, and backstabbing were the results of restricted interaction between humans when there was a suppressing factor.

However, to her, it appeared that many people had two sides to them. When they encountered a prospective partner, they played the dating game and once they succeeded with them their behaviour changed to something she called the "before and after face".

While they courted they were considered, funny, interesting, and respectful, and when they had the other for a little while, the other, much uglier face surfaced. In general, they presented their chocolate side to gain their affection, but working together that would soon wear off. The sweet side vanished and their true colors showed.

Over a short period, she discovered that Gábor was real. There was no hidden agenda and he didn't change with time. He was the most authentic person she had ever met and her instincts had proven to be right. When she met him that first time, she saw a man perhaps a hundred-seventy centimeters, (5’6”) tall, about thirty-five to forty years old in black outdoor type shorts with a white t-shirt and tennis shoes. He had dark hair that covered half of his ears, parted on the left, and combed back, touching the edge of his shirt. A necklace with a claw and another native North American necklace with Emerald, black and white stones, and some animal tubular bone hung around his strong neck. With broad shoulders and a slender waist, he looked athletic, yet not bulky.

His strong face was old Hungarian stock, she thought. High cheekbones, almond shaped laughing eyes that seemed to have seen everything. There seemed to be a light dancing in his calm, hazel brown eyes. He had fine, sensual lips that seemed to be smiling as if something constantly amused him. He looked trustworthy and friendly and she felt an instant attraction to him. This was a man she could love.

As she got closer, a welcoming smile played on his lips and she almost hugged him. Dr. Fabien captured Helena like a moth to the light. Witty and original, she loved the way he played with words, a sign of intelligence; his jokes were off the wall, but funny. Intentions to keep her distance blew up in her face.

When Mr. Olmos came onto the field to introduce them to each other, Helena felt as if she'd known Gábor for a long time already. They had flirted shamelessly in the office, bantered, and jostled until Mr. Longface Olmos interrupted them to sign her contract.

After their meeting, Gábor left for a few days and Helena could barely wait to see him again. When she did, it was as if the sun had risen after a long dark night. They'd spent a day at the citadel and she invited him to her place to show him her collection of Native American art and hoped something would come out of it, but he was a gentleman; too much of a gentleman, she figured, and wondered how he was with other women.

Despite her vows to be cautious, she went ahead and flirted with him full steam, trusting her intuition. Did he date anyone at all? She didn't think so. Was he good in bed? They had discovered how much they were alike in mentality and their interest in life's fundamental questions, and she felt as if she could talk with him forever, but he remained reserved and nothing happened beyond flirting. She wondered if he perhaps didn't have any other interest in her than just flirting. Could it be that he was gay? She would have loved and welcomed his advances, but he had this invisible wall around him that made it difficult to get close to him on a more intimate and personal level.

That weekend she went to the pool with him and they had a good time talking and swimming. She noticed the outline of his good-sized package in his tight swimwear and his broad hairy chest and the spark to get to know him physically intensified. He was a strong swimmer and she asked him to show her how to breathe while doing the freestyle stroke. He did explain, but realized she didn't get it. Swimming past her a few rounds, slowly to let her see how he did it didn't do it. She still didn't get it.

"This will never do. May I hold on to you while you do the stroke and I'll assist you with your head position?”

"Please do. I want to get this." He put his hand on her belly and she felt a jolt of electricity buzzing through her body. Gasping she swallowed some water and coughed.

"Are you okay?" he asked. He felt her body's sudden jump and his penis twitch when he touched her.

"Just a wave, that's all," she had said. "Your touch startled me."

However, that was a big lie. She wanted to feel his hands on her forever. He put his hand again under her and she sank down onto it. Feeling his hand on her body heated her up and she tried to ignore it.

For a little while it worked. With his free hand, he turned her head to the side and tucked it in as she did the stroke, instead of letting her lift her head out of the water as she had done before. She got the idea pretty fast, but now she became aware of his hand on her belly button and her sex. If he just would move his hand lower… The thought caught on, but then he let her go. Her pulse had accelerated and her nipples hardened. When she covertly adjusted her bikini bottom, she felt she had become slippery between her legs. This was crazy. They were in a public pool and she felt everybody would see her state. Putting her feet down she remained up to her neck in the water, thanking him for the lesson. He was happy to stay in the water also. His penis had a mind of its own. Feeling her softly curved abdomen in his hand and so close to her sex, it wanted to jump out of his swimwear.

"Hm-um." He cleared his throat. "You learn fast."

"I felt safe in your hands, and you're a good coach."

"I was just supporting you."

"Is that not a woman's dream?" she said playfully.

"Is it yours too?"

"I have dreams, but I don't need another to feel good or to be supported if I can support myself, but it still feels nice."

"Very noble and wise. What are your dreams, may I ask?"

"Joy in life. A person I can love and who loves me for who I am and lets me be me. I need to feel that I'm valued for who I am. There is more, but I need to powder my nose. Would you please order some tea for us?"

She left to go to the washrooms and he went to get their tea, feeling an emotion rising in him that made him want to sing. He was falling in love moment by moment.

Helena was happy they had had this little talk. It dispersed her excitement and gave her a moment to examine her emotions. Gábor wasn't just a fancy. Deep inside she felt an attraction that had its roots in the depths of her soul. It was as if they had known each other for ages, but why was he so reserved? Didn't he like her? She was nervous and cold. Additionally, she needed to pee. When she returned, Gábor held two teacups in hands. She took one and they sipped it slowly, looking at each other.

"What plans do you have after we get out of here?" he asked.

"None. Why? Do you have any ideas?"

"How would you feel about dancing? Do you dance?"

"What, with a body like this?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing, besides cold."

Seeing her nipples clearly protruding through the material of her bikini top provoked thoughts of having them in his mouth.

"It will warm up again."

"If you'd get close to me," she flirted. "You look hot." Her glance involuntarily looked at his pants. The package seemed to have shrunk a little.

"I'll do my best to make you glow," he promised.

"And I'll hope so and look forward to it."

It was a magical night. They danced a lot and both danced well.

She was dressed in a loose skirt and a fitted shirt, no bra, and her satin white panties flashed when she twirled, exposing her stunning thighs. Gábor moved smoothly and was flexible, and she moved, according to him, like a willow.

When a slow dance came up, she asked him for a dance and they went. Dancing with him closely and touching him gave her the same response she had felt earlier in the pool. The heat radiated through her entire body, liquefied her pelvis and made her heart beat like a drum. His hands burned on her skin. His chest in tight contact with her breasts aroused her and when his thigh brushed against hers, she maneuverer her body so his thigh could wedge between her legs. Close dancing with her had him hard like some crossword puzzles and she made sure his rigid shaft remained nested between her legs in tight contact with her sex and pubes as much as possible. She nearly climaxed with her clothes on and he knew. Her body language, her hip movements, and shuddering in his arms spoke loud and clear. She started to lose control; she knew it, but couldn't stop. They shared the floor with only three other couples for a tango, vertical sex she called it, and they seemed to notice her condition and smiled. Helena was in a flirty mood and innuendoes flew from her lips. She pressed her body against Gábor's, her face flushed, her eyes sultry. His penis ached for release, and when he dipped her, his leg between hers in her crotch, he felt the heat and moisture of her sex and knew he would have to have her or go crazy.

She wanted him badly too and knew she would have to make the first move. Tempting him to make his move she looked at him seductively when they went back to their table and with a sultry voice, she suggested.

"I think I'm heated up enough. Let's go to your place and get into something fresh. I'm sweating and wet, and my place has too many ears."

Her message was clear. She wanted to be alone with him. His hopes to have this date end at his place, and perhaps she would stay with him, seemed to take shape, but his insecurities persisted. What if this turned out to be just a fling? This woman could have any man she wanted. Why him?

"You're in charge," and a rush of hope mixed with fear of possible rejection rose in him. A taxi took them to Gábor's house in Buda, where a few lilac bushes fringed the short path leading to his door. The scent of the flowers intoxicating in her nostrils, crickets chirping, and the frogs croaking on a nearby pond supplied the mood for romance. The night still pulsing strong in her body, she figured it was the right time to make her move. When he fished for the keys, she stepped in between the door and him and kissed him, and to her delight he kissed her back. Her mouth felt soft on his lips and he played with his tongue on them while trying to insert the key into the lock behind her back. When he attempted to look over her shoulder she didn't let him and kissed him again and again.

"Hey, I'll never get this key in the lock if you insist on kissing me," he managed between kisses.

"Why? Can't find the keyhole?"

"I can't see it."

"Feel for the keyhole then. You could feel it. Or would you like to try another keyhole perhaps? I'm sure you have a key for that, and it would be easier to find and fit."

This was more than insinuation. It was brazen and strong, her seductive smile full of mischief. Whenever he wanted to look where the lock was, she kissed him again and laughed. In between her playful kisses, he finally managed to open the door and on the doorstep, he kissed her hard and with urgency. That was what she wanted. Pulling her strongly to him, his hands on her rump, he pressed her body to his loins. Helena felt his shaft on her sex and lifted her thigh, wrapped her leg around his buttocks, and felt his hard bulge in her cleft and moaned. He would feel good in her. She wanted him in her, now or never. Kissing him wasn't enough anymore.

Gábor noticed her skirt had slipped and hiked up around her waist and feeling her naked thighs, her soft pubes hot through the fabric of his slacks against his straining manhood excited him more than he thought possible. This woman was a wildcat and he loved her assertiveness. Her lips tight on his, her tongue against his, created a seal; she sucked on his tongue, while her pelvis slowly rolled against him, letting him know what she wanted.

Feeling her loins undulating against his hard-on wouldn't give him any other option than making love to her. Obviously, she wanted it as much as he. He had an erection like an obelisk and just as hard. Moaning, his hands on her buttocks, he pressed his pelvis with the hard rod onto the cleft of her sex and the only thing between them was the flimsy fabric of their clothing.

It was agonizing. Helena whimpered as her sex turned liquid. She felt the moisture gathering in her groin, a spasm deep in her abdomen and then she shuddered, having a mini orgasm on his doorsteps. It wasn't enough. She needed him, all of him. It was time to get real.

"I want you," she whispered. Her playfulness had turned into scalding passion and desire; their kiss became ravenous and demanding. His fresh taste was like spring water, and she opened her mouth wider and he kissed her back, then suddenly he let her go and said: "Let's go inside. I want you to stay tonight,"

Breathless she replied, "I had hoped you would say that or I would have had to kill you."

That night they had sex that shook her to the core. Not because of the games they played or the techniques he used on her, but because he was fun, virile, gentle, hard, passionate, loving, soft, and caring, all together. He paid attention to her needs and her passion ignited his over and over.

They possessed each other in conventional, unconventional, and even some kinky ways. Tied to the bedpost, she had experienced orgasms as intense as never before, and reversing roles had him at her mercy. She had experienced multiple orgasms on his fingers, his mouth, his tongue, and penis. She had lost count, and it was so intense, she was unable to rest. It was also the first time she took a penis down her throat and didn't gag. The flavour of his semen pleased her and she craved for more. The salty almond taste suited her palate and she swallowed. It had become a treat for both. Using edible things, whipped cream and fruits drove her insane as well as silk scarves and feathers of a pheasant.

They didn't sleep at all until the sun came up in the East over the Danube and the splendid skyline over Pest enthralled them for a minute, but then they continued playing with each other. He called in to work and told Ferri something came up and that they wouldn't be able to come until the next day. The division manager wanted to know if "they" meant Helena as well, although everybody knew how close Helena and Gábor were. He replied that Helena had something stuck between her teeth that needed to be taken care off. At that time, she performed fellatio on him and his cheeky wording earned him a sharp slap on his butt. Then both had laughed at the double talk, and stayed in bed all day.

After he cooked something to eat, they made love again and spent the whole day "doing it" in the bedroom, the kitchen, the living room, in the shower, in the hallway or wherever the mood struck them. They spared no place, and nothing was off limits.

They couldn't get enough of each other and at one point she thought she would go crazy if he ever stopped. She again had again several multiple orgasms including twice the squirting kind she heard about but thought were just exaggerations. She was in a perpetual state of bliss and became only aware of his ejaculations because they were more obvious.

He climaxed fifteen times in those three days. Gábor was like a teenager in his puberty, at his peak, the proverbial rooster. They finally spooned and went to sleep, completely drained. He held her with one arm under her neck and shoulders, the other over her breasts and with his body aligned against hers, and his semi-erect penis inside her. She felt no harm could ever befall her as long as he was around. Just as she drifted into an exhausted sleep, she heard him whisper.

"I'm home with you. I love you, Lena." She smiled happily and murmured.

"I know. I love you too. I'm home where you are." And they went to sleep with him still inside her. For two days and three nights, the world had ceased to exist for them.

At the Centre, the staff was more than surprised at the speed they proceeded. Gábor met with Helena's parents in Sopron and they were happy to hear that their daughter had finally found someone to love. Her father Attila was a quiet man, handsome, and he liked Gábor. Katrina, her mother, was from the Czech Republic, a very good looking, but a conservative woman with old-fashioned views. Gábor could see from where Helena received her beauty.

Katrina wanted them to meet her brother to share the good news, but Helena declined. They did not get along well. He was a politically oriented person and had married a woman eleven years his senior for money and power.

"The woman is a judge and thinks the law is immutable and he is an upstart," she told Gábor. When they left Sopron, Helena let out a sigh.

"That was a social call I'm glad to have behind me. Anyu and Apu are okay as long as they don't give me advice on how to live my life. My brother and his wife, both are righteous SOB's, Standard Obnoxious Brother, she a Standard Obnoxious Bitch. I can do very well without seeing them. Peter used to be okay before he met her, but now he is unbearable."

The next trip was a visit to Debrecen where Gábor's father lived and worked as a horse trainer for dressage. Helena loved watching him work. Gábor's mother died when he was fourteen. His younger sister had moved to Vienna three years ago. Miklós by name was a man of the old school, stocky, and strong. A handlebar moustache of some proportion beautified his face. He had trained horses for many years and taught young men the trade, and now he had retired and tended to horses as a vet without a license, and he'd put on weight. She could see where Gábor got his mannerism. The old man was collected and did not talk much, but she noticed how he looked her over and there was an appreciative look in his eyes. He asked Gábor if he intended to marry her and Gábor looked at him and replied in a low voice. "She laughs at my jokes, Bajusz (Moustache)." Gábor used his father's nickname, an endearing term to the older man.

"Marry her. I'm sure that will cure her," he muttered under his moustache. They got married three weeks later, not because they wanted to be husband and wife, or "legalize" their union, but to avoid legal hassles once they had children or when travelling abroad. They were inseparable and she still laughed when he told jokes, even at those she had heard a dozen times. Helena loved him.

The marriage didn't cure her. They moved into Gábor's place because it had the better view and had two large rooms and far more privacy than Helena's studio. Miklós visited twice and both times the three people had the best of times. The old man took to Helena like a duck to water and once they had even met Péter, Helena's brother and the meeting had been friendly enough, but Gábor was glad when the man had left. His house wasn't big enough for the three of them together.

During the later stages of Helena's pregnancy Gábor did the household chores; he cooked, cleaned the house and took out the trash and it made an impression on their co-workers how he treated her. He joked about her large belly and she resented his doting on her. "I'm pregnant, not crippled," she pointed out many times when he held open doors or carried the shopping bags for her even if it was one item only. His argument was that she carried the biggest load. The pregnancy beautified Helena. Her skin seemed to glow and her sex-drive remained strong into the seventh month. Even then she insisted on their martial arts practice, but Gábor refused to give in to her insistence.

"You are getting too wild when you work with the sword. Sure, they are only wooden, but could hurt you nevertheless."

"You could limit yourself to yodan (head) and kote (wrist) attacks. In that way you can't hurt the baby," she tried to reason.

Following that conversation, the next session they had, she dodged into his descending strike while he was in the middle of a turn. He didn't anticipate her forward lounge and the wooden sword landed with a resounding "tock" on her forehead just below the hairline and broke the skin. She needed six stitches to close the gap and that was the last day of practice. The remaining days until her delivery he worked only four hours a day and rushed home to look after her and the chores around the house. His concerns for her and the baby were those of a first-time father, and Helena reminded him occasionally that she wasn't a beached whale or handicapped.

After Leo's birth, Helena's recovery surprised everybody. Her body normalized at a rate that alarmed her doctors and they subjected her to an array of tests and found nothing of the symptoms associated with childbirth. She healed with a speed that astonished postnatal experts and they wanted to know what diet she followed or what kinds of exercise she performed, and after an exhausting interview with a bunch of them she had enough and refused to see them. And so the stream of doctors ebbed away, but she became known as an anomaly.