OH LAWD chapter 5

Story Teller Spins Interesting Tales
courtesy photobucket.com

 

The next day Noonan wasn't feeling so good so Marly and I never bothered him.  We cleaned the kitchen vessels so he could stay in bed.

Ma had hired a new man to do a lot of the cleaning and dish washing. With his help we made out without Noonan. The next day Noonan was back at work.  It must have been a one day sickness.

I have had that kind of one day sickness especially on school days. Of course I was better after a couple of hours just quietly lying in bed.

We kept after Noonan until he said, “Alright I'm going to finish this story so you will stop aggravating me. Where was I?”  We reminded him that he and another native had just caught the shark, and everyone enjoyed a barbeque.

“Okay, I had killed the shark and we had a big feast and everybody was happy with me.  
 

I realized that I was married and they expected me to act like a husband so I did. The thing I didn't grasp at first was Le-Lu was the daughter of the chief of the island, and he expected me to give him some grandchildren; so in the next three years Le-Lu had two boys.

I didn't mess with them at first, but when the oldest started walking I began to have more to do with him. I taught him to swim, and would take him fishing me.

Those were pretty good years but I was getting bored with Island life. Le-Lu said she had enough children and started sleeping at her fathers hut. This didn't set too well with me and I became sullen and unhappy.

I thought I don't want to spend the rest of my life here doing nothing but eating and sleeping then it happened - - -” 

Noonan stopped, lit his pipe and just stared off in the distance looking off toward the sea. I wondered if he was thinking about Le-Lu or his boys.

During that time we didn't say a word for we didn't want to disturb whatever he was thinking.  After a few minutes he began to continue his story. 

He continued as if he had never stopped and said, “One day a ship appeared and anchored off shore. The captain lowered a boat and came ashore. As it turned out they needed some fresh water and some fruit.    

The chief couldn't understand what they were saying so I explained what the captain wanted. After much haggling back and forth it was agreed they could have water and fruit except they must not mess with the women or they would be in big trouble.

Also the chief wanted to trade for some goods like knives and other utensils.

The captain agreed but wanted his men to be able to spend a day on shore and get off the ship for a short while. The chief granted their request but said they couldn't come near the village or there would be a big conflict.

The chief had heard about the white man's sickness that had affected many villages and didn't want it here. The natives gathered up what the captain wanted and his crew took it to the ship.

After a week he was ready to sail away but during that time I had gotten acquainted with the captain and asked if I could leave with him.  He agreed if I would work like the other men of the crew and earn my keep to which I told him I would be glad to do that.

I didn't have any clothes so the captain gave me what I needed to wear and I was on my way back to civilization.”

We asked him, “What about your kids?”

Noonan explained, “I left them with their grandfather and their mother for life was different there with the natives. All the kids on the island belonged to everyone, and it wasn't like it is here where you are raised by your mother and father.”

We asked, “Will you go back and see them again?”

He replied, “No, I will never return for that part of my life is over and done with.”

Oh Lawd!

To be Continued