AVATAR TWOW: Torn between the 2

Chapter ix| Tiny Instances

N E T E Y A M
Tiny Instances
PT 3

I PERMEATE MY FISH in a few leaves and seeds that my mother has fetched from the swept-away shores and the vines of the Mangrove trees with Ronal not too long ago. I pat all sides of my fish; from the inside and out, marinating it with the lavish taste for my desired breakfast.

Lo'ak peers over my shoulder groggy with his face puffy from sleep. He takes a big whiff of my fish and quickly pinches his nose.

"Oh shit, cuz! That's strong as hell!" he says, waving his hand frenetically and craning his neck far back that I can see his veins protruding. "You cooking a meal or death?"

"Mom said it'll smell good once I cook it," I chortle.

"Well, in that case..." he mumbles and swings his head with dull suspicion. He squeezes my shoulders and props himself to sit next to me. "Make some for me too, bro," he adds, yawning and stretching his lean and long limbs.

"Make your own," I tell him, nudging him with a puny smile.

From behind me, I hear the shushed-soft spoken voices of my mother, father, and Tuk, discussing something I can't quite hear. Their voices are muffled by the snapping of flames that melt my face off. I whirl my fish on a stick, aiming to get each side crispy.

"You weren't lying, bro. I sense the good smell coming in," Lo'ak says after a while, taking another big whiff.

Just as I'm about to respond, I hear Tuk's solemn voice cut me off. "It took some adjusting...but I've made friends," she tells my parents.

Her voice quavers and I don't know whether it's from joy or gloom—but I don't turn my head to peer at her. I simply listen, corrupting my head on the hints her voice pours me with. I can only think then that perhaps she's glad to have finally found friends on this island—and maybe bittersweet about the hardships she had to endure to get to that point. I almost feel bad.

My stomach nearly twists. I purse my lips tightly and I continue to listen. I'm bobbing blindly to anything Lo'ak is telling or throwing at me—mainly playful punches. I don't once spare him a glance as I lose myself in the eye of my twirling fish.

"Are you even listening to me?" Lo'ak asks me, waving a hand at my face.

"Yes, I am, baby bro," I grin, snaring him in a headlock with my one arm all too easily.

He smacks my forearm a couple of times and urges me to let him go, but I don't as I am chuckling, relishing in his distress.

"Are you having fun?" I hear father ask Tuk.

My ears perk as my arm loosens around Lo'ak. I barely process when he has girded me in a headlock; cradling my neck hard as his revenge-filled cackles boom my ears. But still, I try to keenly listen to Tuk's response:

"At first, I missed home, but now I'm having fun! I love my Metkayina friends—there's Lewi—she's funny and cool! She showed me some shells and..." she says, going on a ramble about her newfound friends as father and mother occasionally chime in, laughing alongside her. There is levity and certainty in Tuktirey's tone as she speaks.

I choke out a loud exhale and smile into Lo'ak's suffocating grip, my shoulders unwinding with ease. My heart pounds jovially and my stomach rumbles louder, my hunger being amplified to a million. I can suddenly eat a whole feast.

"...and watch, I will feed you to 'Reya's Tulkun sister," Lo'ak threatens, his arms pressing more and more into my throat.

"Baby bro, you wouldn't dare even if you could. I'm physically stronger and smarter. If anything it's the other way around," I sneer.

He rolls his eyes and shoves me hard off his grasp. I cackle and go to ruffle his braids but he yanks away before I can touch him. I smile nonetheless, fixing my gaze back on my fish. I see that there's a small burnt spot—dry and charcoal-like—like when wood is charred. I pick it off.

"I am here," Kiri gasps, storming into the Marui. "And I got the logs."

"That's my smart girl," father praises.

I turn my head to see her putting the logs on the distant corner of the Marui before she goes back out to the doorway and motions "quickly" with her hands.

"Hurry!" she yells, her tone irked and amused all at the same time. She almost laughs.

Shortly, Rotxo steps in, his small build shrouded by the huge stacks of logs that for sure Kiri had made him carry.

"Thank you, Rotxo," mother croons, grabbing some logs off his fatigued arms as Kiri takes the remaining ones. They both lay the logs atop the first few piles.

"No problem," Rotxo says with a courteous nod of his head.

"You sure sold this time, reef boy," Kiri tells him with a smile.

Rotxo turns to her and grins with a zeal that's too familiar—with adore and awe-struck and I can tell that he's already fallen. Deep, deep.

"I'm glad to help anytime," he tells her coyly.

"Thank you, ocean boy, but that won't be for a while," Kiri jabs with an acerbic roll of her eyes, but I can tell she doesn't mean it as there's a playful subtle smile that tugs her lips and a softer look to her lustrous eyes. Softer than usual.

Rotxo bids each of us goodbye and exits the Marui with hasty-shy steps.

Kiri sighs. "Look, Neteyam, Lo'ak. I did your guys' job 'cause you two were sleeping soundly like big babies. I got more logs than both of you ever combined," she says triumphantly, grinning with a hand on her hip as the other cups her mouth tauntingly.

Lo'ak rolls his eyes. "As if. That's 'cause you dragged Rotxo with you. He is a victim of your evil schemes. Leave this job to the men," he says.

I scratch my head and roll my eyes, my big ears muffling them out as their squabble becomes louder and hectic—deafening, just like their younger days.

I blow into my fish and carefully take a bite, watching the transparent fumes of smoke traveling upwards before vanishing completely. I entertain myself watching it happen too many times, again and again. Its ardor burning my face feels somewhat soothing.

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