When they reached their exile island and had beached the boat and the pirogues, the exiles spontaneously divided into three groups; the Spanish, near them the boys, and a little further apart, the girls.
"Well, men, we have to get organised now." Hernando said.
"As we all have to live here, let's call the others." Felipe proposed.
The boys were happy to have been called and at once mingled with the sailors. The girls seemed more reluctant, they whispered amongst themselves looking at the men's group, and at last Duz's wife approached them.
"I can hear and talk for the women." she said.
They discussed for a good while and organised things. They decided to move to the cove and to build their village. Duz's wife, whose name was Luolani, explained them the mystery of the seven girls who at the last moment had asked to follow them.
"They are afraid of men. They don't want to marry, but in Kaawai they would be forced to do that. They thought that, coming with us, they were freed from this danger."
The men laughed but nodded in assent.
Then Luolani said: "We will build our huts near to the men huts, but separate."
"Good," Hernando said, "And you girls will elect a chief amongst you."
"I am their chief." Luolani said simply.
So, their decision taken, they all moved to the cove.
"It is very beautiful here, isn't it?" Santiago said, satisfied, to Celo.
"Once upon the time, according to our elders, couples who couldn't have children came here, to pray the island's goddess." Muleto explained.
"And why don't they come here anymore?" Juan asked.
"Because the goddess didn't listen to the couples prayers anymore; she had left the island. There must be... there it is, the platform for the ceremonies, the "aku marae". First the couple had to wash at that little waterfall to purify, then there, on the platform, they prayed the goddess, then they had to go to another part of the island to have sex, and then they made a present to the goddess: a little pole of carved, hard wood that they had to push and shake into the sand - a hard thing to give pleasure to the goddess. Then they went back to the village and, normally, a child was born. Until the goddess abandoned the island." Muleto explained again.
"Ha, then," Esteban said amused, "that wood cylinder we found was a... cock!" and everybody laughed.
They shared with the girls the pirogues, giving them four, and also they shared the tools and the food. For the pigs they built an enclosure, and decided that as there were new born, half of them were to be used to eat, and half of them to be freed to populate the island, since there were none when they arrived.
And they started to work.
The men cut some trees and made poles to start to build two huts, one for the men and the other for the women. Meanwhile the girls gathered the leaves to pleat the different kind of mats for the two huts, for the roofs, the walls and the floor. They worked hard for some days, just taking some breaks to eat, to dance and sing, or to withdraw to make love. When the two huts were ready, one in front of the other at the two sides of the little cove, divided just by the sand stretch and the sea, at the same distance from the aku marae, they decided to have their first festival of celebration.
Everybody made flower garlands with which to decorate themselves, cooked the food, then started to dance. But, differently from what happened in the village of the other island, where boys and girls danced in two groups one in front of the other, looking at each other, here the girls made two groups amongst themselves, and the boys were dancing in front of the sailors, with the evident purpose to arouse them. In fact, after a while, couples left withdrawing amongst the trees, or the rocks, or also into the hut, to make love. On the beach remained just the girls, Hernando and Manuel. Hernando approached Luolani.
"Chief Luolani, don't you miss your Duz?" he gently asked.
"A little. But one of the young girls is very sweet with me, and is making me forget him... We are imitating your example, and it is not bad at all. A woman understands what a woman could like."
"Do you think we will succeed in living in peace and happiness in this island?"
"Yes, there is lot of food and no dangers. And here there isn't the fire mountain."
"A volcano, you mean?"
"I don't know your word. But when the gods are in rage with us, the mountain that is on the Kaawai island, spurts fire, and the gods destroy men and villages. Here there is no such mountain."
"So, why your people didn't come here to live?"
"Before it was not possible, because the goddess of this island didn't want villages. Then... you know, everybody wants to live where he always lived, where our fathers and grandfathers lived. Where there are their ashes that protect us. Where at times the gods become angry with us, but then allow us to start again..."
"And here, will your gods protect us?" Hernando asked.
"We will see. Possibly your god will protect us. Possibly no gods will protect us, but neither will become angry with us. Well, now I leave you, chief Hernando. Also we women tonight want to celebrate, uniting between us." Luolani said and went away, sinuous and pretty, girdling her girl's waist, and followed by the other girls.
"Are you too coming in the forest to celebrate, my love?" Hernando asked standing up and giving his hand to his lover.
"Sure." Manuel said taking his hand and standing up at his turn, his eyes bright and shining with desire.
They caught a glimpse of Hito who was vigorously pistoning Alvaro's ass, they went away and passed not far from Celo who was moaning with pleasure between Santiago's strong arms, they turned round the point where Vilo was happily shaking under Esteban who was taking the boy with passion, but finally they found a quiet place where they could unite in a long embrace full of love.
"Are you happy, Hernando?"
"With you, always and wherever, my love."
"It is beautiful, here, and we can unite without shame, without hiding, without being afraid of the other's judgement, of punishments, of mockery. Everybody knows that we love each other, and they respect us. I too am really very happy, Hernando." Manuel said and kissed him.
In the following days Hernando and Manuel decided to build their own hut and everybody helped them. Then also Juan and Muleto decided to be a steady couple, so near the men's great hut, two smaller huts were added.
Hernando said to Muleto: "Being you the chief's son, you are the chief of the boys, right?"
"No, you are everybody's chief."
"I am the chief of the Kea." Hernando objected.
"But now... also we seven are part of Kea tribe, right? We also have Kea name..." Muleto hesitant said, scanning Hernando's eyes.
"If this is what you want, it is all right."
"Sure." Muleto answered opening in a nice smile, "And... chief Hernando..."
"No one of the Keas calls me chief, so you neither, if you are a Kea."
"All right, Hernando. When two unite and want live together, in Kaawai there was a ceremony and celebration. You have not such ceremony?"
"Yes, my original people had a ceremony. But as your tribe, just for the union of a man and a woman."
"Yes, I see. But we are new tribe, new people. We must have our ceremonies and festivals. I think also chief Luolani thinks that way - people without celebrations and festival are not real people. And also Juan would be happy to unite to me with ceremony."
"Yes, probably you are right. Also my Manuel, some time ago, said the same thing. Did Luolani tell you she wants to unite with one of the girls?"
"No, not Luolani. It's Hito's wife desires unite with one of young girls."
"Good. So, go to call chief Luolani and then with her and you, we will decide about the union ceremony of the new Kea tribe."
The discussion was short, they soon agreed on the ceremony. So the preparation started. The men cleaned thoroughly the aku marae and the women weaved and dyed new pareo. The sailors from a while had ceased to wear their shirts and now wore just their breeches. They decided that for the celebrations they too would dress in the local way with a pareo, and that was the official occasion.
They decorated the aku marae with flower festoons ant plaited garlands. Hito and Duz made the musical instruments. And finally everything was ready.
On the altar they put two bananas, a coconut open in two halves and filled with its milk, and two garlands of white flowers.
Four men and four women, wearing straw skirts and red flower garlands, danced at the sides of the platform, and a couple of boys or of girls, alternating, danced separately from the others, the one in front of the other, miming in a symbolic way a set of sensual caresses and brushing allusive to the sexual union.
The three couples wanting to celebrate their union, were sitting separated on two mats in front of each other, wearing a red pareo. All the other people, wearing multicoloured pareo and garlands of various colours, were sitting on a row in front of the three couples, clapping their hands with rhythm and singing.
Then, the two male dancer couples, went towards the first two who wanted to unite. Sancio and Gloton went to take Hernando, while Alvaro and Celo accompanied Manuel. The two men, in their red pareo, climbed the platform from the two opposite sides and stopped in front of the altar, one in front of the other. Songs and dances ceased. Hernando, first, declared with a loud and clear voice:
"I, Hernando, in front of the Kea people, ask to Manuel to unite to me for all our lives."
Then Manuel took one of the white garlands from the altar and put it on Hernando's head. Then he repeated the formula and it was his man turn to put the white garland on his head. Then both drank a sip from one half of the coconut. They took the two bananas, pealed them and each feed the other. Again they sipped from the coconut, but this time each one bringing his half to the other's lips. Then they held hands and, while everybody was resuming singing and dancing, Hernando took Manuel into their hut.
Then it was the two women's turn to repeat the ceremony in the same way, and at last Juan and Muleto. All the other remained in front of the aku marae to sing and dance, eat and drink, until the festival little by little died away because several couples formed and withdrew to make love.
When Hernando and Manuel were alone in their hut, the man said to the boy: "Are you happy now, my love? Now we are married in front of our people."
"Yes, my Hernando. Now I feel to belong to you body and soul. And that you belong to me."
"But I belonged to you also before, didn't you know that?"
"Yes... we did know it, and also the others did. And yet we have made a bond in front of all the world. Now we really are married... Pull off my pareo, my love, and make me yours..."
Hernando rose his hand and untied his boy's pareo, and it slide on the floor. Also Manuel untied his man's pareo. Then he took his man by his hand.
"Come... let me feel your love..."
"Yes..."
They lied on the mat and Hernando held him tight between his arms and legs and kissed him, full of desire. Manuel attracted his man on him and spread his legs, bending his pelvis to search for his man's strong peg. Continuing to kiss each other with passion, Hernando pushed with his pelvis and started to slip inside the warm, welcoming love channel of his young companion, and Manuel quivered with pleasure, receiving him. Hernando rose a little, interrupting his kiss, to enter more deeply inside Manuel and saw his luminous look filled with love. He brushed his nipples and started to pump inside him with calm vigour. They smiled to each other, happy.
"I love you, Hernando."
"I too love you, my Manuel."
"Even if for my fault you are now exile in a lost little island?"
"For your merit I am now a free man in a free people. I can just thank my destiny for that, and for having you."
"I like to feel you inside me... Here, in our house, to be yours..."
"I too am yours."
"I know... I feel it... it is wonderful!"
"Wonderful." the man said lowering again to kiss him and continuing to fuck him with tender vigour.
Nearby, also Juan and Muleto were united in a warm embrace, happy to be at last united in front of everybody. Juan was sitting with the boy on his lap, facing him, and Muleto was springing up and down on the beautiful erect meat pole, fiery impaling himself. Their eyes lightened with pleasure, smiled to each other. Juan was enraptured by the beautiful golden body of his lover and by his evident pleasure in being taken by him.
"Juan happy with your Muleto?"
"More than happy, Muleto. You are a delicious boy!"
"You like my little ass?"
"I like everything of you. Kiss me, Muleto..."
The boy lowered himself on the man's groin and bent against his chest, while Juan embraced him and pulled him closer. Their lips met, their tongues played and Muleto made his anus palpitate and throb on the man's powerful rod, firmly embedded in him. Juan moved his hands on the boy's chest and teased his nipples. The boy moaned aloud his pleasure and shook his pelvis grinding it against the man's groin, just to be penetrated more deeply. They parted, changed position, united again while outside the festival was flagging. But the two were not aware of that, each of them filled with joy to be united to his lover.
In the following days everybody helped the first girls couple to build their hut.
Chief Luolani said to Hernando: "Our tribe and our village now are starting to live. I tank you for the present you sent me, the beautiful stool you had carved for me. The girls appreciated very much your gesture."
"You have my same dignity, I couldn't be the only one to use the stool."
"And the women said: all the chiefs of the tribes of the islands have also, for the ceremonies, the feathers mantle and headgear. We want to weave them for you two also. I said this is right. But a chief receives the symbols from the preceding chief, normally his father, when he retires. Who can give them to us? So I said: Hernando was a Kea chief before coming to us in Kaawai. He has the right to the mantle. And he will give it to me."
"But, do we need those symbols?"
"Surely! People have to be proud of their chief, and the mantle is symbol of unity and continuity of the tribe, and the headgear of the chief's strength."
"So it will be, then."
"We have to start to capture birds suitable for feathers colours and we have to decide the pattern of the mantles, then." Luolani said, satisfied.