CHAPTER 4 - Tsunami

Well, you pretty much understand where we Kids are coming from today (Chapter 1), living here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and enjoying a somewhat idyllic lifestyle (Chapter 2), however, having to put a little extra thought into it in order to take control of a few of the pending adult atrocities (Chapter 3), when suddenly we Kids are all swept off our feet literally by a huge tsunami whilst swimming on our favourite beach.

Surprised as we all were, we were not poorly prepared. Fotunately, we had all re-gathered out behind the breakers on the reef, still clinging to our kayaks. It was getting dark, we could just see the village lights fading on the distant horizon. We immediately assumed we were in a strong current heading somewhere towards Tonga from one Vavau Beach to another.

First priority was to account for everybody, all 4 of us. Next we needed to overcome the calamity and make a few survival plans, bedding arrangements, especially for baby Tofu who, at this stage, had settled down quite nicely after a feed of turtle algae mashed with jellyfish - it reminded us all of lime jello our parents used to make us (well, nearly anyway).

We were all finally safe, afloat, warm, well-fed, very observant and drifting-off to sleep (excuse the pun). However, we woke to find ourselves separated in the morning - we had lost Skivi, now out of sight, trailing his lifeline aimlessly in a different current somewhere not to be seen.

We prayed for his safety, as did our Ancestors, who unbeknown to us, had come to his rescue but not ours. We were happy for Skivi knowing he'd be back home with our parents well before us.

The months ticked by, we grew from strength to strength, albeit a little cramped, but we swam and played in a warm tropical ocean as blue as the sky. In fact, we could see nothing but blue ocean and blue sky. We had ample time for further informal education, putting all our survival skills to the test. Nothing we had learnt at school was of any real value to us now: we had to survive long enough until we reached another island, just like our Ancestors did. And they sailed on a supermarket: well, so they told us. And it was true. We were overwhelmed with a diet so rich, so varied, so tasty, so welcomed.

Then suddenly, our luck turned.