“Why so fast?” I asked, confused by the speed of the transformation.
She looked at me strangely. “Do you mean no one has told you what you have given us?”
I shook my head, and Lysander moved closer to me, sensing it was something important.
“We are the Oi Keda people. Unfortunately, because of global warming, our island is being reclaimed by the sea. Before the new island was formed, we were about to be forced to evacuate our smaller island and move somewhere like Fiji or even to the mainland. It would’ve ended our culture and our society forever.”
“And you can use this island to migrate to,” Lysander said.
“Yes, and no. Our island is less than one hundred kilometers away. The family that occupies Crater Island are relatives of ours. Eventually, yes, the smaller islands will be taken back by the sea, and all of us will have to relocate here, but for now, families will continue to occupy our ancestral land while new families colonize this one.”
“That’s so cool,” Lysander said. “I’ve heard about your plight. I can understand why this is such an important transformation now.”
“It’s like you understood our plight and came to our rescue. Thank you, Gedi.”
I smiled. The Earth didn’t build the island here because of the plight of the people any more than it created the islands in this chain for the humans that occupied it. The Earth simply wanted to grow, expand, and change its landscape. Despite that, I was happy the people could use what was built.
Humans, animals, the elements, and all things were connected. That was what I learned while embodying the elements to build the island. I wondered if humans would ever understand that.
At each farm we visited, the people bowed before me like I was royalty. It was so outside reality that I struggled not to laugh. But I did understand how concerned these people must’ve been over losing their homes. Naturally, it would be important to them.
When we got to the far side of the island and found the small knoll where Lysander and the specialist team had been standing when the island consumed it, the area still looked untouched, like it would have if left to nature.
Ana took us to meet a group of people looking out over the landscape.
“Gedi, meet our Supe crew. They are the ones who have transformed the island into what it is today.”
Most of the group were older, but two young women stood among them who were closer to our age. As I looked, I realized they were the spitting image of Ana.
“Gedi, Mr. Phillips, meet the crew.” Ana introduced each of the people to me and told me what their powers were. When she got to the two women, who looked like her, she said, “These are my sisters, Ateca and Aliti.”
I shook each of their hands. The group eagerly showed me how they’d transformed the earth into usable land. They joined hands, and to my surprise, all four elements came together and made the hard lava rock into usable soil. But I noticed it was limited to just the small area around them. They must have done this to whole island, just one small area at a time.
I admit my experience around decent people was limited, be they Supes or Nosupes. But I’d been around enough to know it was unusual for people to understand what caused the universe to work. I knew instantly after seeing this group interact with the elements that wasn’t the case with them. It gave me hope.
The progress they were making seemed slow and tedious. I could’ve completed the tasks for them in less than an hour, but something about the group, the pride they showed in their work, made me think that would be rude and inconsiderate. So, I nodded to each of them and said how beautiful it was to watch them work.
Ana translated for them, and they all smiled brightly and waved at me.
“So you’re a triplet?” Lysander asked Ana as we walked back toward the vehicle that’d brought us here.
She laughed. “No, not exactly. We are clones of one who died. She was a Supe, and when she knew she was dying, she split her genes into three. So, we are like triplets, but not.”
I’d never heard of that, but it felt rude to ask questions. The women were important to the tribe, and from what I saw as the team worked alongside one another to make the land habitable, I assumed they were good people. The group, at the very least, would have to trust one another implicitly to create like they were. Not to mention, as we’d learned at school, the polarities would also have to be represented among the group. If time allowed, I would enjoy spending time with them and learning more.
Chapter thirty-three
Lysander
Theislanderswereextremelynice, but this was Kaden’s trip. Not that I could blame them. I’d watched a heart-wrenching high school science class special about how several South Pacific islanders were facing loss of their homes and communites as water levels rose, storms became more violent, and seawater temperatures rose.
The island must genuinely feel like a godsend to them.
When Ana brought us back to the palace, called the Gedi House, in honor of Kaden, I decided to hold back and let Kaden finish the tour while I hung out with Mom and Pete.
Of course, they were soaking everything up. The small bungalow they were staying in had direct access to the beach. Mom was lying on a towel, soaking up the sun, and Pete was swimming in the waves. I quickly changed into my swimming trunks, went out, and plopped down next to Mom.
“It’s beautiful here, isn’t it?” I asked.
