Astrid nearly pulled her long, thick hair out over Tito’s fatal wound. “I don’t know what to do!” she cried. “I don’t know what to do!”
“Aren’t you a doctor?” Archibell said, cocking an eyebrow.
The normally cool and collected Astrid slapped her own face. “I forgot because it’s my own son who’s dying here, you lout!”
She immediately began checking Tito’s vital signs. Elise slid her hand into Tito’s and squeezed it tightly. It was cold as ice, and she tried her best to warm it with her own soft hand. “Everything’s going to be ok…” Elise said softly.
Tito answered as quietly. “Thanks…speckles.”
This time Elise didn’t wince over the rude nickname. She simply continued to look into his closing brown eyes. Even out in the sun, Astrid turned pale when she gave her prognosis. “We’re losing him…” she stifled through tears.
Suddenly, a high, wispy voice emanated from the crystal coconut. “Take me to your elder,” it urged. “He can help you in ways that modern medicine can’t.”
“Did you hear that?” Archibell asked. “It’s either I’ve gone coco-nuts or that crystal coconut is talking to us. We should heed its words.”
Astrid, Elise, and Tony all nodded. Even Tito did weakly.
After transporting Tito to the moldy, purpling coconut of Elder Kolama, the old man—also in the furrows of death—gazed upon Tito and smiled. “Well done…my grandson,” he creaked. “You have done a noble job protecting your people…”
“How…did…you know…?” Tito asked, his face contorting in pain.
“I have my ways…” the elder smiled. “Now…give the crystal coconut to me…”
Astrid heeded her father’s words and placed it on his bed. The elder began to chant the following words in a low, deep voice: “Out with the old, in with the new…”
The adults gasped, but Elise was dumbfounded. She placed her fingers on her chin, wondering what they knew that she didn’t.
“Restore life eternal in a sea of blue…”
The coconut began to sparkle brighter than a diamond and slowly, an essence rose from it. It was short and humanoid shaped—a short, childlike being with a round face and a brunette bowl cut shaped like a coconut. It also wore hairy, brown clothes and everyone gazed at it in confusion. “Are you a boy or a girl?” Elise asked the spirit precociously.
The spirit responded with an offended shake of its head. “I’m a coconut. We don’t have genders, doofus.”
“Who are you calling, doofus, coconut head,” Elise said, growling at it.
“Now to more important matters that don’t involve cocophobic children,” the spirit of the crystal coconut said with a casual dismissal of Elise. “Elder Kolama, after 50 years of service to your tribe and myself, you are offering your spirit so this young boy continues to thrive?”
The elder nodded weakly and the spirited nodded too. “You have done well,” they said, “Protecting them and me from untimely disaster. Now, will you pass that role onto your grandson?”
The elder managed a weak, “Yes.”
“Very well,” the spirit said and shuffled its shaggy bowl cut. “Let us begin.”
The spirit raised both of their hands, and everyone watched in amazement as the elder’s soul rose out of his body. So did Tito’s. Elise nibbled her fingernails when she saw Tito’s spirit had a large wound in his chest.
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The spirit moved both Tito and the elder’s soul together and everyone marveled as the wound in Tito’s chest vanished, leaving no mark. Tito’s spirit slowly sank into his body, and miraculously, the wound in his physical body faded too. Tito sat up and was immediately embraced by his crying mother. “Oh Tito,” she exclaimed and hugged him tightly. Elise smiled too. Her handsome whale rider had gotten a second chance at life.
“Hey,” Archibell cried. “What’s happening to the elder?”
Everyone turned to see Elder Kolama flickering and fading away. “Tito,” he called out.
Astrid released Tito and let the young lad gaze upon the fading patriarch one last time.
“Tito,” he said again. “You are now tethered to the crystal coconut and more importantly, your lineage of all past elders.”
There was a look of stunned shock on Tito’s face. The coconut spite hovered above the crystal coconut and spoke for the elder. “When the time comes,” it said, “You will have to complete the rite of passage in order to fortify my powers and keep this island living for future generations.”
The elder gave one last chortle before becoming nearly invisible. His voice lingered, “I know you will make me and the rest of the Helloha Tribe proud…much like you did today.”
There was still a look of reluctance on young Tito’s face, but he solemnly nodded. “I will,” he said.”
“Good,” Elder Kolama said, and he vanished completely. The last trace anyone saw of him was a proud, toothless smile.
“Grandpa…” Tito said softly.
“Dad…” Astrid said almost as quietly.
Astrid and Tito politely bowed to the empty bed as the bodyless blankets lowered back down.
For a few minutes, everyone was silent.
At last, Astrid spoke, “Other than my husband, my father was the bravest man in the whole tribe and now, Tito will pick up the mantle…”
Young Tito stared at the bed, neither nodding nor shaking his head.
Astrid gave a warm smile, “But for now, let us celebrate that our village is safe from invaders.”
Archibell put his hands behind his head and leaned up against the wall. “I’m all for that,” he said, “Who’s up for pina coladas with fresh coconut milk?”
The coconut head sprite glared meanly at Archibell and he squawked nervously, “Er…how about some soy coconut milk instead?”
After spending a night and dinner over at Tito and Astrid’s cocohut, the next day arrived and it was time for another departure.
Astrid and Javier bid Elise, Tony and a still mostly nude Archibell, farewell.
“You never told us why you came to our humble island in the first place,” Javier said.
“We’re off to find the golden trident,” Elise proudly said. “It will cure everyone of ghost blight.”
“That’s such a noble goal,” Astrid said with a kind look on her face. “I hope you can fulfill it and cure our tribe as well.”
“You bet, momma docta,” Archibell said with his hands on his bare hips.
“In that case,” Astrid said, “Let me get you something to help you.”
Astrid disappeared into her cocohut and retrieved a pair of trousers, a cotton shirt, leather boots and a striped coat.
“My captain’s clothes,” Archibell exclaimed and scolded her. “Now, Momma docta, why would you have those?”
Astrid smirked as her auburn cheeks shined bright red. “So… I could get a little bit of eye candy the whole time, pirate boy.”
Archibell chuckled. “Maybe it’s a good thing the shrimp isn’t here. He’d throttle me if he knew his momma had the hots for me.”
“You intrigue me,” Astrid said, correcting him slightly. “Nothing more, nothing less.”
“I’ll take it,” Archibell said. “Most o’ my farewells with women end with me getting whacked upside the head.”
As he changed into his clothes, Elise surveyed the island looking for Tito. “Where is Tito?” she asked Astrid.
Astrid shook her head. “He doesn’t seem to be taking his new duty well at all. I don’t blame him. That’s why he ran away in the first place.”
Elise crossed her arms and pouted. “I just wish he would see us off at least. That’s not very gentleman-like to not bid his lady goodbye.”
Archibell, who was now squeezing into his pants, slapped his knee. “Cut him some slack, first mate. Boys his age get very broody.”
Imagining Tito brooding alone in his coconut was a very scrumptious image for Elise, and she decided to leave it at that. The trio bid goodbye to their new friends and headed back to the Lyre.
Reaching the boat on the far edge of the island, the crew found their ship was still in excellent condition. “Looks like everything’s ship-shape,” Archibell said as they walked up the plank and boarded their ship, but suddenly he gasped.
“What’s wrong, captain?” Elise and Tony both said.
There was a small blanket woven with stitched anchors on the deck. Even more curiously, a small bump was beneath it. “Hey,” Archibell. “My special captain’s blanket. “What’s it doing out on the deck? I don’t remember wetting it and needing it to dry in the sun.”
Suddenly, the small bump emerged causing the captain to scream. Elise smiled happily when she saw who it was.
“You should have seen the look on your face,” Tito said, pointing and laughing at a paling Archibell. “You looked like you wet your pants.”