Hue - pronounced WAY
Hui - pronounced Hughy
Hua - pronounced Huwa
Dati - IndoDutch term for Papa
Baki - IndoDutch term for Brother
Onkla - IndoDutch term for Uncle
Caleb was relaxing after a long drive to Davis and back, his adopted son, Singh 'Tal, was a Junior at The University of California - Davis and he had gone to visit him during "Family Day". His other adopted son, Hue, a Sophomore at Fairfield High School had taken a day off from his classes to join his Dati (Papa) in visiting his Baki (Brother). Both boys had been rescued by Caleb while he was managing an Engineering Project in Indonesia. His company, Best Engineering, was in high demand throughout the Pacific Basin. He was currently finishing up a project for the California Water Authority, refurbishing the Clifton Court Forebay and installing new pumps for the aqueduct system.
'Tal had originally been his Houseboy and now, Hue performed that function. He was 15 years old and would do almost anything to help his Dati, the love in that Family was palpable, any outsider could see that, just for looking! Caleb's oldest son, Danny, was a Navy Officer Commanding a Guided Missile Destroyer in the Pacific. He had urged his Father to adopt the two boys several years earlier and loved them as true brothers!
As Caleb was reaching for his coffee cup, Hue came into the room and said, "Dati, there is a long-distance telephone call for you in your study." Caleb set his coffee back down and got up to go take the telephone call.
The call was from Prince George Topu, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Tonga. The Prince explained that the Throne owned a large plantation, sugar mill and tropical fruit processing plant near the capitol city of Nuku'Alofa and it was in dire need of modernization. He said, "We can no longer compete in the world market, our machinery is antiquated and requires more labor than the kingdom possesses! Would you and some of your staff fly out and give us an estimate and project recommendations for renewal? We will pay your fees and all expenses for this service."
Caleb had been in Tonga before and liked the country and its people, he said, "Send me a proposal by fax and I will put a team together." The Prince agreed and Caleb ended the call.
He turned around and Hue was standing there with a huge grin on his face, "Dati you promised...."
Caleb laughed, "Yes, you little monkey, you may come with me. I will make arrangements for you to be tutored while we are away!" Hue's face fell a little at that, he was hoping to skip school entirely while they were in Tonga, but Dati's word was law. Hue was a good student, but he much preferred being on a project with his Father than being stuck in a classroom studying the geography he had already been to!
Caleb telephoned his assistant, David Parks, to tell him that he would be in charge for a couple of weeks. He planned to take Paul Meklin, his Electrical Superintendent and Carl Robb, his Mechanical Supervisor along with him to survey the job. As he was speaking to David, the fax machine started to whir and pages began to flow into the receive tray. When the transmission was complete, he forwarded it to his Brother-in-Law to review. Neil Jamison was his deceased wife's brother and had been Caleb's attorney for many years.
The next morning, Neil was knocking on Caleb's door, as Caleb opened the door, Neil stepped and headed for the coffee pot. Caleb laughed, "Don't I even get a "Hello"?"
Neil only grunted and finished off the coffee. He said, "Coffee first, then talk!" He laid out the contract papers saying, "Caleb, they sure must want you bad, these are very generous terms!"
About that time, Hue shuffled into the room and gave his Uncle a hug. "Oncla (Uncle), I get to go also with Dati!" as he was shoveling his cereal into his mouth and getting ready to dash out and catch the school bus!
After Hue had run out the door, Neil could no longer contain his laughter, "That boy gets more American every day!"
Caleb replied, "That he does, 'Tal is still more reserved, but Hue is pure American teenager!"
Neil asked, "Does 'Tal still want to be your business manager?"
Caleb replied, "Yeah and, you know, he is still number one in his class?"
Neil asked, "Would you expect him to be any less?"
Caleb said, "Not really, that boy has the drive of a locomotive, if it is not perfect, it is not his!"
Neil said, "Caleb, if you take this job, think about the boys staying with me while you are gone."
Caleb replied, "That would be fine for 'Tal, but no way would Hue stand for it! That boy is like a limpet, if he is more than a few feet from me, he starts getting anxious. Just going to school during the day is about all he can handle!"
Neil said, "I guess I can have no conception of what his childhood was like, before you snatched him away from that slaver!"
Caleb replied, "Nor I, but he had nightmares up until we came home. He has been pretty good lately, but, still, sometimes I have to sit with him at night, he will wake up in a cold sweat, screaming his heart out!"
Neil shook his head and said, "It just makes me thankful you found him rather than some fiend that would have made his life agony!"
Caleb could not answer him, he was choked up remembering just how bad it was! He had never told Neil the full story and had no intention of ever doing so, it was just too terrible to even relate to anyone.
It took Caleb a week to make all arrangements for the four of them to fly to Tonga, the Prince had made arrangements for them to be met with visas when they arrived in Naki'Alofa and had sent a diplomatic message to Air New Zealand to allow them on the flight.
As the departure day came closer, Hue's excitement grew, he would sometimes lapse into the pidgin English of his early childhood, he excitedly told a schoolmate, "Me Dati go mit!"
His friend, Charlie Bonham laughed, "Hue, slow down, think about what you are saying!"
Hue got red in the face and replied, "I get to go with Papa to Tonga!"
Charlie hugged his friend, "Gee, I wish I could go with you. Take loads of pictures!"
When Hue got home, he went looking for Caleb. He had to wait while Caleb finished a telephone call and then he asked, "Dati, may I spend some of my allowance money on a good camera so I can take pictures of Tonga for my friends?"
Caleb hugged his son and replied, "Let's you and I go this evening to that camera shop in the mall and see if they have a good digital camera. And, no you cannot use your allowance money for that, it will be a gift from me to you!"
Hue said, "bu bu,..."
Caleb smiled, "A gift, REMEMBER!"
Hue replied, "Yes, Dati."
After supper that evening, they went to the camera store and came away with an 18-megapixel, single-lens reflex camera and several spare memory cards plus a telephoto lens. Hue studied the manual all the way home, Caleb knew that he would about have it memorized before he went to bed that night!
The day of their departure arrived and Neil drove them into San Francisco to catch their flight. It had been several years since Hue had been on an airplane, he was trying to act very grown up and sophisticated, but inside he was almost ready to boil over in excitement! They presented their passports and collected their tickets before going through security and out to the international terminal.
As Business Class passengers, they were invited to wait in the Priority Lounge, Hue pulled out his laptop computer and was soon pecking away at the keyboard. He looked up and said, "Dati, 'Tal is on the computer!" Caleb slid to sit beside his son and soon, all three of them were crossfiring messages.
Finally, their flight was called and the four of them, Paul, Carl, Caleb and Hue went on board the plane to find their seats. Caleb let Hue have the window seat, the boy was nearly as excited as he had been on his very first flight leaving Indonesia! That he was now 15 years old made very little difference!
They had a layover of 36 hours in Honolulu, unknown to Caleb, Hue had telephoned his brother, Danny, and he was going to meet them at the airport! It was only a four-hour flight, so it was still morning in Honolulu when they arrived. Caleb was watching for their luggage when Danny arrived. He motioned Hue to not say anything and he went over to stand beside his Dad, "Need help with your luggage, sir?"
Caleb's head swiveled around, ready to fend off a Sky Cap wanting a fee and found himself nose to nose with his oldest son, Commander Daniel Best, USN! Caleb screamed, "DANNY!" and threw his arms around his son. Hue stood there grinning as he took their picture with his new camera. After Caleb got his heart back in his chest, he shook his finger at Hue and said with a smile, "Thank you, son!"
Danny took them all to the hotel and then he took Caleb and Hue to see his ship, and later, for dinner at the Officer's Club. Hue was impressed with the pageantry as Danny arrived at his ship, the whistles and the announcement that the Captain was arriving. Danny presented his Father and Brother to his senior officers before they went for supper.
As soon as they got back at the hotel, Hue was on his computer sending the pictures to his Baki, 'Tal. 'Tal must have been up late studying, he immediately replied to Hue, thanking him for the pictures. Hue closed his computer down and made a fast pass through the shower before going to bed, he was not used to the time difference and his body was telling him it was later than what showed on the clock!
Morning rolled around and they all met for breakfast. Hue enjoyed the tropical fruits he had not tasted since leaving Indonesia. They brought back a flood of memories to him, not all good. He began to choke up a bit and Caleb held his hand until the feelings passed by, soon he was smiling again, just a bubbly American Teen!
Immediately after lunch, they asked the hotel for a courtesy ride to the airport, where again, their passports were checked and the airline called up their visa in their computers. All was in order and they proceeded to go to the Priority Lounge, while wading through security. One security agent was somewhat unpleasant about a teen boy, who was obviously Chinese and had an American last name. Caleb had to get the supervisor to untangle the problem. Hue was very distressed and near tears. Caleb hugged him and half-carried him to the lounge. He took Hue into the men's room and had him wash his face. They sat, more subdued, waiting for their flight to be called. Paul and Carl sat with them and lending emotional support to Hue. They had known Hue since Caleb had first rescued him, they loved Hue as if he were their own!
As soon as their flight was announced, they made their way to the Jetway and boarded the plane. Again, Caleb gave Hue the window seat and he spent a few minutes typing a short e-mail to his Baki, letting 'Tal know that they were on their way to Tonga. After getting in the air, they were served a light meal and Hue promptly fell asleep. Caleb hoped he would awaken, refreshed and rejuvenated. There was, of course, nothing to see, only an ocean far below them, covered in miniature waves.
Soon, Caleb's head began to nod and he remembered nothing until the stewardess was shaking his shoulder and asking if they wanted supper. Hue was awake and he nodded his head that he wanted supper and Caleb was hungry, also. The meal was surprisingly good and when they finished, the stewardess said that they would be landing in Nuku'Alofa in about three hours. Hue grinned and asked her to pose as he took her picture. The woman had observed what had taken place back in the Honolulu Airport, she was glad that the young man had a smile on his face again.
As the plane began to shed altitude and speed, bits and pieces of islands appeared through their windows. Hue pressed his face up against the glass, anxious for a glimpse of tropical islands. It was still light as they landed, the airport was not as grand as those back home, a Jetway was wheeled up to the airplane and those passengers getting off in Tonga had to climb down to ground level.
They were met in the airport by the Prince, himself. Hue was surprised, he expected a prince to be a young man, like himself, but Crown Prince George Topu was a man in his forties and somewhat overweight. The Prince ushered them out of the terminal, directing his aides to take their luggage to the Palace Guest House.
They climbed in a huge black Ford Expedition and the driver took them for a short tour through the capitol city. By the time they returned to the guest house, it was quite dark and they were all nearly exhausted. The concierge showed them to their rooms and both Hue and Caleb were asleep nearly before their heads hit the pillows!
The next morning, Caleb was preparing to take a walk around the local neighborhood. Hue jumped up and insisted on accompanying his Papa. Hue knew what had happened in Jakarta when Caleb had rescued 'Tal, he wasn't about to let his Dati go through that again, alone! They walked several blocks, and ended up on the waterfront, where they watched huge bins of sugar being loaded on a container ship. While they were standing there, Hue's stomach made a loud rumble, Caleb grinned, "Guess we had better feed that thing before it escapes!" Hue giggled and as he started to make a smart teen reply, his stomach roared, rather than just growling! Hue's face turned scarlet and Caleb said, "WOW, wild animals here!"
Hue giggled some more as he mumbled, "Come on, Dati, let's go eat!" The two walked in peaceful companionship and re-entered the Guest House. Paul and Carl were waiting for them in the lobby and they all went for breakfast.
As they were leaving the dining room, Carl whispered to Caleb, "How do you afford to feed that boy?"
Caleb laughed, "I buy in bulk!"
When they had returned to the lobby, Prince George was there waiting for them.
They were taken out, first to the plantation, where they toured the handling facilities and harvesting equipment. Hue took notes for his Papa. Later, when Caleb reviewed what Hue had written, he was amazed at the clarity and correctness of his son's notes! They spent three days reviewing every aspect of the farming and harvesting procedures and equipment. Hue had filled two notebooks with their comments. Then they began the hard part, the surveying of the sugar mill and fruit packing operation. Caleb had to go out and find a source of more notebooks. Hue was running out of room to record their observations! In two weeks, Hue had filled 18 notebooks with their observations and comments.
Each night, Caleb, Paul and Carl would review what Hue had written in his precise penmanship, while Hue completed the lessons the tutor had sent to keep him current in his classes. When the survey was finally completed, they asked Hue to write up their dictated summary and recommendations. Hue was thrilled to be such an important part of his Papa's business. He took special care that his handwriting was perfect and easy to read.
They had a final meeting with Prince George and his advisors, they were all impressed with the thoroughness of the report and promised to examine it in detail. Prince George handed Caleb a government voucher to cover his expenses and fees and they returned to the Guest House to await their flight the next day.
Caleb and Hue were sitting in their room when Hue asked, "Dati, if you take this contract, will I still be able to come with you?"
Caleb smiled at his son, he knew this was a worrisome item for Hue. He replied, "Yes, Hue, you will accompany me here. Your school will prepare course outlines and we will have a teacher from the local high school here in Tonga tutor you. You know, IF we get the contract, we will be here for at least four years." He continued, "You know, you can stay with your Uncle Neil, if you wish."
Hue moved close to his Papa, "Dati, I love Oncla Neil, but I NEED to be with you."
He started to get tears in his eyes and Caleb hugged the boy, "Yes, Hue, I know, that is why I have already set it up, just in case we do get the contract!" The two sat on the couch, their arms intertwined.
Hue mumbled, "I love you, Dati."
Caleb looked down, the boy was sound asleep in his arms. Caleb gently carried him to his bed and tucked him in, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Hue smiled in his sleep and snuggled down deeper into the bed.
The next day seemed to Hue to come very early, he did not remember having gone to bed, even! He and Caleb packed up their belongings and Hue opened his computer and found he had an internet signal, so he typed a short note to 'Tal, "Baki, we depart this morning for home, see you then, Dati says we will be there Thursday afternoon. Hue." He received no reply, so he was sure 'Tal was in class. They had no layover in Honolulu, so he would not have an opportunity to send another message later.
The Black Expedition picked them up, the Prince was not in it, but the driver handed Caleb a large envelope of papers. When Caleb looked inside, he was astounded, it was a complete contract, ready for signing! Caleb said to the driver, "I cannot sign these until I have studied them."
The driver replied, "Yes sir, Prince George expected that."
The plane had begun to load as they drove up, Tonga Security rushed them through the terminal and escorted them directly to the plane. They had no sooner gotten seated, when the pilot started the engines and began to roll the huge aircraft onto the runway. They were all nearly exhausted, hardly before the plane reached altitude, all four were sound asleep.
Just before they landed in Honolulu, a meal was served. Hue kind of just picked at it and Caleb noticed tears in the boy's eyes. He reached over and to his son's hand, "Son, what is troubling you?"
At that, Hue began to cry in earnest, "Dati, you are going to be away on this job and I will have to go to school back home. I.."
Caleb interrupted the distraught boy, "No, Hue, you will come with me. Don't you remember? I already made arrangements for you to finish high school in Tonga. Never fear, son, I will never go off and leave you behind!"
Hue threw his around Caleb's neck, "Dati, you are my life, I love you so much!" Caleb rubbed the boy's back until he had calmed down.
The plane landed in Honolulu, where they had to change planes for San Francisco. It was a tight connection and they had to run down the length of the terminal, getting to the Jetway as they were preparing to close the door. They found their seats, all the men were huffing and puffing, Hue just sat there grinning!
Neil was waiting for them In San Francisco, ready to take them back home to Fairfield. Hue was troubled, again, by the time change, he tossed and turned in his bed that night. Finally, about 6 am, he gave up trying to sleep and telephoned his brother, 'Tal. Caleb overheard him talking to Tal, but he wisely said nothing and went into the kitchen to put a breakfast together. When Hue finished his conversation with his Baki, he came into the kitchen with a huge smile on his face, evidently, whatever 'Tal had said to him, relieved his anxieties. He dashed out of the house, headed for school a happy teen!
Over the next few days, Caleb discussed the project with his crew and Neil before submitting a bid. Prince George and his advisors must have been sitting next to their fax machine as the contract came back almost immediately signed and approved! Caleb had bid $10,000,000 for Management Fees and Time and Materials plus 25% for his crew, in addition to living expenses for all of them for the duration of the project, which was estimated to be 4 years.
It was indeed fortunate that the California Water Authority Project would be completed within the next two weeks!
Caleb arranged to have all their tools and living necessities air freighted to Tonga. He was told to expect delivery in two weeks, so he bought tickets for all his employees so that their arrival would coincide with the arrival of their freight shipment. He made arrangements with Hue's school for course outlines of all his subjects so that he could continue his High School education in Nuku'Alofa. He and Hue took several days and went to visit 'Tal at Davis, he promised 'Tal that he could come and spend his summers with them in Tonga. 'Tal took Hue aside and they had a long, brother-to-brother talk, Hue came away determined that he was going to assist and guard his Dati, with his own life, if need be!
There were tears as Caleb and Hue made preparations to depart from Davis, 'Tal refused to cry, that is, until after they had left. Jason No found his roommate face down in his bed, crying and sobbing. Jason, himself, a long ways from home and family, knew immediately what his friend was experiencing. He held 'Tal until he had cried himself out. 'Tal clung to Jason and told him what was happening.
Jason listened quietly and then said, "'Tal, just remember, I am here for you, together, we will get through this."
'Tal looked at Jason, with a new understanding, Jason really did care about him. Maybe there was hope?
Caleb and Hue packed up and closed up their house. Neil had promised to watch after the place and make sure the lawn and yard service kept the yard trimmed and neat while they were gone. He also promised to keep tabs on 'Tal and make sure he was alright. Caleb contracted with a shuttle service to take them all to San Francisco Airport. All told, there were twenty men and one teen to get to the airport. Hue was excited to be included. He, of course, knew all Caleb's employees and they had known him since he was a small boy, rescued from a slaver in Indonesia. They all looked upon Hue as their own son, as much as they respected Caleb, they loved his son, Hue!
Their flight was to depart for Honolulu that evening, so Caleb treated them all to a supper at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco before heading to the airport. They had the usual hassle checking in and getting through security, but they were in plenty of time to make their flight. They took up almost the entire Business Class section of the airplane, but Caleb insisted upon that for his employees.
Just after take-off, they were served a light snack, only Hue felt he could eat anything! As it was only a four-hour flight, it would be dark when they arrived in Honolulu. Danny's ship was out at sea, so Caleb and Hue would not get to see him. They planned to just stay in the airport and catch their Air New Zealand flight at 6 am. It would mean only a few hours of wait time, hardly worth running into Honolulu and attempt to get a little sleep!
As it was, they had problems sorting out the visas for that many people, it was nearly flight time before they were allowed out to the Jetway! As soon as the aircraft was off the ground, they all conked out and slept nearly the entire way to Hong Kong, waking only for a meal!
After a short layover in Hong Kong, they began their final leg to Tonga. It was a bright sunny day and Hue was excited to see some ships on the ocean's surface under them.
They were welcomed in Nuku'Alofa by representatives of Prince George and issued vehicles for their use while rebuilding the sugar mill and fruit packing facilities. They had been assigned bungalows on the mill property and they had all been recently refurbished. Caleb's had a separate bedroom and bathroom for Hue and a place he could study without intruding on Caleb's work areas.
The day after arrival, Caleb took Hue to get him registered in school, they were both impressed with the school and the small classes he would be attending. The counselor went over materials they had brought from California and assured Caleb that Hue would have no problems integrating into their school program.
The next day, a school bus came through the plantation property picking up students, including Hue. He hugged his Dad goodbye and went off to his own adventures, while Caleb organized a "get started" conference with his crew and the plantation officials. He interviewed a number of local mechanics and electricians to be included in the work crews and was pleased to find qualified workmen.
Both facilities were shut down in preparation for rebuilding. Work started immediately in tearing down the old boilers and removing the steam turbine generators from the powerhouse. Caleb looked at a Westinghouse generator, the last patent date on the nameplate was 1906!
The work and school proceeded without complications and the time sped by. Hue kept in contact, via e-mail, with 'Tal and soon knew a strong friendship, maybe even a relationship was developing between his brother and Jason No. One day, 'Tal typed, "Baki, I am in love with Jason and he says he loves me. Do you think Dati would approve and let Jason come with me to Tonga for the summer?"
Hue squealed in delight, bringing Caleb running, thinking there was a problem. He rushed into Hue's study room and found his son, holding his hand over the computer screen. He asked Hue what was wrong and Hue said, "eeerr ahh, nothing is wrong, Dati."
Caleb, wise in the way of boys, looked over his glasses and said, "OH?"
Hue gave a grin and replied, "eerr ahhh uhn Baki just asked me a question is all."
Caleb stood there and said, "And?" Hue shyly showed Caleb the e-mail on the screen and Caleb laughed, "Of course, he may bring Jason with him! He left the room chuckling. Hue rapidly typed out what had happened to 'Tal and signed off before his brother could reply!
Back in California, 'Tal looked at the screen in horror, and he started to tremble. Jason walked into the room and spotted 'Tal standing there, shaking like a leaf. He wrapped his arms around the trembling 'Tal and read the computer screen over his shoulder. He whispered in 'Tal's ear, "It's gonna be ok, love, he said I could come. That is ALL that is important right now!" At that moment, 'Tal's cell phone began to vibrate. He looked at the caller ID in horror, it was Caleb! Jason said, "Answer it, love, it will be OK!"
'Tal picked up the cell phone and answered, " err, ah... hel... Hello, Dati"
Caleb's voice came from the phone, "Well are you going to talk to me?"
Jason gently plucked the cell phone from 'Tal's shaking fingers, "Hello Mr. Best, this is Jason No, 'Tal is too busy shaking right now to talk!"
Caleb replied, "OK, just hold up the phone so he can hear me, BOTH of you. I will send tickets for both of you to come out here for the summer. I understand and, 'Tal, I love you no matter what. You, Jason No, I don't know you well yet, but if my son, 'Tal, has chosen you, I KNOW you are a good person and I want to meet you close up real soon!"
Jason dropped the phone and hung onto 'Tal, both were crying so hard, they did not even hear Caleb break the connection! Caleb then called his Brother-in-Law, Neil, and clued him in on what was going on. Neil said he would pick up 'Tal and Jason and get them to the airport and back. Neil sat down after speaking with Caleb and thought, "Oh, 'Tal, I pray that you are doing the right thing and will be happy!"
After several days, Caleb again called 'Tal's cell phone. This time 'Tal did answer, "Oh, Dati, I am so happy. Jason's family has disowned him and cut him off. If it were not for his scholarship, he would have to drop out of school."
Caleb replied quickly, "Does he need money, does he need anything?"
'Tal said, "Not right now, Dati, but maybe for our Senior Year."
Caleb replied, "We will talk about it when you get here, but, if you need anything right now, tell me or tell Uncle Neil, OK?"
Just then, Jason walked in and 'Tal handed him the phone, "Hello Mr. Best .."
Caleb cut him off, "Jason, please call me Caleb, or Dad or anything but NOT MR. BEST. I understand your family situation, if either of you boys needs anything, ANYTHING AT ALL, let me know. Your travel tickets should be there in a day or so."
After the call, Jason and 'Tal just sat, holding hands. Finally, Jason asked if 'Tal had picked up the mail and he said he had not, so he went downstairs to the dorm mailboxes and got their mail. There was a big brown envelope addressed to both of them, so Jason carried it upstairs and set it on the table. When 'Tal had washed his face and composed himself, he came out and spotted the envelope. He asked Jason about it and Jason said it was addressed to both of them. They opened it and two sets of tickets and visas fell out. Jason looked at the tickets and screamed, "Business Class all the way to Tonga and back, and a day layover in Honolulu!" He grabbed 'Tal's hands and they danced around the small dorm room, their problems forgotten for the moment.
The job progressed, a freighter delivered two Foster-Wheeler Boilers, partially assembled, to the docks in Nuku'Alofa and Caleb made arrangements for two low-boy trailers each to move them to the plantation. It was a three-day project to move the boilers less than 5 miles! The loads were so heavy, they had to go a roundabout route to find roads durable enough to take the weight! Even with two tractors pulling each lowboy, each boiler was almost more than four D-12 tractors could pull!
The townspeople came out, as if for a parade, to watch the loads pass through the town, their pace was so slow, even small children could keep up with them. Caleb shuddered to think what was going to happen when he had to pull four, fully assembled turbine-generators through Nuku'Alofa! He had worked over the original cane crusher, until they discovered the base plate was cracked, that doomed the crusher to scrap metal, it could not be repaired. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan was assembling a new crusher and it would be shipped within 30 days! Even with the delays, the project was well within the schedule.
May was looming up rapidly, he was looking forward to seeing 'Tal and meeting Jason. Awkward as it might be, Caleb had no hang-ups about them being boyfriends. If his beloved 'Tal loved this boy, that was all Caleb needed. He told Hue that when 'Tal and Jason arrived, they would take a short holiday and spend some time with them. Hue was delighted, not only to see his brother, but to be able to spend some time with Caleb, also!
Hue had taken to transcribing Caleb's rough job notes onto his laptop computer and printing out a summary each week. It was so well done, Caleb began to submit Hue's summary to Prince George each week. Caleb was very proud of what Hue was doing and made it a point to say that it was Hue's summary!
Back in California, finals were over with and 'Tal and Jason were already packed for their "Tonga Adventure"! Neil called them and told them he would pick them up at the dorm on Friday afternoon, about 3 and have them to the airport in San Francisco the next morning. What he did not tell them is that he had gotten in touch with Danny, who was going to be with them during their 36-hour layover in Honolulu! 'Tal had met Danny years before, but had not seen him since!
On Friday afternoon, both young men were out front, waiting for Neil, a few of the jocks had made some rude comments, but they were ignored. Jason and 'Tal were excitedly watching for Onkla Neil's big Lincoln Navigator. As Neil drove up, 'Tal was almost jumping up and down, he and Onkla Neil had a special relationship that went back to when 'Tal first came to America with Caleb and Hue. 'Tal introduced Jason to his Uncle as they loaded their bags into the back of the huge vehicle.
With their studies over for the year, both young men were running on nervous energy alone! The warm car and the drone of the wheels soon had both of them fast asleep. Neil smiled, remembering his own college days! Neil soon had them to his home in Fairfield, less than a block from where Caleb had his home. Neil was a bachelor, having tried a marriage that had failed, so there was nobody to welcome them home.
'Tal took Jason for a walk to show him Caleb's house before returning to Neil's home. There, 'Tal cooked up a South Pacific meal that had both Jason and Neil groaning. That night, Jason asked, "'Tal, why did you let me eat so much, it was soooooo good!" They could hear Neil groaning in the next room. Both young men slept the sleep of the dead, classes were over and there was no urgency for a while!
The next morning, they had a leisurely breakfast before heading to San Francisco. Neil took them to a steakhouse for lunch that he remembered from his own college days. It was every bit as good as he remembered it to be! They were out to the airport in plenty of time to catch a 3 pm flight.
After hugging his Uncle and thanking him for ferrying them around, both young men headed into the airport to check-in. Their tickets and papers were all in order, so they had no problems, except the usual hassle with security. Both men had foreign-sounding names and their passports showed they had been born in another country. 'Tal was becoming annoyed, but Jason stepped on his foot and smoothed the situation over and they finally got onto the concourse without further problems.
The attendant was surprised that two, obvious college students, had Business Class tickets but she allowed them into the Priority Lounge and they each had a beer. 'Tal was now 23 years old and Jason was 22. Even when they showed ID to the attendant, he was dubious, but served them anyway.
As they boarded their plane, a stewardess came up to 'Tal and asked, "Is your brother Hue Best?"
'Tal looked startled as he nodded his head and said, "Yes."
The stewardess laughed, "I had your younger brother on this flight a few months ago, he was the nicest young man. He told me about his big brother 'Tal and he described you perfectly!"
By now, 'Tal's face was bright red and Jason was giggling. They sat down and, every time that stewardess walked by them, she winked, making 'Tal's face red all over again! The flight to Honolulu was uneventful, the plane was only partially filled and most of the passengers were going on to New Zealand. They walked down to baggage claim, figuring on finding their baggage and then going to a cheap hotel for the rest of their night.
As they were snagging their baggage off the travelling conveyor, a pair of arms snaked around 'Tal and he screamed! He was spun around and found himself face to face with his older brother Danny - Commander Daniel Best, USN! 'Tal almost feinted in relief, he was sure he was being mugged!
Danny took them out to his car and they headed to the Royal Hawaiian, where Caleb had reserved rooms for them all. 'Tal shook his head, "Dati at work again!"
Danny just laughed, but Jason looked at 'Tal, "Dati?"
'Tal replied, "You need to understand, my father rescued me in Jakarta, Indonesia. I had been set upon by thugs as my old name was Singh 'Tal. I was a Sikh and we were hated there. Dati is an Indonesian term for Papa. Dati took me in and loved me. He cared for my Mother until she died and then he made me his son. He also rescued another boy, Hue. He was being held as a child sex slave and Dati nearly killed the slaver, grabbed Hue and took him with us. He also adopted Hue, my other Baki." Before Jason could ask, he told him that Baki meant brother.
Danny had to stop the car, he had not heard this story and he was so shocked, he was sobbing. "Oh, brother, why am I now just hearing this. I never knew, oh 'Tal." Danny reached around and hugged his brother, squeezing him and letting him know just how much he loved him.
Jason was also crying, holding 'Tal's hand. Jason knew then that he was going to love Caleb and was looking forward to a new and better relationship with 'Tal's little brother, no, his Baki, Hue!
The next day, Danny took 'Tal and Jason out to Pearl Harbor and showed them his ship, like Hue, 'Tal was impressed with the ceremony and pageantry of a ship's Captain coming on board his ship! Both Jason and Danny had a new understanding of 'Tal and an immense respect for his Dati, Caleb!
The flight to Hong Kong and then the final leg to Nuku'Alofa was almost anti-climatic for 'Tal and Jason, other than good flights, absolutely nothing happened except they slept much of the distance! Between all the excitement at school and flight excitement, both young men were exhausted. The stewardess woke them up as the plane was making its approach to the capitol city and they were eagerly looking out the window to see whatever there was to see.
The plane made a smooth landing and seemed to taxi forever, Jason began to wonder if they were driving there! When the pilot finally cut the engines, the silence made them realize just how noisy airplanes are. They scrambled down the rollaway accommodation ladder and headed into the terminal in search of their luggage and Family.
The first thing they heard was, "BAKI!" and a young hunk of humanity came flying across the room and launched itself into 'Tal's arms! 'Tal was ensnared by a human octopus!
Jason couldn't help but laugh, when he compared his reserved "former" family with this of 'Tal's, there was no question, he was joining a REAL Family! Caleb walked up and Jason stuck out his hand which Caleb brushed away and grabbed him with both arms in a bear hug! Jason could feel the sting of tears in his eyes, his own father had never hugged him in his whole life and this man, who hardly knew him, wrapped him up in a man-sized bear hug!
'Tal introduced Jason to Hue, who immediately wrapped his arms around him saying, "Can I call you Baki, also?"
Jason laughed and replied, "ONLY if you will be my Baki!" Hue marched across the room, leading 'Tal and Jason by the hand, and sat them down while he and Caleb rounded up their luggage.
Hue had given up his room to 'Tal and Jason, he would sleep in the sunroom while they were here. They finally got all the luggage and headed home, everyone trying to talk at the same time. Caleb finally got them to understand that he was taking a week off to show them around.
The next morning, Caleb drove them around Nuku'Alofa, showing them all the features of the capitol city, the Palace and the Government House. The kingdom was a Constitutional Monarchy without a Monarch right now. Crown Prince George was the titular ruler, but he had refused the Crown. Instead, he was a tireless champion of his people and loved throughout the island group. Caleb planned an overnight camping trip to the National Park on the northern tip of the island and had purchased sleeping bags and camping equipment to go. That night, all of Caleb's crew came around to greet 'Tal, they knew and loved him as a boy and all were impressed with the man he had become. More than one funny tale was told of 'Tal's younger days, he spent the evening with a permanently red face!
Caleb packed them all in his Land Rover and put the camping equipment on the roof rack. They headed out for a leisurely trip to the National Park, leaving his assistant, David Parks, in charge while he was gone. It was an interesting trip across the island, the road soon turned to gravel and then just dirt. There were no large wild animals native to Tonga and the only animal that could be dangerous, other than snakes, were feral pigs who could attain the size of 1200 to 1500 pounds! There were several poisonous snakes and supposedly a poisonous frog, but nobody had ever seen one of those!
They arrived at the National Park shortly after lunchtime, so Caleb broke out sandwiches for everyone before they all hit the beach! 'Tal was not hungry, so he wrapped his sandwich and placed it on the table for later. They all headed to the beach, it was a world-famous landmark and they all wanted pictures. Hue had his new camera and was busy snapping pictures of everyone.
He turned his head and was sure he saw someone in the bushes, but when he looked again, there was nobody there, so he thought it must have been his imagination. The sun and the heat soon tired the travelers so everyone trooped back to camp and 'Tal went to get his uneaten sandwich, he couldn't find it. He asked Hue if he had eaten it and Hue told him he had been down on the beach with everyone else. 'Tal figured a monkey or some other animal had eaten it, so he got another.
Hue volunteered to cook supper, so he began to prepare the dish he had learned to make, a Tonga favorite that had fruits as well as meat in it. He set a bowl of mangoes and papaya out on the table as he prepared the meat. He turned around to get the fruits and they were not there. He hollered, "Hey, who took the fruits, they were for our supper!"
Everyone claimed, "Not me!"
Hue pulled some more fruit out and placed it on the table, but this time he watched out of the corner of his eye. He saw a hand creep up the side of the table, he pounced on the arm and pulled a small boy out from under the table!
The child was screaming piteously in fear, tears streaming down his little face. 'Tal was first to respond to Hue's call for help and he grabbed the little boy and held him until he stopped struggling. By then, everyone was gathered around. 'Tal cuddled the little fellow and got him calmed down. He asked, "Who are you?" and got no response. He tried some other languages that he remembered from his childhood and still got no response.
Hue knew a few words in Polynesian and that sparked some interest in the child. Hue struggled, bringing words he had thought long forgotten to his mind. Finally, with the help of the child himself, who now giggling at Hue's massacre of his language, they learned that the boy and his even smaller brother had been left here ever since the last "wind". The best Caleb could determine, since the last tropical storm, that was more than a month earlier! Hue asked him, "Where is your little brother?"
The boy pointed to some bushes, but they saw nothing until he whistled and a little boy, not more than two or three years old crawled out from under the bushes! Jason was the first to run to the child and pick him up. The little boy clung to Jason like a leech, they were both crying, Jason and the tiny boy.
The tiny boy looked at Jason and said, Dati, Dati?"
'Tal nearly fell from his seat, he said, "Jay, he is asking you if you are his Papa?"
Tears started to flow from Jason's face and he held fiercely onto the child, "If he is that desperate, I WILL BE!"
'Tal ran to Jason, hugging him and said, "No, Jay, WE WILL BE!" He looked over to the older boy and waved him to them. He picked up the older boy and held him. Pointing to Jason and himself, he said, "Dati, Dati."
Hue came over and tried to translate what the boys were saying, as near as he could find out, the older boy was called Ol'hui and the younger was Ol'hua and that they were very hungry. Hue pointed to himself and said, "Baki Hue!" He then went the rounds, "Dati Caleb, Dati Jay and Dati 'Tal!"
Hue then went back to cooking his dinner, making sure there would be enough for two more hungry boys. The others ate only lightly to ensure the two little boys could eat their fill, Hue doubled the amount of papaya in his recipe, to make sure the little boys did not get a stomach ache! There were no villages nearby, so Caleb knew the boys did not live nearby.
After having their supper they had planned to stay the night, but they were all worried about the little boys, so they headed back to town. They stopped at the government hospital and told their story, asking that the little boys be examined. One of the doctors told them that several people had been killed in the storm but were never identified and suggested they check with the morgue the next day. The doctor told them that other than being undernourished, neither boy was in any danger, health-wise.
They went back to the car, the boys fell asleep as soon as the car began to move. They arrived back at their bungalow and Caleb put them in his bed, figuring on sleeping with Hue. Hue had other ideas, he said, "Dati, I am the only one who can speak even a little bit with these boys, I will sleep with them so they do not wake up frightened.
'Tal and Jason spoke up, "No, No, they called us Dati! WE must be with them!"
It ended up, all three stayed with the two small boys, who peacefully slept through the night! The next day, they took the boys over to the morgue, where they were shown pictures of the people they had not been able to identify. One picture, the older boy, Ol'hui, which Hue just shortened to Hui, pointed to and said, "Dati!"
Caleb said, "Well, at least now we know, what do we do?"
'Tal looked at him, "What do we do, we do exactly what you did before, MAKE THEM OUR SONS! Jay and I will take them, love them and raise them! We are of age, we can do it, somehow!"
When they got back to the house, Jay and 'Tal got on the telephone and spoke to someone long distance, they were being very secretive, but Hue heard them whisper, "We can do this thing!" They then asked Caleb to borrow his car for a few hours and, when they got back, they were all smiles!
Hue had a good idea of what they were up to, he went to the bedroom where they were staying and knocked on the door. When they answered, he stepped in and closed it behind him, "Bakis, I will help you do this thing."
'Tal and Jay looked at each other and asked, "What thing?"
Hue laughed, "I know you are going to try and stay here and you are going to adopt those boys, Hui and Hau!"
'Tal looked at his brother, "Ho, How did you know?"
"Remember, I AM YOUR BAKI!" He continued, "You can bet that Dati knows or at least suspects!"
Suspect he did, while his boys were discussing it among themselves, he called Prince George and explained to him what had taken place. He said, "Your Highness, you know me, I will guarantee that my boys will love and raise those two boys as their own and I will see to it they lack nothing!"
The Prince chuckled, "Caleb, I would agree to this even if you had not called me, they have already been here to speak with me! Those are fine young men you have there, yes, they told me they are in a relationship, who cares? Now go tell those boys of yours that I said it will happen! Oh. I almost forgot, they can finish their degrees here, we have an agreement with the California State University system that will allow them to get their degree just as if they were on campus!" The Prince hung up and Caleb just stared at the telephone, as if it had suddenly turned into a snake!
He was still staring at the telephone when 'Tal and Jas came down carrying the two boys. Hue followed them, he wanted to see all the fun take place! Caleb looked up and smiled. He said, "Yes, Yes and You can get it here!"
'Tal looked at Jay and they both said, HUH?"
Hue started to giggle, "You can't beat Dati!"
Caleb rose and went to the boys, reaching out to the two little ones and said, "Come to Grandpapa, boys." Had Caleb not already grabbed onto Hui and Hau, Jason and 'Tal would have dropped them to the floor. As it was, they were speechless!
Caleb set the two little ones down and they ran to Hue, asking what was going on. It took Hue a few tries to find the right words that they would understand, but when they finally understood, they went first to Caleb and said something. Hue struggled, "I think they just called you 'Honored Grandfather'."
They then went to Jay and 'Tal and said something more that ended in "Dati."
Hue looked bewildered, "I am not sure, but it has something to do with Papa."
Next, they went to Hue and hugged him with a single word, "BAKI"
Hue sat on the floor with the boys, a smile on his face and tears running from his eyes! The two little ones crawled up into Hue's lap and snuggled down as if they were going to hibernate right there!
The next morning, an official car pulled up to the bungalow and several men got out, all carrying papers. They asked if they could use the dining room table and Caleb said they could. The first men laid out papers and told Jason and 'Tal that these were adoption papers that would be filed in Tonga and with the United States State Department. They included papers requesting passports for the two boys under the name of Hui Best and Hau Best. The next man stepped forward and said he was from the Department of Education and he presented them with a plan for both of them to finish their Degrees with the University of California Distance Learning Program here in Nuku'Alofa! By now Jason and 'Tal's eyes were beginning to go unfocused! The next man presented papers from the School System, Department of Primary Conversion entering Hui Best and Hau Best in a special program to catch them up in language skills.
Jason recovered first, "I have two questions, the first is - We don't have to go back to California? And the second," he turned to Caleb, "May I change my Family name to Best?"
The man replied, "You go back with Mr. Best when the plantation project is completed and your second question, yes it can happen if Mr. Best agrees!"
Jason walked over to Caleb and knelt down before him, "Caleb Best, I Jason No, love your son 'Tal and your Grandsons Hui and Hau, I beg from you your name that I might be part of your Family."
Caleb lifted Jason to his feet, "Jay, you are already part of this Family and if you wish our name, it is yours, Jason Best." He then hugged Jay and called him son.
All the paperwork was signed and filed immediately, in less than a month, there were three new Best Boys and all passports were either corrected or a new issue for all three young men, Jason Best, Hui Best and Hau Best!
Work was progressing somewhat ahead of schedule, the boilers were ready for testing and the cane crusher was mounted on its new foundations. They were waiting for the cement to cure for the turbine generator foundations and the fruit packaging lines were being assembled. Two years had gone by, almost as if they wore wings. The crew was spoiling Hui and Hau something terrible and the poor tutor was ready to pull her hair out correcting the terrible English they picked up from the work crew!
By putting 'Tal and Jay on the payroll, they qualified for a small bungalow. Jay was a business management major and 'Tal was an accounting major, so they started applying their studies to Caleb's business and took much burden off Caleb!
The third year passed without anyone even noticing, the little boys were growing like weeds and 'Tal and Jay received their Degrees, WITH HONORS! They were nearly to the testing phase of the project, parts of the fruit packing plant had been put into service to take care of a bumper crop of both mangoes and papaya. So far, all the machinery was operating as designed. The big test would be the first cane crush! Hui and Hau were speaking intelligible English, with Polynesian words interspaced when they could not remember the English word! The household sounded like polygot at times!
Perhaps, potentially worse, they hated clothing! More than a few times, Jay or 'Tal or, usually both of them, would go racing out the door chasing two naked little boys! Caleb howled in laughter one day as two little naked bums outran both Jay and 'Tal and were headed uptown when Hue caught them! Everyone on the project knew them, it was not at all unusual for a truck driver to stop and tell them that their boys were running naked on the beach!
The big test came when it was time to roll the crusher, they had a load of cane to test, it went through smoothly, needing only minor adjustments to align the rolls! They had rehabilitated the centrifuges and crystallizers adding only new boiling pans. Cane was only two weeks off, so Caleb authorized overtime to get finished up.
As the cane wagons started to line up to the crusher, the turbines came online and took up the electric load, bagasse hit the boiler furnace an hour later, by the next day, the entire island was being supplied electricity from bagasse fuel! Juice was flowing and it would be only a day or so before there was enough molasses to start the crystallizers!
So far, everything was working perfectly. 'Tal and Jay were working frantically to finish up the books and Hue was pounding on his laptop, getting ready to print the work reports needed for all the machinery.
Caleb was not happy with the first juice analysis, there was something wrong with the crusher. He sat there, watching it run, when it suddenly hit him, there was a spacer in the guide bearings that was for shipping and never taken out, he could see the thing every time the feed arm lifted! He shouted to stop the crusher and climbed up to slip the spacer out. He barely got his arm out of the way when the feed arm came slamming down. He stomped over to the operator, ready to chop heads.
The poor young man was in tears, he said, "I set the break, but just before you jumped down, the fuse blew!"
Caleb cooled immediately and called for the electricians, Paul came running and opened the door to the electrical panel, he pulled a pair of pliers out of his tool belt and plucked something out of the panel. Holding it up, he showed Caleb the culprit, a fried mouse! They restarted the crusher and had the lab run another analysis, it was more in line with what Caleb thought it should be! After a week of tweaking and tuning, the mill staff said they were satisfied with the rebuild!
The crew collected all their tools and equipment, getting ready to ship them back home. Hui and Hau were marching around, chanting, "Us go 'Merica."
Hue told them, "Only if you wear clothes!"
Then the boys were not so sure they wanted to go 'Merica. They were so funny, it lifted Caleb's spirits every time he saw them! He shuddered to think of being cooped up on an airplane with them, maybe he could get some knockout pills, either for them OR for himself!
The day finally came when all the i's were dotted an all the t's crossed, he had his payment voucher for the contract and the T&M items, they were ready to go. An airline representative delivered their tickets and they had reservations for the flight out the next evening.
Lining up his crew was almost as hard as getting all his Family together, one last item, one last goodbye, Caleb was ready to scream. The day was saved when Hui and Hau marched up to the passport officer and said in a loud voice together, "Us Go 'Merica now!" It was comic relief, laughter could be heard all over the terminal, someone had left the announcing system on and it went everywhere! "Us Go 'Merica" had suddenly become famous in the Nuku'Alofa Airport! As they boarded the plane, Caleb loudly asked if they had the cage ready?
She replied, "Cage, sir?"
Caleb said, "Yes ma'am, the cage for my two Grandsons here!"
Hui and Hau looked at him, "We, not aminals, Gampapa, we 'Mericans!"
The other passengers howled in laughter and the Stewardess said, "If we need to, we have a special cage down in the freight compartment!"
The boy's eyes got wide and they went VERY quietly to their seats and sunk down in them, trying to look very small and meek! Caleb wondered how long it would last. Jay and 'Tal each held a boy as the plane took off, so they would not be frightened. As soon as the plane has reached cruising altitude, a light meal was served, the boys ate everything except the plates! Everyone slept until just before landing in Honolulu.
Caleb did not tell his Family that they were going to spend two days at the Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki Beach! They were surprised when he told them to bring their luggage, but when it was loaded into a van and they got into several extended limousines, they suspected something was up.
They arrived at the hotel just as the Conch Blowing ceremony was starting, Hui and Hau stood with their mouths open in wonder, their parents, 'Tal and Jason were no better! With such a large party, they took up a whole floor in one wing of the hotel.
The crew went down to "unwind" and 'Tal and Jay put the boys to bed, they were exhausted! Hue went down for a little while, after all, he was a lordly 19 years old now! But somehow, after being in the heart of Polynesia, this glitz and show seemed cheap and imitation to him. He soon came back to the room he was sharing with Caleb and started to read a book.
Caleb asked, "What, no party time?"
Hue replied, "I guess not, Dati, after Tonga, this just isn't real!"
The next morning, Danny was waiting for them and asked, "Where are my new nephews?"
Hui spoke up, "We not nepuwes, we 'Mericans!"
Everyone in the lobby was howling in laughter! Danny took his Family out to the Arizona Memorial and then to Punchbowl. Hue looked at all the graves and said, "All these men died so I can stand here." And tears came to his eyes.
Commander Danny Best put his arm around the young man and said, "Yes, Baki, that is what men do, they die so that others can live as free people. They didn't ask to die, but they did their duty willingly. Stand tall, Baki and be proud that they did this for you and for me and for those boys over there to be free. Freedom has a cost and they paid it for you."
Hue nodded at his brother and said, "I guess I never thought of it that way. But I do now!" He was somber as they returned to the hotel, Danny bought a book for Hue, "Pearl Harbor". It was about the attack and the following war. Hue was to keep that book as a personal treasure for the remainder of his life.
The return home was unexciting, they got to their house and began opening it up, letting the stale air out and freshening the rooms. Caleb put 'Tal, Jay and the boys out in the pool cottage, it had three bedrooms and it was perfect for a young family.
Hue applied to Sacramento State University for admission, with his grades and life experiences, he was admitted without question. He was determined to follow in his Dati's footsteps and be a Mechanical Engineer. His only remorse was he could not live at home for his Freshman year and he would surely miss his little nephews. Both 'Tal and Jason were employed by Best Engineering and Caleb only bid on local jobs for the next several years.
Look for more adventures of this noted engineer!