Listen to the Water | FULL SERIES | Wattys 2022 Shortlist | ✔

(15) Taiki: Face to Face

"Taiki?" signs Naina, concerned. "Is everything okay?"

My face must be showing my revelation. I shake my head to clear it, realize that looks like I'm saying I'm not okay, and sign, "I'm fine. Just... realized something. Sorry. Can I ask you two something?" I gesture to her and Satomi, then the other two. "And then I have another question for you two, if that's okay."

Everyone nods. Naina and Satomi join me in a little side huddle, where I deliver the proposition to come see Ande with me. Satomi agrees immediately. Naina looks down.

"You don't have to," I sign, but I don't think she sees it. Satomi nudges her.

"I don't know if she'll want to see me," Naina signs at last.

I tilt my head. "Didn't you used to be friends?"

It's the most I know about the two of them, but Ande doesn't talk much about it, and dodges the question when I ask. I now wonder if there's more to the story.

"You don't know that," Satomi is signing. "You already said she's changed. Have you talked to her since then?"

"Since when?"

"I don't know. Since you left the islands? Since you noticed she'd changed? How long as it been?"

Five moons, I know; the last time Ande and Naina would have seen each other was when we left Ande's people with my tribe. Ande's changed so much even since then.

"I think she may want to see you," I sign cautiously. I actually have no idea, but I do know Ande misses her village. And distance can make even people you didn't get along with feel better than they are.

Naina fidgets for a while longer, then signs, "Then I'll come. But she may still not want to talk to me."

There's nothing I can say to that, so I wrap up the conversation and we rejoin to the other two. This time, I turn to both and sign, "Do either of you remember an islander in your village named Makeba?"

Their brows both furrow, and they glance at one another.

"Isn't that the one who disappeared?" the girl signs to her companion, who nods slowly.

"I think so?" he signs. "I'd have to check with goma Bibi."

"But she was in your village?" I sign. "She came from Fotaloa."

"We were the only village on the island, I think."

That's the first answer I need. These are Makeba's people. The one who disappeared, though, is a lead I want to follow. "Can you take me to that goma? I need to talk to her."

Both confirm that Satomi and Naina have nothing more to talk to them about, and promise to be back once they've taken me where I need to go. It takes a lot of weaving through the tunnels of Roshaska, and a lot of asking other people, to find the old islander they're talking about. Goma Bibi is even older than most of the gomas in Ande's village: so old, her hair has gone completely white, making a cloud like deep-sea coral about her head. The two younger Kels who brought me confirm that I don't need anything else from them, and dash off again.

"What can I help you with, love?" signs goma Bibi. "You're from the tribe that the Telu village lives with now, are you not?"

"Yes. I wanted to ask you something. What was the last you knew about a Kel named Makeba?"

The goma stills. Her smile falls, and her eyes search my face. "It's been a long time since I saw that name," she signs in a murmur.

"I heard she disappeared."