Buuj bween /Drawing lots for luck

Ij keememej ḷọk wōt ke ikar uwe ippān Jema kab ruo ṃōṃaan ilo juon booj jidikdik eo roñoul ruo ne aitokan im jiljino ne depakpakin. Ilo iien in eor jiljilimjuon ak rualitōk aō iiō—Ij jab kanooj ememej. Wa in ṃōṃkaj kar boojin eakto ektak jeḷaan tiṃa ko waan Navy eo an America. Tiṃa kein rōkein añkō iarin aelōñin Kuajleen ālikin wōt an ṃōj an ri-Amedka kar bōk aelōñ eṇ jān ri-Jepaan ro ilo tariṇae eo kein karuo an laḷ in. Ṃōjin aer aikuji wa in Navy ro rōkar leḷọk ñan juon ri-Ṃajeḷ ej jerbal ippāer ilo iien eo. Innem ḷein ekar ārōke ḷọk iarin Kuajleen im kaaṃtōūki im wa in ekar oktak ñan juon boojin jerakrōk.

I still remember when I sailed with Father and two other men on a small boat that was twenty-two feet long and six feet wide.P1 At this time I was seven or eight years old—I don’t exactly remember which.P2 Before, this boat was a cargo ship, belonging to the American Navy sailors.P3 After the Americans took the island from the Japanese in World War II, they used to anchor these ships in the Kwajalein lagoon.P4 When the Navy no longer needed this ship, they gave it to a Marshallese person who was working with them at the time.P5 Then this man beached it on the Kwajalein lagoon beach and fixed it up, and changed it into a sailing ship.P6

Ekar pinej ioon eake rā, kalōk juon eṃ ṇa ioon, kajuur juon kaju im kōḷaak wūjḷāin bwe en maroñ jerakrōk ilowaan ṃaḷoin aelōñ eṇ. Ekar barāinwōt kōḷaak juon injin ṇa ilowaan kein an tōtōr eḷaññe edik ak ejjeḷọk kōto ñan lewōjḷā. Injinin kar tūrak men eo ḷein ekar kōḷaak ṇa i wa in. Eḷap an baj injin eo kajoor ñan dettan wa eo innem ewātin peḷḷọk jān ioon dān ñe ej tōtōr eake, eḷaptata ñe ej jej kobban. Ej jab daan ṃōkaj ilo lewōjḷā ak ebwe an wōnṃaan.

He covered its top with boards, built a house on it, put up a mast and attached a sail so that it could sail on the ocean around the island.P7 He also assembled an engine inside so that it could motor if there was little or no wind for the sail.P8 The engine he assembled inside the boat used to be a truck engine.P9 The engine was very strong for the size of the boat, so it nearly skipped from the water’s surface when it was motoring with it, especially when there was no cargo.P10 It was not so very fast when it was sailing, but it went well enough.P11

Ḷeo eḷap an kar tiljek im kōjparoke wa in ilo an kar kōṃadṃōde. Ekar unoke im kōkāāle ijoko ekar wōr kurar bajjek ie ke ri-pālle ro rōkōn leāne lemeto jeḷaan tima ko waer eake. Ālikin an kaaṃtōiki eḷak memaan ilo aba eṇ Kuajleen emmejaja ṇa ioon dān. Ebarāinwōt tipen kōiie i loṃaḷo meñe ej jañin kar tar meto kaṇ rōḷḷap.

The man was very careful and protected the boat while he was working on it.P12 He painted it and fixed the places where there were scratches from when they used to use the boat to set sailors ashore.P13 After he repaired it, he anchored it in the Kwajalein harbor, and it looked very beautiful on the water.P14 It seemed seaworthy in the lagoon, but it had not yet traveled on the high sea.P15

Emmaan iaarin Kuajleen /Mooring at Kwajalein's lagoon

Ilo raan ko ejọ kōn lutōk ḷọk Kuajleen kōn jọkpejin aḷaḷ kab tiin. Ri-Ṃajeḷ rōmaroñ jọkpej im ektak ñan aelōñ ko aer. Jema kab ḷōṃarein ruo rōkar lo bwe juon eo iien eṃṃan innem raar jọkpej im aini jet aerjel aḷaḷ kab tiin. Men eo ejjeḷọk de eo waan ektaki ḷọk men kein ñan Likiep, ijellọkin wōt tiṃa in raun eo, ak kōnke kōmmān aikuj naaj kar kōttar tok bar jilu allōñ.

In these days Kwajalein used to be overflowing with scrap wood and metal.P16 Marshallese people could go through the scrap and haul it to their island.P17 Father and the two men saw an opportunity, so they went through the scrap and collected wood and metal for themselves. The only thing they lacked was a vehicle to haul these things to Likiep, except for the fieldtrip ship, but we would have had to wait for that for three months.P19

Innem juon raan Jema kab ḷōṃarein ruo erjel kar kwelọk ippān doon im lo juon ḷōmṇak bwe Jema en kepaak ḷeo waan booj in im roñoul ruo ne aitokan im kajjitōk ippān emaroñ ke kōtḷọk wa eo waan bwe erjel en jata kake ñan Likiep. Eto an Jema ḷōmṇak ak ke ḷōṃaro ruo rōkar akweḷap wōt, ekar ba ke enaaj kajjioñ.

Then one day Father and the two men met together and the idea arose that Father should approach the man who owned the twenty-two foot boat and ask if he would allow them to charter it to Likiep.P20 Father thought for a long time, but because the two men continued to insist, he said he would try.P21

Jema ear kile ippān make ke ḷeo ej itōn kajjitōk wa eo waan ej kain armej rot eṇ epen ṃweien kōnke eḷap an tiljek im kōjparok. Āindein an Jema ḷōmṇak ke ej etal in kajjitōk wa eo. Bōtab ke ej bar ememej ke kōrā eo ri-turun ḷein erro ej nukwiik doon, ebar kajoorḷọk atin. Innem ekar wōnṃaan ḷọk wōt im kajjitōk im ekar rōḷọk wa eo ñan erjeel.

Father realized that the man who owned the boat was a frugal kind of guy, because he was very careful and protective of the boat.P22 This is what Father was thinking about when he went to ask to use the boat.P23 However he remembered that the man’s wife was his relative, and he became bolder.P24 So he went ahead and asked, and brought the ship to them.P25

Jibboñōn raan eo juon ikar ḷoḷoor ḷọk Jema kab ḷōṃa ro ruo ṃōttan ñan wa eo. Rōkar leāne tak im kaatartare ilo wab eo bwe erjel en jino kōpopoje. Erjeel naaj jipañ doon ṃōṃaaneke. Erjeel kar ajeji jerbal ko rōḷḷap ikōtaerjel im āindeo bwe juon enaaj Kapen, juon Injinia, im eo juon Bojin. Ña iba inaaj buwae bajjek im ānen ilo iien rot eṇ eḷap dān i lowa.

The morning of the next day I followed Father and the two men to the boat.P26 They brought it close to shore and came alongside the dock so they could start getting it ready.P27 They would help each other man it.P28 They distributed the big jobs among themselves, so that one of them would be Captain, one Engineer, and one Boatswain.P29 I said I would just be the cabin boy and bail at times when there was a lot of water in the boat.P30

Ḷōṃarein aolep ri-Likiep im rej mājur ḷọk wōt ilo men in jejerakrōk, joñan aerjel jelā. Kapen eo eor eñoul an iiō. Ej jañin ḷōmṇak in uwaṇ. Ej kākemọọj wōt im barāinwōt ewōr ṃōttan an jeḷā kapenin Ṃajeḷ. Baaṃle eo an ebwe an doom im rōpād i Likiep. E kain ṃōṃaan rot eṇ eabwin pād ettọọne baaṃle eo an. Eḷaññe ej ṃōṃakūt jān turin baaṃle eo an ej jab kōṇaan bwe en to an jako jān er.

All of these men were from Likiep, and they were so good at sailing that they could do it in their sleep.P31 The Captain was forty years old.P32 He did not even have gray hair yet.P33 He was a very active person, and there was something else in addition to his knowing how to be a Marshallese captain.P34 He had a very large family and they were all on Likiep.P35 He was the kind of man that does not like to be far from his family.P36 When he travels away from his family, he does not like to be gone from them for too long.P37

Bojin eo edikḷọk wōt jidik jān Jema eo me eor jilñuul jiṃa an iiō. Elukkuun lōñ kobban lọñin. Ñe ej bwebwenato eiio raan. Bōtab ejeḷā aolep kain bwebwenato, roro, kab inoñ. Baaṃle eo an ebarāinwōt pād i Likiep im juon eo nejin ḷaddik ej kab ḷotak. Ekaṃōnōnō kōn an kijoñ bwebwenato im tōtōñ wōt.

The Boatswain was a little younger than Father, who was thirty-some years old.P38 He was always talking.P39 When he is talking, there goes the day.P40 However, he knows all kinds of stories, chants, and legends.P41 His family also was on Likiep, and his son had just been born.P42 He made people happy because he was always telling stories and laughing.P43

Juon jota iaar wanmeto ḷọk ioon wab eo ḷọk ñan wa eo im lale epād ke Jema ie. Ear jaadin jijidwōtwōt im ke ij kelọk jān ioon wab eo ñan wa eo, Kapen eo ej wanlōñ tak jān lowaan wa eo. Erre tok im ḷak lo kōjāllin neō elaṃōj.

One evening I went down to the dock, then to the boat to see where Father was.P44 It was drizzling, and when I jumped from the dock to the boat, the Captain came up from inside the boat.P45 He looked at me and then he saw the condition of my legs and shouted.P46

“Ṃōkaj,” ekkūr tok, “im bar rọọl ñan ioon wab ṇe im karreoiki neeṃ ṃōṃkaj jān aṃ juur tok ioon wa in!”

“Hurry,” he called to me, “and return to the dock and clean your legs before you step on this boat!”P47

Iaar tan kajjitōk aō ja kakkije jidik ṃōṃkaj ak iḷak kile mejatotoin ijab kōnono ak ibar kelọk ñan ioon wab eo im to laḷ ḷọk ilo jikin uwe eo i tōrerein im kwaḷe neō i lọjet. Ke ij bar tōprak ḷọk ioon wa eo, ikajjitōk ippān enañin lo ke Jema.

I was going to ask if I could rest a little first but when I realized the prevailing sentiment, I didn’t speak, I just jumped back onto the pier and went down off the side of the stairs and washed my legs in the ocean.P48 When I got back to the boat, I asked him if he had seen Father.P49

“Eḷaññe kokadikḷọk aṃ ṃōṃōkadkad im jab kōmarōk wōt kukure, kwōnaaj jeḷā ia eo Jeṃaṃ epād ie aolep iien,” Kapen eo eba tok. “Lale ṃōk ke eñeo ej kab wōnāne ḷọk, ettōḷọk pukpukōt eok.”

“If you didn’t wander around so much and play until it gets dark, you would always know where your Father is,” the Captain said to me.P50 “Please look and see if that is him that just went back to the island; he has been looking for you for a long time.”P51

Iḷak mejek laḷ ḷọk lowaan wa eo ilo kein jerbal ko an Jema rej eojaḷ wōt ijo.

Then I noticed that inside the boat Father’s tools were still all spread out down there.P52

“Alikkar ke enaaj bar rọọl tok in kokoṇi kein jerbal kā an,” ikar ba ippa make.

“Obviously he is going to return and put away his tools,” I said to myself.P53

Ejino jok tok marok eo im ikkōl in wōnāne ḷọk bwe kōṃro maroñ ḷe ijeḷmān doon. Ij ja lōḷñoñ bajjek wōt ioon wa eo ak iroñ ḷōḷāārār ioon wab eo.

It was starting to get dark and I was concerned about going back to the island because the two of us might get separated.P54 I was still on the boat feeling nervous when I heard the rattling of gravel on the dock.P55

“Ḷadik eṇ!” ainikien eo eba. “Kwe āt ṇe i wa ṇe, ewi Kapen eo?”

“Hey boy!” the voice said.P56 “Who is with you there on the boat; where is the Captain?”P57

“Ibōk bōra im ḷak rōre lọk, ilo juon ḷōḷḷap ioon wab eo. Ke ej rōre tok im kalimjek eō, āinwōt juon juon eo mejatoto ejelōt eō. Epao tokin kain eṇ eaejemjem.

I looked up, and when I looked over I saw an old man on the dock.P58 When he looked toward me and stared, it was like something in the air was stifling me.P59 His appearance was like those people who when they talk, everyone listens and believes what they say.P60

“Eñe i wa e,” iṃōkaj im uwaak. “Kōttar bwe in ba ñane ke kwoaikuji.”

“Here in this boat,” I answered quickly.P61 “Wait and I will tell him that you need him.”P62

Ej wōtlok wōt jān lọñiū ak ebbōkak ippān Kapen eo i lowa.

The words had just come out of my mouth but they carried down to the Captain inside.P63

“Ba ḷōḷḷap ṇe en uwe tok im kōttar jidik bwe ña e waj,” Kapen eo ekkūr lōñ tak.

“Tell the old man to come onboard and wait a little because I’m coming up,” the Captain called up to me.P64

“Kapen e ej ba kwōn uwe tok in kōttare ioon wa e,” iāliji ḷọk ñan ḷōḷḷap eo ej jutak ioon wab eo.

“The Captain says you should come onboard and wait for him on the boat,” I repeated to the old man standing on the dock.P65

"Ta ennaan bajjek," ḷōḷḷap eo eba /“Any news,” the Old Man said

“Ij ja itōn kwaḷ neō ṃokta bwe ettoon, ” ḷōḷḷap eo euwaak.

“For now I will just wash my legs, because they are dirty,” the old man answered.P66

Ebar ejjeḷọk men eṇ Kapen eo eba ke ej roñ ijin jān ḷōḷḷap eo. Innem ṃōjin an kwaḷ neen euwe tok ioon wa eo. Ej meḷan ḷọk wōt jidik ak ewaḷọk tok Kapen eo. Erro ḷōḷḷap eo idik pein doon.

The Captain didn’t hear anything else from the old man.P67 Then when he finished washing his legs he came on board the boat.P68 After a little while the Captain came up.P69 The two of them shook hands.P70

“Iọkwe eok,” Kapen eo eba. “Ña ij ba kwopād i aetọ.

“Hello to you,” the Captain said.P71 “I thought you were on one of the small islands.”P72

“Ta ennaan bajjek,” ḷōḷḷap eo eba.

“What’s going on?” the old man said.P73

“Eor ta nenaan bajjek?”

“What’s new?”P74

“Ejjeḷọk enaan ije ij tan eọroñ enaan ippaṃ,” ḷōḷḷap eo euwaak. “Ij roñ ijekā ke kwōj ḷōmṇak in jerak ḷọkin wiik in ñan Likiep. Ṃool ke?”

“I’ve got no news; I was going to see what’s going on with you,” the old man answered.P75 “I heard you are thinking of sailing to Likiep next week.P76 Is that true?”P77

Epojak ñan kanne /Ready for loading

“Ḷōṃarere ejej men eṇ enaaj ṇojak,” Kapen eo eba. “Ekwe iññā kōmij pojak in jerak emaroñ ḷọkin wiik in laḷ. Epojak aolep men ijellọkin wōt ektak aḷaḷ kab tiin im deenjuuk injin e an wa in. Injinia eo ej ba enaaj kadedeḷọk an booje ilju ej jibboñ im likbade ālikkin raelep innem kemmān jino ektak.”

“Those guys don’t keep anything secret,” the Captain said.P78 “Alright; yes we are ready to go, maybe week after next.P79 Everything is ready except for loading the lumber and metal, and warming up the engine in the boat.P80 The Engineer says he is going to put it together tomorrow morning and test it in the afternoon, and then we will start to load.”P81

“Kwe āt ṇe iaaṃ?” ḷōḷḷap eo ekajjitōk.

“Who else is working with you?” the old man asked.P82

“Ña im bar ruo ṃōṃaan kab ḷadik e nejin juon iaan ḷōṃarein,” Kapen eo eba.

“Me and two other men, and also this boy who is the son of one of the men,” the Captain said.P83

Erro ej kōnono wōt ak iḷak bōk bōra im rōre āne ḷọk ilo animrokan Jema iturun ṃweo iānein wab eo. Ijab ṃakūtkūt ak ipād wōt ijo im kōttar. Eor jiljino awa jota ak ḷōḷḷap eo ekar jañin ḷōmṇak in rọọl āne ḷọk.

Those two were still talking and as I raised my head and looked toward the island I caught a glimpse of Father on the shore side of the wharf.P84 I didn’t move; I just stayed where I was and waited.P85 It was six o’clock in the evening, but the old man was not yet thinking of going back to the island.P86

“Etke koṃeañ jab kōttar wiik uweo tok juon im jerak ke āinwōt epaak tok iien Likabwiro?” ḷōḷḷap eo ekar kajjitōk. “Iba wōt kōn wiik in ñe jab wiik in laḷ ilo allōñin Juḷae, iien eo an lañ jab in.”

“Why don’t you guys wait for a while to sail, because it’s almost time for Likabwiro?” the old man asked.P87 “I’m just talking about this week or next week in July; this is the time of bad weather.”P88

“Ijaje ḷe,” Kapen eo euwaak. “Āinwōt ilo aō jeḷā emootḷọk raan ko an. Bōlen kar eñeo ilo wiik eo ḷọk ak ejab kanooj kar kajoor.”

“I don’t know, man,” the Captain answered.P89 “To me it seems like that time is already past.P90 Maybe it was last week, but it wasn’t really strong.”P91

“Eban bwe Likabwiro ej itok ilo idik ak ear iaḷap ilo wiik ṇe kwōj kōnono kake,” ḷōḷḷap eo ebaj kwaḷọk jeḷā eo an.

“No, that’s not right, because Likabwiro comes during high tide, but the week you are talking about was high tide” — the old man was just demonstrating his knowledge.P92

“Eaab, eñeo,” Kapen eo eakweḷap. “Kab ke eṃōj aō jeke ippa ke jerak kōnke jekiden ṇa i ānin. Dedeinke wiik uweo tok juon naaj iien an niñniñ eo nejū kemem im iabwin jako jāne. Ta eo ke juon wōt boñ jetōpar Likiep. Ekadu meto jab in.”

“No, this is what’s going on,” the Captain insisted.P93 “I also promised myself I would go because we get stir-crazy staying on one island all the time.P94 And because the week after next will be my son’s first birthday and I really don’t want to miss it.P95 It’s no big deal, because after just one night we will reach Likiep.P96 It’s a short trip.”P97

“Ṃool,” ḷōḷḷap eo eba. “Ak jab meḷọkḷọk naan eo an rūtto ro, ‘ekadu tōllọk in a eaetok peḷọk in’ ñe koṃ ḷokan kanne wa ṇe kōn jọkpej, ej kab naaj kauwōtataḷọk wōt.”

“That’s true,” the old man said.P98 “But don’t forget the old saying ‘staying within the realm of possibilities is short, but being adrift like this is long’; when you guys fill the boat with scrap, it will be more dangerous.”P99

Kapen eo ekar itan uwaake ak ejikrōk Jema im kōnono ippān ḷōḷḷap eo.

The Captain was going to answer him but then Father arrived and started talking with the old man.P100

“Iọkwe eok ḷōmen,” Jema eba.

“Hi guys,” Father said.P101

“Ōjjej!” ḷōḷḷap eo eba. “A enañin to ad jab lo eok? Kwoḷak kar itok jeṃaan, jej jañin bar lo eok ñan kiiō. Lale jenkwōn eo.”

“Wow!” the old man said.P102 “Why has it been so long since we’ve seen you?P103 You came back a long time ago, but we haven’t seen you since then.P104 We’ve been looking for your footprints.”P105

“Ekwe ejab bwe iban meḷọkḷọk nukū, ak kōn ad kar jaadin poub raan ko ḷọk ippān injin kakūtōtō in an wa in. Iar ḷōmṇak wōt bwe kōṃro ḷe nejū en kar iukkure waj jọteen in,” Jema eba ñane.

“I would never forget my family; we have just been busy these last few days with the annoying engine in this boat.P106 I was just thinking my son and I would drop by and see you this evening,” Father said to him.P107

“Ioḷe ilju kōjjel Bojin kanne wa in kōn jọkpej ko adjel,” Kapen eo eba. “Ij wōnāne ḷọk kiin ak ñe kwōlo ḷeo juon kab jiroñ ḷọk. Kajjioñ kadede ḷọk aṃ booje injin ṇe im likbade ilju ṃōṃkaj jān raelep.”

“Alright, tomorrow together with the Boatswain we will fill this boat with our scrap,” the Captain said.P108 “I’m going to the island now, but when you see him, please tell him.P109 Try to hurry and get the engine ready and test drive it before tomorrow afternoon.”P110

Ṃōjin an Kapen eo ba ijin, epikkālọk ñan ioon wab eo im wōnāne ḷọk. Ej etal wōt ak ejino an kōkōtoto tok im kōmjel Jema im ḷōḷḷap eo leladikdik. Ioon lọjet ejino an kain ṇe liṃaajṇoṇo bajjek. Ettōr tok juon ḷooj im uwōjaki awal im kwarkwar ko itōrerein wa eo. Eṃṃan aō mour im ejako aō abṇōṇō ke ej jino aemed ḷọk in jota.

After the Captain said this, he jumped onto the dock and went to the island.P111 Just as he was going, the wind started blowing and we all felt pleasantly cool.P112 The ocean started getting kind of choppy.P113 A false albacore swam toward us and caused minnows and sardines to leap out of the water around the boat.P114 I felt good and was not upset anymore as the evening got cooler.P115

Ainikien Jema ekọruj eō jān aō tan kar memadidiḷok.

Father’s voice roused me from my drowsiness.P116

“Āinwōt aō kar ba ke kōṃro ḷe nejū naaj iukkure waj ñan ṃween iṃōṃ jọteen in ḷọk,” iroñ an Jema ba.

“Like I said, my son and I are going to drop by your house this evening,” I heard Father say.P117

Ḷōḷḷap eo ettōñ dikdik im ba, “Inaaj kōttar koṃro. Ak kiiō ij ja jaṃbo tok ñan waan kapin aelōñin e. Bōtaab kwōn kajjioñ kōnnaan ñan Kapen ṇe amieañ. Likabwiro epaak iien an buñ lọk. Koṃeañ en kōttar ṃokta im lale ñan wiik uweo tok bwe en jab tabuuk koṃ ṇa i lọmeto.”

The old man smiled and said, “I’ll wait for the two of you.P118 But for now I’ll wander over to the boat at the end of the island.P119 However, you should try to talk to your Captain.P120 It’s almost time for the Likabwiro storms to begin.P121 You guys should wait and see until next week so it won’t strand you in the middle of the ocean.”P122

“Aaet ij ememej wōt ekkatak ko an irooj eo kōjro kar bōk arro jeḷā ippān,” Jema eba ñan ḷōḷḷap eo. “Āinwōt ij roñ ke irooj eo ṇe i ānin?”

“Yes, I still remember what our chief taught us when we studied with him,” Father said to the old man.P123 “I heard the chief is on the island now?”P124

“Iññā,” euwaak. “Ear itok jān kapin aelōñ in raan ko ḷọk, ioon wa e waan aelōñ in.”

“Yeah,” he answered.P125 “He came from the end of the island a few days ago, on the local boat.”P126

“Inaaj aikuj lo ḷọk ālikin aō lo waj koṃeañ iṃweeṇ,” Jema eba. “Ij jab tōmak bwe Kapen eṇ enaaj eọroñ eō bwe aolep iien ij leḷọk aō ḷōmṇak ñan e, ellootaan im ḷōkatip. Ak ij aikuj uwe ilo tūreep in bwe in kōjparok ḷọk ḷe nejū bwe ejako ejino jikuuḷ. Eḷaññe kōṃro to, kōṃro kab ḷe wōt ilo Oktoba, iien eṇ enaaj bar wōr piiḷtūreep. Bar juon, ij aikuj in kōrọọl tok wa in. Jekdọọn ak inaaj bar kajjioñ ṃōk kōnono ippān jeṃṃaan.”

“I will need to visit him after I see you guys home,” Father said.P127 “I don’t believe that the Captain will listen to me, because I’m always telling him what I think, worries and complaints.P128 But I need to go on this trip so that I can make sure my son gets there in time to start school.P129 If the two of us don’t go, we will have to wait until October when there will be another fieldtrip ship.P130 And also, I need to return this boat.P131 But no matter what, I will try to talk with him.P132

“Ekwe ij ja ajādik tok ṃōk ñan wa eṇ im eọroñ ennaan,” ḷōḷḷap eo eba. “Iọkwe koṃro bwe jenaaj bar lo doon kiiō ḷọk jidik.”

“Ok, for now I’m going to wander over to that boat and find out what’s going on,” the old man said.P133 “Goodbye, you two, see you again soon.”P134

“Iọkwe eok, ” kōṃro Jema jiṃor ba ke ḷōḷḷap eo ej etal.

“Goodbye,” we both said as the old man left.P135

Ej moot ḷọk wōt ḷeo ak Jema eba, “Jero wanlaḷ tak ñan ruuṃin injin e bwe in kọkoṇi kein jerbal kaṇ im āti ilowaan bọọk eṇ nieer.”

As the old man was leaving, Father said, “Let’s go down to the engine room so I can straighten up my tools and put them away in their box.”P136

Eḷak baj to laḷ ḷọk Jema eapdik men ko ippa. Ak lowaan wa eo ejino marok im jeitan ban loḷọkjeṇ. Ijujen wōnṃaanḷọk ñan lowaan ṃweo ituṃaan im bōk liktak ḷaṇtōn eo. Jema ekwaḷọk juon mājet jān bōjọọn jedọujij eo an im tile ḷaaṃ eo. Ebwe an kōmrame ijo bwe en ṃōṃan aṃro kōmaati kein jerbal ko im āti i lowaan tuuḷ bọọk eo. Ṃōjin an ḷake bọọk eo kōṃro kadikḷọk ḷaaṃ eo im to āneḷọk.

After he jumped down, Father took some of the stuff from me.P137 But inside the boat it was starting to get dark and we couldn’t see very far.P138 So I went ahead inside the boat in front of him and brought back the lantern.P139 Father took a match out of his pants pocket and lit the lamp.P140 There was enough light for us to find all the tools and put them in the toolbox.P141 After he locked it, we turned down the lamp and disembarked.P142

“Kwoeañden ke?” Jema ekajjitōk ippa ke kōṃro ej etal ioon wab eo ḷọk. “Kōjro etal ñan ṃōn wia eṇ in wiaiki ruo kijerro petkōj. Ṃōjin kōjro etal ñan ṃween iṃōn ḷōḷḷap eo.”

“Are you hungry?” Father asked me as we walked down the dock.P143 “Let’s go to the store and buy ourselves two biscuits.P144 Afterwards we’ll go to the old man’s house.”P145

“Ekwe,” iba. Ij tōtōr wōt, joñan aō kijerjer. Eṃōj an bwil ḷaaṃ kaaj eo iṃōn wia eo im elukkuun meram. Ejino aeñwāñwā ijo kōn armej.

“Ok,” I said.P146 I started running—that’s how eager I was.P147 They had already lit the gas lamp at the store, and it was very bright.P148 It was starting to get noisy from all the people.P149

“Jema e, eṃṃan ke ñe itōn aluje aer taij?” ikajjitōk. “Kwōn kab kūr eō ñe iien arro etal.”

“Father, can I go watch them play dice?” I asked.P150 “You can call me when it’s time for us to go.”P151

Lale kwaar kanooj kepaake rukkure raṇe bwe jet raṇe rōkadek im rōmaroñ juur eok,” Jema ekapilōk tok eō.

“Make sure you don’t get too close to the players because some of them are drunk and they could kick you,” Father advised meP152

“Iiūñ,“ iba ñan e.

“Ok,” I said to him.P153

Juon iaan ḷōṃaro ijo ejino ḷuḷuuki taij ko. Ekar kate bwe en jab okjak ak eitok wōt bwe en tōn ñarij laḷ. “Jeeepeniiileeepen,” ḷeo ekate ba innem kad kiin eṃ kōn taij ko. “Kwōn kōṃanṃan aṃ kadkad bwe iar pet ippaṃ ḷouweo,” juon iaan rūtaij ro ejiroñ ḷọk.

One of the men was starting to roll the dice.P154 He was trying hard to not fall over but it seemed like he was going to bite the dust.P155 “Seeeveneeeleeveeen,” the man said with all his might, and then threw the dice against the wall of the house.P156 “You should throw better, because I bet on you, man,” one of the players told him.P157

“Ioḷe, ej ja wōt eo iaar ba ñan kwe,” ḷeo juon eba. Kōjparok aṃ ḷuḷu bwe kwōnañin jarom wōt jidik.”

“Hey, man, it’s like I told you,” the other man said.P158 “Be careful with your rolling, because you almost got hit.”P159

“Nejū e, itok,” Jema ekkūr tok. “Kōjro ajādik bwe eboñ.”

“Son, come,” Father called me.P160 “Let’s go, it’s getting late.”P161

Ijab bar pād ak iṃōkaj im etal. Kōṃro ej diwōjḷọk wōt ak eokkoḷọk lowaan ṃōn wia eo. Ekkāke jea im tebōḷ i mejatoto. “Io epok ṃōṇe ippān ri-kadek raṇe,” iroñ an Jema ba.

I left quickly.P162 We were going out when there was a crash inside the store.P163 A table and chair flew into the air.P164 “Uh-oh, that building is all messed up from those drunk guys,” I heard Father say.P165

“Kwōjeḷā ke kukure tor eṇ ḷe Jema?” ikajjitōk ippān.

“Do you know how to play like that Father?” I asked him.P166

“Ij jañin kajjioñ ak bōlen eban pen bwe āinwōt iḷak baj lale men eo jej wōjak de eṇ kōdapili taij kaṇ im ewaḷọk bōnbōn eo ad. Men eo enana kake, kōnke jej ikkure kōn jāān. Eḷaññe juon ej imminene, epen an joḷọk. Āinwōt kōbaatat. Ej ja ṃōttan wōt kein kautaṃweik kōj kaṇe jet rej itok jān laḷ kane rōḷḷap,” Jema eba.

“I haven’t tried but it probably wouldn’t be hard, because it seems like I just saw how they do it; you just roll the dice and the number of points show.P167 The bad thing about it is that we play with money.P168 Once you get used to it, it’s hard to stop.P169 It’s like smoking.P170 It’s just one of those harmful things that come from the bigger countries,” Father said.P171

“Ia in kōjro pād ie kiin Jema?” ikar kajjitōk ke kōṃro ej etal ijo ḷọk.

“Where are we now, Father?” I asked as we kept going.P172

“Ṃōttan wōt jidik kōjro tōkeak,” euwaak. Ṃweo ṇeṇe iṃaan ej kabōlbōl wūṇtō kaṇ ie.”

“Pretty soon we’ll get there,” he answered.P173 “That’s the house there in front of you, where the windows are all lit up.”P174

Ej meḷan ḷọk wōt jidik ak erorror juon kidu jān tōrerein iaḷ eo ḷọk ñan ṃweo. Innem juon armej eteeñki tok im rome kōṃro.

We were still a little ways away, but a dog started barking from around the road to the house.P175 Then a person came out with a flashlight and shone it on us.P176

“Naaa ḷakukkuk!” armej eo ej teeñki ekar libaake ḷọk kidu eo. “Koṃro jab elwaj ippān bwe ej rorror bajjek wōt ak ej jab kūk. Koṃro delọñ tok.”

“Bad dog!” the person with the flashlight shooed away the dog.P177 “You two shouldn’t pay attention to him, because he’s all bark and no bite.P178 Come on in.”P179

“Iọkwe koṃ iṃwiin,” Jema eba ke kōṃro ej delọñ ḷọk.

“Hello, everyone in this house,” Father said when we entered.P180

“Iọkwe,” euwaak ri-ṃweo.

“Hello,” answered all the people in the house.P181

Ejaad pen kile jete armej i lowaan ṃweo ak ealikkar ke juon eo leḷḷap ie kōnke iroñ ainikien an ḷōḷḷap eo ba, “Limen e, kwōn itōn kōṃṃan ḷọk kijen Injinia e im ḷadik e nejin.”

It was somewhat hard to tell how many people were in the house, but it was obvious that one was an old woman because I heard the old man say, “Honey, you should go make some food for the Engineer and his son.”P182

“Koṃro eṃṃool,” Jema eba, “ak ej kab ṃōj amro kōjota.” “Ilo aṃ jeḷā ḷe kar ilo allōñ kein, ae ṇe ikōtaan aelōñ in im Likiep ej ae niñaḷọk ke ak rōñaḷọk. Āinwōt itan meḷọkḷọk.”

“Thank you both,” Father said, “but we just had supper.”P183 “In your knowledge of these months now, is the current between this island and Likiep running north or south?P184 It seems I forgot.”P185

“Ej ae niñaḷọk kiiō kōnke ekkā wōt an kūtak bwe ej iien rak wōt. Innem eḷaññe kwōnaaj tarto jān aelōñ ṇe i reeaar im rōḷọk jān aelōñ in, kwōj jeḷā bwe kwōḷe i iōñ,” ḷōḷḷap eo ebōk kūtwōn jidik im bar ba, “Koṃro ej jab ṃōñā jidik ke?”

“The current is running northwards now, because there is normally wind from the southwest since it’s summer.P186 Then when you sail westward from the island in the east and slip by this island, you know that you will pass by to the north,” the old man took a breath, and then said, “Don't you two want to eat a little?”P187

“Koṃṃool, ak kōṃro ej jab,” euwaak Jema ñan kōṃro.

“Thanks, but no,” Father answered for the two of us.P188

“Bwe jejaje koṃro en kar kōṇaan ke ṃōñā, ke raij im kuwat kōjota e am iṃwiin,” ḷōḷḷap eo eba. “Ijab eọñōd bwe iar bar eñjake an metak tok kūrro e aō. Jelukkuun ijoḷ ṃōñāin aelōñ kein. Bōlen unin an ikkutkut aō kūrro in kōn ṃōñāin pālle kein kijed raan kein im rōjekkar ñan ānbwinnid.”

“I didn’t know if you guys were going to want to eat; our family had rice and tinned meat for supper,” the old man said.P189 “I didn’t go fishing because I felt my gout coming on.P190 I really like local food.P191 Maybe the reason my gout is always acting up is from all the foreign food these days, it’s not suitable for our bodies.”P192

“Ak kwe Limen, kwōj et bajjek raan kein?” Jema ekajjitōk ippān leḷḷap eo.

“What about you, Honey, what are you up to these days?” Father asked the old woman.P193

“Ejjeḷọk,” euwaak. “Ij āj jaki im kōṃad eō ak ilukkuun kijooror in rọọl ñan aeto kaṇ.”

“Nothing,” she answered. “I’ve been weaving mats and keeping myself busy, but I’m eager to go back to the small islands.”P195

“Ak kwōj et wōt ānin?” Jema ekajjitōk.

“So what have you been doing on this island?” Father asked.P196

“Ilukkuun ṃōk in añōtñōt bwe kōṃro en rọọl ak eñin kōṃro kab pād de ijin im kūrroḷọk wōt,” leḷḷap eo eba. “Ijeḷā ke enaaj jako an ḷōḷḷap ṇe kūrro ñe kōṃro pād i aeto. Dedeen ke eḷak ekkāke baḷuun i mejatoto ioon aelōñ in, jeitan wūdeakeak kōn ainikiier.”

“I’m really tired of begging that we go back, but here we are just staying and getting more gout,” the old woman said.P197 “I know the old man’s gout would disappear if we were living on the small islands.P198 You know, it’s like how the planes are flying above this island all the time, the noise makes me want to go crazy.”P199

“Ooo, a jab bar illu,” ḷōḷḷap eo eba, bwe kiiō wōt kōjro moot ḷọk jān ān in im jero ban bar rọọl tok.”

“Oh, don’t get angry again,” the old man said, “because pretty soon we will leave this island and we won’t come back.”P200

“Ojjej a iọkwe kōj ke rōbōk ān in āneed,” ḷeḷḷap eo eba. “Jejerata wōt ke rōkaliaik kōj.”

“Well, too bad for us when they take this island,” the old woman said.P201 “It will be bad fortune when they banish us.”P202

“Irooj eṇ ad ej jokwe ia?” Jema eṃōkaj im kajjitōk.

“Where does our chief live?” Father asked quickly.P203

“Ṃōṇeṇe iōñin waj ṃwiin jidik,” ḷōḷḷap eo euwaak.

“That house a little to the north of here,” the old man answered.P204

“Ekwe kōṃro ej ja ajādik tok ñan ippān,” Jema eba. Kōṃro ej tōn ṃōṃakūt wōt ak ebar jiktok juon an kajjitōk ippān ḷōḷḷap eo, innem ebar ba, “Ḷe kar ta jet iaan kōkḷaḷ ko ṃokta jān ad lo Likiep?”

“Okay, the two of us are going to wander over to him,” Father said.P205 We were about to go but Father still had his mind on questioning the old man, and he said, “Sir, what are the navigational signs before we see Likiep?”P206

“Ruo raj im juon ak,” eba. “Ñe kwōj loi men kein kwōjeḷā ke Ṃatteen ṇe i ṃaan.”

“Two whales and one frigate bird,” he said.P207 “When you see these things, you’ll know that Matteen is ahead of you.”P208

“Mool ke ej jañin jako jeḷā ko aṃ,” Jema enebare.

“It’s true you haven’t lost your expertise,” Father praised him.P209

“Ekwe ej bwe wōt,” ettōñdikdik ke ej ba men in.

“Yeah it’s still okay,” he smiled as he said this.P210

“Jete awa ilo awa ṇe nejiṃ?” Jema ekajjitōk im kalimjek ḷọk juon awa ej tōtoto ikiin ṃweo.

“What time is it on your clock?” Father asked and stared at a clock hanging the wall of the house.P211

“Joḷọk bōd ak ej jab jerbal awa e,” ḷōḷḷap eo eba. “Juon ri-pālle ear letok nejū ak kiiō ejorrāān im ijaje kōṃṃane.”

“I’m sorry, but this clock doesn’t work,” the old man said.P212 “A foreigner gave it to me, but now it’s broken and I don’t know how to fix it.”P213

Jema eḷọñjak jān ijo ekar jijet ie im ba, “Ekwe kōṃro ej ḷe nejū ja etal in lo ḷọk irooj eṇ ad ṃokta jān an mejki. Kōṃro naaj bar ikkure tok eḷaññe eor iien ṃokta jān ameañ jerak. Bar iọkwe koṃ iṃwiin.”

Father got up from where he had been sitting and said, “Alright, my son and I are just going to go visit our chief before he gets sleepy.P214 We will swing by here again if there’s time before we sail.P215 Goodbye everyone.”P216

“Ooo, a bar iọkwe koṃro,” ḷōḷḷap eo eba. “Jeñak jenaaj bar lo koṃ ñāāt.”

“Oh, and goodbye to you two,” the old man said.P217 “I don’t know when we will see you again.”P218

Iḷōmṇak ippa make ke bōlen ej kōnono eake ammān tōn jerak ilo iien in im ej ba ekauwōtata.

I thought to myself that most likely he said this because we were going to sail soon and he was implying that it was dangerous.P219

Ke kōṃro Jema ej diwōj jān ṃweo, iḷak bōk meja im erre tak ḷọk ilo an jino memeramram rear. Iba ippa make, “Eban ñe eraan.”

When we got outside, I looked over and noticed it was starting to get light in the east.P220 I said to myself, “I don’t believe there’s daylight already.”P221

“Ebaj to ak ijeḷā ke ebōd ḷōmṇak eo aō bwe Jema ediwōj tok im ḷak baj lo an āindeeo eba, “Eiiaḷañe.”

It had been a while, but I knew my thinking was wrong because when Father came out to where I was and saw the same thing, he said, “The moon is coming up.”P222

“Eṃṃan bwe enaaj merame nemiro ḷọk ijene ḷọk,” ḷōḷḷap eo ekar kōnono tok jān lowaan ṃweo.

“It’s good because it will light your way,” the old man said from inside the house.P223

Ijibwe pein Jema im kōṃro etal. Ikar jino eñjake an dedo tok meja kōn aō mejki. Ke kōṃro ej epaake ḷọk ṃōn irooj eo, juon armej elaṃōje ḷọk kōṃro. Iñak ñāāt wōt eo ekar lo animrokaṃro ilowaan iaḷ eo, kab etke ejeḷā ke kōṃro ej jibadek ḷọk ṃweo. Ke kōṃro ej jikrōk ḷọk ilo etōñaakin ṃweo, Jema eṃōkaj im iọkiọkwe ḷọk irooj eo ej jijet ippān lejḷā eo.

I took Father’s hand and the two of us left.P224 My eyes were starting to get heavy because I was so sleepy.P225 When we were getting close to the chief’s house, a person yelled to us.P226 I don’t know when he saw a glimpse of us on the road, and why he knew we were trying to reach the house.P227 When we approached the veranda of the house, Father quickly greeted the chief who was sitting with his wife.P228

“Kwaar itok ñāāt?” irooj eo ekajjitōk. “Jej ba kwōj pād wōt iaelōñ ṇe i reeaar.” “Iar itok ilo piiḷtūreep eo ḷọk, kōṃro ḷadik e ñejū,” Jema euwaak.

“When did you come?” the chief asked.P229 “We thought you were still on that atoll east of here.”P230 “I came back on the last fieldtrip ship, with my son here,” Father answered.P231

“Koṃro deḷọñ tok im jijet,” eba. “Ak koṃ naaj rọọl nāāt ñan Likiep? Etke āinwōt waan raun kaṇe ejakkutkut aer itoitak raan kein.” “Kwōj ṃool,” Jema eba. “Eḷaññe kōṃro kōttar waan raun, ijaje kōṃro naaj ḷe taḷọk ñāāt, bōlen naaj ḷọkin jilu ak emān allōñ jān kiiō.”

“The two of you come in and sit down,” he said.P232 “So when are you guys going to Likiep?P233 Why does it seem like the fieldtrip ships don’t travel around much anymore.”P234 “You're right,” Father said.P235 “If we waited for the fieldtrip ship, I don’t know when we would go, probably three or four months from now.”P236

“Ak ebar or iiaḷ eṇ koṃro loe ke?” ekajjitōk.

“Is there another way for you to get there?” he asked.P237

“Iññā,” Jema eba. “Kōmjel bar ruo ṃōṃaanin Likiep kōmjel ej jataik wa eṇ waan ḷōmen. Kōmij ektaki ḷọk jọkpej kaṇ ameañ im kōttōpar ḷọk iien jar eṇ an ajri eo nejin Kapen eṇ I Likiep. Kōmij barāinwōt kaiur ñan an ḷe nejū jab ruṃwij jān an iien jino jikuuḷ.”

“Yes,” said Father. “Two other men from Likiep and I are chartering a guy’s boat.P239 We are hauling our scrap over and going in time for the celebration for the Captain’s son who is on Likiep.P240 We are also hurrying so that my son won’t be late for the start of school.”P241

Jema ejijet ḷọk ilo kōjām eo im ña ibaj jijet ḷọk iturin.

Father sat down at the door and I sat down next to him.P242

“Iba eḷap jọkpej eṇ amieañ?” irooj eo ekajjitōk.

“Do you all have a lot of scrap?” the chief asked.P243

“Ebwe,” Jema euwaak.

“Some,” Father answered.P244

“Koṃjeel jeraaṃṃan wōt,” irooj eo eba. “Ak koṃwij ḷōmṇak in jeblaak ñāāt?”

“Well good luck to you all,” the chief said.P245 “When are you planning on leaving?”P246

“Ḷọkin wiik in ñe jab jinoin wiik in laḷ,” Jema eba.

“The end of this week or the beginning of next week,” Father said.P247

“Kōmij jino ektak ilju im kadede ḷọk aolep men.” Irooj eo ekalimjek Jema im ba, “Koṃwin jab kōjelbabō bwe allōñ eo an Likabwiro in. Ṃool ke kwōmeḷọkḷọk jeḷā ko ḷōḷḷap eo ear liwaj ñan kwe ke? Aolep kapenin aelōñ kein rōjeḷā bwe allōñ in wa otemjej rej ār bwe ren kōttar im lale ebuñlọk ke Likabwiro.”

“We will start loading tomorrow and getting everything ready.”P248 The chief stared at Father and said, “You guys shouldn’t be careless, because this is the month of the Likabwiro storms.P249 Did you really forget all the knowledge the old man taught you?P250 All island captains know that this month all boats should be beached so they can wait to see when Likabwiro appears.”P251

“Enaaj kōjkan ke ej jab kapenin wa eṇ ña innem ij erre lọk wōt ñan ta eo Kapen eṇ ameañ ej ba,” Jema euwaak.

“Well I’m not the captain of the boat, so I just do what our Captain says,” Father answered.P252

“Ekwe koṃeañ etal wōt im jerak, ak kab lale ṃōk ke koṃ naaj bar pe tok im eọtōk iaelōñ in,” Irooj eo eba.

“Okay, go ahead and sail, but you are just going to drift and end up back here where you started,” the chief said.P253

“Kwōn jab bar ekkọọl bwe jenaaj jerata,” Jema eba.

“Don’t jinx us or we will have bad luck,” Father said.P254

Ke erro ej kōnono, eitok wōt in kilōk tok meja, meñe iṃōk in kate eō bwe en jab. Naan eo āliktata ikar roñ ṃokta jān aō ṃōdān ḷọk ej ke irooj eo ekar ba Jema en idaak kọpe. Ke iaar ruj ālikin, raan eo juon im ij pād iwa eo. Unin aō ruj kōn an armej aeñwāñwā ioon wab eo. Bojin eo im Jema erro ej daak kọpe im kōmāltato iḷọkwan wa eo.

As the two of them were talking, my eyes kept closing, because I was so tired of trying to keep them open.P255 The last word I heard before I fell asleep was the chief saying Father should drink some coffee.P256 When I woke up later, it was the next day and I was in the boat.P257 The reason I woke up was because of the people chattering on the dock.P258 The Boatswain and Father were drinking coffee and shooting the breeze at the back the boat.P259

“Nejū e, lewaj jāān jet kā im etal im wia tok ad ṃabuñ pilawā,” Jema ekkūr tok ke ij wanlōñ tak jān lowa ñan ioon teek.

“Son, take this change and go buy us some bread for breakfast,” Father called to me as I climbed out onto the deck.P260

Ṃōjin aō bōk jāān eo, ibuuḷ āne ḷọk ñan ṃōn wia pilawā eo.

After taking the money, I hurried to the store that sold bread.P261

“Ejjeḷọk pilawā āinwōt pilawāin ṃwiin, rej make wōt ennọ,” ḷeo ilo jikin wia eo ekar ba ñan juon iaan ruwia ro.

There’s no better bread than the bread they sell here; it’s really delicious,” the man at the store said to one of the customers.P262

“Kwōmaroñ ke letok pilawā kōn aolepān jāān e?” iba ñan ḷeo ilo jikin wia eo im leḷọk lemñoul jāān. Ḷeo edeḷọñ ḷọk ilowaan ruuṃ eo im ḷak diwōj tok ej jibwe ruo ḷoobwin pilawā, eṃōj an limi kōn peba būrawūn, ej ja āindeeo aer māāṇāṇ ke rej kab mat tok.

“Could you give me bread for all of this change?” I asked the man at the shop and gave him fifty cents.P263 The man went into a room and when he came back out he was holding loaves of bread, already wrapped in brown paper, still warm from the oven.P264

“Eo waj ḷe ḷadik eṇ,” eba ke ej letok. “Ettōr ṃōk ṃōñā im lale aer ennọ.”

“Here you go, boy,” he said as he handed them to me.P265 “Go run and eat and see how delicious they are.”P266

“Koṃṃool,” iba ñan e im bwijọkorkor meto ḷọk ñan wa eo bwe ijeḷā ke Jema im Bojin eo erro ej kar kōttar wōt. Juon eo tibatin ti ej kōmat ippān kọpe eo limeerro ioon kijeek eo. Idoori pilawā ko iturierro innem kwaḷọk tok juon tūre, juon bakbōk im jake ḷọk men ko im Bojin eo ebōk bakbōk eo im jiḷaiti juon iaan ḷoob ko im kōmjel idaak im ṃōñā. “Jeṃṃaan ṇe meto tak,” Bojin eo ekar kate wōt im ba kōn an kuborbor.

“Thank you,” I said to him and hurried back to the boat, because I knew Father and the Boatswain were still waiting.P267 A pot of tea was warming together with their coffee over the fire.P268 I put down the bread next to them and then found a tray, a small knife, and handed them over, and the Boatswain took the knife and sliced one of the loaves and we all ate and drank.P269 “The boss is coming this way,” the Boatswain said through a mouthful of food.P270

Ijujen bar kwaḷọk juon kabwin idaak kọpe im door kadede ṇa ijo ñan an itōn kōjerbale. Ibōk kabwin ti eo liṃō im juon kijō jiḷaitin pilawā im ṃōṃakūt bwe en or jikin an Kapen eo jijet ijo. Iwōnṃaan ḷọk ñan ḷobōrwaan wa eo im kadedeḷọk aō ṃabuñ.

Consequently, I got another cup for drinking coffee and put it down so he could use it.P271 I took my cup of tea and a slice of bread and moved over to make space for the Captain to sit.P272 I went up to the bow of the boat and finished my breakfast.P273

“Iọkwe,” Jema im Bojin erro jiṃor ba ḷọk ñan Kapen eo ke ej to tok ioon wa eo. Eitok im kōṃṃan limen im jijet ijo erjel idaak kọpe.

“Hello,” Father and the Boatswain both said to the Captain as he came onto the boat.P274 He came over and poured his beverage and sat down where the three of them drank coffee.P275

Ejjeḷọk kōkeroro ak men eo kwōj roñ deo ainikien aerjel ḷwiiti kabwin kọpe ko kab ekkopkopin dān eo ilowa ke ej eṃṃōḷeiñiñ wa eo. Ej baj meḷan ḷọk ak Kapen eo ekkōnono.

There was no talking or noise except for their slurping from their coffee cups and the sloshing of the water inside as the boat rocked.P276 After a little, the Captain started speaking.P277

“Mōjin wōt ad mabuñ ak koṃro jiṃor eake injin ṇe,” Kapen eo ear ba. “Ñe ededeḷọk kōjmān ektak im ilju jota mājojo jejeblaak.”

“Now that we’ve finished breakfast, you two go work on the engine,” the Captain said.P278 “When it’s ready, we’ll load up, and tomorrow evening we’ll go for sure.”P279

“Kwōn kab wanāne waj im kappok tūrakin ektaki jọkpej kaṇ ad,” Jema ejiroñ ḷọk. “Kōṃro naaj Bojin pukōt waj eok dedeḷọkin aṃro kōjọ im likbade injin e.”

“You should go to the island and find a truck for us to use to load our scrap,” Father told him.P280 “The Boatswain and I will come and find you when we have finished starting and testing the engine.”P281

“Ekwe eṃṃan,” ekar uwaake Jema. “Kōmiro naaj lo eō ilo opiij eṇ an Koṃja eṇ.” “Mmmm, a ejejjet wōt utōn in kọpe,” Bojin eo eba. “Epojak ke adeañ kaṃbōj im jaat?”

“Okay, sounds good,” he answered Father.P282 “You can find me in the District Administrator’s office.”P283 “Mmmm, this is how coffee ought to taste,” the Boatswain said.P284 “Are our compass and charts ready?”P285

“Iiūñ, ikar būki tok inne,” Kapen eo euwaak.

“Yes, I brought them over yesterday,” the Captain answered.P286

“Rōṃṃan ke?” Bojin eo eba.

“Are they good?” the Boatswain said.P287

“Ekōjkan!” Kapen eo ebar uwaak. “A bwe eṇta kwōj inepata ke ñe etal im apañ tok, jejujen kōjerbal kōṃadṃōdin aelōñ kein.”

“And how!” the Captain answered.P288 “But what are you worried about; if we go and something is wrong, then we’ll fix it in the traditional ways.”P289

“Ekwe ej jab nana ak kwōn kōpopo ilo boojaṃ bwe jen jab peḷọk im peek aelōñin Ṇauṇau,” Bojin eo erere ke ej ba men in.

“Alright, no big deal, but you should go get yourself ready so we won’t drift and end up on the island of Ṇauṇau,” the Boatswain said as he laughed.P290

“Jiljilimjuon awa kiin,” Kapen eo eba ke ej lale waj eo nejin. “Imoot, jenaaj iioon doon iturin opiij eṇ. “Jema, koṃro door kab kaṇe ñiimiro bwe inaaj karreoiki,” ijiroñ ḷọk erro Bojin eo.

“Seven o’clock now,” the Captain said as he looked at his watch.P291 “I’m going; we’ll see each other by the office.”P292 “Father, you two leave your cups because I’m going to wash them,” I called to him and the Boatswain.

“Āinwōt kwōjeḷā kuṇaaṃ ḷe nejū!” ettōñ dikdik tok ilo an ba.

“Seems like you really know your duties, Son!” he said as he smiled.P294

“Kwōjeḷā ke ta unin?” ikkajitōk ippān.

“Do you know why?” I asked him.P295

“Iñak,” eba.

“I don’t know,” he said.P296

“Juon ḷōḷḷap ekar katakin eō bwe in kautiej rūtto,” iba. “Eḷap aō iọkwe ḷōḷḷap in kōn an āñin eō ippān aolep iien ej jejerakrōk. Jeṃaan kōṃro kar uwe tok ioon juon tiṃa kijoñjoñ ñan ān in.”

“An old man taught me to respect my elders,” I said.P297 “I really love this old man because he always took me with him when he went sailing.P298 A long time ago the two of us rode in to this island on a huge boat.”P299

Ej ṃōj wōt aō kōnono ak erro Bojin eo rōre tok ñan ña im tōtōñ. Erro kaalikkar ke erro jeḷā wōn eo ikar kōnono eake.

I had finished speaking but Father and the Boatswain looked at me and laughed.P300 They showed that they knew who I was talking about.P301

“Eṃṃan wōt in raan,” Jema eba. “Iọkwe bwe en kar āindein wōt.”

“This is a great day,” Father said.P302 “Would that it were always like this.”P303

Ej ṃōj an ba ijin ak Jema eto laḷ ḷọk ilowaan wa eo. Bojin eo eloe im baj ḷoor laḷ ḷọk. Ke ij karreoiki ijo erjel kar ṃōñā ie, iroñ ainikien kọkorkor ioon wab eo. Iḷak rōre lōñ ḷọk ñan ioon, ilo juon ḷaddik ej jibwe juon kilin lōta.

After saying that, Father went down inside the boat.P304 The Boatswain saw him and so he followed him down.P305 While I was cleaning the place where they had eaten, I heard the noise of someone running on the dock.P306 When I looked up toward its platform, I saw a boy holding an envelope.P307

“Kwōj ita?” ikkajitōk ippān.

“What’s up?” I asked him.P308

“Raar ba in bōk tok lōta e ñan Kapen ṇe an wa ṇe bwe en ektake ñan Likiep ,” eba.

“I was told to bring this letter to the Captain of this boat for him to take to Likiep,” he said.P309

“Emoot āne ḷọk iṃaaṃ wōt jidik,” iba. “Kwōmaroñ loe ilo opiij eṇ an Koṃja eṇ bwe ekar etal ñan e.” Ejino ibwij tok im wa eo ejino pelōñ tak im jepaan wōt ioon ọb eo. Ededeḷọk aō karreoiki jikin mōñā eo kab kōnnọ ko. Iuwe ḷọk ioon wab eo im kōttōpar ḷọk ijo jet ṃōṃaan rej eọñwōd ie, tōrerein wab eo tu iōñ. Ij tōpar ḷọk wōt ijo ak ebbūkḷọk injin eo an wa eo im jọ. Aolep ro ioon wab eo im ilbōk kōn wāween eo.

“He went ashore a little while ago,” I said.P310 “You can find him at the District Administrator’s office, because that’s where he went.”P311 The tide was starting to come in and the boat was starting to float upwards to the same level as the dock.P312 I finished cleaning up the place where they had eaten and washing the dishesP313 I went up onto the dock and went over to where some guys were fishing, on the north side of the dock.P314 I had just gotten there when the boat engine popped and started.P315 Everyone on the dock was surprised by it.P316

“Ṃa e, emour būrūṃrūṃ,” juon iaan rieọñōd ro eba innem aolep im tōtōñin kajjirere.

“Hey guys, Vroom Vroom is alive,” one of the fishermen said, and everyone laughed mockingly.P317

Iṃōkaj im rọọl jān ijo ñan wa eo. Ikar ḷōmṇak in akwāāle ḷeo ekar kōṃṃan kōjak kōn etan wa eo ak ikor ñe ekar ṃan ña. Ke ij bar uwe ḷọk ioon wa eo, Bojin eo ej baj waḷọk tok jān lowa. Etutu ḷam jako kōn menokadu. Āinwōt ñe iñak ke ejọ injin eo an wa eo, ilo an kōnono tok.

I quickly left and went back to the boat.P318 I thought about arguing with the guy who had made fun of the name of the boat, but I was afraid he might hit me.P319 As I got back on the boat, the Boatswain was just coming up from below.P320 He was soaked with sweat.P321 The way he talked to me was like he didn’t know I knew the engine had started.P322

“Ejọ injin e,” Bojin eo eba tok ñan ña.

“The engine is running,” the Boatswain said to me.P323

Ejab etto jān iien eo ak ebaj waḷọk tok Jema. Ettōḷọk menokadu.

Not long after, Father showed up.P324 And he was dripping with sweat.P325

“Ekwe etōprak,” Jema ejiroñ tok kōṃro Bojin eo. “Jejeḷā ke jejeblaak.”

“Okay, it’s finished,” Father called to the Boatswain and me.P326 “I’m sure we’ll be able to go.”P327

“Etan wa in ḷe, Jema?" ikkajitōk ippān.

“What’s the name of this boat, Father?” I asked him.P328

“Ej jañin kar or etan ak ij ḷōmṇak eṃṃan ñe jenaaj ṇa etan Likabwiro jān kiiō im wōnṃaan ḷọk,” eba. “Ke ḷe, Bojin?”

“It doesn’t have a name yet but I was thinking it would be good if we called it Likabwiro from now on,” he said.P329 “What do you think, Boatswain?”P330

“Aaet,” euwaak. “Bwe taunin ke jej pojān tar metwan Likabwiro. Allōñin kabwiro ko kein im jelukkuun kijooror in ṃōñā bwiro im jālele jo. Ij jab lo ta ṇe ennọ ilo raij kab pilawā im jeṃṃa.”

“Yes,” he answered.P331 “We might as well since we are going to sail through the stormy waters of the Likabwiro storm.P332 These are the months to make bwiro, and I am really craving preserved breadfruit and goatfish.P333 I don’t see what’s so delicious about rice or bread with canned mackerel.”P334

“Ebwe ṇe an injin ṇe kōmmāāṇāṇ,” Jema eba ḷọkin jet minitin an injin eo jọ. “Eṃṃan ainikien im āinwōt juon ñe jejab likbade wa in bwe ijeḷā ke eṃṃan an jerbal. Ij kune im kōjro wōnāne ḷọk kōjjel Kapen eo jino ektaki tok jọkpej ko adjel. Nejū, kab pād wōt iwa in im kōttar.”

“The engine is warm enough now,” Father said after the engine had been running for a few minutes.P335 “It sounds good and it doesn’t matter if we don’t test drive this boat because I know it works well.P336 I’m turning it off and the two of us will go ashore and together with the Captain we’ll start loading our scrap.P337 Son, please stay here on the boat and wait.”P338

Ṃōjin an Jema kune injin eo, erro Bojin eo wōnāne ḷọk im pukōt Kapen eo bwe ren jino ektak im kanne wa eo. Ak ña ito laḷ ḷọk im aluje injin eo im bwilōñ kōn an kar maroñ jọ. Ij kab baj kar lelolo an injin jọ im elukkuun kar ḷọkjān aō. Ke ij to laḷ ḷọk ijab mejek baibin būṃbūṃ eo an injin eo ak ijuri im bwil neō. Iilbōk im kanōk neō ak iruṃwij.

After Father turned off the engine, he and the Boatswain went ashore to look for the Captain so they could start loading up the boat.P340 I went down to look at the engine and was surprised that it could actually start.P341 I had never seen an engine running and I just looked at it in amazement.P342 When I got down there I didn’t notice the muffler and I rubbed against it and burned my leg.P343 I was startled and tried to move my leg out of the way but it was too late.P344

Ejjeḷọk kōkeroro im aolep men im lur i lowaan wa eo. Men eo ikar roñ ainikien de eo dān jidik eo ej kokolōblōb i lowaan wa eo ilo an ṃōṃakūtkūt im ṃōḷeiñiñ ke ej atartar i turin wab eo. Barāinwōt ñoñorñorin pānet ko ke rej irir i kōtaan wab eo im wa eo. Iinepata kōn ainikien dān eo innem ijujen jibwe tok bakōj eo kab kuwat eo im jino aō kar ānen. Ijaje jete minit ak awa tokālik, ak iroñ aininkien juon tūrak ioon wab eo. “Ioḷe Kapen e, kwōn to waj ioon wab ṇe ak kwe Bojin, iwōj i lowaan wa ṇe,” iroñ an Jema ba. “Ña inaaj ejjaak waj ñan ḷeo ioon wab ṇe im enaaj ejjeb ḷọk ñan ḷeo i lowa bwe en kọkkoṇkoṇ.”

It was quiet and calm inside the boat.P345 The only sound I could hear was the little bilge water splashing inside the boat when it moved and when it bumped up against the pier.P346 I could also hear the boat’s fenders making a crunching noise when they rubbed between the pier and the boat.P347 I was worried about the sound of the water so I used a can to bail it into a bucket.P348 I don’t know how many minutes or even hours I had been doing that when I heard the sound of a truck on the pier.P349 “Well, Captain, you get down on the pier and you Boatswain get down into the boat,” I heard Father say to the Captain and the Boatswain.P350 “I will start passing things to the man on the pier and he will pass them to the one in the boat to stow away.”P351

Rej kanne kōn aḷaḷ /Loading the lumber

“Eṃōj aō ālimi Likabwiro,” iba. Ḷak ke ejjeḷọk men eṇ Kapen eo eba, iwanlōñ ḷọk ippān Jema. Iuwe ḷọk ioon tūrak eo im jino jebjeb ḷọk aḷaḷ ñan Jema ioon wab eo bwe en jejaak ḷọk ñan ḷōṃaro ruo.

“I already bailed all the water out of the Likabwiro,” I said.P352 Since the Captain didn’t say anything, I went topside with Father.P353 I got onto the truck and started passing lumber to Father on the pier so he could pass it to the two guys on the boat.P354

“Epojak ije,” elaṃōj lōñ tak Bojin eo. “Jino jebjeb tok,” eruṃwij an wōtlọk naan eo jān lāñwiin Kapen eo ke Jema ej jino leleḷọk aḷaḷ ñan e. “Bojin e, lukkuun kokoṇ lowa bwe en maroñ uwe aolepān jọkpej kaṇ adjeel.” “Jab inepata bwe iōōe i ṃur,” euwaak Bojin eo.

“We are ready,” the Boatswain called up to us.P355 “You can start passing things down to us,” the Captain said and before the Captain said it Father had started passing lumber to him.P356 “Mr. Boatswain, make sure you stack these neatly so everything can go.”P357 “Don’t worry; I can manage,” the Boatswain answered.P358

Ej maat wōt ejouj jab eo ak ebar ettōr āne ḷọk tūrak eo im kanne tok. Kar āindeo ḷọk im ḷak kein keemān ḷōut, elukkuun wūdañōlñōl wa eo im ban bar kanne ḷọk wōt. Emaat an maroñ ektak.

When the first pile was gone the truck left and brought in another load.P359 It went on like this for four loads until the boat was so packed that nothing else would fit inside.P360 There was no more room.P361

“Jete awa ilo awa ṇe i lowa?” Kapen eo ekar kajjitōk ḷọk ippān Bojin eo.

“What time does the clock inside say?” the Captain asked the Boatswain.P362

“Juon awa jimettan,” euwaak tok.

“One thirty,” he answered.P363

Ej meḷan ḷọk jidik ak ewanlōñ tak Bojin eo im erro Kapen eo uwe tok ioon wab eo. Erjel ej aikuj kar kōrọọl jimettanin ḷōut jab eo bwe eban kar maat in uwe.

After a little bit the Boatswain came up, and he and the Captain came up onto the pier.P364 They had to take half a load back because it wouldn’t have fit on the boat.P365

“Nejū e, kōmatte jidik adeañ ṃōñāin raelep raij,” Jema ekkūr tok ke erjel ej etal kōn aḷaḷ ko.

“Son, can you make us some rice for lunch,” Father called to me as they left with the lumber.P366

“Ekwe,” iba ḷọk ñan e im jino kepooj jikin kōmat eo. Ṃōjin aō tile kijeek eo, ikwaḷọk tok jidik raij bōkan wōt ammān ṃōñā. Ikar kwaḷe im ḷak rōreo, itaake ioon upaajin kōmat eo, innem ibar ankaane ḷọk kijeek eo bwe en mat ṃōkaj kōkan eo.

“Okay,” I said to him and started getting things ready in the galley.P367 After I started the fire I got out some rice, just enough for us to eat.P368 I rinsed it clean, put it on the stove, and fed the fire so it would cook quickly.P369

Ke ej mat raij eo ikkwaḷọk tok kōnnọ kab juon kuwatin kọọnpiip im teiñi tok juon tibatin dānnin idaak bwe ren pojak ñan aerjel rọọl tok im ṃōñā. Kapen eo ejikrōk tok ijo ṃoktata, ke erjel ej rọọl tok, im jino jabōl ṇa kobban pileij eo ñiin kōn raij. Ej kanne wōt kijen ak ijino kōpeḷḷọke kuwatin kọọnpiip eo im leḷọk ñan e. Ebōke jān peiū im jibuuni ḷọk jimettanin ṇa ioon raij eo kijen. Eitan lutōk ḷọk pileij eo an kōn raij im kọọnpiip. Āinwōt an Likabwiro obrak im lutōkḷọk kōn jọkpej.

When the rice was cooked, I got out some dishes and a can of corned beef, and filled up a pot of water for tea so everything would be ready when the three men came back to eat.P370 When they arrived, the Captain came in first and heaped his plate full of rice.P371 As he filled his plate I opened the corned beef and handed it to him.P372 He took it from my hand and scooped half the can onto his rice.P373 His plate was overflowing with rice and corned beef.P374 Just like the Likabwiro was full and overflowing with scrap.P375

“Ātet kijōṃ ṃokta, nejū,” Jema eba. “Innem āte tok ruo aṃro Bojin pileij, kab bōlen eṃṃan ñe kwōbar kwaḷọk tok juon jālele bwe ij ḷōmṇak ejabwe men ṇe.”

“Serve yourself first, Son,” said Father.P376 “Then make two plates for the Boatswain and me, and maybe you should go get another can of meat because I don’t think this will be enough for all of us.”P377

“Ekwe,” iuwaake.

“Okay,” I replied.P378

“Kōpooj tok aolep ṃweiemi ñan wa in bwe jiljino awa jejeblaak,” Kapen eo ekkōnono tok ikōtaan meme. Eḷak kōnono āinwōt ej kōbaatat ke raij eo ej kab ato jān kijeek im ej baatat wōt. “Ededeḷọk tok ṃweiemro ḷe nejū,” Jema eba.

“Bring all your things to the boat because we are going to set sail at 6 o’clock,” the Captain said to me between bites.P379 When he spoke it looked like he was smoking because the rice had just come off the fire and was still steaming.P380 “My son and I already have our things on board,” Father said.P381

“Ak kwe ḷe, Bojin?” Kapen eo ekajjitōk. “Ṃottan wōt jet aō nuknuk ippān jet armej raar kwali.”

“What about you, Mr. Boatswain,” the Captain asked.P382 “I just have to pick up a few clothes I gave some people to wash.”P383

“Ke ej dedeḷọk ṃōñāin raelep, ikarreoiki kein ṃōñā ko im waateeke ioon wa eo jān ṃōraṃrōṃin raij kab būbrarrarin kọọnpiip. Eḷak lutōk ḷọk ṃōttan ṃōñā ko i lọjet, ettōr tok ek jiddik kab kupkup ko itōrerein wa eo im wūnaaki. Rej ja ṃōṃōṇōṇō wōt kōn men ko kijeer ak etōbtōb tok juon ḷañe kakūtōtō im uwōjak. Irreito reitak im kappok kein aō ubaake ḷañe eo. Ilo juon dila ioon teek im jibwe tok im kade. Iruṃwij jān an ko aolep ek jiddik ko im ḷañe eo barāinwōt.

When we were done eating lunch, I washed the dishes and scrubbed the bits of rice and corned beef from the deck.P384 When I threw the scraps of food into the water, a bunch of little skip jacks and other tiny fish swam over and started to eat.P385 While they were enjoying their little bits of food, a big naughty skipjack came over and started causing a commotion.P386 I looked around for something I could use to scare it away.P387 I spotted a nail on the deck so I picked it up and threw it at the fish.P388 But I was too late; all the little fish and the big skipjack had already swum away.P389

Irọọl tok ñan raij eo im ḷak lale ke ebwe ñan kōjota, ijujen kọkoṇe ḷọk wōt i lowaan pāāntōre eo an wa eo. Iwātin ban jillọk joñan an ḷap aō mat, ak iḷak eñjaake ippa ej jab eṃṃanin aō mour wōt ñe ikar ṃōñā kōkanin aelōñ kein.

I returned to the rice, and realizing that the left-over was enough for dinner, I then stowed it in the boat’s pantry.P390 I almost couldn’t bend over—I was so full—but didn’t feel nearly as good as I would if I were eating local Marshallese food.P391

“Ḷōṃa e, ibaj meḷọkḷọk wōt jidik juon men jej aikuj kōṃṃane,” Kapen eo eba. “Ij aikuj etal ñan opiij eṇ in kanne pebain jerak eo an wa in. Ij ja etal kiin bwe en dedeḷọk eṇ kain.”

“Hey guys, I almost forgot one thing we still need to do,” the Captain said.P392 “I need to go to the District Office and fill out the sailing papers for this boat.P393 I’ll just go now so I can get that sort of stuff out of the way.”P394

“Ta ḷōṃa, ṃool ke ripālle raṇe reitōm peek ad jerakrōk ikōtaan aelōñ kein ad?” Bojin eo eba ilo an ainikien ḷōkatip. “Ejọ kōn jab āindein etto. Ñe rūtto ro rejọ kōn kōṇaan jerakrōk rej jab kajjitōk ippān bar juon. Ein kōj wōt ruamāejet ilo aelōñ kein ad make.”

“What, is it true that the Americans have come in and taken control of us sailing around our own islands?” the Boatswain said in an angryvi voice.P395 “It wasn’t like that in the old days.P396 Back then if people wanted to go sailing they didn’t have to ask anyone.P397 Now it’s like we are outsiders in our own islands.”P398

“Ekwe ej kab baj ṃaantakin in ak ekōjkan ñe etoḷọk jidik aer pād?” Bojin eo eba. “Ejab renaaj oktak im irooj iood?”

“And this is only the beginning; what if they stay even longer?” the Boatswain said.P399 “They are going to be our new chiefs, aren’t they?”P400

Etke ripālle ak ejeḷā? /How come he’s an American and yet he knows?

“Bwe iba rej ḷōmṇak rej kōjparok kōj jān jorrāān, ak rejaje ke ilo aer kōṃṃane men in rej kọkkure wāween mour eo ad jaar jolōte jān ro jiṃṃaad,” Jema eba. “Jejeḷā ḷọk kōn meto kein ad jān er bwe jaar dik im rūttoḷọk ie ippān ro jiṃṃaad.

“It seems to me that they think they are protecting us, but what they don’t know is that in doing so they are destroying the way of life we inherited from our ancestors,” Father said.P401 We know more about our ocean than them because we grew up learning about it from our grandparents.”P402

“Ekwe ebwe in ak koṃro lukkuun etale ta ej aikuj kōpopo ioon wa in bwe kiin ej etal ñan jilu awa,” Kapen eo eba. Ṃōttan wōt bar jilu tok awa im jejerak.

“Okay, that’s enough of that; you two need to figure out what else we need to prepare on the boat because it’s almost three o’clock,” the Captain said.P403 Only three more hours until we set sail.P404

Kapen eo ekar kōnono men in ke ekar waḷọk lōñ tak jān lowa. Epād jidik ioon wa eo innem wōnāne ḷọk.

The Captain said this as he came up from below.P405 He stayed on the boat for a little while and then went ashore.P406

“Bojin e, etal im pukoti nuknuk ko aṃ bwe inaaj ḷaajiñi menọknọk kaṇe ioon teek,” Jema eba. Ej ṃōjin ak ekajjitōk ippān kar tāāñin kiaaj eo eñeo i turin kiju eo ke.

“Mr. Boatswain, go get your clothes while I lash down the things lying loose on deck,” Father said.P407 Then he asked the Boatswain if the gas container was the one next to the mast.P408

“Iññā,” euwaak Bojin eo.

“Yes,” the Boatswain replied.P409

“Ak erki tāāñin peinael ko?” Jema ebar kajjitōk.

“Where are the containers of paint thinner?" Father asked.P410

“Erkākaṇ ḷọk iṃaanier, iturin pet eṇ,” Bojin eo euwaak. “Ekwe imoot bwe in rọọl tok.”

“They are up front, next to the bitt,” the Boatswain replied.P411 “Okay, I’m going so I can come back quickly.”P412

“Lale kwōmeḷọkḷọk in kakkōle Kapen eṇ kōn naanin rōjañ eo an ḷōḷḷap eo,” irre lọk im ba ñan Jema ke ej moot ḷọk Bojin eo.

“Don’t forget to warn the Captain about the Old Man’s advice,” I said to Father once the Boatswain had left.P413

“Ej rọọl tok wōt ak ijiroñ ḷọk bwe jen baj lale ta eo eba annen jab in,” eba. Kōṃro bar ṃad jidik jān doon im ḷak ilbōk Kapen eo ej kōnono tok jān ioon wab eo.

“Once he's back, I’ll tell him and we’ll see what he has to say about it this time around,” he replied.P414 We were occupying ourselves and surprised to hear the Captain talking to us from the pier.P415

“Ewi ḷeo juon?” ekajjitōk tok.

“Where’s our other guy?” he asked us.P416

“Emoot ḷọk in bōk tok nuknuk ko an,” Jema euwaake. “Epojak ioon teek ak kwōj baj lale tok turin lañ ej et?”

“He went to get his clothes,” Father replied.P417 “The deck is all ready but can you check and see what the weather is like?”P418

“Eor wōt ṃōṃanin!” eba. “Eban kar bar ṃōṃanḷọk jān wāween in rainin. Ak wūjḷā ṇe epojak ke?”

“It’s just great!” he said.P419 “It’s never been better than it is today.P420 Is the sail ready?”P421

“Iññā,” Jema eba, “Ikar lo wōt an Bojin karpeni potak jiddik ko ie raan eo ḷọk. Ak …”

“Yes,” Father said. “I saw the Boatswain patching up some little tears the other day. But …”P422

Ejab jeṃḷọk an Jema kōnono bwe Kapen eo ekkōnono, “Jenaaj leinjin tak ḷọk im ñe eṃṃan kōto, jelewūjḷā,” Kapen eo eba. “Ak āinwōt iḷak lale ḷọk kōn an naaj āindein ḷọk wōt, jenaaj leinjin ḷọk ñan Likiep.” “Ḷōḷḷap eo ṇe meto tak,” Jema elo miroin im ba. “Ekwe bar wajjikōt in,” Kapen eo eba ilo an kōrraat.

Father was still in the middle of talking when the Captain interrupted him, “We will use the engine first and then when the wind picks up we will use the sail,” the Captain said.P423 “Or if it stays like this and the wind doesn’t pick up, we’ll have to use the engine all the way to Likiep.”P424 “The Old Man is coming our way,” Father said as soon as he got a glimpse of him.P425 “Now where to this time,” the Captain said in disapproval.P426

“Iọkwe eok,” Jema ekkūr ḷọk ñan e ke ej epaake tok wa eo.

“Hello,” Father called over to the Old Man as he approached the boat.P427

“Iọkwe,” eukōt tok. “Ta ennaan? Āinwōt koṃ pojak bajjek, eṃṃan bween ke?” “Ededeḷọk ektak im jabdewōt, kiin kōmij kōttar an jiljino awa bwe kōmmān en ṃōkōr ḷọk,” Kapen eo eba.

“Hello,” the Old Man replied.P428 “What’s the story? It looks like you are getting ready; is the forecast good?”P429 “Everything is loaded up and ready to go; now we are just waiting until 6 o’clock and we’ll get going,” the Captain said.P430

Ḷōḷḷap eo erre ḷọk ñan Jema ak ejjeḷọk men eo Jema eba. Enukwij wōt aeran im ṃōj. Ejjeḷọk eṇ ejeḷā ta eo ḷōḷḷap eo ekar ḷōmṇake ilo awa eo ak bōlen ekar lukkuun liaajḷoḷ ilowaan būruon.

The Old Man looked Father but Father didn’t say anything.P431 He just shrugged his shoulders.P432 No one knew what the Old Man was thinking at that time but maybe he was deeply distressed in his heart.P433

“Ḷōḷḷap eṇ e, kwōjeḷā ke etan wa in?” ikōjekdọọn aō mijak im kajjitōk ippān. “Etan in Likabwiro.”

“Do you know the name of this boat, Old Man?” I asked him, swallowing my fear.P434 “It’s called Likabwiro.”P435

“Ejiṃwe aṃ likit āt in bwe eñṇe i ṃaan,” ḷōḷḷap eo erre tok im lukkuun kalimjek meja im ba.

“You are right to call it that since that’s what lies ahead,” the Old Man said looking directly at me.P436

“Joñan aō kijerjer, jekdọọn āt rot ak men eo de eo jen jeblaak,” Kapen eo eba. Bōlen ekar dik an ḷōmṇaki meḷeḷe ko ilo naan ko an ḷōḷḷap eo. “Kwōmaroñ ke jibwi waj nuknuk kā arro?” Bojin eo ekkōnono ḷọk ñan Jema ke ekar rọọl tok jān āne. “Ipojak ñan meto ṇe i ṃaan.” Innem ekar jino wātok ri-kōjjājet ke ejino epaak an awaan jerak. Jet rej bōbōk tok lemlem, jet lōta. Men kein rōkar kajjitōk kōmmān maroñ ke ektaki ḷọk ñan Likiep. Elōñ wōt iaan armej rein ejjeḷọk men eṇ rōkar bōktok ak rōkar itok wōt in lale im bwilōñ ke kōmij jerak. Elukkuun kar boṇ ioon wab eo kōn armej.

“I am in a big hurry here; it doesn’t matter what the boat’s name is, just that we get going,” the Captain said.P437 Perhaps he hadn’t really thought about what the Old Man had said.P438 “Can you pass me your clothes?” the Boatswain asked Father when he returned to the boat.P439 “I am ready to face the seas that lie ahead.”P440 As the time for us to set sail approached, people to see us off started to arrive.P441 Some had packages and some had letters.P442 They asked if we could take them with us to Likiep.P443 There were also many people who came with nothing and just wanted to see the boat and were surprised that it was going to sail.P444 The pier was packed with people.P445

Jema eto laḷ ḷọk im kōjọ injin eo ke ṃōttan kar joñoul ḷalem minit ñan jiljino awa. Jidik wōt an tōñōle batinin kōjjọ eo ak erọọl injin eo im jọ. Ke ej waḷọk lōñ tak jān ruuṃwin injin eo, juon armej elaṃōje.

Father went down into the engine room and started the engine since it was twenty-five minutes before 6 o’clock.P446 He just had to lightly press the ignition button and it turned over and started up right away.P447 When he came up from the engine room, someone yelled over to him.P448

“Āinwōt eṃṃan ainikien injin ṇe aṃ,” armej eo eba.

“The engine sounds good,” the person said.P449

Ij ḷōmṇak Jema ekar jab roñ men eo bwe iḷak lale ej jab kanooj el ḷọk. Ijujen bōk bōra im ḷak rōre lọk, ilo irooj eo. Armej ro ioon wab eo rōkar loe im kōṃṃan ḷaan an maroñ kōnono tok. Ikar wunojdikdik ḷọk ñan Jema bwe en jeḷā. Jema ej jeḷā wōt men in ak ejoḷọk men eo ekar kōṃṃane im rōre lọk ñan e.

I didn’t think Father had heard what he said because when I looked over he didn’t seem to be paying attention.P450 I turned my head and saw it was the Chief who had spoken.P451 The people on the pier saw him and made room for him so he could speak.P452 I whispered to Father so that he would know.P453 When Father realized it he stopped what he was doing and looked over at him.P454

“Iọkwe eok,” Jema ekkūr ḷọk ñan irooj eo. “Kōmeañ ej pojak in jeblaak kiiō jiljino awa.”

“Hello,” Father called over to the Chief.P455 “We are all ready to set sail at 6 o’clock.”P456

Jeṃjera rej iọkwe doon /Friends love each other

Jema emmō i lowaan wa eo jidik innem wanlōñ ḷọk ippān irooj eo ioon wab eo. Ak ña iḷak rōre ṃaan ḷọk ilo Bojin eo ej kōṃṃan kōjak ippān armej ro ijo ṃaan wa eo. Iḷak baj rōre lik lọk Kapen eo ettōḷọk poub in kōnono ippān jet armej ijo ḷọkwan, turin jila eo. Ikōḷmānḷọkjen bajjek iuṃwin jet minit im ḷak rōre lọk ñan ioon wab eo, ilo juon ṃōtta ḷaddik.

Father stuck his head out of the boat to look and then stepped up to the pier with the Chief.P457 I looked toward the front of the boat and saw the Boatswain joking around with some people there.P458 I looked to the back of the boat and saw the Captain back there busily talking to some people next to the tiller.P459 I thought for a few minutes and then looked up and saw one of my friends on the pier.P460

“Kōmij pojak in jerak kiin ilo jiljino awa,” ikkūr lọk ñane. “Kwōn wanlaḷ tak kōjro kōjjemḷọk bwe jeñak jen bar lo ke doon.”

“We are ready to sail at six o’clock,” I called to him.P461 “Come down here so we can spend a few minutes together before we go since we don’t know when we’ll see each other again.”P462

“Ḷeiō, ilukkuun jaje ke koṃwij jerak ak iḷak erre tok im lo an lōñ armej i turin wa in ibaj itok in lale ta,” eba.

“Man, I didn’t even know you were leaving until I looked over and saw all these people next to the boat, and I thought I should come see what’s going on,” he said.P463

“Erri kijak ro jet?” ikkajitōk.

“Where are the other guys?” I asked.P464

“Raar iakiu wōt ke ij itok,” eba. “Enaaj luuj de juon alen kumi eo arro. Kwaar jako jān aṃ pijja innem unin an kumi eo arro kar luuj.”

“They were playing baseball when I headed over here,” he said.P465 “Our team is going to lose again.P466 Our team has been losing ever since we lost you as pitcher.”P467

“Ṃool ke,” iba ippa make. Ke ij rōre lọk im lale turin mejān, ibar ememej tok iien eo jinoin aṃro kar jerā. Ekōjak ippa bwe kōṃro kar jerā ālikin aṃro kar ire im ekar puwaḷ jān ña. Bōtaab jerā eo aṃro ekar juon jerā eo elukkuun pen im ṃool.

“That’s true,” I said to myself.P468 I looked at my friend’s face and thought back to when we first became friends.P469 It was funny because we became friends after getting into a fight—he was so scared of me.P470 But after that we developed a very strong and true friendship.P471

“Ioḷe jera e, letok peiūṃ bwe koṃwij tan etal kiiō,” eba im jaake tok pein.

“Well my friend, let me shake your hand because it looks like you are leaving now,” he said as he reached out his hand.P472

Ijujen kabwijer tok pein im kōṃro iọkiọkwe doon. Jema ebar idik pein irooj eo im iọkiọkwe ḷọk ḷōḷḷap eo kab armej ro jet ijo. Ikar kālaḷḷọk ñan ioon wa eo im pojak. Jema eto laḷ ḷọk im kōttar ilo ruuṃwin injin eo. Kapen eo erreto erretak innem kōkaḷḷe ḷọk ñan ṃaan. Iḷak ilbōk ejjelōbḷọk emjak eo an lik. Epoub Bojin eo in kōpopo ijo i ṃaan, innem ijujen tōbtōb ḷọk ñan ijo im tāiki.

I took his hand and we said goodbye.P473 Father shook the Chief’s hand and said goodbye to the Old Man and a few other people who where there.P474 I jumped down into the boat and was ready to go.P475 Father went down and waited in the engine room.P476 The Captain looked all around and signaled ahead.P477 I was surprised when the anchor made a splash coming up in the stern of the boat.P478 The Boatswain was busy coiling line at the bow, so I pulled in the anchor and the line.P479

Ej kab baj wātok ālik Bojin eo ke ej dedeḷọk aō tōbtōb im kọkoṇe jān ijo bwe en jab kaapañ jerbal. Kiin ejino jen wa eo jān tōrerein wab eo im Kapen eo ekōjjeḷā laḷ ḷọk bwe en pāāk injin eo. Jema ejiḷoik ḷọk jidik ṃōṃkaj im iuun lik ḷọk jurōn kein pāāk eo ilo injin eo. Ej jino wōt pāāk ak ebuuḷiḷọk bar jidik. Armej ro wōj ioon wab eo reiọkiọkwe tok kōmmān. Erwōj jokutbae tok. “Kwōn ṃōk erre rōña waj ḷe Kapen,” ḷōḷḷap eo elaṃōj tok jān ioon wab eo. “Ta kaṇe rej jutak ijeṇeṇe i kiin lañ tu rōk. Kememej bwe ekadu tōllọk in ak eaetok pelọk in.”

The Boatswain came after I was done pulling in the anchor and put it away where it belonged so it wouldn’t get in the way.P480 At that moment the boat started moving away from the side of the pier and the Captain called down that the engine should be put in reverse.P481 Father slowed a bit first and then pushed the engine’s reverse lever back.P482 The boat started to back up and he went a little faster.P483 The people on the pier came over to bid us farewell. They all waved goodbye.P484 “Captain, look over there to the south,” the Old Man yelled from the pier.P485 “What are those things coming up right there in the sky to the south?P486 Remember that the path may be short, but not when you drift off course.”P487

Ej kab bar alikkar an Likabwiro ḷe jān joñan an jok ke ekar ṃōṃakūt jān turin wab eo im tōtōr ḷọk ñan an buñlik. Ālikin an kar to laḷ ḷọk im bar buuḷiḷọk injin eo, Jema ewanlōñ tak im jijet ioon ṃōn injin eo. Ekar ba ej kōlladikdik bwe ebwil.

It was clear that the Likabwiro was filled to capacity and carrying as much as it could as soon as it moved away from the side of the pier and starting sailing out through the pass into the open ocean.P490 After going down and revving the engine, Father came up and took a seat on the roof of the engine room.P491 He said he wanted to cool off a bit in the breeze because he was hot.P492

Joñan eo ekar tōtor eake ebwe an ṃōkaj bwe eṃōrṃore tōrerein im jakurbaatat bōran wa eo. Eruṃwij an kar tulọk aḷ jān ammān buñlik. Bojin eo eaar jure tok ṃaan jān wōd ke kōmmān kar etal ilo iaḷ eo ḷọk ñan to eo.

The engine was making us go so fast that there were bubbles coming up along the side of the boat and mist splashing up in front.P493 The sun went down a while after we went through the pass.P494 As we sailed westward, the Boatswain was up in the front of the boat watching for coral.P495

“Bwābwe tak jidik,” Bojin eo elaṃōj laḷ tak jān kiju eo.

“Tack windward a bit,” the Boatswain yelled down from the mast.P496

Ebaj waaṃ wōd wōt jidik /Boat and coral nearly clashed

Kapen eo ebuñjenōm ḷak kōjeer wa eo, iḷak reito ilo memoujujin tōrerein wōd eo ke wa eo ej kaatare.

The Captain suddenly steered the boat the other way when he saw the water turning a light blue color as we approached a coral head.P497

“Nejū e, kakkōt jirok bwe ejino eḷḷap ṇo,” Jema ejiroñ tok eō. “Lale kwaar iwōj tōrerein wa ṇe.” Iroñjake an kōnono tok im ḷak rōre to ḷọk ñan kapilōñ, ilo an aḷ jino jako ḷọk i buḷōn lọjet.

“Son, hang on; the waves are getting bigger,” Father yelled to me.P498 “Don’t go close to the edge of the boat.”P499 Listening to what he said I looked over to the west and saw that the sun was starting to set in the middle of the ocean.P500

“Lōṃa e, to eo ṇe i ṃaan,” Kapen eo eba. “Jej wawōj in buñlik kiin.” Ej kōnono wōt ak ejoto ḷọk jila eo bwe en bwābwe wa eo ñan to eo; wa eo ekar kaiok ḷọk wōt lukoḷpān to eo im etal.

“Guys, there’s the pass up ahead,” the Captain said.P501 “We are about to go through the pass.”P502 As he spoke he threw the tiller, steering the boat right toward the middle of the pass.P503

“Ejjeḷọk wōd ak metaltōl wōt jān ijin im etal,” Bojin eo eba im to laḷ tak jān raan kiju eo ke ekar jure ṃaan wa eo ie. Kōnke e ri-Kuwajleen kōmmān tōmake ke ej ba men eo.

“There are no more coral heads so it will be smooth sailing from here on out,” the Boatswain said as he came down from the top of the mast where he had been watching for coral heads up ahead.P504 We think he said that because he’s from Kwajalein.P505

“Wātok ja ilo jebwe e bwe in wawōj in bōklōñ tak kaṃbōj eo,” Kapen eo eba ñan Bojin eo. “Kab jitōñ ḷọk wōt kōtaan buwae kākaṇ.” Ejitōñ ḷọk ruo buwae rej pād i lowaan to eo.

“Come and steer so I can go down and bring up the compass,” the Captain said to the Boatswain.P506 “Aim for those buoys over there.”P507 He pointed out two buoys in the pass.

“Iloi,” Bojin eo eba im bōk jebwe eo jān Kapen eo im jarōk juon alin ṃur. Ej baj meḷan ḷọk wōt jidik ak ejāde Kapen eo kōn bọọkin kaṃbōj eo. Tarrin juon ne jimettan jukwea dettan bọọk eo kaṃbōj eo ej pā ie. Kilin bọọk eo euno mouj bwe en jab aelọk ilo boñ.

“I see them,” the Boatswain said as he took the wheel from the Captain and started an ancient navigator's chant.P509 After a little while the Captain appeared with the compass.P510 The box the compass was in was about one and a half square feet in size.P511 Maybe the box was painted white so it would be easier to see in the dark.P512

“Kōṃakūt ṃōk nien dān ṇe bwe en pād kaṃbōj e ijeṇe,” Kapen eo eba im jitōñ ḷọk ijo. “Kab lale bwe en jejeḷọk māāl i turin im lukkuun kapene bwe en ḷak lelāle wa in en jab wōtlọk.” “Etke ekar ba āinwōt juon ñe ejjeḷọk kaṃbōj, ak en baj ḷap wōt an loloodjake bwe en jab wōtlọk?” ikajjitōk ippa make. Eor aō lōlñọñ kōn wāween in.

“Move that container of water so I can put the compass there,” the Captain said pointing.P513 “Make sure there is no metal next to it and secure it so it doesn’t fall when the ship rolls.”P514 “Why did he say it didn’t matter if there was no compass but now he’s trying so hard to make sure it doesn’t fall?” I asked myself.P515 I was afraid of what that might mean.P516

“Kwōn ja kōṃṃane. Ipoub ilo jebwe e,” Bojin eo eba. “Kab ke eibeb tok.”

“You do it.P517 I am busy steering,” the Boatswain said.P518 “The waves are getting bigger.”P519

Ṇo eo ekotak Likabwiro im bar lelaḷ ḷọk. Ekar lukkuun arrukwikwi tok jiō kōn an wa eo āindeeo ioon ṇo ko.

A wave lifted up the Likabwiro and then let it down again.P520 I started to feel very squeamish as the boat continued like that over the waves.P521

“Buwae ko kaṇe jeḷe jān i,” iba. “Juon uweo jekad ejok ioon buwae ṇe iōñ, ak jet roro armej ioon parijet rej jeeaaḷ tok.” Ibaj jeeaaḷ ḷọk ñan er.

“We are about to pass the buoys,” I said.P522 "I saw a black noddy land on the northern buoy and some people on the shore beckoning to us."P523 I waved back at them.P524

Ej buñlik wōt wa eo im pād i lik ak ewaḷọk tok Jema jān iṃōn injin eo.

When the boat made it through the pass and into the open ocean Father came up from the engine room.P525

“Eṃṃan wōt an jejḷọk ṇo,” Kapen eo eba. Ak aolep rōkar lo im eñjaake bwe ṇo ko rejino ḷōḷap ḷọk.

“It’s not that wavy, which is good,” the Captain said.P526 But we could all feel that the waves were starting to get bigger.P527

“Iọkwe bwe en kar āindein ḷọk wōt ñan Likiep,” Bojin eo eba.

“Hopefully it will be like this all the way to Likiep,” the Boatswain said.

“Enaaj,” Kapen eo eba.

“It will,” the Captain said.

“Kwōj ba ñe āindein ḷọk wōt, jeañ ban tōprak i Likiep,” Jema eba, ak iḷak lale Kapen eo im Bojin eo erro kar ñak meḷeḷein naan kein an Jema.

“But if it’s like this all the way, we’ll never make it to Likiep,” Father said, but when I looked at the Captain and the Boatswain I could tell they didn’t understand what he meant.

Kapen eo ejibwe ḷaṇtōn eo im bōk lik ḷọk ñan ijo jikin bwe en pojak ñan boñōn eo. Erjel kar kōnono wōt ak iwōnṃaan ḷọk. Ideḷọñ ḷọk lowa im tile ḷaṇtōn eo ie. Eḷak urur ḷaaṃ eo ejako an marok ijo. Innem ibar rọọl lōñ ḷọk.

The Captain took the lantern and took it to the back of the boat to get ready for nightfall.P531 As the three of them talked I went up to the bow of the boat.P532 I went inside the cabin and lit the lantern.P533 The flame came up and lit up the room.P534 Then I went back up to the deck.P535

Ke ij tōprak ḷọk ioon teek iroñ an Kapen eo kōppeḷaak ikijjien awaan jebwebwe ko aerjeel Jema im Bojin.

When I got back up to the deck I heard the Captain planning out steering duties for the three of them for the night.P536

“Awaan waj ko adjeel kein,” ekar ba. “Bojin, kwe jān rualitōk ñan joñoul, meḷeḷein bwe kwōnaaj jino jān kiin. Ak kwe, Injinia, kwōnaaj bōk jān joñoul ñan joñoul ruo im ña jān joñoul ruo ñan ruo. Ej mōj wōt ña ak jebar jinoe juon lelkan.”

“Here are the watch hours for the three of us,” he said.P537 “Mr. Boatswain, you will steer from 8 o’clock until 10, which means you are going to start now.P538 Mr. Engineer, you will take the 10 o’clock to 12 o’clock shift and I will take 12 o’clock to 2.P539 When I am done, we will repeat the rotation.P540

“Ak kwōmeḷọkḷọk injin e ke?” Jema eba. “Enaaj ewi wāween aō emmej ippān injin e im bar jebwebwe. Meḷeḷein bwe ejjeḷọk iien aō naaj wūne meja.”

“Have you forgotten about the engine?” Father said.P541 “How am I supposed to watch the engine and also steer?P542 That means I’ll never get any shut-eye.”P543

“Ōjjej! Ilukkuun meḷọkḷọk,” Kapen eo eba. Eḷōmṇak jidik innem ba, “Kōṃro wōt Bojin naaj mije jebwe e ak kwe wōt ilo injin ṇe.”

“Right! I forgot,” the Captain said.P544 He thought for a minute and then said, “The Boatswain and I will steer and you take care of the engine.”P545

“Ekwe ebajjeet ke ejijjet ḷọk jidik,” Jema eba.

“Now that seems to be more like it,” Father said.P546

“Ḷōṃa e, ejino ekkōtoto tok, ” Bojin eo eba. “Āinwōt joñan in adeañ meto tak jān āne jen kar lo wōt meramin Kwajleen. Kab āinwōt ebaj lianij tok. Eita? Āinwōt iuwōta.”

“Guys, it’s starting to get windy,” the Boatswain said.P547 “It seems like when we were sailing east we could still see the lights on Kwajalein.P548 Now it seems like it’s getting really cloudy.P549 What’s going on?P550 I am afraid we might be in some danger.”P551

Iroñ ijin im jino ḷōmṇake tok Likiep. Ibajjek ḷōmṇak ijo innem ijujen wōt im mejki.

When I heard that I started to think about Likiep.P552 And as I thought about it, I started to get tired.P553

“Jema e, imejki, ij ja itōn mājur,” iba.

“Father, I’m tired; I am going to get some sleep,” I said.P554

“Ekwe iwōj,” eba. “Eḷḷọkwe jaki kaṇe kinierro ioon būlāwūt kaṇe i retam im babu. Kab jab meḷọkḷọk in jar ṃokta jān aṃ kiki.”

“Okay, I’m coming,” he said.P555 “Unroll our sleeping mats on the plywood on the port side and lie down.P556 And don’t forget to pray before you go to sleep.”P557

Ejerak iaarḷap /Point of no return

Ito laḷ ḷọk im kōṃṃan āinwōt an kar ba. Bōtaab ṃōṃkaj jān aō kar ṃōdānḷọk, ikar roñ an Bojin eo ba ḷọk ñan Kapen eo ke ej jab lo meram eo.

I went down and did what he said.P558 But before I fell asleep I heard the Boatswain tell the Captain he could no longer see the lights.P559

“Ewi āneo, kwōj lo ke? Etke ij jab lo meramin jatiraito eo i Kuwajleen?” Bojin eo eba.

“Where’s the island; do you see it?P560 Why can’t I see the lights on Kwajalein?” the Boatswain said.P561

“Kwōban loe bwe edikkilọk aelōñ eo,” Kapen eo euwaake.

“You can’t see them because the island is too small and far away now,” the Captain replied.P562

Iilbōk im ruj ke ikar kajkaj ioon jaki ko im ke ij roñ ainikien an ḷōṃaro lelaṃōjmōj. Iḷak emmō ilo kōjjoal jidik eo, ilo ke ewōt mejeljel im kōto eo elukkuun kajoor. Ikar eñjake bwe ñe ej lōtlōt kōto eo ejañ riikin im ṃōrṃōr ioon lọjet. Emarok jilōñlōñ im eḷak errobōlbōl dedojat i buḷōn lọjet, iwātin kar abwinmake eaki. “Etal im bōktok tāāñin kiaj eo idipin kiju eṇ,” Jema ekar laṃōj ḷọk ñan Bojin eo. “Kab kaiur bwe ṃōttan wōt jidik ekun injin e admān bwe emaat kaan.”

I was startled awake when the sleeping mats started to shake and I heard the guys yelling.P565 I stuck my head out the small passage way and saw it was raining cats and dogs and extremely windy.P566 I could sense the sail was full as the wind blew and whistled through the riggings, and foam appeared on the surface of the waterP567 It was pitch-black and as the plankton glowed deep down in the sea, I was almost afraid there might be ghosts around.P568 “Go get the gas can over there next to the mast,” Father yelled to the Boatswain.P569 “And hurry up. The engine is about to shut off because there’s only a little bit of fuel left.”P570

Iḷak erre lọk ilo an Bojin eo tōbal ṃaan ḷọk im jako ḷọk i buḷōn marok ko.

I watched the Boatswain crawl toward the front of the boat and disappear into the darkness.P571

“Ta eo?” elamōj tok Bojin eo. Iñak eita, ewiwijet ke ak ta.

“What?” the Boatswain yelled back.P572 I didn’t know what was wrong—whether he was panicking or what.P573

Ḷañ ṇe jej jipeḷḷọke wōt /We’re almost touching the storm clouds

“Jibwe tok tāāñin kiaj ṇe ijeṇe,” ilaṃōj ḷọk ñan e. “Rej ba kwōn ṃōkaj bwe ejako ekun injin e bwe emaat kaan.” Ikar kakkōt laṃōj kōn an dejeñjeñ ḷọk kōto eo.

“Bring that gas can there," I called to him.P574 “They said hurry up because the fuel is almost empty and the engine is going to shut off.”P575 The wind was so strong that I had to yell really loud for him to hear me.P576

Ej baj meḷan ḷọk ak ej bar jāde tok jān marok ko kōn juon tāāñ.

After a moment he emerged from the darkness with the gas can.P577

“Eo ḷe,” Bojin eo eba. “Tāāñ eo eo.” Ikaiur im tōbal lik ḷọk ioon aḷaḷ ko ḷọk jān lowaan ṃweo i ṃaan im mọọn ḷọk ilo tāṃoṇ jidik eo ñan ṃōn injin eo. Jema elo miroū im jeeaḷe ḷọk eō ñan ippān. “Etke kworuj?” ekajjitōk ippa ke ij jikrōk ḷọk i turun.

“Here you go,” the Boatswain said.P578 “Here’s the gas can.”P579 I quickly crawled back across the lumber, through the forward part of the cabin, and into the narrow gap to the engine room.P580 As soon as Father got a glimpse of me he made a gesture with his hand for me to come toward him.P581 “Why are you awake?” he asked as I approached him.P582

“Iroñ ainikien lelaṃōjṃōj koba ippān an kajkaj wa in im ijujen ruj,” iba. “Eita eor jorrāān ke?”

“I heard yelling and felt the boat shaking and I just woke up,” I said.P583 “What’s the matter?”P584

Ikar arruñijñij wōt im ij jañin lukkuun meḷeḷe ewi eañ im rak. Ej baj meḷan ḷọk ak ej kab jino an eñaktok aō im ejino peḷḷọk kōmālij e aō.

I was still sleepy and didn’t know right from left.P585 After a moment I began to realize what was happening and my head started to clear up.P586

“Ejjeḷọk jorrāān,” Jema eba. “Ej eṃṃan wōt aolep men. Kiiō ke kwopād ijin, kwōn ja jibwe banōḷ e bwe in teiñi tāāñ e an injin e kōn kiaj.”

“Nothing’s the matter,” Father said.P587 “Everything is okay.P588 Now that you’re here you can hold the funnel so I can fill the engine up with gas.”P589

Idāpij banōḷ eo im Jema elutōk tok men eo kobban ñan lowaan tāāñ eo an injin eo.

I held the funnel and Father poured the contents into the tank of the engine.P590

‘“Etke ej lelāle wa in ak ej jab lutōk ḷọk, eḷaññe kiaj men eo kobban?” ikajjitōk ippa make. “Etke ilukkuun epaake tāāñ eo ak ikar jab roñ ainikien an kokopkop ke ej tōteiñ?”

“If that’s gas inside the can, why isn’t gasoline spilling out with the boat rolling back and forth like this?” I asked myself.P591 “How come I was so close to the tank and yet I did not hear the sound of gasoline gurgling as it was being poured into it?”P592

Uwaakin kajjitōk kein aō make rōkar waḷọk tokālik.

I would soon have the answers to my questions.P593

“Eḷapḷọk jidik kōto im ṇo ak jab inepata im lōḷñọñ bwe ej eṃṃan wōt jabdewōt,” Jema ejiroñ tok eō.

“The wind and waves are getting stronger but don’t worry or be scared because everything is okay,” Father yelled over to me.P594

Eḷak bar ḷapḷọk an lelāle im ṃōt wa eo, dān eo lowa ejjādbūtbūt im kōṃro Jema ṇok ak ejab lilutōktōk dān eo kōṃro ej teiñi ḷọk ñan lowaan tāāñ eo.

The roll of the boat back and forth on the waves started to intensify, and the water inside the boat splashed and sprayed me and Father until we were soaking wet, but the liquid we were pouring from the can never once spilled over.P595

“Ij ja itōn ānen bwe eḷap dān e i lowa,” iba.

“I am going to start bailing water because there is a lot of it in the boat,” I said.P596

Ij ba wōt ijin ak etar tok juon ṇo im depet kōjaan wa eo. Jema ekaiur im kotak tāāñ eo ṇa i mejatoto. Ak ña iṃōkaj im dāpdep. Ñe ikar ruṃwij inaaj kar patpat ṇa i kiin wa eo. Meñe eobrak pein Jema, ekar bar letok pein im dāpij eō jān aō jorrāān.

Right as I said it a wave smashed up against the side of the boat.P597 Father quickly lifted the gas can up into the air.P598 I held on as fast as I could.P599 If I had been slow I would have been thrown against the wall of the boat.P600 Even though Father’s hands were full, he gave me his hand to keep me from getting hurt.P601

“Jab kijer in eṃṃakūtkūt bwe kōjro kōmaat ḷọk kāān in ṇa lowaan tāāñ e, innem kwōmaroñ jino aṃ ānen,” Jema eba tok.

“Don’t move yet. We need to empty the rest of this can into the engine and then you can continue bailing water,” Father said.P602

Ej maat wōt kobban kāān eo ak eletok bwe in kọkoṇe. Iwanlik ḷọk eake im ḷak ijo liktata i lowa, ipāin ḷọk ie bwe en jab kaapañpañ. Ej ṃōjin ak ibar tōbtōb ṃaan ḷọk im ḷak ijo ippān injin eo, ijibwe tok bakōj eo im jino ānene ḷọk dān eo ṇa ie.

When the can was empty, he gave it to me to put away.P603 I took it all the way to the back and shoved it into a place where it wouldn’t get in the way.P604 When I was done, I pulled myself to where the engine was, picked up the bucket, and started to bail out the rest of the water.P605

“Kab jibwe tok ñe ebooḷ bwe ij wanlōñ tak in kōttar ije,” Jema ekar ba im kālōñḷọk ñan ioon teek. Ej jañin kar ḷōmṇak in meraḷọk kōto eo.

“I’ll go up and wait for you to hand me the bucket when it’s full,” Father said as he went up to the deck.P606 It seemed like the wind had no intention of subsiding.P607

“Lewaj eo bwe ebooḷ,” iba ke ij jibwe ḷọk bakōj eo ñan Jema.

“Here, it’s full,” I said as I passed the bucket up to him.P608

Ebar kōrọọl tok ke ej ṃōj an lutōk ḷọk. Ke ej letok bakōj eo eba in dāpdep bwe juon eo ṇo eibeb tok. Eḷak debakḷọk ṇo eo i tōrerein wa eo iba wōt eitan rup. Ej ḷe wōt ak ibar jino ānen. Ke ij bar lelōñ ḷọk bakōj eo kein kōḷalem alen, ejino jiḷoḷọk injin eo. Jema elutōk bakōj eo ḷọk im buuḷ laḷ tak. Ej jok wōt turin injin eo ak eṃōkaj im kōṃadṃōde jet men i kōjaan injin eo. Jekdọọn ñe ekate joñan wōt an maroñ ak ekar jab bōbweer in dikḷọk. Ekar āindeo an dikḷọk im kun injin eo.

He gave the bucket back to me after he had emptied it.P609 As he handed me the bucket, he told me to hold on because there was a big wave coming our way.P610 As the wave smashed hard against the side of the boat, I thought it would break apart.P611 After it had passed, I started bailing water again.P612 As I passed up the fifth bucket of water, the engine started to slow down.P613 Father emptied the bucket and came down quickly.P614 He landed next to the engine and started to tinker with some things on the side of it.P615 But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get it to stop slowing down.P616 It just kept slowing down until it finally stopped.P617

“Eita,” Kapen eo elaṃōj laḷ tak, āinwōt ñe en ñak.

“What’s going on?” the Captain yelled down, as if he didn’t know.P618

“Ekun,” Jema euwaak. “Bōlen eboṇ kaabreta e an. Inaaj aikuj jeḷate im lale. Jibwe tok ṃōk ṃañke jibana ṇe i lowaan tuuḷbọọk ṇe, Nejū.”

“The engine stopped,” Father replied.P619 “Maybe the carburetor is clogged.P620 I am going to have to take it apart and look.P621 Son, bring me the monkey wrench inside my toolbox.”P622

“Ekwe,” iba im jibwe ḷọk men eo innem bar jino ānen. Ej booḷ wōt ak ileḷọk ñan Bojin eo kōnke epād ilo kōjām eo ej rōre laḷ tak.

“Okay,” I said; I gave him the monkey wrench and then continued bailing.P623 When the bucket was full I handed it up to the Boatswain who was standing at the door looking down at us.P624

“Bojin e, kwōjeḷā ke ej jab kāānin kiaj men eo kwaar letok,” Jema eba ke ej rome baib eo ekar jeḷate.

“Mr. Boatswain, that wasn’t a gas can you gave me,” Father said as he shined a light on the pipe he had removed.P625

“Ak ta?” eilbōk im kajjitōk.

“What was it then,” he asked, sounding startled.P626

Peinael!” Jema euwaake.

“ Paint oil!” Father replied.P627

“O ṃool ke?” Bojin eo eba ilo an jab tōmak.

“Oh, really?” the Boatswain said in disbelief.P628

“To laḷ tak ṃōk lale ñe kwōj jab tōmak,” Jema eba. “Aolepān lowaan baib kā iaar jeḷati im boṇ kōn peinael. Ak kiiō ke ebaj ditōb jenaaj aikuj kōrraan ñan aō jeḷati baib kā jet im lukkuun etali.”

“Come down and look for yourself if you don’t believe me,” Father said.P629 “The pipes I removed are all clogged with paint oil.P630 And since it’s still dark we are going to have to wait for daylight before I can take the whole thing apart and really look at it.”P631

“Bojin e, atok ṃōk ippān jebwe e bwe in wōnṃaan waj,” Kapen eo eba.

“Mr. Boatswain, come steer so I can go down there,” the Captain said.P632

“Jekdọọn jebwe ṇe, kwōn itok. Wa in ej jab ettōr kiiō,” eba.

“Never mind the wheel, just come down.P633 The boat isn’t going anywhere now,” the Boatswain said.P634

Ḷadik eo ej kijenmej /The boy who was determined

“En jab bar ilūlōt aṃ kōnnaan ak kwōn atok ḷọk bwe wūnin an or jorrāān kwe,” Kapen eo ejiroñ ḷọk. “Kiin ejej men en jetokwōje ak peḷọk im kōttar an raan. Jen ḷak jerake wūjḷā ṇe, ekwe eḷap jidik kōto in.”

“Don’t talk back, just get over here; you are the one who caused this problem,” the Captain yelled at him.P635 “Now there’s nothing we can do but drift and wait for daylight.P636 We can put up the sail since there’s so much wind.”P637

“Ijaje ṃool ke wūnin an or jerata ña,” Bojin eo euwaak. “Men eo ijeḷā in ke iar jab ba jen jerak. Iar jab ba ke enaaj kar eṃṃan lañ. Dedeen ke ej jab aō peinael ṇe. Ak ijeḷā ke ej jab bar an Injinia ṇe.”

“I'm not sure it's true that I am the one who has caused this disaster,” the Boatswain replied.P638 “What I do know is that I’m not the one who said we should sail in the first place.P639 I’m not the one who said the weather would be fine.P640 And that’s not even my paint oil.P641 And it’s not the Engineer’s, either.”P642

“Baib kaṇe rej aikuj jaḷjaḷ kiin wōt bwe kwōn karreoiki,” Kapen eo eba.

“The pipes need to come off now so you can clean them,” the Captain said.P643

“Eo waj ḷe, Bojin,” iba im jibwe ḷọk bakōj eo ñan e.

“Here, Mr. Boatswain,” I said as I passed the bucket up.P644

“Ejako Bojin ije.

“The Boatswain isn’t here.P645

Eñeṇ ilo jebwe eṇ,” Kapen eo eba.

He’s over at the wheel,” the Captain said.P646

Etke kwōjab ja lutōk ḷọk ke kwōpād ijeṇe?” Bojin eo eba. “Āinwōt juon ñe kwōlutōk ḷọk ṇa ioon teek bwe enaaj tọọr ḷọk ñan lọjet,” Kapen eo ejiroñ tok eō.

“ Why don’t you just empty it there where you are?” the Boatswain said.P647 “Just empty it on the deck and it will run out into the ocean,” the Captain yelled over to me.P648

Ikōjekdọọn an dedo im kate eō kotak bakōj eo im lutōke ṇa ijo ekar ba. Ñe ikar ruṃwij jidik inaaj kar lukkuun ñarij lowa, kōnke ej ṃōj wōt aō lutōk ḷọk ak ebar tar tok juon ṇo im kōjbouki wa eo im ewātin lā. Ikar ṃōkaj im kōtḷọk bakōj eo ak idāpdep.

I tried to ignore how heavy the bucket was as I lifted it up and emptied it where he had told me to.P649 If I had waited any longer I would have fallen down hard; just as I emptied the bucket a wave smacked the boat so hard that it almost capsized.P650 I let go of the bucket as quickly as I could and held on.P651

Eto de aō kar pād i lowa im bwiin kiaj im wōil eo ijo ejino kōṃōḷañḷōñ eō. Ilukkuun kar bwilōñ bwe bōjen alen aō kar jejerakrōk ippān Jema ak ij jañin kar wōjak men in ḷōḷao. Ej juon men ekar kāāl ippa.

As soon as I got back in the engine room the smell of gasoline and oil started to make me feel nauseous.P652 I was really surprised because I had sailed with Father many times but had never felt seasick.P653 This was a new feeling for me.P654

“Kapen e, ij jab ḷōmṇak imaroñ jeḷati baib kā āinwōt aṃ ba kōnke ejemram ḷaaṃ e,” Jema ekar ba. “Kab ke enaaj aikuj eṃṃakūt jet aḷaḷ jān turin injin e bwe en meḷak ñan aō kōṃadṃōd.”

“Captain, I don’t think I can take the pipes apart as you suggest because this lamp isn’t giving off enough light,” Father said.P655 “And we are going to have to move some of the lumber next to the engine to make enough space for me to be able to fix it.”P656

Ejej eṇ ekar bar kōnono iuṃwin jet minit, innem Jema ekalimjek ḷọk awa eo i kiin ṃōn injin eo tu lōñ im ba, “Bwe ke eraan. Koṃro jeḷā jete awa kiiō ke ḷalem awa jimattan. Enañin meram ke rear?”

No one said anything for a few minutes until Father looked at the clock hanging in the engine room and said, “But it is morning.P657 Did you two know it’s already 5 o’clock in the morning?P658 Isn’t it getting light over to the east?”P659

“Ejjañin,” Kapen eo euwaak.

“Not yet,” the Captain replied.P660

“Bwe enaaj ewi wāween an waḷọk aḷ ke ebọṇ ḷam jako lañ,” Bojin eo eba. “Ñe eḷọkwan kwōppeḷọk lañ ṇe ijaje enaaj bōjrak wōt ñāāt.”

“How is the sun supposed to come out in this terrible weather," the Boatswain said.P661 when the sun is totally obstructed by storm clouds and is invisible "Once the rain clouds start to pour, there's no telling when it’s going to stop raining.”P662

Ilo iien eo ke ekar kun injin eo im wa eo ej pepepe bajjek ej kab toojḷọk ainikien kōto eo. Ekaabwinmakeke an wejeḷ im ainikien ñōñōrñōrin rojak eo ippān kiju eo, ilo an ṇo ko kōllāleiki im kōjjeplikliki wa eo ion lọmeto. Edikḷọk aō ṃōḷañḷọñ kōn aō ḷōmṇake tok an kilepḷọk dān eo i lowa, innem ibar jino ānen. Kōn an ḷōḷapḷọk ṇo, iṃōkin kakkōt ak eitok wōt bwe en lilutōktōk kobban bakōj eo. Mekarta ke ikar kijenmej wōt.

Once the engine was off and the boat was just floating, the sound of the wind became much more obvious.P663 There was a ghostly whistle and the gaff and the mast groaned as the boat swayed back and forth from side to side in the waves.P664 I started to feel less seasick as I focused on the water inside the boat and started bailing again.P665 As the waves got bigger, I started getting tired and the water kept spilling out of the bucket.P666 But I kept at it.P667

“Bōlen eṃṃan ñe kōjjel jino ākto aḷaḷ kiin ṇa i lọjet im pojak ñan ñe eraan im merame mejān Injinia ñan an ṃadṃōde injin ṇe,” Kapen eo eba. “Bojin e, kwōjab lukwōje jila ṇe aṃ im itok kōjro eọuti rā kā ippān doon bwe ren jab jejeplōklōk im peḷọk. Injinia enaaj lelelōñ tak bwe en jeḷā joñan. Kōjro naaj kappepeiki i tōrerein wa in. Ekwe iien eo wōt kwōpojak, kwōmaroñ jino jibwi lōñ tak aḷaḷ kaṇe wōt me rōkaapañ aṃ jerbal.”

“Maybe we should start unloading some of this lumber into the water so that we’ll be ready when there’s enough light for the Engineer to see and start fixing the engine,” the Captain said.P668 “Mr. Boatswain, secure the tiller and come here so the two of us can lash these boards together so they won’t spread out and drift away.P669 The Engineer can pass them up to us since he knows how much space he needs.P670 The two off us can float these off the side of the boat.P671 Okay, whenever you’re ready you can start passing up any boards that are in your way.”P672

Iroñ men in im kūrōneḷọk jidik aō ānen bwe in kab jipañ Jema jejaak lōñ ḷọk aḷaḷ.

When I heard this I picked up the pace so I could finish bailing and help Father pass up the lumber.P673

“Kōpeḷḷọke aj ṇe i ṃaan im kwaḷọki tok emjak ko bwe kein arro naaj loklok,” iroñ an Kapen eo jiroñ ḷọk Bojin eo.

“Open the hatch and get some anchor line; we can use that to tie up the boards,” I heard the Captain yell over to the Boatswain.P674

“Nejū e, kadikdik bwe ej naaj maat wōt,” Jema eba ke ej lo aō menonoin kijdik. “Inaaj jipañ eok ñe kwōjino jebjeb lōñ ḷọk aḷaḷ,” iba.

“Son, slow down; the water is almost gone,” Father said when he saw how fast I was breathing.P675 “I am going to help you if you start to pass up the boards,” I said.P676

“Ekwe, kwōn kab pād wōt ijeṇe bwe inaaj ekkotak lōñ ḷọk im iperi ḷọk ioon teek i lowaan kōjām ṇe ḷọk im kwōnaaj jibwe tu ḷokaer ilo iien eṇ ij kōtḷọki bwe ren jab wōtḷọk im ure eok kab injin ṇe,” Jema ekar kapilōk tok eō.

“Okay, just stay there, because I'm going to drag one end of the board up on deck and through the doorway while you hold the other end; that way it won’t fall on you or the engine,” Father suggested.P677

Ālikin aō ṃōṃajidjid ḷọk ñan Jema im kaalikkar ke imeḷeḷe, ikar roñ ainikien ṃūṃūṇṃūṇ ioon teek. Alikkar aerro kar jino pepejọrjor.

After I nodded to let Father know I understood, I heard the sound of treading feet up on the deck.P678 It was obvious they were getting ready to goP679

“Epojak ke ijeṇe i lōñ?” Jema ekar kūkūr lōñ ḷọk.

“Are you guys ready up there?” Father yelled up.P680

“Epojak,” erro jiṃor uwaak.

“Ready,” they both replied.P681

Ijujen kar āte kuwatin ānen eo i lowaan bakōj eo im kōttar. Jema ejino jejeb lōñ ḷọk aḷaḷ. Ej rōḷọk wōt aḷaḷ eo jinointata jān pein ak epo ippa im kōṃro jiṃor jejaak ḷọk ñan ḷōṃaro i lōñ.

I put the can I had been using to bail water inside the bucket and waited.P682 Father started passing up lumber.P683 As soon as he lifted up the first piece, I caught hold of the other, and the two of us passed it to the guys up above.P684

“Lukkuun lukwōji bwe ren pen ippān doon im jab mejaḷ ḷọk,” Kapen eo eba.

“Make sure you bind them tightly so they don’t come untied,” the Captain said.P685

Eto kōṃadmōd /All methods have been tried

Ṇo ko rōbar kōjbouki wa eo im ewātin okjak kabwijere. Eḷak jitpeḷeḷ ñan ṇo ko eṃṃan aer itōm depdepete. Aolep men i lowa im kar wāār. Injin eo wōt ejab wāār bwe ekar jikūru im pen. Ke ej lā wa eo ikālọk im jirok ippān Jema. Eḷak tōtōñtōñ bakōj eo im kuwat eo i lowa, rōkọuwaroñroñḷọk jān kar ainikien injin eo ke ekar jọ.

The waves pushed the boat again and it almost capsized.P686 Then other waves hit the boat crossways and kept it from turning over.P687 Everything inside the boat was sliding around.P688 Only the engine didn’t slide because it was tightly secured.P689 When the boat rolled again, I flew over and hung onto Father.P690 The bucket and can were rattling and making even more noise than the engine when it was running.P691

“Eor ke jorrāān ijeṇe?” kōn aō kar jeparujruj, iñak wōn eo ekar kajjitōk men in.

“Is anything wrong down there?”—I was so wound up that I didn’t even know who had asked.P692

“Ejjeḷọk,” Jema ekar uwaak, “Ak ej et ijeṇe i lōñ?”

“Nothing,” Father replied, “How about up there?”P693

Aolep im kar bar ikōñ im jab kōkeroro. Kōmmān kōḷmānḷọkjeṇ jidik im roñjake an kōto eo lōtlōt im ṇo ko notoñe wa eo. Kōmmān lukkuun iion tōreen kajumej.

Everyone was silent again and no one spoke.P694 We just thought for a little while and listened to the wind and the sail flapping and the waves pounding against the boat.P695 Now we were all really keeping watch.P696

“Āinwōt ej baj ḷapḷọk kōto in?” Jema ekar ba. “Kab ṇo in ej jab bōjrak an kilep ḷọk wōt. Enañin jino ke waḷọk memeramram i rear?”

“It seems like the wind has picked up,” Father said.P697 “And the waves keep getting bigger.P698 Is it starting to get light in the east?”P699

“Ejino tak ak eban lukkuun alikkar bwe ej jañin apdik an boṇ lañ,” Bojin eo eṃōkaj im uwaak.

“A little bit, but it won’t be very clear because the clouds are in the way and moving slowly,” the Boatswain quickly answered.P700

“Eṃōj ṇe aṃ añḷap bwe enaaj ṃōṃan,” Kapen eo eba.

“Stop exaggerating. It’s going to be fine,” the Captain replied.P701

“Bwe eṃṃan rot ke kōto in ej ḷapḷọk ak wa in eitan okjak ippān ṇo kein,” Bojin eo eukōt ḷọk.

“How can it be fine if the wind is getting stronger and the boat is going to capsize from the waves,” the Bosun shot back.P702

“Eṃōj jej eakto wōt ke?” Jema ekajjitōk im kajjioñ bōbrae aerro wōnṃaan ḷọk wōt im aoḷ.

“Are we done unloading?” Father interjected in an attempt to stop the two of them from arguing.P703

“Ṃōttan ewi joñan ej aikuj to kiin?” Kapen eo ekajjitōk.

“How much more do we need to unload?” the Captain asked.P704

“Ejako emeḷak,” Jema eba. “Bōlen ṃōttan wōt joñoul im men aḷaḷ innem enaaj bwe jikin aō jerbal.”

“It’s not that cluttered now,” Father said.P705 “Maybe about ten more boards and there will be enough room for me to work.”P706

“Ekwe jen etal wōt im eakto,” Kapen eo eba. “Ej bwe wōt ke to ñan loklok?”

“Okay, let’s keep unloading,” the Captain said.P707 “Is there enough rope left to tie the boards with?”P708

“Ebwe,” euwaak Bojin eo.

“Yes, there's enough,” the Boatswain replied.P709

“Ekwe bar jino jebjeb waj,” Jema ekkōnono lōñ ḷọk.

“Okay, here comes another one,” Father said.P710

Ej bar rōḷọk wōt ḷokan aḷaḷ eo jān pein Jema ak epo ippa. Ekar jab to ammān āindeeo innem emaat aḷaḷ ko rōkar aikuj wanlōñ ḷọk im pād i lọjet.

He passed the end of another board to me.P711 It wasn’t long before we had passed up all the boards that needed to go in the water.P712

“Ebwe ṇe bwe emeḷak ije kiiō,” Jema eba im jino jaḷjaḷ baib. Ekar jeḷati baib ko wōt me ejeḷā ke rōboṇ kōn peinael. Ak ña ikar pād wōt ijo i turin im pojak wōt ñan aō jebjeb ḷọk kein jerbal ko eaikuji ñan jaḷjaḷ. Ikar kōjparok wōt aō ṃōṃakūtkūt i lowaan wa eo bwe ejjir ḷam jako ijo kōn wōil.

“That’ll do, because there’s enough space down here now,” Father said as he started to take apart the pipes.P713 He only took off the ones he knew were clogged with paint oil.P714 I stayed next to him in case he needed me to pass him his tools.P715 I was careful as I moved around the boat because everything was covered with oil and it was very slippery.P716

“Wōil ṇe ej itok jān ia?” ikajjitōk.

“Where’s the oil coming from?” I asked.P717

“Ekar ippilpil jān injin ṇe ke ear jọ im tọọr waj ñan dān ṇe i lowa,” Jema ekōmḷeḷeik eō. “Kiiō eḷak ejjelōblōb dān ṇe, ejādbūtbūt tok ñan ioon rā kaṇe.

“It spilled from the engine when it was running and then flowed into and combined with the bilge water.” Father explained.P718 “Then when the water splashed it sprayed all over the boards.”P719

Kōṃro kar bar ikoñ iuṃwin jidik iien bwe epoub Jema im ainikien wōt kein jaḷjaḷ ko ke rej tōtōñtōñ ippān injin eo ke ej niñeañ rōkeañ ijo. Ej baj meḷan ḷọk ak Jema ekkōnono.

The two of us stayed quiet awhile as Father was working; the only sound was the monkey wrench banging on the engine as he shifted back and forth in there.P720 Father spoke after a bit.P721

“Ṃool ke jerata men in,” Jema eba.

“This is a real disaster,” Father said.P722

“Ta ṇe kwōloe?” Kapen eo ekajjitōk.

“What did you find?” the Captain asked.P723

“Ekwe, aolep baib kā ikar jeḷati im boṇ,” Jema eba. “Rōkwōj kōn peinael im ijaje ewi kilen aō naaj karreoiki ke ejjeḷọk kein jerbal rot eṇ.” “Ak jen ḷak jerake wūjḷā e kōto in enaaj peọọte,” Bojin eo eba. “Kab ke ṃōttan jidik elutōk lañ. Eṃṃan ñe jebar ektaki tok aḷaḷ kā ṃokta jān an wōt bwe ej kab naaj apañḷọk wōt. Etke jen baj jerata wōt.”

“Well, all the pipes I have taken off so far are clogged,” Father said.P724 “They are all stiff with paint oil and I don’t know how I am going to clean them since I don’t really have the right tools.”P725 “And if we put up the sail, the wind will just rip it up,” the Boatswain said.P726 “And soon it’s going to start pouring again.P727 I think we should reload the lumber before it starts raining even if it will be more difficult then.P728 Why are we having such bad luck?”P729

“Rōlukkuun ban tōprak baib kaṇe ke? Ta ejjeḷọk kōl eṇ kwōmaroñ kōṃṃane bwe ren ṃōṃane ke?” Kapen eo eowar ñan Jema.

“So the pipes are shot? There’s no way you can fix them?” the Captain pleaded with Father.P730

“Koṃro jeḷā eor ke wea i wa in?” Jema eba, “Kain rot eṇ ekijñeñe. Eḷaññe eor ekwe jemaroñ kajjioñ wekar buḷōn baib kā im karreoiki.”

“Do you guys know if there’s any wire on the boat” Father said, “the kind that’s really thick?”P731 If there is, well then we can try to thread it through the pipes and clean them that way.”P732

“Ejjeḷọk wea rot ṇe i wa in eṇ ijeḷā kake,” Bojin eo euwaak.

“We don’t have that kind of wire on the boat that I know of,” the Boatswain replied.P733

Ḷak ke ejjeḷọk men eṇ Kapen eo eba, Jema ejujen wōnṃaan ḷọk wōt.

Since the Captain didn’t say anything, Father went on.P734

“Eṃōj kiiō ta ṇe koṃro loe tok ñan kōj?” eba. “Iḷak lale eṃṃan ñe kōjjel bar kōrrọọl waj aḷaḷ ñan lowa im kọkọṇi ṃokta jān an buñ utọr ṇe im kōjjeplōklōki. Im ñe eḷọk mowi ṇe im eṃṃan kōto, jelewūjḷā. Ej et ḷōmṇak in?”

“So what do you figure we should do?” he said.P735 “I think we should bring all the lumber back in and put it away before the wind and rain pick up again and spread them all around in the water.P736 And when the storm calms down a bit and the wind is right, we can raise the sail.P737 What do you think?”P738

“Eṃṃan ippa,” Bojin eo eba. “Im ñe je ḷoor ḷōmṇak in, ekwe jen ṃōkaj ṃokta jān an wōtlọk utọr ṇe bwe enaaj ejjeḷọk iien. Lañ e jej jipeḷḷọke wōt.

“It sounds good to me,” the Boatswain said, “but if that’s the plan, let’s do it quickly before the storm starts up; we don’t have much time.P739 The storm clouds are so thick and low one can literally touch them.P740

“Ekwe bar jino jebjeb tok bwe kōjjel bar kọkkọṇkọṇ,” Kapen eo ekar ba ālikin an ḷōmṇak bajjek. “Koṃro pojak.”

“Okay, start passing boards so we can put them away,” the Captain said after thinking about it.P741 “You two get ready!”P742

“Nejū, kwōnaaj bar pād ijo kar jikūṃ ṃokta, ñe kwōkōṇaan,” Jema eba. “Inaaj jibwe jabōn rā kā rej deḷọñ tok innem kwōnaaj jibwe jabōn jab ṇe ippaṃ im kabwijere laḷ waj.”

“Son, go back to the same place you were before if you want,” Father said.P743 “I am going to hold one end of the boards and put them inside; then you grab the other side and pass them down.”P744

“Eṃṃan,” iba.

“Okay,” I said.P745

Ḷōṃaro rōjino leletok im kōṃro Jema jino bar kọkkọṇkọṇ. Eruṃwijḷọk ektak jān kar ammān ākto kōn wōt an kar ḷōḷapḷọk ṇo im eḷapḷọk an jepliklik wa eo jān kar ṃokta. Kōmmān ej aikuj lukkuun jirok bwe kōmin jab rotak.

The guys started handing us the boards and Father and I put them away.P746 It took us longer to load them up than it had to offload them since the waves were making the boat sway back and forth even more than before.P747 We really had to hold on tight in order to keep ourselves from falling down.P748

“Kōṃṃanṃōn wōt bwe ekauwōtataḷọk,” Jema eba. “Ej et ioon lọjet bajjek?” “Ekwe ein ḷōmān ioon lọjet wōt ñe ekar ṃōj uno mouji,” Bojin eo eukōt ḷọk. “Ak kōdọ kā rej mejeḷḷọk wōt. Joñan rōkilmeej ḷam jako.”

“Be careful; things are getting pretty dangerous,” Father said.P749 “How does the water look?”P750 “It looks like someone spilled white paint all over the ocean,” the Boatswain answered.P751 “And the clouds are getting thicker.P752 And they are really dark.”P753

“Ekwe, ekwe, kwōn kōnnaan ak en jab bōjrak aṃ jebjeb tok aḷaḷ,” Kapen eo eba.

“Okay, okay, you can talk but don’t stop passing me the lumber,” the Captain said.P754

Ebar bōjrak ammān kar kōnono ak kōmmān ijuboñ-ijuraani aḷaḷ ko ñan maatier. “Aḷaḷ eo āliktata ṇe laḷ waj,” Kapen eo ekkūr tok. “Mour eo!”

We stopped talking and kept at it until there weren’t any boards left.P755 “Here’s the last one,” the Captain called to us. “Thank God!”P756

Ṃōjin an dedeḷọk jerbal eo itallōñ ḷọk i lowaan kōjām eo im ḷak ijo nabōj, ibōk menwa bwe āinwōt iwātin kar bar ḷōlao kōn nemān kiaj im wōil eo i lowa.

When we were all finished I climbed through the doorway to the outside and took a big breath because I was really starting to get seasick from the smell of gas and oil inside.P757

“Jema e, wōt ko kā tok,” iba laḷ ḷọk ñan e ke ij rōre tak ḷọk.

“Father, here comes the rain,” I called down to him when I looked to the east.P758

“Kab kili aj ṇe ṃōjin aṃ kọkọni emjak kaṇe,” Kapen eo eba ñan Bojin eo. “Jab inepata bwe iōōe i ṃur,” Bojin eo euwaak.

“Close the hatch as soon as you put away the anchor line,” the Captain said to the Boatswain.P759 “Don’t worry, I'm on top of it,” the Boatswain replied.P760

“Kwōj lale ej pen wōt ke loklok ṇe ilo jila ṇe?” Kapen eo ekajjitōk ippān.

“Did you make sure the tiller is secured?” the Captain asked.P761

“Ej eṃṃan wōt itokin,” Bojin eo eba innem ettōñ.

“Everything is fine,” the Boatswain said and then chuckled.P762

Ej ṃōj wōt an ba ijin ak ekālaḷtak im jok i lowa ijo kōmjel Jema im Kapen eo ej pād ie. Kōm jino roñ ainikien ṃōṃōṇṃōṇin wōt ko ke rej buñut ioon wa eo. Joñan aer mejel, āinwōt ñe ej lutōk leplep dān ioon ṃweo im ioon teek barāinwōt. Ij jañin kar lelolo wōt joñan an mejel im lōñ āinwōt wōt jab ko ilo iien eo.

As soon as he said that he jumped down to where Dad, the Captain, and I were.P763 We started to hear the pitter-patter of the rain falling on the boat.P764 It was raining cats and dogs—so hard that it was like someone was pouring water on the cabin and the deck.P765 I had never seen a rain as heavy as that.P766

Bojin eo ekar pād bajjek ijo innem jiktok an kōṇaan kōbaatat. Unin aō ba men in kōnke ikar lo an rwe bōjọ eo an im kwaḷọk jikka eo kijen im juon mājet. Ke ej itōn tile juon wūd, Jema eṃōkaj im kabōjrake.

The Boatswain stayed where he was for a minute and then was overcome with his desire to smoke.P767 I only knew this because I saw him stick his hand in his pocket and take out a cigarette and a match.P768 As soon as he was about to light up, Father stopped him.P769

“Bōlen eṃṃan ñe kwōjab kōbaatat ijin,” Jema eba.

“Maybe it’s better if you don’t smoke here,” Father said.P770

Ej aikuj kar meḷeḷe eake men eo Jema ekar jiroñ ḷọk kōnke joñan an kijoñ jāālelin nemān kiaj eo i lowa, jeitan ban kōboutuut ijo. “Wōdded! Ilukkuun meḷọkḷọk,” eba. “Kwōj ba jekab naaj maroñ kōbaatat wōt iñak ñāāt. Enana wōt in wāween jeañ iioone.”

The Boatswain must have understood what Father meant, because the smell of gas was so strong inside that we could hardly breathe.P771 “Oh, right! I almost forgot!” he said.P772 “You're saying we won't be able to smoke until I don't know when.P773 What an ugly situation we’re in.”P774

Aolep im kar bar kōḷmānḷọkjen im roñjake kōto im wōt ko. Ñe ṇo ko rej ḷukut wa eo āinwōt juon bweọ ioon lọjet. Joñan an kā tok jakurbaatatin ṇo wōt an bar wōt.

Everyone listened to the wind and the rain and thought for a while.P775 The waves were rolling the boat around like a coconut husk on the water.P776 The spray from the waves came at us like it was raining.P777

“Ḷōmare, joñan an mejel wōt kein im nana lañ, eñin āinwōt eboñ, meñe joñoul awa jibboñ kiiō” Jema ekar ba. “Kōto in ej jañin ḷōmṇak in dikḷọk ak ej dejeñjeñḷọk wōt. Kar ta eo ḷōḷḷap eo ekar ba?”

“Guys, it’s raining so hard and the weather is so bad that it seems like it’s nighttime even though it’s 10 o’clock in the morning,” Father said.P778 “The wind hasn’t died down at all and is actually getting stronger.P779 What was it the old man said?”P780

“Ejjeḷọk eṇ ekkōnono iuṃwin jet ko ke minit. Kapen eo emmelkwarkwar bajjek ijo im ḷak kar jillọk im lōr. Ak ñe Bojin eo eññūr wōt im ḷobōl. Ña ikājekḷọkjen.

No one spoke for several minutes.P781 The Captain cleared his throat but then was silent and didn’t say anything.P782 The Boatswain groaned and started to brood.P783 I remained silent and pensive.P784

Ekar āindeeo an nanaḷọk lañ ñan ke enañin kij jiljino awa jọteen eo. Ej kab kar jino meraḷọk ālikin jiljino awa ijoke ekar jañin ṃōṃan ñan lewūjḷā. Kōl eo de eo kōmmān maroñ kar kōṃṃane, eḷaññe eṃṃan kōto, lewūjḷā kōnke alikkar ke eban ṃōṃan injin eo ammān. “Eapdikḷọk kōto in im wōt kein ak ej jañin lukkuun ṃōṃan ñan lewūjḷā,” Kapen eo ej kab bar oḷañi ke ej jiljino awa jọteen eo. “Kōjmān kōkōṃanṃanḷọk wōt bar jidik.” “Kwōj ḷōmṇak jekar tōpar ia ke ej kun injin e admān?” Jema ekajjitōk ippān.

It stayed that way and even got worse until about 6 o’clock that evening.P785 The storm started to subside after about 6 o’clock but not enough for us to be able to put up the sail.P786 The only way we would make it was for the wind to die down enough for us to raise the sail; clearly the engine was not going to work.P787 “The wind and rain have died down but not enough to put up the sail,” the Captain uttered at about 6 o’clock in the evening.P788 “We need to wait a little while longer till the weather clears up.”P789 “Where do you think we were when our engine went out?” Father asked.P790

“Likin wōt Kapinwōd, Likiep,” Kapen eo euwaak.

“On the ocean side of Kapinwōd island, Likiep,” the Captain answered.P791

“Ak āinwōt iar eñjake ṇoin likin Pikeej ke ej joraantak, ṃoktaḷọk jidik jān an kun,” Jema eba.

“But I’m sure I felt the Pikeej island ocean side waves at dawn, just a little while before it shut off,” Father said.P792

“Ba en baj bar tōtoḷọk wōt jān Likiep?” ekajjitōk.

“So you think we are still far away from Likiep?” he asked.P793

“Enaaj kōjkan ke joñan ettōr tak eo adeañ ippān kōto im ṇo ko eo,” Jema euwaak. “Ak eor jibuki jiṃa ṃaiḷ kōtaan Pikeej im Kapinwōd.”

“Yes, and the reason being that we have been going against the wind and the waves all this time,” Father replied.P794 “And it’s more than a hundred miles from Pikeej to Kapinwōd.”P795

“Ekwe ikar jab baj kakkōt mejōk ioon lọjet ilo awa ṇe kwōj ba, ak āinwōt epen aō tōmak ke joñan de in admān tōtoḷọk jān Likiep,” Kapen eo eba. “Eboñ kiin innem kōjmān naaj ja peḷọk im iptu ñan ilju jibboñ bwe en raane mejād ñan ad jerake wūjḷā ṇe. Kab ke jej aikuj kaijikmeto ṃōṃokaj im kaṃool ia in jepād ie innem ektak kooj.” Ke ikar roñ naan kein an Kapen eo, iḷōmṇak im bwilōñ bajjek ippa taunin an Jema maroñ kile ṇoin likin Pikeej jān ṃōṃakūtkūtin wa eo ak Kapen eo eba ej aikuj kar lo kōn mejān. Jeḷā ta eo jej door ad leke ie; jeḷā eo ej waḷọk jān imminene in kile wāween jejepliklikin juon wa ioon ṇo ke ak jeḷā eo waḷọk jān lo kōn māj. Ak jeḷā kein ippān doon. Jet kein kajjitōk ij ḷōmṇak rōkkar ñan an ro ilubwilijid eor aer jeḷā, meḷeḷe, im imminene kōn metoin aelōñ kein, bwe ren kwaḷọk mejḷaer kiin ke ej wōr wōt aer iien.

“Well I didn’t look very carefully at the ocean at that time, but I have a hard time believing we are that far away from Likiep,” the Captain said.P796 “Now it’s nighttime and we are just going to have to drift and heave to until tomorrow morning when there is enough light for us to see and use the sail.P797 And also we need to first figure out where we are so we can get back on course.”P798 When I heard the Captain say this, I thought about it and was amazed that Father was able to recognize the waves on the ocean side of Pikeej from the movement of the boat while the Captain says he needs to actually see them.P799 How do we know which knowledge to put our trust in; the knowledge gained from actually feeling the sway of the boat on the waves or the knowledge that comes from observing.P800 Or both kinds of knowledge working together.P801 These are some questions I was thinking are appropriate for those among us who have knowledge, understanding, and experience with the ocean in our islands, so they can explain and describe them while they are still able to do so.P802

“Ruprup tok kijedmān būreej bwe jen ṃōñā,” Kapen eo eba tok ñan ña.

“Slice up some bread for us to eat,” the Captain said to me.P803

"Jenaaj aikuj kōpelaḷ ḷọk ṃōñā kein kijed kōn aebōj ṃōḷo bwe enana lañ ñan kōmat," Bojin eo eba. “Iọkwe bwe en kar or obwin ej kōjerbal karjin im jemaroñ bōkto bōktak.”

"We'll just have to wash our food down with fresh water since the weather is not good for cooking," the Boatswain said.P804 “Too bad we don’t have a portable kerosene stove.”P805

“Nejū, mọọn ṃaan waj ṃōk i lowa im jibwe tok tiinin petkōj eo ijene iuṃwin kōbba ṇe,” Jema eba. “Kab jujen kōpeḷḷọke im elletok kijedmān bwe jen kapijje ṃokta jān ad wūne mejād ñan ilju jibboñ.”

“Son, go up to the front and get the tin of biscuits from under the cover,” Father said.P806 “Then open it up and take out a few for each of us so we can eat before we try to get some shut eye until morning.”P807

“Ejjeḷọk ej emmej ippān wa in buñiniin?” Bojin eo ekajjitōk.

“No one is going to be on watch tonight?” the Boatswain asked.P808

“Kain ṇe jej mājur ak jej ḷōmṇak bwe jej peḷọk,” Kapen eo eba. “Jej mājurin kako.”

“We’ll sleep but not too deeply since we are drifting,” the Captain said.P809 “We can just sleep lightly so we’ll be ready to jump up if we need to.”P810

Ikar ajeji petkōj ko im likūti i ṃaan mejāerjel. Ak ibaj bōk juon kijō wūd im jino meme dikdik. Ke baj lowaan wa eo eo kōmmān kar kabijje ie, men eo jemaroñ roñ de eo ijo ej aininkien ammān kañuri petkōj ko, koba ippān ainikien an jejelōblōb dān eo i kōtaan eḷḷa ko.

I divided up the biscuits and put a few in front of each of them.P811 Then I took one for myself and started nibbling at it.P812 The only thing we could hear inside the boat was the sound of us eating our biscuits and of the water splashing around between the ribs of the boats.P813

Ṃōjin aō ilimi dān eo liṃō, ioḷọk lik ḷọk ioon jaki ko. Jema elo aō kain eo im kōnono tok.

After I finished drinking my water, I fell backwards onto the sleeping mats.P814 When Father saw me do this he called over to me.P815

“Nejū e, bar kate eok jidik im jab kijer in mājur,” eba. “Jerkak bwe kōjro jarin kiki ṃokta.”

“Son, hold on a minute and don’t go to sleep yet,” he said.P816 “Get up so we can say our prayers first.”P817

Ke ej dedeḷọk aṃro jarin kiki, ibar babu ḷọk. Iḷak ruj, jibboñon raan eo juon. Unin aō ruj Jema ekar kọruj eō bwe in ṃabuñ ippāerjel.

As soon as we were done saying our prayers, I lay back down.P818 When I woke up, it was the next morning.P819 I only woke up because Father woke me up so I could eat breakfast with everyone.P820

Ikar arruñijñij wōt ke ij wanlōñ ḷọk in etteiñ aō ormej i lọjet. Edikḷọk kōto im ṇo jān kar boñon eo im elukkuun dik an ṃōḷeiñiñ wa eo.

I was still sleepy when I went up to get water from the ocean to wash my face.P821 The wind and rain had died down since the night before and the boat wasn’t moving around as much.P822

Ke ikar rọọl laḷ ḷọk ibar ioon Jema ej limi jaki ko im kọkọni. Ak ḷōṃaro ruo rōkar pād wōt ijo lōñ. Jema ebōjrak im erre tok.

When I went back down I saw Father folding the sleeping mats and putting them away.P823 The other two were still up on deck.P824 Father stopped and looked at me.P825

“Kapen eṇ ej ba dedeḷọkin adeañ ṃabuñ, jejerake wūjḷā ñe im jibadek jidik,” ejiroñ tok eō.”

“The Captain says we should finish our breakfast, raise the sail, and be on our way,” he called over to me.P826

“Ak baj kwe Jema, ta ṇe kwōj lale ekkar kiin?” ikajjitōk.

“What about you, Father, what do you think we should do now?” I asked.P827

“Ekwe eṃṃan jen jerak im wōnṃaan tak in lale ta iṃaan,” euwaak. “Enaaj alikkar tok aolep men iṃaan.”

“I think we should set sail and see what’s ahead,” he replied.P828 “Everything will be clear once we see what’s ahead.”P829

Ālikin aṃro kōnono ijo, kōṃro Jema wanlọñ ḷọk ñan ijo Kapen eo im Bojin eo rej pād ie.

After we were done talking, we went up to where the Captain and Boatswain were.P830

“Koṃro jeḷā ekar jino dikḷọk kōto in ñāāt?” Kapen eo ekar kajjitōk ippān Jema im Bojin eo.

“Does either of you know when the wind started to die down?” the Captain asked Father and the Boatswain.P831

“Kōṃro jaje,” erro uwaak.

“No,” they both replied.P832

“Iḷak baj ruj āindein,” Bojin eo ekar etal wōt im ba.

“It was like this when I woke up,” the Boatswain continued.P833

Ke kōmmān kar jino ṃabuñ ear jiljilimjuon awa. Aḷ ekar ḷolōñ de jān ioon ñōl.

It was seven o’clock when we started eating breakfast.P834 The sun came up through the swells of the ocean.P835

Kōmmān ṃabuñ im ḷak dedeḷọk, erjel kōḷaak wūjḷā eo im men ko jet kōbwebwein, ak ña ikarreoiki kōnnọ ko im kọkọṇi. Ej ṃōj im pojak wōt men otemjej ak Kapen eo etal lik tak im jibwe jebwe eo im kōttar an Bojin eo im Jema kōmaatiḷọk jikka ko kijeerro ṃōṃkaj jān aerro jerake wūjḷā eo.

When we finished eating breakfast the three of them attached sail and arranged the other necessary sailing gear while I washed the dishes and put them away.P836 When everything was ready to go the Captain went to the back and took the wheel and waited for the Boatswain and Father to finish their cigarettes so they could raise the sail.P837

“Ñe emaat wōdān kaṇe kōmiro jerake,” Kapen eo ekkūr ṃaan ḷọk.

“When you two are done smoking we can set sail,” the Captain yelled up to them.P838

“Ekwe jero jino ñijiri,” iroñ an Jema ba ñan Bojin eo. Innem erro jino ninearear ijo ippān wūjḷā eo.

“Okay, let’s start chanting,” I heard Father say to the Boatswain.P839 And the two of them started struggling with the sail to get it in order.P840

“Kōjmān naaj tar niñatak ṃōṃkaj innem diak rōkeañ,” Kapen eo eba. “Āindein admān naaj jeje tak waj ijeṇe tak waj ñan Likiep. Ij ḷōmṇak ilju jibboñtata jelo ān eo. Ikar kaijikmeto kōkein ḷọk im jej epaake wōt aelōñ eo.

“We’ll come north first and then tack to the south,” the Captain said.P841 “That way we’ll sail into the wind toward Likiep.P842 I think we’ll spot the island early tomorrow morning.P843 I determined our nautical location a while ago and we are already close to the island.P844

Ekar kajoor aetak eo im bōbrae an peto wa in. Ekar ṃoṃanḷọk jidik aō mour ke ij roñ men in. Ak iḷak rōre lọk ilo bwe Jema im Bojin eo erro kar jab kilen ṃōṃōṇōṇō.

The eastward current was strong and stopped us from drifting westward.P845 I felt a little better when I heard this.P846 But I looked over and saw that Father and the Boatswain didn’t appear to be happy.P847

“Lale bwe en ejjeḷọk bar rōḷọk,” Bojin eo ejiroñ ḷọk.

“Just make sure there aren’t any more mistakes,” the Boatswain yelled over to the Captain.P848

Eḷaññe Kapen eo ekar roñ men in ekwe turin mejān ekar jab kwaḷọk.

You couldn’t tell by the Captain’s face whether he had heard this or not.P849

Innem ke ej ṃōj jerake wūjḷā eo im ej jejopālpāl, epoub in ubaatake jebwe eo bwe bōran wa eo en jaaḷ niñeañ ḷọk. Im jidik wōt an wa eo jino jaaḷ im ḷak anlọk, eletlet wūjḷā eo im wa eo ejino ajādik. Ke ej lukkuun tōtōr, eitan ṃōkajin wōt an leinjin. Ejej wōt kar ṃōṃanin an lā im etal.

Once the sail was up and flapping in the wind, the Captain was busy steering the wheel in order to point the boat northward.P850 The boat slowly turned to the north and when it was finally on course the sail filled with wind and we started to advance slowly.P851 When the boat really got going, we were almost going faster than when we were using the engine.P852 There was nothing better than the feel of the roll and advance of the boat.P853

“Bar ṇatọọne tak jidik bwe en jako baḷok kaṇe i turin kaab eṇ” Bojin eo ekar ba ke eaar jejed jān turin rikin eo i reeaar.

“Sheet the sails in a bit to get rid of the folds next to the gaff,” the Boatswain said as he scanned the horizon standing by the rigging on the starboard side.

Ikar kājekḷọkjeṇ jidik im ḷōmṇaki tok tipñōl ko ijọ kōn uwe ie i Likiep. Lukkuun juon eṇ mejatoto ekōbbōkakkak ñe jej uwe ioon wa lewūjḷā. Wa jerakrōk rōlukkuun weeppān ñan aelōñ kein ad. Aelōñ kein ad leladikdik wōt raan ñan raan kōn men in jeban aikuj kaan waan aelōñ kein ad. Ejej tokjān ad bōbōk tok ak kōṃṃan im wia waad waan pālle bwe eḷaññe rōwōla, ejej kein jerbalier ak kōbwebweier. Kab ke juon raan enaaj tōtōr im maat kaan injin otemjej i laḷ in. Ak kōto enaaj or wōt towan wōt an laḷ in pād.

I was quiet and thinking about the canoes I used to ride on Likiep.P855 It is such a thrill to ride on a boat with a sail.P856 Sailing canoes are so perfect for these our islands.P857 It’s breezy enough every day that we don’t even need to use fuel.P858 There’s really no point in buying Western boats because the materials we need to fix them aren’t even available here.P859 Some day, there won’t be any fuel left at all.P860 But there will be wind as long as there is the earth.P861

Kar āindeeo ammān didiakeōk tak ḷọk raan eo ooṃ boñ. Rujlọkin raan eo juon, iḷak baj wanlōñ ḷọk jān lowa ikar lo Bojin eo ej de i raan kaju eo. Epoub in jure tok ṃaan im kappok āne. Ak men eo elo de eo kōdọ ko i turin lañ. Kapen eo ekar jebwebwe ak ñe Jema ej iri ḷọk wōiḷ im tōtoon ko jān pein. Bōlen ekar bar pād ippān injin eo.

We kept tacking in this fashion all day as we sailed east until it was night.P862 When I woke up the next day, I went up and saw the Boatswain up on top of the mast.P863 He was busy looking out for land.P864 But the only thing he could see was clouds in the sky.P865 The Captain was steering and Father was wiping oil and dirt from his hands.P866 Maybe he spent more time with the engine.P867

“Eita ḷe, Kapen?” Bojin eo ekar kūkūr laḷ tak.

“What’s wrong, Captain?” the Boatswain called down to him.P868

Kapen eo ekar jab kijer im uwaake Bojin eo ak ekar kōnono ḷọk ṃōṃkaj ñan Jema.

The Captain didn’t answer the Boatswain and instead started talking to Father.P869

“Wātok ṃōṃkaj ṃōk ilo jebwe e bwe in wawōj in baj tallōñ,” Kapen eo eba ḷọk ñan Bojin eo ke ej wōnṃaan ḷọk. “Ij ḷōmṇak kōjmān ḷe i jetakin ān eo.”

“Come take the wheel for a minute so I can go up and take a look,” the Captain said to the Boatswain as he started to go up.P870 “I think we must be approaching land.”P871

“Jaab ān eo wōt ṇe i ṃaan ak ej ettoḷọk wōt ñan ad maroñ loe,” Jema eba. “Ñe jeañ bar tar tawaj jidik tarrin juon boñ im juon raan, jenaaj loe.” Iroñ naan kein an Jema im Kapen eo im kar kōlmānḷọkjen eaki. Meñe eṃṃanḷọk aō roñ peḷḷọkin naan ko an Kapen eo, āinwōt eitok wōt bwe in kar tōmak naan ko an Jema kōnke elōñ de alen an kar Kapen eo jirillọk. Men kein rōkar waḷọk ilo iiaḷ in ammān tak ḷọk ñan aelōñin Likiep.

“There’s no sign of land ahead and it’s going to be a while before we see any,” Father said.P872 We need to sail for approximately one more night and one more day and then we’ll see it.”P873 I heard what Father and the Captain were saying and I thought about it.P874 Although what the Captain said sounded good, I was more inclined to believe Father because the Captain had already made so many mistakes on this trip and so many bad things were happening as a result.P875 These things occurred during our travels to Likiep.P876

Kapen eo ekar baj kakkōt jure tok turin lañ ak ejej āne eṇ eloe. Ebar pād jidik i raan kaju eo innem to. Ejijet laḷ ḷọk i tōrerein rikin ko im ḷobōl. Jān iien eo im wōnṃaan ḷọk, āinwōt emej nukun. Joñan, ej jañin kar maat wōt jikka eo kijen ak ejibwe im kadkad to ḷọk eake ak ebar tile juon.

The Captain tried to look ahead for land but didn’t see anything.P877 He stayed up on the mast a while longer and then came down.P878 He sat down next to the rigging and brooded.P879 From then on, he looked like a member of his family had died.P880 So much so that even though he hadn't finished his cigarette, he threw it away and lit up another.P881

Ke ekar baj jọej, kōmmān jino eñjake ammān āñden. Ikar kajjioñ jene juon kijeek ilo wūpaajin kōmat eo. Ikar kate eō bajjek innem eurur ak ejepāpe jikin kōmat eo kōn an wa eo lewūjlā. Ikar aikuj dāpij tibat eo bwe en jab okjak im pāddo kenọkwōle ḷọk kijeek eo bwe ej itok wōt in mej kōn an ṃōḷauwi kane ko. Jekdọọn ak ekar mat kọpe eo im kōmmān kar idaak.

By afternoon, we the four of us started feeling hungry.P882 I tried to start a fire in the cook stove.P883 I kept trying to light it but the sail was up which made the cooking area list over to one side.P884 I had to hold onto the teapot, so it wouldn't topple over, and occasionally stir the fire, which tended to die because the firewood was damp.P885 It didn’t matter at that point, though, because the coffee was ready and we all had some.P886

Kapen eo ekotak kab eo ñiin im kōmaat kọpe eo ie. Ekar bar lukkuun kajḷore. Innem ekōḷmānḷọkjen jidik.

The Captain got out his cup and made himself some coffee and finished the whole thing.P888 Then he thought for a while.P889

“Kōjmān kabbwe bwe eḷe wa in ireaar,” eba.

“We need to turn downwind because the boat is too far to the east,” he said.P890

Jab kijñeñe kōn bōd /Don't persist with errors

“Ij ba kōjeañ jerak tak waj wōt bar jidik,” Jema eba. “Ñe jebar kijenmej jidik, jemaroñ ellolo āne ilju jota. Jekadik kar baj ḷoto. Eṃṃan jen jab bweetkōn ṃokaj.”

“I think we need to keep sailing eastward a little longer,” Father said.P891 “If we keep going like this for a while, we might see the island by tomorrow evening.P892 We were too much to the west.P893 We shouldn’t give up so quickly.”P894

“Āinwōt irrā ilo ḷōmṇak e an Injinia,” Bojin eo eba ḷọk ñan Kapen eo. Ijujen baj rōre lọk ñan Kapen eo in lale ta eo eba. “Lukkuun ke jeḷe i rōk reaarin aelōñ eo,” Kapen eo ekar akweḷap wōt kōn ijo an. “Ijeḷā.” “Ekwe ṇo kein rej jiroñ eō bwe Kuajleen ṇe i rilik, ṃōttan jidik jeḷe,” Jema ekar ba. “Innem ñe jeañ kabbwe, jeañ ban loe ak jenaaj iione ae niñaḷọk ṇe im enaaj kinōōr kōj bwe jen ḷe jān Ruōt. Im ñe āindein, ekwe iñak jenaaj bar ellolo ñāāt keinikkanin āne.”

“I agree with the Engineer,” the Boatswain said to the Captain.P895 I looked at the Captain to see what he would say.P896 “I am sure we are southeast of the island,” the Captain insisted, clinging to his opinion.P897 “I am positive.”P898 “Well the waves are telling me Kwajalein is to the west and we are going to pass it very soon,” Father said.P899 “And if we turn, we won’t see it and we’ll run into the northward current which will carry us past Ruōt.P900 And if that happens, well then I don’t know when we’ll see the island plants and trees, if ever.P901

“Iññā. …” Bojin eo ekar bar tōn kajjioñ likūt kuṇaan ippān Kapen eo ak eloe bwe ejej tokjān. Innem ejujen jab kaṃōj men eo ekar tōn ba.

“Yeah…” the Boatswain was going to try to give the Captain his opinion on the matter but he saw there was no point.P902 So he didn’t even finish what he was going to say.P903

“Likiejān ān eo in, innem jeaikuj kōjaaḷ wa in im kabbwe,” eakweḷap wōt.

“We are at the windward side of the island, so we need to turn the boat and tack leeward,” the Captain still insisted.P904

Kōnke erro kile ke ejej men eṇ erro naaj tokwōje ñe erro kōnono ṃaan ḷọk wōt, Jema im Bojin eo erro jab bar ba juon naan ak erro pād wōt im kōttar ta eo ebar ba erro en kōṃṃane. “Kōmiro pojak,” ekar ba. “Juon ilo rojak ṇe ak juon ilo toon kabbwe ṇe.” Kapen eo ejo rōkeañ ḷọk jila eo im wa eo, ke ekar baj kipeddikdik niñeañ ḷọk, ejaaḷ im kabbwe bōran im jitōñ kapilōñ.

When they realized they wouldn’t accomplish anything with their talk, Father and the Boatswain didn’t say another word and instead just stayed where they were and waited for the Captain to tell them what to do.P905 “You two get ready,” he said.P906 “One of you at the lower spar of the sail and one at the rope for tacking leeward.”P907 The Captain cast the tiller to the south and the boat, which was advancing slowly but steadily to the north, turned downwindP908

Kōto eo raan jab eo ekar jab kanooj kajoor jibboñon eo. Ak ke ekar raelepḷọk ejino kar ṃakroroḷọk. Eṃṃan an kar Likabwiro kōttōmāle ioon ṇo ko. Ennitōt an kar lukwarkware ḷọk rōḷọk eo.

The wind that day wasn’t especially strong in the morning.P909 But as the afternoon progressed, the wind turned in our favor.P910 The Likabwiro surfed right across the wavesP911 It slipped nicely across the waves as it was making up for lost time.P912

Ruo eo ke raan in ammān kōllōkā ippān ṇo im kōto ṃōṃanṃōn eo. Jotaanḷọk raan eo kein karuo, Kapen eo ebar kōnnaan ḷọk ñan Bojin eo.

We must have been surfing downwind across the waves with favorable winds at our back for two days.P913 As the evening of the second day approached, the Captain spoke to the Boatswain.P914

“Kwōn ṃōk bar tallōñ im lale kwōllo ke āne i ṃaan,” ekar ba.

“Climb up and see if you spot land up ahead,” he said.P915

Bojin eo ejujen wanlōñ āinwōt an ba, meñe ekar jab aelọk an jab itok-limoin eake men eo. Erreto erre tak, erre niñeañ erre rōkeañ, ak ejej āne ekar loe. Ekajeboululi bōran im to laḷ tak.

The Boatswain went up as he was told, even though it was obvious he didn’t want to.P916 He looked all around, to the north and to the south, but he didn’t see anything.P917 He shook his head and came back down.P918

“Enaaj to timmejid ak jeban ellolo āne,” Bojin eo ekar ba ke ej ṃōj an to jān kaju eo.

“We can look until our eyeballs fall off before we see land,” the Boatswain said when he got down from the mast.”P919

“Ikar ba kōjmān kar pād wōt i liklaḷin Likiep ṃokta jān adeañ kar kabbwe,” Jema eba. Ealikkar buñtoin ṇo ko inne. Koṃro kar kile ke an añināne raan eo ak kiiō eñin eḷak detak ekalikkar ad ettoḷọk jān āne?

“I said we were still on the lee side of Likiep before we turned downwind,” Father said.P920 “It was clear from the swell of the waves yesterday.P921 Didn’t the two of you notice from the way the wind was blowing that we were on the lee side of the island, but now as the wind blows, it’s clear we’re at a distance from the island?P922

Jema ekar bōjrak iuṃwin jidik iien bwe en tile juon kijen jikka. Ḷak ke ejej eṇ ekkōnono, ejujen wōnṃaan ḷọk wōt.

Father paused for a moment so he could light a cigarette.P923 Since no one else said anything, he continued.P924

“Ruōt ṇe irōk, ak ettoḷọk ñan ad maroñ ḷannoiki,” Jema eba.

“Roi-Namur is to the south, but it will be a while before we sight land,” Father said.P925

“Ma, etke jej jab baj ellolo bao ak jokwā?” ekkajitōk Bojin eo.

“So then, why don’t we see any birds or driftwood?” the Boatswain asked.P926

Rōkōkaḷḷe im kajjinek /They signaled to no effect

“Jekdọọn ak Likiep ṇe i ṃaan,” Kapen eo eakweḷap im ālijinmen.

“Never mind, Likiep is straight ahead,” the Captain insisted over and over again.P927

“Jeban ellolo kain ṇe i ṃaan,” Kapen eo eakweḷap im ālijinmen. Boñon eo ke kōmmān ej aolep im pād ioon teekin Likabwiro im ḷōṃaro rej kōmeltato bajjek, kōmmān ḷak ilbōk ej kā to juon baḷuun i lōñ to. Ejadin utiej im jidik wōt ammān arromi teeñki ko ie im jidik wōt ammān roñjake ainikien. Ekar bōk ejja kooj eo wōt an wa eo waammān. Ke Bojin eo ej lo baḷuun eo, ekar jab bar pād ak eto laḷ ḷọk im bōk lōñ tak kein kōkaḷḷe eo an wa eo jet ripālle rōkar letok ṃōṃkaj jān ammān kar jerak.

“We won’t see those kinds of things up ahead,” he continued to insist.P928 That evening as we were all on the deck of the Likabwiro and the men were shooting the breeze we were surprised to see a plane fly overhead toward the west.P929 It was rather high and we could barely see its lights or hear the sound of its engine.P930 It was flying on course with our boat for the time being.P931 When the Boatswain saw the plane, he didn’t hesitate and instead went down and brought up the boat's flare gun some Americans had given us before we set sail.P932

“Kein ta ṇe ke kooj eo an Kwajleen in jej ḷọọre,” Kapen eo eba. “Ejej tokjān aṃ kairuj pata baḷuun eṇ. Kuwajleen ṇe i ṃaan. Eñṇe baḷuun eṇ ej jibadek ḷọk. Ej ja kooj in wōt kōjmān ej ektake kiin.”

“What is that for? We are following the right course to Kwajalein,” the Captain said.P933 “There’s no point in alarming that plane.P934 Kwajalein is straight ahead.P935 That plane is on its way there now.P936 It’s following the same course we are on now.”P937

“Jekdọọn ak ij tōn kōkaḷḷe ñan baḷuun eṇ bwe en kōjjeḷā ke jepeḷọk,” Bojin eo eba im kōpoje kein kōjjoram eo.

“It doesn’t matter; I am still going to signal the plane to let them know we have lost our way,” the Boatswain said as he prepared the flare.P938

Ejoorkatkat ijo im kōmmān ḷak ilbōk edebokḷọk men eo im kelọk kōjjoram eo. Kōmmān jimor jede im jāāle lōñ ḷọk. Eṃṃan an meram lōñ ḷọk. Joñan an meram jemaroñ kar lelolo ḷoñ ñe ekar or ej tōtōbalbal ioon wa eo.

He stood ready in place and we were all surprised when the flare gun exploded and the flare shot up into the sky.P939 We all followed it with our eyes as it went up into the sky.P940 The light in the sky was beautiful.P941 It was so bright we could have seen if there was an ant crawling on the boat.P942

Ekar wanlōñ ḷọk men eo im ḷak bōlen jibukwi jiṃa ne utiej, erọọl im lōkā laḷ tak. Eḷak wōtlọk ḷọk i turōkin wa eo ijo ekar kunḷọk ṇa ie.

The flare went up approximately 100 feet in the air before it turned and made a dive back down.P943 It fell just south of the boat where it extinguished itself.P944

Ejjeḷọk men eo baḷuun eo ekar wōjake ak ekar kelọk wōt ilo iiaḷ eo an to ḷọk. Kōmmān ñak ekar lo ke kōjjoram eo ak kōmmān ḷak aṇtọọne ḷọk, bōlen ekar jab loe bwe kōnke ejab rọọl in kar lale ak ekar etal wōt.

The plane didn’t do anything and instead just kept flying its course.P945 We didn’t know if it had seen the flare but we guessed that it hadn’t because it didn’t come back to see what it was but just kept going.P946

Kōmmān ej baj būroṃōj wōt bajjek im ḷọkwanwa ḷọk ippān baḷuun eo kōn an jab lo kōmmān ak Jema ekkōnono tok.

We were all feeling sad and wishing the plane had seen us when Father spoke to me.P947

“Nejū e, kōjro wanlaḷ waj im nokwōnin jota bwe kwōnaaj ḷak baj mejki wōt,” ekar ba.

“Son, let’s go down and say our evening prayers because you may want to go to bed soon,” he said.P948

Kōṃro jujen to i lowa im jar in rojeri. Imaroñ ba kiin ke iien otemjej ke kōṃro Jema kar jar, kōṃro jimor kōn eñjake an aenōṃṃan im jokane tok ḷōmṇak ko aṃro. Ejako ḷōmṇakin mijak im lōḷñoñ ak epād wōt ḷōmṇakin peran im kijenmej.

So we went down and prayed the rosary.P949 I can say now that the whole time we were praying, the two of us felt a sense of peace and calmness in our thoughts.P950 We were able to shed ourselves of fear and trepidation and instead felt courageous and optimistic.P951

Ālikin aṃro jar, iḷak itōn kar kajjioñ kiil meja in mājur elukkuun pen kōn wōt aō kar ḷōmṇake an baḷuun eo itok iiom tok im etal wōt ak ejab lo kōm. Bōtab iḷak bar ememej tok kajjitōk ko aō ilo jar ko aō, ibar kajoorḷọk. Innem āliktata ikar ṃōdānḷọk im joṇak.

After we were finished praying I was going to try to close my eyes and get some sleep but it was really hard because I kept thinking about how that plane had flown right over us but just kept going and didn’t see us.P952 However when I remembered the things I had asked for in my prayers, I started to feel stronger.P953 I was finally able to fall asleep soundly.P954

Jebboñon eo juon imake ruj im ḷak reilik reiṃaan i lowaan wa eo, eejej eṇ ikar loe ak ña wōt. Ijino tak tōn kar wiwijet ak men eo iḷak emmō ilo kōjām eo ilo Jema im ḷōṃaro ruo ijo ioon teek. Ikaiur im lemlem im wanlōñ ḷọk. Eṃōj aerjel jijet i turin wūpaaj eo im daak kọpe.

The next morning I woke up on my own and looked all around but didn’t see anyone else.P955 I almost started to panic but when I stuck my head out the door I saw Father and the other two men on the deck.P956 I quickly rolled up my sleeping mats and went up.P957 They were already sitting around the stove drinking coffee.P958

“Itōm dao,” Bojin eo ekkūr tok.

“Come have some breakfast,” the Boatswain called over to me.P959

“Bōbōk tok petkōj,” Kapen eo eba.

“Bring over some biscuits,” the Captain said.P960

Petkōjin kapijje /Biscuits to satisfy the hunger

“Ekwe,” iba im bar mọọn ḷọk i lowa im jibadek ḷọk tiinin petkōj eo. Ikar bōk rualiktōk pakijin petkōj jāne im rọọl lōñ ḷọk eaki. Ikar būki ḷọk im doori ṇa i turierjel. Ḷak ke eṃōj aerjel tōteiñ limeer, ibaj jibwe tok juon aō kab im tōteiñ liṃō jān tibat eo.

“Okay,” I said and went back inside where the tin of biscuits was.P961 I got eight packets of biscuits from the tin and took them up.P962 I took biscuits and put them in front of the men.P963 Once they had all gotten something to drink, I got a cup and filled it from the teapot.P964

“En baj lōñ wōt ṇe petkōj kwōbōk tok ke eaetok peḷọk in,” Bojin eo eba im bwilik ṃaan meme eo.

“I hope there are a lot of biscuits left because we are going to be drifting for a while yet,” the Boatswain said as he started to eat.P965

Ejej en ekar bar kōnono ak kōmmān jijet laḷ ḷọk im dao. Kōmmām kar dao im ḷak dedeḷọk, ibar jikrōk im karreoiki kōnnọ im jikin ṃōñā eo. Ettōḷọk ṃōṃan lañ raan jab eo. Kōto eo ekọto im Kapen eo kab Jema rōḷak kōbbaal tok rōba ke enaaj kar āindeeo an ṃōṃan ñan boñ. Ejiṃwe aerro kar katu bwe ekar ṃakroro ḷọk im etulọk aḷ.

No one said anything else; we all just sat there and ate.P966 When everyone was done eating, I went over again and washed the dishes and cleaned up the eating area.P967 The sky looked quite good that day.P968 The trade winds were blowing favorably and the Captain and Father looked up at the clouds and predicted it would be like that for the rest of the day.P969 Their forecast was correct and the wind was favorable until the sun went down.P970

Ekar etal im boñ raan eo ak ejjeḷọk āne en kōmmān loe. Kōṃro kar nokwōn joteen eo im kōṃro bar wanlōñ ḷọk ippāerro ijo lōñ. Ipād jidik ijo im bar deḷọñ ḷọk i lowa ak Jema epād wōt im jebwebwe ilo waj eo an.

Night had almost fallen again and we still hadn’t spotted land.P971 Father and I said our evening prayers and then went back up with the others.P972 I stayed up there for a little while and then went back down while Father took his turn steering on his watch.P973

Ij ja babu bajjek wōt ioon jaki ko ijo i laḷ ak Kapen eo ej baj to laḷ tak. Ikar roñ an kōnono ippān make. Ij jab meḷeḷe ta ko ekar ba kōn an dik ainikien. Ikar roñ an Jema im Bojin eo bwebwenato ijo i lōñ. Bojin eo ej bwebwenato ñan Jema kōn an kar nana kōjeien ilo paata eo an kar America im Japan. Ej ba kōn an kar ri-Nippoñ ro itan ṃan ermān aolep ri-Ṃajeḷ ilo ān eo ermān baaṃle eo an rej jokwe ie ippān bar jet armej. Iñak ñāāt wōt eo erro kar bōjrak bwe etal im imājur jān aerro bwebwenato.

I had just lain down on the mats down there below when the Captain came down.P974 I heard him talking to himself.P975 I couldn’t understand what he was saying because he was talking in a low voice.P976 I could hear Father and the Boatswain talking up on deck.P977 The Boatswain was telling Father a story about how bad things were for him during the war between the United States and Japan.P978 He was saying the Japanese were going to kill all the Marshallese people on the island where his family and some other people were living.P979 I don’t know when Father and the Boatswain finished talking because I fell asleep listening to their stories.P980

Jibboñon eo juon iḷak itok ñan ioon teek, erjel ej jijet bajjek. Bojin eo ej jebwebwe ak Jema im Kapen eo erro ej pād ioon ṃweo im kōbaatat. Erjel aolep im lōr ak ñe wa eo ej añōppāl ke elur im jej kōto ñan jidik.

The next morning I went up to the deck and the three of them were all just sitting around.P981 The Boatswain was steering and Father and the Captain were smoking on top of the cabin.P982 All three of them were silent and pensive while the boat was quietly drifting, as it was dead calm.P983

“Ij tile ke kijeekin kọpe e?” ikajjitōk ippāerjel aolep.

“Should I light the fire for coffee?” I asked all three of them.P984

“Kōnke ṃōttan wōt jidik ṇa i kapin tāāñin dān ṇe limedmān, jenaaj kōjparoke wōt ñan idaak. Edik kiiō ñan kōmat kọpe,” Jema ear ba.

“We’ve almost reached the bottom of the container of drinking water, so we need to be careful and use the water strictly for drinking.P985 There’s not enough to make coffee,” Father said.P986

Ikar jab bar kōnono ak ibar to laḷ ḷọk im ālimi dān eo bwe eḷapḷọk. Kōn an wa eo jab ṃakūtkūt bwe elur, ekar ṃōkaj aō ānen. Ke ekar maat aō ālimi, ibar wanlōñ ḷọk.

I didn’t say anything else, but went below again and started bailing water, because there was a lot of it.P987 Since it was calm and the boat wasn’t moving, I was able to bail all the water pretty quickly.P988 When I was done bailing, I went back up on deck.P989

“Elukkuun bwil lowa,” iba ñan Jema. Iutūk jiiñlij eo aō im iri ḷọk menokadu eo i deṃa im turin meja. Rōḷak tọọr tok ñan lowaan meja emāāṇ ḷam jako. Iḷak bōk bōra im waat tok turin lañ im ioon lọjet, elur wōt im lur. Joñan, eḷae ioon dān āinwōt lowaan juon aebōj-jimeeṇ.

“It’s really hot in there,” I said to Father.P990 I took off my shirt and wiped the sweat from my forehead and my face.P991 Beads of sweat had gone into my eyes and they were really burning.P992 I turned my head and looked up at the sky and at the ocean; everything was completely quiet and calm.P993 The water was so calm that it looked glassy as if it were inside a cistern.P994

Ak jet ko men ijabōṃ kar kakkōt mejeki.

But there were a few things I didn’t even notice.P995

Ewaḷọk tiṃoṇin lọjet /Demons of the sea surface

“O, a ta kākaṇe!” Bojin eo eraññōḷọk im jitōñ ḷọk ioon lọjet. Ded mejān wōt ke ej kabūrōrō.

“Hey, what are those!” the Boatswain was almost overcome with excitement as he pointed at the ocean.P996 He was so excited that he got really wide-eyed.P997

Io ña, iḷak baj jeparujruj im rōre lọk ilo tōlien pako rej idepdep ippān doon im aojọjọ ipeḷaakin ijo wa eo ej pepepe ie. Elōñ iaer reitan aetokaer wōt wa eo waammān. Joñan aer ājāj, rej wātok im atartar ippān wa eo. Jet rej aō tok iuṃwin tok im kōm eñjake aer kūkijkiji kiiḷ eo an wa eo im ñariji jebwe eo. Bōlen rej lale epidodo ke bwe ren kab naaj kar ebaje. Juon eo baj pako tiltil iaer ejaad alikkar an lāj jān aolep bwe ñe ej ikueaak ikōtaan pako ko jet, aolep im uweaea ḷọk. Ij jañin kar lelolo pako dettaer de eo ilo mour e aō.

I got really excited, too, when I looked out and saw a huge group of sharks swimming in a frenzy around the area where our boat was floating.P998 A lot of them were almost all up and down the length of our boat.P999 They were so vicious that they came right up along the side of the boat.P1000 A few swam right underneath and we could feel them biting the keel and chewing the rudder.P1001 Maybe they wanted to see if it they were soft enough so they could tear them apart.P1002 It was obvious that one of the spotted sharks was fiercer than the rest because whenever it swam back and forth between the other sharks, they would all swim away.P1003 I had never seen that many sharks in my whole life.P1004

“Jema e, etke eppakoko ijin?” ikar kate eō im kajjitōk.

“Father, why are there so many sharks out there?” I braced myself and asked.P1005

“Āindein ñe ej ḷap an lur,” ekar uwaak.

“That’s what happens when the water is really calm like this,” he replied.P1006

“Rej waḷọk lōñ tak in wūnaak im bar jako. Kiiō rōlo mirokan wa in im rej iruj tok in aluje.”

“They come up to look for fish and then go back down.P1007 Now they have spotted the boat and are coming to take a look at it.”P1008

Eto wōt im to an pako ko itūrrọọle im allọke wa eo. Ej kab kar eñaktok aō tokālik ke bōlen timoṇin lọjet ko rōkar pojak wōt bwe ñe ekar wōr eṇ ewōtlọk ak wa eo eturruḷọk, repojak in naaj kar wūnaake.

For a long time the sharks kept going around and around cautiously surveying the boat.P1009 I later realized these sea monsters were ready to go fishing if something were to fall from the boat or if the boat were to sink.P1010

Dān eo limemmān rujlọkin raan eo juon ekar dikḷọk wōt. Jān iien eo im wōnṃaan ḷọk ekar bōjrak ammem kōmat kijemmem raij. Ilo iien kaṇ ej kọjek ñe kōmij eọñōd, kōmmān ej jinkadool wot, ñe jab ainbati kōn dānnin lọjet. Ebōjrak kōjerbal dān ñan kōmat jabdewōt kain. Kōmmān kar kōjparok wōt ñan idaak. Ak jeḷak toor mejād im waate tok turin lañ, ej jañin kar ḷōmṇak in wōt, meñe eṃōj ammān kōppojak kein ammān naaj kar bọbo dānnin wōt.

By the next morning our drinking water supply had diminished significantly.P1011 From then on, we stopped cooking rice.P1012 At the times when we were fishing and hooked a fish, we only grilled it, or boiled it in a pot with seawater.P1013 We stopped using water to cook anything.P1014 We saved it only to drink.P1015 But when we looked all around and observed the sky, there was no sign of rain, though even so we got containers ready so we could catch rain water, just in case.P1016

Ej ja āindeeo an kar ḷap raij im pilawā eo kijemmān ak rōban jerbal kōn wōt an kar jabwe dānnin idaak ñan kōmat.

So even though we had a lot of rice and flour, we didn’t use any because we didn’t have enough fresh water to cook with.P1017

“Kiiō emotḷọk de juon allōñ jān ke jeañ ar jerak jān Kwajleen ñan Likiep ak eñiin jej eppepe wōt i lọmeto im mōttan wōt jidik emaat limed dān,” Bojin eo ekakeememej ḷọk Jema.

“It’s been a month since we set sail from Kwajalein to Likiep but we are drifting at sea and we are almost out of drinking water,” the Boatswain reminded Father.P1018

“Eṃōj jenāj ita ke jeṃōkin añōtñōt bwe en oktak kooj in ad im jen bōk ṇa i reaar bwe ān eo epād ie, ak āinwōt ñe jej kōnono ñan mejatoto,” Jema eukōt ḷọk.

“Well, I don’t know how many times we have said we should change our course and go east, because the island is over that way, but it’s as if we are talking into thin air,” Father replied.P1019

Aemedḷọkin jota /Evening cool

Kōmro Bojin eo kar roñ naan kein an Jema bwe Kapen eo eñortak ioon aj eo i ṃaan.

Just the Boatswain and I heard Dad’s words because the Captain was snoring on the hatch up front.P1020

Ebbōl waan eakeak /The Ghost Ship lights up

Boñon eo kein kalemñoul ḷalem, ñe ejiṃwe aō aṇtọọne ḷọk, ilo kar ruatimjuon awa jọteen eo ke Kapen eo ej jebwebwe, juon men in bwilōñ ekar waḷọk.

At eight o'clock in the evening of our fifty-fifth night, if my mental arithmetic was correct, the Captain was steering and something amazing made an appearance.P1025

Bōlen men in enaaj kar baj waḷọk wōt bwe etke baj juon eo wāween mejatoto ilo raan eo. Jema ekar kate wōt ak elukkuun alikkar an dedodo im addiṃakoko. Juon wot an Bojin eo kar bwebwenato raan jab eo. Ak Kapen eo ekar kōḷmānḷọkjen wōt aolepān raan eo. Ñe baj ña eo, ekwe ilukkuun kar ajeḷkā. Ḷak jọteen ḷọk eo elur pedejdej ak kōmmān bwilōñ ke ejej iju i lañ meñe en kar or bwe ejej kōdọ i mejatoto.

Maybe it appeared that day because the air was right.P1026 Father was doing his best to persevere but it was obvious that he was growing hopeless and uneasy.P1027 The only one talking that day was the Boatswain.P1028 The Captain was just thinking all day.P1029 And me, I was starting to feel very weak.P1030 It was completely calm as the evening came on but we were surprised that there weren’t any stars in the sky when we should have seen them as there wasn't a speck of cloud in the sky.P1031

Ke ebaj lur im ḷae ioon lọjet, kōmmān kar aolep im pād ioon teek, kōmmān ej reito reitak bajjek. Jema ekar atartar i turin tāāñin dān eo, Bojin eo ej jijet i tōrerein wa eo im kattotoik neen, ak Kapen eo eṃōj an ḷōke jila eo im ej jutak im jebwebwe. Ij kab baj naaj kar roñ ainikien ke ej ajwewe ijo ippān jebwe eo ṃōṃkaj wōt jidik jān an kar waḷọk bwijerro eo jọteen eo.

Since the water was calm and smooth, we were all just sitting on the deck looking around.P1032 Father was leaning against the water tank, the Boatswain was sitting with his feet hanging over the side of the boat, and the Captain was straddling the tiller and standing up steering.P1033 It was the first time I heard the sound of whistling from him close to the steering wheel just before the tragedy struck that evening.P1034

Ej ja ajjowewe bajjek wōt ijo ak ekā tak juon jekad im jok ioon aeran anbwijmaroñ.

While he was whistling a black noddy flew over and landed on the Captain’s right shoulder.P1035

“Āinwōt meto jab in ebaj aeto,” Jema ekar ba ejja ilo minit eo wōt ekar waḷọk men in.

“This part of the ocean feels a bit spooky,” Father said at the same time the incident occurred.P1036

Ñe baj ña eo, iñak ke eor men eo eḷaññe ikar jab roñ ainikien pein an bao eo pikpik ke ej jokadikdik tok im jok ioon aeran Kapen eo. Elukkuun ḷap an innijek boñon eo. Iroñ ainikien eo im ḷak lukkuun alluwaḷọke ḷọk ijo ej itok jāne. Ikar lo juon bao kilmeej im mejān ej errobōlbōl āinwōt lijeṃao.

As for me, I wouldn’t even have known the bird was there if I hadn’t heard its wings flapping as it slowly alighted on the Captain’s shoulder.P1037 It was pitch black that night.P1038 I heard a noise and looked over to where I thought it had come from.P1039 I saw a black bird and its eyes were shimmering like those of a short-eared owl.P1040

Jekad jekkar /Malevolent black noddy

Ejej iaammān eṇ ekar kwaḷọk jidik naan iuṃwin jet ko ke minit ālikin an waḷọk men eo. Bao eo eineeṃṃan wōt im kōjatdikdik ioon aeran Kapen eo ke ekā wōt im ñak en ita. Kōm ḷak ilbōk Kapen eo ejino kōkeroro, āinwōt ñe jej jeja.

None of us said anything for a little while after that.P1041 The bird was so gentle and deceptive there on the Captain’s shoulder that when it moved he didn’t know what had happened.P1042 We were all so surprised when the Captain started to yell like nothing we had heard before.P1043

“Ōōōō!” Kapen eo eba. Ij ḷōmṇak bao eo ekar kōṃṃan bwe en āindeeo.

“Oh oh oh!” the Captain said.P1044 At first I thought it was the bird making that noise.P1045

“Kōjro āktuwe laḷ tak Kapen ṇe ñan lowa bwe en babu,” Jema ekkōnono ḷọk ñan Bojin eo.

“How about if we take Captain down below so he can lie down,” Father said to the Boatswain.P1046

“Eṃṃanḷọk jān an āindeṇe im āinwōt ej jānwōde wa in,” Bojin eo euwaak. “Māllen eañ in ebuñut ḷakijoñjoñ in,” Jema eba im ettōñ dikdik ke erro kar pārorāiki laḷ ḷọk. Bao eo ekā lọk ke erro kar kepaak ḷọk Kapen eo.

“Better than letting him go on like this as if he's sailing this boat single-handedly,” the Boatswain replied.P1047 “This guy sure is brave,” Father said, chuckling as the two of them carried him down with both hands.P1048 The bird flew away as soon as they got close to the Captain.P1049

“O, a baj mālkwōj wōt men kein,” Bojin eo eba.

“Oh, those things are really strong,” the Boatswain said.P1050

“Ekwe lale kwaar atowaani,” Jema eba. “Āinwōt ejatdik an eddo jeṃṃaan.” Innem erro kōbabuuk ḷọk ioon jaki ko kinien. “Bwe en jab eddo ia ke rōurōte,” euwaak.

“Yeah, don’t underestimate their strength,” Father said.P1051 “The old man is surprisingly heavy.”P1052 And with that they lay the Captain down on his sleeping mat.P1053 “So that he not lie heavily there where they possessed him,” he replied.P1054

Ekar ṃōj aerro kajittak bōran wa eo im ej jopāl. Ito jān eoon ṃweo bwe rojak eo enaaj kar deñōt eō im jujen to laḷ ḷọk wōt. Iḷak kalimjek Kapen eo ej memenono wōt ak mejān ekar kabūrōrō wōt im jab rom. Eḷak rōre tok ejjeḷọk men eṇ ej loe.

The two of them had turned the boat eastward and the sail was flapping.P1055 I got down from the structure so I wouldn’t get hit by the gaff and then went down below.P1056 I looked over at the Captain, who was still breathing fast and his face was all red and he wasn’t blinking.P1057 When he looked over at me, it was as if he didn’t even see me.P1058

Jema ekōṃanṃan kōjeien ṇa ijo ak Bojin eo ewanlōñ ḷọk ippān jebwe eo. Ikar eñjake an wa eo bar jepāpe ke ej jaaklọk im jitṃanṃane kōto eo.

Father fixed things up there while the Boatswain went back up to tend to the wheel.P1059 I felt the boat list to one side as the wind caught the sail.P1060

“En ṃōṃane ke?” ikar kajjitōk ippān Jema.

“Is he okay?” I asked Father.P1061

“Enaaj,” euwaak. “Emejatoto jidik ak enaaj eṃṃan.

“He will be,” he replied.P1062 “He’s been possessed by ghosts but he’ll be okay.”P1063

“Etke bao eo ej ekkāke ak eboñ?” ibar kajjitōk. “Ej wātok jān ia?”

“Why was the bird flying around at night?” I asked.P1064 “Where did it come from?”P1065

“Kar bōlen ṃōttan kōjwad im ekar jebwābwe tok ijekein tok,” euwaak. “Bojin eṇ ej ajjimakeke ilo jebwe eṇ kiiō innem ij etal kōṃro ḷōmṇake ia in jej etal ie ḷọk kiiō ke eutaṃwe Kapen e. Kab pād wōt turin im waje bwe ñe enana taṃṃwin, kwōkōjjeḷā lōñ tak.”

“Maybe it strayed from its flock and ended up here,” he replied.P1066 “The Boatswain is all alone at the wheel now and I am going up so we can think about which way we’re going now that the Captain is incapacitated.P1067 You stay here and watch him and let us know if his mood changes for the worse.”P1068

Jema ebar lale jidik innem etal. Ekar penjak ḷọk wōt ak iroñ ainikien Bojin eo an kōnono ḷọk ñan e.

Father looked over at him for a bit and then headed up.P1069 He was out of my sight but I heard the Boatswain talking to him.P1070

“Ej et jeṃṃaan?” ekajjitōk.

“How is the man,” he asked.P1071

“Ekiki,” Jema eba. “Eṃōj aō jiroñ ḷọk ḷeen nejū bwe en kōmjaik wōt im kab kōjjeḷāik tok kōjro ñe eor oktak.”

“He’s asleep,” Father said.P1072 “I told my son to watch him and to let us know if anything changes.”P1073

“Aḷe, iọkwe,” Bojin eo eba. “Kwōj lale en eṃṃan ke?”

“Well, man, my sympathies,” the Boatswain said.P1074 “Do you think he is going to be okay?”P1075

“Enaaj eṃṃan ak kōjeañ aikuj rojōri ippān doon im kajjitōk jipañ,” Jema ekar ba.

“He’ll be okay but we need to say the rosary together and ask for help,” Father said.P1076

“Ekwe,” ekar pidodo an Bojin eo ba bwe bar e ri-jar.

“Okay.” It was easy for the Boatswain to agree to this because he was also a person of prayer.P1077

Ebar bōjrak aō roñ aerro kōnnaan iuṃwin jet minit bwe iroñ ainikien an juon iaerro iti juon mājet. Irre lọk im mejek Kapen eo. Ekar kiki im aenōṃṃan. Iba wōt ej baj ṃōṃan wōt an pād ak iḷak ilbōk elōñjak im jijet. Ibuñjenōṃ jutak im kọkorkor lōñ ḷọk.

After a few minutes I couldn’t hear them talking anymore but I did hear them light a match.P1078 I looked over and kept watching the Captain.P1079 He was sleeping peacefully. (m>im?)P1080 I thought he was fine but was startled when he roused and sat up.P1081 In fear I hastfully jumped up and ran topside.P1082

“Kapen eo eṇ eruj im jijet,” iba. “Iñak eita.”

“The Captain woke up and sat up,” I said.P1083 “I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”P1084

“Bojin e, kwōj ja pād wōt ilo jebwe ṇe bwe ij ja itōn lale eita,” Jema eba.

“Mr. Boatswain, you stay here at the wheel while I go down and see what’s going on,” Father said.P1085

“Iwōj wōt im jab inepata bwe ña e ippān jebwe e,” euwaak ḷọk ñan Jema.

“Go ahead and don’t worry; I’ll stay here at the wheel,” he said to Father.P1086

Jema eroñ ijin im jab bar aepādpād ak etōbtōb ḷọk ñan ippān Kapen eo. Iḷoore ḷọk in lale ta eo enaaj wōjak ñane. Ejej men eṇ Jema ekar kōṃṃane ñane bwe kōṃro ḷak jikrōk ḷọk ijo ippān ej babu im mājur.

Father heard this and didn't hesitate but rushed straight to the Captain.P1087 I followed him and watched to see what he would do to him.P1088 But Father didn’t have to do anything because when we arrived at his side he was already lying down and fast asleep.P1089

“Ekar jijet ke ikar wanlōñ waj,” iba ñan Jema ke ej erre tok.

“He was sitting up when I went up to get you,” I told Father when he looked at me.P1090

“Bōlen ear ejja bajjek,” Jema eba. Innem ekar jino tōn bar rọọl lōñ ḷōk.

“Maybe he was talking in his sleep,” Father said.P1091 And he started to make his way back up.P1092

“En to ke aṃ pād i lōñ?” ikar kajjitōk ippān ke ej jino kar tōn jepḷaak.

“Are you going to be up there for a while?” I asked as he started to go back.P1093

“Jab mijak,” eba tok. “Kwōmaroñ pād jidik ijin innem itok ippaṃro Bojin i lōñ.

“Don’t be afraid,” he told me.P1094 “You stay here for a while and then come up with me and the Boatswain.”P1095

“Ekwe,” iba innem jijet laḷ ḷọk i turin Kapen eo. Ilo an ibeb ḷọk kōn menokadu im ijibwe tok juon ṃōttan peba im deele.

“Okay,” I said as I sat down next to the Captain.P1096 I saw that he was dripping with sweat so I got a piece of paper and used it to fan him.P1097

“Jero kōrọọl wa in bwe jen jino jeje tak,” iroñ an Jema jiroñ ḷọk Bojin eo.

“Let’s turn the boat so we can sail into the wind,” I heard Father yell over to the Boatswain.P1098

“Ñāāt?” ḷeo juon ekar kajjitōk.

“When?” he asked.P1099

“Kiiō,” Jema eba. Im ikar roñ ainikien ṃūṃūṇṃūṇ ke erro kar pepejọrjor ijo i lōñ in pojak in diak.

“Now,” Father said.P1100 And I heard the sound of their treading feet as they moved around and got ready to change the sail from one side to the other to tack the boat.P1101

“Kōttar jidik,” Jema ekar ba. “Āinwōt meram men uweo.”

“Hold on a minute,” Father said.P1102 “There’s some kind of light over there in the distance.”P1103

“Ia?” Bojin eo ekar kajjitōk.

“Where?” the Boatswain asked.P1104

“Ijeṇeṇe iōñ i rilik,” eba. “Kwōloe ke?”

“Over there to the northwest,” he said.P1105 “Do you see it?”P1106

“Iññā, ak āinwōt ebaj ettoḷọk,” Bojin eo eba. “Ḷōṃare naaj wa ta eṇ. Bōlen eṃṃan ñe jekōttōpar ḷọk.”

“Yeah, but it seems like it’s really far away,” the Boatswain said.P1107 “I wonder whose boat that is.P1108 Maybe we should sail over that way and see.”P1109

“Jej ja kōttar jidik,” Jema eba. “Jej ja lale ej ettōr jikōt.”

“Let’s wait a little while,” Father said.P1110 “Let’s see which way it’s going.”P1111

“Ijo wōt kwoba,” euwaak.

“Whatever you say,” he replied.P1112

Waaḷḷap kapool laḷ /Gigantic ghost ship circumnavigates the globe

Erro jab kijer in diake wa eo ak kōmmān pepepe wōt ijo im apāde kabōlbōl eo. Iḷak lale ke eaenōṃṃan wōt Kapen eo, iwanlōñ ḷọk ippāerro ijo bwe en ṃōṃan aō aluje meram eo. Ṃōṃkaj jān aō kar etal jān ijo, ikar bar alluwaḷọke ḷọk iuṃwin rā ko bwe in lale ej et dān eo i lowa. Ḷak ke ej dik wōt, ijujen wanlōñ ḷōk.

They didn’t tack the boat quite yet and instead just floated for a while waiting and watching the glowing light.P1113 I saw that the Captain was sleeping peacefully so I went up with the other two so I could get a good look at the light.P1114 Before I went up I looked under the boards inside to see how the bilge water was.P1115 When I saw there was only a little, I proceeded to make my way up.P1116

“Bojin e, ewi meram eo?” ikajjitōk. E eo ekar epaake eō innem unin aō kar kajjitōk ippān eo.

“Mr. Boatswain, where’s the light?” I asked.P1117 He was closer to me, which is why I asked him.P1118

“Kōttar,” eba “Bōlen eṃṃan ñe jero poon wūjḷā ṇe ṃokta bwe enana an ejjopālpāl. Emaroñ jirillọk im potak.”

“Hold on,” he said, “Maybe we should lower the sail first; it’s not good for it to be flapping in the wind like this.P1119 It might incidentally get torn.”P1120

“Eṃṃan,” Jema euwaake. “Kab ke en meḷak ñan ad waje meram eṇ. Baj lukkuun mejek ṃōk, āinwōt urur eṇ ej kilepḷọk. Alikkar ke ñe wa men eṇ, ej tar tok.”

“That sounds good,” Father replied in agreement.P1121 “That way there will be a clear view for us to focus on the light.P1122 And can you please keep watching because it looks like the light is getting bigger.P1123 If that’s a boat, it’s clearly sailing toward us.”P1124

“Kwōjab, kwōjab,” Bojin eo eba. “En jarōb tok ḷọk bwe jen kōjjeḷāik er ke jepeḷọk.

“Well, well,” the Boatswain said.P1125 “It should hurry up this way so we can let them know we are drifting.”P1126

“Iọkwi men kein ñe rōḷokwan ektake kōjeañ ak rejab ektaki,” Jema eba.

“It would be a shame if they were able to haul us but not all this stuff,” Father said.P1127

“Kein ta kein ke jenaaj mej kaki,” Bojin eo ekwaḷọk an bōbweer.

“This stuff will be the death of us,” the Boatswain said, indicating he was agitated.P1128

“Ejjeḷọk ruōn aḷaḷ im tiin kein,” Jema eba. “Kōj make in jaar kōṃṃane bwe en āindein.”

“The lumber and tin are not to blame,” Father said.P1129 “We are the ones who got ourselves into this mess.”P1130

Erro bwiden kar kōnono ijo im meḷọkḷọk meram eo ioon lọjet. Iḷak baj bōk bōra im rōre lọk, iloe. Elukkuun alikkar.

The two of them were busy talking and forgot about the light.P1131 As I turned my head to look in that direction, I saw it.P1132 It was very clear.P1133

“Ṃool ke wa men ṇe ej meram,” Jema eba. “Edọli ṃōkaj tok. Joñan ettoḷọkin kiiō emaroñ or ḷalem maiḷ. Jenaaj bar pād jidik im ḷak ilbōk jaatartar ippān.”

“That light is obviously a boat,” Father said.P1134 “It’s coming very fast.P1135 It could be about five miles away now.P1136 Before we know it we’ll be along side of it.”P1137

“Aḷe, lukkuun kwōj ṃool ke wa ṇe einnitōt tok,” Bojin eo ebaj kōnono.

“Man, you are right; that boat is coming our way fast,” the Boatswain spoke up.P1138

“Ekwe ij ja bar ettōr laḷ ḷọk ṃōk waate Kapen eṇ ej et,” iroñ an Jema ba.

“Okay, I’ll run down again and check on how the Captain is doing,” I heard Father say.P1139

“Ebwe aō etal in lale tok ñan kōjro, Jema” iba im buuḷ laḷ ḷọk.

"I can go for us and see how he’s doing, Father," I said and rushed down.P1140

Ke ikar tōpar ḷọk Kapen eo, ikar lo bwe ekar ṃōṃan wōt an pād. Men eo de eo iaikuj kar matmate turin mejān kōn tọọl eo an bwe ejiebḷọk kōn menokadu. Ikar tōn bar ḷōmṇak in ānen ak Jema ekkūr laḷ tak.

When I reached the Captain, I saw that he was still okay.P1141 The only thing I needed to do was wipe his face with his towel because he was sweating profusely.P1142 I was going to start bailing water but Father called down to me.P1143

Rej kaṃḷoiki jān pibain /He’s being cooled for his fever

“Nejū e, ñe ej eṃṃan wōt jabdewōt i jeṇe, ekwe wanlọñ tak ḷọk bwe wa eo e ejako eatartar ippād,” Jema ekkūr tok.

“Son, come up if everything is okay down there, because the boat is about to come alongside us now,” Father said.P1144

Ikar door kuwatin ānen eo im buuḷ lōñ ḷọk. Meram eo ekar lukkuun epaak, bōlen ruo ṃaiḷ epaak tok. Ej kab kar alikkar ke ej jab wa kajjirere men eo. Kōiien wa. Meram eo ie ettōr jān raan kaju eo ñan ioon dān. Ejej jeṇ ej jab urur im kabōlbōl ilo wa eo. Joñan an kilep, emaroñ kar ektake tiṃa ko rōkōn raun tok ñan aelōñ ko ilo iien Navy ko.

I put down the can I was using to bail water and quickly went up.P1145 The light was quite close, maybe within two miles.P1146 It became clear that this boat wasn't a laughing matter.P1147 It was a real sea-worthy, strong and sturdy boat.P1148 The light stretched all the way from the top of the mast down into the water.P1149 There was no part of the boat that wasn’t lit and bright.P1150 It was so large that it could have hauled the ships that used to do field trips around the islands during Navy times.P1151

Kapen eo emake wōt i lowa bwe kōmjel kar jijet im bwilōñ ijo i lōñ kōn an kilep im meram wa eo. Āindeo an wa eo kar epaak tok wōt im kōm kar ḷōmṇak enaaj kar wātokin de eo ak ebuñjen im ḷak kun teeñki ko ie, ejej men eṇ kōmjel loe. Ejej kain ṇe bar memarokrok ak lelorin annañ ke baj joñan eppak eo an, jekdọọn ñe ekun ak kōmin kar lo wōt annañin.

The Captain was all by himself down below because the three of us were sitting and marveling over the size and brightness of the boat.P1152 In this way the boat got closer and we thought it would just keep coming, but all of a sudden the lights on it went out, and we couldn’t see anything.P1153 There was nothing else, even a dark shadow that would have been there since it was so close; even though the lights went out we should still have made out its shape.P1154

“Ḷōṃare, naaj wa rot,” Bojin eo eṃōkaj im ba.

“Guys, what kind of boat would that be?” the Boatswain quickly said.P1155

“Ekabwilōñlōñ wōt in wāween,” Jema ebaj bwilōñ im ba. “Jej ba ej pojak in jipañ ak eñin ejako.”

“That was astounding,” Father said with amazement.P1156 “We thought it was coming over to help and then it just disappeared.”P1157

“Iba waan tiṃoṇ men eo?” ikajjitōk ak ejej eṇ euwaak.

“Is it a ghost ship?” I asked, but no one answered.P1158

Kōmjel bar pād jidik ijo im ej meḷan ḷọk ak Kapen eo ekkeilọk i lowa. Eruṃwij aō ilbōk jān an Jema im Bojin eo pād i lowa ippān. Iḷak baj tōpar ḷọk ijo ilo an Bojin eo dāpiji ak Jema ej kaṃḷoiki bōran.

The three of us stayed there for a little while longer and then the Captain started shouting down below.P1159 Before I even had time to be scared Father and the Boatswain were with him down below.P1160 When I got there the Boatswain was holding and controlling him, and Father was trying to cool him down with a cool cloth on his forehead.P1161

“Dāpij wōt,” Jema eba. “Jenaaj kaṃḷoiki wōt im eṃṃan. Ij ḷōmṇak ewōr jidik piba ippān.”

“Keep holding him,” Father said.P1162 “We just need to cool him down and he will be okay.P1163 I think he has a bit of a fever.”P1164

Ikar erre lọk wōt im lale aerro kōṃadṃōde Kapen eo ke ej iñiñtōk ijo. Jema erre tok ñan ña im kōnono tok.

I watched the two of them try to treat the Captain as he thrashed around.P1165 Father looked at me and spoke.P1166

“Bar teiñi tok ṃōk keikōb ṇe kōn dānnin lọjet,” Jema eba tok.

“Fill up that bucket with sea water,” he said.P1167

Itōbtōb lōñ ḷọk im teiñi keikōb eo im leḷọk ñan Jema.

I pulled myself up and filled the bucket and gave it to Father.P1168

“Eo waj,” iba. “Kab bar letok in teiñi ñe emaat.”

“Here you go,” I said.P1169 “Give it back to me when it’s empty so I can fill it again.”P1170

Wa eo eppepe wōt bajjek ijo im ejej ijeṇ etal ie ḷọk. Ak ñe wa eo juon ekar jab bar waḷọk ālikin an kar kun. Im Kapen eo ebōjrak an ukoktak ak ekar kaōḷōḷe wōt ñiin im ñūñūr.

Our boat just floated in the water and didn’t go anywhere.P1171 We didn’t see the other boat again after its lights disappeared.P1172 The Captain stopped tossing and turning but his teeth were chattering and he was groaning.P1173

Rej jarin owar /An intercessory prayer

“Āinwōt ej jab jokwōd an waḷọk bwijerro ñan kōjeañ,” Bojin eo eba. “Ṃokta kar jekad eo, kiiō wa eo. Ta in?”

“It seems like we've had our fair share of misfortunes,” the Boatswain said.P1174 “First the black noddy bird, now the ship.P1175 Why is this happening?”P1176

“Ejjeḷọk men eṇ eṃṃanḷọk jān rojōri,” Jema ekar ba. “Ñe jenaaj kajjitōk, renaaj jipañ kōj, āinwōt an jeje ilo bokin mour.”

“Nothing is better than saying the rosary,” Father said.P1177 “If we ask, we shall receive, just like the good book says.”P1178

Rujlọkin raan eo juon ebuñ juon kōto ṃōṃanṃōn. Kōto eo ejokḷā im eṃṃakroro im wa eo ekar jab diak ak kankan wōt im etal. Meñe eṃṃan kūtwōmmān tak ḷọk ak kōn an kar baj ḷap ammān ḷe i rōtle, enañin juon wiikin ammān tar tak.

When we woke up the next morning a favorable wind was blowing.P1182 The wind was coming from the north favorably filling the sail, and the boat wasn’t tacking and was going ahead at full sail.P1183 And although the wind was pushing us along nicely, we had already drifted far enough west that it took us about a week sailing eastward.P1184

Kiin kōmmān lukkuun maro bwe kōn an dik dān eo, juon wōt alen idaak ilo juon raan. Kōmmān ekar lukkuun kōjparok. Eiio de wiikin ammān āindeeo. Ḷak baj juon jibbōñ, Jema ewanlōñ tak ñan ioon teek im kōnono ḷọk ñan Bojin eo. Kapen eo ekar pād wōt i lowa; ej jañin maroñ ṃōṃakūtkūt ak eṃṃanḷọk.

By now we were all extremely thirsty because there was almost no water left and we could each only take a drink once per day.P1185 We were being very careful.P1186 We spent the whole week in that situation.P1187 And then one morning, Father came up on deck and started talking to the Boatswain.P1188 The Captain was still inside; he was doing much better but still couldn’t move.P1189

“Kajjioñ ṃōk wanlōñ ḷe, Bojin, im lale ta kwōlo i ṃaan,” Jema ekar ba ñane.

“Try climbing up on top of the mast, Mr. Boatswain, and if you can see anything up ahead,” Father told him.P1190

Jema ewelọk ilo jila eo ak Bojin eḷọrronpā lōñ ḷọk idāpin kaju eo lōñ ḷọk. Ke ekar tōpar kūrọọjti eo, ebuñjenōṃ ḷak bwijbwij, ekā lōñ ḷọk im jok ioon im jijet. Joñan aō pepaḷ ikar aḷḷañ. Ij kab kar lo an Bojin eo util.

Father took over the tiller, and the Boatswain, using a climbing method in which only the feet and hands touch the tree, climbed up the base of the mast.P1191 When he reached the cross-stick at the top of the mast, he suddenly started kicking, then he jumped up to the top and landed on it and sat down.P1192 I was so amazed my mouth was hanging open.P1193 I had never seen the Boatswain so physically fit and lively.P1194

“Ḷāāānnooo!” ekkeilọk Bojin eo jān raan kaju eo.

“Laaand hooo!” the Boatswain yelled from atop the mast.P1195

“Kwōkile ke?” Jema ekajjitōk ḷọk.

“Do you recognize it?” Father asked him.P1196

“Emaroñ Epatōn,” Jema eba.

“It might be Epatōn,” Father said.P1197

“Bwe ñe enaaj Epatōn kwōj ba jej bar jepḷaak,” Bojin eo eba. “Eḷap wōt ad kar ḷe i rilik.”

“If it’s Epatōn you’re saying we are on our way back,” the Boatswain said.P1198 “That means we went way out west.”P1199

“Joñan adeañ kar lo to, enañin juon wiikin adeañ jeek reeaar,” Jema eba. “Eñin eḷak ḷanno, Epatōn.

“We were so far out westward that it’s taken us one week of sailing east to get here,” Father said.P1200 “And that must be Epatōn the Boatswain sees.”P1201

“Ak kar baḷuun eo kōjmān kar ḷoor ḷọk, ia eo ej etal ñane?” ikar kajjitōk ippān Jema.

“So that airplane we were following, where was it going?” I asked Father.P1202

“Iien eo jeañ kar lo baḷuun in kōjeañ pād de i rilikin Kuwajleen,” eba. “Wa eo ej kā to ḷọk ñan Guam, im kōjeañ kar kōttoḷokḷok Kuwajleen ke kōjeañ kar ḷoor ḷọk.”

“When we saw that plane we were just to the west of Kwajalein,” he said.P1203 “It must have been flying to Guam, and by following it we took ourselves way far away from Kwajalein.P1204

“Kwōj ba jebaj ḷāwōde ḷọk aelōñin kapilōñ kaṇ wōt jidik,” Bojin eo eba. “Ekwe ewi tōtoḷōkin Epatōn kiin ñan eoonene?” ikar kajjitōk.

“In other words, we were almost to the Caroline Islands, ” the Boatswain said.P1205 “So how far is it now from Epatōn to the main island?” I asked.P1206

“Tarrin jiljinoññoul ṃaiḷ,” eba. “Juon jimettan ḷọk ñan ruo raanin jerak ḷọk.”

“About 60 miles,” Father said.P1207 “Maybe another one and a half to two days of sailing.”P1208

“En baj tōtoḷọk wōt ke jeṃōk in pād ioon lọjet,” iba ñan erro.

“That seems so far because we are so tired of being out here on the ocean,” I said to both of them.P1209

“Baibōḷ ej ba, ‘Eṃṃan pokake jān katok’,” Bojin eo eba tok eoon in ñan ña. “Ej ettōr im or jerata jet iien eḷaññe jelo ke jebōd ak jeṃakoko in pokake im kajiṃwe kōj make.”

“The Bible says, ‘Obedience is better than sacrifice,’” the Boatswain responded to me with this verse.P1210 “Misfortune strikes sometimes when we see that we have made a mistake but don’t want to correct what we have done.”P1211

Kapen ej eọroñ nenaan /The Captain is all ears for news

“Ekwe eṃōj ṇe bwe emoot ḷọk eo kain ak jen ḷōmṇake dānnin idaak,” Jema eba. “Iba eṃṃan ñe jeañ tar āne waj im teiñi kōb ṇe adeañ ṃokta jān ad itaḷọk wōt ñan eoonene.”

“Okay, that’s enough of that; let’s just move forward and think about getting ourselves some drinking water,” Father said.P1212 “Should we sail to that island and fill up our water container before heading to the main island?”P1213

“Ettōr ṃōk lale eruj ke Kapen eo,” Bojin eo ebar kōnono tok.

“Run down and see if the Captain is awake,” the Boatswain said to me.P1214

“Kab jujen kōjjeḷāiki ke ān eo e i ṃaan,” Jema ebaj ba.

“And let him know there is land up ahead,” Father said.P1215

Ikar jab bar pād ak ittōr laḷ ḷọk. Bōtab ṃōṃkaj jān aō kar deḷọñ ḷọk i lowa, ikar emmō laḷ ḷọk im lale ej et. Ḷak ke ekar jab ṃōṃakūtkūt, ijujen wanlaḷḷọk wōt im kepaake. Ij epaake wōt ak ekōpāḷḷọke mejān im erre tok.

I didn’t wait and ran down right away.P1216 However, I stuck my head in before I went in to see how he was.P1217 Since he wasn’t moving, I went down and approached him.P1218 Just as I reached him he opened his eyes and looked at me.P1219

“Kwōj ita?” Kapen eo ekajjitōk ippa.

“What are you doing?” the Captain asked me.P1220

“Rōkar ba in wātin lale kworuj ke bwe in kōjjeḷāik eok ke eor āne i ṃaan,” ijiroñ ḷọk e.

“They told me to come down and see if you are awake so I can tell you there is land up ahead,” I told him.P1221

Ejej men eo ekar bar ba tok ak ejerkak im kajjioñ wanlōñ ḷọk. Ealikkar an kar jañin kajoor kōnke eḷak jutak ewātin ālokjak. Kōn an to an kar pād wōt im babu i lowa, aolepān turin mejān im o.

He didn’t say anything but he got up and tried to go up on deck.P1222 He clearly wasn’t strong enough yet because as soon as he stood up he almost buckled over.P1223 His face was pale from lying down for so long.P1224

Ekar kattūkat bajjek ijo im ḷak tōprak, ejidik wōt an tōbal lōñ ḷọk ñan ioon teek im jibadek ḷọk ijo ippān Jema kab Bojin eo.

He kept trying and then made it, and he slowly crawled up onto the deck where Father and the Boatswain were.P1225

“Ej et mour ḷe, Kapen?” Jema ekajjitōk.

“How are you, Captain?” Father asked.P1226

“Ewi toon aō kar babu?” Kapen eo ejab uwaake Jema ak ebaj kajjitōk.

“How long have I been lying down?” the Captain didn’t ask Father specifically, but just asked.P1227

“Jet ko ke raan,” ebbōkak ippān Bojin eo.

“Must have been several days,” chimed in the Boatswain.P1228

“Ia in kōjmān pād ie kiin?” Kapen eo ebar kajjitōk.

“Where are we now?” the Captain asked.P1229

“Epatōn ṇe i ṃaan,” Jema euwaak.

“That’s Epatōn up ahead,” Father replied.P1230

“Enañin to amiro itan kọruj eō?” eba. “Etke kōmiro kar jab kọruj eō ṃōṃkaj jān an waḷọk āne?”

“How long were you two going to wait before waking me up?” he said.P1231 “Why didn’t you wake me up before land appeared?”P1232

“Bwe ta jejeḷā ñāāt eo enaaj kar waḷọk āne,” Bojin eo ejiroñ ḷọk. “Men eo jejeḷā de eo ke jepeḷọk. Injinia eḷak kar ba ke jen itaḷọk wōt bwe jej pād wōt i rōtlein Likiep, kwōba ke jeḷe i reeaar. Eḷak kar ba ke jebuñ jān Ruōt im jen bwābwe wōt bwe aelōñ eo epād i reeaar, ekwe kwōbar ba ke eaab. Kiiō kōṃro ḷak jab kọkkure aṃ kiki im kakkije bwe kwōn ājmourḷọk, kwōba ke kōṃro en kar kọruj eok. Ke ān eo ṇe i ṃaan, ta aṃ ḷōmṇak kiiō?”

“How were we supposed to know when we would see land?” the Boatswain yelled over to him.P1233 “The only thing we know for sure is that we are drifting.P1234 The Engineer said we should go eastward so we would stay on course to Likiep, but you said we were already to the east.P1235 He’s been saying we were off course since Roi-Namur and that we should tack windward because land was to the east, but you said no.P1236 And now we tried to let you sleep and rest so you would get better, and you say we should have woken you up.P1237 What are your thoughts now that there is land up ahead?”P1238

“Jen jerak tak ḷọk i lik tak ḷọk ñan bōran aelōñ in,” Kapen eo ekar ba ālikin an kar kōḷmānḷọkjen jidik.

“We should sail along the ocean side of the islands until we reach Kwajalein,” the Captain said after thinking for a while.P1239

“Ekwe emaat limed dān,” Jema ekōjjeḷāiki. “Eṃṃan ke ñe jeañ tar āne waj ñan ān ṇe i ṃaan im kanne nien dān e ie?”

“Well, we are out of drinking water,” Father informed him.P1240 “Would it be okay if we sail to the island up ahead and fill up our drinking water there?”P1241

“Wōn ej ba eor armej i ān ṇe?” ekajjitōk.

“Who says there are any people on that island?” he askedP1242

“Alikkar ke eor bwe ebaatat,” Jema eba.

“I know there are because I can see smoke,” Father said.P1243

Iḷak baj erre āne ḷọk ilo juon deppin baat ej jutak lōñ ḷọk jān keinikkan i jabōn ān eo tu eōñ.

As I looked over toward the island I saw a huge cloud of smoke rising up from the foliage on the northern tip of the island.P1244

“Ḷōṃare kōn ad bwijwōḷāḷọk jejino pilo,” eba.

“Fellas, because we are getting older, we are starting to lose our vision,” the Captain said.

Eḷōmṇak bajjek bar iuṃwin jet minit innem kwaḷọk men eo ekar loe.

He thought about it for another minute and then announced what he had decided.P1246

Ebar ṃweeaar ḷọk /She re-enters the channel

“Ekwe kōjmān tar āne waj,” eba. “Ñe kōjmān tōpar arin ān ṇe kab kelọk, Bojin, im aō āne ḷọk eake kōb ṇe bwe ejej booj.”

“Okay, let’s sail toward the island,” he said.P1247 “When we reach the lagoon side of the island, Mr. Boatswain, you can jump into the water and swim to the island with the water container because we don’t have a skiff.”P1248

Inaaj kelọk ippān im jipañe.,” Jema ediek ḷọk men eo Kapen eo ekar ba.

“I’ll jump in, too, so I can help him,” Father complemented what the Captain said.P1249

Wa eo ewōnāne ḷọk i lowaan todik eo i turōkin ān eo im ḷak ṃwelọk i ar, Jema im ḷōṃaro rōpone wūjḷā eo im joḷọk añkō eo. Ke ekar dedeḷọk emjake wa eo, Jema im Bojin erro kar kālọk im aō āne ḷọk kōn kōb eo ammān. Ekar jab to aerro aō ḷọk ak erro tōpar āne im ato ḷọk i arin ān eo im wōnāne ḷọk ioon bok im penjak ḷọk ilo juon mejate ilo kōṇṇat ko.

The boat went toward the island through the small channel to the south and when it entered the lagoon, Father and the other two men the sail and threw out the anchor.P1250 When the boat was securely anchored, Father and the Boatswain jumped into the water and swam toward the island with our water container.P1251 They didn’t swim for long; they soon reached the island and came out of the lagoon and went across the sand and then were out of sight on a small path between the Scaveola.P1252

Ilo kōtaan eo, kōṃro Kapen eo kar pād ioon wa eo im kōttar. Iḷak aṇtọọne ḷọk ekar or jilñuul minitin aerro kar jako. Ak kōmro kar ikōñ jān doon im jab kōkeroro. Tokālik iḷak bōk bōra im erre ḷọk, ilo aerro keaar ioon bok.

In the meantime, the Captain and I stayed on the boat and waited.P1253 I estimated they had been gone for about thirty minutes.P1254 But the two of us just remained silent and didn’t talk.P1255 After a little while, I turned my head and saw them coming toward us on the sand.P1256

“Jema im Bojin raṇe tok,” iba. “Jema eṇ ej ineek juon pāāk ak Bojin ej ineek kōb eṇ.”

“Here come Father and the Boatswain,” I said.P1257 “Father has a bag on his shoulder and the Boatswain is carrying the water container on his shoulder.”P1258

Ke erro kar juur tarkijet ebaj waḷọk tok jilu armej jān ejja mejate eo wōt erro kar diwōj tok jāne. Armej rein rej juon ḷōḷḷap, juon leḷḷap im juon jọdikdik. Erjel lo kōṃro Kapen eo ioon wa eo innem jokutbae tok. “Iọkwe koṃro i wa ṇe,” ḷōḷḷap eo elaṃōj meto tak.

As soon as the two of them stepped onto the beach three more people appeared on the path where Father and the Boatswain had come out.P1259 They are an old man, an old woman, and a young boy.P1260 The three of them saw me and the Captain on the boat and started waving at us.P1261 “Hello there on the boat,” the old man yelled across the water.P1262

“Iọkwe,” Kapen eo eukōt ḷọk.

“Hello,” the Captain returned his greeting.P1263

Jema ekar kōttōpar ḷọk ḷōḷḷap eo ioon kappe im erro kōnono jidik. Ke ekar ṃōj aerro ṃōṃajidjid ñan doon, ḷōḷḷap eo ejitōñ ḷọk buḷōn mar ko jetakiermān innem erjel Bojin eo jibadek ḷọk. Erjel kar mọọn ḷọk ilo mar ko im ḷak bar jāde tok erjel ej kōjerrāiki meto tak juon kōrkōr. Ke ej dedeḷọk im pād wa in i lọjet, Jema im Bojin eo erro ektaki ḷọk men ko ippāerro im aōṇōṇ meto tak ñan Likabwiro.

Father approached the old man on the shore and the two of them talked for a little while.P1264 When they were done nodding while talking to each other, the old man pointed east toward the middle of the bushes and the three of them including the Bosun headed over that way.P1265 They disappeared into the bushes and then reappeared carrying a small canoe.P1266 Once the boat was in the water, Father and the Boatswain loaded the things they were carrying and paddled over to the Likabwiro.P1267

“Jibwi waj dao kā adeañ jān rūtto rā ānin.” Bojin eo eba im jibwe lōñ tak pāāk eo ke kōrkōr eo ekar atartar tok ippān wa eo.

“I’m passing up some food the people on the island sent over,” the Boatswain said and passed up the bag as the canoe came up alongside the boat.P1268

Piọọn eppānene /A chilly swim of the land-based sort

“Ḷadik eṇ e,” Kapen eo ejiroñ tok ña, “jibwi tok men kaṇe.”

“Boy,” the Captain yelled over to me, “pass those things over to me.”P1269

Ej ṃōj aō doori laḷ ḷọk men ko ioon wa eo ak Jema ekkōnono tok. Ej pād wōt ioon kōrkōr eo, ej jañin wanlōñ tak.

As soon as I put the things down, Father started talking to me.P1270 He hadn’t come up onto the boat yet and was still down on the canoe.P1271

“Nejū, to laḷ waj ṃōk jibwe tok juon iaan āmje tiinin kar petkōj ko i lowa bwe in bar rọọl āne ḷọk in teiñki tok,” ekar ba tok.

“Son, go down and get one of the empty biscuit containers so I can go back ashore and fill it up,” he said.P1272

Ikar jab bar eḷḷọk ñan men ko ak ittōr laḷ ḷọk im bōk tok tiin eo.

I didn’t bother any more with the things but ran right down and brought up the tin.P1273

“Ij to ippaṃ in jipañ eok,” ikar ba ñan Jema ke ij jaake ḷọk tiin eo.

“I’m coming down to help you,” I told Father as I passed the container to him.P1274

“Ebwe aō etal,” eba. “Kwōn pād wōt bwe kwōn kapijje,” eba im aōṇōṇ āne ḷọk.

“I think only one person needs to go,” he said.P1275 “You stay there and eat,” he said as he started paddling toward the shore.P1276

“Jebjeb tok mā im ni, ḷadik eṇ,” Kapen eo eba.

“Bring me some breadfruit and coconut, Boy,” the Captain said.P1277

Ikar leleḷọk im ej jibwi wōt ak ejino ñabñab ijo. Ak ikar kate wōt eō im bōro-kōrkōr ijo. Ej ṃōj aō ajej ḷọk kijeerro Bojin eo ak ibaj jijet laḷ ḷọk im dao.

I gave him some and he filled his mouth and went to work on it.P1278 I could hardly wait to eat because I was so hungry.P1279 As soon as I was done dividing out food for him and the Boatswain I sat down and started eating.P1280

“Kōmi ṃōṃool,” ikar ikkūr ḷọk ñan rūtto ro im ḷadik eo.

“Thank you,” I yelled over to the adults and the young boy.P1281

Epen, elaṃōj Bojin eo /It’s hooked, shouted the Boatswain

Kōmjel bar pād jidik im iḷak rōre āne ḷọk, ilo Jema ej jepak meto tak nien dān eo. Ekōbkōb bokin arin ān eo innem ealikkar maalkan ne ko ioon bok. Elukkuun ṃōṃan im aiboojoj moujin tok bokin arin ān eo jān ioon wa eo. Ekōṃṃan aō ememḷọkjen.

The three of us stayed there for a while, and then I looked toward the shore and saw Father carrying the container of water away from the island.P1282 His feet dug into the soft sand of the lagoon beach and I could see his footprints.P1283 The island’s white sand looked so beautiful from the boat.P1284 It made me feel sad and nostalgic.P1285

“Injinia eo ṇe meto tak,” Bojin eo eba.

“Here comes the Engineer,” the Boatswain said.P1286

“Ioḷe Bojin e, pojak waj im kab jibwe tok nien dān ṇe,” Kapen eo ekar kōnono ḷọk jān ijo ej jijet im ṃōñā ie.

“Mr. Boatswain, go over and be ready to pass up the water container,” the Captain called over from where he was sitting and eating.P1287

“Eṃṃan wōt ñe jej jijet wōt im kōnono,” Bojin eo ekwaḷọk an lelotaan.

“It must be nice to be able to just sit there and tell people what to do,” the Boatswain said with obvious resentment.P1288

Jema ejibwe lōñ tak tiinin dān eo im Bojin eo ebōke im kọkoṇe. Jema ebwijlọke āne ḷọk kōrkōr eo bwe en peāne ḷọk ak Bojin eo ekarrūkarōk ioon wa eo.

Father passed up the container of water and the Boatswain took it and stored it away.P1289 Father kicked the canoe so it would drift toward the island while the Boatswain started getting things organized on the boat.P1290

“Ḷōḷḷap eṇ e, koṃṃool kōn wa ṇe waaṃ kab teaak kā,” Jema ekkūr āne ḷọk i ḷọkwan kōrkōr eo.

“Sir, thank you for letting me use your boat and for the provisions,” Father called over to the shore from behind the canoe.P1291

“Jab inepata,” ḷōḷḷap eo euwaak. “Jeraaṃṃan ñan koṃ.”

“You’re welcome,” the Old Man replied.P1292 “Best of luck to you all.”P1293

“Ekwe jerake wūjḷā ṇe kōjmān jibadek jidik,” Kapen eo eba.

“Put up the sail so we can be on our way,” the Captain said.P1294

“Injinia ṇe ej jañin kapijje,” Bojin eo ekkōnono. Ṃool ke jeban kōttar jidik.”

“The Engineer hasn’t eaten yet,” the Boatswain told him.P1295 “Let’s wait a little.”P1296

“Āinwōt juon,” Jema eṃōkaj im ba. “Inaaj kapijje ḷọk ilo iiaḷ ṇe adeañ waj, ak jeañ jerak ke ej ja eṃṃan.”

“It’s okay,” Father quickly said.P1297 “I will eat once we are on our way, so let’s just set sail while the conditions are still good.”P1298

Bojin eo ejujen tōbtōb ḷọk ippān kaju eo im jeḷat toon jerak eo im jino jerak. Ikar etal ippān kōṃro jipañ doon. Dedeḷọkin aolep men ak eṇatọọn wa eo im kōmmān jino bweradik ḷọk jān ijo ñan bōran aelōñ eṇ.

So the Boatswain pulled up the mast and loosened the tether on the sail and we set sail.P1299 I went over and helped them.P1300 When everything was done and the sails were adjusted we started to move, making our way to Kwajalein.P1301

Ke kōmmān kar tōpar likin tōkā eo tak ḷọk, ekā tak juon ajbōkruo im pen.

When we reached the ocean side of the reef stretching eastward, a tuna so big it would require two men to carry it leapt at the lure and was firmly hooked.P1302

“Epen!” ekkeilọk Bojin eo.

“It’s holding firm,” the Boatswain shouted.P1303

“Kōjparoke,” Jema eba. “Eddo tok kōtḷọk.”

“Take good care of it,” Father said.P1304 “If it’s hard to pull in, let it out a little.”P1305

“Lukkuun ṃool ke bwebwe,” Bojin eo eba ke ej eñjake lelejlejin tok.

“It’s a tuna for sure,” the Boatswain said with his emotions running high.P1306

“Jejaajmi wōt,” Kapen eo eba. “Ajorṃaan men ṇe.”

“It will be good for sashimi,” the Captain said.P1307 “That’s a huge fish.”P1308

Eḷak baj tōbwe tok ek eo, ealikkar an Bojin eo aewanlik. Āinwōt euñkipden an oḷọk eake im kōṃadṃōde lōñ tak ek eo.

As he pulled in the fish, it was obvious that the Boatswain was an expert fisherman.P1309 It was a well coordinated action the way he was tipping over and working very hard to bring in the fish.P1310

Ke ej uwe tok ioon wa eo, eban jitpeeḷeḷ. Ekar aikuj jitlik jitṃaan. Jān wōt roro ko an Bojin eo, eḷak jok ek eo ioon wa eo, ejej kūtwōn. Ekar jab bar dipikpik ñan jidik.

When it got onto the boat, it couldn't lie crosswise.P1311 It had to flop backwards and forwards.P1312 Just from the Boatswain’s chant, when the fish landed on the boat; there was no breath left in it.P1313 It didn’t flop about one bit.P1314

Ettōḷọk kōppaḷpaḷ an Bojin eo kar ṃwijiti ek eo. Jilu wōt buñtōn an ōbbōḷọk eake im jitōke ek eo ak ejenolọk di jān kanniōk. Epojak ñan jaajmi.

It was equally amazing to watch the Boatswain cut up the fish.P1315 In just three strokes he had it gutted and the bones separated from the meat.P1316 It was ready to make sashimi.P1317

Ej dikkilọk wōt ān eo ak ejok marok eo. Ej ja ilo iien in wōt kōmmān kar buñut ḷọk Toon Mej. Joñan an aitok ijin eḷaññe jej pād i eolapān, ejej āne en jej loe. Ekkar ñan bwebwenato, elukkuun pepakoko lowaan to in. Rej ba ke ñe ewōtlọk juon menọknọk ijin, emaat wōt ṇa i mejatoto ippān pako.

The island was getting small as night fell upon us.P1318 It was about this time that Toon Mej came into view.P1319 It is so wide that if you were right in the middle of it, you wouldn’t be able to see any islands.P1320 As the story goes, this pass is teeming with sharks.P1321 They say that if some trash is tossed overboard here, it will be snapped up by the sharks before it hits the water.P1322

“Kōjmān naaj tōpar ñāāt ijo,” ikajjitōk ippān Jema.

“When will we get there?” I asked Father.P1323

“Ilju ej jota,” ewūnojdikdik tok. “Remake naaj ilbōk ñe rōbar lo kōjmān,” iba. “Eor jete raan kiin jān ke jekar jerak ñan Likiep?”

“Tomorrow evening,” he whispered.P1324 “They are going to be so shocked when they see us,” I said.P1325 “How many days has it been since we set sail for Likiep?”P1326

“Jilu allōñ,” Bojin eo eroñ aō kajjitōk im uwaak. “Ekadu ke?”

“Three months,” the Boatswain hearing my question replied.P1327 “Is that a short time?”P1328

“Ḷōṃa e, jemān jaajmi,” Kapen eo ekar ba ke elo an dedeḷọk an Bojin eo jiḷait. “Āte tok ṃōk jet bukwōn ilo pileij ṇe, ḷadik eṇ.”

“Hey guys, let’s eat sashimi,” the Captain said when he saw the Boatswain was done slicing it up.P1329 “Boy, put some pieces on that plate over there.”P1330

Ebar rọọl ñan kinien /It returns to its home base

Ikar āte ḷọk pileij eo ñiin āinwōt an kar ba innem jaḷḷọk ñan Jema.

I took his plate over like he had asked and then turned around and faced Father.P1331

“Kōjro naaj et ñe jetōpar eoonene?” ikar kajjitōk ippān.

“What are we going to do when we get to the main island?” I asked him.P1332

“Men eo ṃoktata, kōjro naaj wōnāne ḷọk im ba ke ren je etarro bwe kōjro en uwe ilo waan raun eo eṃōkajtata ñan aelōñ eo arro,” Jema ekar ba.

“The first thing we are going to do is tell them to put our name on the list so we can ride on the fastest field trip ship to our island,” Father said.P1333

“Ak jọkpej kein?” ikajjitōk.

“What about all the scrap?” I asked.P1334

Rej jānij waaer /They’re changing vessels

“Kōjro naaj ektaki,” eba.

“We’ll take them with us,” he replied.P1335

“Eṃṃan bwe iien eṇ jejeḷā ke jeban bar peḷọk,” iba. “Peḷọk ilo meto kauwōtata imaroñ ba kiin ke elukkuun nana.” Raan eo juon, ke ekar jota dikdikḷọk, kōmmān tōkeak ḷọk i arin Kwajleen im bar atartar ilo ejja wab eo kōmmān kar pād ie ṃōṃkaj jān ammān kar jeblaak. Eṃōj pānuk ioon wab eo kōn armej im rej ūlūl wōt jān doon, joñan an lōñ. Jet rej wātin bwilōñ eake kōmmān, jet rej wātin eoroñ nenaan, ak jet rej wātin oñ tok ippāmmān.

“It will be better because we’ll be sure not to get lost again,” I said.P1336 “I can now say for sure that drifting in the dangerous open ocean is a horrible experience.”P1337 Early the next evening we sailed toward the lagoon side of Kwajalein and came up alongside the same pier where we had been before we had set sail.P1338 There were so many people on the pier that they were standing shoulder to shoulder.P1339 Some came to wonder about ever seeing us back, some came by to listen to our story, and others to say that they missed us and were glad to see us again.P1340

Iḷak toore meja ibwiljin jāllepju eo ikar lo animrokan ejja ḷōḷḷap eo wōt kab irooj eo ekar kọọle kōmmān.

When I scanned my eyes through the crowd of people, I caught a glimpse of the same old man and the chief who had put a curse on us.P1341

“Emaat baḷuunin Navy kaṇe aer pukpukōt kōmimān,” juon armej ekar kōkōnono tok ñan kōmmān jān ioon wab eo. “Kōmij ba Likabwiro erupe wa ṇe.”

“The Navy planes gave up looking for you,” someone said to us from the pier.P1342 “We thought the Likabwiro storm had smashed the boat.”P1343

“Injinia e, kōmiro Bojin kaatartar waj wa ṇe waadmān,” Kapen eo ekar ba innem wanlaḷ ḷọk ke ej lo ḷōḷḷap eo im irooj eo ippān armej ro ioon wab eo.

“Mr. Engineer, you and the Boatswain bring your boat up alongside that boat over there,” the Captain said and then climbed up when he saw the Old Man and the Chief standing with the other people on the pier.P1344

Ej ṃōj aerro kōbooj wa eo ippān wab eo ak Jema ekālōñḷọk ñan ioon wab eo im iọkiọkwe armej rowōj. Ebar iioon irooj eo im erro kar kōnono.

As soon as they were done tying the boat to the pier Father jumped up onto the pier and started saying hello to everyone.P1345 He went over to the Chief and the two of them started talking.P1346

“Āinwōt iar ba ke koṃeañ naaj bar petok im eọtōk ān in?” men eo ikar roñ an irooj eo jiroñ ḷọk Jema de in.

“Didn’t I say you would drift off course and then end up right back here where you started?” That was the only thing I heard the Chief say to Father.P1347

Ārār ḷọk iaarin Likiep /Onto the beach at Likiep

Erro kar tōtōñ bajjek ijo ippān doon ak ña ikar lukkuun ḷōmṇaki naan kein an bar juon alen, kōmmān kar rọọl jān iiaḷin mej.

The two of them were laughing but I couldn’t help thinking that we had just barely skirted death.P1348

Ālikin jet raan jān iien eo, ejerak waan raun eo ñan Ratak Eañ im kōmmān uwe kōn ṃweiuk ko ṃweiemmān ioon ñan Likiep.

After a few days, the Ratak Eañ field trip ship set sail and we sailed to Likiep with all our cargo.P1349