This is episode fifty of the novel Two Tamas in Paradise. This is the last episode of the fourth novel in the Trace Troy South Pacific Adventure series.
It may now be purchased on Amazon. It is available in paperback or Kindle digital format.
The next novel will be A Cult in Paradise.
The Last Adventure in Paradise
Trace navigated The Tramp Island through an opening in the coral reef on the west side of Niue. The Port of Alofi hugged the western coast of Niue. Trace docked The Tramp Islander there.
A uniformed island official greeted them warmly at the dock and checked their passports.
“How long do you plan on staying?” the official asked.
“We would like to stay all day tomorrow and leave early the next day,” Trace said.
He smiled. “We would love to have you stay longer.”
“That sounds tempting,” Trace said. “The crew would enjoy it, but we have a load of coffee to deliver to Fiji.”
“I understand,” he said. “We would not want the Fijians to do without coffee. Who knows, it might cause an uprising.”
Trace smiled. “There’s been uprisings for less.”
“All we ask is that you obey our laws,” he said. “If your manners are good and you’re reasonable, you will probably be fine. And by the way, we in Niue drive on the left side.” He smiled. “The truth is, our roads are narrow, we don’t have a right side.”
“You might be able to help us a little,” Trace said. “We do have room to ship some cargo. If you know of anyone who needs to have something shipped to Fiji or someplace along the way, we’d be much obliged.”
“I don’t know of anything at the moment,” he said. “If something comes up, I’ll direct them to your boat.”
“Much thanks, sir,” Trace said.
The official walked to an unmarked Rover and drove away.
Trace turned to everybody and quipped, “Do you think we can manage to avoid trouble on this island?”
Makani stayed on the ship. Trace, Adam, Sage, and Coyote looked for a place to have a beer. A little less than a mile away, they came across a cafe.
The only person there was the owner, a woman in her early fifties. She was tourist-friendly and asked a lot of questions. She lost real interest once finding out everybody was from a cargo sailing vessel and not likely to spend much time or money on the island.
They ate a meal and had a couple of beers each. A hefty tip was left. Trace looked over his shoulder as they walked away. He wanted to see her reaction to the tip. She smiled broadly and waved.
Sage and Coyote walked further ahead of Trace and Adam.
“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?” Trace said.
Adam looked around. “Yeah, a couple of times.”
“I bet the place has grown some,” Trace said.
“Not really,” Adam said. “This used to be a jumping little port. It’s dead compared to what it used to be. I wonder where everybody went. Probably to New Zealand or Australia: education, opportunity, entertainment, the usual stuff.”
“You look disappointed,” Trace said.
“I am,” Adam said. “I expected Suva to change, but small islands like this, you sort of expect them to be the same. And if not the same, prosper and grow. It’s like those small towns around us; they hardly have a pulse. When I was here before, about the time you left, the sound of the music from one place, you picked up the music from the next.”
“Did you have any friends here?” Trace said.
“There was a guy, Peter Braxton, he had a trading company right across from where we’re docked at now,” Adam said. “He was an old man then. He has to be dead now. We’d haul produce and bring hardware, canned goods, lumber, and so on.”
“I hope you’re not disappointed in coming here,” Trace said.
“Not at all,” Adam said. “The whole trip reminds me of the man I once was. I’m okay with who I am now. But I got to where I am now by being the man I was then.”
“Does that mean you’re ready to return to Texas?” Trace asked.
“I think so,” Adam said. “Coming to this place, well, it leaves me a little sick inside. This time we spent together, there’s no other place it could have been duplicated. I’ve had my last adventure in paradise, and who better to have it with?”
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