Explore "My Tahiti" by Robert Dean Frisbie on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
The day after the big fishing all my Vaiiti neighbors feasted, for it was customary to divide the first day's catch of the albacore season among all the villagers. On the following days the fish would be sold locally or, if the catch were big enough, sent to the Papeete market. Tuahu asked me if I would join in the next fishing. I excused myself. The long day in the hot sun had made me feverish; another time, I said, I would go with them. In the early morning hours I heard them setting out in Faatomo's canoe the same men, Tomi included, who had gone out the first day.'
A few hours later, at sunrise, Terii and I started up the valley to gather oranges. The first of the year's fruit was ripening, Tuahu had told us, near the Great Cliff of Autara. The river being low, the fords were shallow; but the air, I thought, was sultry and oppressive. Before we had gone a mile, thick leaden clouds formed low over the mountains; then a gust of wind tore through the forest and rain came down in a deluge. We stood for a time in the shelter of a chestnut tree, waiting for the rain to abate; soon it became apparent that it had set in for the day, so we turned seaward, a little worried about Tuahu and Tomi, yet assuring ourselves that they could take care of themselves.