CHAPTER 9 (SURPRISES!)
“Emma?” I hear my dad call from outside my door…
My eyes squint trying to adjust to the bright and sunny room. “Yeah, come in.” I say lazily.
My dad comes in and is already dressed for the day. That doesn’t surprise me though since he normally gets up at sunrise. He’s always been a morning person; I’m more of a night owl.
“Hey dad.” I say to him wiping the sleepiness from my eyes.
“Hi Emma. How did you sleep?” He asks.
“Fine.” I say but it comes out more like “fiyyy,” because of my long yawn.
“Good. I feel like I haven’t seen you much over the past two days; I hope you aren’t feeling neglected. I’ve been swamped trying to get this project started.” My dad says running his hands through his hair.
“Nah, I haven’t been feeling neglected.” I reply with a reassuring smile. “I remember going on many work trips with you in the past. I know how much time and attention your work needs from you. I’ve been keeping busy myself.” My dad looks a little surprised that I didn’t make a dig about his work taking so much of his time like I normally would have. I’m a little astonished myself that I don’t feel that way. I guess this move is starting to squelch some of my attitude. Or maybe I’m just learning to be more mature. Or maybe… my dad cuts off my thought.
“Mm-hmm. Yeah, I’ve heard. Alani told me this morning that you have been spending a lot of time with Tristan... So... How’s that going?” He says the last part slowly wondering if he’s moving into embarrassing territory.
I laugh a little because I see how uncomfortable my dad is talking to me about boys. I appreciate though that he steps up and asks me even if it is uncomfortable. Since my mom wasn’t around, he was the one to have ‘the talk’ with me. He even took me to pick out a purity ring when I turned thirteen, which I still wear to this day. I twist it around a little on my finger as I reply, “Yeah, he’s been really nice and has been showing me around.”
“Well, that’s nice... He’s being good to you right, Emma?” my dad presses.
“Dad! Yes, he’s being good.” I exclaim. “He’s actually quite the gentleman.”
My Dad clears his throat and looks at me relieved, “Good. I don’t want to have to take him down for messing with my little girl.”
I giggle. I secretly love that he’s a good and protective dad. “Thanks dad. I will make sure to let you know if anything changes so you can get your sparring gear ready.” I smile at him.
“Sparring Gear? We’re from Texas honey, I’ll get me a shot gun!” He laughs and pats me on the leg. “Hey lets go have some breakfast before I head off to work.”
“Sure!” I say as I slide out of bed and follow him to the kitchen.
Over breakfast we talked a little more about all that’s been going on. He’s been interviewing people over the past two days trying to put together a film crew. My dad told me that the Kealoha’s hired him to do a documentary on these spirits called The Night Marchers. He doesn’t tell me too much about them. My dad tends to try to shelter me from as much of the paranormal as he can. I think he does it out of respect for my mom. My mom was a church going woman, so my dad says. She would never have stood for her daughter fraternizing with the undead or spirits. Since my mom disappeared my dad hasn’t really gone to church. I’m not sure why, but my guess is because it reminds him of my mom. Kaylee would take me though with her family on Sunday morning and Wednesday nights. Although I don’t remember going to church as a toddler with my mom, I feel close to her there. I feel comfort and peace knowing that God is taking care of her wherever she might be. I wish my dad were able to feel that peace. Hopefully praying, maybe one day he will.
After we finish off our breakfast and put our dishes in the sink my dad says to me, “So, Emma, I know that this move was a tough one for you. I want you to know how proud I am of you for giving Hawaii a chance. You haven’t moped around in your room or continued giving me a guilt trip like most teenagers would... Well, you aren’t like most teenagers. You show a lot more maturity and responsibility and I know that I can trust you. That means a lot to me.... So what I’m trying to get at is, well, I got you a gift.”
My brow furrowed in confusion. It wasn’t often my dad got me gifts. Lately on my birthdays or Christmas he would just give me money and tell me to go buy something nice for myself. He said that my mom was the thoughtful one who would know just what to get. He never knew what to buy me. I guess after several years of trying to pick stuff out like the baseball bat he got me when I was five or the GI Joe he got me for Christmas one year, he decided to just let me pick out my own gifts. Not that I’m complaining about picking out exactly what I want, but it’s always exciting to have a surprise. “Dad, what are you up to?” I pried.
Dad smiled at me holding up a key…a car key to be exact! My expression quickly changed from questioning into elation; my eyes got wide as I asked him, “You got me a car?”
“Not just any car Emma, the car.”
Uh-oh I start thinking about those boy gifts he would get me and wonder if there might be some old truck or muscle car waiting for me. Oh well, if it was, at least it would drive! I start getting excited so I jump up out of my seat and head for the front door. I swing it open and my jaw drops. Parked in the circular driveway is a brand new, deep-blue convertible! I squeal in delight and jump into my dad’s arms giving him the biggest bear hung I could manage. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” I exclaimed jumping up and down barely able to contain myself.
“So did I get it right this time?”
“Dad, this is more than right, it’s more than I could have wished for,” I squeal with delight. “Are you totally sure though? I mean, do you have the money for this?” I ask a little more sober than before when I think of the financial repercussions a gift like this would cause.
“Definitely honey! I received a very decent sign on bonus. I want to make sure that you are taken care of and that you have a way to get around. There isn’t really any public transportation on this side of the island and I certainly don’t expect you to bike around out here.” Then my dad gives a light chuckle and hands me the key. “Care to take your old man for a ride?”
I give him a smile so big that I feel like my face is going to break with the excitement, “Hop in!” I’m so excited I don’t even think about the fact that I’m still in my pajamas. It doesn’t matter anyhow, nobody will notice.
We both get into the oh-so-comfortable leather bucket seats. I put the key in the ignition turning it until I hear it purr. Looking over at my dad with elation; I put it into drive and we are off. With the wind blowing through my hair I feel alive and free. My dad really went above and beyond with this gift. This car shows that my dad trusts me and with that trust comes a bit of freedom. I certainly didn’t expect it, but I’m very grateful.
As we are driving along the windy road parallel to the beach it hits me. I’m thousands of miles from where I grew up; this place is so different from Texas. It’s a huge change but, I’m here, it’s happening, and I’m surviving. When I had first heard the news I thought my life was over. I never imagined that change could bring anything good, yet it has. I guess hindsight really does see 20/20. I’ve met new people, I’m gaining new experiences and to top it all off my dad selflessly gives me this car. Not that I’m materialistic or anything, but you have to admit it’s a really cool treat that I wasn’t expecting. I just can’t contain the happiness that’s radiating from my face.
A single tear streams down my cheek. My dad notices immediately, “What’s wrong honey, you don’t like the car?”
“No dad, I love the car. These are just happy tears, I’m just happy and I never thought I would be happy...here. Thank you.” It seemed so small to just say thank you to him after he just gave me my freedom but it was all I could muster at the moment.
Once we reach the main highway I notice my dad glance at the clock on the dashboard. I can see that he’s conflicted with
wanting to spend more time with me, and needing to get to work. So, to help him out, I turn around and head us back home. On our way back, my dad tells me about the trip he will be taking tomorrow. He will be island hopping over the next week with the film crew doing some interviews with some locals who have had firsthand experience with The Night Marchers. He arranged for Alani to stay in the main house to make sure I’m taken care of while he’s gone. He also apologized to me for going out of town so soon when we just moved here.
I let him know that I’m a big girl, hence the big girl car. Anyhow, I will be preoccupied with starting up classes for my online home school. I have plans to hit the books hard so I can quickly get these last few credits needed to graduate.
After we get back to the house my dad gives me a hug and heads off to his room to get his stuff ready for another long day of work.
I head to my room to get started on school and run into Tristan in the hall blushing when I see him. Then I blanch when I look down and see that I’m still wearing my oversized Dallas Cowboys jersey and cotton shorts that I slept in. I’ve probably had this jersey for six years, so it’s well worn and a little tattered, but it’s so comfortable.
“I like your digs,” Tristan says with that cute smile of his.
“Oh, this old thing?” I say in a try-to-be-witty-yet-cute type of way.
“Yeah, it would be even cooler if the Cowboys were on a winning streak.” Tristan says raising an eyebrow looking mightily sly. It’s pretty cool that he can do that too, not just anyone can raise a single eyebrow. I guess we share that unique trait.
“Hey! Don’t dis The Boys Tristan!” I say and playfully shove his shoulder.
“Okay, okay.” He says holding both hands up in a surrender position. “Well, I can’t really talk since we don’t even have a football team here, but we do get to host the pro-bowl every year!” He looks at me a little closer. I guess he sees the excitement on my face so he says, “What are you so happy about this morning?”
I give a squeal of delight, grab his hand and pull him out to the front of the house. Tristan’s mouth drops just like I’m sure mine did when I first saw it. “Is that your car,” Tristan whispers?
“Yep, can you believe it?” I yelp. “My dad gave it to me this morning!” I couldn’t hide the excitement in my voice. I ran back and grabbed the key off the counter, “You want to go for a ride?”
“Um, of course! I love feeling the wind in my hair.” He says while ruffling his hand through his wild locks.
I take Tristan on the same route I took my dad on. Half way in to the ride Tristan leans his head back and closes his eyes. The wind wisps through his hair casting sun light off his profile. I give a small sigh. I like seeing him happy; in fact I just like seeing him.
Tristan notices I’m watching him out of the corner of my eye. “What?” He asks wryly.
“Nothing, I just like watching you is all…you seem to be really enjoying yourself.”
I watch him smile at me; I like it when he smiles at me, it’s so soothing. “Why thank you, but you might want to watch the road as opposed to me.” He says teasingly.
I giggle and pointedly focus one hundred percent on the road in front of me. I have to say that Hawaii is really growing on me.
When we get back to the house Tristan asks what I have planned for the day.
“Oh, some school work but after that I don’t really have anything else going on,” I say. All the while thinking to myself, of course I don’t have anything else going on. Tristan is the only person around here that I know who is close to my age. Not that this is a problem. I wonder if that’s why he’s spending so much time with me. Maybe I’m the only option around.
“Cool. Well, if you aren’t busy, maybe this afternoon after you’re done with your schoolwork we can go for a ride; this time I’ll drive. I can show you around a little more,” he says while his eyes show a look of hopeful anticipation.
“Cool. I’m down,” I say trying to sound not too overly eager about getting to spend more time with him.
“Great! I will be by at 4:30 to pick you up,” He says as he turns to head back to his house.
“I’ll be here.” I yell with a wave as he leaves. Well, I guess it’s time to get my schoolwork out of the way. Now, I just have to try to not think too much about Tristan’s amazing blue eyes during calculus.