CHAPTER 14 (A WHOLE NEW WORLD.)
I realize that it may be rude to stare but I can’t help but gaze into Kai’s smoky grey eyes. I’m intrigued by their unique shade of pure grey that’s unmatched by any eye color I have ever seen. Moving to get a closer look I can see that there are specks of a blue so light and barely noticeable that it gives his eyes a sparkling reflective quality. Not realizing how intimately close we are; I feel his exhaling breath hit my exposed neck leaving goose bumps in its wake. Warmth spreads through my cheeks and I look down awkwardly knowing that I’ve crossed into his personal space. As if sensing my embarrassment, he gently guides my head back up with his index finger until our eyes are level once again. His eyes have changed and this time I can see churning black-bellied storm clouds in his eyes. Shivers run up my spine for what once was beautiful and intriguing is now mysterious and full of danger. I try to turn my head away afraid of what more I would see but he still has a hold of me forcing me to look into his eyes. Closing my eyes, I hope that he will get the hint and let me go. My breath hitches when I open them a second later to see pitch black eyes of pure evil staring back at me. The whites are gone and all I see is the empty darkness of an evil soul! Terror rips through me as I open my mouth and let out a gut-wrenching scream…
That’s when I awake shooting up like a rocket from underneath the thin blanket that covers me. Gasping for breath I furiously blink my eyes trying to focus. Was that all a dream? Kai is at my side immediately. His face is contorted with worry and concern. My whole body is shaking so uncontrollably that Kai pulls me into him. I feel the same electric current that ran through us the last time we touched. It feels strangely magnetic and comforting. I’m stunned by how difficult it is to pull away from him but determination drives me with the need to see his eyes. Relief washes over me when I see that they are a pure placid grey with no hint of evil. I exhale a shaky breath with the confirmation that it was just a dream. That’s when it hits me, all of the events that occurred earlier in the night. That was no dream. The shaking wracks my body once more and I reach my hand up to my face to realize that my cheeks are soaked. I’m quietly sobbing and when Kai pulls me into his arms again, I don’t try to pull away. I can allow the current that runs between us to warm me. I can allow myself to feel safe, even if for only a moment.
When my body is finally drained and I’m too exhausted to cry any more, Kai gently guides me to lie back down in the cot. “It’s okay Emma; it’s all over,” he says while he pushes the hair back from my face and wipes the tears from my eyes with the back of his hand. It feels like such an intimate gesture, but it doesn’t seem to bother me for some reason.
He pulls the thin blanket over me because I’m shivering. I try to gather my thoughts. The last thing I remember were those warriors…that thing…chasing after us. The spear pointed between my eyes... He looked like Kai! Then the agony of rolling down that hill into the cliff wall... “Emma are you in pain?”
I nod at first because yes; I feel sore. Then I remember the fall last night and I know I felt my leg breaking. What’s odd though is that it doesn’t feel broken. I move my leg a little underneath the blanket checking it out, it aches but it’s not unbearable and it’s not broken. That’s strange. I should feel a whole heck of a lot worse than I feel now.
I look around a little and notice that I’m in a room the size of a large studio apartment. The walls look to be made of wood, kind of log cabin style. I see very little furnishings decorating the room. A small table next to my cot holds a lit candle and a glass with some type of concoction that consists of a steaming brown liquid, green leaves and a single red berry of some sort. “Where am I?” I whisper to Kai.
“You’re safe, everything is going to be fine. You’re at my home; no one can get to us while it is light out.” Kai places the glass with the brown concoction in my hands. “Drink this, you’ll feel much better.”
I sit up and take a small sip; it tastes bitter and earthy. I scrunch up my face, “What is this?”
“It’s tea. It will help you heal and it will help with the pain.”
I pull the covers down to view the damage. I’m covered with scratches and bruises and my leg is bandaged from the calf down. What’s odd though is that the bruises are already turning a yellowish color and the scratches are fading almost like I’ve been healing for a week. My heart starts pumping with anxiety; I look wide-eyed at Kai, “How long have I been out?”
“About fourteen hours,” he says simply. Kai pulls the blanket back up over me then pushes my hair behind my ears. It felt so simple, yet it was such an intimate gesture it made me blush.
I’m dazzled for a few seconds but then I ask, “How am I healing so quickly? It doesn’t make any sense, and my leg, I was sure it was broken?”
“Emma, you were hurt pretty badly. Like I said, that drink helps you heal. It will also help you sleep which will speed up the process. I know it doesn’t taste good, but you need to drink it.”
That’s amazing, I’ve never heard of anything making you heal so quickly. I follow his instructions and choke down the remaining liquid. I was almost to the end of the liquid when Kai took the cup from my hand abruptly then set the cup down on the nightstand. I look at him, my eyes wide in surprise by his sudden reaction. “You can’t eat the berry,” Kai said simply.
I was about to question him but he quickly guides me to lie back down. I immediately begin feeling a tingling sensation throughout my body. It feels like tiny bubbles are fizzing through my veins. My eyes start to droop heavily begging for sleep.
Then panic shoots through me, Fourteen hours! I grab onto Kai’s hand. “Wait…Kai, I need to get home! My family will be looking for me.” I slur to him, becoming increasingly drowsy.
I try to sit up but Kai places his hands on my shoulders to keep me down and says, “Emma, I can’t take you home right now... I’m not certain that it’s safe just yet.”
“What about my family Kai? I can’t just leave them!”
Kai began smoothing out my hair, “Emma, you’re safe here with me. That is my main priority at this time. We will figure out how and when it will be safe for you to go home. For now though you need to get some sleep. We must leave before nightfall and I need you to continue healing.”
I feel so lost and confused, and unbelievably sleepy. Kai sees the worry in my eyes, “Emma, there’s so much I need to tell you, but for now you just need to focus on healing and get some rest.” I can’t argue with him or my body, which is begging me to close my eyes. Kai gently runs his fingers over my head in a continuous petting motion until I fall into a dreamless sleep.
“Emma, Emma, you need to wake up. We have to go now!”
I struggled to open my eyes and notice that it’s nearly nightfall outside. “Are you taking me home?” I ask hopefully still trying to fully wake up. By now my family was probably worried sick about me. Alani’s probably called my dad resulting in him coming home early from his trip.
“Emma, you need to listen to me. If you stay on this part of the island after nightfall that…thing…might track you here. We must go now!”
I want to argue some more and insist that he take me home but the urgency in his storm-clouded eyes show me that this is not the time for a discussion.
Kai helps me stand up from the cot. My legs are shaky and Kai catches me as they buckle out beneath me. I guess I’m not healed a hundred percent yet. He lifts me up into his arms and carries me to the door. “Oh, and Emma, don’t look down.”
My brows crease together into a look of confusion. Kai opens the door and we step out onto some sort of landing. “Hold on tight, and whatever you do, do not let go.”
I lock my hands together around his neck. While I don’t know Kai that well, I trust him. After all, he saved my life. Kai began walking to the end of the landing and onto a small bridge built of rope and wooden planks. I tighten the grip on my hands and Kai holds me closer. I feel the ground beneath his feet sway from side to side. Yelping a little
I grip Kai a little tighter. The groans of the wood planks don’t help ease my fear of the situation either. Kai slowly makes his way across the bridge as I close my eyes and hold on for dear life.
We continued to methodically make the descent down more bridges and small, rickety ladders, until I finally heard the sturdy ground beneath his feet. I open my eyes and look up in complete awe. “Kai, you live in a tree house?” I say a little breathlessly.
“Well, yes, you could say that.” He smiles.
I loosen my death grip a little and stare up at it. It’s magical. The dense forest trees were used in the most meticulous ways. There are many small enclosures that are connected by a myriad of wooden bridges and ladders. I instantly think of Swiss Family Robinson. “Kai, It’s beautiful. Did you build this yourself?”
A small smile breaks across his face, “Yes Emma, I did. A long time ago…”
Kai repositions me in his arms and starts walking through the forest down a hill towards the ocean. When we reach the beach I see a small canoe sitting on the shore. Kai sets me in the back of the canoe on top of a soft woven basket. He pushes the canoe with me in it towards the ocean. He continues to guide it until the water is knee deep at which point he gracefully hops into it grabs a paddle and starts rowing.
I lean back in the boat watching the twilight change from a deep orange to a black night. If Kai hadn’t been with me I would have been terrified, being out in the open water in the dead of night. “How do you know where we’re going?” I ask while squinting my eyes trying to see anything in this darkness.
Kai stops rowing and leans back to fire up a lantern. He places it on a small built-in bench and then looks over at me. The light casts a beautiful glow against his smile that warms my heart a little. “Emma, I know this island like the back of my hand. We won’t get lost; I promise.” Kai watches me for a moment then turns his eyes towards the bow of the boat. He lifts the lantern before him for a second searching the shoreline then gets back to rowing.
Like a moth to a flame, I become mesmerized with the back and forth rowing motion that Kai is making. I watch the flicker of the flames dance off his muscles making them look more pronounced and alive than usual. I have to fight the urge to reach out and touch him to see if he is real. Everything about this past day seems like a dream… or perhaps a nightmare. Pulling my thoughts from him I wonder where we are headed. After last night though, I couldn’t have cared less. All I wanted was to be out of reach of those…things.
I leaned back and listened to the water being manipulated beneath the boat. The repetitive hum lulled me into a calm sereneness. I let myself relax into the soft basket allowing my mind to have welcome, hollow thoughts.
Several minutes later the boat touches down on land with a scraping thud. Kai jumps out the side into the water and pulls it the rest of the way onto the shoreline. He walks around to my side, picks me up in his arms and carries me further inland away from the water.
Once he finds a place to sit me down he heads back to the boat, grabs the woven basket that I was sitting on and sets it down next to me. He pulls a blanket from inside the basket and covers my legs with it. Then he sets to work diligently and methodically. First he places some logs in the sand and starts a fire the ‘Boy Scout’ way by rubbing two sticks together. Next he grabs a long spear out of the boat, takes his sleeveless shirt off and dives into the dark waters. Ten minutes later he comes back with 2 fish on the end of his spear. He ties them to a wooden plank with some sort of twine and begins roasting them over a fire.
I find myself tracing the tribal tattoos on his arms with my eyes. I look at the one that bleeds from his left arm into his chest. With the fire hitting it, the tattoo seems as if it were alive, like it’s trying to take over more of him than it already does. I’ve never had a tattoo before, and I wonder if it hurt him to get it done. My hand instinctively reaches up to my chest as if I could feel the phantom pain of a needle. As if Kai senses that I’m staring at him, he looks straight at me. I advert my eyes and chide myself for having been caught gawking at him. When I look back up I see that he’s gone back to paying attention to the fish that are roasting on the fire.
I tire of the silence so I start in, “So... Kai, are you ready to tell me about what happened?” I hate bringing up the subject, but I have to know what we were up against.
Kai turns to me, “Let’s talk after dinner, shall we?”
I don’t really have a choice so I just nod.
When the fish are done Kai gets some wooden bowls from the basket and puts the fish in along with some different types of fruit that he brought. He hands a bowl to me. My stomach growls as I realize just how hungry I am. I dig in. The fish is amazing! It tastes so fresh, and paired with the fruit it’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty.
When we finish Kai takes another blanket from the boat and lays it down near the fire. He comes back, scoops me up and sits me on the blanket. Kai sits down quietly next to me as I look up at the night sky, “I’ve never seen so many stars before. There must be millions of them.”
“More like trillions,” Kai laughs a little then gets serious. “So, Emma, about last night…”
I ready myself for his explanation.
“Those…things that you saw are called Night Marchers.” He waits for my reaction before continuing. “It is believed that the Night Marchers are an ancient warrior race that on certain nights wanders from their graves to ancient battlefields where they once died in battle. Some say they are looking for revenge. Others believe they are on a specific mission. They have been known to trample those who get in their way. It is uncommon for them to bother native Hawaiian’s as long as we lay down in reverence and don’t look into their eyes. However, if someone like you locks eyes with a Night Marcher, it could spark a curse that can only be satisfied by your death or with the capture of your soul.”
If I hadn’t seen it for myself I would have thought it was a hoax or ridiculous. “Kai, the... Night Marcher... He looked just like you!” I still remember the shock of seeing this spirit that looked just like the man that sits in front of me now.
Kai looks down and starts picking at the blanket. A few seconds later he starts, “Yes, Emma, he does look like me...” He lets out a long breath. “He’s my brother. My twin brother Kao.”
What? This is way too crazy to fathom. “Kai, did they steal his soul?” I’m looking at him rather incredulously.
“Emma, yes they can steal souls... Sometimes though people will give their soul. The reason for this could be many things: power, immortality, bargains or even sacrifice. I can’t say my brother’s motives for becoming a Night Marcher. Although, I can say that he is not good Emma. We must keep you away from him. He is dangerous.”
I nod in agreement. I want to pry more about Kai’s brother, but I can tell it pains Kai to talk about it. I inadvertently inhale a sharp breath as another realization dawns on me, “My father, he is on the island to do a documentary on The Night Marchers; we have to warn him!”
“There are many evils on the island Emma. The Night Marchers are just one of many. As long as your dad has done his research and stays off the trails he should be okay.”
I close my eyes and say a quick prayer asking God to keep my dad safe. “That still doesn’t explain why I can’t go home.”
Kai sighs, “Emma, I honestly have never heard of a person surviving such an attack. It’s different if you just stumble on them, but Kao, he chased you down. He didn’t finish his mission; he failed. I’m sure that this will drive him to find a way to finish what he started. You looked in his eyes Emma! You must never do that!”
“You didn’t tell me not to look him in the eyes!” I yelled back at Kai. The second after I spat those last words at him guilt engulfs me. I didn’t even thank him for saving my life and now I’m yelling at him, blaming him? “I’m so sorry Kai, I’m not mad at you, this is all a bit freaky and I’m not handling it well.... I want to thank you though... for saving my lif
e.”
Kai blushes. “You’re welcome Emma, I would do it a thousand more times if I needed to.”
I don’t really know what to say to that, it was so sincere and sweet.
“Emma, we will figure this out. We will figure out how to make you safe again; how to return you to your family.”
He goes back to his basket and pulls out a closed jar containing more of that brown concoction. He brings it back to the blanket and hands it to me. “First things, first. I need you to heal. You will need your energy and your strength when we fight this thing.”
I open the lid and toss down the murky liquid. I notice this time the absence of the berry. Either he took it out before he gave it to me or omitted it all together. As I drift off to sleep I have a vision of aquamarine blue eyes fading into a sparkling grey as if all color has been turned off and the world turned black and white.
The next morning I wake to the smell of something wonderful emanating from the fire. I stretch out working out the kinks in my back from sleeping on the hard ground. The sound of crackling draws my attention and I turn my head to find Kai cooking something over open flames. Behind him the ocean tide is receding leaving behind a bounty of seashells scattered about on the wet sand.
I waver between my interest in what Kai is cooking and my curiosity as to where we are. It was much too dark last night for me to see which part of the island Kai took us too. It’s even possible that we may not even be on the island of Kauai; we could be on one of the other uninhabited islands off its coast. I twist around on my blanket to get a panoramic view of what we are dealing with. As I turn, my breath whooshes out of my lungs rendering me speechless. My eyes have never before viewed a sight as indescribable as this. Words cannot do it justice. The small beach that we are sitting on is engulfed by sheer cliffs dotted with small tufts of clouds that reach towards the sky. The cliffs hold a multi-shade green hue, due in part to the small green plants that grow around its base. As I look ahead of me I realize that we sit at the entrance to an enormous, seemingly endless, valley. There are a few trees dotted here and there, but mostly it’s just the intimidating cliffs reaching towards the open sky. If I could compare it to anything I would have to say it reminds me of the island they used to film Jurassic Park. Part of me wonders if it’s possible that this is one of the actual set locations for the film. I wish that I had my phone so I could look it up on my IMDb app.
Giving myself a quick pinch on the arm I verify that I am truly awake. I almost don’t want to turn my back to this scene in fear that the cliffs that reach out intimidatingly towards me might swallow me whole. They make me feel so small and insignificant with their overwhelming presence. Even so I turn around to face Kai and ask, “Where in the world are we?”
Kai stops stirring the food for a second to answer me, “This,” he shows me gesturing around with his arm, “is the Honopu Valley. Honopu in Hawaiian means conch shell. Sometimes, when the winds hit just right, there is a conch shell-like sound that the arch behind you makes.”
He’s so matter of fact in his introduction of this majestic place that it leads me to believe that this is not his first visit here. “It’s truly unbelievable Kai. I can’t even think of words to describe this place. It feels like some kind of hidden oasis!” I crane my neck back trying to take it all in.
Kai grins back at me, “You know I’ve lived on this island my entire life and this area still takes my breath away.”
“May I ask then why is it that there are no tourists taking in a sight as grand as this?”
“Honopu Valley has many restrictions. Boats and aircrafts are not allowed to land on the beach. If a tourist wants to visit the island they swim from their boat off shore or from a nearby island. Some people do hike as well, but it certainly is not for the weak of heart.” He says seriously.
“Are we going to be going into the valley?” I ask a little worried that the answer might be yes.
Kai lets out a hearty laugh throwing me off. I don’t think I’ve seen him laugh before, but it lightens up his otherwise hard features setting off laugh lines around his grey eyes. “I would not ask that of you today Emma. After all you were just injured so I don’t see it being in your best interest to climb a dangerous seventy-five foot sea cliff. From this beach, that is the only way into Honopu Valley proper.” He takes one more look at the scenery around us and then goes back to stirring the food.
“Oh, yeah, I don’t think I’m up for that… Anyhow, what are you cooking?” I ask. It smells really great and my stomach rumbles in agreement.
Kai smiles back at me, “This is something my mother used to make for me when I didn’t feel well.” He turns from the fire and brings a wooden bowl towards me. He squats down and feeds me a bite. Normally I hate people feeding me like a baby, but Kai’s action was so genuine there would be no way to take offense. I close my eyes and let my taste buds do the talking, “Yum. Kai, that’s delicious!” I hold out my hands hoping the whole bowl is mine; he hands it over with a giant smile. This man can cook! I scarf the whole bowl down in a matter of minutes using my hands since I didn’t have a fork. As I finish the last bite I look up to see Kai watching me lick my fingers and immediately I’m embarrassed by my manners. I probably look like a giant pig that hadn’t eaten for days. A nervous laugh escapes me, “I’m sorry Kai, it’s just so good. What is it?” I ask.
Kai laughs and a big grin spreads across his face, “It’s made of a few things but the main ingredient is what used to be the Hawaiian State fish.”
“Huh, I didn’t know states have special fish. I’ve heard of birds and flowers, but not fish. So what was Hawaii’s State fish?” I question Kai.
Kai’s grin got even bigger, “It’s called the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a” I try and suppress a laugh, but it’s of no use.
“The what?” I laugh. I guess not coming from Kauai can have its disadvantages. I had never heard a word longer than antidisestablishmentarianism but that’s a word I could never use in everyday conversation. “Well, I really liked the hum-um-uka…” Kai and I bellowed out in laughter. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard; my sides are aching. Actually, I can remember… Jumping on the trampoline with Tristan. An instant ache fills my chest. I’m flooded with guilt thinking about him and hoping that he hasn’t learned that I’m gone. It’s enough to know that my dad and Alani are probably worried sick; I don’t need to worry about upsetting another person that I care for.
My thoughts sober me quickly and the laughter is cut off almost instantaneously. Kai must notice, but thankfully he doesn’t pry. He just busies himself with cleaning up. I feel bad that he’s been doing so much work for me. I might as well heap the list of ‘things Emma is guilty of’ into a pile and jump in deep. I hate feeling guilty which makes me one of those people who won’t just sit back and let it roll. I take action. I’m determined to not be a burden anymore; I can carry my own weight and help him pick up! As I move to stand up, I realize that I have little if no pain at all. I feel nearly one hundred percent healed.
I grab the blankets and start to fold allowing my brain to run a hundred miles per hour. Logically I can’t really explain how my body repaired itself at such an unfathomable rate. In fact nothing about these past forty-eight hours can be plausibly explained. I feel like Alice who fell through the rabbit hole and into a whole new world. Except the world I fell into includes evil night wandering spirits who thirst for my soul, going on the run with a man who is practically a stranger and being healed in less than a day of injuries that should have taken month’s to recover fully. Thinking back to the drink Kai gave me I wonder, could it really have been that liquid that healed me so quickly?
I’m startled from my rambling thoughts when Kai asks, “So, I take it you are feeling better?” I look up from folding to see that he’s looking at me with a look that is interested yet concerned.
“Um, yes. I do feel better physically but mentally, not so much. This… everything is just a lot to absorb.” I say
while gesturing to my leg that should be broken.
“Yes, I’m sure it is Emma.”
It’s almost as if he is trying not to give out more information than what is requested, so I push further. “Would you mind telling me how in the world I can walk? I mean, I know you gave me that drink and stuff but there is no way that it could heal a broken leg this fast!”
Kai’s eyes flicker for just a moment, long enough for me to see the hesitation in his eyes. As if he’s battling whether to tell me something or not. “Yes, the drink helped but honestly we don’t know if your injuries were that severe. It was an extremely intense ordeal and to say that your leg was broken could be an exaggeration.”
“Oh, no you don’t. I felt my leg snap! Do not sit here and tell me that the feeling of my bone splintering in half was an exaggeration Kai! If that was an exaggeration then this whole past two days was an exaggeration!” I say the word exaggeration while furiously making air quotes each time. I can’t believe Kai, he’s trying to underplay my healing…but why? I furrow my eyebrows in frustration.
When I look up to meet Kai eye to eye I’m surprised to see that he has a look of shock on his face. He hesitates and then starts in. “Emma, I sincerely apologize. I certainly wasn’t trying to downplay your health. I had meant could be not is an exaggeration. I am not you and I cannot tell you whether your bone was broken. I just see now that you are all better and that’s what truly matters.”
I want to continue to be mad at him but I can’t because he looks truly sincere. I want to press him further but I realize that now is not the time. He is right, I am better now and that’s what matters. What we truly need to focus on in this instant is a plan. I allow my voice to return to a normal range before I speak to Kai again. “I apologize for over reacting. I’m just a bit on edge right now with all that’s going on. Do we have a plan to get through this?”
Kai looks relieved that I let the subject on my miraculous healing rest. He asks me, “How good are your swimming skills?”
I look down at my clothes. They are already stained with dirt and blood; a little salt water added to the mix couldn’t hurt so I reply, “Decent. May I ask why we are going for a swim?”
Kai answers, “I have some friends nearby that I need to consult with. They have a little more knowledge of these Night Marchers. I think they’ll be able to help us.”
That still doesn’t answer my question as to why we are going for a swim but I willfully let it rest. “I hope they can help us. Do you think we can find a phone? A way for me to call home?” I ask all the while wondering what Kai’s friends are like. He strikes me as more of a loner than Mr. Popularity.
“Unfortunately we do not have access to that technology out here, but I will do my best to find an alternate way for you to contact your family.” Kai says sincerely.
I may not know him that well, but I get the sense that he is a man of his word. If he says he will help me contact my family, which I desperately need to do, I’m sure that he will make it happen.
Kai and I finish packing the few items we brought with us and load everything into the boat. Together we push the boat from the beach towards the water. Upon reaching the water Kai helps me in and then continues pushing the boat into the waste deep waters before jumping in himself. Grabbing the paddle he begins propelling us along the shoreline. I watch as Kai’s muscles strain against the force of the paddle in the water. I want to help, but due to us having only one paddle I settle for gawking at the scenery and enjoying the ride. All the while I can see Kai watching me in his peripheral vision as he works to re-angle the boat. Looking ahead I notice that we are headed straight towards a massive cliff wall. As we inch closer I catch sight of a small, almost unnoticeable crevice at the water’s edge. We near the narrow opening in the cliffs wall and I realize that it’s actually a cave entrance. Although I feel the nerves setting in I put on a brave stance and hold my tongue from asking any questions.
Entering the mouth of the cave, goose bumps begin to form as the cool, damp breeze caresses my skin. Kai reaches under his seat and pulls out the lantern that he used on our boat ride last night and lights it, illuminating the small cavern. I send up a quick thanks to God that I’m not claustrophobic because it certainly isn’t very roomy in here at all. It’s only large enough to hold maybe four canoes at most. The waves inside the cave are larger than I thought they would be as they painstakingly jostle our boat back and forth. I try to steady myself as I look around noticing that there is a rather large fissure in the cave’s ceiling. I follow it as it dips down the wall and into the churning water below. Beside the fissure there is a small ridge protruding out from the back of the cave. Kai carefully maneuvers the boat towards it. He grabs hold of the shelf with his hands working fervently to tie the boat to a rocky crevice while keeping his balance in the swaying waters. Once the boat is secured he steadies himself and offers his hand to help me get out onto the ledge. The sound of the tossing waters beats in my ear as I give my hand to Kai. He helps steady me as I awkwardly begin to climb out of the boat. Once we both are on steady ground Kai removes the belongings he has on the boat and pushes them up against the ridge’s wall securing them from the water.
I begin to question why in the world he would take me into a random cave. There is nowhere else to go! My heart starts beating a bit faster as my brain processes this. I nearly jump out of my own skin when I see something large and dark looming behind me in my peripheral vision. Relief washes through me when I turn to find that it’s just Kai’s shadow projected eerily on the wall. The flicker of the lantern makes it seem even more sinister than a mundane shadow. I twitch uncontrollably as a cool shiver runs down my spine. I am in a deserted place with a man I barely know. Nobody is around to hear me scream!
Breathe Emma, just breathe! Panicking won’t help me so I forcefully make myself inhale deeply and exhale slowly. I look over to Kai who is working fervently to secure everything. I rebuke myself thinking, why would this man go through such lengths to save me if he wanted to hurt me? It would contradict all the effort he’s put forth so far.
I’m starting to get on my own nerves. It’s as if I’m not certain of anything anymore and I’m questioning and reacting to everything. In a single day my entire world as I know it has been set off kilter and it seems as if it’s been knocked off its axis and is spinning out of control. I will not panic. I’m stronger than this I tell myself. As I start to calm down I’m struck with the realization that I already feel a building trust with Kai, even with the lack of knowing little, if anything about him. After all he’s the only one that I’m in this with and I have to give him my trust, right? I’ve got to gain back the control I so desperately need and that means that I need to grasp onto something…or someone.
Kai clears his throat and turns towards me wiping his hands down the legs of his shorts. I wonder if he could see the bit of fear that splashed across my face for an instant. As I look closer into his peaceful grey eyes I instinctively feel guilty for even having had those thoughts.
“So how long can you hold your breath?” Kai asks me inquisitively.
“Ummm, I’m not really sure.” I say a little hesitantly. I am not sure where this conversation is going but it definitely makes me a little uneasy.
“Do you think you can hold your breath for a minute?”
I think about this for a moment. I used to be on the swim team during my freshman year of high school. It was…how can I put this lightly…a disaster. Our coach would give us swim exercises and we would have to hold our breath for the fifty meters of the pool. Coach would often yell at me when I panicked halfway through and came up for air. Eventually I worked up to being able to swim the whole fifty meters without a breath, but by the end I would feel like I was dying. That was also over 3 years ago so I’m not sure if I can still hold it that long.
“I think so, but Kai you’re making me a bit worried. Are we going to be free diving or something, because I’m a bit scared of deep water? E
specially when I can’t see what’s under me and this cave is very dark.”
Kai reaches into the bottom of the basket and pulls out two glow sticks. He breaks them open making the stick illuminate a neon green color. He ties each stick to a piece of string and puts one around my neck and one around his. He looks me straight in the eye, “Emma, you need to try. I know it’s scary, but the fastest way to get to where we’re going right now is to dive under the water. Don’t worry about being frightened; I will hold your hand the entire time.”
I furrowed my brow not quite comprehending what he was saying. Where would we be going under water to? If it’s the fastest way, what’s the alternate option? He looks so insistent and confident that I finally say, “Okay Kai, I’ll try; I trust you.”
A knowing smile escapes his face. He grabs a backpack from the basket and secures it to his back. Then he grabs a hold of my hand. I feel that electric current that is beginning to be a regular occurrence when Kai and I touch. It doesn’t hurt and it isn’t unpleasant; it’s just different. He squeezes my hand and says, “All right, on the count of three we are going to jump in…one, two, three…”
I hold onto Kai’s hand tightly and we jump from the shelf into the water. The water in this cave must be several degrees cooler since the sun doesn’t touch it. We both pop up to the surface treading water with our one free hand and our legs. I already find myself shivering.
“Emma, whatever you do, don’t let go of my hand…understand?”
“Yes,” it was a simple answer but all I could muster at the time. My teeth began chattering as the cold water wadded around me.
“Since you will have my hand the entire time I will guide you where to go. But don’t panic; whatever you do don’t panic,” he reiterated.
I nod my head in response. I try to calm my nerves, unfortunately I’m already panicking a little and we haven’t even gone under yet.
“On the count of three again…one, two, three.”
I breathe in with all I’m worth and hold Kai’s hand as we descend into the dark waters. Kai pulls me fervently trying to keep up the pace while I blindly swim with him. As we glide through the water, we make so many twists and turns that I become disoriented. I don’t know how much further we have to swim and the urge to take a breath is making my lungs burn. My mind starts reeling thinking about what I got myself into, there is nowhere to go to get air. I might literally drown down here in some random cave. I start flailing and tugging on Kai as the need for air ravages my every thought. In my panic I exhale all of the air that I had been saving in my lungs. That was it I think to myself knowing that once you exhale you only have seconds before you must inhale again.
Kai abruptly turns towards me and I know through the dim light of the glow sticks he must see the terror in my eyes. In an instant his lips are on mine. The warmth of electricity spreads through me, sending an interesting tingle throughout my body. His hand firmly grips the back of my head pushing it closer to his so that the water can’t separate us. He then breathes his air out and into my lungs. I didn’t know that this was even possible! I voraciously inhale. As I feel my brain calm with the knowledge that I’m not going to drown now that I have air, I feel semi-hesitant to remove my lips from his. The electric current running between us feels so good. I know that I must pull away though since Kai gave me his remaining air, he will need his own oxygen soon. As I break away Kai squeezes my hand gently and then we push forward again. A few seconds later I see light up ahead. With eager excitement at being able to breathe again, we both head towards it with a new found energy. As soon we break water we both gasp in air trying to replenish our lungs. We are panting and simply staring at one another. My heart feels like it is beating out of my chest and my mind is reeling a thousand miles an hour. While that wasn’t a kiss we shared back there it seemed way too intimate and I’m afraid I may have enjoyed it far too much. Kai was breathing life into me…saving me yet again. I have got to be careful with Kai. With all the chaos we are going through it would be easy to start having feelings for him. Especially when he keeps saving me and we have this strange electrical chemistry between us. The feeling I get when I touch him can become way too addictive.
Looking down I realize that I’m still holding his hand. I never let go. Even when I thought that I was going to drown I kept a hold of Kai’s hand. Thoughts of Tristan pass through my mind and guilt fills me. I pull my hand away pretending to use it to push my hair out of my eyes. The second that our connection is severed, I find myself feeling cooler and a little more alone. It’s such a strange feeling. As if Kai felt the same loss of warmth he looks into my eyes intensely. I’m guessing he has no explanation for these sensations we feel when we touch.
We are jostled from our moment when a deep voice shouts, “Ahoy there.”
I look off into the distance at a little bridge about 20 feet ahead. There is a man standing on it. He runs and grabs a stark white life preserver and throws it in the water landing a few feet ahead of us. We swim towards it and as we get closer I notice just how small it is; like half as small as it should be. I’m only able to get my arm through it. It doesn’t do me much good but I continue to hold onto it as both Kai and I swim to the side of what seems to be a canal. When we get to shore I roll onto my back trying to get my breathing to return to normal. Kai sits next to me waiting patiently. I feel so out of shape.
“Emma, when you sit up you will see that these ‘people’ are very different from the people you’re used to. I don’t want you to be frightened; they are here to help us. I’ve known them for a very long time. Also, try not to stare…they really don’t like that.”
I nod at Kai confirming I’d heard him even though I’m a bit puzzled.
Kai stands up and gives me a hand to help me to my feet. Once I’m standing I gasp in surprise at what I’m seeing. It’s an entire city built inside this huge seemingly unending cave. With a Venice, Italy type feel, businesses and homes line each side of a rather lengthy canal. The cobblestone sidewalks lead out to townhome style houses with stoops in front of each of them. There are dozens of small businesses with signs advertising food, toys, electronics, jewelry; you name it, they had it. In the center of the town there is a large clock tower topped with a beautiful brass bell. Along with the beautiful houses and businesses there are dozens and dozens of people. Most of which have stopped what they were doing to stare at me.
I guess I can’t really blame them. After all, we just appeared out of nowhere in the middle of their canal in the center of their city. We are intruders. We are soaking wet intruders. I wonder why they aren’t staring at Kai like they are at me.
Kai begins walking me towards the man on the bridge that threw us the life preserver. “Emma, this is a friend I want you to meet; remember, please don’t stare!” He says the last part at a whisper. Mind you we are soaking wet from head to toe, not exactly the attire I want to be in when I meet a friend of Kai’s. In an effort to make myself a little more presentable I try to ring my shirt out and only succeed in getting my pants more soaked. Succumbed with the knowledge that it is what it is, I plaster a smile on my face as we awkwardly walk towards Kai’s friend leaving wet footprints in our wake.
Once we are only about ten feet away from the man I notice something really peculiar about him. He seems to be extremely short and the closer I get the shorter he gets. By the time we are next to him I see that he is only as tall as my waist. I can’t help but stare when Kai introduces me to Adam.
Adam sticks his small hand out in the air confidently, waiting for me to accept it.
I put my giant sized hand in his and stammer, “Umm, pleased to meet you Adam.” I’ve never seen anyone this small. I’m not very tall myself, and yet this man can’t be more than three feet...if that. Other than his height and unusually green eyes, he is quite ordinary looking with graying brown hair and a nose a little too big for his face. His clothes are plain as well with brown tweed trousers and an ivory short-sleeved button up. I would gu
ess his age to be around forty or so which surprises me since he’s a friend of Kai who appears to be much younger.
Adam shakes my hand with a firm grip…and keeps shaking my hand. It’s a bit awkward so I turn to give Kai a ‘help me’ look before my arm gets shaken all the way off. Kai swings his arm around Adam’s shoulders and Adam lets go of my hand finally. He’s not that big, but man can he shake an arm.
“So Adam, where’s the ol’ ball and chain?” Kai asks.
“Ah, you mean Eve; she’s around here someplace running errands. You better not let her hear you calling her that. She may come after you with an iron pan again.”
My face could no longer keep the smile that is threatening my lips. A man named Adam and his wife’s name was Eve…classic!
Adam looks over at me and gives me an angry frown. His face has turned red like he’s going to have steam blowing from his ears at any moment like in one of those cartoons. Grumpy Dwarf from Snow White pops into my head.
“Do you have a problem missy? Haven’t you ever seen someone shorter than you?” Adam asks while trying to stand up taller.
I give Kai a quick glance. He seems a bit humored in it all and steps back a little to see how I handle this.
“Uh, no, I wasn’t laughing at you…well not really at you. I just…short people don’t bother me…not that you’re short or anything…” Oh my goodness Emma, pull foot out of mouth! Did this guy have a short man complex or something?
“I wasn’t even thinking about your…height. I was just noticing you and your wife’s names are very…intriguing.” Yes, I think that was the polite word.
The redness recedes from Adam’s face and is replaced with a giant smile. This time he makes me think of Dopey Dwarf. I’ve really got to stop comparing him with Snow White’s Dwarfs before I get into trouble and say it out loud.
“Ah, I see. Our kind, we love books. We have all taken on names of characters in the books we love the most... Hah! If you think our names are funny, just wait ‘til you meet Romeo and Juliet, now there’s you a couple you don’t want to miss!”
I smile freely now knowing that Adam no longer sees me as an irritating intruder. I was feeling like the cockroach that crawled up a water pipe for a while.
“So, how does the naming work? Are you given these names by your parents…or do you choose your names yourselves?” I inquired.
“Boy she’s full of questions today isn’t she Kai?” Kai gives Adam’s shoulder a squeeze and then he returns to my side.
“Well, missy,” Adam says in his deep voice, “we have our original names, Hawaiian names, but they are usually really long. Here, let me give you an example. Our King, long ago on this island had the name: Kalani Paiʻea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiʻikui Kamehameha o ʻIolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea.”
My eyes got round as saucers as he pronounced this complicated name. I instantly thought of how long it would take to bubble in all of those letters on a Scantron form. I don’t even think they have enough spaces for that! Besides, how would you distinguish which one was your first and which one was your last name?
Adam laughs at my expression and continues. “We would get tired, and out of breath when we tried to get someone’s attention, so we decided to shorten our names up a bit. We still have our original names, but those are kept for ceremonies, business transactions and other important things. Also, for when the old ball and chain is mad! It wasn’t too long ago that we gave ourselves new names. Now, I know what you’re thinking...” He says while raising one eyebrow, “We should have just gone with a shortened version of our names; but what’s the fun in that? Well, we Menehunes, that’s what we’re called, wanted something different, something classy, and maybe a bit spicy.” He gives his hips a small shake and I stifle a giggle. “We made a huge hoorah out of picking new names. Everyone went to the town center,” he gestures behind him at the clock tower, “and held a drawing for new names. You see, as Menehunes, our favorite pass time is reading and we all wanted names from books, comics and magazines. We decided that we couldn’t just pick our names since most of us would be going for the same names and we would have many duplicates. So instead we all wrote down two names each on separate pieces of paper and dropped them into a giant pot. We had two different pots, one for singles and one for the married. We separated them because we figured that the married couples should have names that mimicked the names of literary and other famous couples throughout history. They had to go together; after all it would be odd if I got Adam and my misses got Wonder Woman. Anyhow, after all the names were dropped in we held a massive drawing. The ceremony took over six hours to pick everyone’s names. There was a lot of belly rolling laughter and there were some tears. I was mighty proud when the wifey and I pulled out Adam and Eve...our neighbors, not so lucky.” He kicked some of the dirt underneath his feet.
“What names did they get?” I dared to ask.
A snide smirk crawled up his face, “Let me tell you, the wife did not shut up for days about this one... They’re now known as Kermit and Ms. Piggy.”
I couldn’t hold it and busted up laughing this time. Kai and Adam joined in with me.
"Poor things, everyone else get’s normal names and they are stuck being known as the Muppets.” I laugh again but then think better of poking fun at someone's misfortune. “I’m sorry I laughed. I just don’t think any other name could have surprised me more.”
Adam and Kai glance at each other sharing a knowing look, “We’ll see about that,” Adam said.
“Why didn't they just put in an appeal to change their names?" I ask.
Adam's face grows serious. "There are only two cases in which a Menehune can change their name: when they get married or after the death of a spouse."
A shiver runs up my spine. That would be so sad to loose someone and then immediately change your name. "Oh," is all I say.
Sensing my unease, a grandfatherly smile spread across his lips as he begins walking towards the shops.
As we are walking Adam goes into full-fledged tour guide mode. While we meandered down the streets he named off each of the shops and included little interesting facts about the town. It was cool looking at all the different storefronts and admiring the intricate architecture.
I loosen up a bit during the tour and let go of some of my inner self-consciousness. I never thought I would feel so insecure about being tall. While the people we passed on the street still stopped and stared up at us, they tended to look away quickly catching themselves. I guess Menehunes have been taught the same manners that we learned. Staring isn’t polite.
When we reach the center of the town Adam begins waving his arms at a small boy wearing a blue vest up ahead, “You there, message boy!”
The boy looked like he was contemplating ducking behind a vendor to hide from Adam but I guess he discovered it was no use. He comes around a little sluggishly to stand before Adam who has pulled a small copper coin from his pocket. The boy looked to be around thirteen or fourteen. He was nearly the same height as Adam but he had a much younger complexion with a thin wiry build. His unruly hair was copper toned and he had large, light brown eyes and a short, thin nose. When he noticed me he stood up tall and tried puffing out his chest in an, ‘I’m-much-older-than-I-look’ kind of way. He extends his hand to me. I put my large hand in his and he gives it a kiss instead of a shake catching me a bit off guard. It was a little endearing but mostly just odd due to the size and obvious young age of this boy who’s trying to impress me.
Ahem, he clears his throat and says to Adam, “I didn’t know you had visitors coming in today sir.”
“Yes, this is Emma and of course you know Kai.” Adam replies. The boy nods at Kai but mostly just sizes him up as if he were his possible competition. Then he returns his attention to me, “Mornin’ me lady. I must say that Emma is a most beautiful name. Are you named after Emma Woodhouse from Jane Austen’s novel EMMA?”
I wonder if he tries to throw out classic li
terature at me to make him sound more distinguished but his facial expression doesn’t show anything other than curiosity. “No, my mother picked my name because it means whole or complete. She had said that I completed her life.” I’m not really sure why I shared that but it brought some moisture to my eyes doing so. I can see Kai in my peripheral vision staring at me concerned. I shake the emotions off.
The boy didn’t seem to notice so he continued heartily, “My name is Mr. Revere, but you can call me Paul.”
I try not to smile too much at the fact that he called himself Mr. or the fact that he is a messenger boy and is named after a famous messenger. I wonder if he took up this job before or after he drew his name from the pot. “Nice to meet you Paul.”
“Enough with the pleasantries,” Adam says. “Paul, I need you to go tell my wife, Eve, that we have two humans joining us for dinner tonight.” He tosses the coin in the air and Paul leans to catch it. Then before scurrying away he reaches behind him and pulls out a piece of fabric from his pocket. He covers the word on his vest that said ‘messenger.’ The vest now reads, ‘Occupied.’ I hold back another smile and thought momentarily of a port-a-potty.
Once Paul is gone Kai leans in and whispers to me, “They don’t have phone service so they use messengers to communicate messages between each other.”
“Oh, I see.” I say even though I kind of already figured that part out.
Adam continues walking us towards the town square while telling us more about his people and their way of life. He let me know that Menehunes, pronounced meh-neh-HOO-nehs, are the first natives of the Hawaiian Islands. They built most of ancient Hawaii themselves. They are apparently extremely skilled builders who use their speed and teamwork to build structures in the astonishing span of a single night. They used to roam freely throughout the islands during the day and the night but when the Tahitians invaded Hawaii around 1100 A.D. they subdued many Menehunes causing them to flee to the valleys. The Tahitians were much larger than the Menehunes and did not choose to treat them as equals. For a while the Menehunes just kept to themselves and hid in trees or underground caves like this one. Eventually they began venturing out at nighttime into the cities that were becoming increasingly occupied as settlers flocked to the islands. The Menehunes saw that many of the new inhabitants of the island were good and not like the explorers who first came to the island. When they witnessed someone worthy of a good deed, they would go out and help them by building something for them. It was usually a home or fishpond or an aqua duct, something to help better the person’s way of life. The Menehunes would only do their work at night and in secret. They never revealed themselves to the settlers. If they were ever stumbled upon while they were in the middle of doing their good deeds, they would immediately abandon their project and disappear back to their caves.
“Wow, y’all don’t deserve to have to be in hiding like you are. After all you were here first.” I say after Adam finishes talking.
“Well, Emma, many of us would agree with that. However, we don’t really feel as though we are burdened with ‘hiding.’ It’s not that we are afraid of anything; we’re just a private race. If we are not appreciated, we do not believe in sticking around as our ancestors proved by moving into the valleys and caves when the Tahitians came.” Adam says and then continues, “To be honest, Kai here is the only one of his kind that we socialize with on a consistent basis. You are the only human that he has ever brought with him.”
Wow, that’s a huge statement. If Kai is the only one they trust and I am the only one that Kai has ever brought to their home, Kai must trust me. At least enough to know that I won’t go and tell the world or bring in a camera crew and take videos for YouTube. “Well, I’m truly humbled to be let into your amazing city.” I smile at Adam and then look at Kai trying to send him a telepathic, thank you for trusting me, with my eyes.
Adam nods to me and then looks behind me. I turn around and see Paul running up. “Sir, your wife says this,” he clears his throat and does an impression of a hyperactive woman, “Two humans? You need to get your happy butt over here and help me Adam! You can’t tell me last minute that you invited two humans for dinner and then expect me to cook enough food to fill their colossal stomachs!”
Paul then looks at me and with a blush says, “Emma, I don’t think your stomach is colossal.”
Adam clears his throat loudly and says to Paul, “Please return the message to her and state: ‘Woman, I can invite humans, monkeys, gorillas or whomever the heck I want to dinner. I am entertaining my guests at this time. Now grab those pots that I bought you for Christmas, that you never use, and throw a ton of rice in them; I’m sure that will fill them up. When we get there Kai will help by grabbing the big chairs from the storage shed. PS: Did I mention how hot you look today?’”
Adam hands Paul another copper coin; Paul accepts it and scurries off to deliver the message.
I wonder how he remembers word for word what they say without writing it down. I also wonder how much of it gets lost in translation.
Adam continues on with his tour taking us to the wall of Menehunes history. “So this is where we keep records of all the history of our people.” Adam puffs up proudly as I take in the large wall. It is about ten feet tall I’d say, and runs down the length of a block. It has figures of different people and animals carved into the side showing what looks to be ancient history. “This is where it starts,” Adam says pointing upwards, “and further down the block you will see where we are today. When something monumental happens, we have our artist come and carve a rendition of it on our wall.”
I look up at the vast wall and take in some of the artwork. It truly was a masterpiece all its own. Adam walks down a short distance and touches a particular scene. “This one was a monumental turning point in the history of our people.” Looking up, I see a pictograph of what seems to be a large ship landing on the island. “This is Captain James Cooks’ ship. Yep, he landed here in the year 1778 and brought the first westerners to the island. Because of them, the natives were rippled with disease that swept through the land; so many suffered and died. But, the Hawaiian people remained strong and that did not stop them from overcoming this terrible time.” Adam traced the ship with his fingers seeming lost in thought. Next to the ship were pictures of men, women and children with most of them lying dead while the other’s mourned their loss. “Not all the times were bad, no siree. The Hawaiians became unified shortly after Cook had passed. It was the first time our islands came together as one.” Grateful to move along from the scene that depicted hundreds of corpses, I followed his finger to another drawing showing a map of the islands and people holding hands.
“Excuse me sir?” We all looked over to see Paul standing there winded and out of breathe. “It’s your wife, she wanted me to give you another message.” He cleared his throat and placed his hand on his hip as he spoke in his hyperactive womanly voice again, “Adam, I don’t know what you are trying to pull here, but I have so used those pots since Christmas. Have you seen the size of your belly? Do you look starved? You didn’t give me enough warning to prepare any food so just bring home some takeout. I’m going to the spa.”
Paul straightened his stance a little. It was kind of amusing to see how into the role of Eve he got when he was relaying her message.
Adam gave him a snide smile, “Really. Is that what she said? Well, fine, you tell her this then: We are going out to eat. I’m taking Kai and Emma to the tavern. If you want to see them you can meet us there. If not, well, enjoy your mani-pedi.” Adam tossed another copper coin in Paul’s direction. Paul heaved in a long breath and turned the other way walking with diligence to, I’m assuming, Adam and Eve’s home. I think I am beginning to see why Paul originally had tried to hide from Adam in the town square.
Adam turns back to us and says, “Well, you must be gettin’ hungry; I’m starved. Let me show you a place you’ll never forget.” Adam turned on his heel and began leading us back the way we came
.
You could hear the Tavern across the river. Music was playing and the sound of glass being shattered added an unusual twist to the environment. Making it across the bridge the volume of the noise increased. I look to Kai for a moment wondering if he is feeling the same bewilderment I am. Kai takes my hand and gives it a slight squeeze. Something about him holding my hand gives me comfort. Looking down at my attire I am relieved to find that I am nearly dry now; it might be awkward to go into a Tavern soaking wet!
When we reach the tavern, Adam heads straight in through the door. I can tell though that we are going to have a problem getting through the doorway. It’s only about four feet in height! Kai goes through first crouching and walking somewhat like a duck. I laugh to myself and follow his lead.
When we get through the door the first thing I notice are the TV’s all around the Tavern. They are on every surface of the wall possible. Where I expected to see sporting events, I’m shocked to see reality TV. The Bachelor is playing in one area. Women surround that TV. Another TV is showing Survivor. As we head further inside we pass by three more TV’s that have on what looks to be Jersey Shore, Big Brother and Wipe Out. Looking around I count at least ten different sections with different shows playing. How bizarre, I think to myself, every TV has a clear case surrounding it.
“So, what are you in the mood to watch tonight?” Adam asks, his eyes lighting up. I turn to Kai for help with this one.
“What’s your favorite Adam, that’s where we’ll sit?” Good answer Kai. He seems to always know the best thing to say.
Adam rubs his hands together and walks over to a tall pub table near a television that has a juggling act going on. When I see the red X’s going up over the stage, I know we are going to be seeing America’s Got Talent tonight.
As I’m about to ask Adam what the clear cases that enclosed the TV’s were for, I hear a shattering sound behind us. Instinctively I duck my head to avoid being hit by whatever it was. When the shock subsides I look behind me to find that one of the Menehune women had thrown her bottle at the TV. “You don’t want her, you want Emily! Chantal isn’t good for you!” She’s red with fury as she stomps her feet like a two year old child. “The Bachelor,” Adam grumbles.
An hour later I feel as if I need to unbutton my shorts. Dinner at the Tavern was amazing! Adam took the liberty of ordering a variety of dishes so I could try a little of everything. I am so full now that I feel like my stomach is going to burst. We continue to sit drinking coffee and watching America’s Got Talent allowing our stomachs to settle.
Just as the thought that I’m ready to get down to business pops into my head, Kai starts in, “Adam, we need to go somewhere and talk about Emma.” It’s like he read my mind.
“Come on, hit the buzzer; hit the buzzer! You have got to be kidding me!” Adam’s glass shatters against the side of the TV sending down a rain shower of broken glass. On the show an old man is trying to dance and he obviously does not have talent. We watch as the first X lights up followed by the second and then the third. Everyone in our section cheers, even Kai. I have never seen this side of Kai; he always seems so serious. I guess being out of the danger of the Night Marchers brings a side out of him I have never seen. I’m kind of enjoying it.
“Adam,” Kai begins again.
Adam finally turns from the TV to Kai, “Yeah, I heard you. I just wanted to make sure this bag-o-bones didn’t make it to the second round.” It’s kind of hilarious to watch Adam; it’s like he thinks that by watching and screaming at the TV, he can actually help the judges decide who goes on in the competition and who doesn’t.
“Just put it on my tab Barbie,” Adam yells over to the waitress.
“Let me guess, is her husband’s name Ken?” I asked jokingly.
“Nah, actually it’s George. Her real name is Barbara but she’s much too cutsie for that name!” Adam replies. I wonder if Menehunes keep up with politics and if there’s a couple named Barack and Michelle in the house.
We get up from the table and Kai and I squirm through the door again back into the city. The gas lamps have been lit casting a beautiful glow across the city square. There are small boats rowing down the canal going who knows where. Couples are walking hand in hand talking about their day. It truly is so calm and peaceful out here, not like in the Tavern.
Adam leads us to the bridge and we cross it watching the boats come and go. He takes us to a dock where we stand and wait. “We’re going to take a water taxi to my place. The wife should be back by now,” Adam explains.
A small boat pulls forward coming to a stop next to the dock. It looks like an authentic gondola. Upon seeing it, I’m grateful that it’s a full size one and not a miniature one. It would be embarrassing to sink a boat my first time in this city. The gondolier, who is dressed in a long sleeve shirt with alternating white and black stripes, sticks a long pole in the ground to stop the boat from moving forward. “Ladies first,” Adam says. I get into the boat followed by Kai. There is a section in the front that’s cushioned and very comfortable. Kai and I are able to fit in the front while Adam sits next to the gondolier. Once we’re seated we begin gliding forward.
I look around viewing a tunnel leading out of the main square up ahead of us. The gondolier begins whistling a beautiful tune as he steers us towards it. Realizing just how close I’m sitting to Kai sends butterflies fluttering through my stomach. I work hard to squelch the yearning to touch him and feel that electricity pulse between us again.
We near the tunnel entrance and are greeted with dozens of small torches that have been lit throughout the tunnel system to guide the gondoliers. The ride is so peaceful winding through the streets made of water. Like our road systems on the main land, there are multiple shoot offs from the main tunnel. On the side of each turn off is something that looks like a street sign. I try to stretch my eyes to read them but they are too far away and the lighting is dim.
We continue to make our way down the main canal for a few more blocks before the gondolier begins hastily steering the boat towards a shoot off. It’s not until we are right up on the street sign that I’m able to read its words. It says: Rodeo Drive. I point at the sign to show Kai and we both laugh softly together. I finish my laugh with a long yawn. I hadn’t realized how exhausted I was. Kai puts his arm around me and gives my shoulder a small squeeze. The warm electricity runs through us again and I nestle into the comfort he provides finding my eyelids becoming heavy. I don’t fight the sleep that comes; I just further relax into Kai’s protective arms.