CHAPTER 6 (NEW FRIENDS)
When I awoke the sun was beginning to set and twilight had already kicked in. Sitting up, I hear a knock at my door.
“Hey sleepy head,” my dad calls as he opens my door and peaks in.
“Hey dad, sorry I slept so long.” I rub my eyes as he comes into focus. “I must have been really tired.” I say while stretching my arms up overhead.
“Well, I hope you’re not too tired for dinner!” Dad says.
“Of course not!” I say. “What did you end up cooking?”
“I didn’t cook anything honey, but the caretaker made something Hawaiian that smells amazing!”
I must have missed something between the time I went to sleep and the time I woke up. “I didn’t know we had a caretaker,” I say while wiping the sleep from my eyes.
“Neither did I, but I guess that’s one less thing we have to worry about. The caretaker’s name is Alani and she will be taking care of the cooking and cleaning and anything else we might need. The Kealoha’s introduced me to her before they left.”
“Wow, seriously dad? I feel like I left poor and arrived rich. This all seems so unreal. Are you holding out on me? Why are they giving us such royal treatment...?” I raise my eyebrow in a joking manner and say, “Dad, you didn’t join the Hawaiian Mafia did you?”
My dad chuckles and gives me the same expression he always does when I speak way too fast. “Sorry honey, you aren’t a Mafia princess...yet.” He says jokingly. “I doubt Hawaii even has a Mafia. Anyhow, the Kealoha’s are truly going way out of their way to be hospitable. I don’t think I’ve ever been treated like this on a job. Of course, I’m normally not hired by rich people.”
“Well, dad, you have my permission to go into the employment of the wealthy anytime. Hmm, I wonder if Donald Trump has any ghosts or goblins haunting his pad?”
“Ha! Well, thank you for your permission honey. By the way, I’m just as amazed by this set up as you are. When I saw all the new camera and recording equipment in my room I seriously felt like I needed to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming.”
“Well, stop doing that; I’m perfectly fine with it staying like this,” I laughed. “If it’s a dream, I’ll stay asleep for a while longer.”
My dad holds his hand out to me and helps me off my bed. I straighten my dress by smoothing out the wrinkles as we head off to the kitchen, which I might add is equally as impressive as the rest of the house. It too has a modern feel with dark cherry cabinetry and stainless steel appliances. An island made of black granite is centered in the middle with a pot rack placed above it holding numerous copper pots and pans of different sizes. The industrial size fridge looks to be teenager worthy and upon seeing it my stomach growls a bit reminding me that I haven’t eaten since the plane ride. A large ebony table surrounded by six padded chairs is strategically placed next to the sliding glass door which overlooks a beautiful walkway that I’m assuming must lead down to the beach.
I hear a door shut in another room and a few moments later a pleasantly plump Hawaiian woman who is a few inches shorter than me enters the kitchen holding three ripe tomatoes in her hand. Her black hair is streaked with grey and pulled back into a tight bun. She’s wearing a Hawaiian dress that reaches down to her feet and has a red apron draped over it. She has that sweet motherly ‘I’ll-bake-you-cookies’ look about her. When she spots us a warm smile spreads across her face. Instantly I can tell that I’m going to like this lady. She sets the tomatoes on the counter, wipes her hands across her apron and heads towards us.
“Hello Alani,” my dad says with a smile. I guess her smile is contagious which is great because my dad doesn’t smile quite enough.
“Hi Alex!” Then she turns her sights on me and says, “and you must be Emma!” She doesn’t wait for me to confirm, she just greets me with a long hug. She smells kind of like lavender, which reminds me of my mom.
Pulling away as if to survey me, Alani puts her hands together and says, “Oh Alex, you have such a precious daughter! Although, we need to put some meat on these bones!” Alani smiles at me and puts her hands on my cheeks. “Just beautiful,” Alani gleams.
I feel the heat rise to my cheeks. “Thank you,” I reply. “It’s very nice to meet you Alani. Thank you for making us dinner.” I have known her for less than five minutes and already I feel like she’s family. Her welcoming personality makes her one of those people that you can instantly love.
She smiles and says, “You are very welcome young lady.” She heads back towards the stove to stir some type of sauce that is bubbling in a large copper pot.
Just then the back patio door slides open. My breath hitches a little when I see a young man about eighteen or nineteen years old enter the house. His muscles are straining as he carries a large basket of fruits to the kitchen island. He’s about a full head taller than me with rich chestnut brown hair that looks all messy yet right at the same time. His skin is the perfect tone of caramel showing off his love affair with the sun. Along with blue board shorts he’s wearing a white t-shirt that says, ‘Man Over Board,’ with a little stick figure on top of a surfboard. He puts his hand on Alani’s shoulder and she looks at him affectionately then nods in our direction. When he turns around our eyes meet and we lock onto each other for a few seconds. His eyes are an unbelievably gorgeous color of aquamarine. The light seems to hit them just so to make them sparkle perfectly. Wow, he’s so GQ I think to myself. I realize that I’m staring so I look down quickly and blush.
When I look back up he adverts his eyes as well and I think I see a hint of crimson under those tanned cheeks.
Alani notices the exchange. She smiles and says, “Tristan, this is Emma. She is Alex’s daughter.”
Tristan crosses the kitchen towards us. “Hi Emma, it’s nice to meet you.” He smiles showing off a set of perfect, dazzling white teeth.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” I reply.
He turns towards my dad and says, “Mr. Townsend, it’s good to see you again as well.”
My dad smiles at him and says jokingly, “Yes, long time no see.” I guess he must have met my dad earlier while I was sleeping. It might have been nice of my dad to warn me that there was a boy in the house. I could have put some lip-gloss on or something.
A short awkward silence fills the room. Alani clears her throat and says, “Tristan, why don’t you take sweet Emma and show her the beach while I get these fruits sliced up for dinner. Don’t be long though, we’ll be eating soon.”
Tristan looks at me, “Is that all right with you?”
“Sure, let me just get my sandals.” I say.
The corner of Tristan’s mouth rose showing two dimples with his smile, “Shoes aren’t really necessary. The beach is much nicer when the sand is between your toes.”
I think I hear my dad groan. “Oh, okay,” I say feeling the heat in my cheeks.
Tristan walks towards the door and holds it open for me. What a gentleman I think to myself. He led me down a cobblestone path towards the sound of the waves. Twilight had overtaken the night dancing soft light from cloud to cloud. I could hear the waves crashing softly against the shore and the cool night breeze blowing through my hair smelled wonderful.
Tristan decides to break the silence once we reach the waters edge. “So, my mom didn’t tell me Alex had a daughter.”
“Oh. Sorry to surprise you.” I say and look down. I wonder if he thinks it’s a good surprise or ‘a whatever’ surprise. I suddenly get self-conscious. Which is totally goofy, I shouldn’t be flustered by anyone, but he’s so darn hot I can’t help myself.
“No, I didn’t mean it like it was a bad thing. I mean, it’s a good thing. I just didn’t know....” Tristan rambles.
I look at him and raise my eyebrows. I guess I’m not the only one who’s getting a little ruffled which makes me feel a tad better.
He adds, “Sorry, It’s been a long day and I’m just rambling.” He blushes and looks out towards the waves.
; I nod, “I understand; I took a nap earlier and I still feel a bit out of it. You know if you would like, we could just go back in. You don’t have to feel obligated to show me around.”
“No, fresh air is exactly what I need to wake me up a little. In addition, I’m looking forward to getting to know you Emma. After all, it isn’t often that we get visitors on this side of the island.”
I wonder why not; it’s gorgeous out here. “OK, well, thanks. I am looking forward to getting to know you as well. I’m glad that there is someone close to my age around here.”
“How old are you?” Tristan asks.
“I’m about to turn eighteen in June.” I reply.
“Oh, are you going to go to Kapaa High School?” Tristan asks.
“You know I originally thought about it but my dad and I agreed that home school might be best. I’m only a few month’s from graduation and I don’t really feel like picking up and starting at a whole new high school. We picked out an online home school program where I can work at my own pace. The instructor who reviewed my transcript and entrance test thinks that I can probably be finished and have my diploma within a month.”
“That’s cool. I didn’t know you could home school online. Well, if you need any help with any of your studies, just let me know. I’m really good at math.” Tristan states.
“Thanks, I might just take you up on that.” We stopped walking and I smiled up at him. I guess if he’s offering to help me study, that must mean that he wants to spend more time with me. Or, maybe he’s just trying to be nice. Either way it doesn’t matter I tell myself, he’s just a boy, a really good-looking boy. I look away and we both start walking again further down the beach.
The sand feels amazing beneath my feet. It’s exfoliating my skin like a salt scrub during a pedicure. I take in the scenery around me. Off in the distance is a lush, tropical rainforest shrouded in darkness except for a few brief flashes of flickering light. I try to strain my eyes to find the light source when at the same time a few more flashes of light appear amongst the trees. Odd, I think to myself. I look to Tristan for an exclamation, but he didn’t seem to notice it. I begin to ask him what it was, but think better of it. It’s probably just some adventurous travelers. I shiver a little. I sure wouldn’t want to venture into the unknown forest when it’s nearly dark.
Tristan matches my pace step for step as we continue walking along the beach, listening to the waves crash against the shore while the sand runs between my toes. I jump back and squelch a yelp as a crab runs over my foot. Tristan grabs hold of my shoulders trying to stabilize me. I stomp my feet up and down making sure there are no more crabs coming to eat me. Tristan begins laughing at my ridiculous show. Slightly frustrated he finds this amusing; I kick the water up from my foot, which lands directly on Tristan’s front.
“Hey,” Tristan playfully yells.
I try and suppress a smile attempting to put on my most serious face, but it’s not working…Man, I would suck at poker! I’m unable to contain my laughter as Tristan chases me up along the beach, both of us splashing water at the other. In that moment I feel like a small child, gleefully playing on the beach with not a care in the world. I forget about leaving everything I’ve ever known, I forget about missing Kaylee, and best of all, I forget about the crabs that run along the beach. By the time our energy begins to fizzle we are both drenched from head to toe in a mixture of water and sand. We both laugh at the ragged appearance of the other.
Seeing that the risk for possibly getting even more waterlogged is nonexistent, I plop onto the sand and lay down on my back looking up at the stars. Tristan relaxes as well and joins me, putting his hands under his head.
“I never knew there were so many stars in the sky,” I say. “There’s something about seeing the vast number of them all at once that makes me feel meek and small.”
Tristan ponders this for a moment before he lets in, “Yeah, I know what you mean. I don’t think there’s anything more humbling than the thought of just how small the universe really makes you feel.”
We lay like this for a few minutes more just gazing at the twinkling star-show that surrounds us. I watch Tristan’s hand as he points a few of the constellations out.
I remember going to the planetarium back in Texas and watching a show all about the stars. The instructor would point out the major constellations and how to find them in the sky at night. Kaylee and I rushed home that evening and drug our sleeping bags out to the backyard feeling like we were experts in astronomy. It seemed like every cloud in the entire world came that night to rain on our parade. We tried for many nights to get a good view, but none ever came. The sky in the city just can’t compare to the sky before me now.
“So,” Tristan says breaking the silence. “Do you like to surf?” I listen for the playful badgering in his voice but find none. I laugh not believing he’s serious asking a girl from Texas if she likes to surf.
“What?” Tristan playfully questions.
“No, I can’t say that I do…well, honestly, I’ve never tried. The most ‘surfing’ I’ve ever done is boogie boarding along the murky costal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. And, I have to add that those waves are miniscule compared to the ginormous waves I’ve seen here.”
Even after my explanation Tristan inhales dramatically in theatrical disbelief, “You’ve never surfed before?”
I shake my head no, shrugging my shoulders.
“Well, that’s it then. I’m going to have to take you out and show you how. After all, these waves are some of the best waves in the world. Not too many people have ever gotten the opportunity to surf these beauties.”
I instinctively grit my teeth. I’m not the most coordinated person, and for Tristan to believe I can surf is preposterous but then again he barely knows me. I bite my lip trying to come up with an easy let down as to not disappoint him. Still searching for the perfect excuse, Tristan interrupts my though processes, “Emma, I wont take no for an answer. You have to try it, even if it’s just once. If you’re not busy, maybe you can come with me tomorrow morning. I’ll walk you through the entire process before we even get in the water. You’ll probably be surfing like a pro before the day is out.”
If Tristan weren’t so cute it would be easier to say no. But, looking at how pleading his face is I find it difficult to stand my ground. I take a deep breath and finally agree, “Okay, fine. I’ll do it. But you have to promise not to laugh!”
Tristan purses his lips together for a moment before he agrees, “Okay, no laughing. Scouts honor.” He puts three fingers in the air.
I smile at his gesture; it’s boyish, but sweet. Shaking my head a little, I can’t believe he actually convinced me to make a fool of myself. It truly is a recipe for disaster. I offer up a quick silent prayer that I don’t embarrass myself too much tomorrow, or better yet that I don’t get hurt.
Looking at his watch, Tristan gets up and offers his hand to help me up as well. As we head back to the house I try to wipe the sand from my clothes, but it’s of no use. Once we get back to the house Tristan and I part ways to take a quick shower before dinner.
Clean and hungry, we take our places at the kitchen table to dig into the amazing Hawaiian feast that Alani has cooked up for us. I look around at all the amazing dishes she has prepared; it seems like all the colors of the rainbow are represented. I do my best not to pig out too much, after all Tristan’s at the table and I really don’t want to embarrass myself. The food is amazing so it takes a whole lot of restraint to hold back from chowing down like a starved puppy. At the end of our meal I sit back, feeling satisfied and think to myself, a girl can really get used to this.
Night Marchers Page 7
