by RJ Pritchett
“But I was here first!” he shouted back.
You would think that I would’ve been done with all this fighting and screaming after a while, but no. Yolanda and Dimitri had this unnatural love for each other that required daily fights and arguments. They weren’t always like this. When Dimitri was born, Yolanda loved her little brother, but as these two grew, so did their rivalry.
“You make me sick!” I heard Yolanda shout.
“Then get out of my face and go to the clinic,” Dimitri said back, “you probably need to get a checkup anyway.”
I didn’t need to see what happened next, the sound spoke loud enough to the point that I didn’t need to see it. Yolanda smacked Dimitri so hard that I nearly fell out of bed once I heard it. The sound shocked me for a second, and then I heard him call for me in a whiny voice.
“What the hell, Yolanda?” I shouted, finally getting out of bed. After sliding into my slippers, I walked to the bathroom where Yolanda stood in front of the mirror.
“Did you hear what he just said to me?” she asked.
“Yes, but still… keep your hands to yourself,” I sighed. I was trying to get a couple more hours of sleep before our flight, but that turned out too good to be true as I suspected the night before. These kids never gave me a day to sleep in. “I always tell you that. Keep your hands to yourselves. Always.”
I saw Dimitri stick his tongue out and walk away.
“Well, he shouldn’t be…” I couldn’t concentrate on what Yolanda was saying because I noticed something on her right wrist when her sleeve pulled back as she went to wrap her hair into a ponytail.
“What the heck is that?” I whispered, pointing to the mark. Before she got a chance to answer, I closed the bathroom door so Dimitri couldn’t hear our conversation. “What happened?”
“What’s what?” Yolanda looked to see I was pointing at her wrist, “Oh, this?” she looked at the mark, “Leslie and I had a fight. We’re not together anymore because of it.”
“I had a feeling Leslie was no good for you,” I said, rolling up her sleeve to get a better look at the bruise. It was very big, and I can see my daughter wince when I traced my finger around it. I shook my head at the thought of Leslie… “That… bitch.”
“Don’t worry, you don’t have to worry about Leslie anymore. I broke things off… We’re done. For good this time,” my daughter assured me.
Yolanda and Leslie had a complicated relationship for the past year and a half they’ve been together. Leslie and I never really got along. The reason for that is… I could just sense that something was wrong… I couldn’t put my finger on just what was wrong, but something was strange about Leslie. I felt it, and my suspicions have been proven true seeing the bruise on my daughter’s wrist from a fight that they had. How many other bruises did my daughter receive that I don’t know about?
“We should press charges.”
“No, Mom. It’s fine,” Yolanda said, “I just want to move past this whole situation. We’re over. My only focus is this Hawaii trip. Maybe my future husband is out there waiting for me.”
“Future husband, huh?” I said… my mind was still on that bruise, “Okay.”
“Yes, Mom. Now can I get myself ready in peace?” Yolanda said, “By in peace, I mean without you or the little worm irritating me.”
“I think we should leave her,” Dimitri shouted from the living room as soon as he heard the bathroom door open, “it’s probably her time of the month or something like that.”
“Don’t talk like that,” I yell to Dimitri before looking back at my daughter, “Okay, Yolanda. Suit yourself. I’m only trying to help,” I closed the door behind me as I walked out of the bathroom.
I got breakfast ready for my kids… well, not really. I grabbed two boxes of cereal from the pantry and a gallon of milk from the refrigerator and put them on the table next to the bowl of fruits that I keep replacing but nobody eats. I hoped that would keep them quiet while I got some extra sleep, but nope. Another argument was destined to happen. When Yolanda finally got out of the bathroom and made her way to the kitchen, I heard her shout, “You psychopath! Why are you pouring your milk before adding the cereal? Who does that?”
“I does that,” Dimitri said proudly, “pouring the milk second makes your cereal soggy quicker.”
“Mom, your son is going to grow up to be a serial killer!”
“I know,” Dimitri said as the dry cereal was being poured into the milky bowl, “I’m going to kill this cereal.”
“Did you kids finish packing?” I yelled out to break up their fussing.
“Yeah,” they both said, Dimitri with a mouthful of cereal. I wasn’t expecting that answer.
“Eww,” Yolanda said. I don’t know why, but I assume that Dimitri unintentionally got some of the cereal in his mouth on her. Yolanda yelling out, “keep your mouth closed next time!” is what sort of gave it away.
I was really nervous about this trip. My heart thumped every time I even thought about it. I haven’t seen my family in person in so long. I haven’t been home in years, since Thanksgiving about nine years ago, but that seems like a lifetime ago. Dimitri was turning three and Yolanda was twelve. She loved Hawaii, and I remember her giving me a hard time because she wanted to stay. I can see us reliving that moment if Yolanda falls for one of those boys out there. I wouldn’t mind her staying in Hawaii this time around though. She’s practically an adult, and my dad will definitely take the best care of her. If she stays, that’s just one less child to deal with. And maybe Dimitri and Yolanda’s relationship would get better if they missed each other. I smiled at that thought as I drifted off to sleep. I packed my bags and got my clothes ready ahead of time, just so I can get more time to sleep. Hopefully, these kids let me sleep without fighting again.
I woke up when my alarm told me to -which was nice for a change. I showered and blasted the radio while I was getting dressed.
My kids were all packed and ready to go, Dimitri was killing time by playing one of his video games and Yolanda was on the phone with her friend, probably bragging about the upcoming trip to Hawaii. Maui to be exact. My family actually lived on Oahu, the same island I was born on in Honolulu. However, my dad wanted us to stay at a house he was renting in Maui. Maui is -in my opinion, the most beautiful of the Hawaiian Islands. Dimitri and Yolanda were out of school for the summer and I was on vacation for the next three weeks.
When I was ready to leave, Dimitri offered to carry my bags to the cab. Dimitri was probably one hundred pounds soaking wet, but I let him carry the bags anyway. I have to admit it was kind of funny to watch him struggle but pretend he wasn’t struggling. Mommy’s little man. Yolanda laughed and ridiculed him while she recorded it with her phone.
“My brother is such a dweeb,” she said, laughing.
We got to the airport in about thirty minutes. Surprisingly, there were no arguments during the entire cab ride. I sat in between Yolanda and Dimitri, and Yolanda kept her headphones in her ears to block out the cab driver. The cab ride was really nice, but the cab driver talked way too much for my liking. I ended up giving the guy four stars instead of five for that very reason. Sometimes, there’s nothing better than an antisocial cab driver. Dimitri told me that he thought the cab driver had a crush on me and teased me about it for the next two minutes. I grabbed my own bags and carried them into the terminal before Dimitri or the cab driver could offer.
“How long is this flight going to be?” Yolanda asked, “I don’t know how long I’ll last on a plane next to Dumb-mitri.”
“I think it’s going to be ten hours,” Dimitri said, obviously not hearing his sister properly, “and don’t worry, I don’t want to be on the plane with you either. You’re the one who snores in your sleep.”
“You’re the one who snores while you’re awake,” Yolanda shot back.
“You’re the one who-”
“Okay, stop it. You don’t have to worry about that the other person is doing because I’ll be in betw
een you two,” I said to stop this from escalating any further, “how about that?”
“Whatever,” Yolanda said, “not really going to make a difference.”
“Unlike Yolanda here- I have manners, so I’ll say thank you. Thanks, Mom. You’re the best,” Dimitri said, giving me a high five. Is there a better feeling than your kid appreciating how awesome you are? If there is, I don’t know it.
We boarded our plane at around three o’clock. Dimitri sat next to me, playing his little video game while I read a book… a great book too. I forgot what it- no, I know… it was The Girl on The Train. I remember because I thought of this little joke while reading it: ha, it’s funny that a girl on a plane is reading The Girl on The Train. Corny, I know. But at the time, I thought it was funny. I mainly loved to read about victims of abuse. It was a world that I was all too familiar with after my relationship with the father of my children. I’m not even going to describe what I been through, but that man put me through a lot. He was an alcoholic and a very angry alcoholic. I knew I couldn’t have my kids looking up to a guy like that, so I had to leave him alone for good. It’s not easy walking away from a toxic relationship, but once you do, it’s one of the best decisions you will ever make for the rest of your life. That’s a lesson that I’m glad my daughter made with Leslie. Nothing worse can come from leaving a negative person behind in life. My kids’ father, he remarried. God bless that woman’s soul.
The flight seemed to end quicker than ten hours, mainly because Dimitri and I slept for most of the trip while Yolanda kept vlogging or whatever these kids do these days with their phones. I finally got a nice extended nap without Yolanda and Dimitri’s bickering. I woke up refreshed in the beautiful land of Hawaii. The sunlight was everything as we walked to the terminal. I love New Jersey, but Hawaii’s beauty is unmatched. The air is just so pure here, the smell is different, everything is different in Hawaii -in a good way. Kahului airport welcomed my kids and me with open arms. Even baggage claim didn’t give me hell like it normally does when I fly anywhere. I just knew that this vacation was going to be amazing.
“Aloha!” a loud gruff voice said, almost giving me a heart attack, “Aloha, ‘ohana!”
“Aloha- Dad!” I said when I turned around to see the big Polynesian grizzly bear behind me. My dad was a heavyset man with tan skin, gray facial hair and fading gray hair at the top. He was definitely balding, but he just was too stubborn to let the hair go completely. His scarlet red Aloha shirt, white shorts, and flip-flops made him look like a large stereotype. The only thing he was missing was a lei around his neck. My dad sure looked happy when I turned around. He grabbed me and held me tight in his arms.
“I missed you, Maaria,” he said looking around and smiling, making his way over to Yolanda, “Ah, Dimitri. My you are so big now. Nice hair.”
“Grampa, I’m over here!” Dimitri said, laughing.
“Huh? Oh. Sorry. These old eyes aren’t what they used to be.”
“Only ten minutes in Hawaii and my grandpa is already embarrassing me,” Yolanda said to her phone, “Say ‘hi’ to the people, Grandpa.”
“Aloha!” my dad said, waving at himself on camera, “Who am I talking with?”
Yolanda laughed, “We’re on Instagram live.”
“Is that a TV show?” my dad asked, and we were all in knots. What made this whole thing even funnier is that I knew for a fact that my dad was serious. He was sixty years old, and he only got a smartphone because his wife talked him into it. That’s mainly how we kept in touch over the years. “What is this show about? Are we supposed to play pranks on each other?”
My dad’s name is Halo Akamu. It’s spelled H-A-L-O but pronounced Hollow. If the phrase ‘gentle giant’ was in the dictionary, it would be a picture of… probably a panda bear beside it. My dad wasn’t as gentle as he came off. I’ve seen him in action before. He once threatened to give a man a colonoscopy with his foot. Not my dad’s foot, the man’s foot. I’m not even sure if that’s possible, and if it is, I don’t want to imagine the procedure. My mother was always able to calm him down though. She was his… Betty Ross. The only reason I know that reference is because Dimitri loves his superheroes.
When my mom passed away, my dad was the most heartbroken of all of us. Credit to my sister and brother for taking care of him around that time. I don’t know if I was able to put up with the way he was acting for too long. They were much stronger and had way more patience than me. Leilani was my dad’s new wife, and she was the biggest factor in healing my father’s broken heart. That was a relationship that I absolutely hated, but seeing how happy my dad was with her in his life made me appreciate Leilani a lot more. “Let’s go, family. Leilani’s expecting...” his voice trailed off. Maybe was thinking about something.
“Yeah, I’m ready to go too,” I said without giving him a chance to continue.
My family and I walked out of the airport and I basked in the sunlight on the way to my dad’s rental car. Seeing Hawaii for the first time in years was a breath of fresh air both literally and figuratively. My dad ended up carrying my bags to the trunk of the car, and he didn’t struggle one bit. Dimitri was impressed, I could see it in his eyes. I can’t believe how lucky I was to be born in a paradise like this. Seeing the Kukui, Banana and Eucalyptus trees during our ride to the house took me back to all those years ago the last time I was here. It’s such a beautiful place and while riding in my dad’s car, I wondered what on earth made me leave. I then thought about my kids’ father. I couldn’t believe I let my ex-husband talk me into leaving all of this behind. How? I still don’t know. I guess love makes you do some crazy things.
“Can we go see the volcano one of these days?” Dimitri asked.
“Only if you’ll jump in it,” Yolanda laughed.
“Don’t worry, lava can’t hurt me. I’m already surviving the heat of your breath.”
“Okay, stop it, kids,” I couldn’t help but giggle, “be nice to each other at least until we get back home.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” my dad asked, “They’re siblings. That means they’re natural enemies.”
The car slowed down in front of a large and expensive looking house. My eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw it for the first time.
“Wow,” Dimitri said.
“Close your eyes a little bit before they pop out of your head,” Yolanda said. I thought she was talking to me, but it turned out she was talking to her brother. “As a matter of fact, keep them open and let them pop out. I want to see something.”
When we got out of the car, my dad shook his head and ran to the back of the car. He wouldn’t let me lift a finger to carry my bags, and he eventually convinced Dimitri to take out Yolanda’s bags before his own. I don’t know how, but Dimitri listened. My dad then offered to carry both of our suitcases. Chivalry wasn’t dead as long as my dad was alive. My mom would always say that. He treated her like his Queen, the way he always told me that my future husband should always treat me no matter what. If the man doesn’t respect the woman he loves, the man doesn’t exist. That’s a phrase that my dad always planted in my head as a kid. A man is no man if he doesn’t respect the woman he claims to love. I needed to hear those words many years ago.
The doors to the large house opened and Leilani walked out, looking young and elegant as she did when I last saw her. Seeing her pregnant belly made my jaw drop though. I did not expect that. “What? Are you kidding me?” I said, flabbergasted. I looked at my dad. “How did this happen?”
“You already know how babies are made, Maaria,” he said, changing my entire expression from shocked to annoyed. That was my dad, always a comedian when he wanted to be.
“You know what I meant,” I said, as my dad wrapped his arm around Leilani and kissed her on her temple. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I did,” my dad said, “at the airport. I told you that Leilani was expecting.”
“… I thought you meant that she was expecting us…” I said. Ho
w can he deliver great news so casually like that? Sometimes, this man drives me crazy. “Well, Congratulations!” I said moving to hug her.
Leilani is my dad’s second wife. She and I were born in the same year which made me hate their relationship. I thought it was creepy that my dad, out of all of the beautiful women his age on these islands, would end up dating a woman the exact same age as his daughter. To be honest, their relationship might have been what kept me away from home so long. When I found out, I was disgusted. They had the nerve to invite me to their wedding, but I didn’t show up. I was pregnant with Dimitri at the time and I made up this lie about how I didn’t want to fly while pregnant. They understood. My younger sister Aaliyah and my younger brother Kona went because they didn’t hate Leilani as much as I despised her, and they never left Hawaii. Well, Aaliyah moved to New York for a couple of months, but she tucked tail and flew back to Hawaii once she experienced her first blizzard. Okay, I digress… back to Leilani and my dad. You know what? Now that I think about it, I wasn’t really mad at her. I was more so mad at him. My dad knew better. Why the hell would he do that? You know how embarrassing it is to have your parent marry a person the same age as you? It’s disgusting. I don’t care what they say, age should be seen as more than a number in some situations when both people are of age. My dad called me crying one day saying that he missed me and that he’s sorry about the whole Leilani situation. He told me about how Leilani was there for him when my mom passed, and how she’s helping him handle his emotions enough to keep living. She’s motivating him to eat healthily and take better care of himself because he did gain a lot of weight after my mom passed. After having that conversation, I had no choice but to accept them. I eventually got over my emotions and flew out for the birth of my new baby brother Kiko, who was a little younger than my son. That was the last time I was here. That Thanksgiving.
“Thank you,” Leilani said, rubbing her belly, “this came as a surprise to me as well when I took the test. We weren’t even sure your father could have any more children, but here it is. Our little miracle child.”