by Karen Badger
“I’m not sure what a movie is, or a computer for that matter, but I promise that what you see around you is real. And it is the year eighteen eighty-four. Frankie was not lying about that.”
Spencer put her fork beside her plate and sat back. She stared at the hands in her lap for several long moments. “This is all so overwhelming. If I could only remember…”
“Give it time, Red. It will come back,” Frankie assured her.
“You’re obviously not an islander. Do you know where you’re from?” Leilani asked.
Red shook her head without looking up.
“Based on her accent, my guess would be the northern states,” Frankie said.
“That’s quite a journey from there to Hawai’i,” Leilani remarked. “Between the train ride across the country, followed by the boat ride to Hawai’i, it must have taken you a month.”
“We flew. It took less than a day,” Spencer replied.
“There is no way could you make to Hawai’i in less than a day. You’re joking, right?” Leilani asked.
“Not at all. Like I said, we flew.”
“What does that mean? You flew? Like a bird?”
Spencer nodded. “Yes. That’s what I mean, only the airplane was much larger than a bird.”
Leilani looked at Frankie. “Frankie, did you hear what she said? Could the head wound be causing such delusional thinking?”
Spencer leaned forward. “I’m not delusional, Leilani.”
Frankie reached for Spencer’s hand. “Lei didn’t mean anything by that. She’s just concerned about you…right, Lei?”
Leilani sat back in her chair and read the message Frankie silently communicated through her gaze. “Of course I didn’t mean anything by it. I apologize.” Leilani squeezed Spencer’s upper arm. “And Frankie is right. I am concerned about you.”
“Red, you said we,” Frankie said.
Spencer was confused. “Huh?”
“You said we flew. Clearly that means someone else was with you while you traveled.”
Spencer’s forehead creased into a frown. “I did say that, didn’t I?” She sat back and inhaled deeply. She looked back and forth between Frankie and Leilani. “That means I’m not here alone. I’m not alone.”
Chapter 8
Spencer stepped into the kitchen holding an armful of clothing she had been given by the chief. She was wearing a very short holoku folded in half around her waist, and the string bikini top she was found in on the beach. Frankie and Leilani were at the sink, washing and drying the dishes they had used for breakfast.
“If you point me in the direction of the washing machine, I’ll get my laundry done,” Spencer said. “I’m running low on things to wear.”
Leilani did a double take when she saw what Spencer was wearing. “Ah, I would not recommend going outside dressed like that.”
“My goal is to wash these clothes so I don’t have to. And by the way, what’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Spencer asked.
“Nothing if you don’t mind being called a wahine hookamakama,”
“A hooka…what?” Spencer said.
Frankie handed the final plate to Leilani to dry before she addressed Spencer. “Wahine hookamakama. It means prostitute.”
“Excuse me?” Spencer exclaimed.
“When the white man first began invading the islands, they offered money and goods to the Hawai’ian women in exchange for sex. The women dressed very much like you are right now to lure the sailors in,” Frankie explained.
“But I’ve seen countless photographs of Hawai’ian women dressed like this,” Spencer said in her own defense.
“You must have seen them on the mainland. We have seen few photographs here on the islands,” Leilani said. “Regardless, the folded holoku you are wearing is much too short, and the maikai barely covers your bosom and leaves little to the imagination. If your intention is to attract a mate, then subtle but flattering attire is more appropriate. The holoku needs to be won properly, no higher than knee level and more than just your nipples need to be covered by the garment you wear on top. Quite frankly, what you are wearing now…”
“This bra covers more than just my nipples!” Spencer exclaimed.
“Just barely. Look,” Leilani continued, “I get that you’re not from here, and heaven knows, where ever it is you are from, it might be common to dress like that, but here on the islands a certain reverence is due to the Goddess Pele, and reverence is expressed both internally, and by what we present externally.”
“You guys don’t wear knee-length holokus. In fact both of you wear men’s attire.”
“We are not your typical natives. Being na wahine, or lesbian has its advantages. The natives know where our hearts lie and because our preferences are similar to men, we can get away with dressing like men. Trousers are infinitely more comfortable than holokus.”
“Your insistence on wearing trousers is what put thoughts in the chief’s head about you possibly being na wahine,” Frankie explained.
“He said that?” Spencer asked.
“Yes, he did.”
Spencer tilted her head back and sighed. “Look…I’m not trying to attract a mate, and I have no clue if I’m na wahine or not. All I want to do is wash these clothes.”
Frankie sought to rescue Spencer from her partner. She took Spencer’s arm and led her to the back door that opened onto the lanai. “The wash and rinse basins and wringer are out here on the lanai. The soap is in the cabinet there. You can get water for the basins from the pump in the kitchen. If you’d rather use warm water, you’ll need to heat it on the stove. The clothes can be hung over that line in the yard. The sun is strong here and they will dry in little time.”
Spencer’s brow creased into a deep furrow. “Are you telling me I have to wash these clothes by hand?”
“Is there another way?” Frankie asked.
“How about a washing machine?”
Frankie chuckled. “I’m afraid we are years away from getting such luxuries on the islands. We have recently heard news of electric clothes washers on the mainland, but here, we still do it the old fashioned way, with soap and a washboard.”
“Ugh! You have to go through that process every time?”
“Every time,” Leilani confirmed.
“I need to get more clothes. Is there any chance I can find work nearby? Work that will still afford me the time to figure out who I am and where I belong?”
“That’s not a bad idea, but until then, I will lend you some of my clothes. We are about the same height, and heaven knows I have enough clothes to dress an army,” Frankie said.
“I’ll vouch for that,” Leilani added.
“Okay. I appreciate that, but I still need to wash these.” Spencer grimaced and pushed the door open to the lanai.
“Aloha.”
The greeting drew Leilani’s and Frankie’s attention to the main entry into the house.
“Papa!” Leilani said. She ran to her father and pressed her nose to his. Both of them inhaled at the same time to exchange the ha, breath, of life and to share their mana, or spiritual power between them.
“Keikiwahine, it is good to see you home. How was the meeting with the council?”
“Not good, Papa. They are nervous about the threat that lurks offshore. We will need to watch that situation closely and be ready to react if necessary.”
“What do you propose we do? The last thing we need is a war, especially with Makenna.”
“I don’t have a solution, Papa. It is something the entire council will have to weigh in on. I only hope we have time to act before the opposition does. The council has agreed to convene in two weeks.”
“Very good.” He turned to address Frankie. “Dr. Wetmore, how is our patient?”
“Chief Kanhanamoku, don’t you think it’s time you call me Frankie?”
“No, I think Dr. Wetmore will do.” The chief tweaked her nose and smiled. “It suits you. So, how is Red?”
“She’s making a remarkable re
covery. In fact, she talked this morning about finding work so that she has funds to buy clothing.”
“Is that so?” the chief asked. “I may have some work for her. Let me give it some thought. For now, I need to get back to the congress and report on the council meeting.”
“Maybe I should go with you, Papa. I can tell them firsthand what happened at the O’ahu meeting,” Leilani said.
“That would be good, keikiwahine.”
Leilani kissed Frankie on the cheek. “I won’t be long.”
“I am making loco moco for dinner tonight,” Frankie said.
Leilani grinned. “Then for sure, I won’t be long. Aloha.”
“Aloha,” Frankie replied.
Spencer stood as still as possible on the lanai, just outside the kitchen door. She had listened with interest to the conversation going on just a few feet away.
So Leilani is the chief’s daughter? I didn’t see that coming!
I wonder what this threat is that sits offshore? Whatever it is, it sounds like it’s bordering on war. I need to get out of here before something erupts that I can’t escape. I need to find a way to get off this island and back to civilization. I don’t know what’s going on here, but this island appears to be beeping in a different orbit.
Chapter 9
Spencer came in from hanging her laundry on the line. “From this point on, I will forever to be in awe of the frontier women who had to wash clothes by hand,” Spencer said. “Give me a Wi-Fi connected automatic washing machine and dryer any day.”
Frankie shook her head. “You are an odd woman,” she said.
Spencer raised her hands to the sides. “What?”
“You still think it’s two thousand nineteen, huh?”
“I have to admit that it looks like the eighteen eighties here…at least what I think the eighteen eighties might look like, but I know things that you claim haven’t happened yet.”
Frankie thrust her palm forward. “Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know the future.”
“So you believe me?” Spencer asked.
“I didn’t say that, but even if it is possible, I don’t think it’s healthy to know the future.”
Spencer looked around. “Where is Leilani?”
“She went to speak to the congress with the chief.”
“You didn’t tell me the chief was your father-in-law.”
“Well, technically, Lei and I are not married.”
“Yes. Of course not. According to you, it’s eighteen eighty-four. Same sex marriage wasn’t legalized in Hawaii until two thousand thirteen.”
Frankie cocked her head to one side. “How is it that you can remember all these historical details that you say have happened, yet you don’t remember your own name?”
“Beats the hell out of me. It’s been what…two weeks since I was found on the beach, and I still don’t know who I am. I’m here to tell you, that scares the shit out of me. I worry that I may never remember.”
“Is it common for women to cuss all the time where you come from?” Frankie asked.
Spencer blushed. “I’m sorry. It’s just that all of this scares me. I don’t like feeling so vulnerable.”
“You have also been cooped up either in the chief’s house, or here for those two weeks. I think if you go out and about, something may trigger a memory.”
“I’m glad you said that. I couldn’t help but overhear Leilani say that she was going back to O’ahu in two weeks. I want to go with her.”
“What do you expect to find on O’ahu?”
“Maybe nothing…maybe my memory.”
“Red, you don’t think you washed up on the shores of Kauai all the way from O’ahu, do you? O’ahu must be almost a hundred nautical miles from here.”
“I…I don’t know, Doc. To be honest, I’m looking for confirmation. I mean…I want to know if O’ahu is like this.”
Frankie put her hands on her hips. “Are you suggesting that someone is intentionally making you think you’re in eighteen eighty-four here, and you expect O’ahu to be in two thousand nineteen? You can’t possibly think that is possible.”
“I don’t know what to think, Doc.”
***
“Wow, Doc. This is good. What did you call it?”
“Loco moco. It’s a popular Hawai’ian dish,” Frankie replied.
“It’s good, love,” Leilani added. “You’ve outdone yourself this time.”
“I tried a new recipe for the beef gravy. I’m glad you like it.”
“I would have never put rice, a hamburger patty, a fried egg and beef gravy together in one dish, but damn…this is good. I’ll have to remember this one when I get home,” Spencer said.
Frankie reached across the table and took Leilani’s hand. “I had to relearn how to cook when I met Lei.”
“You’re a fast learner,” Leilani said.
“How did you two meet?” Spencer asked.
“I came to Kauai five years ago. I was on a retreat of sorts. I finished my schooling in America and then took a month off before starting a practice. As it turned out, the woman I was seeing at the time chose my graduation as an opportunity to leave me, so I came alone. That turned out to be fate because I had been in a relationship when I arrived here, I probably would not be with Lei today. Anyway, the chief talked me into staying on the island and to open a practice in Princeville.”
Leilani squeezed her hand. “For me it was love at first sight. There before me was this petite, curly-haired angel. You stole my heart right from the start. Pele was certainly looking after my best interest when she brought you to Kauai.”
“Praise, Pele,” Frankie said.
A stabbing pain shot through Spencer’s head. “Oh, my God!”
“Red, what is it?” Frankie asked.
“I…I don’t know.” Praise Pele. Where have I heard that before? Spencer closed her eyes and tried to make sense of the confusion that filled her mind. Praise Pele. I see a celebration…maybe a wedding. What is happening here?
“Red, are you okay?” Frankie asked again.
Spencer opened her eyes and looked at Frankie and then at Leilani. “I think I had a flashback. I was at a wedding. A Hawai’ian wedding. I can remember someone saying the phrase, ‘Praise Pele’.”
“Ah, and so it begins,” Frankie said. “I think your memory is beginning to return.”
“But it was just a flash,” Spencer said.
“Or maybe it’s a beginning,” Leilani offered.
***
Spencer, Leilani and Frankie took a walk along the shore after dinner. At one point, Spencer lagged behind collecting seashells, as Leilani and Frankie continued along the shoreline.
“What do you make of Red’s recall at dinner?” Leilani asked.
“It’s obvious to me that her memories are beginning to come back,” Frankie replied. “This could be a one-time event, or it might be a flood gate. Time will tell.”
“Frankie, do you think it’s possible…”
“Do I think it’s possible that she’s from the future?” Frankie finished her sentence for her.
“Well…do you?” Leilani asked.
“That’s a pretty unrealistic concept.”
“Yes, but still…”
“Hey, guys. Look at this awesome shell I found.” Spencer ran to join them and then extended her palm to share her treasure.
“Wow, mother-of-pearl. That is a rare find,” Leilani said.
Spencer shoved the shell into her pocket and then had to pull the waistband back up, as the action pushed them off her hips. “I need to get some clothes.”
Frankie lifted the front of Spencer’s shirt and tightened the drawstring around the waist band of the pants Spencer was wearing. “Sorry about that. We might be the same height, but you’re thinner than me. There—that should do it,” she added.
“Thanks. Don’t get me wrong—I appreciate you lending them to me, but I need to find a job so I can buy some new clothes,” Spencer said.
&nb
sp; Leilani touched her arm. “I’m glad you brought that up. My father mentioned that he may have some work for you. Is there anything in particular you’re interested in doing? Did you have any hobbies before you washed up on our shores?”
“Sorry. I’m drawing a blank on that one.”
“That’s okay. I’m sure Papa will find something for you to do. Do you feel like you’re well enough to spend at least a few hours a day working?”
“Only a few hours? I was thinking maybe full time,” Spencer said.
“Red, it’s only been two weeks since you were found with a pretty severe head wound. I think part time is a good start. You can always add hours later when your body is ready to handle it,” Frankie explained.
Leilani looked out across the ocean. “It looks like we’re going to have a nice sunset. Maybe we should head back before it gets dark.” She took Frankie’s hand, and together, they walked side by side with Spencer, back in the direction they had come.
“So, Leilani, I understand that the chief wants you to go back to O’ahu in a couple of weeks,” Spencer said.
“Yes, he does.”
“I’d like to go with you. Maybe I can help with whatever it is you need to accomplish while you are there.”
Leilani stopped walking. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. We are dealing with an issue that might be dangerous…especially for haoles.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Leilani walked on, still hand-in-hand with Frankie. “Let’s just say we are dealing with a hostile enemy…a native hostile enemy and I don’t think it would be good for you to be there.”
“Why not?”
“Well, for starters, it involves politics, and having a non-native involved may not be a good thing.”
“I still want to go. I am hoping to find some answers to my memory loss there.”
The three women walked in silence for the next few minutes. Finally, Leilani turned to Frankie. “What do you think?” she asked.
Frankie glanced at Spencer before answering. “Physically, she should be okay to travel in two weeks. I don’t know that it will hurt her to go.”