Was her own bitterness taking her in the same direction Duncan and Nahele had gone? She wanted to be rid of this. She glanced up at Jenny. “Is Curtis handling the interview?”
“He wants you to do it. He thinks the reporters would rather ask him about Duncan than the communication with Nani.”
Kaia winced. Curtis had been hit hard by his younger brother’s arrest and attempt to kill Faye. “I’ll do my best,” she said.
“I’ll stall them until you’re ready.” Jenny touched her on the head and went back to the office.
Kaia glanced up as she left. Her grandfather was here. He stopped to speak to Jenny then continued on toward where Kaia sat on the dock.
“Curtis said you’d be out here,” Tutu kane said.
She scrambled to her feet. “Is something wrong?”
Her grandfather was somber, a state she seldom saw him in. “Bane has asked me to call a ho’oponopono for tonight. I want you to be there.”
Kaia brushed the debris from her shorts. “It’s been ten years since you’ve called one of those.” The last time, Bane and Mano had been fighting over the same girl and had refused to speak to one another for two weeks. Kaia gulped. If she had talked to her grandfather about how she was feeling, he might not have resorted to such a drastic measure. Refusal wasn’t an option, though she wanted to ignore the summons.
“Is our mother coming?” she asked cautiously.
“Of course.”
Great. Just great. The ho’oponopono was all about forgiveness and healing breaches. But in spite of her dismay, a thrill ran along her spine. Part of her longed to see her mother again. Her mother—Faye, she corrected herself—had caused too much pain and suffering. She had no idea of the damage she’d left in her wake. How could she? Her parents had never left her. They’d always been around to love and support her. Faye had no frame of reference to even understand what she’d done.
“I can see the wheels turning,” her grandfather said, laughing. “You think too much sometimes, Kaia. You’ll be there.” It was a command, not a question.
“I’ll be there. Even if I don’t want to be.”
“I think I already knew that.” Her grandfather dropped a kiss on her head, then left her by the water.
Kaia glanced down at Nani. She had rolled to her side, and one eye peered up at Kaia as if to judge her temper. “You should be very afraid,” Kaia told the dolphin. “I’m mad enough to bite lava in two.”
Nani bumped against her, and Kaia remembered how lethal her head butt had been to the shark. It was hard to reconcile the loving sea mammal nudging against her with the deadly torpedo that had saved Kaia’s life.
Later, Kaia introduced the reporters to Nani then answered their questions. They snapped what seemed like hundreds of pictures of her with Nani and the other two dolphins. Jenny joined her for several group photos as well. It had all seemed so important once upon a time, but now her personal problems outweighed her joy. By the time the crowd was gone, she was exhausted. How could she face the evening ahead?
She’d wear her new red mu´umu´u, she decided. It would give her courage. She hurried home to shower and change. Hiwa met her at the front door. The cat wore a satisfied expression as she sat on the rug and licked her whiskers.
“What have you been into?” Kaia asked, stepping over her pet. She glanced around. The cat had knocked the picture of her grandmother from the coffee table to the floor. Kaia picked it up and scolded Hiwa, who continued to groom herself without concern.
Kaia left off berating the cat and hurried to change her clothes. Was tonight going to be the beginning of a new phase of her life? She felt on the cusp of something momentous, and part of her wanted to crawl in her closet and hide. Her life had been going along just fine so far. Why did everything have to change? She scrubbed her teeth with particular care.
Hiwa followed her down the stone steps to her grandfather’s cottage. The evening breakers were rolling to shore, the white foam they left soaking into the sand. Her mother’s Volvo was parked in the driveway, and Jesse’s Jeep was just behind it. Why had he been invited to gang up on her? Kaia wanted to turn tail and run back up the steps to the safety of her house. She was about to be bombarded from all sides.
Everyone looked up when she entered the living room. She didn’t know which pair of eyes to gaze back into. She focused on her grandfather’s face. He was safest. She found a seat across from Jesse.
Her grandfather stood. “Let us open with prayer.” Bowing his head, he lifted his hands. “Father God, we your children ask your divine intervention. The power of forgiveness lies in you alone. Give us your love and wisdom today and guide us this day. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.” He dropped his hands and folded his arms across his chest. “Today, at the request of my grandson, I have called this ho’oponopono to settle a dispute between Paie and her children. Which of you will begin?”
Not her. Kaia couldn’t look at her mother or Jesse.
“I will.” Her mother stood. “I beg the forgiveness of my family for the wrongs I’ve done to them. I offer no excuses for what I did. I was wrong.”
“I give you aloha, Makuahine,” Bane said after a slight pause. “I release any anger and bitterness to God.”
“Same here,” Mano said.
“Say the words of forgiveness, Mano,” their grandfather said.
“I give you aloha, Makuahine.” Mano looked up and met Faye’s gaze.
Her brothers turned to look at Kaia with an expectant expression. If she said the words, would it make them true? She stood and clasped her hands in front of her. “I want to forgive.” Kaia tipped her chin up and stared into Faye’s sorrowful face. “You have no way of knowing what your desertion did to me. How it made me afraid to let a loved one out of my sight. How I seek everyone’s approval and can never seem to have enough of it.”
Kaia’s voice rose until she was almost shouting.
Her mother closed her eyes and sank back against the cushion. “I’m so sorry, Kaia.”
“Calmness, lei aloha,” her grandfather said softly. “Sit down. Breathe deeply and ask God to heal your heart as we talk.”
Kaia sank to her chair and buried her head in her hands. She would like to be rid of this load she carried, she suddenly realized.
“I want to ask you something,” Bane said. “When you sin against God, what do you do?”
“I ask forgiveness.” She thought she knew where he was going with this. “But He’s God. I don’t have His infinite grace and mercy.”
Her brother stared at her a moment, his weathered face impassive. “Do you know how God feels when you hurt Him, Kaia? Do you fully understand what your sin does to Him? And what about Nani? Does she understand what you mean when you pat her and tell her you love her? Do you know if she feels betrayal or pain when you leave her?”
She was beginning to get a glimmer of what he was trying to say. He was right. She had no idea if her sin truly hurt God. Kaia bit her lip. “We are two different species.”
“Exactly. There is no way for her to fully understand you or your emotions. And no way for you to understand her. All you can hope for is a distant echo of meaning and intent to come through. Just as your mother doesn’t know how you felt when she left, so you can’t really understand the pressures that drove her to do what she did. You say you would never do what she did, but we are all human and share a common frailty, Kaia. We all have a weakness, an area where we are most prone to sin. Hers is no worse than yours or mine. As God forgives us, we are to forgive others. Free aloha. No strings attached.”
Kaia shut her eyes as her brother’s words penetrated her heart. Did her willful sin affect God the way her mother’s had hurt her? She’d never considered the fact that God could feel pain. It was so easy to forget Him, so easy to get caught up in life.
“Can you forgive, lei aloha?” her grandfather whispered. “Forgive as God would have us to do?”
“I want to.” Fresh tears leaked from Kaia’s face. She ope
ned her eyes and looked at her mother. She vaguely remembered a somber time in the house when she’d been told her daddy was never coming home again. She’d found her mother looking through a photo album with black streaks of mascara running down her face. Kaia had crawled into her mother’s lap and demanded a story. Her mother had wiped her eyes with a tissue and gotten out a Dr. Seuss book. She’d swallowed back her tears, but Kaia knew now the pain had still been there.
In that moment, Kaia realized how utterly solitary every person is. Who knew what went on in her heart except for God? Like her brother said, all she could grasp were distant echoes of the reality experienced by those she loved.
Her mother’s eyes glistened with tears, and her soft, pink mouth trembled. “Forgive me, Kaia,” she whispered.
Kaia nodded. “I give you aloha, Makuahine. I release the anger I feel to God and ask Him to heal it.” Saying the words brought a rush of tears to her eyes. She was free. The heady knowledge sapped the strength from her knees as she rose.
Her mother stood at her approach. She started to raise her arms then faltered. Kaia opened her own arms, and her mother’s face lit with joy. She rushed to embrace Kaia.
The scent of her mother’s perfume wafted over her in a welcoming rush. She’d never been close enough to Faye to notice the perfume before, but its scent was familiar. Kaia felt the weight she’d carried for years melt away.
She released her mother and stepped back. Her grandfather beamed at her. The approval in his dark eyes lifted Kaia’s spirits even more. Her gaze sought Jesse’s.
“Do you have something to say to me?” he asked.
She nodded. “In private though.” She finally dared to glance into his eyes and look away. The love shining there deepened the blue of his eyes.
“I don’t know. I think I’d like to hear it too,” Bane said. “What about you, Mano?”
She stuck out her tongue at her brothers. “Want me to sing a love song?”
Bane backed away with his hands held out. “Anything but that!”
Oke grinned. “Perhaps my granddaughter should grovel in front of all of us for putting Jesse through so much worry.”
“Not a chance, brahs.” She held out her hand to Jesse. “Let’s go check on Nani.” Jesse grinned. He rose and took her hand. They walked to the lagoon hand in hand.
He stopped by the lagoon and took her in his arms. “I love you, my beautiful mermaid, even if you’re too young for me, even if you can’t carry a tune in a water bucket, even if I have to put boots on to walk through your house. I’d adore you even if you smiled at me with raspberry seeds stuck in your teeth.”
“Eww!” She smiled up at him. Happiness bubbled inside her like a hot lava spring. The unconditional love shining out of his eyes enveloped her in a warm glow. “I love you,” she said softly. “You were right. We couldn’t build a future with so much of the past holding us down. We’ve got time to build it with the right foundation now.”
“But not too much time,” he whispered. “I want to marry you. Soon.”
The endless blue of the sea matched the eternal aloha in Jesse’s eyes. As Nani rose on her tail and danced through the waves, Jesse took her in his arms, and her heart danced with her dolphin.
Hawaiian Language
Pronunciation Guide
Although Hawaiian words may look challenging to pronounce, they’re typically easy to say when sounded out by each syllable. The Hawaiian language utilizes five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and seven consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, w). Please note that sometimes the w is pronounced the same as v, as in Hawai’i.
a - ah, as in car: aloha
e - a, as in may: nene
i - ee, as in bee: honi
o - oh, as in so: mahalo
u - oo, as in spoon: kapu
Dipthongs: Generally, vowels are pronounced separately except when they appear together:
ai, ae - sounds like I or eye
ao - sounds like ow in how, but without a nasal twang
au - sounds like the ou in house or out, but without a nasal twang
ei - sounds like ei in chow mein or in eight
eu - has no equivalent in English, but sounds like eh-oo run together as a single syllable
iu - sounds like the ew in few
oi - sounds like the oi in voice
ou - sounds like the ow in bowl
ui - an unusual sound for speakers of English, sort of like the ooey in gooey, but pronounced as a single syllable.
Characters:
Anaki (ah-NAH-kee)
Bane (BAH-nay)
Kaia (KIGH-yah)
Liko (LEE-ko)
Mahina (MAH-HEE-nah)
Mano (m-AH-no)
Nahele (nah-HAY-lay)
Oke (OH-kay)
Paie (PIE-ay)
Words used in this series:
aloha (ah-LOW-hah): a warm Hawaiian greeting or parting; love, grace, sentiment, compassion, sympathy, kindness, affection, friendship; to show kindness or to remember with affection.
aloha nô (ah-LOW-ha-NO): expression of sympathy
auê (au-(W)EH): uh-oh, or oops
brah (bra): brother
haole (ha-OH-lay): white person. Can be a slur depending on tone.
he aha ke ’no (HAY-ah-ha-KAY-ah-no): What is the kind? Meaning, what kind of nonsense is this?
ho’oponopono (HO-oh-PO-no-PO-no): ritual of family therapy. Literally means “to make things right.”
imu pit (EE-moo): pit for roasting a pig at a lu’au
keiki (KAY-kee): child
keikikane (KAY-kee-KAH-nay): son
lei aloha (lay ah-LOW-hah) beloved child
mahalo (mah-HAH-low): thank you. Heard everywhere in the islands, even when something is announced on the loud speaker in Kmart.
makuahine (mah-koo-ah-HEE-nay): mother
makuahini (ma-koo-ah-HEE-nee): mother
makuakane (mah-koo-ah-KAH-nay): father
‘ono (OH-no): a popular fish for eating
tûtû (too-too): grandma.
tutu kane (too-too-KAH-nay): grandpa
Acknowledgments
Sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe I’m fortunate enough to work with the fabulous WestBow Press team: Allen Arnold, Ami McConnell, Jenny Baumgartner, Amanda Corn Bostic, Lisa Young, Scott Harris, and Rebeca Seitz. God is so good to allow me to partner with you. Being a member of the family has been a dream come true. You all are the best!
No book is all it can be without great editing, and I get the best that’s out there. Ami McConnell has a laser-sharp mind that sees to the heart of any character I create. You have made my work shine and made me better than I am. Your friendship has made my life sing.
My thanks to Erin Healy, freelance editor. You deserve the highest praise in the editing world: I can’t tell where my words leave off and yours begin. Thanks for your wonderful attention to detail.
What can I say about my agent, Karen Solem? Without you, I’d be nowhere. You’re more than a great agent; you’re a wonderful person whose friendship I treasure. Thanks for keeping me calm, making me stay focused, and delivering a swift kick when needed.
My first line of help and encouragement is my critique partners: Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter. Your e-mails keep me sane, make me laugh, and make me better. Thanks for praying and for telling me when my scenes need more work.
A special thanks to Dolphin Quest at the Hilton Waikoloa on the Big Island. I actually got to touch their own Nani. The Hilton was a fabulous place to stay as well and I thank them for the aloha they extended.
Not many wives are fortunate enough to have a husband like mine. Dave prays for me, carts me to book signings, reads every word before it goes to the editors, and supports my career in every way he can. I love you for all those things, but even more for being a man who loves and follows God.
And all my love and thanks to God, who opened the doors and has held my hand every step of the way.
Black Sands
BOOK
TWO IN THE ALOHA REEF SERIES
Annie Silva, a quiet, studious mouse of a girl, has always been content to bask in the glow of her more flamboyant brother and sister, and to assist her father in his volcano research. Annie does, however, have a secret crush on Mano Ohana, though he’s never noticed her. Her devotion turns to disdain after a mistake by Mano kills her beloved brother. But when her younger, more beautiful sister goes missing, she’s forced to turn to her former love—now her sworn enemy—for help.
ISBN: 0-7852-6043-9
Also Available from Colleen Coble
THE ROCK HARBOR SERIES
Without a Trace
BOOK ONE IN THE ROCK HARBOR SERIES
Bree Nichols won’t rest until she recovers the lost bodies of her husband and son, who were killed in a plane crash.
Meanwhile, the quiet town of Rock Harbor is disturbed by a violent crime. Bree soon discovers a personal stake in the solving of the murder, and in the course of her investigation, discovers links to her husband’s plane crash. Could solving the crime bring her peace with her own loss? Or, more incredibly, reunite her family?
ISBN: 0-8499-4429-5
Beyond a Doubt
BOOK TWO IN THE ROCK HARBOR SERIES
Bree Nichols is finally beginning to settle back into the routine of life in the quiet town of Rock Harbor after the death of her husband and reunion with her son, once thought to be dead. While rebuilding her relationship with her son, Davy, Bree embarks on a remodeling project alongside the area forest ranger, Kade. They discover a skeleton that launches them into a decades-old missing person’s investigation. With Bree’s hopes for quiet routine shattered by frightening personal attacks, she must work feverishly to find out who is after her, and why.
ISBN: 0-8499-4430-9
Distant Echoes Page 29