by M.M. Shelley
Chapter Ten - Kana’i
The name above the restaurant was Alohilohi Alepo’I. Grasiella had left G’s house early the next morning, giving Tatiana, who grumbled at her with the sheets pulled up over her head, a quick goodbye. Alohilohi Alepo’I was supposed to be one of the best spots on the island to grab a quick bite to eat.
She still hadn’t shared with G her experience with the over-whelming sadness. Grasiella thought it would be best to forget it for the moment. It would probably be a good idea not to summon anything more in the future. She wasn’t someone who would become unnerved easily but this one time she was, at least for now.
Shrugging off the uncomfortable feelings, she looked up at the menu, which didn’t look at all appetizing. On the top of the menu was Fu Young, which was a variety of scrambled dishes, Lung Har Lobster, Mongolian beef, Moo Goo Gai Pan made with sliced noodles and chicken. She decided on one of the scrambled dishes. She wasn’t sure what it consisted of but thought she would take a chance and hope for the best.
As she waited for her order at one of the bar stools near the pick up window, a teenage boy about six feet two inches walked in with a swagger in his step. His hair was black, with a streak of blonde running down the middle. His hair was cut short and spiked in the front. He sported a giant tribal tattoo on his left arm, which traveled down from his shoulder to his elbow. His eyes were amber and very similar to Kye’s. Grasiella watched as he placed his order in Hawaiian. He sat on the stool next to her as he waited for his own order. He did not spare her a glance. His black tank top clung to him and showed off some very well developed muscles. Her cell phone rang, and the caller ID showed that it was Tatiana. “Hey where did you go this morning?”
Grasiella told her and listened as Tatiana shared with her the details about her night swim with Kye. Grasiella half listened as she was more interested in the guy who sat on her right. After she hung up he turned to her, a sharp look in his amber eyes. “Haole?” he asked. It was the Hawaiian word for foreigner.
After turning a bright red at being asked such a direct question, she answered sarcastically, “No, I’m not particularly religious”
He gave her a thorough looking over and chose to ignore the sarcasm and play it straight. “This is a local spot,” he said, challenging her because he wanted to see what she would do and he was intrigued. Few women challenged him.
Not sure what to make of this, Grasiella sat straight up in her bar stool, looked him straight in the eyes and answered, “My grandmother is a local.” She couldn’t fathom why this man was being so rude to her. He didn’t even know her. She wanted to drop kick him off his seat.
She held back instead, continuing in a vastly superior tone, “She’s lived here longer than you’ve been alive, so I believe that makes us more local than you.”
“I’m just saying, only locals come here. Haoles stay over on the other island,” he responded, feeling more and more out of his depth.
The other island Grasiella knew to be Oahu. Kauai was more intimate. Tourists would normally stay up at the resort in Princeville, maybe play a round of golf or visit the boutiques.
He tried to look bored as he sat waiting for his order to be called up.
“I’ll be sure,” Grasiella taunted, “to come here more often.”
He turned to her. “You do that.” His eyes roamed her body. Grasiella was about to make a smart retort but was stopped as her order was called up.
He stayed right behind her. As she turned to focus on the clerk, she noticed the uncomfortable look in the clerks’ eyes as he intently diverted his gaze from the man who stood behind Grasiella. He must be some kind of bully she thought. He took his order and opened the door for her to exit before him. “How long are you going to be on the island?” he asked her.
Before she could respond, a group of kids made their way into Alohilohi Alepo’I. One of them stopped, giving a quick hello to the guy Grasiella had just become incredibly annoyed by.
“Kana’i! You’re back on the island,” one of them said before entering the restaurant.
So that was his name. Grasiella thought. Kana’i, pronounced Kay on E. She folded her arms in front of her. As the door closed behind the group, she answered Kana’i’s question, “Kana’i,” she said. “I’ll be here on the island for as long as I want.”
“I ask because a lot of places here don’t welcome Haole’s and that’s what you are. It doesn’t matter that your grandmother lives on the island.”
“Funny, I haven’t had an issue with anyone until now, but thanks for your concern.” Grasiella responded in a deadpan tone.
He shrugged his left shoulder. “Guess you’re lucky I came along to protect you,” he said, smiling as he walked away. She watched in frustration as he walked down the street with his swagger.
Jerk. She thought.
It didn’t take Kana’i long to reach Kye’s home in the hills. It was a small place made out of adobe. The windows were open, as was the door. Kye was sitting on a wooden chair cleaning his surf board.
“I brought breakfast,” Kana’i said, as he made use of the table by dropping a white plastic bag in the center. “Nice of me, don’t you think?” It wasn’t asked as a question. It was said as a statement of fact. Opening the bag, he pulled out a burrito wrapped in cellophane and handed it over to Kye, who look disinterested, so Kana’i left it on the table and grabbed his own burrito out of the bag. “What was with you and the Haole out on the beach this morning?”
Kye didn’t look up as he finished the task of cleaning his board, “You don’t own the beach Kana’i.”
After taking a bite from the burrito, Kana’i sat down on one of the wooden chairs, “When are you going to fix up this place? Get some decent chairs?”
“If you don’t like it, then don’t sit.”
Not liking his cousins’ attitude, Kana’i replied, “I come to the island and this is how you greet me?”
Looking up from his work, Kye stated, “I can’t keep you from here. Unfortunately, it’s as much yours as it is mine.”
“You talk too much with the Haoles. You’re starting to sound just like one. We were raised to be respectful to this island to value it and the old ways.”
“She didn’t raise me. She raised you.” Kye was referring to their grandmother. Pele raised Kana’i as her heir. She took him under her wing with the belief that the Hawaiian Islands were rightfully his. She raised him to believe that one day the Haoles would leave, and the Islands would be restored to the natural order of things.
Kana’i was usually over on the Big Island, where he could use his fire and learn how to control it. Kye preferred to live on Kauai, away from his grandmother and Kana’i. Kye lived in the real world, not their mythical world. The Haoles weren’t going to go away. Kana’i and their grandmother had to learn to accept them. “Why are you here Kana’i? What reason did she give you to come here?”
Finishing up his burrito, he decided to help himself to the one he brought for his cousin, “I’m looking for someone, Sita Knook.”
Kye sealed the can of wax and propped the board up against the wall. “Never heard of her, who is she?” He turned back to his cousin with his arms folded.
“Who cares? She’s trouble.”
“Trouble for who? Pele?” Kye responded, thinking who would dare give the goddess of fire any trouble? Her temper was fierce once provoked. “Why would you look for her here?”
“I’m not the only one looking for her. I just need to be the first one to find her, and you, cousin, are going to help me.”
Kye now had his hands tucked in his pockets. “If it will get you off my island faster, I will.”
“Good.” The burrito finished he announced, “Check with your people; give them the order to find her.” Rising from his seat, he pushed the chair under the table, “Oh and one more thing little cousin, that Haole you brought to the beach. Don’t bring her back. They have their place on the island, and its not there at that beach.
”