Kimo eased off the gas, the car slowing as their destination came into view. He brought them to a complete stop and waited as a farm truck passed in the other direction before turning into the parking lot, using the same stall he had just a few days before.
“And the election?” Kimo asked, putting the car in park, leaving the engine running a moment longer.
“Chief Tseng said he expects she’ll be announcing a withdrawal later in the week,” Kalani said, raising her cup and finishing the last of her morning beverage. The coffee had long since gone from hot to warm, the bottom a mixture of grounds and non-dissolved sugar. It tasted bitter as it spread across her tongue, her nose crinkling.
“And just like that,” Kimo whispered, shaking his head once more, “the governor gets what he wants. The case all goes away, his opponent disappears, he gets to go on like nothing ever happened.”
Kalani considered the statement a moment before twisting her head, a half-smile growing on her face. “Well, not if you do your job,” she said, nodding towards the recorder still rolling on the dash. “And even if he does, imagine how much fun he’s having trying to explain his nose to people this week?”
A chuckle shot from Kimo as he reached out and took his phone down from the dash. His entire upper body quivered with laughter as he reached into the backseat and grabbed for his bag, pulling it forward and dropping it on his lap. After a moment the laughter receded and he looked across at Kalani, the amusement still on his features.
“Last chance. You know you don’t have to do this. I made the promise, not you.”
“No,” Kalani said, twisting her head, feeling her hair brush against her shoulders. “I want to. I would like to thank Sam for doing his part, and I owe you for what you did.” She paused and again shook her head, reaching for the door. “I still can’t believe Rip called you instead of an ambulance though.”
The comment brought out another laugh as Kimo exited the car opposite her, both of them meeting behind it in the lot. Despite the early hour, most of the parking places were already full, loaded with old farm vehicles and sedans coated in a heavy layer of dust. Behind them rose the warehouse for the Takamini Pineapple Plantation, a faded sign up high on the outer wall announcing it to the world.
“How about you, huh?” Kimo asked, gripping the strap of his bag in front of him, his head aimed towards Kalani. “What are you going to do?”
She met the gaze a long moment before averting her attention past the warehouse, towards the pineapple fields stretched out nearby. In equal rows they sprung from the ground, their spiky tops standing almost two feet tall. Behind them rose the morning sun, a straw colored orb just poking itself above the horizon, splashing down over the fields, pushing its way steadily towards them.
For the first time in months, a sense of peace settled into Kalani. She didn’t know the answer to Kimo’s question, but she didn’t much care. In that moment all that mattered was the day, the promise it held and the beauty it was already producing.
For all the ugliness that she had witnessed in the past week, this was its counterpoint, a moment of vitality to affirm she had made it, and would continue to do so.
Other people weren’t always so fortunate.
“Lucky we live Hawaii, yeah?” she said, already having forgotten his question, absorbed in the scene before her.
Kimo stared at her a long moment before he too turned towards the morning sun just as the edge of it reached their feet, climbing inch by inch up the length of their bodies, painting them gold.
“Yeah,” he whispered. “Lucky we live Hawaii.”
Thank you for reading!
Dear Reader,
First and foremost, thank you so much for taking the time to read Motive, which I hope you enjoyed. This was my first time writing about my adopted home of Honolulu in a number of years, and I hope the added level of familiarity here came across in the story. By and large, I left every location depicted here exactly as I have encountered them, ranging from the Hawaii State Capitol to the Iolani Palace.
As anybody that has ever lived here can attest, there is often a hidden dichotomy at work here. While there is truly a natural beauty and wealth of culture here unlike place I’ve ever been, the opening quote has always seemed especially poignant given that day-to-day life does still occur here, filled with all the usual trappings found elsewhere.
The main storyline in this novel can be traced to two key occurrences, neither of which have anything to do w/ the gubernatorial election currently playing out in Hawaii (that is merely coincidence). The first is my best friend called me from medical school one day and shared some of the info found herein about stem cells. The second is that in my day job I spend a great deal of time at the state capitol building, and once between hearings had the idea that eventually became the opening scene. Around those two, this story was shaped.
Lastly, and with many apologies, I need to ask a favor. If possible, I would welcome a review from you of Motive. As many of you are probably familiar, reviews are the lifeblood of ebook publishing and foster the system for all independent writers. In addition, all feedback I receive is taken very seriously with an eye towards the future.
Much love,
Dustin Stevens
About the Author
Dustin Stevens is the author of The Zoo Crew series, Krokodil, Quarterback, Be My Eyes, Scars and Stars, Just a Game, 21 Hours, Liberation Day, and Catastrophic. He is also the author of several short stories, appearing in various magazines and anthologies, and is an award-winning screenwriter.
He currently resides in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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