by MJ Brannigan
“Here we are,” Kamea said, as she pulled her truck next to a rusty old beater of a car. Chickens scattered away from their wheels, and a big brown dog barked a greeting as it came down from the lanai, then satisfied at the new visitor, turned around to lie down again.
A small lady stepped out of the already-open door, dish towel in hand, squinting in the low, late afternoon sun. Seeing it was Kamea’s truck, she raised a hand in a small wave to come in.
* * *
“Hi, keiki! Nice you come by!” Auntie said as she received a hug from Kamea. “Did you get some good eatin’ fish for tomorrow?”
“Sure did, Auntie!” Kamea replied, with an enthusiastic smile. “A big Ono and a Mahi-mahi in the cooler.”
“Oh, wow. That’ll be nice! We’ll have a good time tomorrow. Everyone’s gonna be here.” Auntie replied.
“And who’s this pretty lady you brought?” Auntie asked, as she set down the dish towel and walked over to take Rebecca’s hands in hers.
Kamea watched as Auntie looked long and quiet into Rebecca’s eyes. She hoped it wouldn’t freak Rebecca out too much. Auntie was kind, but often blunt. She would just say things that would leave you wondering what she was talking about long after you left her to go home.
“Hmm...” Auntie said, looking into Rebecca’s eyes, moving her head from side to side, looking all around her face, her hair. “Pretty, yes,” And stepping back, still holding her hands, Auntie looked her up and down as though she was deciding whether to buy her or not.
“This is Rebecca, Auntie,” Kamea interjected in the midst of what might be an uncomfortable examination for her new friend.
“Hi, Auntie. Nice to meet you.”
“Hello, sweetie,” Auntie replied, looking intently into Rebecca’s eyes.
“Hmm... rainbow.” Auntie continued. “I think you gonna see a rainbow sweetie, and it’s gonna tell you what you need to do.”
Rebecca looked at Kamea, and then back to Auntie, a small nervous smile giving her slight discomfort away.
“Auntie! Don’t scare her off,” Kamea said, laughing, and remembering Auntie had also given her advice to watch for a rainbow sign not that long ago. There are always rainbows on Maui—maybe Auntie was losing it a little, she wondered—giving everyone advice about rainbows?
Auntie turned to Kamea, smiling and squeezing Rebecca’s hands before letting them go. She raised a hand in a playful gesture to Kamea, waving her off. “Auntie just sees things when she meets people, no worries, keiki.” she said, with a sweet, sing-song note in her voice.
“Rebecca had an accident out on the rocks along the north shore this morning,” Kamea explained to her Auntie.
“Yes—Did Kamea tell you how she found you today?” Auntie turned back to ask Rebecca.
“Um, well, no. I just assumed she was paddling by in her kayak and saw me stuck out there.”
“Did she tell you ‘bout the rainbow?” Auntie asked further.
“No, why?” Rebecca replied.
Kamea thought she should explain; “Auntie told me about a rainbow sign just a few weeks ago, but there are always rainbows on Maui. So after a few days of me lookin’ out, and not seeing anything unusual, I stopped thinking about it. This morning a rainbow that started up over Haiku ended in the surf spray where you were. If I hadn’t followed the rainbow down to the rocks, I might not have noticed you at all.”
She watched as Rebecca moved her hands behind her, seeming to feel for the kitchen chair and sit down to relieve the weakening in her legs.
“No worries, sweetie. When you see a rainbow—a special rainbow just for you, it’s gonna be a good thing, a happy thing. Nothing dangerous,” Auntie interjected.
Rebecca nodded. “Well, I guess I have both of you to thank for my even being here. I don’t know what might have happened if you hadn’t…” she trailed off.
“See what I mean about things being magic here?” Kamea said. “It’s all good. Good things are gonna happen. Better things than ever before. You’ll see,” she continued.
With that, Auntie told Kamea to bring the fish around back. “Did you want Uncle Leo to gut ‘em?” she asked.
“No, I’ll do it, Auntie. Maybe you can give Rebecca a little kava while I’m out back takin’ care of the fish. That will help to ease her mind and body a little.”
“Sounds like a good idea, keiki. Then we’ll all have some together when you’re done,” Auntie replied.
Kamea, with a caring, gentle touch, put her hand on Rebecca’s bare shoulder as she stopped for a moment before going back out to the truck. “Doin’ okay?” she whispered, giving her a gentle squeeze.
“Yes. Yes, thanks.”
Kamea nodded a smile as she turned to head outside. She realized that besides having put her arm around Rebecca to comfort her while she held onto the kayak for dear life, she had brushed the hair away from her forehead, squeezed her hand as she offered it, placed her hand on Rebecca’s arm in the truck, and again now. In the short span of time since they met, she had felt compelled to touch her; wanting to comfort her. Rebecca smiled up at her as she did so, and for a moment there was a look—the look that held too long might make for discomfort. But the discomfort never came; just a lingering look into each other’s eyes, and a slight warming inside. A warmth Kamea hadn’t felt in such a long time.
She let her fingers trail along Rebecca’s shoulder as she walked away, wondering what she was thinking about her, and wondering herself about getting more involved with this ‘tourist-lady’ she had met only this morning.
But Rebecca seemed different, and in a way she was different. She wondered what sort of rainbow vision Rebecca had in store.
CHAPTER 6 - REBECCA
Rebecca awakened to the gentle sound of rain outside her open window. The drip of raindrops, overflowing from the gutter onto the broad, welcoming leaves, thumped to a gentle largo rhythm. It was the best morning alarm clock sound she had ever heard. She allowed herself to lie in bed longer than usual; if only to enjoy the peace and comfort it seemed to bring.
Kamea had returned her to her room long after dark. The previous day appeared to be a dream long gone. There was so much to think about, so much to take in. Her heart, however, felt both peace and calm; and just a little warmer than usual when she thought about Kamea.
That touch. Those lingering looks at Auntie’s. She wondered if Kamea felt it too?
She sat up in bed, pulling her knees up under her chin, wrapping her arms around her shins and giving herself a gentle squeeze. The aches from her bruises and cuts made their presence known. And there were butterflies too; little butterflies at the thought of Kamea. Was she in for a possible vacation romance? It wasn’t what she had come here for, not what she wanted. She didn’t want to dwell on such an absurd possibility. Those things only happen on Lifetime TV dramas and romance novels, not in her life.
She remembered Kamea was planning to come by to take her down to the shore-park and pick up her car this morning. Rebecca instinctively picked up her phone to check the time—which, of course, was useless. The morning sun, obscured by clouds and rain, gave no hint of the time. Well, it can’t be that late, she surmised.
That’s when she heard the sound of crunching gravel out the open window. Darting from the bed, she looked outside to see Kamea had pulled into the little parking lot, empty, but for her truck. She was still in her tank top and panties and hastily looked for something to cover herself.
The knock came soon after, “Rebecca? You up?”
“Yes! Be right there!” she answered through the door. And giving up on anything to hide her body with at hand, she opened the door, shielding herself a little behind it in attempted modesty.
“Good morning! How ya feeling?” Kamea said, seeming to notice she was talking to a head, peeping from behind the space of a narrow open door. “You okay?”
“Yes, yes. I’m sorry. I just must have slept later than I thought—or is it early? I can’t tell since my phone is, well you know… a
nd a Zen temple B&B doesn’t have clocks,” she continued, chuckling.
“It’s about 8:30, I think,” Kamea answered. “There’s no hurry. It’s good you slept. You probably needed it after yesterday.”
“Come on in,” Rebecca opened the door all the way and motioned Kamea to enter.
“I feel silly—hiding behind the door in a tank top and panties, and we’re in the land of bikinis and such. I just need to wash my face and brush my teeth, and we can go and get my car if you like?”
“That’s okay,” Kamea responded. “You look just fine—No need to be modest around me.”
“I wasn’t expecting rain this morning,” Rebecca said, as she walked towards the bathroom.
“Oh, it’s only raining here—you’ll see when we head down the road. Maui is like that. It can pour buckets in one spot, and across the road, nothing. We get used to it, and a lot of showers pass through every day. I think we have nine different climate zones on the island if I remember right. I thought maybe we could have coffee at the general store at the bottom of the hill before we get your car.”
“Oh, that’d be great!” Rebecca said, the excitement rising in her. “I was wondering what I was going to do about my coffee this morning!” She continued, smiling.
Rebecca pulled on some shorts, and exchanged her tank top for a t-shirt, with a sweatshirt on top, as the damp morning air held a chill she wasn’t expecting.
“It’s very sweet of you to take me to get my car. I do so appreciate it—thanks.”
“It’s no problem. I’m just glad you’re okay. You’re not feeling any kind of funny stuff, are you?” Kamea asked.
“No, I just feel well rested. That kava did a little number on me last night though—might have gotten a little buzz from it. My lips went a little numb, and then I just got all relaxed and stuff.”
“Yeah. I thought it would be good for you after the day you had—help you to relax and get to sleep without night terror dreams about your morning. Glad it helped.”
Rebecca sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on some laceless sneakers. “Your Auntie is quite something, isn’t she? I like her a lot.”
“Glad you do. We all understand her here, but a lot of people from the mainland wouldn’t, I don’t think,” Kamea responded.
Rebecca let the silence hang for a moment, trying to remember last night’s conversation with Auntie. She had gone on to tell her more at her prompting—even digging up past hurts, and how important they were for bringing her here to Maui at this time in her life. She wasn’t sure how much of what Auntie said had merit, but she seemed to know an awful lot about her past, as well as her hopes and dreams than she had expected.
“Did you ever see The Matrix?” she found herself blurting out, breaking their silence.
Kamea had been standing with her hands in her pockets the entire time; “What?” she said, tilting her head, looking puzzled, at what Rebecca meant.
“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just like last night with your Auntie was like being with the Oracle in The Matrix movie, she chuckled. Maybe it was the kava.”
Kamea laughed; “Oh, I see, yeah, of course. She can be like that with her insights and stuff. I don’t know how she does it. It’s an old Huna thing I think—Hawaiian Spirituality. She sees things in a different way. She can see to the ends of things sometimes; follows a path something has through time in her mind. In a way, I suppose her visions are like a matrix, the way it all connects for her. I guess I’m used to it. Though I do feel the need to warn people sometimes in case they freak out a bit.”
“She’s amazing actually,” Rebecca continued. “I like her a lot. Felt a real connection with her. She has a presence about her, like connecting with real elders. I got the privilege of that when I was with some Native American people out west. The elders can see things we don’t. I hope I can be as wise and insightful someday. You have some of that presence too, you know.”
Rebecca was glad to see Kamea smile at what she had just said but wondered what she was thinking. Wondered about that lingering gaze they had exchanged last night. If she felt the same?
Then Kamea asked the bigger question.
“Auntie can see a lot, and I know she brought up some past hurts for you. But do you mind telling me what happened? Why you came to Maui this time of year instead of spending Thanksgiving with your family? It’s okay if you don’t want to say, though. I don’t want to pry into what isn’t any of my business.”
“No, that’s okay. If we’re going to hang out, I don’t mind. You don’t seem the nosy type, so if we’re going to be friends, it’s better you know.”
Kamea took her hands from her pockets and sat down on the bed next to Rebecca.
“Jenny and I met at a Thanksgiving banquet years ago. Eight years ago, in fact. We fell in love, she moved in with me, and we had seven amazing and blissful years together. We felt settled—or at least, I thought we did.
“We made plans to adopt, and I was looking forward to us living a happy life together—get married too. But she left on Thanksgiving just last year. I didn’t want to sit around, feeling sorry for myself, have friends and family to remind me of what might have been. I just felt I needed to get as far away as I could.
“I never really knew why she ended it. It was as though she just woke up one day and decided to do something else. Be with someone else. I thought we were happy.
“There was never any real reason given, wasn’t any closure. I think that’s what’s made it so difficult. All this time, wondering if I had done this or that, been this or that, maybe it could have worked out? I’ve been beating myself up about it for a while now.
“Maui seemed like the perfect place to go, to get away for a bit—far away. I didn’t come here for some kind of fling, so you know;” looking at Kamea. Then feeling some embarrassment for uttering it; “Don’t know why I felt I had to say that.”
Kamea smiled as though she understood.
Rebecca let her eyes fall from Kamea, and looking around the room after a short pause and sigh, went on, “I came to this place because I thought it would be like a monastery—Zen temple stuff, you know—figured on just being on my own to sulk. It would just look like I was meditating to anyone that saw me,” she said, chuckling.
“Looks like Maui had different plans for you then,” Kamea said, smiling.
“I suppose so—best-laid plans and all, right?”
“Yeah. Looks like your being out on the rocks and getting those scrapes is a mirror of what was going on inside you. Now you need to let yourself heal. Take your time. Relax. Let the answers come to you now. You got shown to me by a rainbow that Auntie told me about—and she sees through to the ends of things, like I was saying. So, I feel a responsibility, a connection, even if I don’t know where it all leads. I dunno, it’s like we’re fated somehow.”
“Thanks, you’re very sweet. Auntie did a good job helping to raise you,” Rebecca replied, smiling.
Kamea took Rebecca’s hand and held it on top of her thigh as they sat together in silence. Rebecca found herself closing her eyes, squeezing her eyelids tight as she leaned her head against Kamea’s shoulder. She wanted this, needed this quiet moment to linger. And as it did; the connection, the warmth of it all began to sink into her heart.
Moments of quiet passed, and Kamea smiled, squeezing Rebecca’s hand as she stood; “You ready for that cup of coffee now?”
CHAPTER 7 - KAMEA
Kamea smiled on seeing the wonder on Rebecca’s face. They were heading downhill towards the coast and leaving the rain and clouds behind.
“You were right about the rain,” Rebecca said, smiling.
“Told ya. It’s like that all the time. Kinda neat, huh?”
The General Store at the bottom of the hill was just as advertised on the tin—an old-time general store; clapboard siding, wooden porch and all. There were a couple of tables and chairs on the porch that overlooked the road to Hana and the ocean beyond.
They both sat with thei
r backs to the wall—better for looking out to sea while sipping their coffee in the lingering quiet of the morning.
The quiet was soon shattered when a rusty old beater of a car pulled in next to Kamea’s truck, and a young woman with a big mop of hair, a long skirt and tinkling bangles on both wrists got out. Recognizing Kamea as she walked up the steps, she nodded, eyes scanning back and forth between Kamea and Rebecca.
“Hey, Laura. How’s it goin?” Kamea asked.
“Hey, yourself,” Laura replied, “Been a while.”
Kamea played with the coffee stirrer, twiddling it between her fingers as Laura came to their table.
Before Laura could say anything more, Kamea said, “This is my new friend Rebecca. Rebecca, Laura.”
“Hi,” they both said at the same time.
After a little uncomfortable silence between them, Laura, running her fingers through her hair, asked, “How’s the painting going?”
“Good. I’m going to be in that show at the Pili Lani Resort in Wailea before Christmas, so I’ve got a few pieces lined up. Uncle Leo is helping me with some frames too—so it’s good. All good.”
“Well, I’ll look forward to seeing you at the opening then, if nothing else,” Laura replied. “I’m just going to grab my coffee—on the way up to Makena’s Farm for the day.”
“How is Old Man Makena, by the way?” Kamea asked.
“Better. Better than when we, well… Better than the last time you saw him, anyway. Gonna make a full recovery.”
“Good, glad to hear.” Kamea replied, and not comfortable continuing the conversation, said, “Well, I’m just taking Rebecca to pick up her car. Got herself into a scrape yesterday.”
“I see. You doing okay now?” Laura asked, examining Rebecca a little closer now.