by Kay Hadashi
“Oh, why?”
“Before I answer, can you give me another sample?”
“I suppose.” Melanie got a slip of paper and pencil, and sat at the breakfast table with Hana. “You want my signature or how I write notes?”
“Actually, I’d like to see your writing in Japanese. You speak it so well, you must write it also?”
“Might be a little rusty.”
“Just write hajimemashite, dozo yoroshiku.”
“In kanji or kana?”
“Either way. Both if you know them.”
Hana watched Melanie’s hand as she wrote the common words of greeting in both the complicated kanji characters and the simpler kana characters that Thérèse was learning.
“Your writing is very good. It looks very Japanese. Did you learn to write here in America?”
“I learned to write here at this very same table. English, Japanese, and Spanish. My mother and grandparents taught me, and I went to Japanese school one day a week all the way through high school. Do you see anything interesting?”
“This was written by an educated person, and female. Otherwise, not much.”
“According to my handwriting, I’m not psycho?” Melanie asked.
Hana giggled. “No, you’re not psycho. Maybe under a little stress.”
“How can you tell that?”
Hana held the paper up to the light and pointed at a few of the characters. “Easy. You wrote so hard, you pressed right through the paper in a few places. You even broke the tip of the pencil once.”
Georgie came into the kitchen just then, saying she got the kids put down an hour before.
Melanie introduced the nanny and the handwriting expert.
“Cool. Can you do mine?”
“Just write your name for me.”
Georgie wrote her full name, and then added the Japanese way of writing her middle name. “Sorry, my Japanese handwriting isn’t very good.”
“Hisako. That’s a pretty name. Do you know what it means?”
“Long-lived child, or something like that. It was my grandmother’s name, Uncle Nate’s mother.”
“That’s what it means. It’s also the name of a girl in an ancient Japanese legend. I don’t have time to tell you now, but maybe you can look it up.”
Melanie watched as the two of them talked. Hana wasn’t more than a few years older than Georgie, but in some ways was entirely different. While Georgie did her best to look urban and creatively counterculture, Hana was the epitome of the proper young adult Japanese female, neat and tidy in appearance, polite, well-spoken, and educated. It struck Melanie that if she could only blend the two of them, she’d have the ideal nanny.
Hana lived in a small rental apartment condo in Kihei, half an hour drive away. They decided to speak Japanese on the way there, giving Melanie the rare opportunity to practice with someone other than her daughter. “If you’re the unofficial handwriting expert, does that mean you’re unemployed? Or do you do contract work for MPD?”
“I guess you could call it contract work. Detective Nakatani pays me twenty bucks whenever I help him with something.”
“Out of his own pocket?”
Hana nodded. “That’s why nothing of what I do is admissible in court. It only helps him find and verify leads.”
“I guess he knows what he’s doing. It sounds a little sketchy to me. How do the two of you know each other?”
“I did work for him in Honolulu. He was the one who said I should come to Maui. It’s cheaper here and he thought I’d be able to find more handwriting jobs through the police department. HPD on Oahu already has several experts, but not Maui.”
“How has that worked out?” Melanie asked.
“Not so well. Kihei is almost as expensive as Honolulu, and not as much work as I expected.”
“Do you have another job?”
“Just the occasional translation job. I’m not really qualified to do anything else.”
“Do you know any sports? Outdoor activities?”
“Not too much of an athlete. People say I’m built for long-distance running but I don’t know anything about training for that.”
“I guess you’re not interested in restaurant work?”
“I’ve never done it. I wouldn’t know what to do,” Hana said.
“It’s hard work. The biggest things are remembering to keep customer satisfaction first, and that it’s very busy.”
“It sounds like you have an idea?” Hana asked.
Melanie parked in front of the building in which Hana lived.
“My husband and I own a restaurant but we need experienced waitstaff for it. But in a couple of months, I’ll be opening an outdoor sporting goods store with a little bistro attached to the side of it. Not much, just coffee drinks and pastries for surfers and people hanging around.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“I think the menu would be pretty simple at first. Are you able to get a job at a coffeehouse in the meantime to learn how to make fancy coffee drinks?” Melanie asked.
“I could look around. Why do you want me?”
“I’m not sure, actually. Maybe because you’re smart, seem easy to get along with, and speak Japanese. There are a fair number of Japanese tourists on this island, and a lot of them come for the surf. If they had someone they felt comfortable with, it would be good for business.”
“I could be the bilingual coffee lady. You could even name the place Bilingual Coffee, as in two tongues having coffee. The name could even be inside a big heart, like kissing.”
“I like that idea, except for the big heart.”
***
Melanie could barely sleep Tuesday night, allowing details from the investigation to creep into her thinking, mixed with the trouble with Josh, Dottie’s illness, and the impending opening of her new sporting goods business. She was still suffering the effects of a wild weekend on call for emergencies at the hospital, of watching as two patients perished from their injuries despite drawing on all of her expertise and the full resources the hospital offered. She also had several critical patients in the Intensive Care Unit, and her schedule for the remainder of the week was going to keep her as busy as ever.
By the time Wednesday afternoon rolled around and her clinic schedule was done, she was exhausted. She put her face down on her hands on her office desk.
“I could retire. I already have one other business. The Island Breeze would earn us a pretty good living, if I paid a little closer attention to the bottom line. If the sporting goods store works out, we’d be even more comfortable. I could find better research projects and contracts for the lab. Spend my mornings at the sporting goods store, check in at the lab in the afternoon, and be seating hostess at the restaurant in the evenings. That way I could keep an eye on all of them. It might even be fun.”
She took a deep breath and sighed, trying to find the deep relaxation her mind and body craved. She was also craving a drink, something she hadn’t had in years. On days and weeks like these most recent ones, it would’ve been easy to fall off her self-imposed secret wagon.
“Trinh would hate me for quitting medicine, but I’d be able to spend more time with the kids. I could still be a doctor. Go off once a year on a medical mission. I wonder how long that would last? Twice? Once? That could turn into a pain in the butt in a hurry.”
She yawned, wishing she were in her bed.
“I wonder if Josh would care?”
A tear ran down from one eye as she watched the digital clock on her desk switch from one minute to the next.
“Why do I do all this crap? Does anybody actually care who the mayor is? Or who their surgeon is? Getting tired of providing free surgery and then finding a smile to show patients when they come in for free post-op care. Sick of hospital rules and regulations, sick of administrators’ demands to bring more revenue into their coffers, sick of doing long surgeries, just to zip somebody into a body bag at the end. Tired of detectives calling late at night, tired o
f newspaper reporters making up lies about me and my family, tired of too many people asking me for stuff I can’t do for them, no matter how hard I try. Just sick of it.”
She never knew she’d dozed off until something startled her awake. There was a splash of water, and the sound of Thérèse’s squealing voice. Almost jumping up from her desk, she took off her lab coat, not really knowing why. Grabbing her phone, she dialed Georgie’s number.
“It’s noisy there. Where are you?”
“That’s the wind. Thérèse wanted to come to the pool. I’m not letting her in the water, no matter who many times she says she can swim.”
“Probably best she doesn’t. Did you put sunscreen on both of them?”
“Two thick layers. I’m making her wear that new hat and I have the umbrella up over Chance just like you said to do at the beach.”
“Okay, good. Is the pool busy?”
“There’s like two people in the water, mostly just standing around talking. Are you done with work? Thérèse talks about you non-stop, how she wants you to spend more time with her and Chance.”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes. Don’t tell Thérèse. Let it be a surprise.”
“You got it. I love surprises,” Georgie said.
Melanie made a hurried visit to Dottie’s room, her second of the day, before going to the public pool. She still had the green and purple swimsuit that she had worn a few days before when she and Trinh saw Andrew there. The dressing-down from him, even if unwarranted, had dulled the appeal of going to the pool, even taking away some of the sense of fun she had for swimming. Waving to the usual lifeguard at the front desk as she went to the locker room, she noticed no one was taking laps. At least she’d have a lap lane to herself.
“Great. I can play with both of the kids and get a long swim today.”
After pulling on her one-piece swimsuit, she wound her long hair into a knot and stuffed it inside her vinyl cap. Rotating her arms and shoulders as she went out to the pool deck, she fixed her goggles over her eyes. Spotting the nanny and her kids in the far corner of the pool deck, she went there. She put her hands on her hips when she stood in front of them.
Melanie looked directly at Thérèse. “Anybody here know how to swim?”
“Momma!”
She pushed her goggles up to her forehead. “Are you going swimming with me, little girl?”
Thérèse turned to look at Georgie. “Is it okay if I swim with Momma?”
The nanny gave her the thumbs-up. “Okay with me!”
Melanie got in the water first and had Thérèse jump in where she could reach. “Wow, you’re getting so brave in the water. I remember when you were afraid to jump.”
“Cause you teached me to swim, Momma.”
Melanie had the girl practice each of the different strokes, most of which was flailing of her arms. After a rest, she had her swim a full lap from one end of the pool to the other. There was even more flailing of arms, and a lot of nudging from Melanie to keep the girl moving forward.
“Oh my gosh. You’re really turning into the big champion, you know that?”
“I am?”
“Sure are.”
Once the girl caught her breath, she leaned in close to Melanie’s ear to whisper. “Can I try with my magic?”
“Probably not a good idea.”
“For why not?”
“Because it’s cheating, that’s for why not. You don’t want to cheat, do you?”
“Guess not.” Thérèse was still treading water instead of hanging onto the side of the pool, and was sputtering the water as much as she was breathing. “Be easier with magic.”
“That’s what makes it cheating. Maybe it’s time for a juice box.”
Melanie took the girl back to where the nanny already had a juice box out and her hat ready. When Melanie took the baby to the edge of the pool, the lifeguard came over.
“Sorry, Mayor. No diapers in the pool.”
“Oh. What if I took it off him?”
“Don’t know of any rules against it.” The lifeguard shrugged. “Not like there are many people here today that might notice.”
Leaving his hat on, she took off Chance’s diaper and took him back to the pool. Getting in the shallow end, she bounced him up and down in the water, slightly deeper each time, until more water drained from him than she expected.
“Oops. Better not let the lifeguard see you do that or we’re both in trouble. Don’t want to go home from the pool in shame two times in a row.”
He continued to giggle as she let him sink into the water, holding him by the chest.
“You like swimming, huh?”
She let go with one hand, letting loose of some of his support. He continued to smile, even though he sank a little more.
“Can you float yet?”
Melanie eased her other hand away, letting his body float free, but keeping her hands close. As soon as he dunked under the water, she lifted him again.
“Okay, let’s try a different way. Maybe on your back.”
She put him on his back at the top of the water as though he was going to get a bath. Keeping one hand beneath him, she slowly took it away. When he flailed his arms but stayed at the top of the water, it brought a sense of accomplishment to her.
“Oh boy. You’re going to be a backstroker. It won’t be long until you’re swimming faster than your big sister, you know that?”
Once Chance began to tire and fuss, she took him back to where Georgie had their little campsite in the shade and got his diaper back on.
“Now it’s Momma’s turn?” Thérèse asked.
“Now it’s my turn,” Melanie said, pressing her goggles into her eye sockets for a tight fit.
“You really like being in the water, huh?” Georgie asked.
“Other than being with these two, I can’t think of anyplace else I’d rather be.”
Since she had a lane to herself, she indulged in swimming butterfly, her favorite stroke. Since minor back surgery a few months before, she hadn’t had the chance to get her spinal muscles firmed up and strong again, and she felt a little off her best form. After pushing it as much as she dared, she switched back to freestyle.
After half an hour, she noticed someone standing over where Georgie and the kids were, looking down at them. She was mid-pool then and stopped to get a better look. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she recognized the swimsuit the man was wearing.
Ducking beneath each lane line, she got to the side of the pool and hopped out, keeping her eyes trained on the man that was looking down at Georgie. The nanny had Chance on her lap and Thérèse right next to her, her arm wrapped around the girl protectively.
Melanie walked up to stand directly behind the man, dripping water.
“What’s going on, Andrew. Picking on teenagers and little girls now?”
He looked surprised she was standing so close when he turned around, but found a sneer for her anyway.
“I thought these were your little brats, Kato.”
“Hey!” shouted Georgie.
“Looks like you’ve adopted another one from the school for wayward delinquents.”
“Dude, you better watch your mouth.”
“Never mind, Georgie. Andrew was just leaving.”
“Who says?”
“Just go, Andrew.”
“You’re going to make me leave? Because you don’t own this pool, Kato.”
“Your friends aren’t here today. No reason for you to put on some big show,” she told him.
He had backed off slightly. “Still think you’re mayor, Kato? You really believe anybody listens to you?”
“Maybe in the next election, you can run against me.”
“Yes, that would be interesting. Maybe I will,” he said.
Melanie smiled. “Let the best woman win.”
He looked at the tattoo on her chest, something that had always bothered him in the past. Because of its position, it was half covered by most of her swimsuits.
“That tat won’t get you votes, Kato. No reason for you to show it off so much.”
She leaned forward a little. “It really intimidates you, doesn’t it?”
He jabbed his finger in her chest and laughed. “That thing?”
“Momma, who that man?” Thérèse asked.
“He’s not a man, Sweetie. He’s a little boy in a large body.”
“Why he so mean?”
Melanie kept her eyes trained on Andrew’s, but she knew both lifeguards had come over to stand close by. “Because he’s very insecure and afraid of women. Maybe you should drink another juice box.”
“Gotta go potty.”
“Maybe now would be a good time for Georgie to take you and brother to the bathroom.”
The nanny hopped up and almost ran across the deck to the locker room, taking the kids with her.
“No more audience, except the lifeguards, Andrew. Are you going to be smart and walk away?”
“I don’t have to walk away from you. Not now, not ever.”
She leaned forward a little more. “Leave us alone. I mean it.”
“Or what?” When he jabbed his finger into her chest again, she brought up her left arm in a circle to swat away his hand. While that distracted him, she shoved him back with her right hand, sending him stumbling backward. Bouncing off the lifeguard tower, he ran for her.
“Hey!” shouted one of the lifeguards.
“Knock it off!” somebody else shouted authoritatively. “Stop!”
When Andrew got to where Melanie was waiting, he looked like he wanted to tackle her. She sidestepped him, leaving one foot out. Giving him a push just as he tripped, he went reeling. She didn’t stop there.
Melanie was quickly on top of him, and had his arms locked up in hers at odd angles, her legs wrapped in spirals around his knees. Using her weight to its fullest advantage, she forced his body into the concrete deck, pressing her shoulder into his face. She aimed her face at his ear.
“Don’t you ever talk crap about the Air Force or Special Forces again. You have no clue how hard those people work.”
“Get off me! You’re hurting me! Somebody get her off me!”
“If you think this hurts, come near my family again and you’ll find out what pain is really like, because this is nothing compared to what I can do to you, understand?”