by Reina Torres
“Aiyah, Hi`ilani, why you no call and tell me you bringing one handsome buggah to dinnah?” She sighed. “Nevah mind. Come inside. And you two,” she pointed at the younger girls, “you show him out back. Make sure he get something to drink, then come back inside fo’ help.”
Before he could say anything, Hi`ilani gave him a little wave and followed the woman inside and the two girls latched onto his arms and led him toward the garage. They walked through an opening at the back of the wall and on through to what looked to be the back yard. The grass was greener around the edges of the yard, but given the placement of the tent in the center of the space, he figured that it went up often enough that the dirt under the tent was showing and just the heartiest of weeds had managed to poke through and remain alive.
Behind the hedges, the yard was teeming with plants of all different sizes, shapes, and colors. He knew if he got the chance to ask her, Hi`ilani would likely know all of the names.
Jackson couldn’t help the smile he felt on his lips at the thought of how beautiful she looked while she was inhaling the scent of that pikake flower she’d shown him. How he’d ever managed to go without her for the last year... he should have his head examined. When the girls ushered him toward the tent, one of the girls shouted for her father and he didn’t expect that the answer would be so immediate.
“What you girls need?”
“We need to show you something.” That was from the little girl. He knew that Hi`ilani had told him their names before but he was a little overwhelmed at the moment and just as soon as he sat down, he was going to ask them.
“Come around,” he called out. “Inside the tent. Tutu going bus’ me up if I no get the tent set up in time.”
Given how much the girls were laughing, Jackson knew he was going to have to ask Hi`ilani what that phrase meant. It certainly didn’t sound pleasant.
The girls were content to drag him along, even when he thought he should probably find Hi`ilani and stay by her side, but once the girls had a mind to do something, they could certainly do it. Turning the corner at the end of the tent they marched him right up to a man who was lifting and opening chairs like he’d been doing it for years… he probably had.
“Papa?”
“Eh,” he barely lifted his attention from the chairs that he was setting up alongside the row of wooden banquet tables, “wassup?”
“Papa, this is Hi`i’s boyfriend.” The little girl had sing-songed the whole sentence in a tone that sounded like she was tattling on her sister, and then again, maybe she was.
It still didn’t prevent him from starting to sweat.
The man before him wasn’t big. He wasn’t built of any muscle that he could see, but when he raised his gaze to look him straight in the eye, he didn’t have a smile on his face like Hi`ilani’s grandmother, her Tutu. No, this man looked at him the way a man might look at a car or a horse, assessing his worth in a few precious moments.
Her father finished his assessment with a little, “Huh,” and a nod, but that didn’t mean much. He did cast his gaze around the tent and then end up back square on Jackson’s shoulders. “So, you gon’ stand there? Or you gon’ help?”
The girls let him go, like turning a pig out to slaughter, then joining hands they skipped out of the tent to god-only-knows-where, leaving him alone with their father. He nodded. “Oh, I’m definitely going to help, but I should probably introduce myself.” Stepping forward, he held out his hand. “I’m Jackson Guard. I know Hi`ilani from-”
“When you wen’ break her heart.” His father looked at his hand and then moved to pick up a chair and opening it to set beside the table. “I know you.”
Jackson nodded, knowing full well that he deserved the dig. “I’ve apologized to her, sir, and she’s accepted my apology.”
A huff was next and so Jackson picked up a chair from the stack leaning against the house and set it down at the end of the long table.
They worked together in silence for a bit and when Jackson had finished one long row he looked up and saw that Hi`ilani’s father had already finished a full table.
Turning to pick up the next chair he came up short. Another inch or two and he might have knocked her father down into the grass and dirt under the tent.
Charles Ahfong was a small man but it was not a reflection of his character. He exuded a solid, straight-forward confidence that made Jackson stand a little straighter. Hi`ilani was proud of her father’s past as a paniolo, a Hawaiian cowboy, and how he’d worked hard day and night to give his daughters the best education that he could afford.
When Charles looked up into his eyes, Jackson felt himself under the microscope.
“You made my baby cry fo’ days.” Instead of anger, there was sadness in his tone. “I said I’d hogtie you and let her drag you behind one horse.” His tone hadn’t changed, but the smile on his lips said Charles was considering the pain that it might cause him. And that he was enjoying the idea a little too much. “But she no like hurt you.”
“Even though I deserved it.”
“No argument hea.” Charles folded his arms across his chest. “Jus’ tell me you goin’ do bettah this time.”
“Yes, sir.”
A noise behind him turned his head and Jackson stared at the corner of the garage as two of the biggest men he’d ever seen stepped out into the sunlight.
The smaller of the two, and that was a negligible distinction as both must be the size of full grown grizzly bears, gave Jackson a look that spoke volumes.
Volumes on torture.
“Wassup, Uncle Charlie?”
Charlie smiled at the two and nodded at them. “Hi`i brought Army Boy.”
By the looks that the men gave him, Jackson knew that they’d heard about him.
He wondered if he might be the one in need of a bodyguard.
The two just stood there as if they were sizing him up to see how big of a hole they’d have to dig.
“Hey,” Hi`ilani paused at the top of the steps down from the porch, “how are things going out here?”
The two mountains of muscle rushed past Jackson with amazing speed. One took the platter from her hands and the other picked her up off of the porch and carried her against his chest like a toddler.
By the burst of laughter from her lips, Jackson knew she was having a great time.
“Junior, put me down!”
“Not yet, cuz!”
When his brother reached for her, Junior shook his head and tucked her under his arm like a football and rushed away with his bother chasing after them.
Charlie called after them. “You boys no be stupid, yah?”
When Junior finally slowed down at the end of the yard, both men were belly laughing, showing no lack of breath even with the wild run across the yard. “They play a lot of football?”
Charlie crooked a brow at Jackson. “Junior wen’ to BYU and Wes was one Warrior at UH.”
Well, that figured.
“You boys bring her back before Tutu go aftah you wit’ her slippah!”
That only started them up again with Wes tossing Hi`ilani over his shoulder. She bounced around against his back, her hands trying to find something to hold onto, but the tank top that he was wearing wasn’t tight enough to give her any purchase.
The side gate opened and more people descended into the yard. Instead of it stopping the crazy, it only added more people into the mix. And if Jackson had thought that Junior and Wes were huge, the last two men through the gate looked more like stunt-doubles for Dwayne Johnson.
Hi`ilani’s father nudged him with an elbow. “You better go get her.”
Almost as if she heard the softly spoken suggestion, Hi`ilani looked up, bracing her hand on the back of her cousin that had her tossed over his shoulder and gave him a laughing wave.
And then she crooked her finger at him.
Oh, the game was on.
A few minutes and a couple of bruising blows later, Jackson had Hi`ilani riding piggy back as he dashed
for the tent.
Reaching the relative safety of the shade, Hi`ilani raised her arms in victory and her cousins who would easily form a winning defensive line in the NFL were cheering and whistling in celebration right along with them.
Tutu Leo stepped outside and stopped at the edge of the porch, her hands on her hips and murder in her eyes. “Wash your hands! Almos’ time fo’ eat!”
The cousins marched off past the couple, a few of them smacking Jackson on his back as they walked by.
Junior was the last man to step around the corner, only to pop his head back into view. “Army boy, you brought one noddah haole wit’ you?”
Jackson nodded and laughed when Baron stepped into view, pointing after the men. “Those are her cousins, Baron.”
“Cousins?” Baron shook his head as if he needed to clear it. “I thought the mountains were moving.”
Hi`ilani rose up on her toes and gave Jackson a kiss on his cheek. “You two better grab a seat before the boys come back.”
Waving at Baron, she ran up into the house to help with the food.
“Boys?” Baron stepped up beside Jackson. “Does she need glasses?”
Chapter 12
Hi`ilani sat beside Jackson on the grass in the cool evening air, her head on his shoulder as her sisters danced in front of the tent. Junior had his ukulele and Wes his guitar, but what really had her smiling was her Tutu Leo singing along.
“Hey.”
She looked down and saw Jackson’s hand covering hers in the grass. Looking up she met his gaze. “Hey.”
“Your grandmother is pretty amazing.”
“Yeah, she is.” She couldn’t help the broad grin that stretched across her lips. “After my mom passed away she was always here for us. Taught me how to cook. Taught me how to smile when I wanted to cry. She’s the best kind of people.”
Jackson leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Of course she is… you couldn’t come from anyone else.”
“Jack,” she felt tears gathering in her eyes, “that’s so sweet. I-”
A heavy thump beside her turned both of their heads.
Baron was sprawled out in the grass staring up at the stars. “I’m full.”
Before Jackson could speak, Baron turned his head. “You can keep your thoughts to yourself, Ajax.” With a sigh, he turned his head back to look at the dark canopy of the sky. “Seriously, this is as close to heaven as it can get.”
Hi`ilani heard Jackson laugh softly before he leaned in against her shoulder. “He’s drunk.”
“Drunk, yes.” Apparently Baron had excellent hearing. “But I think I’m getting to appreciate this living in Hawaii thing.” He lifted a hand and made lazy circles in the air. “Those cousins of yours,” he rolled his head to look at Hi`ilani and then the wince in his expression said he regretted the sudden motion, “they’re okay guys. Scary like crazy, especially the looks they were giving Ajax earlier, but I think you’re beginning to grow on them, man.” Baron chuckled. “Not that they need to get any bigger.” He groaned a moment later. “Just FYI, brother, I may or may not have told one of them you were looking to learn sumo wrestling from them.”
Hi`ilani felt Jackson lean against her shoulder and she giggled when she felt his breath against her neck.
“Save me, baby.”
She touched his thigh and licked her lips. “You’ll owe me.”
He pressed a light kiss on the shell of her ear. “I’ll make you scream my-”
“Hi`i…” Kailani, her nine year old sister barely beat their youngest sister, Leilani by a foot. “Tutu says it’s your turn. Everyone’s waiting to hear you sing.”
“And dance,” Leilani added for good measure.
“Hui!”
All heads turned to see Tutu Leo at the front of the gathering. Hi`ilani knew without a word what song her grandmother wanted her to perform. The mu`umu`u that she wore was a special one. One that her mother had sewn for her mother, long and graceful with sleeves that reached almost to her wrists, leaving her golden Hawaiian bracelet visible in the lights. The dark blue velvet facing along the neck gave the gown a purely elegant feel.
Hi`ilani felt tears prickling in her eyes.
“All right you little monsters. Go and get your ukuleles to play and then after this it’s moemoe time for both of you, tomorrow is school.”
The little girls rolled their eyes at their sister, but she knew it was all love. They liked to grouse and groan, but they knew they had an audience.
The two rushed off and Hi`ilani leaned closer to Jackson and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “I hope you’ll like it.”
Jackson watched as Hi`ilani and her sisters joined their grandmother at the front of the group.
The two little girls picked up their ukuleles and quickly made sure they were still tuned while Hi`ilani embraced her grandmother and then with her hands on her grandmother’s arms, they both leaned in to touch their noses together and rested their foreheads together for just a second.
“What’s with that?”
Jackson looked at his friend who was now braced up on one elbow, his hand against the side of his face. “The kiss?”
“Kiss?’
Baron sat up even more and looked back at Jackson. “I know I’ve had a few, but there was no kiss just now.”
Laughing under his breath, Jackson shook his head.
“Honi,” he explained, “it’s a Polynesian kiss, kind of like how the French do that ‘air kiss’ when they get together. Honi is different in that it’s not the nose touching that makes it a really intimate thing. They’re sharing their breath with each other.”
It took a moment before he saw Baron moved and even then, it was a slow up and down nod. “You certainly know a lot.”
Jackson shrugged. “You spend enough time with locals and you kind of pick it up.”
“Uh huh.” Baron’s laughter was a little sharp and Jackson didn’t have to look to see that his friend was watching him with open curiosity. “So, have you practiced this custom?” When Jackson didn’t immediately speak, Baron continued. “Or are you going to tell me that you don’t honi and talk.”
Jackson might have shoved Baron back down into the grass, but he didn’t get a chance to. The three Ahfong daughters were up in front of the group with their grandmother standing next to Hi`ilani.
Even in casual clothes she looked radiant.
Performing certainly was what she was born to do.
When a few of her cousins made a fuss with their shouts and whistles she shook her head and held out her hands. “Kuli kuli,” she told them and the men responded, quieting down. “My Tutu asked me to perform a song that means a lot to our family and so for our last song tonight, we’re going to perform ‘I’ll Weave a Lei of Stars for You.’ It was the second song that my parents danced to at their wedding after the Hawaiian Wedding song, and when we think of our mother,” Jackson watched her eyes tear up and saw the way she bit into her lower lip to steady her nerves, “this is the song we sing, knowing that she can hear us in heaven.”
Just to add her stamp of approval on the edict, sweeping a look around the assembled group. “No make A-, yeah?”
The group was quiet and the mood in the yard took on a more somber turn as Hi`ilani took her place a few paces away from her grandmother. Behind them, one of the girls counted in a stage whisper. “One, two, three, four.” And both of them started on the same downstroke across the strings.
After a few measures of the background music Hi`ilani and her grandmother began to dance.
Beside him, Baron breathed out a soft huff of breath. “Never seen a grandmother so graceful.”
“Be nice, Baron.”
“I am,” his friend sounded offended. “I’m serious. Okay?”
Jackson nodded. “Okay.”
They watched together as the four performed and Hi`ilani’s pure voice reached right into his chest and grabbed a tighter hold on his heart. The lyrics in the song spoke of love and longing. Sentimental m
emories and hope.
People talk about hula as telling a story with their hands but it’s so much more than that. When a performer really puts their heart and soul into it, it almost feels like the words come alive in their bodies and the expression on their faces, and in their eyes.
When the song was over Jackson and Baron cheered along with everyone else, but Jackson felt like he’d come a little closer to Hi`ilani in that moment. He’d seen and felt her love for her mother, heard the longing for their loss, and heard the honor they did for her memory.
If there was a way to fall more in love with her, it had just happened, and he was more determined than ever to get this whole thing over with so they could concentrate on the future.
He needed her safe.
Soon.
When they got back to the base, Baron was just conscious enough for Jackson to hold him up long enough to dump him on his bed.
Closing the bedroom door, he shook his head. “Sorry about the snoring. He doesn’t do that when he’s not-”
“Drunk off his ass?” She waved it off. “I get it. Looks like soldiers party almost as hard as musicians.”
He gave her a look but she waved it off with a laugh. “Not me. You know that.”
“You didn’t even have a drink tonight.”
She shook her head. “I could have but I still don’t like to drink in front of the girls.” Hi`ilani yawned and looked up at him. “Thanks for coming.”
He shook his head. “It was really nice. I don’t think I’ll ever see you perform and not feel like my whole world is changing right in front of me.”
“You say the sweetest things, Jack.”
“I mean every word, Hi`i. When you perform you show the world your soul. And even though I already think you’re the most beautiful woman in the world, when I see you light up as you perform, you’re breathtaking.”
They stood there, watching each other.
And he was aware that her breathing had changed. A little faster, a little deeper.
Her eyes had changed. Darker and then darker still as he looked, and what he saw in her eyes nearly brought him to his knees.