Ohana = Family

Chapter Three

Night had fallen on the islands bringing with it a light pattering of rain. Kana and Malu sat at their small kitchen table eating dinner together in silence. It wasn’t a large dinner since they were a little low on funds, but they had enough to buy some spam musubi from the corner convenience store.

Kana had just finished her first musubi before picking up her second one and staring at it.

“So…what was up with that government agent?” she asked.

“I have no clue,” said Malu before taking another bite of her dinner.

“Can we call him and say that his visit was unusual activity?” Malu and Kana shared a look before breaking into laughter.

“Although you should have seen the looks he kept giving you. He was about ready to detain you and ship you off to area 51 right there and then,” said Malu with a chuckle, “what were you so depressed about anyway?”

“Hula. I didn’t get the solo…again. Then after in the changing room I was left out…again. The others were all going to lunch but they said I couldn’t come because they didn’t want me to feel left out because they were all going with their husbands and boyfriends,” she explained looking down at her food before taking a bite.

“Why would you want to go to lunch with those haoles anyway?”

“They aren’t all haoles… So what happened to you today?” asked Kana purposefully ignoring the question. Her sister very well knew how Malu wanted friends and tried to fit in, but she was doomed to be an outcast for reasons unknown to her. She is always given the advice ‘be yourself’ but so far being herself just pushed her farther away from people. She had no clue what it was, but she kind of figured that maybe she just hadn’t found the right kind of people.

“Yet another job interview that went down the drain,” said Malu getting angry just thinking about it, “I’m stuck at that stupid luau forever.” Kana remained silent as she listened to her sister’s rant for what felt like the thousandth time. “I just don’t understand, I was a manager of a very good hotel for two years, I have a degree in hospitality! What more could they be looking for? And with my luau experience I know how to deal with the tourists that come to this island. It just makes me so…” Malu let out a growl and slammed her fist on the table in anger. Kana watched her sister with darkened eyes. She had heard this plenty of times to know where this was all going. Of course the only reason she had heard this all before was because she was eavesdropping, but still whether it was to her or someone else, the rant was the same.

“If only mum and dad hadn’t passed away, I would still be at my old job where I wouldn’t have to worry about job interviews and making ends meet.” Malu was off in her own world now, just spewing all of her pent up thoughts from the day. She did this every time she didn’t get a job but usually it was to her boyfriend, Kye, not to Kana. Usually she avoided Kana and the only time she talked to her was to yell at her about something.

“You mean if mum and dad hadn’t died and you didn’t have to come back to Hawai’I to look after your stupid little sister, right?” asked Kana crossing her arms.

“That’s not what I mean,” said Malu looking at her sister, not as shocked as Kana would have liked.

“No, that’s exactly what you mean, that is what you’ve always meant! Every time you failed at a job interview you blamed me, every time you go off to work at the luau, you blame me. You blame me for everything- for ruining your life.”

“I never said that!” said Malu her voice raising.

“You didn’t need to, I can see it in your eyes I’m telling the truth. You’re not a very good liar, Malu. And I’m sorry our parents died and you had to come and take care of your under aged sister. I guess I could have just gone to the orphanage and you could have continued on your perfect life,” said Kana standing up from the table and turning to walk away. Malu stood up with a screech of her chair on the wooden floors.

“Don’t walk away from me! Now you know I love you, you are my sister, I thought you would know that when I did actually come home to look after you instead of sending you to an orphanage.”

“Honestly, it would have been better if you did because then I wouldn’t have had to deal with you guilt tripping me all the time!”

“I do not guilt trip you at all. Now sit down and finish your dinner.”

“I’m not thirteen anymore, I’m twenty-five I think I can decide for myself If I want to finish my dinner or not,” said Kana as she started walking to the back door, “and by the way, you aren’t mum so stop trying to act like it.”

“Then don’t come crying to me if you get hurt out there walking around in the rain!” Malu yelled back.

“I’m a nurse, I can take care of myself, unlike you,” and Kana left, slamming the door shut behind her.

She let out a frustrated shout before stepping out into the warm rain and going for a walk to clear her head and calm herself down. What was the point of siblings? All they did was bother you and blame you for things that you had no control over.

Kana walked the trail from her house up to the mountains, it was a nice quiet walk and it allowed her to forget what happened and just focus on the nature around her. The rain smell mixed in with all the tropical scents and the ocean breeze creating an aroma that was soothing and relaxing, exactly what she needed right now. The birds were still chirping and the rain pattered on the leaves around her with the occasional crunch of a stick under her sandaled feet. She tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear to hear better and she soon heard the rushing of cars, figuring she must be reaching the road. It was late at night and high in the mountain so the cars going by were few and not going too fast in the rain.

She kept her head low, focusing her attention on her feet as they walked over the terrain, finding the sight cleared her head of all other thoughts. She noticed the change in floor immediately but didn’t think too much of it till she was thrown back.

Landing on her bottom on the side of the road she looked up to see who had shoved her and give them a piece of her mind. Today was not the day to piss her off more than she already was and bruising her ass would certainly piss her off.

“Hey!” she yelled angrily as she stared up at the form standing in the middle of the road where she just was. She couldn’t make out much aside from the male form and the long dark hair hanging around his face as the headlights behind him caused all features to be lost. The headlights drew nearer and a loud horn was heard before the sickening crunch as the truck made contact with the man’s body. There wasn’t enough time to save Kana’s ass and himself before the truck made contact and Kana just sort of stared in disbelief at what she just saw.

Sure, she worked at a hospital and dealt with many different wounds and saw many different kinds of patients, but she had never seen the accidents first hand, just the aftermath. Not only that, but she quickly realized that while she wasn’t paying attention she had wandered into the road and this man, whoever this crazy man was, saved her from the fate that just befell him.

The truck immediately stopped, pulling to the shoulder, and the drivers got out. One was on his cell phone looking for the man they hit while the other ran over to Kana.

“Are you okay?” he asked. The voice snapped Kana out of her daze and she stood up and rushed across the street to where the other man was calling for an ambulance and kneeling next to the body of her rescuer.

“Ambulance will be here soon, what can we do in the mean time?” asked the driver with the cell phone.

“Miss, are you sure you’re okay?” asked the other one.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. I’m a nurse,” she said and she grabbed her rescuer’s head and gently turned him over so he was laying flat on his back with his hands at his side. She almost gasped when she saw his face, it was almost other worldly to look this good. He was pale, almost pure white, and he had long black hair that was slicked back though a few strands hung in his face that she pushed away. He was long and lean but looked like he could put up a fight when he needed to. He was also wearing unusual clothes for Hawai’I, leather pants and a green sweater that was of an unusual design.

Kana had no clue why someone as handsome as him, and not from the islands, would save her, but she was grateful. That hit look really bad and she doubted she would have survived it. Quickly she checked his vitals, and was shocked to see he wasn’t in as bad a shape as he should have been. The drivers brought out a first aid kit from their truck and she patched the man up as best as she could for the time being and soon the ambulance arrived.

“Kana?” asked one of the paramedics who rushed over with a stretcher.

“Get him to the hospital now,” urged Kana as she helped lift the rescuer onto the stretcher and into the ambulance. She climbed in after the paramedics and shut the door as the ambulance screeched into motion. Kana watched as the paramedics checked the man over and she couldn’t help but watch in hope and worry. She really didn’t want something else for her sister to blame her for.