June 24, 1984
Andrew Belden stood on the lanai, overlooking Kamamale II. The trades were back in full force, and with the blinds open on the other end of the condo, a wind tunnel had been created. It definitely cooled down the house. Below, on the beach, Tessa frolicked in the surf with Lili Ikahara, and her two younger brothers, Toshi and Alex. Behind Andrew, Shelby Ikahara was preparing food for the barbecue they would soon be having up in the roof garden.
“Do you like onion chopped in the salad, Andrew, or sliced on top?” Shelby’s voice broke into Andrew’s thoughts.
Turning, he smiled back at the tall blonde. “Either way works for me, Shel,” Andrew moved into the kitchen, snatching a carrot slice from the cutting board. “Although I feel guilty that you and Harry are doing all the work, tonight. I invited you. I should be doing the cooking.”
“Andrew,” Shelby smiled widely. “I’ve heard tales about your cooking abilities. I prefer my steak medium-well, not charcoal crisp, thank you very much.”
“One time!” Andrew protested. “One lousy time, I let the fire get out of control, and I find myself banned from the grill. That is so unfair!”
“I promise to give you another chance the next time you visit, how is that?”
“Next time.” Andrew rolled the words around in his mouth. “I like the sound of that.” He laughed. “I like it here, Shelby. I like this place more than I ever imagined I would. I’m looking forward to coming back. Next time.”
“You don’t know how happy that makes me.” Shelby finished the salad, and hefted the bowl. “I’m going to take this on upstairs, and then go wrangle the kids. Do me a favor and bring the fruit salad up? I figure the steaks will be ready in about ten minutes.”
“I’ll do that.” Andrew opened the door for Shelby, and watched her enter the elevator, before returning to the lanai. His eyes on the beach, he watched his niece diving through the waves, and felt a twinge of regret. Perhaps I shouldn’t be taking Tess away from this, he thought. This is her home. Maybe it could be mine, as well.
Andrew let his thoughts drift back over the last few weeks. After the memorial service had wound down, he, Kal and Tessa had taken one of the small vessels containing Sarah’s ashes, and placed it between the markers bearing the names of her husband and son. Tessa had knelt in the grass, tears flowing, yet with a peaceful smile on her face as she removed her plumeria lei, and arranged it around the box. She was silent for a long moment: Praying? Remembering? Andrew didn’t know, and in truth it hadn’t mattered. He took the time to say his own goodbye, and the three of them had left the churchyard cemetery together.
Two hours later, as the sun began to fall across the sky, Andrew found himself sitting in an outrigger canoe as two young men, introduced as ‘cousins’, paddled out into the setting sun. Tessa sat slightly in front of him, clutching a second box of ashes, her hair waving in the wind. On either side of the canoe, five long boards paddled alongside. From the beach, a conch shell sounded, and the steady rhythm of the drums rose into the sky.
Out beyond the break, the canoe slowed, and the ten boards moved out to form a circle. Kal removed his lei, placing it in the center of the circle. His dark eyes met Andrew’s, and Andrew removed his own lei, handing it a cousin, who placed it atop of the first. As Kal began to chant, the outrigger moved forward, allowing Tessa to lean out and pour the ashes through the flowers, and into the rolling water. The chanting continued, with all joining in, as the remains dissipated. Andrew, sat silent, voicing his own prayers, in English, in his mind. As the sun dipped into the surf, the circle disbanded and headed back to shore.
And so it was done.
They had returned, the family of three survivors, to the Hart condo in Kihei, feeling oddly empty, yet completely fulfilled. The Ikahara’s had joined them for several days of relaxation and friendly fun. The night before, Andrew and Tessa had said goodbye to Kal, as he returned to Kauai’i with the last box. It had been a lighthearted farewell, yet Andrew found himself missing the big man who teased him like a true big brother. Tomorrow morning, Tessa and Andrew would board an airplane for the trip back to New York.
It’s for the best,” Andrew said out loud. “She’s going to do fine with Peter, and I’ll still see her.”
“Talking to ourself, are we?” Tessa’s voice startled Andrew from his reverie. He turned to see her grinning at him.
“That’s what happens when you get old,” he joked. “Is dinner ready, then?”
Tessa nodded. “Aunt Shelby sent me to get you. Well, actually, she sent me to get the fruit salad. You were a bonus.” She grinned even wider. “So, why are you talking to yourself?”
Andrew opted for honesty. “I was trying to convince myself that sending you to live at Crabapple Farm is the best solution.”
“Oh.” Tessa moved across the room, gripping Andrew’s arm. “It is.” Her eyes glowed green. “At first, I wanted to stay here. This is my home, and I’ve missed it, but...” She paused, searching for the right words. “You are my home, too, Uncle Andy. By all accounts, Hawai’i will still be here for me, when I need it. Right now, I’m willing, if not completely happy, to try some new things. At the farm, I’ll have a chance to get to know a whole different part of my family. And I’ll still get to see you.”
“We’ll come back here, Tessa. I promise.”
“I know.” Tessa squeezed his arm. “Truly, I’m happy about going back to New York. I just have a feeling that something really exciting is waiting for me.”
Andrew, thinking briefly of his other niece, Trixie, and her tendency to find excitement, groaned. “Nothing too exciting, please?”
Tessa laughed. “I guess we’ll just have to see.” She hugged him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Andrew squeezed her tight, ruffling a hand through her hair.
Pulling herself free, Tessa told him, “We’d better get up to the garden, before Aunt Shelby sends out the search party.”
She danced to the refrigerator to retrieve the fruit salad. Andrew watched her move across the room with pride and love. Offering her his arm, he opened the door. “Onward and upward,” he intoned.
Affecting a haughty air, Tessa took the proffered arm. “Indeed.”
