The Past Part 5

The Past
Part 5

Dan and Tessa settled into the Maxim house with surprising ease. Their bedrooms were next to each other, once again sharing a wall. Each found it reassuring to tap on the wall and get an answering tap. They both enjoyed cooking with Yaya, and both quickly picked up bits and pieces of her native language.

St. Augustine was a new experience for Dan, who had always attended public school. Tessa had attended private school on Maui, so uniforms were nothing new to her. She liked the skirt and jumper made from blue and green plaid with a thin red stripe. The navy skort she declared very practical, and after immediately ironing her three white cotton blouses, she offered to iron Dan’s new shirts as well. It felt odd to Dan to dress for school in trousers other than blue jeans or cords, but he stopped feeling self-conscious once he realized that all the boys were dressed in the same white shirt, tie, and either navy or khaki pants.

On their first day of school, Tessa and Dan were escorted by two of Yaya’s grandchildren. Svetlana was a year ahead of them, while her younger brother Josef was a year behind them. Lana and Joey, as they were called, were the children of Yaya’s second son, Nikodim. Lana, petite and already curvy at age fifteen, wore her long, straight blonde hair in a single ponytail. Her blue-green eyes were large and full of laughter. Lana was very artistic; her notebooks were full of intricate designs and sketches, and she spent her free time making beaded jewelry. Joey was the clown. He spiked his fair hair straight up in the front, and had the ability to twist his face into the oddest contortions. Joey also knew more jokes than anyone either Dan or Tessa had ever met.

Going to school became a pleasure as the two made friends and got caught up in their classes. St. Augustine enrolled students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Of the two hundred seventy-three students, thirteen were the grandchildren of Yelena Maxim.

It was the Maxim family custom to gather after church one Sunday each month. The four of Yaya’s children who lived closest to her would meet at one of their houses. The children would play, while the adults chatted and caught up on family gossip. Then they would all sit down to a huge family dinner. Dan and Tessa stuck close to each other during these gatherings. The food was delicious, and everyone was friendly and welcoming, but there were so very many of them, it was a little intimidating for the newcomers. There were nineteen grandchildren ranging in age from two years to twenty-six, all of them speaking in a jumble of Russian and English. It made for an exciting and tiring Sunday afternoon, and both Dan and Tessa were glad they occurred but once each month.

March ran into April, which soon moved on to May, and, finally, June. Dan sat in the study, pretending to study for his algebra final. Instead, his attention was focused on Tessa. She was hunched over a history text, lips moving as she read. He watched as she twirled one braid, and tapped her pencil rhythmically on the table. She felt his stare and looked up. She smiled at him and he blushed. Rising, Tessa smiled again as she stretched her arms above her head. She walked over to Dan and held out her hand. “How about a study break, Danny-boy?”

“Sounds good to me, Tessy-girl.” He laughed as she wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at him. “What did you have in mind?”

“Ice cream?” she suggested. “We could walk down to Garibaldi’s.”

“That sounds good.” Dan took her hand and stood. “Let’s ask Yaya.”

Yaya thought that ice cream was a wonderful idea. She requested Key Lime Pie on a sugar cone. Dan and Tessa walked leisurely down the street, stopping at each alley to share a sweet kiss. Between parochial school and living under Yaya’s supervision, there was little opportunity for kissing. While it was frustrating for Dan to be close to a girl he liked so much to kiss, he was somewhat relieved. At least while they were surrounded by priests, nuns, and grandmas, they were less likely to lose control and go too far, too fast.

After they had finished their own ice cream and procured Yaya’s, they started back to the apartment. Something caught Dan’s eye, and he quickly pulled Tessa into the nearest alleyway. Confused, she whispered, “What’s wrong?”

Dan put his finger to her lips and peered around the corner. After what felt like an eternity, he pulled Tessa out of the alley and hurried her home. Reaching the lobby of the apartment he told her, “I’m pretty sure I just saw Luke.”

Tessa turned pale. “Where? Are you sure?”

“Outside the pawn shop. And no. No, I’m not sure. It might have just been someone who looked like Luke.” Dan chewed on his lower lip as the elevator doors opened.

“What if it was Luke?” Tessa asked in a whisper, even though they were alone in the elevator. “Did he see you?”

“I don’t think so.” Dan kept his voice low too. “But I think we should be really careful. We only have two weeks left of school. If Luke finds us, he’ll ruin everything.”

“Should we tell Yaya? Maybe we should call Father Paul?”

“But I don’t know that it was him,” Dan argued. “Why worry them until we have to?”

“Okay. For now. But I’m going to pack my emergency bag again, just in case. I think you should too.”

“I will,” Dan told her grimly. “This time we’ll be ready.” He used his key to open the door, letting Tess enter first with the now dripping ice cream.

Friday, June 18, 1982

“School is out! Hello summer!” Dan threw back his head and shouted. Tessa laughed at him, and he swung her around.

“I thought you liked school,” she said.

“I do like school. But that doesn’t mean I want to sit in un-air-conditioned classrooms during the hottest part of the year. I want to sit on the roof and drink lemonade. I want to go swimming. I want...”

“I want to kiss you.” Dan stopped in his tracks. Tessa poked him with her little finger. “You heard me. I want to kiss you. Right here, under this tree. Now.”

“Uh...okay.” Dan cast a surreptitious look around, but there didn’t seem to be any authority figures watching. He tilted his head, and Tessa pressed her mouth against his. Pulling back she asked, “So, when were you planning to tell me about your job?”

“My job?” Dan looked genuinely perplexed. “I have a job?”

“Working for Mr. Garibaldi? He called this morning.” Tessa grinned.

“I got the job? Are you serious?”

“Yes, I am. Congratulations! Eek!” Tessa squealed as Dan swung her around again. “Put me down counter boy!”

“Hey! That’s stocker boy to you, Miss.” Dan grinned. “It’s a cherry job. I go in at ten and stock and sweep until two. The pay is $3.50 an hour, and it’s under the table, so I don’t have to get a work permit.”

“Which keeps your name out of the public domain. Smart boy, Kane.”

“What did you call me?” Dan asked. “Connie?”

“Kah-neh. It’s the Hawaiian translation of your name. It also means man or sweetheart in Hawaiian. That’s how I think of you. Danny. Ku’a kane. My Danny, my sweet hearted man.” Tessa blushed.

“You think of me in Hawaiian?” Dan smiled at the idea. “How am I supposed to think about you? I don’t know much Hawaiian. Aloha. Mahalo. Kane.”

“Hello, goodbye, thank you, and man. That works.” Tessa sat down on a bench under the tree. Dan sat next to her. “Would you like to learn some words?”

“Teach me,” Dan said.

“Okay.” Tessa took his hand and said, “Lima means hand.” She placed her hand on his chest. “Pu’uwai means heart.” She leaned over, her mouth near his and whispered, “Lehelehe means lips, and honi is kiss.” She kissed him gently on the lips. Pulling away she told him, “Honi ku’a lehelehe, ipo.”

She could see the wheels turning in his head as he translated her words. Tessa nearly laughed as recognition dawned in his eyes and he leaned over and kissed her on her lips.

When he finally pulled away, he asked her, “What can I call you in Hawaiian?”

Tessa thought for a moment. “My middle name is Hoalohanani.”

“What does it mean?”

Tessa blushed. “It means beautiful friend or beloved companion. My family used to call me Nani, sometimes. It means beautiful.”

“That fits,” Dan told her. “Because you are my beautiful friend, and my companion. May I call you Nani? I mean when we’re alone.”

“I’d like that, if I can call you Kane.”

“I’d like that.” Dan kissed her again. “But we’d better get home before Yaya sends out the guards.” He pulled her to his feet and they started home, unaware that a pair of dark eyes watched from the shadows.

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