A Fish Out of Water: Chapter 9

 Chapter 9: A Neighborly Visit

Keoni was enjoying a mid-morning splash in the ocean, when once again, Kapena picked him up and carried him down the beach toward the Kealohas' house. "We've been invited over for another playdate," Kapena explained. Then he set Keoni down on the sand outside the Kealoha residence. "You go on in. I have something to do really quick."

"Okay Papa," Keoni agreed. He started to toddle towards the neighbors' house. Kapena watched him go for a few steps, then turned around as if he wanted to make sure no one could see whatever he was doing.

Keoni crawled up the Kealoha house's front steps -- a rather long flight of stairs for a toddler, but he managed. Then he walked into the house through the front door. The stereo was playing a kids' music radio station, and the Kealohas were already helping themselves to hot dogs. A good start to a playdate.

A few minutes later, Kapena walked in the door, and Hokulani arrived to visit the Kealohas too. While Hokulani went into the bathroom, Kapena reached down to Keoni and gave him a big hug. Then, Hokulani came out of the bathroom and stood near the stereo, listening to the music. Nani's mom cleared up the empty plates from the hot dogs that had already been eaten, and Makoa swooped Nani up, tossed her on his back and pretended they were birds flying through the sky.

When Makoa and Nani were done playing, everyone gathered at the living room sofa (except for Makoa, who sat at the dining room table). Nani's mom had another storybook in her hand, and she began reading to the toddlers. "Lots of folks say we're all special, and to some extent that's true. But for a tot just beginning to go through life, in many ways other tots are just like you..."

Meanwhile, Makoa was chatting with Kapena and Hokulani about grown-up things like recent changes in the neighborhood. Keoni tried to pay attention to the conversation, even though he found the storybook interesting too.

However, trying to split up the conversation between the dining table and the sofa got a little annoying for the grown-ups after a while, so Kapena and Hokulani got up from their seats and sat down at the dining table to listen to Makoa, and Keoni scooted over on the sofa so that he could hear Nani's mom read the story better.

Before long, Nani's mom finished the storybook, got up from her seat, and placed the book down on the dining room table. "Time for potty training, Nani," she said.

"NO!" Nani protested defiantly. "I wanna stay here and play more!"

"Now, now," Nani's mom chided her daughter, "I'm very disappointed in you for being defiant to your parents. We have guests over, so let's not make them have to smell stinky diapers." With that, she picked Nani up and carried her out of the living room.

While all this was going on, Makoa got up from the dining table and moved over to sit next to Keoni. Something about Makoa seemed 'off,' as if he was in a much more boisterously joyful mood than usual, and the toddler instinctively shied away slightly. "What's wrong, little guy?" Makoa asked.

"You'we stiww a stwangew, a widdle bit," Keoni explained. "I don't wike stwangews."

"Aw," Makoa replied, sounding slightly disappointed. "Well, you don't have to worry about the people of Ohan'ali town -- we're all like a big family to each other, so it's as if there are no strangers here. I hope you and I can get to know each other better as neighbors, and I hope you and Nani get to be good friends over time."

Makoa continued to chat with the other grown-ups, and he tried to keep conversing with Keoni too. At one point, Makoa asked Keoni about his day, and Keoni replied enthusiastically, "Befowe dis pwaydate, I was pwaying spwashy in da sea!"

Makoa smiled. "Sounds like you really love the sea, little cousin! So do I."

Kapena got up from the dining table and sat down on the sofa, on the opposite side of Keoni from Makoa. "My son is a regular chip off the old block. He's got a natural affinity for the ocean, which means he's going to be a great fisherman when he gets older." Kapena gave Makoa a stern look.

"Well, at least your kid won't have to worry about what his future career will be, Kapena," Makoa commented. "As for me and Lilliana, we're okay with letting Duane and Nani find out for themselves what kind of future will make them happy, as long as they're able to support themselves when they're all grown. Oh, and speaking of work," Makoa launched into a story, "the other day I was doing an underwater survey near Mua Pel'am, and I saw the biggest school of neon angelfish I'd ever caught on record since I first started this job! I think that may be a sign that Mua Pel'am's environment is beginning to heal."

"Quit it with that nonsense," Kapena scoffed. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- the ocean has been able to take care of herself and sustain our people since the beginning of time, and the islands have been able to take care of themselves and sustain our people since they first rose up from the waves. There's no way they need our help."

"Well, I guess we're going to have to agree to disagree on that one," Makoa replied.

Hokulani got up from the table and sat down on the ottoman next to the sofa. "You two get along surprisingly well in spite of the fact that you disagree on almost everything," she commented.

"Good neighbors don't let differences of opinion get in the way of being neighborly," Makoa responded with the same unusually jovial manner he'd had so far today. For a split second, Keoni thought he saw a knowing smirk flit across Kapena's face... but no, Keoni figured it must've just been his imagination. As far as he knew, there was no reason why Makoa being in such a playful mood would make Kapena smirk like that.

Makoa got up from the sofa, picked up the book from the dining room table, and went to put it away. Keoni climbed down from the sofa just as Nani was coming back into the living room. She immediately toddled straight up to Keoni, arms open wide. "Hi again, Keoni! Wet's be best fwiends now!"

She went in for a hug, but Keoni pushed her away. As far as he was concerned, she was still pretty much a stranger, and strangers were scary. Plus, Keoni had more important things on his mind. "Papa, I'm firsty!"

Kapena gave Keoni a sippy cup full of milk. Nani climbed onto the middle of the sofa and sat down, and Keoni took the seat on the free end of the sofa so he could enjoy his drink. "Have you evew been to a pawty, Keoni?" Nani asked. "I've heawd about pawties -- many peopw aww in one pwace, having fun togevoo! It sounds so gweat!"

Keoni was content to just sit and drink from his sippy cup; he didn't really feel any need to be at a bigger gathering than the one that was already going on around him.

"Toys awe fun too," Nani chattered on. "I have a toybox in my bedwoom, and I have a bookshewf wif a pwincess castle on it! I wuv pwincesses. Sometimes I wish I was a pwincess. Do you evoo wish you was a pwince, Keoni?"

Keoni paused for a moment, a little surprised by the question. "I dunno if I'd wanna be a pwince. I nevew weawwy fought about it befowe."

"Maybe you wanna be a supahewo instead?" Nani asked.

"I'd wuv to be a supahewo!" Keoni exclaimed. "I'd have a cape and I'd fwy awound saving errybody!"

"If you could have supah powahs fwom any animoo, what animoo would it be?"

"I'd swim fast as a fishie!" Keoni exclaimed. "Or maybe I'd be tough as a sea turtur. I wuv fishies and sea turturs."

Keoni finished the milk from his sippy cup, and Kapena picked him up. "All right, son, it's time to go." He carried Keoni out of the Kealohas' front door, down the stairs and along the beach toward their own family's house, with Hokulani walking alongside them the whole way.

"Kapena, I know you don't agree with Makoa Kealoha on a lot of things," Hokulani commented, "but he seems to find value in his own... well, values."

"Yes, yes, different strokes for different folks and all that stuff," Kapena replied dismissively. "If he wants to waste his time trying to save a world that doesn't really need saving, that's not my problem. But it would be nice if he wouldn't bother the rest of the town by insisting that everyone vote for for those annoying Neighborhood Action Plans like shutting off the water one day a week, and even worse, charging fines for consuming too much water! How is a simple, honest fisherman like me supposed to support his family when they fine you a hundred Simoleons just for taking a shower? And don't get me started on..."

Kapena continued to grouse the rest of the way home.