She had reheated Halia’s breakfast and made a fresh pot of tea; the scent of mamaki and ginger wafted up from the mug.
“I’m going to head over to the park and get the tents set up.Drink your tea and get some sleep, okay? We’ve got this.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep.” Anne brandished Halia’s checklist. “It’s a good thing you’re so organized.”
Halia nodded in a hazy sort of way and brought a spoonful of rice up to her mouth. She managed to get most of it down, plus all of the tea, and then she fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke up many hours later, she was still dazed and disoriented, but her symptoms were mostly gone. She heaved herself out of bed and went straight for the shower to wash away the sweat that had drenched her pajamas when her fever broke.
Clean and rested, she felt nearly normal again. She gulped down another cup of herbal tea, now room temperature, and then found her phone.
The fundraiser was in full swing.
It felt surreal, knowing that it was happening without her. The family group chat was full of dozens of messages, with each woman in her family volunteering to oversee some aspect of the day’s events.
Halia felt deeply moved, seeing them show up for her – and for A Place of Refuge.
She also felt like she might lose her mind if she stayed cooped up inside another minute.
With slippahs on her feet, she walked up the road at an easy pace. It was a cool afternoon, with fluffy white clouds shading the sun and a steady breeze blowing through town. There would be no parking left anywhere near the community center, and it wasn’t a long walk.
There at the park, she could see the usual crowd.
Even more people than usual, maybe.
There were two dozen white-topped tents with vendors and games and art projects. A massive banner on the first tent readFamily Fun Fair!And then in smaller text below:All proceeds go to A Place of Refuge shelter for women and children.
Oakley jogged across the grass, her botox-smooth face conveying worry despite its absence of lines.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
“Who made that banner?” Halia asked.
“I did.” Oakley glanced over her shoulder. “Do you hate it?”
“I don’t hate it.”
“Well, good. Now go away.”
“I’m not going home.”
“Fine, but you’re not coming any farther, either.” She pointed to a big tree off to the right. “You and your germs can post up right there in the shade. I’ll bring you a chair.”
Halia strolled over to the tree, where she leaned against the tree trunk and watched the festivities. She didn’t feel sick, exactly, but the short walk to the park had tired her out all the same.
Oakley returned a couple minutes later with a very comfortable beach chair and a hot mug. Expecting coffee, Halia was surprised to find a white broth inside. The sweet smell of coconut milk was balanced with lemongrass and galangal.
“Where’d you get this?”
“The Thai restaurant set up a stand this year, remember?”
Halia nodded and then took a sip of the broth. Exhaustion had made her thoughts foggy. “What about the café?”
“Closed for the day. Akemi drew up a notice on our sandwich board and put it in front of the door, steering people here. You can’t see from here, but we set up a coffee stand.”
Halia looked up at her sister. “I appreciate you all showingup for me.”
