AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A knock at the door made her jump. It was nine in the morning and she wasn’t expecting anyone. Her condo door faced an open walkway and, beyond that, the parking lot. She thought it might be the super for the building, perhaps finally come to look at her leaky kitchen sink.
When she peered through the peephole, however, she saw Kai’s aunt Kaimana on her porch. What was she doing there?
Her first thought was Kai. Was he okay? Had something happened?
She swung open the door.
Aunt Kaimana wore a white-and-brown muumuu and brown sandals, a wicker purse hanging on her thick forearm.
“Aloha.”
“Is everything okay?” Jun asked.
“Yes, yes, everything’s fine. Kai asked me to come pick you up.”
“Pick me...up?” Jun struggled to follow. “Why?”
“Training!” Aunt Kaimana declared. “Second day of training.”
Jun felt disoriented as she struggled to process this. He’d fired her!
“Uh... Kaimana. I’m not working for Kai anymore. He let me go yesterday, so I’m sorry you made the trip out here, but there’s no reason to stay.”
“No, no, no.” Kaimana shook her head. “He didn’t fire. No fire. You work for him.” Was it her imagination or was Kaimana’s accent growing thicker? “He sent me as... How do you say it? A papaya branch?”
“Olive, I think.”
“Papaya would be better than olive!” Kaimana exclaimed, and then shrugged. “Kai asked me to come right over. He wants you and Po over at his house this afternoon. I’ll watch Po and you can help Kai train.”
“This afternoon? This is the first I’m hearing of it.” Why had Kai not called her? He’d decided to hire her back and thought she’d just know by osmosis? Besides, he had some nerve. Who was to say she’d even take the job back? After he’d kicked her out? Laughed at her methods?
“Kai is stubborn and proud, but he does want to apologize. He sent me to feel you out. I’m happy to give you a ride now, if you’re free...”
“I don’t know.” Jun hesitated. Part of her was tempted to go and see if Kai really was ready to work. Was it possible that he wanted to apologize? She couldn’t imagine it, yet his aunt seemed so certain. “Kai wants me back? But he was so adamant yesterday.” Jun felt doubtful.
“The boy’s always been fickle. He can’t decide what he wants to do so often! But when he decides, he goes for it. Sometimes when he was little, he’d run out of the house with just one shoe on.”
Jun almost smiled at that, the image of Kai as young as Po, so eager to get outside he’d run out in one flip-flop.
“Boys are always leaping before they look,” Jun agreed. The two women shared a moment, both understanding all too well the unruliness of raising little boys.
“He wanted me to give you this.” Kaimana dug a crinkled piece of paper out of her wicker bag. “I’m sorry about the folds in it. He was a bit angry before he calmed down and saw reason.”
Jun stared at the contract in disbelief. An illegible black scrawl formed a signature above Kai’s name. She recognized the large loopy K from the poster in Po’s room.
Just then Po poked his head out from around Jun’s side.
“Hello, Po,” Kaimana said, smiling in a genuine and loving way that immediately put Jun and Po at ease. She could always tell the people who faked it.
Kaimana glanced at Jun. “Is it all right if he gets a little treat? I remember that his favorite is mango candy.”
“Can I, Mommy? Can I, please?” Po looked so excited she couldn’t tell him no, especially not after seeing him so terrified the night before. Besides, she was so stunned to be holding Kai’s contract in her hands that she found herself simply nodding.
Kaimana reached in her bag and pulled out a handful of his favorite mango candy. He greedily took them.
“Po, what do you say?” she admonished.
“Thank you!” he shouted gleefully, and then ran back inside, probably to devour every last bit in one sitting, but Jun felt too disoriented to chastise him. Should she give Kai another chance? She thought about having to work for Tim again in close quarters. She didn’t want to do that. But was Kai the answer?
