AllFreeNovel
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This makes her laugh. The rest of us too, including Lani.
“I am seventy-five, with a fake knee and hip. Diabetes they say. Although I don’t pay much attention to that. Come on, let’s go!”
“Don’t remind me. See you all at lunch,” Ino says waving. “Hope you’re hungry!”
We climb into the 4x4, Nani getting a helpful lift into the front seat by Lani. That looked a little familiar. He was perilously close to touching her ass. Alek and I pile in the rear. He takes my hand and I like it. Our fingers braid.
Right off the bat, I see how uncomfortable Nani is, holding tightly onto the metal bar on the open sides.
“Are you sure this is safe?” she asks.
Lani chuckles like she just told a joke.
“Of course beautiful flower. I would never put you in harm’s way.”
Oh. Wonder how that will go down. As he takes off, he adds another thought. “We are going into the Valley of the Kings! Alleluia!”
No surprise to me, he goes too fast on the bumpy road in. We bounce with every dip and hill. Equal parts mad scientist and maniac behind the wheel, it is fun for him, so it must be fun for everyone. Nani’s body language and expression say otherwise.
We splash straight through a giant mud puddle then across a shallow stream. Both create sprays of dirty water that land on our clothes, the car, and in the bushes and trees that whiz by. Lani keeps looking at his passenger that holds on for dear life. Then he pats her leg.
“You’re okay!”
The familiarity doesn’t sit well with her but looks like she is too afraid to let go and use a hand to slap it off. Instead she throws daggers with her eyes and lets him know what’s what.
“Don’t touch me again!”
What follows is a Hawaiian insult that seems only to encourage. It was sharp and full of vitriol. Part of it referenced a butthole. Lani’s mouth opens in a perfect O. Something nasty was said and he loves the shock. Slowing to an exaggerated crawl, he keeps looking at her and smiling.
“So the delicate flower has thorns. I like it.”
“You like it. Ridiculous,” she says to the trees.
Is that a smile she is holding back? Alek is as surprised to watch the soap opera as I am. His eyebrows knit together and his head tilts in disbelief.
“Okay. You win. Nani. We’re almost there.”
Coming out into the open fields, another world appears. A beautiful wide opened setting, with people working the land. The perfect growing climate makes everything look healthy and lush. As we exit the 4x4, Lani is talking.
“We have to take care of this place and pass it to a new generation. We are the caretakers now, in a long line of caretakers. My whole life has been with that in mind.”
His voice breaks a little with the emotion I have seen many times before.
“It has to be sustainable. It is more powerful than just food. I have seed on my farm that is five hundred years old!”
“That is incredible,” Alek says.
“But the first Taro plant came from the gods.”
Nani proudly continues, showing him he is not the only one here who understands the sacredness.
“Pepe and Earth Mother had a baby. It was stillborn. The tears of their grief watered the land, and up grew the first plant.”
Lani looks at her with admiration.
“Yes. That’s right. Come, let me show you why our taro should be on your menu. When you turn taro into poi, spending time with people invested in community, it blesses the meal. Do you believe that too?”
“Oh yes. I want my guests to know that is part of what we offer. Ohana.”
