“Not everything,” Nori said. “Koji will never forgive himself for Razor’s death, but running the sugar train was the best thing that could have happened; he was given his own place to live, and the train brought him down to Hilo every day to see your mother. Ironic, yeah, Koji was always the family man, while for Franklin, it became an anchor around his neck. Best thing to come out of the marriage was you,” Nori said. “I once told your mother that your father was a no-good lazy ass all his life, but worth it, if only for you. The other good thing in her life was Koji.”

Auntie Nori stopped talking, sipped her tea, and looked back at the photo on the bulletin board.

Daniel closed his eyes for just a moment and thought of his father, but it was Koji’s face that he saw.

* * *

By the time Daniel left the market, the wind had died down, the sky gray and overcast. The heat remained trapped by the low clouds that wrapped around Daniel as he walked up the road to Mama’s house, a sweaty grip on his medical bag, the prickly dampness of his shirt pressed against his back. The faint buzz of mosquitoes circled around him. He should have borrowed Uncle Samuel’s truck. Instead he turned the corner and began walking up the hill to the Natua house.

Daniel knocked several times on the screen door, and for the first time there was no answer. He stepped inside to find the house empty, fearful that something might have happened to Mama until he realized her wheelchair was also gone. They couldn’t have gone far with Auntie Leia pushing Mama’s wheelchair in the humid heat. Daniel sat down on the porch and waited. It wasn’t long before he saw them moving slowly up the road and hurried to meet them.

“Let me help you,” he said.

Auntie Leia quickly relinquished control of the wheelchair to him and wiped her neck with a handkerchief. Mama’s head lolled to the side, her eyes closed in sleep.

“Sticky today, yeah, going down the road was easy, back up not so much, eh,” she said. “I took Mama to visit the neighbors down the road. They’re packing a few things just in case Pele switches direction. I told them all I need is right here,” she said, looking down at Mama. Auntie Leia wiped her own brow and took a breath.

“I’ll get her back to the house,” Daniel said.

Auntie Leia smiled. “Thank you, I’ll go ahead, yeah, have some papaya juice waiting,” she said, and quickly walked toward the house.