“Me too,” Koji said, and cleared his throat. “Everything will be all right, Maile girl, just trust yourself.”

“I’m trying.”

“I’m sure Daniel wouldn’t mind helping,” Koji said, and smiled.

“He already has,” Maile said quietly. “We’re helping each other.”

“The way it should be, yeah.”

Koji paused to look out at the bay, the winds returning, rippling upon the surface. He could almost feel Mariko there with them, and the thought made him happy. Koji looked at Maile, and without saying a word they turned and began walking back to the market.

42. Mosquitoes

42

Mosquitoes

Mama sat on the porch dozing, startled awake by a buzzing sound overhead. She yawned, her neck stiff. The mosquitoes are back, she thought. They were always whirring around Nestor, taunting and waiting for the right moment to strike. “Like honey to them, yeah,” her husband used to say when he complained about the itching after being bitten. She would then send Leia or Noelani out to collect aloe vera leaves that would take care of the itching and keep the swelling away. She smiled. Her thoughts felt clearer again this morning. Mama leaned forward in her chair to listen. The buzzing intensified, too loud for mosquitoes. The sound was coming from outside, growing louder and more insistent. She peered through the dark screen, but after weeks of providing her an airy freedom from her bedroom, today the porch felt more like a cage.

Mama pushed forward, again and again, trying to move the chair toward the screen door, but the wheels were locked and wouldn’t budge. She sat back, hot and frustrated. “Aya,” she said aloud, before gripping the armrests and pushing herself up, dangling above the chair for an instant before her arms shook and she dropped back down on the cushioned seat with a frustrated cry. Her heart raced from the exertion. She heard Leia moving around in the kitchen, most likely to return any minute with a bowl of mashed something or other. The thought was enough to encourage Mama to try again. She gripped each side of the chair and rocked forward one, two, three times, gaining the momentum to push herself up until she was almost standing. No time to waste; if she sat down again she’d never get back up. Instead, Mama inhaled deeply and pushed with all her strength until she was completely standing. She smiled, eyes shining with accomplishment as the droning sound outside grew louder.