Maile walked toward downtown and the Okawa Fish Market. Pele had quieted for the moment and the sky had cleared. As the streets grew more crowded, Maile began to sweat. The fear and anxiousness made her nauseous. She stopped near a building and turned back to look once, twice, and couldn’t shake the feeling that he was there, following her. She swallowed her anxiety and willed herself not to turn around again before she rounded the corner. One step, two steps, she whispered to herself, refusing to let him win. She was determined to leave his ghost behind. All she had to do was think of Daniel and Uncle Koji to remember there was a world of good men she didn’t have to be afraid of.

Maile felt calmer as soon as she glimpsed Hilo Bay in the distance, knowing the Okawa Fish Market was just steps ahead. She wondered if the Hilo Aunties were still meeting to play Hearts every Saturday afternoon, and if the old-timers still gathered in the backyard. Maile had missed the market’s camaraderie, and she was anxious to check the bulletin board to see if anyone was looking to hire a teacher or a tutor.

She quickly rounded the corner without looking back.

17. The Bulletin Board

17

The Bulletin Board

At the end of the day, Nori stood at the cash register, adding up the market’s receipts. She was delighted at how smoothly Mama’s exam had gone yesterday morning. Even more relieved when Daniel told them Mama was doing reasonably well physically. “A strong pulse,” he’d said, “a fighter’s heartbeat.”

It wasn’t anything she didn’t already know. Mama was always a fighter.

Then, this afternoon, Nori was taken completely by surprise to see Maile walk in, cautious at first as she peered through the screen door, only to smile wide when she saw Nori. Nori moved quickly around the counter to give the young woman a big hug. “You’re here!” she said, stepping back to take a good look at her. She was thinner and tired, or was it sadness Nori saw, a thin line between the two?

“I returned late yesterday,” Maile told her.

“Are you staying awhile?” Nori dared to ask. Maile paused and then nodded. She was home. Everything else would follow in time. It was almost too good to be true to have both Daniel and Maile return to Hilo within days of each other.

Nori knew Mariko would have been ecstatic to have both her fledglings back home.

* * *