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"Mahuru means renewal and regrowth."
"Mahuru signifies rebirth."
"Mahuru, mother."
"My mother."
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"Her mother was the one who almost caused the downfall of our village! My father was killed that day! I do not understand why I should ever take pity on her demon-blood!"
This was how most days went by for Leilani as a child. She could recite perfectly the very words that spewed out of the villagers' mouth and reenact the expressions of unfiltered anger and hatred evident on their unpleasantly ruddy, haggard face. She felt pathetically weak, pathetically vulnerable, and pathetically sorry for Iewa.
With both their bare, sunken feet, they trudged towards multiple homes of different clans of the Metkayina, pleading for help, Iewa begging for the people to sell her Pamuya's seed. Leilani remembered the way the older lady, with her roughly calloused hand, would offer up practically all her month's income and from her sun-dried, chapped lips, would flow an embarrassing amount of words of gratitude and appreciation.
Often, Leilani stood absentmindedly tugging on the hem of Iewa's loincloth. The decorative ornaments and multi-colored patterns obviously intrigued the child, but the fingers that played with the little trinkets would always be taken up by Iewa's own to form an appreciative gesture.
They walked on soggy, wooden boards that creaked everytime they took a step whether it be forwards or backwards. Before they rode their own ilu home, Leilani observed the little adventures the children of the village undertook. The girl's musing gaze had a life of its own, it travelled from one child to another, splashing and playing with their own ilus and gleefully speaking amongst themselves.
She yearned for that type of belonging, but simply laying eyes on their merry smiles and mirthful laughter, her heart was full.
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Today wasn't the usual.
Little Leilani's usual was either staying on the island and playing made up games by herself or visiting the clans for her medicine, but today seemed to be neither. It was closely similar to the latter though.
Iewa was yelling. The last time Leilani had heard her yell seemed so distant, so far away, she couldn't remember but she certainly recognized the anger evident in the significant raise of her voice towards another man. "Tonowari, she is your niece! Your father exiled Mahuru long ago, and she's already passed! What harm will it do to you to be a little more compassionate towards your sister's daughter?"
Today wasn't the usual, but Leilani was told to sit quietly outside, like every single time they came to this oddly shaped Marui pod. It was bigger and certainly better, standing apart from the rest of the pods in an unusual but unique way.
She swung her legs, staring at her oddly shaped feet.
She counted one, two, three, four, five on her feet.
She remembered only one, two, three, and four on Iewa's.
"The beads on your hair. They're stunning." A voice, shy and soft, sounded, as a little Metkayina girl appeared from the pod Iewa was still in. She had an enchantingly intoxicating scent of the midnight ocean mist. Leilani's memories of stargazing in the middle of the night on the shore smelt fresh like her. Ocean-misted girl. "Well, did you make them? They really do match the color of your eyes!"
She queried politely with a sunny smile so bashfully childlike, Leilani giggled.
"Iewa and I made them. I could make one for you if you'd like!" Leilani thought she might just lose her breath and die if she tried any harder to refrain from sounding nervous or anxious. Though, it was quite evident by her nimble fingers slightly rubbing at the hem of her clothes. "You will?! I'll tell Mother to make one for you as well! So, what do you say? Let's make it a promise!" She chirped and Leilani gave a quick nod eagerly. She found it amusing how the strange girl's hair bounced with every little movement she made. It looks so frizzy and fuzzy, yet so lush and velvety at the same time.
"You haven't told me your name. I'm Leilani." She said, almost sounding like a whisper that fluttered with the breeze.
