North Star

21 | by the light of the moon

2019

Between work, helping Anthony find somewhere for Nikau to play, and planning everything for Leimomi's graduation and graduation party, I was a much busier person than I had ever anticipated I would be.

Nothing with work was any different, which might have been part of the problem. As much as I liked the predictable comfort of familiarity, having to relive the parts of my life that caused it to drag was less than desirable. The only reason I even survived was that I knew I realistically had no choice but to endure it.

Anthony's surprise wake-up call one morning was anything but predictable.

"I got a call back," Anthony said as soon as I answered my phone. It was seven in the morning which meant I had zero active brain function, so it took me a solid minute to even process what he had said.

I sat up in bed. "Wait, what?"

"You heard me."

"I heard the individual words you said. I didn't hear what you said."

"That's... I feel like that's the same thing."

"It's not."

Anthony didn't respond for long enough that I almost tossed my phone across the room. "Hello?"

"I don't know how to rephrase this very simple sentence."

I groaned. "Elaborate, please."

Leimomi had suggested we try out Mai Tai's at Ala Moana because she had heard it was "fun" but Kanani vetoed that plan. ("How and when did you hear about Mai Tai's? You're literally seventeen. You can't even drink.") ("What, jealous 'cause you're old?") ("Oi, get back here, you little shit!") ("Kanani! Watch your mouth or I'm grabbing the soap!") She had said something about having an incident that she did not elaborate on, much like her best friend, that made her vow to never return. I wasn't surprised considering it was Mai Tai's and any bar inside the most central tourist hub of a mall meant bad news. Sister solidarity dictated that I agreed with her.

While Anthony reached out to other local bars that allowed for performers, Kaipo gave us the information for someone that worked at Hawaiian Brian's—not far from Ala Moana but still infinitely better, according to Kanani. I had never been—and I sent the email with one of Nikau's demos and Anthony's phone number for a follow-up. A follow-up I wasn't even sure we were going to get. Not because I doubted Nikau's abilities. I just always assumed the worst would happen if I was involved.

"That's incredible, holy shit," I gawked.

"Straight from the Vatican's plumbing system."

"You're disgusting."

"You said it first," Anthony argued.

Moving along. "Did you tell Nikau yet?"

"No, I wanted to let my partner-in-crime know first."

I rolled my eyes and dropped back down onto the bed. "There's no crime here. We told Nikau what we were doing."

"You call him by his name a lot," Anthony commented.

"Everybody calls him by his name."

He clicked his tongue while Uncle Akamu could be heard making some comment in the background. After a few seconds, it sounded like he was alone again. "No, everyone calls him Nik. You call him Nikau."

"Is the crime here that I call him by his full name?"

"I just think it's... interesting."

"Maybe you need to get out more if you find that interesting."