The Uneventful Life of Harvey Mackler

c h a p t e r | t w e n t y - f o u r

IT WOULDN'T BE Uncle Mani's if upon our arrival his family of four weren't already lined up outside their home like the Von Trapps waiting to burst into a musical number.

"Isla, George! Looks like all the gang is here," my uncle greets, spreading his arms wide open as he crosses the threshold of his private compound to us. "You've all grown so much," he gushes, peering into the car. "Especially you, Harry."

Harry barely has time to get out of the rented vehicle that we drove down from the airport in before he is swept up into our uncle's arms.

"Do you remember me, Harry?" Uncle Manuel coos. "You were only two when we last met."

"I remember you," Harry says while trying to wriggle away from our uncle's tight grasp.

"Really?" Uncle Manuel asks, eyes sparkling with delight. "What's my name?"

"Uhhhh, I dunno." Harry shrugs. "Mister Man?"

Mom and Dad break into awkward laughter, with Dad quickly retrieving Harry from my uncle's embrace before they begin to exchange pleasantries of their own.

Uncle Manuel is my mom's oldest brother, and geographically, our closest relative. After their move from Florida last year to a small city further up the east coast, they now only live about a 45 minute plane ride from us — or two hours by ferry.

As the rest of us start to tumble our way out the car, Uncle Mani turns round back to beckon the rest of his family over. "Noelani, Kaui, come greet your cousins."

Aunt Kamila walks down the steps of their front porch with a broad grin on her face and a hand placed on the back of her fifteen year old son, urging him to come forward too. "Isla, George — glad to see your faces again! Kaui, come help them with their luggage."

Kaui mutters a greeting to my parents before skulking to the back of the car where Hayden and Hunter are trying to get the trunk open.

"How was your flight?" Aunt Kamila asks Mom. "I hope you guys didn't have much trouble getting here."

"Oh, it was fine," Mom replies. "The journey was quite straightforward. As were the directions to your house. The new house is lovely by the way."

"Thank you, and that's great to hear — just a moment," Aunt Kamila cuts off her own reply, eyebrows furrowing as she scans her surroundings. "Where is Noelani? I told her to come say hello. Oh, these children."

While Aunt Kamila leaves to berate her seventeen year old daughter on proper behaviour around elders, I use the opportunity to whisper to my mom.

"Mom. You know, the real reason Hollis wanted to spend his birthday at Uncle Mani's and Aunt Kamila's isn't really because he missed them."

Mom arches a brow. "It's not?"

"It's because their new house is four miles away from a massive theme park," I tell her.

"She's right," Hunter agrees, appearing between us with a duffel bag in his arms. "That video game he's playing right now got adapted into a new attraction. I think it opened last week? Or maybe the week before."

The three of us draw our eyes to Hollis who is leaning his back against the side of the car, immersed in the game he is playing on his phone.