Read Online Frangipani by Célestine Vaite - Free Book Online Page B

Leilani is the only one who has taken up Materena’s offer. You won’t see Leilani with a scrubbing brush these days. She’s too busy reading her encyclopedias, which she has personally covered so that they won’t get dirty. Leilani also washes her hands before opening a page of her precious books, and you won’t catch her reading and eating at the same time.
    Materena is certainly pleased with her daughter’s fondness for the encyclopedias, but she really wishes her sons were fond of them too. So far, ever since the encyclopedias made their theatrical entrance into the house two weeks ago (in front of the entire curious neighborhood), Tamatoa has opened one single page to see what the word
sex
had to say. He was so disappointed he shoved the book back in the bookcase. He had expected to see explicit drawings. As for Moana, he makes an effort now and then to read the encyclopedias, but Materena knows it is only to make her happy. Moana sits on the sofa with an encyclopedia opened, but his eyes are on the wall.
    Presently the boys are doing push-ups outside, right in front of their father and Uncle Ati, who are sitting comfortably in a chair with a beer in hand, counting from one to ten. When Pito and Ati get to the number ten, the boys have a quick rest, long enough for Papi and Uncle to take a couple of sips.
    Materena peeps outside from behind the curtains and shakes her head with disapproval, but what is bothering her more now is to watch her youngest son crumple onto the ground as soon as his set of ten push-ups is finished.
    My poor baby, Materena thinks.
    “One!” Pito and Ati call out, and the brothers go on pumping their muscles again.
    Moana is red in the face, sweating and suffering, not keeping up at all with his older brother, who, to make matters worse, decides to clap his hands together as he lifts his body up. Tamatoa just has to show off that he’s unbeatable.
    “Ten!”
    Tamatoa keeps going as his brother sags to the ground. Pito and Ati take a couple of sips.
    “One!”
    Aue,
Materena can’t bear to watch. “Pito!” she calls. “I want the boys inside the house for a bit of reading.”
    Pito glances at Ati and shakes his head. “What did I tell you,” he says. “She’s obsessed with her encyclopedias.”
    “Well,” Ati says, “we’ve got to see beyond our nose.”
    “
Merci,
Ati.” Materena smiles a sweet smile to her husband’s best friend, who smiles back, winking.
    “Come on, boys, chop-chop, on your feet.”
    “Mamie,” Tamatoa protests, “I just want to be strong.”
    “Me too,” Moana follows.
    “One!” Pito begins.
    The training continues. Materena can’t believe her eyes! Where’s the respect for the mother?
    “Five!”
    It’s like I’m invisible, Materena yells in her head. What I say doesn’t count!
    “Ten.” Pito adds that he’d like now to see sit-ups. “Go and get a towel.” The boys run into the house and are back within seconds, but Materena is not going to let her boys put clean towels on the bloody ground.
    “Eh, ho,” she says, grabbing the towels off her boys. “Do you think I’m a washing machine?”
    “Materena, stop annoying us. Go and dust your encyclopedias and give me those towels.” This is Pito’s order. Materena marches to the house, her clean towels safely tucked under her arm before Pito has the chance to snatch them off her, and as she puts them back where they belong, an idea comes into her mind. Well, if it’s so important for Tamatoa and Moana to be strong, they can start making their own bed, washing their own clothes, and cooking.
    “So you want to be strong?” Materena asks her boys the next day when they are arm wrestling at the kitchen table.
    “Yeah,” Tamatoa replies, looking his mother straight in the eye and flattening his brother’s arm on the table.
    “And you?” Materena asks Moana, who’s rubbing his arm. “You want to be strong?”
    He nods, grimacing a little.
    So far, so good. Now to Materena’s