Read Online Racing the Dark by Alaya Dawn Johnson - Free Book Online
Authors: Alaya Dawn Johnson
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They knew she had been visited by Kali's spirit-they had heard her side of the conversation, after all. Lana tried not to look at Kali's parents, but she felt their accusing stares anyway. Why had Kali visited Lana and not her own parents? She didn't really know, but she felt guilty all the same. Kapa had tethered the canoe to the bottom of the tree. The three of them climbed inside and Kapa began to paddle home.
Tears slid out of Lana's eyes and she couldn't seem to stop them. To her shame, some of the tears were for herself. Even if she had doubted it before, now she knew she was marked, and in a way she had never wanted. Something about her "eased death?" The very idea terrified her. How had this happened? All she had ever wanted to do was dive for mandagah fish and then travel with Kali. She had planned to find the Kulanui when she was older and learn all the magnificent useless things Kohaku so prized. How had all of her dreams been so ruined?
Her father broke the silence. "I think we should leave," he said in a quiet but clear voice.
Lana stared at his back through her tears. She felt her mother's hands tighten on her shoulders. Although she knew that she should still be supporting her mother on this issue, she found that she couldn't summon the energy. Suddenly, she realized that she didn't care anymore if they left or stayed.
"I already told you," her mother said, "I won't leave. It's too much like running away."
Her father turned around angrily. "Kali is dead. Do you want to wait for Lana's turn? Life on this island is dying, Lei. Even Okilani sees it. The skies might have parted now, but who knows what this terrible flooding has done to the island? It's not safe to be here anymore, and without the mandagah fish, I don't know why we would."
"But this is my home ..." her mother sounded desperate.
"Then make another home, with me in Essel. Don't you love me enough to do that, Lei?"
When her mother just buried her head in her hands without replying, Lana was shocked enough to stop crying herself. What was happening to her family?
Kapa said nothing more as they slowly made their way home.
Leilani left an hour after they had returned home. Kapa refused to stop arguing that they should leave the island, and finally she had stormed out in disgust. It was a beautiful warm and clear night anyway, and she was relieved to be away from her frustrated husband. At first she was simply paddling aimlessly, but eventually she realized that she had made her way near Okilani's house. She smiled a little, despite everything. Somehow she always ended up here when her life started to overwhelm her. She pulled up to the base of the tree, tethered the boat, and climbed up the ladder. As she knocked on the door, she thought of traveling to a place where there weren't any ancient kukui trees with houses built into them and felt her chest constrict. How could Kapa ever consider leaving this place?
Okilani opened the door.
"Oh, Leilani. I thought I had heard someone in a boat. Come in."
Leilani walked into the familiar house. She had been here countless times before to drink tea and talk with her mentor. She had always loved those moments.
"It's a beautiful night, isn't it," Okilani said as they walked through the house. "Why don't we sit on the roof?"
Leilani smiled and nodded. Okilani first went to the kitchen and took a pot of simmering tea off the fire and brought it up the stairs with two clay teacups. Okilani insisted on pouring them each a cup and settling into the chairs before she let Leilani speak.
"So, what brings you here tonight? You look too worried for a social call."
Leilani laughed. "You know me well."
"I've known you since you were born, Lei. And tonight you look the way you did when your mother died. What's wrong?"
Leilani took a long sip of the tea, ignoring the way it burned her tongue.
"It's Kapa. He says he wants to leave the island and sell his instruments on Essel. He says that things have gotten
Tears slid out of Lana's eyes and she couldn't seem to stop them. To her shame, some of the tears were for herself. Even if she had doubted it before, now she knew she was marked, and in a way she had never wanted. Something about her "eased death?" The very idea terrified her. How had this happened? All she had ever wanted to do was dive for mandagah fish and then travel with Kali. She had planned to find the Kulanui when she was older and learn all the magnificent useless things Kohaku so prized. How had all of her dreams been so ruined?
Her father broke the silence. "I think we should leave," he said in a quiet but clear voice.
Lana stared at his back through her tears. She felt her mother's hands tighten on her shoulders. Although she knew that she should still be supporting her mother on this issue, she found that she couldn't summon the energy. Suddenly, she realized that she didn't care anymore if they left or stayed.
"I already told you," her mother said, "I won't leave. It's too much like running away."
Her father turned around angrily. "Kali is dead. Do you want to wait for Lana's turn? Life on this island is dying, Lei. Even Okilani sees it. The skies might have parted now, but who knows what this terrible flooding has done to the island? It's not safe to be here anymore, and without the mandagah fish, I don't know why we would."
"But this is my home ..." her mother sounded desperate.
"Then make another home, with me in Essel. Don't you love me enough to do that, Lei?"
When her mother just buried her head in her hands without replying, Lana was shocked enough to stop crying herself. What was happening to her family?
Kapa said nothing more as they slowly made their way home.
Leilani left an hour after they had returned home. Kapa refused to stop arguing that they should leave the island, and finally she had stormed out in disgust. It was a beautiful warm and clear night anyway, and she was relieved to be away from her frustrated husband. At first she was simply paddling aimlessly, but eventually she realized that she had made her way near Okilani's house. She smiled a little, despite everything. Somehow she always ended up here when her life started to overwhelm her. She pulled up to the base of the tree, tethered the boat, and climbed up the ladder. As she knocked on the door, she thought of traveling to a place where there weren't any ancient kukui trees with houses built into them and felt her chest constrict. How could Kapa ever consider leaving this place?
Okilani opened the door.
"Oh, Leilani. I thought I had heard someone in a boat. Come in."
Leilani walked into the familiar house. She had been here countless times before to drink tea and talk with her mentor. She had always loved those moments.
"It's a beautiful night, isn't it," Okilani said as they walked through the house. "Why don't we sit on the roof?"
Leilani smiled and nodded. Okilani first went to the kitchen and took a pot of simmering tea off the fire and brought it up the stairs with two clay teacups. Okilani insisted on pouring them each a cup and settling into the chairs before she let Leilani speak.
"So, what brings you here tonight? You look too worried for a social call."
Leilani laughed. "You know me well."
"I've known you since you were born, Lei. And tonight you look the way you did when your mother died. What's wrong?"
Leilani took a long sip of the tea, ignoring the way it burned her tongue.
"It's Kapa. He says he wants to leave the island and sell his instruments on Essel. He says that things have gotten
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