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Authors: Chris Mckinney
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club.”
Crystal reached over to Kaipo. “Now relax. Besides, look at you. The red head. You’re half haole.”
“Not my fault.”
Everyone was watching Kaipo except for Soong. She was staring at her grandson. Always the actress. Donny turned to Kaipo. “So I guess you’re my new brother.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Crystal ordered another bottle of champagne. Won Ju looked at Kaipo with an almost smile. She liked him. Donny felt that only he could decipher the emotions that his older sister subtly displayed. His half-sister Darian, who had the bad habit of not leaving anything to decipher, spoke. “You know, I’ve been reading some stuff up at Berkeley about the effects of Western imperialization on the indigenous people of the Pacific. How even today the disenfranchised, like the Hawaiians, are still like second class citizens. First in heart disease, first in felony convictions. Some are becoming diasporatic and moving to the continent. Kaipo, how does it feel to be sitting in this dining room with these people?”
Donny was amazed that she got through it without saying a single version of the word “problem.” With her, things were always “problematic,” or “problematized.” Kaipo laughed and pulled a pack of Kool Filter Kings from his pocket. He popped one in his mouth and lit a single match with one of his gigantic hands. The cigarette looked like a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. Several club members, as if trained to do so, were about to remind him that there was no smoking allowed at the club. Then they thought better of it, and looked away, pretending it wasn’t happening. “I neva even get half of what you said, but I goin’ say dis. I jus’ got out of prison two months ago. Wuz fo’ grand theft auto, possession, and assault on one police offica.” He looked at Kenny. “One Hawaiian cop of all tings. Now fo’ one yea’ I stayed in one jail dat Hawaiians neva build because I stole one car dat Hawaiians neva make, fo’ drugs Hawaiians neva bring in, and fo’ punching one cop dat stay on one force dat Hawaiians neva create. Seems to me dat I neva look fo’ trouble, instead trouble came to me, came to Hawaii. Shit if neva have haoles, I would’ve probably been paddling one canoe jus’ like da kind dey get now. Now I cannot even afford one paddle. But den again, maybe I jus’ like revenge. Steal back.”
He had a big voice. People on the other tables overheard, and played with their continental cuisine with their silverware. Kenny scratched his face. “It’s the evolution of the world, my friend. All of us Hawaiian brothers have to adjust.”
Won Ju quickly rolled her eyes. It was a rare, betraying gesture from her. Kaipo smiled. “Yeah, maybe evolution. But dat don’t make it right.”
Darian was staring at Kaipo. Kenny was looking down, and Won Ju was smiling. It amazed Donny to see his sister make such a spectacle of herself. Soong spoke. “When I was born Korea, Japanese everywhere. Very bad to Korean people. When I was little girl. When teenager, American GI everywhere. Before all them, Chinese, Mongol, white missionary. No, not right.”
Donny was surprised. He’d never considered his mother a politically liberal person. In fact, he considered her a racist and elitist who didn’t even like most Koreans. Donny glanced at Brandon, who seemed bored by the entire conversation. He seemed to be the only one in the entire dining room not affected by Kaipo’s presence. It was like the glacier pushed everybody, except this tall, spindly fifteen-year-old, away to make room. Kenny, on the other hand, looked like he was pushed all the way to the beach. Then Donny got tired of looking. He had a job to do. The waiter came and took their order.
“So Mom,” Donny said in Korean, “I have a business proposition for you.”
Soong looked at Darian. “Is this proposition going to cost me a great deal of money?”
“Absolutely not, think of it as an investment.”
Darian laughed.
Crystal reached over to Kaipo. “Now relax. Besides, look at you. The red head. You’re half haole.”
“Not my fault.”
Everyone was watching Kaipo except for Soong. She was staring at her grandson. Always the actress. Donny turned to Kaipo. “So I guess you’re my new brother.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Crystal ordered another bottle of champagne. Won Ju looked at Kaipo with an almost smile. She liked him. Donny felt that only he could decipher the emotions that his older sister subtly displayed. His half-sister Darian, who had the bad habit of not leaving anything to decipher, spoke. “You know, I’ve been reading some stuff up at Berkeley about the effects of Western imperialization on the indigenous people of the Pacific. How even today the disenfranchised, like the Hawaiians, are still like second class citizens. First in heart disease, first in felony convictions. Some are becoming diasporatic and moving to the continent. Kaipo, how does it feel to be sitting in this dining room with these people?”
Donny was amazed that she got through it without saying a single version of the word “problem.” With her, things were always “problematic,” or “problematized.” Kaipo laughed and pulled a pack of Kool Filter Kings from his pocket. He popped one in his mouth and lit a single match with one of his gigantic hands. The cigarette looked like a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. Several club members, as if trained to do so, were about to remind him that there was no smoking allowed at the club. Then they thought better of it, and looked away, pretending it wasn’t happening. “I neva even get half of what you said, but I goin’ say dis. I jus’ got out of prison two months ago. Wuz fo’ grand theft auto, possession, and assault on one police offica.” He looked at Kenny. “One Hawaiian cop of all tings. Now fo’ one yea’ I stayed in one jail dat Hawaiians neva build because I stole one car dat Hawaiians neva make, fo’ drugs Hawaiians neva bring in, and fo’ punching one cop dat stay on one force dat Hawaiians neva create. Seems to me dat I neva look fo’ trouble, instead trouble came to me, came to Hawaii. Shit if neva have haoles, I would’ve probably been paddling one canoe jus’ like da kind dey get now. Now I cannot even afford one paddle. But den again, maybe I jus’ like revenge. Steal back.”
He had a big voice. People on the other tables overheard, and played with their continental cuisine with their silverware. Kenny scratched his face. “It’s the evolution of the world, my friend. All of us Hawaiian brothers have to adjust.”
Won Ju quickly rolled her eyes. It was a rare, betraying gesture from her. Kaipo smiled. “Yeah, maybe evolution. But dat don’t make it right.”
Darian was staring at Kaipo. Kenny was looking down, and Won Ju was smiling. It amazed Donny to see his sister make such a spectacle of herself. Soong spoke. “When I was born Korea, Japanese everywhere. Very bad to Korean people. When I was little girl. When teenager, American GI everywhere. Before all them, Chinese, Mongol, white missionary. No, not right.”
Donny was surprised. He’d never considered his mother a politically liberal person. In fact, he considered her a racist and elitist who didn’t even like most Koreans. Donny glanced at Brandon, who seemed bored by the entire conversation. He seemed to be the only one in the entire dining room not affected by Kaipo’s presence. It was like the glacier pushed everybody, except this tall, spindly fifteen-year-old, away to make room. Kenny, on the other hand, looked like he was pushed all the way to the beach. Then Donny got tired of looking. He had a job to do. The waiter came and took their order.
“So Mom,” Donny said in Korean, “I have a business proposition for you.”
Soong looked at Darian. “Is this proposition going to cost me a great deal of money?”
“Absolutely not, think of it as an investment.”
Darian laughed.
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