Page 53 of Big Island Sunrise
“How are you?”
“All’s well here. Juniper’s amazing, she’s been running a stand out at the Wednesday market all on her own. And I can’t keep my website stocked; everything keeps selling out.” She paused for a moment and then asked, “When are you coming home?”
Emma took her time replying as she found the taro corms Mahina had given her and tucked them into a low spot in the middle of the garden. “I’m thinking about staying for a while.”
“Well, I can’t blame you for skipping out on winter. The rain has been nonstop.” There was a beat of silence. “How long is a while?”
“Indefinitely,” she admitted. “Kai is so much happier here.I’mso much happier here.”
“Then I’m glad that you’re there. When can I come visit?”
Emma laughed. “Whenever you like.”
“See, that’s the benefit of far-flung family that no one ever talks about. Now I have an excuse to visit Hawai’i.”
“And a place to stay. I need to put some work into the‘ohanaunit though. It’s a literal rats’ nest right now.”
“Okay, so maybe we can visit after you get that sorted out.”
“Dio’s on it.”
“Who?”
“Our dog.” She watched Kai race past with Dio at his heels, the picture of childhood.
“You got a dog? Man, youareputting roots down there.”
“It wasn’t deliberate. We found him.” She thought of how the puppy had crept towards their car, hopeful in spite of his fear. “Or he found us, I guess. We can bring him with us when we come back. Whenever that is.”
She picked up the cardboard box full of slips and carried it to the end of the row. “You’ll never guess what I’m doing right now.”
“What?”
“Planting sweet potatoes.”
“Ha, I knew it.”
“Knew what?”
“That you were a gardener at heart.”
“That’s what I was calling about, actually.”
“And here I thought it was to hear the sound of my voice.”
“That too. But I wanted to ask you what I should plant. I got a bunch of sweet potato slips from Adam’s family, and that should give us plenty of carbs. And there’s lots of fruit growing here. But I want to grow vegetables, and I don’t know what will do well here in the tropics. I figure that you would know, that it would be a lot of the same stuff that you used to grow in Costa Rica.”
“I’ll send you some seeds.”
“No, you don’t have to do that. I was just hoping that you could recommend–”
“I’ll send you some seeds,” she said again. “Don’t try to argue with me. Seed shopping is my favorite pastime. My personal seed library is too large for me to even consider buying anything new for a year or ten, but I would love the excuse to rack up some purchases. My favorite heirloom seed company ships free, even to Hawai’i. Idoknow what stands a chance in that climate.AndI know what you like to eat. So. Text me your address, and leave it to me.”
“Okay, thank you.”
The call disconnected, and she put the earbuds back in her pocket.
She finished planting the cuttings that she had been gifted and stood, looking over the rest of the garden space. There was still so much room for food. She would have to be careful to keep it weeded while she waited for seeds.
