Page 78 of Big Island Sunrise
“Hi, are you Emma?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Liam.” He extended his hand over the top of the gate for her to shake. “I’m here about the ducks.”
“Oh, Tara’s friend!” They had arranged this meetup so long ago that she had forgotten. “Sorry, I lost track of the days. They’re all the same here, it’s hard to keep track.”
“True,” he said with a low laugh. “I can come back, if today’s no good?”
“Today’s fine.” She opened the gate. “We’ll have to go look for the ducks, though. I’m not sure where they are.”
“That’s fine.” He looked around as they walked through the front yard, past an established‘ulutree with huge leaves and dozens of heavy green breadfruits. “Beautiful place you’ve got here.”
“It is. It belonged to my father in law. I’m just trying to keep the animals alive and the jungle from taking over.”
“No small task.”
“No, but it suits me. More than I thought it would.”
They walked back through the orchard, where the trees were thriving.
She had spent a good forty hours that past week cutting back cactus grass and long green vines, carrying it all to the goats and even tossing it over the fence to Tara’s animals when she cut more than her own could eat. The sweet cow and her little calf on the back of Tara’s lot loved the horrible cane grass, cactus spines and all.
Lani kept bringing cardboard boxes home from work. The idea was to layer them on the ground between trees to suppress some of the weedy growth that threatened to overtake the orchard the moment your back was turned.
In the meantime, the kids were making epic cardboard forts in the carport.
“Here’s one.” Liam scooped up a large black and white duck with strang red skin all around its eyes and beak. “She’s a Muscovy. Beautiful bird. Tame as can be, too.”
“Who are you?” Kai demanded. Emma turned to see him standing in a stand of banana trees, holding Zuko to his chest and glaring bleakly at Liam.
“This is Liam.” Emma’s tone held a gentle warning:Mind your manners.“He’s a friend of Tara’s.”
“Why’s he here?” Kai asked, belligerent.
“He came to see the ducks.”
“Not Freddy!” he cried, stricken.
Oh no,Emma thought.He named the ducks.
“Liam has a pond,” she said gently. “Remember how happy the ducks were in those big puddles? Wouldn’t Freddy love to be able to swim every day?”
“I’llmakethem a pond!” He pressed Zuko into her hands and ran off. A moment later, she saw him frantically digging with a hand shovel at the edge of the orchard.
Liam set Freddy down. “I can come back another day.”
“I’m sorry.” She sighed and tucked Zuko into his pouch, just now realizing how ridiculous she must have looked when she went to greet him in her oversized backwards hoodie. It had been Adam’s, and the sleeves were rolled up and pinned to keep them from swallowing her hands. “It’s been a rough year.”
“That’s okay. You don’t have to decide anything today. And if you do decide to make a pond, I could help with that.”
“Really?”
“Sure. Not right there,” he chuckled, pointing to the spot where Kai was digging, “but you have a few other spots that could work. I’ve got plenty of fish and water plants to share. You’d just need a liner and some kind of pump.”
“I’ll think about it. Thank you. I’m sorry you made the trip for nothing.”
“Not at all. I’m buying a few rabbits from Tara today.”
