Page 28 of Big Island Horizons
Lani and ‘Olena were sitting on the grass, watching over half of the Pualena Playschool kids as they splashed in the water. Georgia and Nell were leading that day’s science project with the big kids while the younger ones swam and played.
The natural pools were filled with a mixture of ocean water and freshwater from underground springs. They were crystal clear and calm; the rocky coastline protected them from waves. Schools of fish flitted past the kids in flashes of silver, prompting giggles and squeals of delight.
“Mama, look!” Rory squeaked. “Look at thehonu!”
Lani stood to get a better look at the sea turtle that was gliding through the water. It was huge, so big that she wouldn’t have been able to wrap her arms around its shell if she tried. The shell was dented all over, with one particularly deep spot that could have held a softball.
It always astonished her what wild animals could survive and heal from.
“That’s an old grandma,” she said to her daughter.
“Mama, she’s following me!” Rory giggled and swam backwards through the water until she was pressed against the rocks. The old turtle swam even closer, brushing the five year old with her fin as she passed by.
“You’re not supposed to touch them!” scolded a little girl named Shoshana. “It’s against the law!”
“Shetouchedme!” Rory shot back.
The sea turtle glided off in search of food, and ‘Olena headed off the brewing argument by asking Shoshana about her family’s new puppy, a subject that instantly distracted her and set off a solid ten minutes of chatter. By the time she had run out of things to say about Speckles, the big kids were racing across the grass and cannonballing into the water with splashes that made the little ones shriek.
“How did it go?” ‘Olena asked as the other mothers settled onto the grass nearby.
“They had a blast.” Nell pulled her top to one side to nurse her baby. “Was Cassie okay?”
“She’s great. Her and Kiki have been fishing this whole time.”
The two girls sat shoulder to shoulder in the shade, holding their makeshift fishing lines out over the water. They had found a bit of discarded fishing line, cut it into two pieces, tied them to sticks, and fastened fruit snacks to the other end.
“Any luck?” Nell asked.
“Nothing yet,” ‘Olena chuckled.
Lani looked at Nell sideways, flicking her gaze back to the water when the other woman glanced at her.
Nell was wearing an oversized long sleeved shirt that wouldn’t ordinarily give Lani pause; it was just a normal beach coverup. But she had seen yellow-purple smudges on the woman’s arms and neck before, old bruises that she did her best to hide.
Sometimes she wondered if she was imagining things, if she had glimpsed a shadow or an innocent accidental bruise and leapt to conclusions. Unless Nell trusted her enough to confide in her, there was no way to know for certain.
It was strange for Lani to be on the opposite side of that, on the outside looking in, witnessing signs of abuse. Even having been in the same situation, trapped in a marriage that got worse with each subsequent month of darkness, the summer reprieves followed by winters that were even worse than the ones before… she didn’t know what she could do for Nell.
She knew what it was like to pray that no one noticed, to stretch what was in the pantry just a bit further until the bruises faded enough that she could hide them with makeup for a trip to the grocery store.
If anyone had noticed, if anyone had said anything, she would have been mortified.
At the same time, to see the evidence of what Nell was going through and not say anything made her stomach hurt. Even talking to ‘Olena about it would have felt like a betrayal of some confidence, even though Nell hadn’t confided in her… and anyway, she had a feeling that ‘Olena had already noticed. Not much got past her.
She supposed that all they could do was be a safe place for Nell and her babies until she felt ready to make a change. Lani knew how difficult that could be… downright dangerous for some women. She wouldn’t have felt safe leaving her husband and staying within driving distance. There was no knowing what he might have done one night after too many drinks. She had left him and moved thousands of miles away, all in one leap of faith. But she’d had somewhere to land.
“Where are you from, Nell?” she asked in a casual tone. “Do you have family on island?”
“No family,” Nell said softly. Her smile was sad as she sat her son up and rebuttoned her shirt. “I grew up on the other side of the island, not far from Kainaliu.”
“That’s such a cute little town,” Georgia said.
“It is. I loved it.”
“But your family’s not there anymore?” Lani asked.
Nell shook her head. “We had a coffee farm. But my dad died my senior year of highschool, and my mom didn’t want to run it on her own. She sold it and moved back to the mainland.”
