The Outlier II

EIGHT*

(A/N: all the chapters with an asterisk are those with Kai in the DR. So enjoy <33)
____

It had been well over a decade since the last time I had stepped foot anywhere in the Caribbean. The feeling of sheer warmth and hot breezes billowed through my blouse as I stood atop the aeroplane's stairs. I could hear the aggravated voices of passengers shoving me

Father had managed to wriggle his way out of flying with us, claiming to have 'work' he needed to get done therefore if he had time, he would catch up to us on a private flight. I knew that deep down, Mother and I both knew that it was Father's way of not only slithering out of commercial flight but also running away from my mother's family who had never ceased to make him feel other. I had only expressed the irony of this to Father once, in an aggravated detonation of anger, where I pointed out that he wasn't the only one to feel different as a consequence of his union with my mother. Of course, I was told to take a walk, come back and apologise but the topic was never brought forth ever again.

***

The drive from the Santa Domingo airport to Santiago de los Caballeros was especially long and odious, further exacerbated by the shuttle taxi driver's obsession with Pavarotti. In the near three hours I had spent with the man, I was sure that he had walked us through the entire discography of the opera singer, and by the time I had emerged out of it, I was nearly positive that I could converse in Italian.

My grandmother's neighbourhood was just as lively and bustling as I remember it to be. As the taxi driver came into my grandmother's crowded driveway, I could see her withering frame standing in front of the house, armed with a wooden spoon in hand. Just as the taxi's doors slid open I could hear her bark orders, telling my uncles and cousins to help us with our bags so we could feel the complete, unrivaled measure of her fury.

"No 'hello, Mama, how are you? No how is your health? You've been avoiding me like the plague, as if I'm sucking away all your money."

"Lo siento, Mama," my mother said dismissively.

"I never ask you for anything, the least you could do is call. And you've managed to pass down that ridiculous habit down to your daughter."

Just as my grandmother almost annihilated my mother, she turned to me, arms outstretched, pinching my cheeks and kissing me with fierce adoration. It seemed that every inch of fury was translated into nothing less than singing love. Abuela took Mother and me by the arm, forcefully leading us to our rooms to rest after the tiresome journey.

"I don't want to hear a peep from either of you till dinner, all you need to do is rest, then tonight, we will dine like kings."

***

I was woken, not by Abuela or Mother knocking on my door, but rather by the sound of loud music and bustling people outside my window. Merengue music blared out of an identified source. I slowly changed out of my shabby travel clothes, which I was too exhausted to change out of, unpacking my things into my wardrobe. When I was finally ready, I knocked on my mother's door, hoping she'd be behind it.

"Mum, it's me," I called.

"Thank the lord," I heard someone sigh. Very quickly, I heard the door unlock and swing open, dragging me in.

I could see my mum's internal gears whirring, moving with more speed than I thought would be possible.

"Are you alright?" I asked hesitantly, terrified she'd blow up on me the moment I made the wrong move.

"Yes. No. Yes." Mum began saying. "Your Abuelita invited the whole extended family to dinner, and guess what, it's such a big party that we won't be able to hold the dinner in the house, it'll have to be done outside."

"I don't see the issue."

"Do you think your father's family are the only ones to be less than elated at the union between Luis and I?" Mother scoffed. "It's going to be an evening full of pointed comments and ridiculous jokes."

"But, Mum, there are going to be so many people there that it'd be nonsensical for them to talk about us when the dinner is so big it's going to have to be taken outside. Just calm down, Mum, this isn't you."

"You're right. It's not me. It's not about me," she sighed. "How're you, dear?" she asked, the familiar warmth that I was used to seeping back into her voice.

"I'm alright," I mumbled. I knew that if Mum were the one to ask me if I were alright, I'd progress from being completely fine to falling apart in her arms, wailing as if it were my last day. With Ash, I had a shred of dignity left, my crying was controlled regardless of how overwhelming it was. With Mum, heaven forbid she asks me about my well-being again.

"You know I'll feel loads better if we actually went down and ate. I can ravage a whole city right now," I said, smiling teasingly.

As we came down the stairs, we could see that all of the Dominican Republic's joy and festivities had been saved for the moment we rose. Loud music blasted, though it wasn't as bothersome as I thought it would have been, after all the sight of dancing couples and happy pairs made up for the headache I will have once I wake up tomorrow. People I faintly recognised were following my grandmother's loud commands, moving around tables, and pulling out dishes piled high with food.

As the tables were finally ready, and everyone calmed down as Abuela beckoned them to their seats. I caught a glimpse of someone. Hair cropped short and curly, with lines sneaking their way throughout their faded sides. Their features were well-defined, yet not losing their soft, elegant touch. It was the most difficult feat of my life to force myself to look away, to acknowledge the rest of the table, and to eat without keeping my eyes fixated on one person. And it was when I heard her voice that I forced myself to stop chewing, resting my eyes and listening to her speak in her native romance tongue. I prayed and prayed and prayed silently, to whatever deity was real, to whatever deity was willing to listen, that we weren't related.

"Apollonia, how is Washington, living with the needle of the space?" My grandmother asked her. What a beautiful name.

She responded in near-perfect Spanish, having small hints of an American accent in her speech. "Seattle is very beautiful. It's like living in New York but only cheaper, just as great," Apollonia.

The universe really was on my side. First, I see a beautiful girl, she's Dominican too, so that gives her extra points, and now I find out she lives in Seattle? I was using up all of my luck.

"Kai, also lives in Washington," My mother chimed in English, later translating her simple sentence to Spanish. Apollonia nodded in acknowledgment as Abuela gushed in pride.

The conversation from then on turned into a faint hum as I silently schemed, theorising what Apollonia's type was, thinking carefully about ways to confirm which chromosomal combination she was into.

I whispered to my mum, "are we related to that girl? I don't think I've ever seen her?" I cleverly asked.

"No, we're not related. She's your abuela's best friend's granddaughter who used to live in New York before moving to Seattle."

I sighed out in relief, and just as fast as the sigh came, I wished it never left my mouth. I could see my mother eyeing me suspiciously. I snapped my eyes back to my plate, pushing a forkful of rice into my mouth as I thought of tomorrow's plans.

"What's there to do here?" I asked my mother.

"Well, there's always the Cultural Centre but thats a pretty touristy spot and, quite frankly, boring. Casa de Arte is a lot more your home, a lot of the older generation liked to hang out there but the younger kids have seemed to take over the place, you'd like it there, Kai." 

"Can I go there?" I asked, my eyes practically twinkling with excitement as a cartoon character. I had never seen any traditional art, and the thought itself made me want to jump up and down in my seat. 

"Sure, just ask Emilio to drop you off, it'll give me some peace of mind knowing that you're not wandering around the streets of Santiago without anyone to help you."