Ova Da Rainbow: HAWAII'S STORY (3)

Linda

For a few hours for a few mornings per week and after 5pm, the State of Hawaiʻi 's personification did not exist. For those hours, Emma Kameāloha was a normal, mild mannered citizen. Or as normal and mild mannered as a coloured lesbian in 1965 could be.

She would say goodbye to Yua, tidy up a little, and then around 11, the State's personification suddenly existed again. All the way until around 5pm, when she would clock out of those duties. This was a normal schedule for most weekdays.

This was a normal weekday.

"Bye, Lani. I was stupid enough to schedule the 8:30 classes, so this is how I must suffer." Yua said, sighing. She then glanced down the driveway, and frowned a little. "Were you expecting company, by chance?"

Yua had gestured to a little blonde haired girl who was looking around, very anxious and confused. She wore a bright blue dress, and two long braided pigtails. She then spotted Hawaiʻi , and made her way up to the driveway.

"Hey, sweetheart, where did you come from?" Hawaiʻi asked, smiling. She looked around, but didn't see a mother or father. "Are you alright? Shouldn't you be at school?"

The girl nodded, but didn't speak. She looked at Hawaiʻi with wide, watchful eyes. Bright green, a rarity here. She traded her thumb along the satchel's strap. It looked brand new, as if this was her first day, which was odd, because it was the middle of the year.

"Hey, sweetheart, what's your name?" Hawaiʻi asked quietly.

"Linda." Linda said, her first word this entire time. She seemed... scared. As if she was going to get in trouble with Hawaiʻi over something. She then cleared her throat. "My name is Linda Ruth Southgate, and I am eight years old. I was supposed to go to school, but I think I got turned around. Can you help me?"

"Alright. Linda, my name is Emma. How about I take you there, okay?" Hawaiʻi said. "Your school is Kuhio, right? It's the closest to here."

"I think so." Linda said, looking down. "I'm sorry for making you walk with me."

Hawaiʻi smiled, and picked up her bag. "It's fine. I was just about to take a walk anyway."

"I see you're off on adventures without me." Yua said teasingly.

Linda smiled, and set off with Hawaiʻi eagerly. Something bugged her by how Linda was walking all alone, and so Hawaiʻi finally decided to talk to the little girl.

"Where's your Mama?" Hawaiʻi asked worriedly. "It's dangerous to be all by yourself."

"Ma's in Virginia." Linda said, before looking both ways across the street. "And Pop gotta go to work. Aunt Penny said she would walk me today, but she was up real late last night and didn't answer when I called her."

"Oh?" Hawaiʻi asked, even more concerned for the little blonde girl than before. "Why's your Ma in Virginia?"

"Ma and Pop got into a big fight before we left America." Linda said quietly. "And now I live with Papa in Hawaiʻi half the year and Mama in America the other half. It's okay, I like being here."

"Hawaiʻi is in America, sweetheart."

"Really? Ma said she wouldn't let Pop take me out of the country. You know, before she hit him with an ironing board."

"Oh my God... That's... Honey, is... everything alright at home?"

"Oh yes, Pop and Ma are nice to me, usually. They just don't like each other."

Hawaiʻi frowned. "Well, you're a very strong little girl, you know that, Linda?

"That's what my Aunt Penny says." Linda said, shrugging. "Aunt Penny is strange though. She's Pa's sister. Pop says the strangeness comes from her being married to an Irish guy, Ma said it's from the air here."