Straight Outta Honolulu

sugar pancakes

I smelled the fresh, salty, windy breeze as I walked across the brown sandy beach. I looked across the horizon, the sun was about to rise at about 6:00 in the morning. The bright yellow sun was blocked by the big gray circular clouds around in the dark indigo blue sky. I take a seat on the sand with my legs spread out in front of me and my arms and hands behind me, keeping me steady. I watch the blue ocean waves rush up, and down. The crashing sound of the waves relaxes me as I play with the thin rocky sand. I can almost taste the salty breeze as it crashes into my face. I close my eyes and almost start to fall asleep.

"SANDRA."

I suddenly awake, my eyes open, the sun is fully out, the fresh, salty, windy breeze is replaced by hot and humid air, I sit up. I must've fallen asleep. I think to myself. I stand up brushing the sand off my lavender purple dress.

"Yes mama?" I replied.

"Breakfast!"

I begin walking back to the beach house, it looks smaller and smaller every day. Once I enter the kitchen the smell of fresh sugar pancakes fill the air. Sugar pancakes are my mothers breakfast recipe. It's one of my favorite foods she makes. It's a singular pancake, folded, (like a taco) and inside is stuffed with foods like, blueberries, nutella, and cut up bananas and strawberries. I don't even know why it's called sugar pancakes, because there's barely any sugar in it and mostly just fruits.

"We told you, you need to ask us permission to go outside early in the morning." My mama says wiping her hands on a yellow apron.

"I know, but the sunrise is always so beautiful here." I reply, washing my hands, and digging into my sugar pancake.

"Wait till your father comes home Sandra. He called earlier this morning to say that he's in the airport right now and is driving back home." I sigh, and place my sugar pancake back on the plate. My dad had gotten a job offer recently in California, and he had to go to Los Angeles for an interview. Although my dad had always wanted to work in Cali, I, on the other hand, wanted to stay here in Hawaii, and I secretly wanted them to turn my father down after the interview. If they accepted him, that would mean that we would have to move to L.A permanently. As if it had been on que, I heard the front door unlocking, and my dad stepped from outside, with a big smile. Oh No my heart sank, this couldn't be good news for me.

"Guess what fam?! I got the job! We're taking on California!"

My mother walked up to my dad and kissed him on the check.

"That's so exciting! How was the trip? How was California? When do we leave for Los Angeles?"
My parents' voices fade away as they talk. My heart starts to pound, my eyes stare into space, my hands and fingers begin to feel numb, I can no longer smell the sugary scent of sugar pancakes. I stare blankly thinking of the bad possibilities that could happen when we move. What now? What if we don't live near the beach? What if I live in the middle of nowhere? Are the kids in Los Angeles nice? Are the teachers there old too?

"Sandra? Did you hear? We said to pack your bags! We're leaving this weekend Saturday, get going!" I nod obediently, and slowly walk toward my room. This Saturday?! That's 5 days away! Too little time! I'll have no time to surf, or swim, or say bye to Koa, or Esmeralda! My mother hands me a big moving box that she got in case my dad got the job, which he has now. My hands get sweaty as I move all my picture frames, sea-shell collections, surfing trophies, jewelry boxes, and my stuffed bears into the Moving-Haul box. I stare at my champion winning surfboard prize displayed on the top of my bed heading. ANNUAL CHAMP SURFS 1st PLACE WINNER: SANDRA KANE I had won that a year ago, I thought, practicing my surfboard stunts every single day on the ocean, day, and night. I turn to the mirror next to me. My purple dress had been wrinkled on the bottom tips. My long sandy dirty blonde hair had somehow gotten loose from the braid I did earlier this morning. It was only breakfast, and so much has changed already, it was all going way too fast. I take a quick break from packing and head back to the kitchen. Dad is sitting next to mama while eating his sugar pancake. Mama scrolls through the computer that's placed in between the both of them on the table. I peek over her shoulder. Happy Homes-Finding the Perfect Home for You! 

"How are you guys already looking for a house?! We just got the news!" I ask, pouring milk into my mug.

"Actually hon, we already found a home. We're just scrolling through the house one more time." My dad says, taking a bite from his sugar pancake. I glance at the picture on the screen. It was a 2-story house with a bright green front lawn, the roof was tan, and the house was a coffee cream pattern. The house was wide and short, and squared, the garage looked huge, and looked like you could fit about 2 elephants inside. My mama clicked on the arrows to show the inside pictures. The living room was small, yet you could still fit furniture and a family inside it. The ground was made of dark brown wood, and was aligned with the others. The kitchen had a decent island size table, and had stools along the edge. There were only 3 bedrooms, and had 2 1/2 bathrooms. The first room was the master. A wide space to put a king bed and some love chairs on the side, one of the bathrooms was connected to the master, the next photo was a different angle of the master. The next bedroom was mine. It had a window, and a big empty space in the middle. At least I can decorate, I think to myself. By now, my father had finished his sugar pancake, and was looking at the computer screen, along with me. The third room was totally empty, and had a one singular small window. The next pictures were the other bathroom, the half-bath, an angle of the stairs, and the backyard.

"There's a lot we can do with the backyard." My father says.

"Yea, it has a lot of green grass, we can get Sandra into a sport and she can play soccer out there or something." My mother replies

"I'm fine with surfing.'' I say, crossing my arms.

"We know you are, but we aren't going to live near the ocean this time, the drive is about 30 minutes away to the ocean in a car."

I glance at the ground, shifting my feet in different positions.

"One good thing about not living near the ocean anymore is that you won't have to get any darker!" My dad says jokingly. My skin isn't even that dark, it is pretty tan though I think to myself looking at my arm. After my parents told me some more information about the new house, I called my two best friends, and told them to meet me on the street next to the school where we usually meet before school.

"What do you want? I was literally in the middle of showering and you sounded so urgent." groans Koa. Her long black curly hair had been straightened from the wet shower.

"Yea why couldn't we just talk on call?!" asks my best friend Esmerelda. Esmerelda, (everyone calls Es) had been my best friend since 3rd grade when both our mothers joined the same book club. My mom and her mom became friends and would drop one of us off when one of the moms had something come up.

"Sorry but I've got some news." I pause, adding some suspense. You could only hear the waves rushing up and down nearby, and the palm trees swaying from the wind.

"I'm moving." I spit out

"Huh." says Esmerelda

"Your lying.'' states Koa crossing her arms

"Wait moving MOVING, or just moving neighborhoods but still being in the same school?" Asks Esmeralda eagerly.

"I'm moving. MOVING. Like, to another state entirely.''

"WAIT WHAT!?" yells Koa "THEN WHERE!?"

"CALIFORNIA!" I yell stomping my feet annoyingly, tears already forming in my eyes.

"SANDRA PLEASE TELL ME YOUR LYING. BECAUSE YOUR LYING RIGHT!? ES ITS APRIL 1st RIGHT!?!"

"No its July 24.'' says Koa quietly.

"Guys I'm not lying or joking, on god." I'm moving this weekend, Saturday. I've already started packing, and my parents already found a house."

"NO." states Es shaking her head furiously. I'm not believing you. "Stop lying"

Koa begins to tear up, which makes me tear up even more.

"No, don't cry Koa, please you're gonna make my ball." I say already wiping tears from my cheeks.

"HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO NOT CRY, MY BEST FRIEND IS MOVING AND WE BARELY HAVE A FULL WEEK TO HANG OUT WITH YOU AND WE WILL PROBABLY NEVER EVER SEE YOU AGAIN!!" Yells Koa, tears spilling out of her eyes. Just the thought of never seeing my friends ever again hit me, I begin to cry, and to sob. And suddenly all three of us are crying and sobbing and are hugging each other tightly like one of us is about to die. And even though people are walking and driving by probably thinking we're crazy lunatics, we don't care. We just cry and cry and cry until there's no more tears to come out.