Ova Da Rainbow: HAWAII'S STORY (3)

Haircut

The first night Kainalu stayed in Hawaiʻi's house was one that was not remembered well, nor the second or third or fifth or even twelfth. He ended up coming around often, which made Hawaiʻi just the littlest bit nervous, but this was a boy who didn't know anything. It'd be fine.

One night, however, would stick for the rest of her life.

The air was cold and still, and Hawaiʻi sighed, rubbing her eyes. She really should get to sleep. But alas, insomnia is not exactly the easiest of disorders to overcome.

She also had to go to the grocery store soon, and she needed to clean the house eventually. She had to take Kālahui to her people in a few days, where she'd stay for the next week.

She decided to do what she thought was best and went into the living room to watch whatever late-night television was on.

As she walked past the bathroom, she could hear heavy, labored breathing. She stopped and listened more closely. The breathing was coming from inside the bathroom. She knocked on the door softly, but there was no answer. She knocked again, louder this time, but still no answer, so she opened the door a crack.

The boy was standing near the sink, a scissors clutched in his grip and softly repeating something to himself. "It's easy. One chop. You can do it. You'll be fine, you can cut your hair and no one will ever call you a girl again."

Hawaiʻi knocked on the doorframe again, and there was Kainalu, his eyes widened with a sort of shame, and he put the scissors behind his back, as if Hawaiʻi didn't just see them.

"Nalu, what are you doing with your hair?" Hawaiʻi asked.

"I'm just... cutting it," Kainalu said, his voice small and trembling. Poor kid was so frightened, and for what? Kainalu hadn't gotten to cutting any of his hair off, thank god, but he still looked as guilty and embarrassed as if he had shaved his eyebrows.

But there was something else that was with it. Something with a distinct smell that Hawaiʻi knew all too well.

"Why are you acting like you don't know where you are? Like you're in a dizzy sort of space." Hawaiʻi said, before scrunching her nose a bit. "Why do you smell like beer?"

"Oh, I'm sorry about that. The smell must have not worn off yet." Kainalu said quietly.

"Excuse me?" Hawaiʻi said, looking increasingly alarmed.

Sure, beer was easy to get. Anyone with half a brain could get their parent or friend who has an adult who could supply. It was one of the easiest sorts of these things to get, as it was technically legal in the state of Hawaiʻi to drink underaged as long as you had 'parental consent and supervision'.

Still is, if I remember correctly.

"Oh, Aunty, it's not too bad," Kainalu said, wincing. "I only drink once in a while, and only... just a little bit, just to get my mind off of things."

Hawaiʻi took a deep breath. "Sweetheart, you're 16. You shouldn't be drinking. Who the hell bought you beer?"

"My mom." Kainalu said, suddenly speaking as if he was talking about the weather. "She gets me cigarettes too."

"Your foster mom, or-"

"My real mom." Kainalu said, before shrugging. "Like I said. Helps keep my mind off of things. She knows that better than anyone. She knows how hard it is, she fights to keep me and my siblings, but the courts won't let her until she gets off the dope."

"Nalu, we're not talking about her. We're talking about you drinking. You're still in school. You shouldn't worry about that kind of stuff. Kainalu, look at me."