Tyler stopped their rental car in front of a small, dilapidated building. Made entirely of cement blocks, it had a thick layer of moss covering its roof. Julie squinted at the faded lettering painted over the door. Board of Water Supply.
"We're here!" He threw his hands into the air in triumph.
"We are?"
The 'special' place he had in mind was the Board of Water Supply? Seriously? She'd anticipated a fancy restaurant or maybe a spectacular waterfall. This boarded up shack was definitely not on her list.
"Yup! Let's go. Bring your camera. Oh, and grab a bottle of water. You might get thirsty."
Thirsty-at the Board of Water Supply?
Once out of the car, Tyler took her hand to cross the street. There was nothing but dense jungle on that side. Confused, she looked back at the car.
"You didn't think that was our destination did you?" He rolled his eyes.
They stopped at a small break in the thick foliage.
"This is our portal to the past." He waved his arm in an arc and whispered, "We enter at our own risk. All of the usual warnings about the effects of time travel apply."
Spellbound, her excitement grew as Tyler pulled back a lacy curtain of bamboo, revealing a hidden trail-head. She squealed her delight.
The path was moist and narrow; walls of monstrous bamboo bent low under the weight of tangled vines formed a sort of botanical tunnel. The heady scent of ginger hung in the air.
As they continued down the trail, Julie fired up her camera. Every few feet she spied a delicate orchid, or trumpeting hibiscus spotted with opalescent dewdrops that demanded her attention. Their beauty was beyond description.
They scrambled over a large moss-covered log and paused at a fork in the trail. Tyler pulled her to the left, where the path widened as the underbrush thinned out and exposed a grove of pure bamboo.
"We are entering Kaniakapupu. C'mon now, say it with me. It's not as hard as streusel-what-the-hecken. Say, kah-nee...ah..kah-poopoo."
"Kah-nee...ah...kah-poopoo." She smiled. "Is this a magic word or what?"
"Noooo. Kaniakapupu is a place. A sacred place. Almost two hundred years ago, King Kamehameha the Third--I think it was the third--anyway, that ancient dude walked this very path."
Sacred. She liked the sound of that. This was a special place after all.
They picked their way across a small, shallow stream and continued up a hill. Tyler paused, leaning down to pet the grass.
She giggled at the sight. "What are you doing?"
"This is shy grass. Watch what happens when I touch it."
She leaned in and followed his fingers as they lightly stroked the tiny fern-like plants. At his touch, their fronds instantly collapsed together, forming a single blade of grass.
"Oh my goodness! Do that again Tyler..." Changing her camera setting to video, she captured the graceful motion of this botanical wonder.
"You walked right over it back at the base. This stuff is all over the island."
She instantly felt guilty. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know--why didn't you say anything before? It's so precious."
"Because it would make you feel bad and you'd be hopping around trying not to step on it...like my mom did when she was here. You can't avoid it. Locals consider it a weed."
YOU ARE READING
For Love, For Honor - #SYTYCW15 #CarinaPress
RomanceHe loved his country and the Corps but he never expected to love her... This is not a completed work. It has been expanded and honed since posted, but I do not have the final draft posted on Wattpad. Thank you!
