I was having a wonderful dream. Me and Daniel were at our Secret Place. Our mountain pool – location unknown. We were alone. (Or course.) And he was saying all the things I wanted to hear.
I’ve missed you Leila. I never want to be apart from you again.
And then he was kissing me. And it was perfection. And I knew he wouldn’t say no to me this time. (Yay for dreams!) But then a voice called. Daniel. Leila.
Daniel stopped doing delicious things to me and we both looked around. Who was daring to interrupt my dream? Maleko was standing there on the other side of the pool. He looked super happy, like he was bursting with some super news. Daniel, I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You’ve got to come with me, quickly. The coach for the NZ All Blacks just called. You’ve been selected for the team! You’re going to be an All Black, can you believe it?
Yes, yes that’s wonderful news. Can you go away now so we can get on with this delightful dream? But Daniel didn’t look like he wanted to keep kissing me. He pushed me off his lap and jumped to his feet, leaving me in a forgotten heap. Excitement. ‘Yes! My dream has come true. I’m going to play for the best rugby team in the world. Goodbye Leila. I must go. It was nice knowing you.’ He didn’t even look back at me as he waded across the pool and did the whole ‘hi-five, we’re so bad and cool, slapping hands and doing the secret rugby brothers handshake’ with Maleko… The two of them set off through the tall grass, leaving me with snatches of their conversation. ‘This is it uce. Fame. Fortune. Girls. A Nike commercial. Sonny Bill Williams step aside.
For a moment I was rigid with shock. Then I scrambled to my feet and yelled after them. Wait up! You can’t leave me here. You can’t go be an All-Black. You said you loved me. You said your life was incomplete without me. You said I was your love bomb!
Nobody came back. Nobody answered. I was standing all alone, beside a chilled mountain pool in a green blanket of white ginger flowers. I was going to cry now. What a complete let-down this dream was turning out to be. And then someone spoke from behind me. Leila. It scared the heck out of me. I leapt to the side with a scream.
It was Keahi. Wearing a pair of muay thai boxing shorts. He was smiling. Here you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you, my love.
Huh?
What are you doing here all alone? Why are you sad?
Oh no. It was the nice, kind Keahi. His voice was tender and sweet and I tried not to sniff as I wiped away a runaway tear. I’m not here alone. I’m with Daniel. He gave me the Jason Momoa raised eyebrow thing. We both looked around and confirmed that no, Daniel was nowhere to be seen. Which made more runaway tears escape. He was here. But he had to leave suddenly because he got called to be an All-Black. And now he’s gone after fame, fortune and girls. He’s going to be the next Sonny Bill Williams.
And the whole situation was just so desperately sad that I caved. Burst into tears. And it seemed to be the right thing for Keahi to take me in his arms. Hold me against him. Hug me. He ran his hands lightly down my hair and kissed my forehead. There, there. It’ll be alright. Don’t cry. I’m here. He took my face in his hands and raised it to his so he could look into my eyes. He was never the one for you. He never truly loved you. How could he? He is Vasa Loloa and you’re Fanua Afi. Like me. We’re supposed to be together forever. You are fire and wonder, passion and mystery. Better than koko Samoa chocolate cake with whipped cream. Now that I’ve found you, I’ll never leave you. Not even to join the All-Blacks.
It was very comforting to be held by Keahi. And what girl doesn’t like to hear that she’s wonderful, passionate and mysterious? And more desirable than the All-Blacks? I wasn’t sure if I believed the bit about being better than chocolate cake and whipped cream, but hey, I wasn’t about to argue. Not right now. Not when Keahi was looking at me so intensely with those charcoal embered eyes. I felt myself start to get mad. At Daniel. He was supposed to be here with me right now, dammnit. And instead he was off, chasing fame and fortune. (And girls.) Why couldn’t he see what Keahi was seeing? I leaned into this enigmatic boy with a little sigh. Keahi’s grip around me tightened. The tattoos on his neck and shoulders began to glow. My malu simmered red in response. Things were getting hot around here.
Leila! Now who was interrupting? Keahi and I both looked around. It was Simone. Standing there next to us with his hands on his hips and outrage on his face. Leila. What are you doing? You stop that right now. Get away from that boy. Aww heck. I rolled my eyes. Would I never get to be the boss in my own dream? Who was going to show up next? Mele? Mr Raymond? I shut my eyes tight, wishing for Simone to disappear. But his voice kept calling me. Leila. Leila. Get up. Leila!
I opened my eyes. Simone was standing by my bed, shaking at my shoulder. This wasn’t a dream anymore. There was an urgency in his tone that frightened me. “Leila. Wake up. You gotta come see this. Wake up.”
I sat bolt upright. “What is it? What’s wrong?” I looked around fearfully, wondering what was lurking in the messy room, the closet, the house.
Simone stood beside my bed. He shook his head at my fear. “Nothing’s wrong.” He stepped back and looked at me suspiciously. “I’ve been trying to wake you up for ages. You were asleep with a huge smile on your face. What were you dreaming about?”
The slightly demented dream rushed back and I flushed with embarrassment, glad that Simone couldn’t read minds. “Nothing. I wasn’t dreaming. Just really tired that’s all.”
Oops.
