Life on the big island

My new .......home

After we get on the highway, Duane Lee looks at me and says "I know you want to talk. You don't have to talk now but I need you to know you can talk to me."

"It's not that I don't want to talk, this is just a lot to try to take in." I say.

"I know that. But we are trying to help you."

"But that's the problem."

"What."

"I don't want to be here anymore. I don't want to be here without my mom."

We pull up in the driveway and Duane Lee comes to my door and opens it. He carries me inside and puts me on the couch and holds me. He says "you haven't cried since you got here. Feel free to do it now. You will feel better of you let it out. "

I cry into his chest and he rubs my back. Once i stop crying I feel my eyelids closing and next thing I know I am asleep.

I wake up still in Duane Lee's arms. His phone rings which wakes him up. He answer it and says "yea dad."

They go through a conversation about a fugitive I think. He grabs my stuff out of his truck and brings it in. He says "I have to go capture a fugitive but I will be back after. Your room is at the end of the hall. Feel free to make yourself at home."

"Duane Lee ?"

"Yea?"

"Thank you."

He puts on his bullet proof vest and straps his mace one his leg. He grabs his keys and leaves. I lock the door and go down the hallway to my room. Inside there is a twin bed and a desk. I take my stuff out of the bag and put in my dresser and then into the closet. I walk down the hallway and open a door looking for the bathroom. The first door I open is a gym room. The second door I open is Duane Lee room. Then I open one more door to reveal the bathroom. I grab my stuff and get into the shower. I get out and wrap a towel around me. I walk to my room and take out a pair of Nike shorts and a black shirt. I throw them on and then I pull my hair up into a bun. I walk back into the living room to find Duane Lee coming home. He comes in and sit on the couch. He says "since summer just started here, we are going to train you to bounty hunt. You graduate this year and then you will join the family business."

"What if I don't want to bounty hunt?" I say.

"Your mother has requested you do this?"

When he says mother I remember everything that I was trying to forget. He sees me face change and walks over and wraps me in a hug. He holds me in a hug for a while and then he let's go. He says "the sooner we get started the sooner you can help the family. Grab your shoes, we're going running."

I grab my sneakers and walk out the door with Duane Lee. He says "we can start slow and work up."

"I am a track and cross country runner and I play lacrosse, volleyball,softball. I can run. I did it every morning when I woke up before school and in the summer." I say.

"Then let's see how you do."

We start running and about after two miles Duane Lee is getting tired so we run back. He says "I am impressed."

"I told you I ran."

"But I didn't think you ran that far and that fast."

"Can we run every morning?"

"If you want to."

"I do and I think it might give me a chance to talk about things."

"I would love to. The only time we can't is if a bounty comes up."

We walk inside and he says " do you have clothes for here."

"Yea a little, eventually I will go buy some more."

"Ok."

"What's next?"

"Drink water and then we are going to go to the office after we shower. Just in case we go on a bounty do you have another black shirt?"

"No."

He walks back to his bedroom and then comes back and throws a black shirt at me. He says "we will go shopping tomorrow."

"But I don't have any money."

"Don't worry about it."

I get in the guest shower while he takes one. I put on his black shirt and a pair of black nike shorts and my running shoes. I walk into the living room and he sees my hair still down and wet. He says "let me braid your hair."

" you know how to braid hair?"

"Have you seen my brother and plus a lot of sisters."

"Good point."

I walk over and sit on the floor in front of him and he braids my hair. Once he is finished I go look in the mirror and it looks perfect. I grab my phone and we get in his truck. We drive to the office and we get out and go through the back door. Beth yells "Duane Lee is that you?" Did you bring Parker?"

"Yes and yes."

We walk into the meeting room and Beth is sitting on the couch with a teenage boy. She says " Parker this is Dakota. He is my grandson and he one of our bounty hunters."

I reach out my hand and we shake. Beth says " I like your braid!"

"Duane Lee did it." I say.

She smiles at him and then dog comes in and says "Parker, we are going to teach how to use mace so when you go on a bounty with us later, you know how to use it."

"Ok."

We walk to the back parking lot and dog says " keep your eyes open. I am going to spray you with mace."

"Why?!"

"So you know how it feels and sometimes on a bounty you wind up getting sprayed and you need to learn how to push through the pain and capture the fugitive."

I stand with my arms and hand behind my back. Dog sprays it and instantly I feel the burn. I start screaming and he tells me to keep my eyes open and don't touch them for five seconds. I do as I am told even though it hurts like hell. Then he grabs my arm an pulls me to the hose and washes my eyes out. Then I go inside and Duane Lee takes eyes pAds and rub them on my eyes. The burning starts to go away. Then he holds out a vest. He says " let's try this on."

He shows me how to put it on and he straps me in. Then Leland gives me a belt and a can of mace. He shows me how to fire to and then Beth comes in and says "you look good girl."

"Thanks." I say.

Dog comes rushing in and says "bounty time. Parker ride with Duane Lee and Leland."