Find Your Oasis

Chapter 6

April 30th

I slowly open my eyes and look around, puzzled as to why my alarm hasn't gone off.  Then I remember that Jason had called me last night and told me that I didn't have to come in this morning.  Apparently Maria is going to take my shift today because I took hers yesterday. 

Yesterday.  I sigh, thinking about it.  I spent the entire afternoon and evening trying to figure out how to get in touch with Kailani, to no avail.  I retraced our steps through everything we'd done that day, all the way until she left me standing at the lighthouse.  I'd tried looking up her name, but since I didn't know her last name I didn't get very far with that.  I even tried asking people everywhere I went if they knew who she is.  I probably seemed a bit crazy, randomly asking people if they know someone named Kailani.  Still, I came up with nothing.

"How in the world does she expect me to get in touch with her?"  I mumble to myself.  I shake my head, deciding that once the sun comes up, I'll just go sit at the bakery and hope she shows up.

I rub the sleep out of my eyes and stretch my arms and back as I climb out of bed.  I walk over to my closet and slip on a hoodie, and then grab a glass of juice from my fridge before climbing up on deck.  I sit down, settling in with my back leaning against the mast, and gaze out over the port to watch the sunrise.  Watching the sunrise is one of my favorite things to do, and I haven't been able to lately, since I've been working at the bakery in the mornings.  I watch happily as the sky fills with hues of oranges and yellows, enjoying the picture being painted in front of my eyes.  I watch as the sun starts to rise over the horizon, casting it's warm glow over the port, the trees that line it, the cruise ship in the distance, and the myriad of other boats docked in the harbor.  Something catches my eye, and my eyes lock onto it, like it's a puzzle that I'm on the verge of figuring out, and then suddenly everything falls into place.

I jump up and run below deck, grabbing my shoes and then locking the door behind me as I jump onto the dock and start running.  That's why nobody knows who she is.  That's why she smirked when I said she'd probably been to the totem poles several times before.  That's why she seemed just as amazed by this city as I am.  That's got to be it.

I run down the road that connects the marina to the port, up to the dock that the cruise ship is berthed into, and find an older couple walking down the dock, coming from the direction of the ship.

"Excuse me, where did this cruise come from?"  I stop and ask them.

They smile at me.  "We boarded in Honolulu, Hawaii.  It's been quite the trip coming up here."

I break into a grin.  I don't know why I assumed Kailani lives here, she might just be a tourist like me!  Now I've found a cruise ship coming from Hawaii, Kailani's name is Hawaiian, now that I'm thinking about it she even looks Hawaiian, it's all too much of a coincidence.  I sit down at the end of the dock, and watch as people begin to wake up and disembark the ship, heading off into the city to begin their day.  Soon, I see a familiar face walking among the crowds, and I stand up and smile.

"Kailani!  Over here!"  I say as I wave my hand. 

Her face lights up and she walks over to me.  "I was on my way to see if you were at the bakery.  I can't believe you figured out where to find me, and first thing in the morning, too!"

"Are you kidding?"  I ask incredulously.  "I searched all afternoon for you, and couldn't find anything anywhere."

"You really wanted to meet up that bad?  That sounds pitiful.  Are you sure you don't have a crush on me or something?"  She asks as she looks up at me with a smirk.