Big Island Sunrise by Shayla Cherry

Author:Shayla Cherry [Cherry, Shayla]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2023-10-31T16:00:00+00:00

15

Lani

Hurricane it was not, but the storm did some damage.

The ground was littered with broken branches, and there were huge damp spots on the ceiling. The roof was off of the hen house, but the chickens had gotten through just fine. They’d sheltered in the huge banyan tree near the back of the property, a monster of a thing so thick and wide that the ground around its twisting trunk was barely damp.

Puddles the size of ponds were quickly shrinking as the rainwater filtered through the thin soil and sank into the volcanic rock below.

In the meantime, the ducks were having the time of their life in one particularly deep bit of flooded yard, and the kids were shrieking with laughter as they ran through the puddles.

The day had barely started, and already the sun was breaking through the clouds. A vibrant rainbow arced over the farm and disappeared into the ohia forest beyond.

“Have you seen Dio?” Emma had gone full farmer in rain boots and coveralls. “I think he got out again. I thought that I had found all of the holes in the fence line, but I must have missed at least one.”

“He jumped!” Rory landed in a nearby puddle with a great splash, spraying them both.

“Who jumped?” Lani asked.

“Dio did!” She pointed to a section of fencing that had been brought low by a thick mat of weedy vines. “He jumped right there!”

Emma made a frustrated sound. “That’s where the goats got over. I should have realized that he could jump it too.”

“Rory,” Lani said, “you have to tell me or Auntie if you see any of the animals get out like that.”

She stomped her foot with a splash. “I did tell you!”

“You have to tell us right away.”

She shrugged, unrepentant. “I forgot.”

Emma trudged towards the front gate. “I’m about ready to drop him back where I found him.”

“You don’t mean that,” Lani said, walking with her.

“No, I don’t.” She sighed. “I’m going to go see if I can find him.”

“I’ll come with you. He never goes far.”

They rounded a stand of greenery that hid the house from the street and there he was, sitting on the other side of the gate, waiting patiently to be let in. His tail wagged excitedly as they approached, and his tongue lolled out of his mouth.

Emma laughed and opened the gate. He ran through and circled her twice before bolting off to join the kids in their play.

“Still want to dump him at Keiki Beach?” Lani teased.

“Never.”

Lani’s phone rang and she checked the screen. “Just a sec, it’s Manō.”

“‘Ōlena’s dad?”

“Yeah.” She picked up. “Hey Uncle, howzit?”

“Leilani! How you doin after that storm? John’s roof still leaking everywhere?”

“It’s leaking in a few places, yeah.”

“I told him ten times we could fix it, but he always said he’d do it himself. I’ll come today with Kekoa. We’ll get that roof fixed before we get a real storm.”

“Thanks, Uncle.” She hung up and smiled at Emma. “He’s going to come by later and deal with the leaks in the roof.

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