Distant Echoes (37 page)

Her brother stared at her a moment, his weathered face impassive. “Do you know how God feels when you hurt Him, Kaia? Do you fully understand what your sin does to Him? And what about Nani? Does she understand what you mean when you pat her and tell her you love her? Do you know if she feels betrayal or pain when you leave her?”

She was beginning to get a glimmer of what he was trying to say. He was right. She had no idea if her sin truly hurt God. Kaia bit her lip. “We are two different species.”

“Exactly. There is no way for her to fully understand you or your emotions. And no way for you to understand her. All you can hope for is a distant echo of meaning and intent to come through. Just as your mother doesn’t know how you felt when she left, so you can’t really understand the pressures that drove her to do what she did. You say you would never do what she did, but we are all human and share a common frailty, Kaia. We all have a weakness, an area where we are most prone to sin. Hers is no worse than yours or mine. As God forgives us, we are to forgive others. Free aloha
.
No strings attached.”

Kaia shut her eyes as her brother’s words penetrated her heart. Did her willful sin affect God the way her mother’s had hurt her? She’d never considered the fact that God could feel pain. It was so easy to forget Him, so easy to get caught up in life.

“Can you forgive,
lei aloha
?” her grandfather whispered. “Forgive as God would have us to do?”

“I want to.” Fresh tears leaked from Kaia’s face. She opened her eyes and looked at her mother. She vaguely remembered a somber time in the house when she’d been told her daddy was never coming home again. She’d found her mother looking through a photo album with black streaks of mascara running down her face. Kaia had crawled into her mother’s lap and demanded a story. Her mother had wiped her eyes with a tissue and gotten out a Dr. Seuss book. She’d swallowed back her tears, but Kaia knew now the pain had still been there.

In that moment, Kaia realized how utterly solitary every person is. Who knew what went on
in her heart except for God? Like her brother said, all she could grasp were distant echoes of the reality experienced by those she loved.

Her mother’s eyes glistened with tears, and her soft, pink mouth trembled. “Forgive me, Kaia,” she whispered.

Kaia nodded. “I give you aloha,
Makuahine.
I release the anger I feel to God and ask Him to heal it.” Saying the words brought a rush of tears to her eyes. She was free. The heady knowledge sapped the strength from her knees as she rose.

Her mother stood at her approach. She started to raise her arms then faltered. Kaia opened her own arms, and her mother’s face lit with joy. She rushed to embrace Kaia.

The scent of her mother’s perfume wafted over her in a welcoming rush. She’d never been close enough to Faye to notice the perfume before, but its scent was familiar. Kaia felt the weight she’d carried for years melt away.

She released her mother and stepped back. Her grandfather beamed at her. The approval in his dark eyes lifted Kaia’s spirits even more. Her gaze sought Jesse’s.

“Do you have something to say to me?” he asked.

She nodded. “In private though.” She finally dared to glance into his eyes and look away. The love shining there deepened the blue of his eyes.

“I don’t know. I think I’d like to hear it too,” Bane said. “What about you, Mano?”

She stuck out her tongue at her brothers. “Want me to sing a love song?”

Bane backed away with his hands held out. “Anything but that!”

Oke grinned. “Perhaps my granddaughter should grovel in front of all of us for putting Jesse through so much worry.”

“Not a chance,
brahs
.” She held out her hand to Jesse. “Let’s go check on Nani.” Jesse grinned. He rose and took her hand. They walked to the lagoon hand in hand.

He stopped by the lagoon and took her in his arms. “I love you, my beautiful mermaid, even if you’re too young for me, even if you can’t carry a tune in a water bucket, even if I have to put boots on to walk through your house. I’d adore you even if you smiled at me with raspberry seeds stuck in your teeth.”

“Eww!” She smiled up at him. Happiness bubbled inside her like a hot lava spring. The unconditional love shining out of his eyes enveloped her in a warm glow. “I love you,” she said softly. “You were right. We couldn’t build a future with so much of the past holding us down. We’ve got time to build it with the right foundation now.”

“But not too much time,” he whispered. “I want to marry you. Soon.”

The endless blue of the sea matched the eternal aloha in Jesse’s eyes. As Nani rose on her tail and danced through the waves, Jesse took her in his arms, and her heart danced with her dolphin.

Hawaiian Language
Pronunciation Guide

Although Hawaiian words may look challenging to pronounce, they’re typically easy to say when sounded out by each syllable. The Hawaiian language utilizes five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and seven consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, w). Please note that sometimes the
w
is pronounced the same as
v,
as in Hawai’i.

a - ah, as in car:
aloha

e - a, as in may:
nene

i - ee, as in bee:
honi

o - oh, as in so:
mahalo

u - oo, as in spoon:
kapu

Dipthongs: Generally, vowels are pronounced separately except when they appear together:

ai, ae - sounds like
I
or
eye

ao - sounds like
ow
in
how
, but without a nasal twang

au - sounds like the
ou
in
house
or
out
, but without a nasal twang

ei - sounds like
ei
in
chow mein
or in
eight

eu - has no equivalent in English, but sounds like
eh-oo
run together as a single syllable

iu - sounds like the
ew
in
few

oi - sounds like the
oi
in
voice

ou - sounds like the
ow
in
bowl

ui - an unusual sound for speakers of English, sort of like the
ooey
in
gooey
, but pronounced as a single syllable.

Characters:

Anaki (ah-NAH-kee)

Bane (BAH-nay)

Kaia (KIGH-yah)

Liko (LEE-ko)

Mahina (MAH-HEE-nah)

Mano (m-AH-no)

Nahele (nah-HAY-lay)

Oke (OH-kay)

Paie (PIE-ay)

Words used in this series:

aloha
(ah-LOW-hah): a warm Hawaiian greeting or parting; love, grace, sentiment, compassion, sympathy, kindness, affection, friendship; to show kindness or to remember with affection.

aloha nô
(ah-LOW-ha-NO): expression of sympathy

auê
(au-(W)EH): uh-oh, or oops

brah
(bra): brother

haole
(ha-OH-lay): white person. Can be a slur depending on tone.

he aha ke ’no
(HAY-ah-ha-KAY-ah-no): What is the kind? Meaning, what kind of nonsense is this?

ho’oponopono
(HO-oh-PO-no-PO-no): ritual of family therapy. Literally means “to make things right.”

imu pit
(EE-moo): pit for roasting a pig at a lu’au

keiki
(KAY-kee): child

keikikane
(KAY-kee-KAH-nay): son

lei aloha
(lay ah-LOW-hah) beloved child

mahalo
(mah-HAH-low): thank you. Heard everywhere in the islands, even when something is announced on the loud speaker in Kmart.

makuahine
(mah-koo-ah-HEE-nay): mother

makuahini
(ma-koo-ah-HEE-nee): mother

makuakane
(mah-koo-ah-KAH-nay): father

‘ono
(OH-no): a popular fish for eating

tûtû
(too-too): grandma.

tutu kane
(too-too-KAH-nay): grandpa

Acknowledgments

S
ometimes I have to pinch myself to believe I’m fortunate enough to work with the fabulous WestBow Press team: Allen Arnold, Ami McConnell, Jenny Baumgartner, Amanda Corn Bostic, Lisa Young, Scott Harris, and Rebeca Seitz. God is so good to allow me to partner with you. Being a member of the family has been a dream come true. You all are the best!

No book is all it can be without great editing, and I get the best that’s out there. Ami McConnell has a laser-sharp mind that sees to the heart of any character I create. You have made my work shine and made me better than I am. Your friendship has made my life sing.

My thanks to Erin Healy, freelance editor. You deserve the highest praise in the editing world: I can’t tell where my words leave off and yours begin. Thanks for your wonderful attention to detail.

What can I say about my agent, Karen Solem? Without you, I’d be nowhere. You’re more than a great agent; you’re a wonderful person whose friendship I treasure. Thanks for keeping me calm, making me stay focused, and delivering a swift kick when needed.

My first line of help and encouragement is my critique partners: Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter. Your e-mails keep me sane, make me laugh,
and make me better. Thanks for praying and for telling me when my scenes need more work.

A special thanks to Dolphin Quest at the Hilton Waikoloa on the Big Island. I actually got to touch their own Nani. The Hilton was a fabulous place to stay as well and I thank them for the aloha they extended.

Not many wives are fortunate enough to have a husband like mine. Dave prays for me, carts me to book signings, reads every word before it goes to the editors, and supports my career in every way he can. I love you for all those things, but even more for being a man who loves and follows God.

And all my love and thanks to God, who opened the doors and has held my hand every step of the way.

Black Sands

BOOK TWO IN THE ALOHA REEF SERIES

A
nnie Silva, a quiet, studious mouse of a girl, has always been content to bask in the glow of her more flamboyant brother and sister, and to assist her father in his volcano research. Annie does, however, have a secret crush on Mano Ohana, though he’s never noticed her. Her devotion turns to disdain after a mistake by Mano kills her beloved brother. But when her younger, more beautiful sister goes missing, she’s forced to turn to her former love—now her sworn enemy—for help.

ISBN: 0-7852-6043-9

Also Available from Colleen Coble

THE ROCK HARBOR SERIES

Without a Trace

BOOK ONE IN THE ROCK HARBOR SERIES

B
ree Nichols won’t rest until she recovers the lost bodies of her husband and son, who were killed in a plane crash.

Meanwhile, the quiet town of Rock Harbor is disturbed by a violent crime. Bree soon discovers a personal stake in the solving of the murder, and in the course of her investigation, discovers links to her husband’s plane crash. Could solving the crime bring her peace with her own loss? Or, more incredibly, reunite her family?

ISBN: 0-8499-4429-5