Big island gardens, p.1
Big Island Gardens, page 1
Shayla Cherry
Big Island Gardens
Copyright © 2024 by Shayla Cherry
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Contents
1. Nell
2. Lani
3. Nell
4. Emma
5. Nell
6. Lani
7. Nell
8. Emma
9. Nell
10. Lani
11. Nell
12. Emma
13. Nell
14. Lani
15. Nell
16. Emma
17. Nell
18. Lani
19. Nell
20. Emma
21. Nell
22. Lani
23. Nell
24. Emma
25. Nell
26. Lani
27. Nell
28. Emma
29. Lani
1
Nell
Nell woke in a panic.
Her heart pounded, cortisol racing through her blood even as the nightmare faded.
Sunlight streamed cheerfully through a nearby window, but the room was unfamiliar.
She sat up in bed and took stock. Everett was curled against her, all pudgy cheeks and arm rolls. Cassie slept peacefully beside him, her dark blonde hair escaping its braid and threading across the unfamiliar green sheets.
They were in ‘Ōlena’s house. In her bedroom.
Nell had shown up unannounced the night before, bruised and frightened, and ‘Ōlena had let them in without a second thought. She had even spent the night on the couch so that Nell and her babies could sleep together on the big bed.
Fresh tears of gratitude welled in her eyes, the warm emotion all tangled up in guilt and fear. She was a burden to her only friend, who also happened to be her boss.
She didn’t want to impose for another night, but they had nowhere else to go.
No home, no phone, no car… the litany of everything she lacked was a savage drumbeat that scrambled her thoughts.
She didn’t have the money to get any of those things, either. A bit of cash that she had saved from her time working for ‘Ōlena’s co-op, but not much. Certainly not enough to pay the thousands of dollars required to secure a rental in Hawaii.
She had planned to bide her time, to squirrel money away so that she wouldn’t be completely destitute when she left. Then Sid had flown off the handle yet again, and it had been even more terrifying than the times before. She was lucky to have gotten out at all.
Nell looked at her daughter and son, trying to smooth out her ragged breathing.
She’d escaped, but it felt a bit like getting out the door of a plane with no parachute in place. She was in freefall, hurtling through empty space with her babies.
‘Ōlena had given her a soft place to land, but it was only a temporary respite.
She had to leap again.
“Give it back!” Kiki shrieked in the hallway.
Cassie sat up with a start, and Nell soothed her with a hand to her back.
“Mom!” Kiki shouted. “She won’t give it back!”
“We’re at Auntie ‘Ōlena’s house?” Cassie asked.
“Yeah, baby.”
She rubbed her eyes. “Can I go see Kiki?”
“Of course.”
Cassie hopped down, then hesitated. Nell put a hand on Everett as he rolled towards the edge of the bed, still half awake.
“Will you come?” Cassie asked.
“Yeah. I just need to put a fresh diaper on your brother first.”
Nell’s throat constricted as she pulled out the last diaper that she had; it was just one more thing that she would need to figure out today. Once that was done, she scooped Everett off of the bed and paused to look in the mirror.
Her copper-colored hair was a rat’s nest, and the circles beneath her eyes were nearly as dark as the bruise at the bottom of her jaw. Her neck was even worse, the red and purple marks stark against her pale skin.
She stared at her reflection, amazed all over again to find that she was still breathing.
Cassie tugged at her shirt, and she followed her daughter out into the tiny hallway. Luana, ‘Ōlena’s older daughter, took them in with a glance and then turned to glare at her sister.
“See? You woke them up.”
“You stole my turtle!” Kiki retorted, stamping her foot. “It’s your fault!”
Cassie held tight to the hem of Nell’s shirt, enamored with the girls but too shy to say hello.
“What happened to your neck?” Luana asked.
Nell raised a hand to the bruises, ashamed.
“Lu!” ‘Ōlena appeared at the end of the hall, hands on her hips.
“What?” Luana demanded, tone and posture mirroring her mother’s.
“Give Nell some space. Please.”
“Fine.” The eight year old stomped off.
“Kiki, why don’t you show Cassie your new watercolors?”
“Okay!” She put out a hand and said gently, “You want to come see?”
Cassie shook her head, shrinking farther into Nell, and her guilt deepened. Cassie had gained so much confidence in their time with the Pualena Playschool, but it seemed to have vanished in one traumatic night.
“Go on,” Nell urged her gently.
“You can use my favorite paintbrush,” Kiki coaxed.
Slowly, Cassie released her grip on Nell’s shirt and took Kiki’s hand. She took a tentative step forward, then turned to look at Nell.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she promised.
When the girls were gone, ‘Ōlena took a step closer. Her eyes went to the red and purple bruises on Nell’s neck.
“You should document that to use in court,” she said in a grim voice.
“I don’t have a camera.”
“What happened to your phone?”
“Sid threw it against the wall.” He’d done that before and the phone had survived, but this time he’d thrown it hard enough to dent the drywall, and the screen had gone black.
‘Ōlena’s eyes glinted with restrained rage, but she just nodded. “You can use mine.”
“Thank you.”
“Breakfast first?”
“Please.”
They walked into the kitchen, where ‘Ōlena gestured for Nell to sit down and then put a big bowl of cut papaya in front of her. Nell was surprised to find that she actually had an appetite, and she alternated between eating the sweet fruit and feeding bits of it to Everett.
“Coffee?” ‘Ōlena asked.
“No, thank you.” She didn’t think that her nerves could take the caffeine.
“Have you heard of a shelter called Place of Refuge?” ‘Ōlena asked. She sat across from Nell, both hands wrapped around a huge coffee mug.
Nell just shook her head. She had looked into local shelters, but they were all full. And the name of this one didn’t ring a bell.
With a small stab of fear, she hoped that ‘Ōlena wasn’t trying to send her to another island. Their days at Pualena Playschool were the only stability that she and her daughter had.
“It’s just a mile down the road from town,” ‘Ōlena said, and some of the tension drained from Nell’s chest. “It’s a private nonprofit, and they don’t have a website. In spite of that, it’s usually full.”
“Right,” Nell said, her voice hoarse.
“But the owner is a friend of my mom’s, and she said that they have a space opening up today. Another family is moving into a section eight place, and their room is available. Halia is willing to let you jump the line.”
She could only nod, humbled, and hope that she wasn’t displacing anyone whose situation was more desperate than her own.
“They don’t provide meals, but there’s a communal kitchen and each room has its own minifridge. We can drive over there after breakfast and stop at the store on the way.”
“Thank you.”
“I can also give you a ride to the police station,” ‘Ōlena offered, “to file a restraining order.”
Nell’s throat constricted with fear and unshed tears at the thought of throwing herself onto the mercy of strangers all day long, first at the shelter and then at the police station. Worse was the thought of doing all that with her babies in tow. Everett was one thing, content in his carrier, but Cassie…
“Maybe I could take the bus,” she croaked, and then cleared her throat. “And Cassie could stay with you?”
“I’ll drop you off,” ‘Ōlena said firmly, “and then take the girls to the park.”
“Thank you,” Nell said again.
‘Ōlena just nodded, her face set in a grim expression.
Nell hated to inconvenience her, but she was ninety percent certain that ‘Ōlena’s annoyance wasn’t directed at her. She was furious with Sid, with the whole situation, and doing an admirable job of keeping that fury under wraps.
Nell was too tired and frightened to be angry. Maybe that would come with time.
She froze when the front door opened. Then Nate walked in, and she relaxed. Luana and Kiki’s dad was twice the size of Sid, but he di dn’t frighten her. If anything, she felt safer with him nearby. Sid was too much of a coward to attack her when there were other men around.
Nell kept her guard up around most men, but she liked Nate. He was kind to kids, and his obvious devotion to ‘Ōlena reminded Nell of her dad. He had been utterly loyal, a family man through and through, and it broke her heart to think of how different her life might have been if she could have run home to him at the first sign of trouble.
But he was gone, and she was alone.
Just as well, she told herself sternly. If she had made better choices, she wouldn’t have Cassie. If she’d had another home to escape to when things took a turn, there would be no Everett. She pressed her face to his fuzzy head and breathed him in.
The stark fact that her two greatest blessings had come from a horrific relationship was enough to give her a headache anytime she thought about it too long.
It was no use trying to untangle the past.
There was only this moment, and the next step forward.
“Howzit?” Nate kept his voice low and his movements slow, like he was approaching a skittish cat. Nell might have felt bad, but seeing the huge man practically tiptoe through the kitchen made her want to laugh. He kissed ‘Ōlena’s temple in passing and poured himself a cup of coffee before joining them at the table.
“I have the number for a lawyer,” he said without preamble, pushing a business card across the table. “I’ve known him forever. He’s a good guy, solid.”
“Not a leech like most of them,” ‘Ōlena added.
“Thank you,” Nell said for the umpteenth time that day. She took the card with trembling fingers and put it in her pocket without looking at it. Hopefully there would be a phone available at the shelter. “I don’t know what I would have done without you,” she said through her tears.
“None of us can get through without community,” ‘Ōlena said firmly.
Nell nodded and blew her nose on a napkin. She tried to dry her eyes surreptitiously as the girls ran into the kitchen, but Cassie saw everything. Her face fell, and Nell’s gut twisted with remorse.
“We’re starving!” Kiki announced.
“Start with papaya,” ‘Ōlena said, standing, “and I’ll make waffles.”
After breakfast, they went to the store. Nell loaded up on diapers and protein, mostly just cheese and peanut butter until she saw what sort of kitchen she would be working with. On the way to the shelter, ‘Ōlena pulled over at a roadside stand so that Nell could buy fresh fruit.
There were no signs advertising the shelter. ‘Ōlena simply drove down the road from town and then pulled over. The lot was surrounded by high fences, which were softened by the green vines that eclipsed the metal bars. The gate was locked, and ‘Ōlena opened it with a key code.
“‘Ōlena,” a woman’s voice rang out the moment they stepped through. Nell turned to see an older woman walking towards them. Her black hair was threaded with silver, and friendly lines radiated out from her eyes like rays of sunlight in a child’s drawing.
“Auntie Halia.” ‘Ōlena greeted her with a hug.
“And you must be Nell.”
She nodded and took another step forward, looking around as she did. The place was nothing like she expected. Instead of one large building, tiny buildings ringed a central garden area. Picnic tables clustered under a large roof that also sheltered a kitchen, not unlike the one used to warm the free meals offered at the local park on Saturdays.
There were children coloring at one of the tables, and the whole place felt like a sanctuary.
When she looked back at Halia, she caught the older woman staring at the bruises on her neck. It was almost a relief, to carry her story so visibly on her skin – to not have to explain.
“We change the code on the gate weekly,” Halia said, her voice gentle. “The bathrooms are there, behind the hibiscus bushes. You’re welcome to use the kitchen, so long as you clean up after yourself, but all food should be kept in your room, inside of the fridge.”
“Where’s our room?” Cassie asked. Nell looked down at her, startled that she had spoken aloud to a woman she had never met. But Halia exuded such a warm, grandmotherly energy that it had apparently put Cassie at ease.
Or maybe she was just eager to claim a place as her own.
“I’ll show you.” Halia led them to one of the freestanding rooms. It was tiny, basically a small shed with a door. It had a bed, a minifridge, a place to hang clothes, and a door that locked.
“Thank you,” Nell said as she set her heavy backpack down just inside the door. “I’m so grateful.”
“This is a place of refuge.” Halia’s voice was kind but firm. “We don’t allow guests, and we encourage our residents to find their own housing as quickly as they can, to make space for people who truly need it.”
“I understand.”
Halia nodded and handed her a key. “We’ll sit down for a formal intake later. For now, you can rest.”
2
Lani
Lani and Emma stood shoulder to shoulder at the kitchen sink, washing and drying the dishes that had accumulated over the first half of the day. Beyond the glass, the whole world shone emerald green beneath a vibrant blue sky.
They’d had Tara’s whole crew over for lunch; it felt good to cook something for their neighbor for once, when usually it was Tara feeding the whole neighborhood. And it was good to have Emma back after losing her to the mainland for the past few weeks.
The kids ran past the kitchen window, a pack of five with Rory right in the middle. She was surrounded by family and community every day now, which was such a drastic upgrade from the solitary life that they had lived in Alaska.
Gratitude thrummed in Lani’s chest, deepened by the knowledge that the man who had tried time and again to tear down their new life was finally behind bars. They were safe.
“I’m so glad to be home,” Emma said. “I love to see Kai living his best life, running around out there with his dog and all the other kids.”
“I was just thinking the same. But what about his cousins in California?”
“It’s just not the same. The two cousins close to his age are in school all day, and then weekends they’re at their new place way up in the mountains, so we didn’t see much of them. My brother has a teenage daughter and a new baby, but the teen was hiding out in her treehouse and my sister-in-law was basically doing the same with my nephew. I don’t know. It was weird. We were all wrapped up in our own stuff, I guess.
“Going through Adam’s things was hard, and I kind of fell right back into the hole that I’d been in before I moved here. Same with Kai. He was really struggling. There’s something about being in the house that we shared with his dad… it’s just not good for us. We’re so much happier here.”
“Well, we’re certainly glad to have you back.”
“Lani?” A quiet voice sounded behind them. Olivia got like that when Tenn wasn’t around, like she wasn’t quite sure where she fit in without her dad.
She dried her hands and smiled softly at the little girl. “What’s up?”
“Do you have any more of those coloring pages?”
“Yeah, there’s a stack of them around here somewhere. Let’s go see.”
“Can I have flowers?”
“Definitely you can have flowers. Come on.” She led her over to the rolling cart they’d gotten to organize the kids’ art supplies. The coloring pages that she’d drawn were still there, buried beneath a layer of loose crayons.
Olivia settled down at the table with a stack of paper and a big box of colored pencils.
Meanwhile, Rory was outside screaming bloody murder. Lani sighed and went to see what was up.
“How would you like it if I threw a rock at you?” Rory shrieked. She stood facing the boys, face scrunched with fury and hands curled into fists at her sides.
“What’s going on out here?” Lani asked.
Rory turned to her and shouted, “Prince threw a rock at Myrtle!”
“It was just a piece of gravel,” the little boy muttered, looking at the ground.
“Gravel is just rocks!” Rory shouted.
“Bring your voice down, please,” Lani said. She looked around, but the gray hen was nowhere to be seen. “Is Myrtle okay?”
“It didn’t even hit her,” Kai defended his friend.
“That’s not the point,” Rory said, her voice low and vicious.
Lani looked at Prince and said, “No more throwing rocks, yeah?”
