Working Title: Moonflower & the Big Wave
an excerpt

On a small island in the middle of an ocean of no particular place, there was a small village. It was like any other village on a small isolated tropical island. The water was crystal blue, the air was clean, the sand was white, and life was simple in their small grassy huts with their floppy island hats and sandals. The islanders would agree that it was a worry free existence. Of course, it didn’t stop the occasion squabble from breaking out over the best way to crack a coconut. But even then the matter was quickly resolved in one way or another, usually by the cracking open of the coconut in a manner that wasn’t even being discussed.
The nightlife was active with all manner of celebrations, birthday parties, marriage banquets, anniversary parties, holiday celebrations, and everything in between. There was food, fire walking, and music. The music was loud and hopping. Musical shells blown like horns, stringed gourds played like fiddles, bongos beating in time, and the occasional gourd that rattled when bounced like a ball. Listening to the music and the villagers felt as if they were alive. The islanders would agree.
The moon would rise and fall over these parties. After the food was gone and the residents has sufficiently burnt their toes on hot coals and shook their booties to the beat till they could shake no more, with heavy tired eyes and dropping and yawning jaws, they would toddle off to bed to awake in the morning ready for the next day. Yes, life on the little island was good.
Everyone on the island would agree too except for one little girl. She would stand on the white sandy shores in her red wrap dress and floppy yellow straw hat and watch the waves roll onto the beach. She was unhappy a good deal of the time as of late. While the other kids were collecting shells for their necklaces or surfing on long boards made from tehee wood, she would just stare at the horizon and wonder what else there was. At night while everyone was enjoying the parties, she would lie in her hammock and stare at the stars through the window and wonder if anyone else was looking at the same fleck of light she was. She would wonder if anyone else was wondering if someone else was thinking what she was. If there was, she wanted to tell them that it was her.
Of course, her behavior wasn’t lost on her parents and sometimes they would peek in on her, leaving the parties behind because they were worried that their daughter was not happy. They had been so happy when their daughter was born. Her mother had named her after the rarest of the rare flowers only found on their little island, Olieena. Her father months before her birth had collected small blue stones that would wash ashore with the tides. Polishing them till they were as crystal clear as the waters, he lovingly made a necklace for the treasured unborn child. To see her so sad while everyone else was so happy broke their hearts and they, sadly, would agree.
And so it was until one day they decided that it might do her some good to spend sometime with her older brother, Alio, fishing on the sourthern shores of their little island. It was over a breakfast of berries and coconut milk when they decided to talk to Olieena about their idea.
Having artfully arranged her berries into a frowning face on the bright green leaf she was eating from, she seemed unaware of her parents presence sitting on the ground on the pillows around the low bamboo table. Her mother looked at her father with a concerned face that only a mother can seem to make.
“Olieena,” she began “We were thinking that you might enjoy spending time with your brother fishing for a few days.” Olieena’s expression did not change, even though she had well heard her mother’s words. Acting as if she were alone, she chomped down on a berry with a despondent expression.
“Flower,” as her father often called her. “You might enjoy a little time on the water.” He looked to his wife, searching his mind for what he might say next to entice any reaction at all from the child. Olieena had sat on the shores and watched men fish. She pictured kayaks bobbing in the waters, nets dragging along side in her mind.
Nothing I’ve not seen before. The disinterest continued. Squeezing a dark red berry, it exploded between her fingers and she shook the juice and pulp off on to the leaf. “It’s nothing new or exciting,” her voice was monotone and flat. Rubbing the back of his neck in frustration, he looked back to his wife. Glancing out the window, her mother could remember how much fun Olieena use to have with her brother playing out on the waters, surfing and swimming throughout the day under the sun during the long summer days. It had been quite sometime, but her mother was quite certain she could have fun like that again.
“I think you might have some fun,” he mother’s voice was soft and hopeful. “Besides,” she carefully added “It’s been awhile since you last saw your brother.” She gave her mother an odd look. She had seen him earlier in the week repairing his neck under a tall palm by the beach.
“I so have,” she defended herself.
“Oh,” her mother raised her brow and her daughter nodded. “What did you two talk about.” Brown eyes darted from side to side as she thought, finally she shrugged and looked back her leaf and picked at a berry.
“We didn’t talk,” she paused. “He looked busy. I didn’t want to bother him.” Her father gave her a little grin, not that she could see it staring down. Playing with the coconut shell cup, she looked at her parents. “I’m not a bad sister, am I?” Her eyes welled up with tears at thought she was hurting someone she loved by ignoring them. Despite feeling alone and wanting more, she loved her family very much and didn’t want anything bad to happen to anyone, especially if she was that something bad. They shook their heads and began to reassure her keeping the tears at bay.
“No, not at all,” her mother moved over to embrace her child. “But, we really think you need to spend a little time just being a kid.” Her father nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, I think my flower has had enough rain. Now she needs some sunshine.” She looked over to her father, pensive expression. She didn’t always understand his metaphors and, occasionally, when she did understand them, they seemed rather bad.
“I guess,” she said with a sigh. “If it will make Alio happy.” They smiled at her.
“He’ll be very happy,” replied her father as he moved around to join in the hug. Olieena grunted a bit being smashed by the soft bodies of her parents. Making muffled noises, her cheeks were being pushed together.
“I luff ewe, vhut I can’t breave.” Almost immdeatly, they pulled away, her father laughing warmly.
So it was done. Olieena would spend a few days with Alio catching fish. Not exactly what she wanted to do, but it was a start and it couldn’t be that bad.
The next day the sun rose over the water as it always had and her parents woke Olieena up early just as the sun as standing on the edge of the water. The child couldn’t remember being up this early in very long time, if ever. Grogy and still half asleep, she managed to get dressed in her favorite red dress and flopped down onto the pillows next to the family table where breakfast was already waiting.