|
|
Chapter 5
"Faith, Grace!" Derek Manti cried, striding quickly towards the five girls waiting to be picked up.
"Hey, Dad, nice to see you, too," Hope said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
Faith laughed, then gasped as Derek threw his arms around all five girls.
"I missed you guys so much," he said. He was a broad, handsome man for his age, his jet-black hair barely gray. His sparkling green eyes twinkled and made anyone feel at peace right away. When he so much as grinned, laugh lines appeared at the corner of his eyes. Faith had always loved him as her favorite uncle. She remembered bouncing on his knee at the age of six, giggling with delight as he questioned the laws of science by magically finding a quarter in her ear, blushing with pleasure when he inquired on boys in her life, and laughing at her high school graduation when he brought out the old Christmas cards she had sent him in junior high.
Faith noticed that Grace was looking distant, too, as she went back to the memories.
"Let's get you to your home away from home- for the next two months," Derek said, smiling at them. He hoisted his daughter's bags in two arms and called for a luggage cart.
~*~*~*~
The wind whipped her hair as she walked along the sand. She breathed in contentedly, and sighed happily. The sun setting on the horizon, just above the lining of the ocean, was majestic. She wished she had her camera. The only thing that could make this night more perfect was what she couldn't have. The face that she longed to be looking at as he walked beside her, enjoying the cool breeze as much as she did. The hand that she craved to be holding in her own as they shared a comfortable silence that need not be filled with chatter. But the face, the face that was empty, belonged to another.
"Faith?"
She turned around, a shred of hope instilled deep within her that it could possibly be- but no, it was just Derek. He fell into step next to her, and for a minute neither of them spoke. It was the wrong man, but the silence was just as comfortable.
"Have you heard the one about how the cows and the bulls?" Derek asked, breaking the silence.
Faith shook her head, smiling.
"A girl says to a farmer, 'I wish I had 30 cows and 20 bulls.' The farmer says back, 'Why?' She says, 'then I'd have 50 sows and bucks.'"
Faith laughed softly. As corny as the joke was, she had missed her uncle's lame jokes.
"You're going to have a blast, here, Faithie," he said.
"I know," she responded, nodding. She looked at him, and he smiled and grasped her hand. They continued walking, until Derek once again spoke up.
"He's getting married."
"Yeah," Faith said quietly. She felt no remorse, only like she had missed out on something she could have had the chance to experience that was now off limits.
"Well, there are so many guys who come here during the summer-" he began.
"I'm not looking to meet a guy, Derek," she interrupted. "I just want to have fun with you and my friends."
He nodded.
"Just letting you know," he said. "I mean, I know of five guys right now that checked in just an hour ago. Maybe you'll find something there…"
She shook her head, smiling ruefully. "You'll never stop, will you?"
"I only want to help," he protested, holding up his hands.
"Derek, when it happens, you probably won't even be there. It will come out of nowhere; hit me like a tidal wave…" she explained.
"Maybe you'll be swimming."
"You're such a dork," she said, laughing. He shrugged.
The sun was completely hidden now, and the moon replaced it in the sky. The ocean was calm, and the waves coming in gentle small crests. The sand was smooth under her bare feet, and the feel of the small grains between her toes overwhelmed her with memories, memories that she would probably always cherish.
"We should get back," Derek said. "It's 11:00."
Faith nodded and turned around with him. He walked her back to the two-story condo that the girls would be occupying for the summer, where the lights were dark in some windows and illuminated in others.
"See you tomorrow, honey," Derek said. "Tell the rest of the girls that I love them, especially Hope, since she is my daughter and all."
Faith laughed, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, Uncle Derek."
His eyes shone as she turned around and walked in the house. She knew it had touched him to hear her say 'Uncle' before 'Derek', when she hadn't said it in at least five years.
~*~*~
Grace slowly opened her eyes, forgetting for an instant where she was. A warm breeze blew in from her open window, and she could hear the waves lapping on the beach less than a mile away. She smiled and stretched, remembering.
It was so nice to get away, to come to Maui for two whole months to spend time with JUST Faith, Promise, Hope, and Destiny. They were her best friends, and she needed time with them alone. She hadn't seen Hope for a couple of months, and even then, she had been preoccupied with Dylan, her boyfriend of three months.
She hadn't known it at the time, but Dylan was planning on moving to Cairo, Egypt, and taking her with him. He had always wanted to be an architect, and deep down Grace had been hoping he'd find something else to be interested in. Somewhere in the United States, preferably. It had been hard for her to break it to him that she wasn't going anywhere with him, especially considering the fact that he hadn't made any move to inform her of her departure with him until the day of.
But now Grace was getting back on track, spending lots of time with her twin, whom she knew needed support. Grace and Faith were best friends. They knew each other inside out, from the time they dresses alike in fourth grade to the time they never spoke in eighth grade. Even when they were in fights, they felt each other's pains or triumphs. When Faith had a good day, Grace smiled with her, or when Grace had a down day, Faith refused to be happy. So when Grace saw through Faith's happy act right through to her frustrations, she knew she had to put aside all feelings of loss and be there for her best friend. After all, Faith had been there for her despite her irritation and annoyance with the male population.
Faith was an individual. Grace felt sympathy for her, knowing of her pain. Faith was just in love. When you're feel such love, as Grace had once felt, the fondness in your heart is hard to let go of. This was especially true when the love you felt for someone or something would never be reciprocated, like in Faith's case. She was truly in love with a man, who she would never meet, and it hurt Grace as much it did Faith to see her feelings ignored.
"Gracie?" a soft voice called outside the door.
"Come on in, Faithie," she called. She hadn't realized how early it was. Faith usually woke with the birds, while Grace favored having lunch when she woke. She imagined it was the thirsty feeling in the air blowing through the window. That or the excitement at finally being on the most anticipated vacation of her life for five months.
"Hey," Faith greeted, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Morning," Grace replied, yawning. She let out her hair from the elastic band that held it in a pile on her head, raking her fingers through is to comb it.
"What do you want to do today?" Faith questioned, helping Grace out by adding her own fingers to the mane of hair.
"Unpack, get my tan settled for the summer…" Grace planned, counting them off on her fingers.
"Sounds good," Faith said quietly.
Grace put her hand on her sister's arm. "Are you ok?" she asked.
"I thought I was," Faith sighed. "I really did. I mean, I'm happy. I really am. But I just want to stop fooling around with all these loser guys and find one that's worth it, you know?"
"I know, babe," Grace said.
"But, I'm not going to let it get to me. That was not the reason to come here, right?" Faith said, putting on a bright face.
"Right," Grace agreed. "Race you to the shower. Last one there is a rotten, stinky egg!"
Faith immediately jumped up, but Grace beat her to the bathroom by a millisecond, laughing smugly as she slammed the door in Faith's face.
Faith shook her head and leaned against the door. She was feeling a not unfamiliar sense of déjà vu.
The doorbell rang, and Faith jumped. She quickly made her way down the twisting stairs to the front foyer. She opened the door and shielded her eyes, not used to the bright sunlight that early in the morning.
"Just get up?" Derek asked, stepping inside and handing her a bag. Faith smelled bagels. Then realizing what he had asked, she looked down at herself and noticed her Penn State tank top and Old Navy pajama pants for the first time. She quickly shut the door before any passer by's could notice her unkempt state.
"Yeah, I did just get up as a matter of fact," she said, following him into the large dining room and setting the bag down.
Destiny walked in with a brutal looking bed head, yawning and stretching her arms high over her head.
"Mornin'" she grinned. "I'm hungry…this fresh air is so…appetizing."
"Well, bagels are within your reach," Derek laughed. "Nothing's stopping you."
Destiny smiled, her stomach growling. She carefully selected a plain bagel, and some pineapple cream cheese to spread over it. Her mouth watered.
She looked up at Faith, and smiled. Faith smiled back. Destiny couldn't help but notice how great Faith always looked in the morning. Her long hair hung straight down her back, not a strand out of place. Destiny knew that she hadn't been in the shower yet, and not even brushing could make her hair that shiny and soft. Destiny fingered her own locks, the black perm matted to her head from the pressure she put on the pillow. She shook her head. After my shower, my hair will be curly and bouncy like usual, she thought.
And I'll look fine. What could she expect at 7 in the morning?
"Can one of you girls do me a favor?" Derek asked, talking around a mouthful of strawberry cream cheese and chewed bagel. Destiny noticed Faith wrinkle her nose but refrain from saying a word about it.
"A condo has been rented out by a young man who seems to have forgotten his extra set of keys to the house. I have a busy schedule today, and I barely have time to go visit a condo that's set across from the bay. It'll take me a good 45 minutes to get there, and I have to get the key to him by nine. One of you, please?"
"I'll go for you, Derek," Faith said. He smiled and patted her hand.
"Here's his condo address, and don't forget; nine o'clock," he reminded her.
She nodded and took the piece of paper he had on the table.
"I haven't met him, but he seems like he would be a nice guy. He was with the five that checked in last night," he added.
"Five guys, five girls…" Destiny hinted.
"Five guys? Already?" Promise yawned, walking into the room. "Ooh, bagels!"
Faith stood up to get a shower, on her way out passing Hope, who yawned but smiled at Faith. When Faith was fully dry all over, she dressed and was on her way.
It proved to be a windy day, and there was nothing Faith liked more than to see the palm trees bending slightly from the wind. The sky was perfectly blue, no clouds visible for miles. The 'Boardwalk of Maui' was full of life as she walked, couples strolling along hand in hand for an early morning walk, and children playing war with water guns. The ocean being nearby, natives or non-natives of Maui carried their surfboards to the water to catch some of the high crested waves that were already forming.
It was a beautiful day, and Faith's hair was dry within minutes. She pulled her brush out and brushed it straight. She couldn't stand it when it dried wavy.
Slowing down as she came to a strip of condos, she paused in front of the
right one. Why did she feel something strange? Ignoring the eerie feeling,
she marched up the grass and knocked on the door, then rang the bell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~