Prints in the Sand: My Journey with Nanea

I tell Nanea a hula about Pele would be fun. I think of the dance she and Mary Lou did the night before. Nanea laughs and explains that wasn’t real hula, just them playing around. But if we want to tell Pele’s story properly, with the volcano goddess’s journey to the fire pits, we can do real hula.

I admit I’ve never seen a real volcano. Just thinking about one leaves my stomach in knots. What if it erupts? Tutu rests her hand over mine and says dancing about something you’ve never actually seen is hard to pull off.

Nanea asks Papa if he can take us up to Punchbowl Crater that morning. He says he needs to rest, since he just got done working. But maybe Uncle Fudge would take us. Nanea explains Uncle Fudge is Lily’s father. He’s a fisherman. Before the war, he used to ferry the two girls around in his sampan. And he did promise them he’d take them hiking someday. Maybe he’d be willing to take us to Punchbowl today.

I force a smile back, since Nanea seems thrilled. Underneath, though, dread simmers in my stomach, hot and restless as lava waiting to spill.