9
WHAT A BUST. SIX DAYS had past since they’d begun looking for the mysterious Jorge Worley fellow. They had received six days of perplexed looks, shoulder shrugs and ‘I don’t knows.’ The days were hot and the weather was extra humid. Every time Cyrus stepped outside, he felt like he was melting. Walking around this much, even with the twins helping him, had exhausted him.
Two days prior, he’d had the great pleasure of experiencing his first muscle cramp. It was the worst pain he had ever felt … until his second cramp. It was agonizing. Cyrus would rather listen to Ms. P talk about every musical she’d ever seen than experience that again. Cyrus cried unapologetic tears of pain as his body turned against him. Kimo went and bought two bunches of bananas while Auli’i stayed by his side.
“Better than being in a wheelchair, right?” said Auli’i with a pained smile.
True …
They had called it early that day to give Cyrus time to recover. They focused on stretching and resting while they watched a western on TV. The twins were machines. Even in the hot sun, they didn’t seem phased. When Cyrus pointed this out, they shrugged it off and said they’d grown up in similar weather. Warm and humid.
Cyrus began feeling the effects of having his wings wrapped around his torso a lot more. They seemed to insulate him, and as the day went on, they would droop further and further below his waist. Getting home and releasing his wings from their cotton prison was incredibly refreshing.
The strength in his wings was increasing as was his range of motion. Cyrus could completely span his wings and hold that pose for 10 seconds. He kept forgetting to breathe when he did it, though.
The twins were incredibly supportive but he still felt bad having them help him all the time. With Martin, it was no problem because that’s how he had grown up. With these two, Cyrus felt embarrassed. Every time he brought it up or thanked them excessively, they would both tell him to shut up and that it was their pleasure to help him. He would then get a lecture from Auli’i about how he needed to stop being so hard on himself and that he had made leaps and bounds in a couple weeks. Literally.
It was a Friday, and the twins had officially dubbed it, ‘Aloha Friday.’ The three of them decided ‘Aloha Friday’ would be the last thorough day of searching, and they would then take the weekend off. This time, they would do something different. Instead of traversing Hogs Bay and the west side of the island, they would try the east. A couple of sailors said there were more boats over on that side.
Martin had yet to contact them, and Ms. Palermo and Kamalani hadn’t received word on their end either. Kamalani was worried sick. Cyrus held it in, but he was too.
Martian should have reached out by now.
His flight was the following evening, and if he was successful leaving the island, the first thing he would do would be to text or call Cyrus. It was the complete radio silence that wasn’t normal. Cyrus tried to justify it when they videoed chatted with Ms. Palermo and Kamalani, but deep down he knew something was up. Every time he tried to call, it would go straight to voice mail.
“Alright! Breakfast, and then off we go! Kimo, get up, lazy-head!” boomed Auli’i.
“Uhhhhh.” Kimo rolled over.
Cyrus supported himself on a chair and stretched his back, legs and wings simultaneously. Bliss. Morning wake up stretches were becoming his favorite ritual.
“Kimo, get your overgrown okoli out of bed or I’ma go for your ribs,” said Auli’i.
“Mmmuhnnhnhhnn.”
Pop!
Cyrus’ left wing felt better. Cyrus was making little circles with his left wing and left leg.
“I’m not playing,” said Auli’i.
Pop!
Cyrus rotated his neck as he wrapped up his morning stretches.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!! GET OFF, GET OFF!! I’M UP, SEE? I’M UP!” screamed Kimo.
Cyrus jumped from surprise. He turned around to see Kimo backed into the corner while Auli’i crouched on the bed like a frog. She pointed her hands at Kimo like guns while she laughed maniacally. Kimo looked authentically scared. No grogginess there.
“Do I have to use my death pokes anymore?”
“I SAID, I’M UP!” Kimo wiped away what little sleep his eyes had left.
“You sure?”
“YES.”
“Alright then.” Auli’i holstered her finger guns.
“You really are the evil twin,” said Kimo.
“You know you love me.” Auli’i blew a kiss.
“Mmmhm …”
Cyrus chuckled to himself.
They made their way to the continental breakfast downstairs and stuffed their faces. Sausage, eggs, bacon and a make your own waffle station dotted the buffet line. Waffles had quickly become a favorite of the twins. They had never had waffles or maple syrup before and loved both. Cyrus made a game of finding out how much real-world exposure the twins had had before they moved to Ni’ihau. Waffles, surprisingly, had not made the list.
Seeing the twins experience things Cyrus took for granted fascinated him. Simple waffles and old western movies brought them such joy. The fact they weren’t embarrassed was so refreshing. It was a 180 degree shift from the kids he went to school with. Most kids would rather look cool than learn. It was another reason why he’d felt like he didn’t fit in. He wanted to know as much as he could about the world around him.
“How are the waffles?” asked Cyrus.
“Mmmmmmmm,” hummed Auli’i and Kimo in unison, their mouths incredibly full.
Cyrus cracked a smile.
“Shyyyrus … ” said Kimo with a mouth full of waffles. “Howshs uheii guhnna geshhet tto vah eshhhe shiiide ovv vah ishllanv vooodai?”
Cyrus raised an eyebrow and looked at Kimo incredulously.
“Was that Hawaiian for oink oink?” said Cyrus.
Auli’i snorted a mixture or orange juice and waffles from her nose.
“Auli’i!!! Gross!”
Kimo chomped his food ferociously while laughing, swallowed and then tried again.
“How we gonna get to the other side of the island today?”
Cyrus was wiping the Auli’i spray from the table. Auli’i blushed from embarrassment but kept laughing. He then whipped out his backpack and flashed the card Michael had given them a week ago.
“I’m going to call that taxi driver we had the other day.”
“The one with the cool accent?” asked Kimo.
“They all have cool accents,” said Auli’i wiping her mouth. “Michael was just the first one we heard.”
“Yeah. That guy. I’m going to call him.”
“What if he doesn’t answer?” asked Kimo.
“Then we call another taxi, catch an Über or a Lyft.”
They gave Cyrus confused eyes. “What?”
“New words. Explain them, please,” said Auli’i.
“Ah … Über and Lyft are like taxi services you can access on your phone.”
“Got it.”
“While you guys munch away, I’m going to call.”
Cyrus input the number into his phone and pushed the green call button. On the third ring, Michael picked up.
“Michael Simmons taxi services, how can I assist you today?”
“Michael, it’s err ummm, it’s Cyrus. You picked us up from the airport last week and I was wondering if we could uhhh … employ your services?”
Kimo and Auli’i bust out laughing.
“What?” mouthed Cyrus.
“I would love to. Could you be more specific which kids? I drive a lot of people around, Mr. Cyrus. It is my job, after all.”
“Oh, yeah. I’m from San Diego and the other two are the Hawaiian hyenas you hear in the background.”
Cyrus couldn’t understand why the twins were laughing.
“Sure thing. I can be over in half an hour. Would that work?”
“Yeah! We’ll meet you out front.”
“See you soon.”
Click.
“What is so funny?”
“You,” said Auli’i. “You get all nervous and trip over your words. It’s as comical as it is cute.”
“Minus the cute part for me,” said Kimo with a smile.
“Ha. Ha. We have half an hour until Michael gets here. Finish up. Let’s get what we need and head out.”
Kimo and Auli’i quickly wolfed down what they had on their plates, stuffed a bunch of granola bars and fruit into their pockets and headed up to the room with Cyrus. They packed what they had into a backpack … water, Cyrus’ charger and all the food they’d scrounged from the continental breakfast. It was an efficient way to hold down their hunger during the day until dinner.
Michael was right on time. His silver van pulled up to the entrance, and he greeted the three kids with a smile.
“Aloha! Long time no see,” he said.
“Aloha!” replied the twins.
“Nice to see you again Michael,” said Auli’i.
“We missed ya,” said Kimo with a smile.
Michael let out a hearty laugh. “I must have made quite the impression. Well, hop in and tell me where you’d like to go.”
Kimo and Auli’i helped Cyrus into the car and then settled in themselves.
“Where to?”
“Michael, we’re actually looking for someone,” started Cyrus. “His name is Jorge Worley, and we were told he would be in Hogs Bay, but after looking these past five days, he was no where to be found … We were out of ideas, so we figured we would search a different part of the island. Do you know where we could start?”
“Hmmmm … Can’t say I’ve heard of a Jorge Worley on the island. Does he own a boat?”
“We don’t know. We told you everything we know.”
“Why are you looking for this mystery man?”
“Well, my … ” Cyrus paused as he contemplated his next words. “Dad told me to find him while he made his way over here. He is a family friend, of some sort. Anyway … anything would help.”
“Hmmmm … Well I don’t think I’m much use to you guys. I haven’t the faintest idea who that is,” said Michael with a shrug. “But I know someone who might. He’s the old harbor master that’s dealt with the comings and goings of people for the past 30 years. He just retired and enjoys the isolation. Normally, I wouldn’t recommend going to see him, but he’s been talking about sailing to Hawai’i for years now and think he might be inclined to help ya.”
“OK. It’s a start. Can you take us there?” asked Auli’i.
“Let me give him a call first.”
Michael took his phone from the dash and manually input a number. The phone rang twice, and then a deep voice answered.
“Oi, Ace boy, you up and at it?” asked Michael.
Rapid muffled speaking followed.
“Yeah, I know. I figured you might actually sleep in once in a while now that you’re nice and cozy in retirement … Ha! You’re not wrong. I can’t wait ta be where you’re at. A couple more years, I’ll be sitting at home just like you … Listen, I’ve met some folks from Hawai’i that are looking for someone they can’t seem to find and, what? … Yeah, I said Hawai’i … Br … bring ‘em over? Oh, well that didn’t take a lot of convincing, now did it. I was expecting you to put up more of a fight, old boy. Must be the old age … OK. Yeah. We’ll be there in about twenty minutes. Thanks. See you soon. Bye.”
Michael turned to the three youngsters and smiled.
“Let’s be off, then.”
Michael put the car into gear and drove away from the resort.
“Do you guys get that a lot?”
“What?” asked Auli’i.
“Interest in who you are just because you’re from Hawai’i?”
“Yeah, we do. Fortunately for us, it has led to meeting some great people,” said Auli’i, looking at Cyrus.
“Now, before we get there, let me tell you something,” began Michael. “The old harbor masters name is Maurício. He is a sailor at heart and can be a little rough around the edges. The man has no filter whatsoever, so keep that in mind. You’ve been warned.”
“Sounds like dad … ” said Auli’i.
Kimo smirked. “If that’s the case, then we’ll get along just fine.”
The drive was as breathtaking as ever. The vibrant blue ocean and soft fluffy clouds dotted the horizon. Reggae played on the radio, adding to the ambiance. Michael’s car turned onto a rough dirt road and shook everyone inside. It was like a nice massage after all their exploring.
Trees dotted the path as they made their way to meet the mysterious Maurício. Eventually, the trees stopped, and they entered a clearing with a small white house and a white sail boat with blue trim. You could see the other side of the harbor where they had been searching the past five days. The air was still and quiet. Birds sang and a faint whisper from the wind made its way through the trees. If there was anywhere to retire, this man had chosen the most ideal spot.
Michael turned off the car, and all four of them got out.
“I figured I would go greet the ol’ boy real quick since it’s been a while, if that’s OK with you,” said Michael.
“Of course!” said Auli’i.
The four of them walked up to the house. As Michael raised his fist to knock, the door swung open. A burley brown man stood before them. Standing at least six feet tall, he had a thick mustache and a balding hairline. He wore a wife-beater, swimming trunks and flip flops. His belly protruded out like a giant bowling ball, exposing a bit of skin.
Buddha would be jealous of that belly for sure.
“Look what the wind blew in. Come here, Ace boy, it’s great to see ya!” bellowed Maurício. He embraced Michael in a back breaking hug.
“Uhhh. I’ve been trying to get that kink out my back for a month. One bear hug from you and it’s gone. Maybe I should hire you as my chiropractor,” said Michael.
Maurício let out a booming laugh. “I’ll certainly charge you less. Well, chingas! You brought me some authentic Hawaiians. Did you season them on the way? I’m starving!”
Cyrus gulped.
“Come now, you don’t want to frighten them.”
“Of course I do! This world can be a cruel place. I want to see if they can hold their own. Ever heard the tale of Hansel and Gretel?”
“From the looks of things, your house isn’t made of gingerbread,” said Auli’i. “Not to mention, you could use a diet.”
Cyrus and Kimo’s jaws dropped. Michael looked back at her in horror and Maurício looked seriously at Auli’i.
“Are you calling me fat?” He walked up to Auli’i and menacingly stood over her.
Auli’i looked back defiantly at Maurício. Kimo and Cyrus stood shoulder to shoulder with her.
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t describe you as thin,” said Auli’i, doing the quotation marks with her fingers.
Maurício stared at Auli’i and slowly put his face right in front of hers. Auli’i looked as determined as ever and held his gaze. Cyrus was getting anxious from the building tension.
Finally, when the two were basically nose to nose, Maurício took a deep breath and then let out an even heartier laugh.
“Now that’s some spunk, little one. I’m Maurício. Who might you be?” he asked, extending his hand.
“Auli’i Fualautoalasi,” she said, hesitantly taking his hand.
“Aloha, Auli’i! What a beautiful name. It sounds like you’re singing me a song.”
Auli’i gave a forced smile. Cyrus could tell her defenses were still up.
“And this is …”
“Kimo Fualautoalasi. I’m Auli’i’s brother.”
“Not nearly as beautiful as her. Clearly she got all the looks but you … clearly got all the brawn.”
Maurício had an uncommonly deep voice. Its very utterance commanded respect. This was a man used to being listened to.
“Now, this doesn’t look like a Hawaiian to me, but what do I know. State your name and where you’re from,” said Maurício, turning to Cyrus.
“C-C-Cyrus Weatherford … from California.”
“Say it like you have a backbone,” boomed Maurício.
“Cyrus Weatherford from California!” shouted Cyrus louder than he probably needed to.
“Thats’s better. California, aye? Never been there either. You lot are an exotic one. What can I do you for?”
“We’re looking for a man by the name of Jorge Worley,” Auli’i said. “We’ve spoken to half the island already, yet no one knows who he is. We were hoping it might be different with you.”
Maurício’s face contorted into a skeptical scowl.
“Now, how would three kids from the other side of the world come to know about Jorge Worley?”
Kimo widened his stance as if he was preparing for an attack.
“We were told to look for him. He is who we were told to talk to about Aeolia and—”
“Let me stop yeh right there. Ace boy, you mind waiting in the car. I need to talk to these kiddos in private, and then I’ll send them right back to you to take them home.”
Michael looked confused at the request but promptly let himself out and returned to his car. Maurício peered over his shoulder to make sure he was in the car and out of ear shot. He then turned to Kimo, Auli’i and Cyrus and beckoned them to follow him. They walked into the living room with a big brown-leather couch cracked from exposure to the salt air and a matching recliner.
“Sit.”
The three of them sat. Kimo did not put his back against the cushions. He was on edge and ready. Maurício noticed.
“I’m not going to pull anything with you, don’t you worry,” said Maurício in an oddly comforting tone. “Now, which one of yeh has wings?”
Their eyes bulged.
“Ahhh … So one of you does. If I were to guess, it would be the small one from California. I’ve only seen one of yeh … and it was when they whisked Jorge away fight’n and screaming. He mentioned this Aeolia place before they took ‘em.”
“So, you knew him? How long ago was he taken?” asked Cyrus.
“Two years ago.”
“What did you do?” asked Auli’i.
“What would you do?”
“Figure out what I knew and what I didn’t. Then try and fill in the gaps.”
“As smart as yeh are beautiful. Deadly combination … Well, that’s exactly what I did. Jorge was a special case on this island. The reason you couldn’t find anyone who knew him was because he specifically asked me not to mention him or keep him in the books when he came to port. He paid handsomely for it.”
“He bribed you?” asked Cyrus with a look of surprise.
“Bribe is a strong word. He lined my pockets, and in return, I was quiet. Always in gold, too. He did that for years while I was port master, and I never questioned nor cared what he did. The reason being … he never did nothing. He would have me buy his groceries, he would never leave his ship and only in the last six months did he start coming over to my place fer a drink.”
“Was he a Lumen?” asked Kimo.
“Lumen … Is that what you’re called? I would have thought angels.”
Kimo stood up, turned around and lifted his shirt. After revealing his back, he turned back around.
“I’m a human. We’re not the ‘angels,’ but we are looking for them. It is very important we find them. They have Cyrus’ mother.”
Both Cyrus and Auli’i turned to Kimo with a look of surprise. It was an interesting angle to lead with. Maurício snapped his eyes towards Cyrus with sympathy. Maybe he wasn’t just a grizzly old sailor.
“Then your situation isn’t so different from Jorge’s,” he said with a sad undertone. “A couple hours before Jorge was taken, he approached me with a proposition. Now, Jorge was always calm and collected. But the night he came to my house, he was frantic. He went on about his daughter. Said ‘they’ had her in the triangle. He then went on about the ‘Lumens’ and how it was his job to keep Bermuda secure and how this was some outpost … I thought the man had a case of boat fever, to be honest.
“But … he then said he needed my help saving her. That she, along with hundreds of others, were stuck, ‘enslaved in the middle of the triangle,’ as he put it. As port master, I’ve seen my fair share of disappearances. People leave and don’t make it to their destination. But hundreds enslaved? The man was either crazy or knew a lot more than he let on, since the center of the triangle is notorious for disappearances, which is why us sailors avoid it … It lives up to its nickname …”
“Which is?” asked Kimo.
“The devil’s triangle.”
Cyrus audibly gulped.
“Haven’t you heard the stories? Just in the last century, yer home, the states, has lost more ships and planes than anyone else. I’ve come near the center once. My instruments went haywire, GPS completely useless and the fog was as thick as pea soup.”
“Well … ” began Auli’i. “We need to get there. Will you take us?”
Direct and to the point. Maurício raised an eyebrow.
“After everything I just told you, the first thing you want to do is try and get there?” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t think so. Not worth the risk.”
“What about helping out your friend Jorge?” asked Cyrus. “Don’t you want to find him and see these Lumens?”
“Jorge was a stand up guy but to risk my neck and come out of retirement is a tall order.”
“We could show you around the islands when you come visit,” said Kimo. “Kaiwi channel can be dangerous and I know it better than anyone. All we need is your help.”
Maurício rolled his eyes. “That’s if I decide to make the trip out there. I may have expressed interest but not that much.”
Cyrus looked over at Auli’i who sat cool and composed. She casually crossed her legs and leaned forward.
“If you don’t have the courage to help us, could you please indicate someone who does?”
Maurício slowly sat up straight. A soft smile touched his lips.
“Listen closely, young lady. Yes, I do know others who would be willing to brave the seas, if I asked them. I will not, however, ask them based off of your feeble attempt at reverse psychology.”
“What will you do it for, then?”
“I’m not sure I want to. I have a comfortable life and worked hard for it. All that is left for me is a life of leisure and satisfying my curiosity about the world around me.”
Cyrus stood up. Wincing in pain, he removed his shirt and let his wings unfold. With all his might, he opened his wings to their maximum width. Maurício’s eyes bulged and he involuntarily retreated into his seat. Cyrus let his wings fall to his side and began to fall from all the exertion. Kimo caught him in a flash. Cyrus sat down again and looked straight at Maurício.
“I have had these my whole life but only found out about them less than a month ago. I have been confined to a wheelchair thinking I had a terminal illness only to find out it was full-body sedation. My mother, whom I also didn’t know existed until a week ago, is now somewhere in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle along with more people that supposedly look like me.” Cyrus had fire in his eyes.
“You say you want your curiosity of the world to be satisfied? Well, I NEED to find my mother! I don’t know who or what I am … I can barely walk. Yet, I still stumble forward because I know EXACTLY what I want. You have been the only person who has been remotely useful, and now you say you’re ‘not sure if you want to.’ Curiosity or leisure, Maurício? Choose one. Will you help us?! If not you, point us to someone who can!”
The waves crashed onto the sand outside. Seagulls called in the distance. The faint wisp of the wind seeped through the cracks of the house. Maurício looked at Cyrus in terror. His eyes rolled back and forth, right wing to left. Gradually, he composed himself and looked up with weathered focus.
“Tomorrow. 0500. We leave. Don’t. Be. Late.”
