stupid-head. [ autoplay ]

                 sometimes you TRY YOUR BEST,                  but THINGS DON’T WORK OUT                  the way you want them to.                   sometimes… things HAVE TO CHANGE.                  and maybe…                  sometimes IT’S FOR THE BEST.

                        “THE TRICK to a good homemade marinade is whiskey. Soy sauce, onions, and Jack Daniel’s barbecue sauce. And then, Southern Comfort. You let the ribs and chicken sit in the mix for at least two hours. Half a day, if you’ve got the time.” 

                        He isn’t certain how he finds himself in front of a grill, sand in his toes, drying under the sun after a long swim off the coast of Hanalei Bay. A group of locals invite him to their cookout, hospitable, and he can’t bring himself to refuse without seeming unkind. So, he doesn’t. A little girl listens avidly to his tangent, as a woman who may be her mother ( sister, aunt, godmother) holds her hand. He grabs a length of rib with metal tongs, and offers her a plate. Smiles, to be disarming.

                                          “Ribs?”  

                                        she’s trying her best to look interested. in truth, she was TIRED. ( when was that not a constant in her life? )  she wanted nothing more than to go home && sleep, but lilo had insisted they come to this THING. ( nani hadn’t been to a cookout since her parents died. she was a bit biased to the quality of the food in comparison to her father’s cooking. )  she could feel eyes on her, as usual. people KNEW her here. everyone knew everyone around here, especially the pelekai sisters. immature, uncontrolled, && destructive. they didn’t trust nani to take care of her sister,   && they were judging her now, even as she was doing nothing wrong. ( in truth they probably weren’t judging her. she just imagined they were. )