Arrival with a Carryon

Waiting in the arrival gate was weird- different than anything. Most people in this bubble of Oahu stay here for life- let alone leave for longer than a few weeks. Plenty of people in class went “over the pond” to the states, blogged the whole thing. It’s a big deal because who the hell is gonna pay thousands of dollars for a week trip unless you’re loaded?

Mom and dad were with me, I stayed back at some open seats at the far end of the baggage claim. Dad was standing all tall and impatient- first the flight was delayed and then the other people were losing their minds over the wait, mother sat by him and tried to get his mind off of whatever he was thinking. I for one was in my own head, trying to recall the last memories I had of Kaleo was when he scooped me up on his way to the plane. A full ride scholarship to the academies, rumors swarmed off where all that money came from, but it was a honor none the less for him- and expected too. He was after all, at least from dad’s experience “the real deal.” But he’s still goofy, easily scared, snarky Leo to me; whatever the rest of the world wants to assume they can, but I’ve never been swayed to agree that he’s “all that.”

I don’t know if I noticed him at first, he came quickly, or, simply unannounced. It hit me all at once, my eyes blinked rapidly when he came closer, as if this was some dream, or nightmare I was in. It didn’t feel that long ago when he mentioned he got accepted and was going to leave, but even then I was naive to really understand, I was eleven after all. 

He told me that he’d be different, and we laughed about the potentiality of his hair being shaved off, that according to mom devastated me. I wouldn’t know, but I apparently loved messing with his hair, especially getting it all out of sorts right before one of his games or matches. It was a good luck charm of sorts, he did win states after I ruffled it extra good. I was his biggest fan. 

I asked if he was going like he went. Now I’m glad it was just me and Kaleo talking that day, I learned only then that I shouldn’t mention the name so willy nilly like I did. He closed his eyes and gave a sign, coming to my level promising he wouldn’t go forever like Ailani did. That name at this point was just a name, no meaning to it. I didn’t meet Ailani until I was in my twenties. The bias and the hate I was suppose to give was from something I didn’t even know about, and even though the few times I’ve seen Kaleo angrily reminisce, inside he even seemed to miss him, or I thought so from our conversation.

But that was past and future, not the present. In the present, my brother had come off the escalator.