Kai Suzuki

The house was alive with fluttering anxiety. Kai’s parents hated being late, he could hear his mother’s screeching voice from down the spiral stairs telling him to get ready. The jackets being zipped up hastily, the shoes being laced furiously.

He felt groggy at first, making slowly, eyes still unopened. Then, all of a sudden, it was like his mind clued in. Church.

Immediately he jumped off of his bed, almost falling as he did and rummaged through his drawers whispering to himself, “Ugh, where’s my shirt.” Cracking open the door Kai yelled, “Mama, where’s my church shirt!?” Suddenly, the warm fabric of his shirt fell on his head.

“It shrunk in the wash.” His mother’s rising voice responded. Kai took the shirt anyway.

Stuffed into the backseat of his parents' van beside Sara, Kai watched the ocean whirl around him. No matter what, wherever he was on Gamal, he could always see the twirling ocean. The car wasn’t silent, much to Kai’s pounding head’s dismay. He remarked that it wasn’t a headache. More like the pressurized moments before a sneeze. His family sang along to his father’s favourite Japanese Gospel music like they did every Sunday.

They pulled into the full Church parking lot, passing and greeting the Reverend as they entered the white Church. The wooden pew squeaked beneath him as he sat, his family always took up an entire pew. From his seat, Kai noticed the shifting gazes of the others. The Laker sisters, Mr. Hughes, Mrs. Bell.

Squeezing off his jacket and passing it to his mother, his family made a small pile of coats beside his mother who sat nearest to the aisle. Others pulled in and sat, apparently everyone was running late today.

Kai’s father, Asahi leaned over to his wife, his cross swinging against his dress shirt and whispered gently, “Aaradhya is here. Good to see that they’re healing. We should send over some soup.”

Sakura, Kai’s mother nodded, “A white fish soup will help them feel better.”

His father responded, “Good idea.”

Beside Kai, his sister Sara hadn’t stopped tapping her foot against the kneeling beneath all throughout the sermon. Again, for what seemed to be the a thousandth time, Kai rolled his eyes. He tried to focus on Reverend Udayar’s words. But they flowed through his mind like rushing waves. Gone in seconds.

He thought it might be because he woke up late. Or maybe it was his shirt.

For the past few weeks the town had been abuzz with rumours. Aaradhya had always been quiet, never one to be the topic of rumours and the talk of the town. For once, Aaradhya had overtaken Robbie Simmons as the one everyone was talking about.

Reverend Udayar had said it was a bad case of sleepwalking and gave a big thanks to the fisherman who saved them, including Kai’s sister, Sara. Kai wasn’t sure anyone believed the story of sleepwalking, mostly because he didn’t believe it. The Reverend closed the church for a few weeks to help Aaradhya heal and recuperate.

Sara usually helped on the boat for some extra cash; his parents had freaked out when Sara had told them what had happened. Clutching their silver crosses with fervour as Sara recounted the events at the breakfast table the following morning.

Reverend Udayar preached with such surety. His voice never wavering as he continued his sermon.

Kai messed with the sleeves of his shirt, it was uncomfortable to wear it.

The sudden smack of the leather Bible echoed throughout the Church. All eyes turned towards the disturbance. Kai’s eyes centered on the fleeing form of Aaradhya as their head dipped beneath his view. A few seconds passed before their head popped back up and with wide eyes. They broke a small “sorry”. Everyone rustled as they turned back towards the Reverence.

The sermon ended and a mess of “May God be with you” and “Also with you” were sounded monotonously before people moved to the back to talk and eat food.

Kai noticed Aaradhya crack awkward smiles as they handed out food. Aaradhya Udayar was the Reverends' kid; they were quiet and no one really ever saw them outside of church and school. Kai really didn’t know much about Aaradhya Udayar.

In the back area of the church Kai pulled at his sleeves, Sara and Michelle stood around him. They were eating the brownies that Linda Simmons had brought. Turning towards Michelle he whispered, “I’m going out for some air.” Michelle nodded and took another bite of her brownie.

The door creaked to a close as Kai sat on the cold stone steps of the Church. He dragged his fingertips over the rough steps mindlessly. The breeze was light, which was what he was focused on. Kai liked the feeling of the wind, he liked the sounds of the rustling trees nearby.

The door slammed, making him jump from his spot.

Turning his head, Kai's gaze landed on Aaradhya’s huffing form. Aaradhya is the Reverend’s kid. They never left church, especially not while everyone mingled. Intrigued he asked, “What are you doing out here?”

They looked up, startled for a moment before responding, “It got stuffy.” Kai nodded.

Aaradhya moved closer, the white bandage on their hand was gone. Just three fingers left on their left hand. Kai had noticed the sympathetic glances aimed at Aaradhya all throughout their father’s sermon. He didn’t think they’d want to talk about the accident but the quiet was ennerving or perhaps he just wanted to keep talking, “Did you hear about Mr. Hughes?

“Huh? Oh-no I didn’t.” Aaradhya stopped in front of him, staring down at Kai as he sat on the steps.

“Broke his legs ‘cause he slipped down at the docks. He was running after a fish that slipped out of his hands.” Kai twisted a small rock between his fingers. The Jones’, the town doctor and nurse, had to have been busy that night. 

Immediately Aaradhya broke into a blinding smile that evolved into a sputtering laugh that made Kai chuckle alongside them. They covered their laughing with a hand and stopped despite the continued sputters of laughing, “Oh no, I shouldn’t laugh at that.”

The sun curled over his eyes and made him squint. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

The sun peeked down from the clouds in misty golden rays. It draped across Aaradhya’s dark skin like aurulean fabric. Their mahogany eyes momentarily gone and replaced with gold like that which flows from rivers.

Aaradhya sat beside him, the cold stone now shared between the two. Kai smiled and outstretched his hand to match Aaradhya’s, “Deal.”

Aaradhya began to say “thanks” but their world crashed as their fingers touched.

The edges of their skin pressed together and Kai’s heart stopped. Before him, Aaradhya’s eyes had gone white. Like the white sclera overshadowed every colour of their eyes and only left behind a bright white. They sparkled and flickered under the gaze of the sun. They looked like Kai could see the heavens above in the expressive eyes of one Aaradhya Udayar.

Their hands broke, neither said a word. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light. Kai cleared his throat awkwardly as he tried to keep it together. He’d never seen anything like that, “I’m going to get some food.”

Aaradhya nodded but didn’t look up at him, mirroring Kai’s own absence of eye contact.

He rejoined his sisters on the floor, they were playing Gold Fish, “What were you talking to Aaradhya about?” Kai rolled his eyes, his sisters were always annoying, with their incessant questions and poking eyes.