Kai is up early his first morning in Sulani. After he’s showered and dressed for the day, he goes to the kitchen to speak to his pop-pop, who is busy preparing breakfast.
Kai: Good morning, pop-pop!
Quincy: Good morning, Kai. You’re up early. I figured you’d sleep in today.
Kai: I’m too excited to see Sulani. Is it okay if I explore a bit today?
Quincy: On your own? My daughter will kill us if you get lost or hurt. If you wait a bit, I’d be happy to go with you and show you around. I practically grew up here.
Kai knows that having his pop-pop tag along would ruin his plans for today.
Kai: I’ll be okay. I promise! I won’t go far, and I’ll use my phone’s GPS to find my way around.
Quincy: *reluctant* Okay. I guess you’re old enough to handle yourself. But be back in the afternoon. Your gran and I plan on taking you out to dinner at the best restaurant on the island.
Kai: Okay. I’ll be back. I promise!
Quincy finishes the omelets and calls everyone into the dining room to eat. Kai sits between his grandparents.
Kai: Good morning, gran.
Alida: Good morning, Kai. Did you sleep well?
Kai: Yes, ma’am. It’s so quiet here. All I could hear was the water. I listened to it for a while, and the next thing I know…it’s morning.
Quincy: Are you okay with Kai exploring the island alone today, ma?
Alida: I’m more than okay. I don’t know if I’d have the energy to try and keep up anyway.
Alida not having much energy is new to Quincy. He tries not to let it show, but he’s worried about her.
Alida and Quincy have been married long enough that nothing he feels eludes her for long. She can see the worry in his eyes, but there’s nothing she can do to shield him from the truth. Her time is coming soon. She gets up from the table to gather all the dirty dishes to be washed.
Quincy: So, there are a few places nearby that I’d recommend you check out. Across the road is Wai Garden Book Cafe. It’s a nice place to relax and read some good books. There’s also free internet. A lot of teens hang out there. There’s also a beach nearby. And further up the road is the Sand Bar. It’s a cool place to hang out, too. You can watch movies, play games and there’s usually some entertainment there. If you cross the bridge, there’s a gym…
Kai listens politely, but he knows his plans for today will take him to none of those places. After pop-pop finishes his list of recommended sites that are nearby. Kai excuses himself and heads for the door.
By the time he makes it outside, Kai begins to feel bad that carrying out his plans means deceiving his pop-pop. He said he wouldn’t go far, but he’ll have to take a ferry to another island if he hopes to find his father. Part of him says to cancel his plans and go to the places pop-pop recommended. But a bigger part of him says that he’s too close to finding his father to give up now. He pulls out his cell phone to check the ferry schedule.
Fifteen minutes later, Kai finds himself at the conservation camp where his mother and father met so many years ago. He looks around, searching for the man in the picture above his bed at home. He doesn’t see him, but he does spot a group of young people who appear to be not much older than him. He approaches them.
Kai steps up to one of the guys.
Kai: Excuse me. I was hoping you can help me find someone.
Guy in Blue: Sure. Who are you looking for?
Kai: I’m trying to find Craig Conway. I was told that he leads this conservation group.
Guy in Blue: I don’t know who told you that. That guy hasn’t been here in years. Keith Savage leads this group.
Kai: Do you think Keith would know where I can find him?
Guy in Blue: *shrugs* Maybe. But you’d have to find him. He’s out working and could be anywhere right now.
Kai: What does he look like?
Guy in Blue: He has light brown skin and blonde locs. He shouldn’t be too hard to spot.
Kai: Okay. Thanks!
Kai steps away feeling incredibly disappointed. He thought that finding his father would be as simple as coming to the camp. He’s forced to rework his vision of seeing his dad waiting for him with open arms. Now he’ll have to find this Keith guy first. He returns to the beach, hoping to begin his search, but soon gets distracted by the sounds of a nearby waterfall.
Kai strips down to his swim trunks, unable to resist the urge to play in the water. He jumps and splashes like a child. He stops, feeling incredibly embarrassed when his play is interrupted by the approach of a woman. She glances at him when she passes then does a double-take before taking a few more steps towards the falls.
Suddenly she turns to face him.
Woman: Why do you look so familiar?
Kai recalls what his mother always told him about talking to strangers, and for a moment, he wonders if that still applies now that he’s much older.
Kai: *shrugs* I’ve never been here before.
She reacts to his voice.
Woman: Oh my Watcher…are you related to Craig? You look and sound just like him.
Kai is in the process of walking away, but hearing his father’s name stops him in his tracks.
Kai: Craig is my father. Do you know him?
Tiffani: *to herself* I knew it, that bastard lied to me! *to Kai* I’m sorry. My name is Tiffani. Your father and I used to date. Is your mother’s name Prosper…or something like that?
Kai: Prosperity.
Tiffani: That’s it. *mumbles to herself once again* He said he wasn’t involved with her. How could I have been so stupid?
Kai interrupts her self dialogue.
Kai: *suddenly hopeful* I’m looking for him. Do you know where I can find him?
Tiffani: Craig and I sort of lost touch when he left Sulani. Last I heard, he was living in Evergreen Harbor, helping with the clean-up efforts there.
Kai couldn’t be more disappointed.
Kai: Evergreen Harbor? Do you know how I can contact him?
Tiffani: Not really. He’s never owned a cell phone. If I know him well enough, I’m sure he’s out there living entirely off the grid.
Kai: Oh
Tiffani: There might be some information in the Research Center. That’s where he spent a lot of time while he was here. It’s not too far from here.
Kai: Thank you!
Kai is pleased to have another possible lead.
(Generation 2 Chapter Summaries)
Thanks for reading! Please hit the “like” button below to let me know you were here! Keep scrolling if you’d like to leave a comment. 🥰
