Chapter Text
I coo softly as i hear the soft flat tone hum of my mama as she works. I slowly sink down into my special blanket mama made just for me and just listen to her. Shes cleaning up my toys right now and humming my favorite song. Shes says its a lullaby from when she was a girl growing up in Hawaii. She told me once its an island very far off the coast from where we are. I quietly listen to her sing.
H̶a̴ʻ̷a̵h̷e̸o̵ ̸k̸a̴ ̶u̵a̸ ̶i̴ ̶n̷ā̶ ̷p̸a̴l̸i̸
̷K̸e̸ ̵n̴i̶h̶i̵ ̷a̷ʻ̶e̵l̴a̶ ̸i̴ ̷k̸a̴ ̶n̶a̷h̵e̵l̵e̵
̶E̸ ̶h̶a̶h̴a̸i̷ ̷(̵u̸h̷a̸i̸)̴ ̵a̶n̵a̸ ̷p̶a̸h̷a̴ ̴i̶ ̷k̷a̸ ̶l̵i̴k̵o̸
̷P̸u̴a̶ ̸ʻ̶ā̷h̴i̷h̵i̶ ̶l̵e̴h̷u̵a̵ ̴o̸ ̵u̵k̵a̶
̶
̵H̵u̷i̴:̶ ̵
̷A̴l̵o̵h̵a̷ ̶ʻ̷o̶e̵,̵ ̸a̸l̵o̸h̸a̶ ̶ʻ̸o̶e̷
̶E̸ ̴k̶e̴ ̶o̸n̷a̸o̵n̵a̶ ̸n̸o̴h̷o̶ ̴i̴ ̵k̸a̸ ̷l̸i̸p̸o̷
̸O̵n̶e̴ ̷f̴o̵n̴d̵ ̸e̴m̶b̷r̸a̸c̵e̷,̵
̶A̶ ̵h̴o̴ʻ̸i̶ ̵a̵ʻ̴e̶ ̶a̶u̵
̷U̷n̶t̸i̸l̷ ̶w̷e̴ ̶m̸e̶e̷t̷ ̷a̷g̵a̴i̴n̸
̶
̷ʻ̵O̶ ̸k̶a̸ ̶h̵a̶l̷i̷ʻ̵a̷ ̴a̷l̷o̶h̴a̴ ̶i̴ ̷h̸i̵k̶i̵ ̴m̴a̶i̴
̶K̸e̵ ̸h̵o̷n̴e̶ ̷a̵ʻ̷e̵ ̸n̶e̷i̶ ̷i̴ ̴k̷u̴ʻ̶u̷ ̴m̸a̶n̸a̸w̸a̶
̵ʻ̵O̸ ̵ʻ̷o̷e̶ ̵n̵ō̷ ̴k̷a̸ʻ̵u̴ ̸i̸p̷o̶ ̶a̴l̵o̶h̷a̵
̸A̵ ̷l̶o̵k̴o̵ ̶e̶ ̸h̶a̴n̸a̷ ̸n̵e̵i̵
̴
̷M̸a̶o̷p̶o̵p̷o̶ ̷k̵u̵ʻ̸u̶ ̷ʻ̵i̵k̷e̴ ̵i̸ ̵k̷a̷ ̸n̸a̷n̵i̶
̵N̴ā̵ ̶p̷u̸a̷ ̸r̸o̵s̷e̸ ̵o̶ ̸M̷a̴u̶n̴a̶w̷i̵l̵i̷
̵I̴ ̴l̶a̴i̵l̸a̷ ̶h̴i̷a̸ʻ̸a̶i̵ ̶n̷ā̴ ̶m̵a̵n̴u̴
̵M̵i̶k̶i̷ʻ̵a̴l̵a̸ ̵i̸ ̸k̵a̸ ̶n̸a̸n̴i̴ ̸o̷ ̷k̶a̵ ̸l̴i̷p̶o̷
She sings and it sounds like home. I notice her foot stops and she turns around and smiles at me with her teeth. ̸“̷G̷o̸o̴d̴ ̸m̴o̵r̵n̸i̴n̴g̶ ̴g̸r̸a̶c̴e̷ ̷m̷y̵ ̴d̵e̶a̶r̶”̵ ̵she sings to me “i̸ ̷k̵n̸o̴w̵ ̸y̵o̴u̴r̶ ̵a̷w̶a̶k̵e̵ ̸a̵n̵d̶ ̶i̵ ̵k̶n̸o̶w̴ ̵y̸o̴u̶r̴ ̸l̷i̶s̸t̸e̶n̴i̵n̶g̸ ̷s̷o̴ ̸h̶o̷w̴ ̷a̶b̸o̴u̴t̸ ̶w̴e̴ ̸w̸a̷k̵e̴ ̷u̷p̴ ̶a̴n̶d̵ ̴y̴o̸u̸ ̶c̸a̷n̵ ̵c̷h̷o̸o̶s̸e̷ ̵o̵u̸r̴ ̷f̴i̴r̵s̷t̶ ̶l̵e̴s̴s̸o̶n̷ ̸f̸o̸r̷ ̴t̵h̴e̸ ̷d̵a̶y̷?̴”̶ ̴she says with that comfort i know to be just her.
I chirp and crawl out of my blankets and to the wall of tablets to choose our subject for the day. Do I want mathematics or evolution today? Before I pick one I hear her say ̷“̷B̵e̵f̶o̸r̷e̷ ̶y̷o̷u̵ ̴g̷o̷ ̵p̵i̷c̶k̸i̸n̶g̸ ̸y̵o̵u̴r̶ ̸s̸c̶i̵e̶n̴c̶e̷ ̴o̸n̴e̸s̴ ̵k̷n̶o̷w̵ ̴t̵h̶a̴t̷ ̸t̴o̸d̸a̸y̴ ̷w̷e̶ ̷a̶l̸s̸o̸ ̶h̶a̴v̵e̸ ̷a̷ ̷l̵a̴n̴g̸u̴a̶g̶e̴ ̷l̶e̸s̷s̷o̴n̶ ̷s̷o̸ ̵c̵h̷o̷o̵s̸e̵ ̴w̸i̸s̶e̷l̵y̶ ̷w̸h̷a̸t̸ ̴y̵o̵u̵ ̷w̵a̴n̷t̵ ̴t̸o̶ ̶g̸e̷t̵ ̶o̴v̸e̶r̸ ̸w̴i̴t̴h̶.̶” she said calmly. I chirp at her loudly and with displeasure. I don't want a language lesson today!!. She just calmly gets up and walks over and picks the language title for me ̴“̷i̷ ̵g̴u̶e̷s̷s̷ ̸i̵ ̴c̵h̸o̷o̴s̵e̷ ̸f̸o̵r̵ ̴y̶o̵u̴ ̴t̶h̵e̶n̵.̷”̴ she says in that no nonsense flat tone.
I groan but understand there is no arguing with her so i take my seat among the fireproof cushions as she begins to read aloud basic phrases. I coo as another day begins.