43
1995
The day was here. The day that had been pre-arranged, pre-planned, and nervously worried over, was here. The bachelor and bachelorette parties were had the night before.
When the night had seen its end, Kristi called Kainoa, who sat in the rented hotel room, watching his childhood friends who were trying to see how far they could get with the stripper before her bodyguard would have to step in and hurt them. He was only one person at six feet five inches tall and four hundred pounds of muscle and pent-up anger from an abusive childhood. "I love you," Kristi cooed. "I can't wait to be Mrs. Komohana.""I love you too," Kainoa exhaled. "I'll see you out there."
The following morning at the appointed hour, a church full of people, excited to see the nuptials take place between a couple that could not have been more perfect for one another, waited nearly another hour for the ceremony to begin. Then, finally, the bride's father appeared, and everyone stood up, but he quickly had them sit as he approached the priest who was supposed to oversee the wedding. "A little bit of a delay, everyone," the priest's voice was very sonorous and calming. "It seems that the groom is caught up in traffic; he'll be here as soon as possible."
Outside Kristi paced back and forth in the small parking lot reserved only for the priest and his staff. "Kainoa, where are you? The ceremony was supposed to start an hour ago?"
"I know," Kainoa blustered. "I know."
"You know, so then why aren't you fucking here, Kainoa?" Kristi demanded. In the background, she heard a voice on what sounded like a loudspeaker announcing flight information. "Flight fifteen for Sacramento, flight fifteen for Sacramento departing in ten minutes. Flight fifteen for Sacramento, departing in ten minutes."
"Kainoa, are you at the fucking airport, Kainoa!? What the fuck are you doing at the airport?!" Kristi screamed into her phone. "We're supposed to get married an hour ago!!! What the fuck are you doing!!!"
"Sorry," Kainoa offered. "Wish it could have been different."
~
2021
Still, Kristi Amaral, who never married, had relationships that never lasted, now owned and worked the front desk at a minimalist hotel perfect for COVID. The property hosted six rooms on a single floor. At each end of the hallway were two separate staircases meant to honor the social distance restrictions. After the lockdown, the establishment was busy all the time. Amber Howard walked in and filled out the information for a room on an iPad which she then forwarded as an attachment to the hotel e-mail. Once Kristi received the information and checked everything in, Amber was given her room key card and room number. "It's an interesting name for a minimalist hotel," Amber remarked. "The Bare Hotel, I wouldn't have expected something like this to work in Hawai'i of all places, but it does!"
"Thank you," Kristi smiled. "I see that your reservation was for two people?"
"You don't have to adjust the price," Amber assured Kristi. "After the ride, I was taken on? I don't care anymore."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you have a good stay with us," Kristi was wise to not get involved in the personal affairs of the guest.
"On the day of our wedding, the fucker doesn't show. Instead, leaves me at the altar looking like a complete fucking fool," Amber sighed. "I'm over it. I just want to take a long relaxing shower and head off to sleep."
"That guy's name wasn't Kainoa, was it?" Kristi had only meant it as a joke, not really expecting the answer she was about to receive.
Amber's expression changed, and she regarded Kristi with a look of seriousness. "Yes, it was. Kainoa Komohana."
~
Kainoa was not a bad person. His parents completely spoiled him. So, if he didn't want to eat something or do something or go somewhere, he didn't have to. That's what his parents always told him. That mindset also permeated his relationships with people, especially girlfriends. He didn't hate Kristi. On the day of his wedding, he just decided that he didn't want to get married and that he suddenly wanted to go to Sacramento, just like that. On a whim. It was the same thing with Amber. After dating for six years and deciding to convert to Judaism to marry Amber, he changed his mind at the last minute and decided to do something else. That something else was a gaming convention that was happening on the same day in Anaheim. So, he went there instead of getting married. Kainoa never considered the effects of his arbitrary decisions to do or not do as he pleased on a whim. There was never a thought for the feelings of others, especially the women with whom he was involved and their families like Amber Howard, for instance. Her family had been very well connected to the local mob for years, which is why her family had such influence politically and otherwise. On the day of Ambers wedding, when she called Kainoa and realized that he wouldn't show up, her father overheard the entire conversation. Morty Howard loved Kainoa like his own son and felt that perhaps he was somehow too overbearing with him. He got on the phone and apologized if that was the cause as to why he wouldn't show up on the day of his own wedding. "That's not it at all," Kaino assured Morty. "There's a gaming convention in Anaheim. I can't miss it, I'm sorry." The phone went dead.
~
Luckily for Morty, the gaming convention was packed to the rafters with gamers from around the country. It took nearly the whole day until Morty finally found Kainoa; his anger was past the boiling point by that time. He couldn't believe that a gaming convention was more important than his own wedding. There were no words. He grabbed Kainoa by the scruff of his collar and dragged him out of a side exit that led into an abandoned hallway. He found another side exit that brought them out into a parking lot. "Morty, what the fuck are you doing??!! I was winning, for fuck sake!!!"
"Are you fucking serious right now??" Morty punched Kainoa in the face, to which Kainoa took the blow and returned a punch in kind, right on the tip of Morty's nose. Kainoa turned to go back in, but Morty removed the gun from his coat pocket and fired a shot that whizzed right past Kainoa's ear.
"What the fuck are you doing here with a gun of all things???" Kainoa screamed.
"You left Amber at the altar, you stupid mother fucker! After everything, you were like our own son Kainoa!!! Why even convert to Judaism just for Amber if you're going to end up leaving her at the altar??" Morty demanded. "I have to kill you. It's just a moral imperative. It's the only way this family can regain its honor, especially for Amber."
Kainoa quickly took his phone out of his pocket and whipped it at Morty, catching him right between the eyes. It was the second he needed to make a run for it. But, instead, he disappeared through the two exits and lost himself in the gaming crowd until he could get to his car and leave. Once there, he quickly got in and pressed the start button. The car exploded into a million pieces a second later, including Kainoa's parts of himself strewn about everywhere.
~
"Who would have thought?" Kristi mused. "The same Kainoa, what are the chances?"
"I hope that fucker chokes and dies," Amber took a swig of Kirin beer while Kristi ordered another round of meat Jun. The waitress had already set down the rice and the kalbi. "What's the name of this place again?" Amber asked. "This food is great!"
"Yo Momma's," Kristi replied while sipping on the hot seaweed soup. "For real, that's what it's called."
"I like it," Amber said while raising her bottle of Kirin. Kristi raised her bottle of Kirin as well.
"May he die a painful death!" Kristi shouted.
"Yeah!" Amber agreed.
Photo Credit: Medium
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