North Star

48 | kahananui

2020

"Do you want to do another take? I thought that one sounded great."

Leimomi looked so small sitting on the chair in Nikau's office, swinging her feet that just barely grazed the floor. She wasn't that much shorter than us, but it reminded me of those oversized chairs they put in interactive museums where it made everyone look like ants. She tugged the headphones away from her ears, sliding them down to rest around her neck. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail, showing off her soft features that glowed under the faint late afternoon light.

"Can you play it back?" she asked. "I think I liked that one best but just to be sure."

Nikau nodded before clicking away, and soon the tiny room was flooded with the sweet sound of my sister's voice singing the cover she was recording to post to her new Youtube channel that Nikau had helped her set up a couple of weeks ago. He wasn't going to be here for much longer, having already booked his flight to New York to meet with someone regarding his album, so she was making use of his recording equipment while she still could. While I was a glorified groupie basking in the glow of the talented singers in front of me, I had practically lived in his apartment for the last couple of weeks so there was no way I was going to miss any of this. The only break I had from listening was when I disappeared into the kitchen to cook us all some lunch while Nikau showed her around the programs he used, and even then, the faint sound of pure magic happening in the next room still found a way to entrance me like no other.

My focus was entirely on my sister as she listened intently to the playback of her cover. With her eyes narrowed and her foot tapping incessantly along with the beat, she was completely in the zone, and nothing was going to take her out of it. Best of all? Nobody wanted to. The progress she had made in the last year alone helped to improve her already gifted natural talent for singing, and with Nikau's expertise, her talents were propelled to new heights. The only other person I knew who could record as impressive of a cover that nearly blew the original out of the water was the other person in the room.

Once the playback ended, she sat back stoically, processing her thoughts and opinions. And then, like a firecracker, she hopped to her feet and began dancing around the room excitedly. Most people with high energy and nowhere to release it scared me into another dimension. At that moment, I had never been happier.

"That was so good! Oh my god! Who knew I had it in me!"

I laughed under my breath and shook my head. "We all knew," I muttered quietly enough that she couldn't hear me over the sound of her celebrations. Although I had my way of operating as a person, it was surprisingly pleasant and inspiring to see someone so open about celebrating themselves and their abilities.

After confirming a few details with Nikau, Leimomi and I exited the studio room to chill on the sofa while he put the finishing touches on the song. She was going to have to work on these all by herself once he left, but she was a quick learner, so I knew it wouldn't take her long to figure it all out. The only thing she would have to get used to was not getting free rein over his equipment.

For a multitude of reasons, I was happy to see Leimomi working on something that kept her busy and productive while still being creative. She had gotten a job at the same restaurant Kanani worked at, so she was able to support herself somewhat, but that alone wasn't enough to sustain her day-to-day. She required something inspiring, something that wouldn't let her feel trapped under the weight of living so she wouldn't regret her decision to take a year off, especially if that year off led to her wanting to do something else. I wasn't going to talk her in any specific direction, but I did want her to think clearly when she arrived at those crossroads. Being away from Micah for a long time was going to require work on their part to keep everything going, but they could do it if they wanted to. And if wanting it wasn't enough, because I knew realistically that it wasn't in everyone's case, then I hoped she could still feel content about making the right decision for herself at the time.