Hawaii! Read online

  Everybody stared at Alfie with wide eyes. He grinned from ear to ear as he told the story. Kai laughed extra hard and tugged on the number pinned to Alfie’s surf shirt. “If it wasn’t for this, I’m not sure I’d even believe you. That’s a crazy story!”

  “I know!” Alfie beamed. “It still doesn’t seem real.”

  “Way to go, Alfie!” Emilia cried. And Alfie knew she meant it.

  “Well, what are we waiting for?” Alfie asked. “We’ve got a luau to prepare for the mayor!”

  Uncle Gene sprang into action. First, he called a meeting of the kitchen staff to let them know that Pika was no longer working at the Grand Lahaina. Then he assigned duties to all of his employees. He and Jacob had already started roasting the pigs in the imu earlier that morning, so now it was time to focus on making the other dishes on the menu and preparing the outside space for the festivities.

  Uncle Gene made to-do lists for everybody with specific luau tasks. Alfie and Emilia were in charge of cutting up most of the fruit and vegetables while Lana and Jacob were responsible for helping set up the luau dining area. Kai had a few more surf lessons to give, but he promised to come back and pitch in as soon as he was done.

  Uncle Gene gave Alfie and Emilia clean aprons to wear and showed them where to wash their hands. They set to work peeling a giant bag of Hawaiian sweet potatoes. They worked in silence for a little while. Then Alfie looked at Emilia across his pile of deep purple sweet potato peels. “I’m sorry I’ve been fighting with you so much lately. I know I keep starting arguments and making you annoyed.”

  “I’m sorry, too,” Emilia said. “I don’t know why I’ve been so grouchy lately.”

  “I guess I didn’t even realize how bad it was until I heard Uncle Gene talking about his fights with Pika,” Alfie continued.

  “I know! I felt the same way. It just made me feel bad thinking about all the dumb fights we’ve been having—at home and even here.”

  “Yeah.” Alfie looked down at the table. “Well, I promise to be better. Besides, it’s so much more fun when we’re getting along.”

  Emilia smiled. “I agree,” she said. Then she tossed a potato peel at Alfie. It hung perfectly balanced on the tip of his nose. They both burst out laughing.

  Just then, Alfie noticed a man in a suit talking to Uncle Gene in the corner of the kitchen. The man tapped on a tablet as he spoke. Uncle Gene nodded and tried to smile. Soon the man hustled out of the kitchen, now talking on his phone. Uncle Gene’s face looked ashen, and he just stared at the countertop.

  Alfie wiped his hands on a towel and motioned for Emilia to follow him. “Is everything okay, Uncle Gene?” Alfie asked.

  The chef tried to look more composed. “That was the mayor’s aide. He wanted to make sure we’re serving banana bread at the luau. It’s the mayor’s favorite.”

  Alfie nodded, still unsure what the problem was.

  “I wasn’t going to make banana bread,” Uncle Gene continued. “I haven’t been able to find a recipe that I really like—not since . . . Well, I used to have a very dear friend here on Maui who made the best banana bread in the world. When she left, it never tasted the same, so I stopped making it.” Uncle Gene closed his eyes.

  Alfie and Emilia gawked at each other. Alfie was just about to ask Uncle Gene about his “very dear friend” when Lana came into the kitchen.

  “We’re almost finished setting up outside. It looks great!”

  “Very good, Lana,” Uncle Gene replied. “Now if I can just figure out what to do about this banana bread, maybe the whole thing won’t be a disaster!”

  Alfie had an idea. “We know a recipe,” he said. “Our great-aunt makes really good banana bread, and we just helped her the other day.”

  “That’s right!” Emilia said. “We can make it.”

  Uncle Gene gave Alfie and Emilia a curious look. “Are you sure? We’re going to need enough banana bread for a small crowd.”

  Alfie and Emilia nodded, looking determined. “Yes,” Alfie said. “We’ll do it.”

  “Okay,” Uncle Gene replied. “Let’s see what you’ve got!”

  Alfie and Emilia hurried over to the pantry to get the ingredients they needed. Emilia pulled flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder from the shelves.

  “We need eggs!” Alfie said. He dashed over to where several cooks were working at the stove and grabbed a carton of eggs.

  “What else do we need again?” Emilia asked. “I know we need vanilla and chocolate chips, but there’s one more thing . . .”

  “Yogurt!” Alfie shouted, relieved he could remember.

  “Yes!” Emilia shouted, giving Alfie a high five. He grinned. It felt much better to be working together than bickering with each other.

  “And don’t forget the macadamia nuts!” Alfie added.

  Emilia started combining the dry ingredients as she’d done at home, while Alfie went to find where the bananas were stored.

  One of the cooks pointed him to a bowl piled high with bananas. Alfie grabbed several extra-ripe bunches and hurried back to Emilia’s side.

  They finished measuring out the rest of the ingredients—enough to make half a dozen loaves—and slowly folded the dry mixture into the wet. Alfie remembered arguing with Emilia about stirring too slowly. Now he just laughed about it.

  Alfie and Emilia anxiously waited for their loaves of banana bread to bake. As soon as the timer went off, they flung open the oven door and slid out the rack with a potholder. Emilia placed a toothpick into the center of each one, and they all pulled out clean. The bread was ready.

  Once the bread was cool, Uncle Gene cut a thick slice from one of the loaves, and Lana and Jacob gathered around. Alfie held his breath as their new friends tried the banana bread. Uncle Gene closed his eyes as he chewed. When he opened them, Alfie thought he looked a little teary.

  “It’s perfect,” Uncle Gene whispered. “It tastes just like the banana bread my friend used to make!”

  “Yes!” Alfie cheered, giving Emilia a quick hug. They’d done it.

  They set the loaves aside to cool and went back to peeling the rest of the sweet potatoes. Now that Uncle Gene knew they had delicious banana bread to serve the mayor, he was in a better mood—even laughing and joking with his kitchen staff as they worked. The rest of the afternoon passed in a flash, and then it was almost time for the luau. Alfie and Emilia finished up by slicing the banana bread and arranging it on big, festive serving trays.

  Uncle Gene came over to inspect their work. He put an arm around each of their shoulders and squeezed them into a hug. “You two are ohana now. Do you know what that means?”

  Alfie and Emilia shook their heads.

  “It means you’re family,” Uncle Gene said. “And you’ll always have a place here with us on Maui.”

  “Thank you,” Emilia said. “That’s so nice.”

  “I’m looking forward to meeting your parents at the luau so I can tell them what remarkable kids they have!” Uncle Gene added.

  Alfie and Emilia laughed nervously. “Yeah . . . ,” Alfie said.

  Just then Lana, Jacob, and Kai hurried over. “We’ve finished cutting all the fruit, Uncle Gene!” Lana told him. “Everything is set!”

  “Wonderful!” Uncle Gene replied. “Now you’d better go get ready for your hula performance, Lana. I think they’ll be seating the guests soon.”

  Lana nodded. “The other dancers are getting ready now. I just thought I’d see if Emilia wanted to join us.”

  “Me?” Emilia asked.

  “You picked up the moves so easily today. I thought it would be fun!” Lana replied. “What do you say?”

  “Yes!” Emilia cried. “I say yes!”

  “Great. I have a costume for you to wear. Let’s go get changed.”

  Emilia waved excitedly at Alfie as she and Lana ran
out of the kitchen. Then Alfie followed Uncle Gene, Jacob, and Kai over to the storage closet to get pants and chef’s jackets to put on. Kai was going to be an extra server, and Jacob and Alfie would help run fresh serving trays out to the buffet line. Alfie and Jacob hustled back and forth with the other kitchen staff to set up the buffet table.

  Before long, the luau area was full of excited guests, including the mayor and his employees, and a line formed in front of the food. Then Lana and Emilia’s hula performance started. Alfie stood off to the side to watch for a few minutes. Emilia wore a big purple skirt and a lighter purple tank top with a shell necklace over it. She had a lei around her head like a crown as well as smaller green wreaths made of palm leaves around her wrists and ankles. She looked super comfortable as she followed the other dancers through the routine. There were a few times when Alfie could see she didn’t know the next move, but she handled it well and kept the rhythm of the dance perfectly. Emilia planned to try out for the dance team at school next year, and Alfie knew she’d make the team without a problem.

  After the hula performance, the fire dancers performed. Alfie stopped again in between delivering fresh plates to the buffet to watch the amazing dancers move effortlessly as they tossed flaming sticks into the air!

  Once the buffet line started to die down, and guests were finishing their meals, Kai told Alfie and Emilia it was their turn to get some food. Alfie was starving after another busy day and couldn’t wait to taste all the things they’d been helping to prepare. He and Emilia, Lana, Jacob, and Kai filled plates with all the savory luau foods and sat down at an empty table to the side of the stage to have their meals.

  Alfie took a big bite of the shredded kalua pork. It was the tastiest meat he’d ever eaten. It was juicy, with the perfect blend of pineapple sweetness and salt. Emilia liked the ahi poke. There were little bright pink chunks of fresh tuna marinated in a citrusy soy sauce with sweet onions.

  “I didn’t think I would like this,” Emilia said. “I’ve only tried sushi once, and I wasn’t sure about it, but this is great.”

  Alfie scooped up a bite with a crispy taro chip and nodded. “It is really good!”

  They also tried thick warm slices of roasted Hawaiian sweet potato and chicken long rice, which was made of shredded chicken and clear noodles in a light broth. The chicken had a yummy ginger taste to it, and the noodles were see-through—almost like they were made of gel!

  “I’ve never seen noodles like this before,” Alfie said, taking another bite.

  “They’re called bean thread or cellophane noodles,” Jacob told him.

  “I like them,” Alfie said.

  They even tried poi again, and Alfie had to admit it was a little better when you could eat it along with other, much more flavorful foods. Alfie finished the last piece of shredded pork on his plate just as Lana returned to the table with a plateful of desserts. He smiled. “I was about to say how full I am, but I always have room for dessert!”

  Lana laughed. “You don’t want to miss this stuff. I got some fresh guava, pineapple, and star fruit. And then these are the malasadas,” she said, pointing to some balls of fried dough covered in sugar. “They’re Portuguese doughnuts, and they’re really popular here in Hawaii.”

  Alfie and Emilia each took a malasada from the plate. The fried outside of the dough was still warm and crispy while the inside was soft and delicious. “I feel like there’s a different kind of doughnut in every culture in the world,” Emilia said.

  “That’s true!” Alfie replied. “We’ve had zeppole in Naples, beignets in New Orleans, and now malasadas in Hawaii, and they’re all different.”

  Alfie finished his malasada and grabbed a couple of pieces of fruit. Then he noticed Uncle Gene talking to the mayor by the dessert table. The mayor was just finishing a slice of their banana bread. Alfie nudged Emilia’s side, and they watched as the mayor smiled and shook Uncle Gene’s hand. Uncle Gene motioned for him and Emilia to come over.

  “Alfie and Emilia, I’d like to introduce you to the mayor of Maui,” Uncle Gene said.

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Mayor,” Alfie said.

  “Gene tells me that you two made this wonderful banana bread,” the mayor said.

  “Yes, sir,” Emilia said.

  “Well, this is quite possibly the best banana bread I’ve ever tasted.”

  Alfie and Emilia beamed. “Thank you!”

  “I’m definitely going to need to get that recipe from you,” Uncle Gene said. “I think it’s time to bring that back to the menu at the Grand Lahaina.”

  The mayor nodded. “And you’ll definitely need it for all the parties you’ll be throwing for the mayor’s office.”

  Uncle Gene beamed. “Absolutely, Mr. Mayor.”

  Alfie and Emilia smiled. “Enjoy the rest of the luau, Mr. Mayor,” Emilia said before they rejoined their friends.

  Alfie was full and sluggish as the luau came to an end and he started to help clear the buffet table. Uncle Gene stood at the exit thanking the mayor and the other happy guests as they filed out. Then he came over to thank Alfie and Emilia once more. “I didn’t get to meet your parents!” he said. “Are they still here? It would be great to meet them.”

  “Uh . . . ,” Alfie said, unsure how to respond.

  “They actually didn’t end up coming,” Emilia jumped in. “They weren’t feeling well, so they stayed in the room. I think they got too much sun on their sightseeing tour today.”

  Alfie let out a relieved breath. Uncle Gene nodded understandingly. “That happens,” he said. “Well, maybe I can meet them tomorrow.”

  Alfie and Emilia said good night to their friends, and they agreed to meet at the junior surf competition in the morning to cheer Alfie on. They headed across the lobby to the bank of elevators when Frank, the hotel manager, appeared in front of them.

  “Did you enjoy the luau?” he asked. He had a friendly smile on his face like yesterday, but his eyes were a little more critical this time.

  “We did.” Emilia smiled, looking right back. Alfie was surprised at her confidence after she’d been so nervous when they first arrived.

  “And what about your parents?” Frank continued. “Did they have a good time, too?”

  “Yep!” Alfie chimed in.

  “They just went up to our room early. They were tired,” Emilia explained.

  “And which room is that?” Frank asked.

  Alfie could feel the blood draining from his face. Oh no! he thought. This was it!

  “It’s, um . . . ,” Emilia started. “Alfie, what is our room number?”

  “It’s . . . uh . . . ,” Alfie stammered, stalling for time. His heart pounded in his chest.

  Suddenly Kai jogged across the lobby toward them. “Hey, Alfie!” he called. He held up the surf shirt Alfie had been wearing before he changed into the kitchen clothes. “Don’t forget your number for tomorrow.”

  “Oh, thanks!” Alfie said, relieved for the interruption. He took the shirt and watched Frank’s expression, wondering what they were going to say to get out of giving their room number.

  “Hi, Frank,” Kai said. “I’m glad you’re here. We had a question about where to put the rest of the chairs.” Kai motioned for Frank to follow him outside. Frank glanced back at Alfie and Emilia. Emilia smiled and said, “Good night!”

  Alfie and Emilia hurried to the elevators without looking back. As soon as the door closed behind them and they were on their way up to suite 1201, they burst out laughing. “That was really close this time!” Emilia laughed.

  Alfie nodded, catching his breath. Yes, a little too close!

  The minute Alfie and Emilia settled into their giant beds that night, they were out—totally exhausted from their eventful day. Alfie had set an alarm so he’d be sure to wake up on time, but his eyes popped open twenty minutes before the alarm went off. There was no way he was g
oing to miss the surfing competition!

  Emilia jumped up, too, and got ready quickly so Alfie wouldn’t be late. They took a hurried turn through the buffet line again and grabbed some breakfast. Out of the corner of his eye, Alfie spotted Frank greeting a table of guests, so he and Emilia made a quick getaway down the path to the beach.

  “I don’t think we can stay in the suite another night,” Emilia said as they hurried toward the water.

  “Yeah, me neither,” Alfie said, shoving a bite of pineapple in his mouth.

  Kai, Lana, Jacob, and even Uncle Gene were waiting for them at the rentals cabana when they arrived. Alfie picked up the lucky surfboard he’d used his last two times out.

  “Where are your parents?” Uncle Gene asked, looking around. “I thought for sure they wouldn’t want to miss the competition!”

  “Oh, right . . . ,” Alfie said, shooting Emilia a pleading look for help.

  “They’re going to meet us over there,” she said. “They were slow finishing breakfast, so we went ahead.”

  Uncle Gene smiled and nodded, looking satisfied with that response.

  Alfie had no idea what they were going to do after the competition was over and no parents showed up. But he had more important things to worry about. He was about to surf in a real surfing competition in Maui, Hawaii!

  The group made their way down the beach, and Alfie checked in, showing his number to the woman he’d met the day before. She shuffled through her binder, looking embarrassed. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I can’t seem to find your name anywhere. Can you remind me what it is?”

  “Alfie Bertolizzi,” Alfie said proudly.

  The woman scribbled it down. “Just head on over to the starting area with the rest of the competitors, and they’ll let you know when it’s time to paddle out. You’ll have three chances to catch a wave.”

  “Okay . . . ,” Alfie said quietly. Suddenly, his nerves were hitting him. What was he doing? He didn’t really know how to surf! Maybe he should just forget the whole thing.