Fanali'i

alamea - 1

  We live on the island Maui of Hawai'i. My family and I, that is.

  "Fafa! Fafa!" my mother called out, "Your coconut casserole is ready!"

  "My favorite! Coming!!" I scream back, embarrassed that she called me by my childhood nickname, and run back down from the mountain I had climbed.

  Today is a very special day. I'm traveling to my very first Lake Festivale over on Fuichi island! They have music, singing, and the best part? Pet adopting. This is my one and only chance to own my dream pet: a kitten. However, my family believes that the perfect pet will choose me... so hopefully it's a kitten!

  After I finish my coconut casserole, feeling positive, we board a boat to Fuichi Island.

"Daddy's little girl is getting her first pet!!" my dad boasted, which makes me laugh. "What do you want?"

"I..." I knew this was a trick question. So I countered with, "I thought the pet was going to choose me. I know what I want, but the world may have chosen something else.. and that's okay."

He smiles. "That's my Fanali'i, going deep," he says, ruffling my hair.

At that point, we arrive at Fuichi. There's already quite a party, cause I can hear the music from far out! But the Isle of Fuichi (as it's formally called, I just like to say it's an island) is the most beautiful place you'd ever see, with flowers blooming across the entire coast and the happy straw huts are inhabited with people. Happy people.

As soon as I step onto the island, I hear a sound. It sounds like a...

"A meow?" I whisper. "Daddy, can I go exploring for a bit? Just a few minutes?"

He sighs. "Sure, I'll go tell your mother. Don't go far!"

On that note, I follow the sound.

"Mew..." I'm on the right track. The sound is getting louder!

  Still following what I heard, I come up to a pair of shrubs. Crunch, crunch. Paw steps! I pull the leaves of the shrubs away to reveal... none other than a black kitten. I gaze at it and all of its beauty, and get lost in my thoughts when...

  Someone whistles. "Here, kitty kitty!" they shout.

  No! That was my only chance – and I blew it. The cat glances at me once, then scurries away towards a Lake Festivale staff as I burst into tears and run away.

  I run straight to my father. "Dad, dad!" I cry, "I saw a kitten... but it didn't," I put up air quotes, "choose me."

  "Sweetie, it isn't that easy. You would have gotten caught for stealing if it were to go over to you right away," he replies, hugging me.

  As soon as he says that, however, an announcement comes from the Festivale leader. "Anyone wanna try their luck at adopting? We have an adorable black kitten roaming around, come one come all to see which lucky person it chooses!"

  "That must have been the cat I saw, father! It glanced at me before running away so maybe it remembers!" I whisper excitedly. Dad motions for me to go up.

  I stand beside about fifteen other contestants... I never knew so many people wanted a cat! Suddenly, I get very anxious. There are too many people here. What if the cat DOESN'T choose me? Gosh, that would be the end of the world...

  "Hisss... hissssss...." the cat doesn't seem to like the first two people. They sulk and step back. When the cat gets to me, though, it stops. The whole crowd gasps. "Mew? Meow!!!" It seems excited as it paws at my feet. I express a huge grin as I crouch and lay out my hands for the cat to jump on. And it does! The cat chose me!

  "Well done! We have a winner!" The leader exclaims. "Now, what's your name, lass? I don't recall seeing you at a Lake Festivale before."

  "This is my first one! I am Fanali'i Meliahni," I pet the kitten gently as I smile.

  "Everybody give it up for Fanali'i! She's the first contestant in 50 years to get a pet at her first Festivale! Congratulations!"

  The rest of the Festivale was a blast! I named the kitten Alamea, which means "precious". Alamea is a female cat. She's my favorite thing in the entire world! Then, there was a coconut eating contest which my father won for apparently the 5th time in a row. After that, we all had a huge dance and I got a chance in the spotlight! Let's just say I danced like nobody was watching.

  I love Alamea, and Festivales!