It didn't take long for Nick to leave the island.
He went to California, San Diego to be precise. He got a job as a graphic designer. He took many photos in his spare time. Also rushed into the waves. I have dated many girls in San Diego. They are basking in the brown sun all year round, and their long legs are shining. He can't complain.
He went to Portland to meet a big fish. He sat in the lounge waiting for his turn to play when he met Liam Brody. Liam owns a small two-person graphic design company-when "Jonathan and Brody's Jonathan" went bankrupt, the company quickly became his personal.
Nick likes Liam Brody very much.
On the weekend after the speech, one of his photography performances in Portland fell from the sky, just in his sky. After that, Nick started an impromptu vacation, playing in Portland for a week. He likes it very much. This is new and different, unlike Hawaii and San Diego in every aspect. He never left.
They are here again, just like before. Lying lazily on the same beach, where Frankie lost his career and Nick lost the girl.
Nick lay on his towel. His folded T-shirt covered his eyes.
Frank and Mel talked - more specifically, they quarreled fiercely and silently. Frank's phone rang.
"I have to answer this call," he said.
"That's exactly what I'm talking about, Frank. You promised to leave work. Here comes Nick."
"Nick doesn't care, Mel, look at him. I have to answer this call. This is very important."
Melati sighed.
Judging by the voice, Frank must have stood up and walked away to answer the phone, because Nick couldn't hear him. Melanie sighed again. She drew lines on the sand with her fingers, instead of tracing them with her hands and wiping them off. These lines disappeared, leaving only the scribbles over and over again.
Frank returned and sat on his towel.
"Who is it?" Mel asked.
"A colleague."
"Who is a colleague?"
"What does it matter?" he said.
"This is important. I just want to know who it is. Why don't you tell me?"
"Okay," he said. "She is dealing with Mr. Hashimoto, and she needs me to answer a question. Are you happy?"
"are you happy?"
"Yes, happy. Or, is this expecting too much of you?"
"Frank, you are too mean," she said.
"And you, Mel, you are—"
"What am I?"
"Nothing," he said after a while. "This conversation is making no progress. God knows how long I rested, and you make me intolerable. I'm going to surf."
Frank stood up and wiped his shorts. He clamped the surfboard under his arm and kicked Nick's foot.
"Hey, Nick," he kicked Nick's foot again.
"What?" Nick said.
"We are here to surf, right? We can go to bed later. Are you coming?"
Nick pulled the folded shirt off his face and squinted at the sky. Frank's head covered the sun, and his golden hair looked like a halo.
"Get there in a few minutes," he said. He sat up, grabbed the water in the bottle, and took a swig. The water is warm. His throat is itchy.
"Don't take too long," Frank said. "A good wave is not like a lady. In fact, you need to work hard to find a good job."
"Really?" Mel said. "Really?"
"My child's mother became sensitive," Frank explained to Nick.
"It looks like this," Nick replied.
Frank turned and ran towards the sea. It only took him a few seconds to get below the waist.
"There is something wrong with him," Mel said.
Nick turned around to look at her. She sat cross-legged. Her huge belly gleamed like a bowling ball, between the upper and lower body of her yellow bikini. She put a hand next to it and rubbed it absently.
"Oh, Mel," Nick said.
"No, I really think so, Nico, I really think so," she said. "I think he has an affair."
"No. Never. Frank loves you more than any man loves a woman."
"He used to be," she said. "But recently he is almost away from home. His working hours are too long and he is crazier than ever."
She looked up at the blue cloudless sky, holding back tears.
"Mel, no, never," Nick said, serious. "I'm sure there are good reasons for this kind of working hours."
"He doesn't even want to answer the work call in front of me. He always goes where he can't hear, and he is always Bridget. Bridget is young and beautiful, funny and smart. If I had to hear Bridget again What a clever topic, I don’t know."
Nick put his arms around his legs. "I don't believe he would do that, Mel. If he knew you thought so and talked to me about it, he would be sad. You know he would."
"Yes," she said. "You are right. I'm sorry, Nicole."
She put on a large, loose sun hat and wiped her eyes. The hat covered her face, and Nick couldn't see her features at all.
"You should go surfing with him. He took time off for you today. You have to really evaluate," she smiled a short single ha.
"Why don't I stay here with you?" he said. He cocked his mouth and smiled at her: "We can build a sand castle or something."
"I brought a book. I'm going to read it," she said, without further comment, she searched for her book in her big beach bag. She found it at the bottom, under sunscreen, sunscreen lotion, water bottle and a bag of pretzels. She opened it and put it on her belly. Nick didn't know if she was really reading or pretending to read—her hat was that big.
He stood up, grabbed the borrowed plank, and went out to meet Frank. He looked back, and Mel was still reading under her huge hat. He felt that he could handle the whole conversation better, but he blamed himself on God for not trying harder.
That night, Aunt Lau held a party at her house. She likes parties.
Aunt Luo is a short and simple Hawaiian lady, probably the happiest person in the world. Nothing can defeat Aunt Luo. Nothing at all. She is a natural force that belongs entirely to her. Typhoon Luo.
Aunt Luo survived Uncle Hee's cancer. She smiled and joked with him until the end. She succeeded in losing her only daughter she loved deeply. She has experienced something that would force any normal person to kneel and be strangled to death by despair and fear. Not Aunt Luo. Her basic self has never changed. She loves in person.
Aunt Luo embraced Nick with a strong arm and kissed him on the mouth.
"Come on, give your Aunt Lu a hug," she said, even though she had already embraced him.
Nick's mother moved to Aunt Luo's house after Nick and Frank's father died. She is lonely, and her life with Aunt Luo is never lonely. People come and go in an endless stream. You can stop by at any time to chat, drink, and eat-there is always something to eat. Aunt Luo is an amazing cook.
After mom moved out, Frank and Mel moved into the house built by Dad and Uncle Heeho. The two men dyed the wood affectionately, imagining that from a pile of wood into a house, and then into a home, the two little boys would spend the greatest adventure there. Nick fell down the stairs, broke his arm, and the house that needed stitches, where he got the first camera, took the first picture, and proudly displayed it on the wall of the living room, Zhung Yāng, On the same wall, his mother described the growth process of little Frank and little Nico, climbing up one by one with a pencil line, growing up Chéng Rén. The same house is now full of Mel’s ideas, chairs and tables and Mel’s ideas, home and comfort. Every time Nick walked into this yellowed house, he felt a burst of tension in his heart. He tried to remember the way he was when he was growing up there, but like any other memory-those shit faded with the passage of time, and eventually he had to paint it yellow in his memory, or let it It was gone, and he was not going to do it.
Nick's welcome home party is going on lively, and Aunt Luo's little house is dancing on long stilts. Dad and Uncle Hee also built this house, almost exactly the same replica. When Nick walked into the unlocked front door, he could feel that they were here, just like he could feel Aunt Luo grabbing him. His huge arms are the same as a huge hug. Aunt Luo is not stingy in hugging.
"Oh, dear Nick, you are still as handsome as before. Come and eat. You are skinny and skinny."
That night, Aunt Luo’s house was full of laughter, and it was the same every other night. From any point of view, it can be considered a stage to show all forms of laughter—from awkwardly hiding behind a hand and telling jokes, to yelling and laughing, to children rolling Belly laughing.
Although Uncle Hee and Aunt Luo only have one child-the lovely and gentle Marisa-there are always children around.
Nick always remembers that Marisa is kind, gentle and safe. Sometimes when Mom and Dad go out at night, she will look at Mom and Dad and do things that make them smile, happy, smell like cigarettes and rum, and wait for them to get home.
On those nights, Nick always lay awake and kept as silent as possible. He didn't want to cause trouble for Marisa, nor did he want his parents to look down on her ability to be a babysitter, but he couldn't fall asleep when his parents were not at home. He needs them to go home safe and sound. He needs to know that they are in the next room. He was always awake, lying in his arms, listening to Frank's slow and deep breathing, which reminded him of the sea pushing against the shore. (To be continued) (End of this chapter)