Ring, ring, ring.
Click.
“Hello?”
“Sweet Hawaii Wedding Planners, how may I help you?”
“Sorry, I’m trying to find contact with a family member. Do you keep records of wedding invites?”
“We do, but you’ll need some sort of proof of relation before I feel comfortable giving information like that out. You sound very young.”
“Alright, my name is Diane Joy Wiessman, I’m 16. I’m looking for a planned and then canceled wedding between my parents.”
“Both for proof of relation and help with finding the record, what was your mother’s maiden name?”
“Estrada, I think. Oren Estrada.”
“Alright, do you have any idea of what month and year this wedding would have happened?”
“May 5th, 1984, I believe.”
“Just a moment. Damn, math says she’s a bastard kid. 1984, correct?”
“Yes.”
“I found it, who specifically are you looking for in the invites?”
“Are there any other Estradas in the invite list?”
“There are. There’s a Miranda and a Caius.”
“Thank you, could you repeat those two again?”
“Miranda and Caius.”
“Thanks, I have it written down now.”
“Anything else?”
“Nothing else, sadly. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.”
Click.
...
Ring, ring, ring, ring.
Click.
“Hawaii State Library, Ewa Beach branch. How may I help you?”
“Yes, I would like to make an appointment to look through the obituaries sometime this week.”
“You don’t need to make an appointment for that. You can just come in and ask.”
“Oh.”
Click.
...
Ring, ring.
“Hawaii State Library, Ewa Beach branch. I’m Amelia, how can I help you today?”
“I would like to check out a phone book.”
“Oh, you don’t need to make a call for that, dear.”
“Shoot, I made that mistake last time too. Sorry, bye.”
“Now hold on now, is there any one phone number you need?”
“Yes, just one. I’m looking for a Caius Estrada.”
“Caius? I know him! He moved away about fifteen years ago, you wouldn’t find him in a newer phonebook.”
“Wait, you know him?”
“Of course I knew him, everyone knows him. I can just tell you his phone number right now, I have it memorized because of how much I call him.”
“Oh my goodness, thank you so much.”
“Language, now listen carefully. His phone number is…”
“Thank you so much Ma’am.”
“Anytime, have a wonderful day.”
“You too!”
Click.
...
Ring.
Click.
“Toodloo!”
“Hello, is this Caius Estrada?”
“Well I sure am, may I have your name?”
“...”
“Joy.”
“What a great name, I can already tell you’re a ray of sunshine.”
“Well, not really. I-”
“Nevermind. I had a question for you.”
“Hm?”
“Do you have any grandkids?”
“Just the one, but I didn’t really ever get to see her. Something real unfortunate happened to her dad, my son-in-law, and my daughter hasn’t exactly been eager to talk to me.”
...
“Wait a moment… You said your name was Joy?”
“Yes sir.”
“Now hold on, you think you could do something by hiding behind the name that I picked out?”
“What?”
“Well how am I supposed to not recognize the middle name of my wonderful granddaughter? That I came up with? How are you missy? How long’s it been, 15, 16 years? I’ve missed you forever.”
“But you’ve never even met me.”
“Well that isn’t really true, I visited you when you were just a baby, how’s your aunt been treating you?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk about.”
“Darn, go ahead.”
“I wanted to see if I could go live with you.”
“That’s the best idea I’ve ever heard. I can pick you up in 3 days.”
“How? I thought you moved away.”
“I did, I’m getting a plane ticket for myself, round trip. One for you too, one way.”
“Wouldn’t that be really expensive?”
“Of course it is, but you’re my granddaughter. Pack your things, I’ll be picking you up at midnight on thursday.”
“Thanks, sir.”
“Call me granddad.”
“Alright, thank you granddad.”
“Love you missy. Remember, Thursday at midnight.”
“I’ll remember.”
“Wonderful, bye.”
“Bye!”
Click.
...
<3
The remains of this place are more noticeable, they’re so outstanding from the water their obliterated forms project from. I can taste the importance, at least metaphorically. I’ll need to find someplace similar to this.
There’s something about her without all the silent sorrow and hollowness that seems truly unnatural.