Page 147 - Unforgettable Memories in Life_Neat

Lakeside Junior High School 145

On the Islands

By Nelina B.

Nikki, an 18 year old who was born and raised in Hawaii, did not have the energy to keep

her eyes open. Although she was not completely awake, Nikki forced herself to get up. Her mom

was cooking fried fish, and smoke filled the whole house. There was often the smell of cooking

oil wafting around in the air, but she still wasn't used to it. It was as if she got punched in the face

with a strong smell. She knew the only reason they were doing this was that they were going to

have a family gathering, celebrating a family member's birthday. Her family would be in the

kitchen cooking the food, while she was in the bathroom trying to wake herself up. Her mother

screamed from the kitchen “Nikki, hurry up. We have to get there early!”. Ala Moana Beach, the

place of the celebration, was a common beach for locals and tourists. She would usually wear

tight, fitted dresses; however, the thought of being at the beach in the sun, made her want to wear

a long, flowy dress so that she would be comfortable. She brought extra clothes in case she

wanted to go swimming.

The drive to the beach took about 20 minutes, without traffic. Being in Hawaii and

having a lot of tourists, traffic could be good on some days but not on others. That day, traffic

was horrible because it was the weekend. It didn’t matter. She loved seeing all the palm trees

swaying and flowers covered softly with sand. She loved rolling down her

window to breathe in the fresh air and look over the clear blue horizon. After

a long while, they finally arrived. They found some of their church members

and started to help them set up. It would turn out to be a beautiful day.