CHAPTER 2: Family

"Kanuna dear, are you alright?"

Kanuna stared and noticed the concerned expression on her father's face.

"I-I'm fine father." Kanuna stuttered trying to regain her grasp on reality.

"When I came in, you were screaming and wrestling." Captain Kapeenti said worried for his daughter's sake.

"No really, I'm okay!" Kanuna assured, "It was only a bad dream that's all."

The kind captain smiled from underneath his silver mask and gently lifted Kanuna up and held her in his arms.

"Alright. But promise me this: The moment you feel trouble, please let me know. Deal?" Kapteeni looked lovingly into Kanuna's big, goldenrod eyes which filled the captain's heart with a warm feeling knowing that he could trust his little daughter. Kanuna smiled and clinged to her father's armored side.

"Okay daddy, I promise." They hugged for a while until Kapteeni said,

"Now, how about some dinner?" Kanuna cheered and quickly rushed into the kitchenette. She hadn't eaten all day and was starving, but she never showed any signs of malnutrition because she didn't want to cause her hard working father any more worries.

Kanuna hastily threw open the refrigerator door and scavenged the inside for anything edible. After much diligence and searching, she found half a loaf of bread, and a rusty pitcher of water. It wasn't much, but it was enough to satisfy. While Kanuna prepared the food, Kapteeni walked into his room and carried out a crudely made wooden table that doubled as a work desk. He placed the table in front of the sofa and sat down at it. Then Kanuna carefully but without losing speed, set the bread and water on the table along with two chipped plates and cups and joined her father on the sofa. Kanuna couldn't wait to dig in and was just about to stuff a crust of bread into her salivating mouth when Kapteeni stopped her.

"Kanuna, aren't we forgetting something?" Kanuna froze and thought for a moment.

"Oh!" Kanuna hopped up and grabbed two stained cloth napkins then passed one to Kapteeni and started to eat again, but was interrupted a second time.

"Kanuna, we're still forgetting something." Kanuna reluctantly set the bread back down and tried to remember what it was she was forgetting.

"Oh I know!" Kanuna leapt from the couch and reached over to the dial on the television.

Kapteeni chuckled, "No no, Kanuna. Don't you remember?"

Then it hit Kanuna as to what she was forgetting was very important. She returned to her seat and folded her stubby little hands together. Kapteeni smiled proudly and joined his daughter in prayer.

Once they finished saying grace, Kanuna looked into her father's eyes for approval. Kapteeni smiled and nodded. At this, Kanuna cheered and hastily tore the loaf of bread in two, passed half to her father and finally she ate. Over dinner, Kapteeni and Kanuna commonly shared the highs and lows of their days.

"So, how was school?" Kapteeni asked. Kanuna chewed a piece of bread then took a sip of water and swallowed.

"Okay I guess..."

Kapteeni knew a certain set of responses to this question were actually code for other meanings. He called this code Emotional Meaning Opposites or E.M.O. for short. Kapteeni could tell how just how his daughter truly felt about her day based on these certain responses.

"Alright, what's the problem?" Kapteeni knew there was something wrong. Kanuna looked at her father in surprise that he could tell she was hiding something.

"Um, nothing! No problem!" She quickly replied biting her lip instead of the bread. Kapteeni chuckled,

"Now Kanuna, there's no hiding or denying it."

Kapteeni scooted a little closer to Kanuna and put his arm around her.

"So… What's the problem?" He kindly asked. Kanuna sighed and confessed.

"I-I fell asleep in class again." She stuttered.

"Oh dear Kanuna, again?"

Kapteeni had worried about Kanuna's sleeping problem after receiving multiple calls from work.

"There must be some reason for this," Kapteeni pondered.

Kanuna said nothing and leaned into her father's side. Kapteeni held her tight and kissed her on the forehead.

"Don't you worry Kanuna, we'll figure it out," Kapteeni comforted, "And whether you're wide awake or fast asleep… I will love you the same."

Kapteeni's heart was filled with warmth as he heard the silent breathing of his little girl fast

asleep in his arms. He stood up and carried an exhausted Kanuna to her bedroom and placed

her gently on a ragged little cot in the corner of the room. He covered her in tattered sheets that

layered the floor, then kissed her goodnight and left the room back to the living room.