E Ala Mai!

My arm flails in the direction of the alarm. Who knew a sound could be obnoxious. With a swipe of my thumb, it was snoozed. My head droops back into the coolness and comfort of the silk covered pillow. Wait, did the clock say 6:45 am? The first step out of bed is always the hardest. My toes wiggle into the carpet as I push myself up. Now at the doorway, I glance into the hall. The keiki are still asleep, I sigh with relief. Mm, some alone time. A rarity for any mom. Turning into the bathroom I feel along the small textured bumps of the wall. The lights flicker on. My eyes blink on cue. Reaching for the faucet, I mentally prepare for the shock. My hands join together in a cup shape, the cold-water pouring in. The anticipation was right. I shook at the jolting sensation as the drops trickled down my face. I head towards the kitchen. In a quiet moment of gratitude to whoever invented the Keurig I savor the roast scent as the coffee droplets fill my cup. It read, “But, first coffee,” as if it was personally preaching to me. Black coffee, with a shot of espresso. The network of nerves in my body start to buzz. I call out to the keiki, my voice echoing down the hall like the first ripple of a wave, e ala mai!

© 2026 Keola