Chapter 5

A thin stream of morning light washed over Steban’s face, waking him. Picking at the soft material of his pajamas, he wondered for a moment how he had gotten into them, and more importantly, who had dressed him. Smiling, he thought, ‘Popi.’

Almost immediately, his smile disappeared, for he knew that his father had seen his bruises, and Steve now knew that his stepfather had given them to him. Shuddering, he now worried what his father would do to the man in retaliation.

After he showered, he dressed and cautiously went downstairs for breakfast.

Malani was in the kitchen already, fixing some French toast and bacon. Steban looked up at her, sagging in relief when he knew that he wasn’t in trouble for not telling his father about the abuse.

“Here, Steban,” she said, placing the plate on the table. “Eat your breakfast.” She poured him a glass of orange juice and waited patiently while he ate.

Once he was finished, he put his dirty dishes in the washer and waited for her to say something.

“To answer your question; yes, he knows about the bruises. Don’t worry; he’s not going to do anything stupid. However, by the time we are finished with your stepfather, he will be a gibbering wreck.”

The mental picture that popped into his head made him giggle. The predatory smile on Malani’s face brought out one of his own. They both spent the next ten minutes snickering at the devastation soon to be visited upon Antonio Diaz.

Somewhere in China

Wo Fat looked over the latest reports on his children with pride. Although circumstances forced him to miss their early years, he had been a concerned and loving father to Malani, Michaela and Sebastian over the years since his divorce from their mother, Marina Stewart.

He knew full well about the identities of his daughters’ fiancés and while he had no onus against Danny, he absolutely despised Steve on both a personal and a professional level.

However, Wo Fat knew that of all the men his first-born daughter could have chosen, Steve McGarrett was the only one with any hope of keeping her under some type of control. He was also the only man capable of meeting her passion for passion, and argument for argument.

He looked over the section concerning McGarrett’s son and smiled. Knowing his daughter, she’d make double damned certain that the boy was not only protected from his stepfather, but also from himself.

With Malani’s truly horrid Scorpio temperament, if he were to so much as sneeze in the boy’s direction, he’d spend the last week of his life begging for his own death. 

Naturally, she was his favorite of the three.

She reminded him of his baby sister, Connie, who had died of typhoid as an adolescent. With eight sisters, Wo Fat had grown up surrounded by strong women and he’d always been taught to respect them, even if he despised them down to their bones.

Of all his sisters, Connie had been his baby, and he had spoiled her outrageously. Not even his mother had coddled her youngest child so much.

Spunky, funny, pushy, loud, and cute as a bug, Connie had possessed a mean streak a mile long and twice as wide. No one ever saw it until someone had wronged her or one of her siblings in some manner.

Her death, followed by the deaths of his first wife and their daughter during World War II had affected him greatly, more so than he wanted to admit.

Falling in love with Marina had been a huge surprise, to say the least. Although the marriage had only lasted five years, it had been a good one; the kidnapping to their three year old triplets notwithstanding.

No, he would not interfere in his daughter’s life. He was too fond of breathing to even contemplate it.

Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

It took Antonio Diaz three days to realize that his stepson was missing. Carmen Rodriguez, the former maid had had the temerity to tell him off, had, in that time, gotten hold of the boy’s medical records, the original copies of his deceased father-in-law’s and wife’s wills, and hotfooted it to Florida, and from there, she disappeared.

On the third day of Steban’s disappearance, he was notified that the boy’s biological father, Steve McGarrett, was suing for custody and asking for an investigation into Luis and Luisa’s deaths.

Furious, he read on that the Governor of Hawaii, Paul Jameson, who was Steve’s boss and friend, was also a good personal friend of the Governor of Puerto Rico.

With the backing of two governors, the police department was now not only investigating the two deaths, but his finances and business practices.

Worse, his youngest son, Guillermo was now at the home of his wife’s sister, Annabelle, whom he had always despised.

All of this went through his mind in an instant as he packed a suitcase. There was no way he was going to let the authorities get their mitts on him! He’d take Antonito and go to Brazil, where there was no extradition.

Antonito, for his part, didn’t really care. His stepbrother’s disappearance didn’t bother him too much; he’d always hated Steban. Whether for his good looks, good grades or his charm, it didn’t matter, he simply hated him!

He zipped up his bag and took one last look at his room. ‘Oh, well,’ he thought, ‘it was fun while it lasted. Maybe Popi will marry someone else, someone without kids this time, and get all her money.’

Antonito left his room and went down the stairs.

“I’m ready, Popi!” he yelled.

“Go get in the car, I’ll be right out.” His father said to him.

“You gonna torch the place Popi?” Antonito asked brightly, “And if you are, can I watch?”

“No mi hijo. I’m not going to torch the place. I just need to get a few more things.”

Feeling somewhat disappointed, Antonito went out the front door to the car. As he was opening the side door, someone grabbed him, putting a hand over his mouth, and said, “Be quiet boy. I’m a policeman, and we’re here for your father.”

Antonito heard three pairs of feet go into the house and a few moments later, there was a yell of surprise, and the sounds of scuffling.

Minutes later, three plain clothes cops led Antonio Sr. out of the house, in handcuffs, cursing up a storm.

The cop who had grabbed Tonito released him. “Sorry about this kid. Is there anyplace I can take you?”

The only place Tonito could think of to go was Annabelle’s so he gave the cop her address and within a half an hour, he was in her house with is brother.

Guillo ignored his elder sibling. He wasn’t about to make nice with him after the way he had treated Steban and himself.

‘Let him suffer.’ Guillo thought, tucked up in bed. ‘He deserves it after everything he’s done. He’s a cabron through and through! Titi Annabelle will straighten him out when he starts showing an attitude.’

Guillo yawned hugely, feeling exhausted suddenly. It didn’t take him long to fall asleep. The last thing he felt was a sense of satisfaction that his father was going to get his just desserts.

Oahu, Hawaii

The news of the arrest of Antonio Diaz for the murders of his wife and father-in-law, and the abuse of Steban was greeted with great whoops of joy on the parts of Steban, Malani and Steve, as well as the rest of their extended ohana.

Saturday, June 28, was Steban’s thirteenth birthday and Steve proudly introduced his son to the rest of his extended family. Chin Ho Kelly, his wife and eight children, Ben Kokua and his wife Paz; Duke Lukela and his wife Jeanette plus their two kids; Kono, Frank Kamana, Governor Jameson, his wife Peggy and their five boys all showed up for the party.

Steban pulled Malani over to the side of the crowd, “Malani, I can sense that Mrs. Jameson is pregnant. Does she know that she is going to have twin girls?”

“Yes, sweetie, she knows. She’s waiting to stick it to him in private.”

Steban looked confused, “Why would she want to stick her husband?” he wondered.

Malani ruffled his hair affectionately, “Don’t worry sweetie, it’s a grown-up thing.

Steban nodded in understanding. There were some things grown-ups did, that went completely over his head. He wasn’t about to strain his brain trying to understand them.

Chin Ho’s youngest daughter, Tilly, took an immediate liking to Steban.

“Will you be my boyfriend?” she asked him boldly, startling the heck out of him.

“Uh, no.”

“Why not?”

“I’m thirteen, and you’re five. It wouldn’t work out.”

Tilly’s face clouded over in a bad way. “You had better be my boyfriend, or I’ll tell your daddy on you!”

“And what are you going to tell him?”

“That you’re a big mean poopy head, and that you won’t be my boyfriend!”

Steban simply shrugged, “Go ahead and tell. In the meantime, I’ll go talk to your daddy about you.” Without any further ado, he went and did just that. He went over to where Chin Ho and his wife were sitting, and promptly ratted her out.

Alia Kelly, Chin’s eldest daughter, after seeing that her little sister was being her usually pesky self, corralled the little girl. “You had better cool it, Tilly. Mom and Dad aren’t going to be too happy when they hear about this.”

“I want him to be my boyfriend!” the irate five year old squawked, incensed that she wasn’t getting her own way.

“Too bad, he doesn’t want to be your boyfriend. He’s too old for you.”

“I don’t care what he wants! I only care about what I want!”

“And that, little sister, is why he doesn’t want to be your boyfriend.” Alia said wisely, taking her sister by the hand, and pulling her over to their parents, who scolded her for her bad behavior.

The party went smoothly after that. A huge sheet cake, baked especially by Mickie was produced, sung over and devoured by the guests.

Steban scored an impressive array of presents; a 10 speed bike; comic books; a solid pewter chess set from Malani’s grandfather, who had taken one look at him and pronounced him “Promising.” As well as a set of classic books, bound in leather, from Sebastian.

Of course, he also got clothing, which he accepted gracefully, even if his enthusiasm was a bit forced.

Malani gave him a handsome cream-colored Labrador puppy, which he loved. He named him Cuculainn and it was introduced to the other dogs.

After everyone else had left, the party debris cleaned up and Steban went to bed, Steve and Malani were in bed, giggling like teenagers.

“Well, I’m happy to see that he fits in with Chin’s kids.” Steve said.

Malani chortled, “Yeah, up until Tilly said he had to be her boyfriend. He ran from her so fast, he nearly broke the sound barrier.”

He laughed with her, “The poor kid. I felt so sorry for him. ‘Til I realized how funny it was. He handled it well though; he went and ratted on her to Chin and Helen!”

“And to think you were worried about him.” she mock-scolded, poking him in the shoulder.

“I am. How’s he going to react when he discovers girls?”

She snorted at that. “Not to worry. Right now, girls are something to be disdained, taunted and otherwise ignored. Once he gets the idea that they aren’t then we can start worrying.”

That made sense. But then, with the triplets they were expecting, it would be another thirteen or fourteen years before they got interested in the opposite sex.

‘Thank God for that.’ came a thought from Malani. ‘Dealing with one adolescent is going to be tough enough, dealing with four would be impossible.’

‘Oh Lord, you had to bring that up.’ he thought sourly, giving her a look to match.

‘At least we’ll get a kick out of watching him try to figure out girls. Since he’s easily as stubborn as you, it’ll take him quite a while,’ she thought naughtily.

‘It didn’t take me that long to figure out girls,’ he chided.

‘Yeah, just the last thirty years or so,’ she replied, and he tickled her ribs ‘til she squealed in surrender.

‘Si and he still hasn’t figured them out! Right Mami?’ Steban said in their heads, causing both adults to sit up straight in bed, not quite believing what they had ‘heard’.

‘Um, Steban sweetie, just how much of our conversation did you hear?’ Malani asked.

‘All of it. You two should keep the volume down, you’re keeping me awake.’ Came the smug reply.

Steve was out of the bed like a shot, Malani right behind him.

The door to Steban’s room was locked, but that didn’t stop Steve. He simply picked the lock, and stood in the doorway, mock-glowering at his first-born son.

“Would you care to say that out loud, young man?” he asked in a soft tone.

“No,” Steban said quickly.

“Too late, kidling,” Malani stated, “Now you’re going to get it.”

Moving as one, she and Steve tackled Steban and started tickling him. He howled and squirmed and Cuculainn started barking frantically. The other dogs, Oberon and Titanic, came thundering up the stairs and dove onto the bed, which made the adults turn their attention to them.

“Okay enough!” Steve gasped. “You two, down!” addressing the dogs. “You, hush!” he told the young pup, “ And you, go to sleep, brat!” this final statement went to his son.

“What about me?” his fiancée asked.

“You come with me.”

“You got it.”

Steban fell back upon his pillow, completely wiped out. He heard a loud screech of laughter, quickly stifled from his father’s room and grinned.

Two of the cats, the black one and the orange tabby, Midnight and Lucky, came into his room. Lucky jumped onto the bed and settled behind Steban’s knees, Midnight curled up with Cuculainn, who was sleeping too deeply to protest.

‘I can’t wait until they get married,’ was his last thought as his eyes closed.

*****