CHAPTER TWO
I only need a moment with Kai’s phone. It must be the only way. Calling a private investigator seems much too drastic. If I could spend a moment with his phone, I am sure I can find out all that I need to know by myself. Or maybe I should just ask him. It sounds like the more reasonable option; we are married after all. There needs to be some level of trust between us. I sit in my car parked inside of our garage and hold my head in my hands. I know I am probably being silly, but I have a bad feeling about this. I can feel it inside of my chest, my intuition tells me that something is not right. I finally get myself prepared and out of my car. Kai should still be at home and all I must do is go inside and find him, ask him about the call and then everything will be okay. I can laugh at myself for being silly and tell Theresa tomorrow that I am even sillier for thinking for a moment that something like that could be true. God, I even risked my job for this, and I know it isn’t true.
I enter the kitchen through the garage door. Kai is not there.
“Kai? I’m home!” I yell out loud enough so that I know it can be heard throughout the whole house. Our house is big, it has three floors if you count the attic which Kai renovated into another bedroom. My uncle lived here for forty years before us, but Kai has been helping me to do it up. I don’t think we will ever sell it, but I want the place to look good for when we have children. I want three or four, I can’t decide yet, but I thought we would have made a start by now. Kai is not always talkative when I bring it up in discussion and I am not sure how many he wants because his answer is always changing. He told me that he wants children though, which is another reason why I married him.
“Kai?” I call out once again. There is still no answer again. I frown and walk in a hurry out of the kitchen. I look inside of the living room and the dining room, and I walk up the stairs and check the bedroom. There is no sign of Kai anywhere. I begin frantically searching around the room for anything that I might find that looks suspicious. I pull out the drawers of his bedside cabinet however nothing looks suspicious. I search every corner of the room that I can think of, I even look under the mattress. I find nothing that is out of the ordinary.
I head back downstairs to the kitchen where I have left my handbag on the kitchen counter. Maybe he has texted me and I didn’t notice. When I reach my bag and get my phone out, I see no new messages from Kai. There is only one from Theresa. I click on the notification and read her message. ‘Did you call?’ the message reads. I bite my tongue and sigh. My vision becomes out of focus as tears begin to flood in my eyes. No, this can’t be right. This can’t be happening to me. My hands begin shaking and my phone drops to the floor. I stare blankly at it. I don’t even want to touch it. My legs collapse and I sit on the floor. I keep my eyes on my phone. I don’t know what to do. There has got to have an explanation for all of this. I had better call Kai first before I do anything else.
I try to compose myself and pick up the phone from in front of me. I open my phone log; Kai is the last person that I have called. I click on his name on my log and hold the phone to my ear. I anxiously listen to the sound of the phone line ringing. He is taking his time to answer, and my worries continue to rise with every sound the phone makes. He isn’t going to pick up.
“Hello?” I hear Kai’s thick Polish accent coming from my phone. I breathe a sigh of relief. I knew I was being silly.
“Kai! Where are you?” I ask him. I try to listen closely to hear where he is. I can hear people in the background and the faint sound of music. I frown.
“I am at the bar with some of the guys from work. I won’t be home too late, and I have already eaten so don’t worry about that. If you make too much, then keep it in the fridge for me, I will probably need something to soak all this alcohol up at some point.” Kai says.
He sounds like he is in a hurry to get off the phone. I feel annoyed, why couldn’t he have told me this before?
“Which guys from work?” I ask suspiciously. I hear Kai sighing from the other line of the phone.
“What’s this about Kailanni?” He asks me and he doesn’t seem all that impressed with my question. I take in a deep breath of air as I prepare myself for what I am about to say.
“I saw a woman calling your phone earlier, Kai.” I try to say it calmly, but my fears escape me.
“What woman?” Kai asks me, using a blank tone.
“Sophia.” I reply bluntly. I am trying hard to hold back my tears, they are trying their hardest to flee as I wait for Kai’s answer.
“Sophia? Ahh, Sophia!” Kai responds with a loud voice, and he begins to laugh. I hear a ruffling on the phone and suddenly I hear Kai speaking again, it sounds like he is further away. “Guys, can I put you on speaker? My wife thinks I’m with another woman right now.” I hear Kai say. I squint my eyes as I try to listen closely to their conversation.
“Aloha, Kailanni!” I hear multiple men speaking to me through the phone. I feel
relief.
“I haven’t seen you in a while, when are you throwing a barbeque again?” I hear a singular voice ask me.
“Who’s that?” I ask, some of the tension I felt before has still not left me.
“That’s Steve-o! You remember big Steve?” Kai answers. I smile, Steve is a great guy, he always brings a platter of poke whenever we throw a barbeque. The guests always love it. I am familiar with his wife too; she went to my high school however we were never close. I consider her a friend now after meeting Steve. She even attended Kai and I’s wedding.
“Oh! Steve! Of course. I hope to see you there and how is Melanie?” I ask him. I hear silence on the line and no answer from Steve.
“He’s already gone off to order another pint, darling.” Kai explains.
“Oh, okay.” I reply. The line goes silent again and I feel nervous again from the silence. Usually, it is nice when Kai and I are silent. We are together in our silence, two people who are enjoying each other’s company with no interruptions. This silence between us feels uncomfortable now as if there is something that is coming between us. “You didn’t tell me who Sophia is.” I decide to point out to him.
He sighs once more. “Sophia is only a client from work.” He speaks.
“She has a photo with her caller ID.” I say.
“What does that matter?” He asks me.
“I thought I was the only one you have a photo for.” I answer. Kai laughs a little.
“Kailanni are you serious right now? Do you check my phone for these silly things or something? No, you are not the only woman that I have a photo for in my phone book. Even my mother has a photo.” Kai tries to explain. I am still not buying into it.
“Where did you get this photo of her? Did she send it to you?” I ask him.
There is a moment of silence again.
“She- it’s her WhatsApp photo.” He tells me.
“So, you saved her WhatsApp photo to your phone?” I continue questioning him.
“Kailanni are you serious?” I hear a ruffle on the phone line again and another silence.
“Look, I am at the bar, and I have just had to leave my friend because of your crazy accusations. Can’t we talk about this later?” He tries to reason with me, but it only angers me.
“I didn’t accuse you of anything I was asking you questions.” I say in a temper.
“Kailanni, would you lower your tone? Look, you know me better than this. I am your husband and all of these questions you are bombarding onto me is making me sad. You are supposed to trust me, and I can’t believe that I have broken it somehow.” Kai replies. I am not sure how to feel. It sounds more like something that I want to hear but given the context I am not sure I want to hear it.
I guess he is right.
“We can talk about this later, I promise you. I have nothing to hide from you,
Kailanni. You are the only woman that I need, I already have everything I could ever need.”
He continues speaking. I feel myself beginning to smile again. Kai has always been romantic.
“Okay, Kai, okay. And that isn’t true. We still need children.” I point out. My voice has become calmer, and I feel more relaxed. Kai is silent again.
“Yes, you’re right. How could I forget? What I mean to say is, one woman is enough for me; until we have a daughter.” He answers. “Look, I must go really. I’ve left the guys waiting at the bar and I think they’re ordering now. Let’s talk when I get home?” Kai finishes speaking.
“Okay, I’ll see you when you get home and don’t get too drunk! You know I can’t stand the smell and anyway! Drinking is no good for your health.” I speak. It is nice to speak like I am a wife again however something still feels off. I begin to frown again.
“Yes, darling. Okay. I will see you when I get home.” Kai says and he takes a deep breath of air which is audible through the phone. “I love you, Kailanni.”
“See you when you get home, Kai. I love you too.” I reply. I have said those three words to him probably thousands of times now, however this is the first time I have said it and felt uncertain. The phone line hangs up. I sigh, it is reassuring to know that he is at the bar with the guys from work, but it still doesn’t explain how this Sophia woman’s photo got in his phone. I decide to call Theresa. She will know what to do. I open my phone log again and then think again before pressing dial. I already know what she will tell me, she will suggest that I call the investigator again. I hang my head down. Theresa is the person I always turn to when I have a problem. I am not as close to my mother as I would like, especially after she moved.
“Well, did you call Thomas?” She asks me curiously as soon as she picks up the line.
“No, I called Kai instead.” I say quietly.
“Hm…He’s not home?” She questions.
“No, he’s at the bar with some of his work colleagues. I heard him on the phone.” I answer and then I quickly realise that I am trying to make excuses for his behaviour. I am not making excuses, he is my husband and the man that I love, he would not do this to me.
“And you are certain that a woman is not there with them?” She says and her tone is slightly irritating. It feels like she is patronising me although I know she means no harm.
“Yes.” I say in a hurry. Although, she has a point. “Well, I asked him about Sophia and the photo and anyway Steve is there, you know Melanie’s husband big Steve? Yeah, well he’s there.” I continue speaking in a rush. Theresa is silent for a moment.
“So, her name is Sophia? And yes, I remember big Steve but that doesn’t matter.
What did Kai say about the photo and the woman?” Theresa asks. Her voice sounds softer now.
“He said that she is only a client from work and that the photo is her WhatsApp photo.” I relay to her.
“He saved her photo just to add her photo to his contact list. Does he do that with everyone?” Theresa replies.
“Well, yes. That’s what he says, he even has a photo for his mother.” I answer.
“I still think you should call.” Theresa says after a short moment. “It’s better for you to be sure, Kailanni. I don’t want you to waste your time with someone who isn’t truly meant for you.” Theresa finishes speaking.
“I know Theresa, I just can’t believe this is true. There must be one good man in the world.” I tell her. I hear her scoff on the other side of the phone.
“You couldn’t even trust Prince Charming these days.” She says blankly.
I don’t want her to be right however sometimes reality is not always right.
“Okay, I will call.” I say finally.
“Do you want me to call for you?” She suggests kindly. I pause for a minute to decide whether that would be a better idea.
“I better be an adult and do my dirty work for myself.” I say.
“Oh, heavens no. We are much too busy! Leave it to Thomas to do the dirty work for you.” Theresa points out and she laughs. I sigh and smile. I don’t feel like I should be feeling anything but destroyed right now but Theresa’s personality is intoxicating. It is hard to stay unhappy if Theresa has a say in it.
“I’ll call him as soon as we hang up.” I tell her as though it were a promise.
“Okay, I’ll let you go then. You can call me after if you’d like or send a text. I’ll see you soon and try to hang in there. I love you lots, Kailanni!” Theresa tells me through the phone.
“Bye Theresa, I love you too!” I reply to her and hang up the phone. Theresa and I never try to hide the love and affection that we have for each other. I have known her for so many years now and spent so much time with her that she really does feel like a sister to me. I have an older brother and I have always wanted a sister. My brother still lives in Honolulu; however, he is married and has kids and is always busy with work.
I stare blankly down at my phone once more. I feel more motivated to call the investigator now, but I still wish I didn’t have to.
I pull out the note that Theresa left me, I had left it in the pocket of my scrub. I open the folded sheet of paper up and look at the numbers. I inhale deeply and exhale out deeply. I hold my phone tighter in my hand and begin to enter the number into it. Once it is entered into my phone it takes me a while to call it. Once I have finally found the courage, I call it and I put the phone on speaker instead of holding it to my ear. I am not sure why; I just don’t want to. Something about making this phone call feels dirty.
“Hello?” I hear a deep voice coming through my phone, he has a Hawaiian accent.
“Hello! Is this Thomas?” I ask. I should have prepared myself for this conversation vocally before, my voice probably sounds hysterical and squeaky.
“Yes, this is Thomas speaking.” I hear him saying calmly and confidently back to me.
The line is quiet, I hoped that he would have said something more.
“My friend, Theresa gave me this number actually she used your services before.” I begin to explain. The line is silent again. “Um, my name is Kailanni. I have some suspicions about my husband and my friend Theresa thought you could be of help.” I tell him.
“Theresa, yes, I remember Theresa.” Thomas replies. “Kailanni, I understand that you’re probably feeling a range of emotions right now. Betrayal is a hard emotion to carry, and I want to help you lighten your load. I am thankful that Theresa gave you this number because you deserve to know the truth and once you learn about it you will be able to get rid of the burden of betrayal.” He tells me and then he clears his throat. “I am not saying that your suspicions about your husband are true, in fact, I want them not to be! However, your suspicions are true to yourself right now and I promise that I can help you find closure to them.” He finishes. I am not sure what to say back to him. He is telling me all the right things, but I really don’t want to hear it.
“I think this will be much easier for us to discuss if we meet in person.” He suggests.
“Would that be okay with you?” He asks me. I nod my head and then realise he can’t see me.
I feel away with the world, like I am not completely with it right now.
“Yes. I can meet with you.” I say. I sigh and use my left hand to hold my chin.
“When would you be free?” He responds.
My only other day off this week is Saturday and that is date night with Kai. I already had this Tuesday off and I want to meet Thomas sooner. I think about how I can find the time to see him this week.
“How early do you work?” I ask him. He chuckles.
“Well, I am a private investigator. I work all hours, heck, if you even wanted to meet at three in the morning, I would be there but there would be nowhere for us to sit and eat or have a coffee, you know?” He replies. I feel a pang of guilt, having a meal or a coffee with a man that isn’t Kai? I hardly know this man too; it makes me feel as though I am cheating.
“Kailanni, you said your name is Kailanni, right?” Thomas says quickly.
“Yes.” I answer.
“Don’t worry, I will be spending far more time with your husband than I will with you.” Thomas tells me.
“Are you going to talk to him?” I ask, feeling a little shocked and it seeps into my voice.
“I’ll keep my distance. I don’t want anything to ruin the investigation.” He answers. I nod my head. “So, do you have a date in mind lady?” He asks me.
“I can meet you tomorrow at eight in the morning or I can meet you any time before two in the afternoon on Saturday.” I answer.
“Which works better for you?” He asks me in a professional tone of voice.
“Tomorrow. I think tomorrow is better.” I reply.
“Okay, Kailanni. I will see you tomorrow at eight in the morning, can I text you an address or is your husband kind of crazy?” He asks me and laughs innocently.
“He is not crazy.” I tell him defiantly.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. I’ll text you the address and I will see you tomorrow, Kailanni. Goodbye!” He says and he hangs up the phone.
That was strangely calming. I get up from the floor and put my phone on the kitchen counter. I take off my jacket and hang it on one of the chairs under the kitchen countertop. I slowly walk up the stairs and into my bedroom. I take off my clothes and enter Kai and I’s ensuite bathroom. I run the shower, get in and close the doors behind me. I decide to sink to the floor as I allow the water to rinse over me. Am I really meeting with a private investigator tomorrow to find out whether my husband is cheating on me or not? I get up from the shower floor and begin to wash myself. I wash my hair and then exit the shower. I stare at myself in the mirror when I get out and sigh. I can’t even look at myself right now. I feel so insecure about everything. Is this why we haven’t started trying for a baby yet?
I move back into the bedroom and put some comfortable pyjamas on. I would love to stay in bed however I need to eat something. I go downstairs to the kitchen again and make a light meal of roasted vegetables and rice with chicken that I left to marinade the night before. Once it is cooked, I sit at the countertop and eat in silence. I stare directly at the wall ahead of me and continue to think. When I am finished eating, I check my phone for the time. It is almost ten at night and Kai still hasn’t returned home yet. I have received a message from
Thomas an hour ago though. I don’t even want to read the message right now; I just want some normality. I sigh, usually I would watch a movie on television and wait however I just want to curl up into a ball right now, so I go back upstairs and put the film on there instead.
After the first movie I feel tired, but I decide to stay up and wait for Kai. I am becoming so tired that I don’t even want to question him about this Sophia woman. I just want to cuddle with my husband and have everything go back to the way they were before I saw that phone call this morning. I try to force myself to stay awake and keep checking the clock. Once it has reached midnight and I still have no text or calls from Kai, I decide to retire for the night. I am even more determined to meet Thomas tomorrow morning.
I turn the television off and let out a deep, annoyed sigh. I roll on my side and look at my alarm clock once more. Kai never gets home this late whenever he goes to the bar.
Where is my husband and what is taking him so long?
