# August 1, 2007
#-1. Paia, Maui, Hawaii
Mornings in Hawaii start very early. Work usually runs from 8 to 4. Most schools also have their first bells at 8:00 AM.
On my very first day of school, I woke up at 5:40 AM. A delicious aroma was already wafting up from the kitchen downstairs.
Grumble—
After giving my honestly protesting stomach a light pat, I hopped out of bed and began my morning routine. First, I slipped into my indoor shoes and pulled back the curtains.
Swish—
I opened the window and looked up at the sky. Mmm. It looked like it was going to be another clear, beautiful day.
Feeling refreshed, I walked back to the bed, made it neatly, and sprayed the fabric deodorizer my mother had made.
Spritz. Spritz.
Just as I finished, a voice called out as if on cue.
"Mo—i!! Are you awake?!"
"Yes, Mom!!"
"Then come down and eat!!"
"I'm coming!!"
When I reached the ground floor, I was greeted by the sight of a bustling kitchen. We are a rather large family.
My mother. My eldest uncle and his wife. My second uncle and his wife. My youngest aunt. And Uncle Iwai.
When you add in all the children, we easily exceed ten people. Since my father stays in Oahu during the week for work and only comes to Maui on weekends, this was our typical Tuesday lineup.
"Good morning, everyone!"
"Morning, Moi. Did you sleep well?"
"Yes! Is there anything I can help with?"
"No, dear. Just take a seat."
"Okay."
Despite the occasional bickering, our family got along remarkably well for a household consisting of three families and one single adult. It was all thanks to the unique Hawaiian culture of Ohana.
As I sat down, my eldest aunt spoke up.
"Today is the first day of school, right?"
"Yes. I'm so excited."
"Our kids were so worried on their first day. It's strange, but I'm not worried about you at all, Moi."
"I'm telling you, this kid is going to run the place," my cousin Malcolm chimed in.
Malcolm is my cousin, five years older than me. We've always gotten along well.
After breakfast, I went back upstairs to the bathroom. Once I finished washing up, I put on the clothes I had picked out the night before.
I never thought I'd be nervous about starting elementary school again. I guess remembering my past life doesn't mean I'm still an adult in spirit. I straightened my clothes in front of the mirror.
"Alright. Let's do this!"
After a quick, playful shimmy to loosen up, I walked over to my desk and stared at the paper taped to the wall.
[Goal: Become the Greatest Quarterback!]
I folded my hands and said a quick prayer in front of it. Soon, a voice called from downstairs again.
"Moi! It's time for school!"
"Coming, Auntie!"
6:40 AM. I left the house with my youngest aunt, Mel (Melissa). From Paia, where our house and my mother's restaurant are located, to the elementary school in Kahului, it's about a 20-minute drive.
However, this was rush hour. We had to leave at least 40 minutes early. Since the school bell rings at 7:40 AM, leaving an hour ahead was the only way to be safe. Fortunately, Aunt Mel's workplace is in Kahului, so she can drive me every day.
I really like Aunt Mel.
Clack.
"Buckle your seatbelt first."
"Already did."
"What did I tell you?"
"Strike first, win first!"
"That's my boy. Shall we go?"
Aunt Mel is 26 this year. She graduated from a university on the mainland and even got a job there, but she moved back to the island for some reason. The adults didn't want me to hear the details, but I've gathered enough from context.
Now, she works at a furniture store in Kahului with a high school friend. Luckily, the owner is a kind person, and she seems quite happy with her job. Even now, Aunt Mel was humming to herself.
Wait. Her makeup is pretty heavy today. Until now, I usually went back to sleep right after breakfast, so I didn't realize she did her makeup like this for work.
"Mel?"
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Is there someone you like at work?"
"Pffft!"
Aunt Mel, who was drinking water, spat it out. She turned to me with wide, shocked eyes.
"Moi! How on earth did you know?!"
"I was right, wasn't I?"
"Shhh! It's a secret from the others, okay?"
"Of course. We're partners in crime." "Honestly... you really surprise me sometimes."
"What kind of guy is he?"
"Well, you see..."
I had planned to play a prank on him if he was some loser, but seeing the look on her face, I changed my mind. The expression of someone in love is a beautiful thing to see—just like when my parents look at each other.
Listening to Mel's story made the commute feel incredibly short.
"Thanks, Auntie."
"One last time, what's the rule?"
"Strike first, win first."
"Exactly."
We bumped fists through the passenger window, shared identical smiles, and I turned toward the school. I looked up at the sign.
[Lihikai Elementary School]
After adjusting my backpack straps, I walked forward with purpose. I saw a man and a woman standing at the entrance. They must be the teachers.
"Hey! You there!"
"Me?"
The man, presumably a teacher, called me over. As I approached, he said:
"Fourth grade and up starts tomorrow. Today is only the orientation for first graders."
"Um... I am a first grader."
"...What?"
I knew this would happen. I'd been mistaken for an older kid plenty of times in the neighborhood. I pulled out my enrollment papers.
Dwayne Moi Stone. Age: 5.
In Hawaii, eligibility for the August elementary school intake is determined based on a June 30th cutoff. I turned five last December 26th, making me eligible for this August.
"Five years old? You?"
"I'm a bit big for my age."
"...."
"...."
The teachers looked at each other in disbelief. Soon, both wore serious expressions, and the man led me into the building. We headed to the main office. And there...
"Is it possible..."
"...."
"...that you won't bully the other children?" "Excuse me??"
I had suddenly become a "student to watch out for." Good grief. I guess growing faster than everyone else has its downsides.
# September 4, 2010
#-1. Kahului, Maui, Hawaii
#-2. Lihikai Elementary School
In my past life, my school days were the definition of depression. I was smaller than my peers and had a dark personality. I was always a target for bullying. But this life is different.
"Hey."
"Huh?"
"M-Moi."
"Did you just bully him right in front of me?" "Uh... well..."
"I'm sorry!!"
"You two, follow me. Now."
From my very first day at Lihikai Elementary, I naturally drew attention. About a week after starting, I dealt with a fat kid who was bullying a small, thin boy, along with the two idiots following him around. From that moment on, I became the "Boss."
Even the upperclassmen avoided me, and before I knew it, I had a group of followers. Naturally, the school was concerned. So, I chose a different path.
Slide—
"Mr. Peter! These guys were bullying the younger kids again!"
"M-Moi. It's you again. Phew—"
I became the school's vigilante. Thanks to that, my reputation was at an all-time high. It reached a point where even the teachers, when faced with a problem student, would say, "Moi, I'm sorry, but could you go have a 'talk' with him?"
After dropping the troublemakers off at the office, I brushed off my hands and stepped back into the hallway. The kid who had been bullied earlier was waiting for me.
"T-thank you."
"Don't mention it. I just did what had to be done."
"You're the best, Boss! I want to follow you!" "Sure."
"Really? I can?"
"Yeah. But on one condition."
The boy, whose name was Corey, gulped. I leaned down and looked him straight in the eye.
"Eat well. Do your homework. And get along with your friends."
"T-that's really it?"
"Yeah. We're friends. That's what friends does."
I gently patted Corey's head as his eyes sparkled. Feeling satisfied, I headed out for my after-school activities. Today was Track and Field.
You might wonder why I'm not playing football yet. The truth is, starting organized football in high school is plenty early. In fact, playing too young can be detrimental to the brain—it can actually shorten a player's career. Many pros didn't start until high school; they usually played other sports before then.
So, I chose track first. When I get to middle school, I plan to pick up javelin and baseball as well.
"Moi? You are our hope."
Mr. Thomas Jackson, the track coach at Lihikai, was obsessed with me. Last year, the USATF 8-and-under 100m record was 13.74 seconds. After I smashed it with a 12.98 in Houston, his obsession intensified. Of course, the fact that I also held the 8-and-under records for the 200m (27.38s) and 400m (59.11s) probably helped.
This year, I'm competing in the 9-10 age division, challenging records that haven't been broken since 1991. Well, the game is already over. Those records are about to fall. Why?
"…I don't believe it. 27.08 seconds."
"Yeah! That's a new record, right?"
"Moi, you beautiful kid!!"
If it weren't for professional boundaries, Mr. Jackson looked ready to lift me up and kiss me. After finally escaping his hug, I resumed training.
There's a specific reason I chose track. While a quarterback runs less than a wide receiver or a running back, football is a dynamic sport.
Every player needs to know how to walk and run correctly. Learning proper mechanics at a young age strengthens the hips and core, reducing the risk of injury.
So, doing track isn't a distraction. It's an investment in my future. The same goes for the other sports I'll play later.
"You could be the next Carl Lewis," Mr. Jackson said, unable to hide his excitement. I'm sorry, Coach, but my future was decided from the start. To reach it, I will continue to climb these steps, one by one.
# On the way home
#-1. Inside Mel's car
A lot had changed in the three years since I started school, but the bond between Aunt Mel and me remained the same. Actually, it grew even stronger.
"I got a feeling—!"
"That tonight's gonna be a good night—!" "That tonight's gonna be a good night—!" "Let's go—!"
Aunt Mel and I were currently screaming along to a song that was a massive hit on the Billboard charts. In this life, 2000s hip-hop is incredibly popular. (In my past life, the 2020s were the golden age of hip-hop, while the 2000s were dominated by pop and dance-electronic).
Whenever a familiar melody played through the speakers, I'd briefly drift back to memories of my past life.
"I'm stressed out! I wanna let it go!"
"Let's go across the line and do some—!" "Woo! Mel?"
"Oh, sorry. Definitely no drugs."
"Exactly."
"Hurry up and play the song!"
"Got it."
I resumed the music. People watched us dancing and singing at the top of our lungs with amused expressions. But we didn't care.
This was our ritual.
The singing continued even after we got home and stepped out of the car. It was a different song now.
"Meet me at the hotel!"
"Hotel! Motel!"
As we were wiggling our hips and dancing in the driveway, the lady next door—who always seemed to be watering her garden at this exact time—looked at us with a judgmental expression. But we knew the truth. She actually enjoyed watching us. That's why she came out at the same time every day.
"Hotel! Motel!"
Before heading through the front door, I popped my head out and gave the neighbor a bright, beaming smile. In response, her face contorted. I loved seeing that grumpy face.
"See you tomorrow!"
"Don't dance tomorrow!!"
"Maybe?!"
The same conversation every time. Tomorrow will surely be the same.
6:00 PM. Dinner was served. Unless there was a major sporting event like the Super Bowl, my mother's restaurant always closed at 5:00 PM.
"How was school today?"
"Same as usual, Mom."
"Your father is coming tomorrow. You know that, right?"
"Of course."
Tomorrow is the day the whole family gathers. A warm, hearty table. Aunt Mel asking to commute together again. My family and Uncle Iwai asking about my day.
This is how I am enjoying my peaceful, daily life.