Heke Mai
By Elizabeth Kolp, 16, Wisconsin
Kate stays in her bed, day-in and day-out. But she still doesn’t feel awake or well-rested. Not once does she think about tomorrow or even the next week. She has a big, bouncy, full-size bed that sinks and rises to comfort her tired body. And a pillow that is as thick as a loaf of bread with a brown, satin pillowcase which smells like delicious milk chocolate. Her bed is topped with a tan soft sheet that helps to keep the bed cooler. And even with the big, bouncy, full-size bed topped with a tan soft bed sheet with a pillow as thick as a loaf of bread with a brown, satin pillowcase that smells like delicious milk chocolate– she still cannot sleep well. Mother thinks it is because Kate is too silly and doesn’t think about what happens next. Mother knows Kate chooses to play with her doll rather than stay still and fall asleep.
When Mother tells Kate to go to sleep, Kate insists that she cannot because a monster lives in her closet. “Kate, you need to go to bed. The monster will not bother you,” Mother tells her, ushering her to bed. “Well this monster will,” she argues. “He is big, and scary, and good–but also bad- and he’s very, very, very loud.”
“Well Kate, your imagination needs to quiet down and let you fall asleep.” Mother pats the satin pillowcase and the smell of milk chocolate wafts into the air.
“No Mother! It is not my imagination- The monster is named Heke Mai, and he lives in my chilly, narrow closet on the tippy-top shelf,” Kate gestures toward the shelf, “He smells like stardust– a smell that can only be described as ‘sweet’ gasoline, and he sounds like sharp, piercing wind, and the longer I am awake, the louder he gets.” She stands on her big, bouncy, full-size bed topped with a tan soft bed sheet with a pillow as thick as a loaf of bread and raises her arm. “Some days he is this tall and SUPER loud; this is when he has had a good day.” She lowers her arm. “And other days, he is this tall and very quiet, this is when he’s had a bad day.”
“Kate, my dear, you must go to sleep,” Mother begins tucking the tan soft bed sheet around Kate as she lays her head on the satin pillowcase that smells like delicious milk chocolate. “This monster, Heke Mai, is telling you something.” Mother sits down on the edge of Kate’s big, bouncy bed and wraps her warm hand around Kate’s. “My dear daughter, your future is so bright. It’s warm and rich like the freshly-baked cookies you love. The monster in your closet, Heke Mai, is not scary– he is actually quite friendly. He is just trying to help you.” Little Kate in her big, bouncy, full-size bed that is topped with a tan soft bed sheet with a pillow as thick as a loaf of bread with a brown, satin pillowcase that smells like delicious milk chocolate turns her head toward the once chilly, narrow closet and smiles.
“Heke Mai is the future, Kate,” Mother explains. He may scare you sometimes, but that is okay. You will have to be brave and embrace the sounds of the sharp, piercing winds. You will need to be strong and face Heke Mai when he is tall and creepy. You will need to be fierce and smell the stardust. You will need to face him to be Kate.”
Kate untangles herself from the cozy, warm blanket and trudges toward the chilly, narrow closet. Cautiously, she tips her head to look at Heke Mai. She sees, smells, hears the future. Her face stays blank. She knows the future isn’t something to be scared of but something to think about…something to dream about. Something that will always be Kate’s.
I wrote this for a project in English class. While writing the story, I thought of how as a child I was always scared of the monsters in the closet. The young girl in the story is scared of a monster named Heke Mai, which means the future, which can be big and scary.
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