Pāhonoa te oro

I didn’t know if I was dead or not because everything felt painfully familiar. The floor beneath us was tiled and spotless, reflecting the pale fluorescent lights above. The walls were white, unmarked, and stretched farther than I could see in either direction. Above me, fluorescent lights buzzed with a tired persistence, like they’d been overdue for replacement for decades. On the tile wall across from me was a sign: PLEASE WAIT. A REPRESENTATIVE WILL BE WITH YOU SHORTLY. I remember thinkin