Nikki is the only friend he has from his younger days , and he holds their friendship very close to his heart . He wants to come to Niihau to escape reality so - to - speak , and because he feels he 's worth the luxury in paradise . ( It has nothing to do with Nikki . Aha , nothing , nothing at all .

Give answer the following question using evidence from the above passage: Why is Nikki important to the narrator ?
Because they have known each other a long time