Beside Still Waters (Psalm 23 Mysteries)

by Debbie Viguié

  “Who are you?” he whispered.

  3

  Dissatisfied with the crush of people at Waikiki Cindy headed back to her hotel. The concierge had told her that the hotel on the north shore where her luau was that evening had miles of sandy beaches. She grabbed her clothes for the luau and grabbed a taxi, hoping to get in some better beach time before the luau started. She even told herself that she’d be helping Geanie by scoping out the resort as a possible wedding location.

  The taxi driver seemed less inclined to conversation than her previous one and kept the radio on. Cindy sat back in the seat and stared out at the beautiful scenery including sweeping mountains and majestic ocean. Snatches of music and news caught her attention, but she tried to focus on the beauty around her.

  “The reefing of the historic navy vessel is set to take place in just a few days. In other news there’s more trouble for the proposed building site of the new megaresort on the north shore of the island. Archaeologists have discovered yet another mass grave site. All development has been halted while a full assessment of the area can be conducted. This might prove the final nail in the coffin to a project that had been estimated to bring in nearly one hundred million in revenue and create hundreds of new jobs.”

  The driver chuckled deep in his throat.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked.

  “These companies come here with no respect for the culture, the island, and this time the ancestors have had enough.”

  Cindy wasn’t quite sure how to respond to him and decided it was best if she didn’t. It sounded like this might be a political hot topic and she should steer clear.

  The newscaster went on. “-garnered mixed reactions from locals.” A selection of sound bites followed.

  “We need this revenue for the local economy,” a woman said.

  “The tourists have Waikiki. Why they need come up here? The north shore should be for kama’aina.”

  She could see her driver nodding his head and she slunk down further into her seat.

  When he finally dropped her at the front of the hotel where the luau would be it wasn’t a minute too soon. As soon as she stepped into the hotel’s lobby she felt herself begin to relax. It was open and inviting and smelled heavenly from all the flowers growing about.

  She made her way through the lobby and outside to the pool area. Beyond it the ocean beckoned and she went. Beaches in the state were all completely public so she didn’t feel the least bad as she spread out her beach towel she’d brought with her and sat herself down on it.

  There were only about a dozen other people on the beach, far fewer than were gathered around the elaborate pool several yards behind her. Most were tourists like her, but there were a couple that looked more like locals. Cindy tucked her knees up under her chin and hugged herself as she stared at the ocean and breathed in deeply of the salt air. This was what she always thought of when she thought of Hawaii. She was thrilled that it more than lived up to her expectations.

  She closed her eyes and felt the sun shining down on her, warming her within and without. Slowly she felt her muscles begin to relax one by one until only her mind was tense. Try as she might she couldn’t get the murder out of her head. She couldn’t help but wonder what Jeremiah would say about it.

  She knew exactly what Detective Mark would say. It was none of her business and she should stay clear of it. Only she was the one who had found the body. In a way didn’t that sort of make it her business?

  She sighed and stretched out on the blanket, securing a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. She thought again about Jeremiah and wished he was there to share the gorgeous view and to talk with. She enjoyed the conversations she’d been having with him more than any others she could ever recall.

  Over the last couple of months they had talked about so much, religion, work, science, art, her family. But never his family. It was odd. He had heard a hundred stories from her childhood and she couldn’t think of a single one from his that he had shared. No stories, in fact, that dealt with his life before coming to live in Pine Springs, California.

  She didn’t know why, but hoped that someday he would open up more. Of course, she wasn’t entirely blameless. After all, she’d never told him her most important story of all, the one about her sister and how she died. Cindy winced at the very thought and then jerked a minute later when she felt water hit her toes.

  She sat up quickly. The tide was coming in. She quickly dragged her blanket and bag to higher ground and then sat back down.

  It had gotten dark quickly and she glanced up and saw rainclouds overhead. She felt a splat on her nose followed by another on her arm. Then the sky seemed to open up and rain poured down. Several of the beachgoers made a beeline back to the hotel. The couple that she suspected were local didn’t seem to mind though. They were walking down the beach, talking and holding hands.

  They came up close to her and the guy flashed her a smile which she returned.

  “You no go inside with the others?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “I’m already wearing a swimsuit.”

  The girl smiled. “We have a saying in the islands. You no like the weather, wait five minutes.”

  It made Cindy laugh. The couple gave her a final smile and then continued strolling down the beach. They were right, too. After about five minutes the rain eased up and shortly afterward stopped completely. About ten minutes after that many of those who had sought shelter returned.

  Cindy checked her watch. She still had about an hour before the luau was scheduled to begin. She decided that the local couple had the right idea. She stuffed her towel inside her bag, slung the bag over her shoulder, and began walking down the beach.

  As she walked she picked up a couple of interesting bits of seashell and deposited them in her bag. A light breeze sprang up and it whipped her hair into her face. The sun was beginning to sink toward the horizon and she realized it was probably time to turn back.

  She rounded a small bend in the beach and stopped short as she saw a vast expanse of ground that looked like it had been partially cleared of trees and grass. A few heaping mounds of dirt were scattered around, like some giant dog had been digging in the earth for a prized bone.

  She stared for a moment and then heard the sudden, sharp sounds of arguing. Startled she swiveled her head and saw two men pulling a kayak up on the beach. They picked something up out of it that was wrapped in a tarp and they began moving toward one of the holes.

  The hair prickled on the back of her neck as she clearly heard one of the men say, “Don’t drop him. The bones need to be intact.”

  “I didn’t drop her so why you complaining?” the second man asked.

  This had to be the burial site and the location for the planned resort she’d heard about on the radio.

  A third man appeared from behind one of the mounds. He turned and saw her, the sun glinting off his dark hair. He raised his hand as though to shield his eyes and she waved, not wanting to disturb them. Then she turned and beat a hasty retreat, sure that she’d seen enough bodies for one day, even if these were old skeletons.

  By the time she made it back to the resort the sun had set. She used the bathroom near the pool to change into her clothes for the luau. Then she joined a long line of people waiting to get in.

  Long tables were set and waiting and she could see buffet tables loaded with food. The scents were delicious and they made her mouth water even as she found a place at one of the tables. She was soon joined by a couple about her age. The woman had long dark blonde hair and the man had wavy black hair. They introduced themselves as Jean and Charles. She soon discovered that the couple lived on one of the other islands and was on vacation. She was also fascinated to learn that he was an archaeologist.

  “Have you heard about what’s going on with the resort they want to build down the beach?” Cindy asked as they waited for their table to be excused to get in the buffet line.

  “Hard not to,” Charles said with a shake o
f his head. “It’s difficult on everyone when something like this happens.”

  “Is it normal to find mass grave sites like that?” she asked, unable to control her curiosity, particularly since having just observed the site.

  “Sure. A couple of years ago a group of sixty bodies was discovered in one area of our island. Think of them as the equivalent of modern graveyards. Plus, the historic population was not that much different than the current one. Whether you live in the sixteenth century or the twenty-first century you still want to be as close to the ocean as possible. That makes it challenging here in the islands because the current population sits right on top of the bones of the ancient population.”

  She shuddered. “That’s a little gruesome...a little too Poltergeist.”

  Jean chuckled as she took a sip of her punch.

  George continued. “Most of the companies who do archaeology in the islands specialize in conservation resource management. There are a lot of laws on the books about how remains are to be treated when they are found. Someone wants to put in a new septic tank and a body is found usually we can have it reinterred with a blessing a short distance away and mark the spot so that anyone who wants to can visit it. When you start dealing with multiple bodies, though, the most desirable solution is to leave them where they’re at.”

  “Even if that means the hotel can’t be built?” Cindy asked.

  “Exactly,” Jean chimed in.

  She thought of what she’d heard on the radio. Clearly the islanders had mixed thoughts about whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

  Their table was finally called and soon Cindy was feasting on roast pig, teriyaki beef, and lomi lomi salmon. She couldn’t remember food ever tasting so delicious and Jean and Charles had so many funny stories about living in the islands that it kept her laughing all through dinner.

  The show portion of the evening was spectacular and she marveled at the dancers, particularly the fire knife dancer who closed out the show. When it was all over the last thing she wanted was to leave, but after saying goodnight to Jean and Charles she got another taxi to return her to her hotel.

  This taxi driver was talkative, but mostly he went on about his daughter who had been one of the featured dancers in the show. Cindy was pleased to be able to tell him how much she had enjoyed her performance and the man’s enthusiasm and pride were infectious.

  When he finally dropped her off at her hotel she made her way slowly back to her room. It was moments like this she really missed having someone to discuss the evening with and her thoughts once again turned to Jeremiah. It would be well after midnight back home, though, so she didn’t call.

  After showering, Cindy changed into her pajamas and then turned on the television, hoping to find something to watch that would help her unwind. She stopped when she recognized the dining room of Uncle’s restaurant.

  A reporter was standing in front of the restaurant while the camera focused over his left shoulder to the interior where a couple of police officers could be seen.

  Change the channel, she told herself.

  Instead she turned up the volume.

  “...was the grizzly site of a murder today. Makana Onakea was found dead today in the kitchen of his restaurant. Police have confirmed that he had been shot. It’s unclear at this time what might have motivated the attack and police aren’t saying if they have any suspects. We have learned that it was a tourist who discovered his body earlier today.”

  Cindy felt her stomach tighten. No, leave me out of it, she begged silently.

  “Onakea, who was simply known as Uncle to restaurant patrons, was 56. He opened the restaurant twenty years ago and has been serving local favorites since then. We’ll keep you updated as we get more information about this senseless crime.”

  Cindy turned the television off and tucked her knees up under her chin. She again fought down a sudden urge to call Jeremiah. He would be picking her up at the airport on Tuesday and she could tell him all about it then.

  She grabbed the deck of cards she’d bought at the gift shop and sat down at the table in the room to play some solitaire. She just hoped it would help her calm down enough to get to sleep.

  ~

  Sunday morning dawned and Cindy was standing on a dock, watching the sun dance over the water. The sight moved her, stirred her spiritually. It was impossible not to feel somehow closer to God there in that place. She was a few minutes early and she savored the moments spending time in prayer and contemplation.

  A couple minutes later the rest of the tourists arrived and the crew began to help them aboard. There were twenty of them going out. The boat tour circled part of the island and then they would stop in one spot where they could go snorkeling on a reef for an hour. She didn’t plan to get in the water but she was fully prepared to enjoy the sights and the sounds of being out on it.

  Cindy stepped up to the boat, a beautiful white catamaran called Pearl of the Sea. One of the crew offered her his hand to steady her as she stepped on board. She looked at him and realized in surprise that she recognized him as one of the men she had seen at the archaeological site the night before.

  “Oh! Hello again,” she said, feeling awkward as she simultaneously smiled at him and tripped.

  His grin changed quickly to a frown. He searched her face, clearly trying to figure out how they knew each other. “Careful, it will take a minute to get your sea legs,” he said.

  “Sorry,” she said, grabbing onto a rail and letting go of his hand.

  She felt like an idiot.

  She moved to take a seat. The boat was rocking gently and she found that it was indeed going to take her a minute to feel stable on the boat. Some passengers stood at the rails, others were seated in chairs on deck.

  Cindy made her way to one of the chairs and sat gratefully. She glanced around at the other passengers, mostly couples and at least one family of five. Everyone was smiling and laughing, soaking up the sun, happy and carefree.

  She envied them with a sudden, intense rush of feeling. What would it be like to be them? Her own life often felt so small and stifled. The truth was her sister’s death when they were children had affected her deeply. It had thrown a pall over her entire life, she realized with painful clarity.

  She had tried to live such a life of safety, tried to control everything and ended up being just scared and secretly miserable. Maybe that was one of the reasons she had always felt such anger toward her brother, Kyle. He traveled the world doing reckless stunts for his television travel show. She’d always thought he was needlessly risking his life and she had nearly hated him for it. Now, sitting on the catamaran under the Hawaiian sun, surrounded by ocean, she realized that he had been living.

  She was the one who had been dying.

  And then she thought of Jeremiah. The murderous events she had gotten involved with the last year had strengthened her, helped her put aside much of her fear. Though he hadn’t caused that, he’d only been the person there by her side going through it with her, she was still grateful to him. She credited him with helping her change, even if the change was slow.

  As she thought of him she wondered if he could help her grow so much more, step out into the world with boldness and courage. She couldn’t help but feel that with him by her side she could do anything.

  “Aloha! Welcome aboard, everyone.”

  She turned to look at the speaker. He was the man who had helped her onto the boat.

  “My name is Al. On behalf of the crew of the Pearl of the Sea I’d like to welcome you onboard. Sodas and water are in the coolers. The restroom is downstairs. If there’s anything we can do to make your experience today more enjoyable just let us know. We’ll be getting underway here in just a minute. So, sit back and relax.”

  A minute later she felt the boat begin to turn and then they were headed out to sea. After a minute they picked up speed until it felt like the boat was practically jumping the waves.

  Cindy breathed in deep of the fresh, salty
air as her stomach lurched with the boat. She saw some of her fellow passengers pointing to the bow of the ship and she gathered from the snatches of conversation she heard that someone had spotted dolphins.

  As interested as she was in seeing them she was more interested in trying to regain her equilibrium. Finally the boat turned again and slowed slightly and the motion became gentler. Now they were cruising, nearly parallel to the shore and she marveled at the scenery. Green mountains devoid of human life beckoned. It was such a contrast to busy Honolulu and yet it was such a short distance away from the city.

  Maybe that was part of the magic of Hawaii. Most of it was still wild, untamed. Spend enough time there, step past the boundaries of Waikiki, and the veneer of civilization began to fall away and primitive tropic wilderness beckoned.

  “It’s like a Siren song.”

  She glanced up, startled. Al was standing, staring from the mountains to the ocean and then finally looking at her.

  “Yes. It’s so...”

  “Wild?” he asked with a smile.

  She nodded. “That’s the word that came to mind.”

  “You know there are places in the islands where no man has set foot?”

  “That’s fantastic,” she murmured. It was also a little frightening in some ways. She had spent her life living in urban areas, and while she had been to places like Yosemite even that seemed knowable, controllable.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude earlier,” he said. “I’m just trying to remember where I know you from.”

  “Oh, nowhere really. I saw you last night on the north shore at the place where they’ve found those bodies, and it just surprised me to see you again. I assumed you were an archaeologist.”

  He gave her a tight smile. “It’s a small island. Most of us work more than one job and we do what’s needed to help out when there is a need.”

  “Oh, that makes sense,” she said, feeling both embarrassed and intensely grateful that she only had one job to contend with back home.