Michelle knew Heather hated the usual kind of bridal party, with silly games and lurid gifts. So Michelle arranged a picnic on the beach with a catered lunch.
All the bride’s maids were there, among some other friends of Heather’s. A few of the women loved surfing, so they brought their boards and caught some good waves at the Kaalawai beach near Waikiki. The others swam and body-surfed. Then, exhausted from the sun and waves, they ate the enormous luncheon Michelle provided.
Of course, there were the usual gifts. Heather now had enough see-through nighties and underwear to last for years to come.
That was the one detail she didn’t tell her parents as they drove to the Outrigger Hotel in Waikiki.
“They’re searching for a blond guy,” Omar said. He and Samson were sitting in their Hyatt hotel room late at night. “You have to dye it back to black. Your roots are showing anyway.”
Omar was itching to get rid of the wax in his cheeks and stuffed beside his gums. It was necessary for his disguise, distorting his face, but it felt awful. His beard itched, too.
He was vain and conceited, hating the fact that he had to hide his handsome face with a beard and wear bulky clothing, concealing his superb physique.
Omar was used to women practically swooning just looking at him. With this masquerade he felt demeaned, lessened as a man. He hated it and got rid of the blue contacts that hid his dark, almost black eyes.
Since Samson had to keep out of the public eye, Omar went to get the hair dye at an all-night drugstore near his hotel in Waikiki. The counter woman gave him a weird look; a bald guy buying hair dye.
“For your girlfriend?” she asked, sarcastically.
He felt his eyes responding with anger at the stupid woman. He looked down hurriedly to disguise the yellow eye-flash and rapidly left the store. He had to be quick, before his anger got the better of him and he hurt her.
As Samson, waited for Omar to return, went through the Hawaii Star Newspaper. There, he saw a wedding announcement for Heather and Mike.
He slowly and carefully typed a text message to Omar on his phone. He’d never been to school, so there were lots of misspelled words. His fingers were so big and clumsy it was a major task for him.
Omar got Samson’s text as he left the drugstore. He easily saw through the mistakes, as he was used to reading messages from Samson.
He smiled for what seemed like the first time in ages, since donning this atrocious disguise.
Michelle’s friend Heather was getting married in two days. His children would be in the wedding as Heather’s flower girls.
Evidently it was to be an enormous event and everyone would be distracted, watching the new couple and mingling around at the party afterward.
It was perfect, Omar thought exultantly.
Chapter 22
There was a lot of paperwork from the city of Honolulu, and Rod had to hire two firemen, but his wedding gift for Heather and Mike was complete. There would be a fireworks display over the ocean as they said their final vows.
The timing of the fireworks show was critical. He had left the hospital early, against doctor’s orders, to arrange everything so it would go smoothly. He kept checking weather reports and hoped he correctly calculated exactly when the sun would set over the ocean. If the wedding ceremony ended before the sky darkened, the sunlight would obscure the spectacle.
The guests would be seated facing the ocean, so it should go as planned. The marriage ceremony was to begin just before sunset.
The other thing that could ruin the fireworks was the weather. In Hawaii, with the trade winds, a big fat cloud front could blow in over Waikiki and send down buckets of rain over the area. Ten minutes later, trade winds would blow the clouds away and the sun would come out, quickly drying everything that had been drenched. It happened all the time and was totally unpredictable, providing the island’s beautiful and tropical vegetation with water, but Rod hoped it wouldn’t happen during the wedding, not only for the ceremony everyone was looking forward to, but it would certainly cancel the fireworks.
He arranged for a lookout man who would be watching from far away on Diamond Head with binoculars. When Rod raised his right arm, the lookout guy would signal to the men handling the fireworks to begin the show. They were stationed safely on a boat in the ocean.
The other problem that concerned Rod was being Mike’s best man. He had to keep his arm braced against his chest. Wearing his tux with one sleeve dangling down, empty, would look strange.
When he got out of the hospital, Rod went to Heather and Mike’s place down the hallway and asked Mike if he wanted to pick another of the groomsmen to take his place. He thought he would look odd, especially in the wedding photos.
“Are you kidding me? I don’t care if you’re wearing the wedding cake. You’re it. Period. End of story,” Mike answered.
Heather was there and said, “The groom gets final say. You’re best man, Rod.”
He thought he would look peculiar, and he might have a problem producing Mike’s ring with only one hand during the ceremony. He didn’t want to fumble it, possibly dropping the ring, but gave in to their wishes.
“Time for your bath,” Michelle said when he got back to his own place.
He had to laugh. She sounded just like she was telling a child to take a bath before bedtime.
It was difficult for Rod to shower because he had to keep water off the bandaged areas. So Michelle had been standing in the shower with him the last few nights, making sure he got clean and kept the parts that were supposed to stay dry, dry.
It was a ritual they both enjoyed.
The wedding day finally arrived. All the bridesmaids, flower girls, and Michelle were with Heather at her condominium. There they donned their dresses, did the final touch-ups with hair and makeup, and helped Heather into her gown.
Michelle noted that her form-fitting burgundy maid of honor dress was tight over her abdomen. The baby was finally making an appearance, and she was thrilled.
“I thought the bride was supposed to be nervous,” Michelle commented as she helped zip up Heather’s dress.
“No. I’m just so happy. In a couple of hours I’ll be Mrs. Kapahu.”
Michelle thought Heather looked spectacular as she put on her veil. And her three daughters, in short, pink, gauzy dresses were darling flower girls. Sometimes she wished she could tell everyone they were her own daughters, they were so cute. Each had a strong personality and Michelle was fascinated whenever she spent time with them.
Right now the girls wanted to go to Michelle’s condo just down the hallway, and pet Lucifer. But it was late and a stretch limousine was waiting downstairs to take them all to the Moana Hotel, where the wedding ceremony would take place.
The girls almost started crying, their faces puckering and fat tears showing in their eyes. They weren’t being manipulative, they were sad.
Michelle couldn’t stand seeing the mournful faces on the tiny girls. She told them they could come over after the wedding and see Lucifer. They smiled up at her and hugged her legs, something Michelle enjoyed immensely.
Michelle stood on the high terrace of the Moana Hotel. The three little girls were in front of her holding big baskets filled with rose petals. Michelle, as maid of honor, was right behind the girls, and the six other bridesmaids lined up after her. Heather was last in the line-up, all waiting for the music to signal when the ceremony was to begin.
Down below Michelle could see the wedding guests, seated and waiting. It was an enormous group because almost three hundred people had come to see Mike and Heather get married.
Sitting in the front row of wedding spectators, she saw Heather’s and Mike’s parents and relatives. Leilanie was also in the front row because her children were the flower girls.
There was a red carpet laid between the rows of seated guests that the bridal procession would go down. The carpeted aisle led to a white arched gazebo, garlanded with gorgeous orchids and roses, where the minister stoo
d waiting.
As Michelle watched from above, Mike came around the seated guests from the side. He stood at the left side of the gazebo. Rod and the other groomsmen lined up beside him.
The music started and the three little girls looked up at Michelle. She smiled at their beaming faces and said, “Yes. You can go now.”
They hopped down the stairs and started down the aisle, throwing petals on the carpet. It hadn’t been in the rehearsal, but Shelly started throwing petals in the air. She was first in line, and did a little pirouette. Ivory and Petal saw what she was doing and imitated her. The girls were all laughing, having fun.
Suddenly all the guests were laughing too as they watched the impromptu show, which spurred the girls on. They not only threw petals on the carpet or in the air, they were tossing petals at the guests as though they were delivering wonderful gifts.
Michelle was practically in hysterics, watching the three tiny girls. The bridesmaids all clustered around her, trying not to laugh.
Evidently her daughters, unlike Michelle, liked being in the limelight. They skipped, did quick little turns, and threw petals.
The guests hit with petals didn’t seem to mind, gently brushing them to the grass. Michelle tried to don a serious expression when the girls were almost at the gazebo.
She heard sporadic clapping at the girls’ antics, and looked to see who it was. It wasn’t from the seated guests. People had drifted over from the beach, going home because the sun was nearly down. They stopped to watch the wedding, standing in the sand.
It was time for her to walk in stately, serious fashion down the aisle. Michelle controlled her laughing fit and walked in time to the music, followed by the other bridesmaids.
Besides the onlookers from the beach, Michelle glanced up at the huge hotel behind them. There were probably many hotel guests watching the wedding from the windows above.
When the bridesmaids got to the altar, they lined up and the wedding march music began.
Heather glided down the terrace steps, and then down the aisle, holding her father’s arm, appearing angelic and very happy.
It was now almost dusk; the sun, like a big orange balloon, was sinking into the sea. The grounds lights and ambient light from the huge hotel behind them lit up the ceremony. The gazebo also had twinkling lights that came on.
Michelle glanced at Rod for a moment and winked. The timing was perfect for the fireworks.
Now the minister was talking to Mike and Heather. He gave a nice sermon and the rings were exchanged. The I-do’s were repeated. Love and honor was the message. The ‘obey,’ at Heather’s request to the minister, had been deleted.
Heather and Mike were declared Man and Wife.
Heather threw her arms around Mike almost before the minister could say, “You can now kiss the bride.”
The kiss was prolonged and everyone was clapping.
Rod, gazing toward Diamond Head, lifted his right arm high in the air.
There was a ‘dum-da-da-dum’ from a drummer on the terrace above the guests.
Heather and Mike were holding hands, smiling at the crowd when a huge, ‘Ah,’ with indrawn breath came from the spectators. They were pointing up at the sky.
Heather and Mike, who had been facing forward, toward the guests turned around and saw the gorgeous fireworks display beginning over the ocean.
Round plumes of red, white, and blue lights lit up the sky above the water. The fireworks display started small, and then the really big blooms began, filling the sky with beautiful lights. The fireworks show lasted about five minutes.
Then everyone was standing up, cheering the newly married couple as they went back down the aisle through the guests, up the stairs to the terrace, and inside the ballroom where the reception and dinner was to be held.
The guests followed them inside for the much awaited party.
Chloe and Louise were dressed in their most beautiful gowns. Omar looked them over critically and nodded. They would do. In the huge crowd no one would notice that they were not invited wedding guests.
His own costume was the requisite black tie get-up. But it was more difficult for Omar. He was padded underneath his clothes, and using the abhorred wax in his cheeks and gums. The blue contacts were installed in his eyes. He looked in the mirror and, much to his disgust, saw a fat, bearded, bald man, with a distorted face.
Omar had a cane that he could lean upon, so he could hunch his back to disguise his height. He was uncomfortable, hot with the padding around his middle, and hated the way he appeared.
But now all was ready to crash the party.
Samson was stationed on the beach below the hotel terrace. He was wearing jeans and a tee shirt. Ready for the handover of the children.
Chapter 23
No one noticed anything amiss when Chloe and Louise slipped into the Moana Hotel ballroom with Omar. If they did notice, they probably thought the two women had just come back after a visit to the power room down the hallway, with Omar escorting them.
The three found an empty table and sat down, gazing around to locate the little girls. The ballroom was large and tastefully elegant in a gold and white motif. The band stood on the stage in front of a large dance floor. There were gorgeous displays of flowers on every table, with crystal goblets and silver utensils on blindingly white tablecloths.
Waiters were going around, clearing the plates, as dinner had just finished. Soft music was playing as the guests mingled around the room.
Chloe nodded toward the children, and then Louise and Omar saw them, too.
Omar decided they had timed it just right. It would have had a problem if they’d entered during dinner. There wouldn’t have been any seating for them at the tables surrounding the dance floor.
As Omar gazed around he saw Michelle on the dance floor with that horrid man he despised, Rod Nakamura. He wanted to gnash his teeth together, they looked so happy. Too bad Samson had missed killing Rod, Omar thought. But his time would come.
Then Omar saw something even worse as they walked together off the dance floor holding hands and smiling at each other. Michelle was pregnant! She was going to have Rod’s child. It was obvious. She had that unmistakable pregnancy glow and a small abdominal bump.
Now he was really angry and closed his eyes quickly. The yellow glow would show, even through his blue contact lenses.
He couldn’t abide it. Rod had to go. But now Omar was rethinking his original schemes for Michelle, too. He didn’t care if she was pregnant. How dare she conceive a child with Rod?
Together they had three children, he and Michelle. That should be enough. She and Leilanie had become friends, so Michelle had to know she was the biological mother. Evidently Michelle didn’t want children sired by him. She’d left them with Leilanie. He fumed. Michelle wanted only Rod Nakamura’s baby. It was an affront, pure and simple, he thought, and a furious rage built inside him.
Leilanie didn’t notice the two French women, or she would have recognized then, and then realized there was a possible threat to her and the girls. She didn’t see Omar, either. She was busy watching her children.
Leilanie saw Petal peer around to see if anyone was watching her. Then the little girl reached up and took a full glass of something bubbly off one of the tables. She took a great gulp. In moments, her eyes widened with surprise and tears rolled down her cheeks from the alcohol. Champagne was something the adults seemed to like a lot, so she wanted to taste it. She bent over and spit on the floor several times, trying to get rid of the vial taste.
She probably thought it was nasty, Leilanie thought, trying not to smile. Shelly and Ivory both spit it out as well. But they had to try it, too.
Children needed to learn that adult stuff was for the grownups, Leilanie thought. She wanted them to have the freedom to experiment, so she pretended she didn’t notice what they’d done. She’d talk to them later about sneaking stuff and spitting at parties.
Right now they were having so much fun she didn’t want
to interfere. It seemed that everyone wanted to pick the girls up and hold them, and they were basking in the attention.
Rod had danced with each of the girls, holding them up with his one good arm and spinning around on the dance floor until they were giggling with delight.
There was a pause in the music. The leader of the band took up the microphone and asked everyone to sit down. The newlywed couple would now take the floor for a solo dance.
Mike and Heather went to the middle of the dance floor, smiling and holding tight to each other. The band did a wonderful rendition of Elvis Presley’s song, ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.’
After that, Heather danced with her father, and Mike danced with her mother. Then Mike’s parents joined in.
“Everyone is invited. You can all dance now,” the band leader announced.
“Now!” Omar said.
All the wedding guests crowded around the dance floor. Leilanie went with them, craning her neck, trying to see where her children were. The girls were so tiny they could be hidden in the crowd.
The band went seamlessly into ‘Can’t Help Loving That Man of Mine.’ More people started dancing and the crowd thinned out around the dance floor, people milling around.
Someone asked Leilanie to dance, but she was getting anxious and shook her head, not even looking at the man. Where were the children?
They seemed to have disappeared.
“Your beard is funny, Daddy,” Shelly said as Omar picked her up. She reached up to touch it, and then pulled.
“Stop that. Don’t touch,” Omar said severely. She could have yanked it right off, he thought angrily.
Shelly’s eyes widened. In a moment her eyes grew glassy with tears. Her daddy had never raised his voice before.
Magical Legacy Page 13