The Sanctuary II: Lost and Found

by Larry Richardson

  “That’s crazy,” she said.

  “Go ahead, give it a try,” Charlie said.

  “Huma-numa-naka-waka,” she sputtered, then gave up. Charlie laughed.

  “Sorry – not even close,” he said. We’ll just go by its English name – the trigger fish.”

  Charlie brought a handful of crumbs from one of their half-eaten pastries and showed them to Diane.

  “Let’s swim around for a while, then when you’re ready, come back out and grab some of these crumbs – the fish love it.”

  They dropped their towels and guide book on the beach and submerged into the warm waters of the bay. Almost immediately, they spotted a green sea turtle, butterfly fish, yellow tangs, trumpet fish, angel fish, and many more. Charlie pointed to the Trigger Fish, with its gold flank and bold black stripe. Charlie enjoyed a moment of guilty pleasure studying Diane’s sleek form as she glided under water in her two-piece. Diane caught his eye and struck a pose like an underwater mermaid. Charlie sighed, “The things you see when you don’t have your camera.”

  They swam close to a reef and spotted a school of Moorish Idols, disc-like in shape with a dramatic dorsal fin. Diane gave Charlie an OK hand signal to signify her pleasure, then pointed with her thumb to the surface. They both rose to the top.

  “We are a long way from Montana, aren’t we,” Charlie said.

  “That’s for sure. I’m going to get some crumbs and feed the fish,” Diane said. Charlie nodded, then dropped back under. Diane tore off a small section from a croissant Charlie had left on the blanket, and squeezed it into a ball, then returned to the lagoon. She found Charlie next to a reef in the middle of a swirling school of Butterfly fish. She joined him and pulled off small pieces of crumbs into the water. Immediately fish surrounded her, lunging for the crumbs and devouring every speck. She repeated the action, which brought more fish joining the feeding frenzy. Within a minute all of her crumbs fed the hungry gathering, and the joy of sharing this secluded bay with such delightful creatures left both Diane and Charlie with an unexpected sense of contentment.

  “Back in Montana I grew up feeding a barnyard of ducks and chickens, who scrambled around for crumbs like those fish did, but this just felt different,” Diane said, as they sat on the beach. “It was like they welcomed us into their world for a moment, where we would normally be intruders.”

  “Yeah, I hear ya,” Charlie said. “You ready for lunch?”

  “Definitely,” Diane said.

  “What are you in the mood for?” Charlie asked.

  “I could go for a foot-long hot dog and a Diet Pepsi.”

  “Are you just kidding me? That’s like my dream lunch,” Charlie said. They returned to their car and headed back to Honolulu.

  “I know just the spot – it’s a hamburger stand along Waikiki,” Diane said. “I go there all the time when I’m at the beach.” Charlie drove along Kalakaua Avenue until Diane pointed it out.

  “There it is on the right – The Tiki Hut,” Diane said. Charlie hit the brakes and pulled onto a side street to find parking. In a minute, they stood at the window of this modest beachside eatery, featuring monster burgers, hot dogs, and teriyaki chicken on a stick.

  “I’ll have two foot-longs, one large fry and two Diet Pepsis,” Charlie said. He turned to Diane. “How did you know Diet Pepsi is my favorite soft drink?” he asked. “Most people I know are Coke drinkers. I’ve never even met a girl who drank Diet Pepsi by choice.” Diane just grinned. When they got their hot dogs, the cook pointed to the condiment counter to the left. Charlie gave Diane her dog to load up with the condiments of her choosing. He covered his dog with mustard, onions, and relish. When they both finished, they found an empty table under an umbrella. Charlie checked out Diane’s creation as she got comfortable. For a second he thought it was his own hot dog – it had mustard, onions, and relish. He did a double take to make sure the two dogs hadn’t been switched. They were identical.

  “OK – this is getting weird. You put the exact same condiments on your dog as I did on mine. Do you always do that?” Charlie said.

  “This is the way a dog should be dressed,” Diane said. “I can’t help it if you’re copying me.” They both laughed at yet another shared touchpoint.

  Friday afternoon on Waikiki bustled with humanity – surfers, sun bathers, artists, families on vacation, workers on break, shoppers, students, and soldiers on leave. When they finished lunch, Diane braced herself for the next adventure.

  “What’s next, Captain?” she asked.

  “I’m going to get you back to your place to get ready for this evening. We have reservations for the 5:00 seating at the Aloha Luau and Polynesian Show. I have it on good authority it is the best luau on the island,” Charlie said.

  “Charlie, you are full of surprises. I’ve never been. I can’t wait,” Diane said. When he dropped her off at her apartment, he held her hand before she got out of the car.

  “I’ll pick you up at 4:30.” Then he gave her a kiss.

  Jackie came home from her early shift while Diane was still in the shower. She called in to let Diane know she was home.

  “How’d your day go?”

  “Day’s not over yet,” she called out. “I’ll be out in a second.” Jackie leaned back on Diane’s bed and waited. Diane finished rinsing her hair, shut off the water and grabbed a towel. She brimmed with news that could not wait.

  “I can’t believe this day. We watched the sunrise, then we went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, then we had lunch in Waikiki. Now he’s picking me up in a half an hour to go to the Aloha Luau. My head’s still spinning.”

  “What’s he like?”

  “Well, you saw him last night – he’s just charming, smart, considerate, funny, not to mention cute.”

  “So, all green lights? No red lights? Not even any yellow lights?”

  “I’m trying to be careful, you know, don’t get too emotionally involved too soon. But we just click in so many ways it’s scary.”

  “Did you kiss him?”

  “Well, yes.” Jackie folded her arms together.

  “On the first date?”

  “Yes – not counting dinner last night.”

  “What kind of kiss was it?”

  “It was just tender and sweet. It wasn’t a grab-ass kiss, if that’s what you want to know.”

  Diane kept herself on schedule by trying on different outfits while they talked. She pulled out a Polynesian skirt and placed it against her hips.

  “What do you think?” she asked. Jackie nodded.

  “Are you thinking of getting serious with this guy? He’s in the military, you know. I thought at one point you said you could never be a military wife.”

  “I know. But for Pete’s sake, I’ve only known him a day. And he’s only on leave for a week. Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself?”

  “OK. Does he know about your…history?” Jackie asked gently.

  “No, of course not. Why would that even come up on a first date? Geesh, Jackie.” Diane finished putting on the skirt, still in her bra, and pulled out two potential tops for the ensemble. She held them out for Jackie to vote. Jackie pointed at the solid pink spaghetti strap. Diane put it on and struck a pose.

  “Yes, that looks great,” Jackie said. Diane put on a simple gold chain necklace, stud earrings, and a matching bracelet.

  “They’re gonna put a lei on you, so you don’t really need a necklace,” Jackie said.

  “I don’t care – I just want to wear one.” Just then the doorbell rang. Diane pulled a light sweater from the closet, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door.

  “Don’t wait up.”

  The setting for the Aloha Luau couldn’t be more romantic. Framed in coconut palms and tiki torches, and tropical waterfalls, the luau cove was an open-air theater with rows of tables facing the ocean. The stage backdrop featured spectacular views of the sunset. The hostesses wore grass skirts and coconut bras, putting everyone in the mood for an evening of Polynesian
delights. Every guest received a colorful lei, then ushered to their dining table.

  “This is like a bookend day – we watched the sun come up and we’re going to watch it go down,” Diane said.

  “This should be fun,” Charlie said.

  The menu for the evening included tropical mixed greens with mango poppyseed dressing, pineapple coconut bread, sweet golden pineapple, succulent Island BBQ pork ribs, tender Lanoi roasted chicken, Polynesian rice, a tempting assortment of seasonal veggies and Kilauea Volcano Delight Dessert. Nothing less than a sumptuous banquet. The loud speakers filled the air with tropical melodies to enhance the ambiance of the South Pacific. While they enjoyed dinner, Charlie and Diane shared intimate details of their lives – family upbringing, fond childhood memories, academic achievements, hopes and dreams. They carefully avoided revelations of past romantic partners, or details of break-ups.

  Diane saw no need to confess her darkest, most painful sexual mistake, which prompted the real reason for her departure from Montana eighteen months ago, to start her life over in faraway Hawaii. “Too soon,” she thought. “He doesn’t need to know, certainly not now.”

  Every guest passed by a souvenir photo backdrop of a tropical shore lined with palm trees. The luau photographer invited everyone to have their picture taken for precious memories in the years to come.

  “Let’s get our picture taken,” Diane said.

  “Why not,” Charlie agreed. They stepped up to the photo station and the photographer’s assistant positioned them in the center of the backdrop. The cameraman called out for them to smile.

  “Ok, say ‘cheese please’,” Charlie and Diane both laughed as they spoke the magic words. The camera flashed, and the assistant gave them a claim ticket to pick up their photo at the end of the show.

  Shortly after they sat down a Polynesian waitress took drink orders.

  “I’ll have a pina colada,” both Phil and Diane said in almost perfect unison. They both looked at each other and laughed.

  “You drink pina coladas?” Diane said.

  “It’s one of my favorite drinks,” Phil said.

  “Me too,” Diane said. She just shook her head at yet another point in common between the two of them.

  The entertainment began with a rousing exhibition of deep Polynesian kettle drums, rhythmic Knee drums, gourd drums, slit drums, and bamboo flutes. String instruments joined the vivacious rhythms with Ukuleles, guitars, and harps. Male dancers lunged and pounced with ceremonial spears, and female dancers in flowing grass skirts danced the hula with swaying hips and talking hands. The frenzy of motion on stage was exhilarating to see and overpowering to the senses. The dramatic climax brought the audience to its feet in enthusiastic applause.

  The master of ceremonies stepped to the microphone.

  “Now we invite any brave men from the audience to join us on stage with our Polynesian dancers in one of our Tahitian dance routines.” Diane turned to Charlie.

  “Oh, you have to go up,” she urged.

  “Are you kidding? he said. “I can’t do that.”

  “Just be a good sport – pretend it’s a cha-cha. It’ll be fun,” she said.

  “OK,” Charlie agreed, and stood up with 5 or 6 other adventurous fellows, as they made their way to the stage. Dancers applied a bit of Tahitian face painting to their cheeks, and handed each a bamboo spear.

  “OK, now take off your shoes and roll up your pant legs a bit.” The gents were all good sports and complied. The thundering Tahitian music began. Charlie joined in with the other volunteers and cast members, jumping and waving his spear with complete abandon. With the final pounding of drums every man on stage made one last leap into the air, landing in a dramatic pose. The audience roared with applause. Now it was the ladies’ turn.

  “Up you go,” Charlie said. Diane could hardly refuse. Along with several other female recruits, Diane received a complimentary grass skirt and a yellow hibiscus for her left ear. The female pros scattered among the lineup to lead them in the proper hip swaying and hand motions. The music began and the girls showed off their hip action, no doubt honed from years on high school gym floors. Diane swiveled with the best of them, shaking her grass skirt like a tropical breeze. Charlie watched her, playful, uninhibited, full of life. He cheered and whistled his approval.

  “Where did you learn how to do that?” Charlie asked when Diane sat back down.

  “Would you believe American Bandstand?”

  At the end of the evening, they stopped by the photo booth to pick up their souvenir picture. It was a lovely 8”x12” full color shot capturing them in a moment of sheer joy.

  “So, who gets to keep the picture?” Diane said.

  “It’s for you – something to remember me by,” Charlie said.

  Charlie held Diane’s hand as they walked back to the car.

  “That was a lot of fun,” he said softly.

  “The whole day has been a whirlwind. My head is still spinning,” Diane said.

  “We’ve got the whole weekend ahead of us,” Charlie said.

  “What else have you got up your sleeve?”

  “You’ll see.”

  At the front door to her apartment, Charlie took her into his arms with growing confidence in their blossoming attachment.

  “I could get used to this,” he said. Diane took a deep breath.

  “I know – it’s almost scary. How much more time do we have?”

  “The rest of our lives,” Charlie said. Diane smiled.

  “No, I mean how many more days of leave do you have here?”

  “Five – so let’s not waste them,” Charlie said, and he kissed her, slow and deep. She reached around and drew him in, placing one hand around his waist and the other behind his neck to keep their lips together until she was good and done.

  “I’d like a souvenir, if you don’t mind,” Charlie said.

  “What sort of souvenir?” Diane said.

  “The flower in your ear, I’d like to keep it,” Charlie said.

  “Ok,” Diane said. She pulled the flower out and handed it to him. “Here, take good care of it.”

  “Thanks. I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning at 9:00.”

  On his drive back to the Hilton Rainbow Towers, the last thing on his mind was flying jets off the deck of an aircraft carrier. He had bigger plans. But before he went to bed, he put the hibiscus in the middle of his biography of Billy Mitchell and closed it tight to flatten the flower and preserve it forever.

  Chapter 6

  Diane practically floated into the apartment, still flush from her evening in Polynesian paradise. Jackie heard her come in, and joined her in the kitchen.

  “OK, don’t make me interrogate you. Just tell me everything. What did you two do?” Diane poured herself a white wine.

  “Everything. We ate. We danced, we talked. We kissed.” She sipped her wine.

  “I need details. What did you talk about?”

  “We talked about him, we talked about me, we talked about us.”

  “Anything I should know about?”

  “Not yet,” Diane said with a grin.

  “What’s next?”

  “We are going sightseeing tomorrow – maybe some exploring.”

  “Exploring what? Each other?”

  “Jackie! Please.”

  “All day?”

  “Who knows? I’m just enjoying the ride.”

  “How do you know he’s not just using you for a few hot days and a roll in the hay?”

  “He’s not that kind of guy.”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time a Navy boy played love’m and leave’m.”

  “Jackie!”

  “I don’t know. He might be Prince Charming, but you’ve only known him for, what, a day and a half. You better check your fire until you’re sure this guy is for real.”

  “You got a litmus test for that?”

  “My dating life has been pretty much a disaster, so I’m not really an expert. But my Randy – he never
pushed me for sex. He waited until I wanted it.”

  “Charlie’s not pushing me for anything.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “So, when did you know your man was safe to take to bed?” Diane said.

  “I knew when I was sure I could trust him with my heart, not just my body,” Jackie said.

  “And how long did that take?”

  “More than two days, girlfriend.”

  “Maybe I’ll just ask Charlie,” Diane said. “That way I don’t have to guess.”

  “Good luck with that,” Jackie said. Diane finished her wine and sighed. “I’m going to bed.”

  The next morning Charlie just finished shaving when he heard a knock at his hotel room door. He figured it must be housekeeping.

  “Come back later,” he called out through the door.

  “Charlie, it’s me – Diane.” Charlie checked his watch, then quickly opened the door.

  “Can I come in?” Charlie opened the door wider and Diane stepped inside.

  “I thought I was picking you up in an hour,” Charlie said. Diane gave the room a once over. She could see that Charlie ran a tight ship – no scattered clothes, no open beer cans, or dishes in the sink. The bed was made, which seemed odd since he didn’t have to do that. The hotel maids will make the bed. She also saw papers on the desk neatly stacked in small piles.

  “I thought I might see how the other side lives,” Diane said.

  “That’s not why you’re here,” Charlie said. “What’s going on?”

  “Yeah, you’re right. Jackie and I got into a long discussion last night about life and love, and she asked me a very direct question that I couldn’t answer. So, I figured I’d ask you, if you think you’re ready.”

  “Shoot,” Charlie said with a grin.

  “No, I’m serious. I gotta know something before we waste anymore of each other’s time, so I need you to tell me the brutal honest truth.” The deadly serious tone of her voice unnerved him.

  “OK - what do you want to know? I’ll give it to you straight.”