by CW Schutter
“I want to be happy and feel passion once more before I die,” Jackie admitted during lunch at the Kahala Mandarin, once the Kahala Hilton. “I want to feel again the way I felt about Stefano.”
Conflicting feelings ran through Mary. She understood the yearning in Jackie but she also felt family came first. “Life isn’t all about romance and passion.”
Jackie lifted her eyebrow. “I can’t believe you, of all people, would say that. I mean, who gets divorced and re-married at your age?”
“Our relationship isn’t only about romance and passion,” Mary said. It had been fifteen years since her second marriage. How different it was from her first.
“What was it about, then?” Jackie asked.
“At our age, it's more about respect and companionship. In a way, it was like we both finally came home.”
“What about love?”
Mary considered the question carefully before answering. “We love each other with the kind of deep commitment a marriage demands.” She put her hand on Jackie’s. “I won’t lie to you. We do have passion, as old as we are. But it’s not the roller-coaster kind of passion you had with Stefano. It’s steady and deep because it comes from understanding and accepting one another just as we are. Yes, there are times when we are like giddy teenagers. But the love we have for each other is powerful because we know who and what we are. We have no false expectations of one another and we appreciate each other. Above all, we're best friends.”
Jackie shook her head. “Maybe I don’t understand, but maybe you don’t either. Let me put it this way; I want what Steve and Susan have.”
Mary didn’t disagree or agree. She wanted to tell her not everybody gets lucky. She didn’t want Jackie to throw away a good man who worshipped her because it was hard to find love like that. She was certain if Jackie hung in there, the marriage would mellow into the kind of relationship both Danny and Meg enjoyed. Meg tried to tell Jackie exactly that, but Jackie was stubborn. The Japanese invasion of the islands drove Gerry’s fortune so by the time their divorce was final, Jackie settlement amounted to twenty million dollars.
Jackie bought a place in Aspen and spent most of her time there. Mary hoped Jackie would find what she was looking for.
Life was full of interesting twists. She and Meg were now good friends. Since losing the election to Diana Towle, Meg and Danny spent most of their time on their ranch in Kamuela. Meg and Christina were close and Amber and Tyler visited the Big Island ranch frequently. They also developed a wonderful, loving relationship with Sean and spent time with him in Honolulu. Christina’s brood even got to know their Irish relatives in Boston. Ashley’s illness had brought the family together in the most amazing way.
“Isn’t it a gorgeous day?”
Mary looked up and saw Sean standing next to her beach chair. Easing himself down next to her, he leaned over and kissed her.
“Aren’t we lucky?” Sean said.
“Could be we’re the luckiest grandparents in the world.” Mary rubbed his back with one hand.
“More than that,” Sean winked. “We could be the two luckiest people in the world.”
“Steve and Susan would have something to say about that,” Mary said as she laughed.
“Then we’re the two luckiest old people in the world.”
Mary grabbed his hand. She was so lucky to have this man by her side for the rest of her life.
Sean stroked her cheek. “If only we had stayed together back then, how different our lives would have been.”
Mary shook her head. “We were two different people who had to go down different roads in order to appreciate the happiness God gave us in our twilight years.”
Sean frowned. “Why do you call it that? I prefer to think we’re in our afternoon years.”
“You’re an eternal optimist,” Mary looked at him in the bright sunlight. She loved every imperfect, aging part of him.
Thank you God for this wonderful gift you’ve given me, she prayed silently.
She touched his silver hair. “I changed my mind. I think maybe we could just be the two luckiest people in the world.”
PAU
Glossary of Foreign Terms
Hawaiian
ahui hou: Till we meet again
alii: Royalty
aloha: goodbye, hello, love, mercy, alas, kindness, regards
auwe: Oh no!
hanai: give up a child for adoption
hapai: pregnant
haole: white people
hapa haole: half white
Kamaaina: born and raised in Hawaii, or someone who has lived in Hawaii for a long time
kanaka: Hawaiian
kaukau: food
keikis: children
luna: overseer
mahalo: Thank you
mai pake: leprosy
makei: die
ohana: family
okelehao: homemade booze, firewater
okole: rear end
pakalolo: marijuana, literally crazy (lolo) grass (paka)
Pake: Chinese
pau: finished
pilau: dirty
pupule: crazy
pupus: appetizers
wahine: woman
Japanese
bachi: karma
bento: lunch
furo: hot tub
futons: quilts, comforters used as beds and/or blankets
hakugene: white person
hana fuda: Japanese cards
issei: first generation Japanese in America
kamikaze: suicide pilots. In Hawaii, a Japanese girl who committed social suicide by dating whites
kami sama: god
musubi: rice balls
nisei: second generation Japanese-Americans
oba chan: old lady
omiyaga: a gift in return for a gift given
sama: used when someone of a lower class addresses someone in the upper classes, address of respect.
san: generic form of address, substitute for Miss, Mrs., Mr.
sansei: third generation
Sayonara: goodbye
sensei: teacher
shimpai: arranged marriage
tanomoshi: informal bank, pooled money used for investments
zabutons: large cushions
Korean
Abeoji: Father
Dong-seng: Younger sister
Eomeoni: Mother
Kim chee: pickled vegetables
Halmoni: grandmother
Harabeoji: grandfather
Jjimjilbang: hot tub
Nam-Pyeon: husband
Oppa: Older brother
Yobo: Korean, Honey
Chinese
Joss: luck
Pidgin English terms
brah, bruddah: brother
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Contents
PROLOGUE
PART ONE THE FIRST GENERATION
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
PART TWO THE SAMURAI WOMAN
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
THE SECOND GENERATION
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
PART THREE THE THIRD GENERATION
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-eight
Chapter Forty-nine
Chapter Fifty
Epilogue
Glossary of Foreign Terms
Contents