Penniless Hearts

by Eve Gaal

  “Oh Miliani, you are the best ever,” he whispered into her ear, before bursting like a volcano inside her.

  His cell phone rang, and he needed to attend to some business, so he wiped himself on Miliani's green top, pulled on his slacks, shirt and tie, and opened the door. Eyes closed, Miliani looked like she was falling asleep. Buttoning his shirt quickly, he whispered, “Hey, babe, lock the door when I leave, okay?”

  She rose up and looked at Darin, “Come back,” she cried in a sweet alluring voice.

  “I will, I promise. Just lock this door.” Turning into the hallway, Darin immediately felt his blood rush like a runaway train into his toes. Tina stood there leaning against the wall, with her arms folded across her chest, smiling a wicked smile. She must have heard everything, he thought, quickly buttoning his shirt.

  Watching him button the last button, she quipped, “I remember that office.”

  * * *

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  The warm morning sun pinned her down onto the comforting sand. It contoured against her body, embracing her curves. If it wasn't Atlantis, was it Heaven? Penny looked up at the wispy cloud formations dancing across the sky and imagined one of the clouds as a chariot, with a white steed in the front and John waving in the back. She missed her tall carpenter, with his soulful, melancholy eyes and his basic and simple, nonsensical approach to life. The warm sand between her toes made her realize how far she was from home and that maybe she had lost him. All she had wanted was a little romance. Why did escaping feel so painful? If he knew where she was, he'd be poking fun at her, but boring her, with his cautionary warnings about overrated adventures. It was exactly that lackluster element of his personality that tamed her and kept her out of trouble.

  Looking around the deserted island, she kicked sand in the air and sat up. Trouble? No trouble here. She sat cross-legged with her back straight and regal and said, “Queen,” to no one in particular. Here, for a few minutes anyway, she could rule her island nation. Seagulls played nearby and Penny looked at them asking, “Are you my pawns or my minions?”

  She stood and grabbed a piece of seaweed to create a makeshift wreath for a crown and walked toward the tide pools where a seal lounged on his side. Bowing slightly, Penny asked, “Canst thou dance at the Queen's ball? Shall I invite thee to Sir Seal's knighthood?” Watching him twitch his whiskers, she took a step back. “I'm sorry squire, you are looking rather tired and since our King is in California, we shall dub thee later.” The seal grunted loudly and Penny stepped carefully over lava formed pools, teeming with starfish, urchins and mollusks. Tiny little gold, black, blue and white shells were sparkling in the sun like jewels on the sand. They brought back memories of collecting seashells with her parents.

  Frolicking in the waves, she recalled her dad's stories of battles that took place on isolated tropical beaches in exotic ports of call. 'That's why I joined the Navy, 'cause I wanted to see the world,' she remembered her father's words. That explained everything, she thought, maybe she was genetically predisposed to the pursuit of travel and excitement. Naturally, she would follow her father's example and yearn for similar adventures. Still, she knew her dad had many other duties, bunkmates and responsibilities that had filled in the spaces during a horrific war. Things that had separated him from those he adored.

  Strolling along the shore, she tried working out why fate had brought her here, to spend time isolated on a deserted beach. Tina always talked about karma and good fortune and yet, here she was feeling like she had done something awful to anger the gods and yet logically, she understood that the married rat who brought her to the islands had caused her to run. It was obvious she had needed to get away. It was a good time to think.

  She drew a heart in the sand and thought of John. Why couldn't he plan a romantic getaway for the two of them? Her dad could have taken her to a museum or an aquarium, just so they could see something new. Even Ron could have sent her on assignment to some other bureau to round out her experience. They were giving away trips to Vegas for even the most unremarkable sales achievements. Now that she was here, it didn't really matter. This was her first real, weeklong vacation, and looking around at the view she realized it was one she would never, ever forget.

  Scanning the breathtaking panorama in front of her, she saw two small giggling kids running towards her, saying something in their native language. They were shrieking with laughter and frantically pointing at the buildings on the far side of the island, screaming “Puuwai.” Smiling, Penny handed each one of them a seashell.

  Puzzled, Penny asked, “Puuwai?” Much later, she found out that Puuwai was the name of their tiny village and the word translated to the Hawaiian word for 'heart'. Watching the children with anticipation, she waited for them to say something else, but instead, they turned around, and happily skipped down the beach to their home in Puuwai.

  * * *

  Chapter Forty

  “You're kidding?” Heidi listened to John's story and started laughing hysterically. “You mean you were dazed and confused when you got on that flight, and you came against your will and now you're here without luggage or anything?” Tears were forming in the pretty flight attendant's exotic looking eyes. “What are you, a zombie from another planet?” She snorted.

  Slightly embarrassed, he realized his story sounded far-fetched, and even though it hurt him to laugh along with her, he enjoyed watching the buttons pull and shake on the synthetic fibers of her uniform. “Maybe I am,” he said making a frightening face. “I don't think I'm a zombie, but I could have been abducted by aliens.”

  “You are hilarious,” she laughed, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ears. “I think you've escaped from clown school or the comedy channel,” she said, after a sip of coffee. “I haven't laughed like this in a long time.” She wiped tears off her cheeks with a coffee-stained napkin.

  Staring at the red lipstick mark on her cup, he wondered if too much lipstick mixed with coffee could have harmful consequences. She seemed sane enough right now, but something inside of him told him to be careful. These good-looking, well made up packages reminded him of composite construction and vinyl veneers. They looked real good from a distance, but disintegrated somewhat easily under pressure. This one might be phonier than imitation linoleum trying to pass for wood.

  “You're making my stitches hurt,” he said, trying not to laugh. Not wanting to make eye contact, he noticed her incredibly angular cheekbones, and immediately felt ashamed for noticing her beauty. Embarrassed, he scanned the crowd, hoping to see Tina and Carl.

  “Me? You've got to be kidding?” Looking into his face she said, “I'm sorry, but my life is pretty boring compared with yours, my friend.” Then, noticing his averted eyes casting a look over the crowd, she tried alleviating his fears by adding, “Maybe I can help you find Penny. I'm here for who knows how long and with Christmas and everything–I'd love hanging out with you.”

  His mind kept comparing her to top quality poly-laminate versus homegrown. Maple, oak and ash were real and though she was stunning at first sight, in fact, immensely appealing, his perky little Penny was the genuine article. He had to find her and he didn't know what to do or say to this friendly, face offering assistance. Hesitating, he finally said, “Yeah, I'd like that. I'm sure you'd be a big help, since I've never been to Hawaii.”

  “You've never been here?” she asked, surprise and excitement evident in her tone.

  “Nope, but I do like surfing.”

  “Me too,” Heidi shrieked. “Oh this is going to be so much fun.” She clapped her hands together, and did a little march with her feet, thrilled with the prospect of surfing.

  Whoops, he thought, he shouldn't have mentioned the surfing. “Wait, Heidi, let's not get carried away,” Attempting to look as serious as possible, John said, “Don't forget, I'm here to find my girlfriend.”

  “I know, and I appreciate your honesty.” Heidi said, waving the palm of her hand in front of him and taking a sip of the coffee.
Then, looking down into the cup she said, “We'll find her, I promise.” Quietly, she wiped at the eye makeup still streaming down her bony cheek. It was obvious she enjoyed his company, but he could see her intentions were strongly personal and edging out of control. “Well, are we going surfing, or what?” She sniffled, recuperating from her emotionally laden laugh attack.

  Pointing to his head he said, “Stitches, remember?”

  “Yes, but maybe a little body-surfing would do you some good. If not, then you can watch me and drool. I saw those waves begging to me on our approach, and today's a great day for waves. Come on….”

  “Don't you think I should wait here, in case Tina and Carl show up?”

  “No.” She stood up to throw her cup in the trash receptacle, turned around and said, “You've been here over two hours and the waves are waiting.” Grabbing his hand, she pulled him up and said, “Come on John, we have to go shopping.”

  “Shopping?” He couldn't believe her dismissive, controlling attitude and the strength of her arms as she pulled him out front towards the waiting cabs.

  “Duh, you don't even have a bathing suit.”

  * * *

  Chapter Forty-One

  Darin shrugged like a five-year-old boy caught doing something naughtier than usual but he looked Tina right in the eye. “I am sorry,” he said, emphasizing the word 'am' instead of sorry. “I don't know, I guess I do everything wrong.”

  Incredulous, she listened to his wretched little speech revolving around the word 'I' and looked pitifully at his two-day-old stubble, the wrinkled halfway tucked-in shirt and tousled hair.

  “I don't know what to say to you, Tina, except that I do need you and I do want you here.”

  The paging system loudly interrupted his pathetic monologue, with “Sales on line two.”

  What a miserable cold-hearted clod, she thought, thinking about how fortunate she was to purchase a round-trip ticket. Though far from perfect herself, this time around she wanted a serious relationship and a solid future but Darin blew it. It was a challenge she wanted to live up to as the dealer's wife. Her plans for a rich comfortable life, volunteer work on the city council, with closets full of designer clothes, fancy shoes and exotic vacations just went up in smoke. It baffled her mind to think that some things were beyond her control. Not only had she helped him make money with advertising; she tried cooking for him, and massaging sore spots on his back. The taste of becoming Mrs. Martin lingered and played with the fleeting synapses in her brain. Close, but not close enough for the crown. The realization now became a futile endeavor, crawling up her neck and making her flush. The money train had reached the station and she needed to disembark before he sent her to the scrap yard like one of his trade-ins. Relax, she told herself–maybe she could work things out to her advantage. Taking a deep breath, she unfolded her arms and said, “I heard a lot of banging in there. It sounded interesting.”

  When he tried to open his mouth, she raised her hand and said, “Do you think you could spare the crap and just tell me what work related things you want done right now?”

  Darin loved her red splotches. They rose above her breasts and climbed up her neck making her look unknowingly vulnerable. In front of him stood the most ravishing, strong-willed and hardheaded woman, he had ever seen. Standing like a prison guard across his hallway, she stood with her legs apart, her proud chin slightly raised and her heels digging into the worn carpet. Her reaction confused him, but she always had a unique way of dealing with adversity. “You're not leaving?” he asked.

  “No, I just got here,” she said flatly.

  Tucking in his shirt, he looked around and then looked at his watch. “You'll help like you said you would?”

  “Sales please pickup line one, customer waiting,” the operator's jarring voice interrupted.

  “I have nothing else to do right now but to help you.”

  Double-checking his fly, he smiled and felt relieved to know she'd assist him with the never-ending, business-related deluge streaming onto his desk. The Honolulu paper kept calling, his web site needed updating and his private office phone lines kept him from doing anything. “Cool, well you know where my office is, come on.”

  Walking towards his office, she decided to ask about something meaningful. “Remember that girl, Penny, you saw on the plane?”

  “Yeah, I remember.” A distasteful look appeared on his rugged face. “I talked to her early this morning.”

  Surprised, Tina asked, “You did?”

  “Yeah, what about her?”

  “You sounded like you knew where she was when I called from home. Where's she staying?”

  “I have no idea, but I sent her on a free helicopter tour this morning. Remember Mac? I think you met him. Anyway, he's showing her all the sights and places where they shot famous movies on Kauai.” He closed the door behind them so he could adjust his hair and check his reflection in the door mounted mirror.

  “Oh, she's in Kauai?” Tina asked, trying to absorb Darin's idiotic response. She had dragged Carl and John all the way over here and he couldn't tell her where Penny was staying. Figures. Again, she reminded herself to try and remain calm. Inhaling deeply, Tina knew she still needed a few more dollars to get everyone together for Penny's upcoming nuptials. “That's a nice place isn't it?”

  “Sure is, it's the Garden Island.” Darin answered, sitting down behind his desk and retrieving his pink messages from an overfilled spindle. “Do you want to call these people back for me?” he pleaded, with bloodshot eyes.

  Tina looked at the torturous looking shaft full of messages and immediately answered in her sweetest, sultriest voice,

  “Your wish is my command.”

  * * *

  Chapter Forty-Two

  The vague but hazy realization that Mac wasn't coming back, gnawed on Penny's burning skin along with her growing hunger. She had stayed in the beach area for hours, and when her stomach started growling she began hiking. Her cell phone had no reception and she was running low on the 45SPF suntan lotion she needed for protecting her porcelain skin. She decided on heading towards the other side of the island where she had seen a small village from the air. An arduous walk, each inlet on the beach brought her to another private cove. Dangerous slick rocks made her abandon one trail only to find others just as steep and wet. Hopelessly lost, she climbed up onto the higher ground to look around and catch her breath. Across from the island she stood on, she saw another island, smaller, full of tropical trees and pristine desolate beaches in azure colored water. Excited, she immediately took out her camera and began taking pictures of the gem-like atoll waiting beautifully, like a runway model at her first photo shoot.

  The only sounds she heard were seagulls, surf and farm animals braying, far off in the distance. Reaching into her bag, she put on a baseball hat and pulled out a tee shirt, to cover her bathing suit. Dust clouds and the unmistakable sound of an approaching vehicle made her run to the edge of a dirt road. Thank goodness, she thought waving at the truck. She could get a ride to town and have lunch. The gray-haired driver pulled his white truck up close, where she noticed his ranger-type uniform, formidable features and unwelcoming scowl.

  “Hey, what are you doing here?” he asked, holding one arm up to block the sun so he could get a better view of Penny.

  “Nothing, why?” Penny asked with a shrug, but the tiny red hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention.

  “You're trespassing that's why. Didn't anyone tell you this is the forbidden island?” He paused, “I know who belongs on Niihau and I'm pretty sure you don't, lady.”

  Forbidden island? “I came on a tour,” she said, hoping to start with the truth and worry later.

  “No tours today. They're on hold till the New Year.” He stared suspiciously at her bag. “Did you touch any of our endangered plants?”

  “No.” Confused, she asked, “What did I do wrong?”

  “If you so much as stepped on one of our endangered plants, or have seashel
ls in your bag, you'll be arrested for stealing private property and slapped with enormous fines regarding the environmental impact you have caused our island.” Clutching her bag, she didn't know where to run. “Well, lady, do you have seashells in your bag?” He sneered, and acted as if she had stabbed someone.

  “Very, very tiny ones,” Penny admitted, regretting it a second later.

  “Do you know? No, you probably don't,” he sighed, and condescendingly continued, “that the women on this island earn their living making jewelry from those shells. They're called momi shells. They are very small, but even small things can be important.”

  “Yes, sorry…sorry,” she stuttered, “I picked them up because they seemed so cute but insignificant. I didn't think anyone would even notice they were gone.” The conversation started sounding more like the story of her life. Instead of a goddess or a queen, she'd been reduced to a glittering momi shell, unique in itself, but tossed by the sea into the arms of natives wanting to string her up and hang her out to dry.

  “Get in,” he said somewhat gruffly, while reaching over to unlock the passenger door. “Did you take photos?”

  “Who are you?” She asked, opening the door and climbing into his truck.

  “Roving patrol, that's all. For now, you're only under citizen's arrest, until we establish why and how you came to Niihau and how much damage you've caused, stomping on our endangered plants. Oh, and the seashell theft. We don't have police on Niihau, so you're getting shipped back to Kauai where they can sort it out and file formal charges.”