by Di Morrissey
Bradley was working longer hours than usual, partly because it was the nature of the job and partly because he wanted to get everything up to date before he left for the honeymoon, so Catherine was not surprised when one day he told her that he had a function to go to after work. It was only for naval personnel so she was not invited and, as he would miss dinner, he suggested that she walk across to the Ilikai and treat herself to a meal.
Catherine didn’t want to eat alone at a tourist spot so she decided to walk the length of Waikiki Beach at sunset and grab a hamburger at a small restaurant on the way back. She knew she could get on the bus that ran past their apartment and hoped to be back by dark.
The beach was almost deserted save for a few surfers standing by their boards. The flame torches around the hotels’ gardens were already alight and people were gathering for sunset cocktails. Walking past the Moonflower she saw the band setting up and as she walked closer to see if Kiann’e was there, she was hailed.
‘Hello again.’
Catherine turned to see Kiann’e on the beach ahead of her being professionally photographed. ‘Hello! I was just wondering if your show was about to start.’
‘Shortly. We wanted a sunset picture for a new album cover. How are you? Are you still on vacation, or have you been home and come back? Can’t keep away? It’s been awhile since I saw you in Carol and Marys.’
‘You have a good memory! Actually I have been back to Australia but I’m here now to get married.’
‘Wonderful. A beach wedding? And then back to Australia?’ Kiann’e joined Catherine as the photographer set up a silver umbrella on a small stand.
‘No, we’re going to live here. For a while anyway. He’s with the navy.’
‘Great. Then we’ll probably see each other again. I’m Kiann’e Schultz. I married a German,’ she added by explanation. ‘Are you living at the base?’
‘I’m Catherine Moreland soon to be Connor. We’re living in a small apartment near the Ilikai while we wait for quarters on the base. Is Honolulu your home?’
‘No, Kauai. But we live on Oahu because of the work. Where’re you getting married?’
‘At the naval chapel. His commanding officer and his wife are giving us a small reception at their home. It’s a pretty setting.’
‘Is your family coming from Australia?’
‘Just my parents and my best friend. Bradley’s parents and brother are coming from California. I don’t know many people here yet.’
‘You know me now. Would you like to get together one day for coffee?’
‘I’d love to!’ exclaimed Catherine. ‘This might sound crazy but I brought a wedding dress with me and now it doesn’t seem right. Would you know anywhere I might find something . . . not too formal but not too . . . extreme?’ she finished.
‘You mean not too Hawaiian, but a bit of the flavour of the Islands?’ asked Kiann’e. ‘Don’t want your family to think you’ve gone too tropical! I’ll be glad to give you my suggestions. I’ll give you my number.’ She went to fetch her small basket beside the photographer’s gear.
‘Can we get this shot before all the light goes?’ he asked.
‘Here’s my card. Give me a call. We’ll make it a project. Aloha.’ Kiann’e handed Catherine a business card and then took her position in front of the camera.
Catherine waved, tucked the card in her wallet and retraced her steps along the beach, wondering at the ease with which she’d made a friend of the beautiful Hawaiian girl. People were shopping, strolling along the colourful strip and the bars were jammed. She saw a bus marked Kalakaua Avenue, jumped onto it and got off at the International Marketplace. Later she caught a bus to the Ilikai Hotel, crossed the street to the TradeWinds and caught the elevator to the seventh floor.
The phone was ringing as she got inside.
‘Where have you been? I was starting to worry. Did you go across the road for dinner?’
‘No. I walked down the beachfront to Waikiki.’
‘You what? At night, that could be dangerous. There’re a lot of hustlers round that International Marketplace. You’re still a bit of an innocent in Honolulu,’ exclaimed Bradley. ‘Where did you eat?’
‘Oh, I bought an ice cream. There’s stuff here. Hey, guess who I met?’
‘Who?’ asked Bradley still sounding worried.
She told him about Kiann’e and he was slightly surprised until Catherine explained they’d met before in a shop at Ala Moana.
‘That’s nice. Hey, maybe she’d dance at our wedding! No, forget that, the arrangements are already made. So you’re okay then? I’ll be another half hour or so and then I’ll be home. Shall I bring some food?’
‘No, thanks. I’m fine. See you soon.’
‘Watch some TV. Johnny Carson’ll be on soon.’
‘Okay, darling.’
Catherine put a record on the stereo. She wasn’t as addicted to American television as Bradley was.
Both families arrived a few days before the wedding. Catherine moved out of Bradley’s apartment into the Moana, where her parents and Mollie were staying. She enjoyed a late breakfast with her parents on the verandah by the courtyard while she told them how sitting under the banyan tree at sunset had played a role in her and Bradley’s courtship.
Catherine was to meet Bradley’s parents at the classic Royal Hawaiian Hotel for a celebratory drink, before being joined later by her parents and Bradley’s brother, Joel, for dinner in the hotel’s restaurant. She felt apprehensive about this first meeting, but was quickly put at ease by her future in-laws.
Bradley’s mother, Angela, was attractive in a polished, beauty-shop way. His father, Richard, wore a cream golf shirt under a blue linen jacket. Both were gregarious, laughed loudly and ‘joshed’ each other.
‘Don’t take any notice of Richard,’ said Angela. ‘He’s such a tease. We’re just so thrilled for Bradley. For you both. We always hoped he’d find a darling like you. How wonderful for you both to start married life in paradise!’ She waved her arms around the cocktail lounge with its rows of orchids, potted palms and views out to Waikiki Beach.
‘It is a rather special place,’ agreed Catherine. ‘It’s like being on holiday all the time. Though I hope I can find some kind of job.’
‘Work? Whatever for, honey? That Bradley is earning enough for you to stay on permanent vacation,’ declared Richard. ‘Don’t you let him kid you into taking a job. You enjoy yourself, sweetie. Soon enough there’ll be little bambinos, other postings. Not every assignment is as luxurious as Hawaii,’ he said. ‘Angela and I had some tough early posts. Not so bad for the men at sea, harder on the gals. So you enjoy your time here.’
‘He’s right, Catherine. You set up your little nest, be there for him. You’ll find you have plenty to do just running a home. Friends are the secret. Other women in the same boat! Besides, what kind of work could you possibly do here?’ said Angela who’d been a navy wife for thirty-five years.
Catherine bristled. ‘I’m sure I could find a job. I don’t want to be totally dependent on Bradley.’
‘Darling, the navy is his life and you’ll quickly discover it will be yours too. As a navy wife you’ll have obligations and duties,’ said Angela.
Bradley appeared with a waiter carrying a tray with champagne and four glasses. ‘Here we are . . . time to celebrate.’ He glanced at Catherine who gave him a smile.
The waiter filled the glasses and Richard lifted his champagne. ‘Here’s to you, Catherine. Welcome to the family. I hope you and Bradley will be as happy as you can be.’
‘Indeed, darlings. This is so exciting. Bradley, dear, to you and Catherine.’ Angela delicately sipped her champagne.
‘To you, son,’ said Richard. ‘Congratulations. Pleased to see you settling down at last. Always thought you were too picky. But you’ve found a little gem in your Aussie gal here.’
Bradley winked at Catherine as he raised his glass.
‘See the world first, we told him,’ Angela sa
id to Catherine. ‘And that’s what he’s doing. You wait till you come visit our home and see Marin County. God’s own country. You’ll adore California.’
Bradley caught the expression on Catherine’s face and said quickly, ‘Catherine is hoping you’ll visit Australia too.’
‘Well, of course we will, dear. Shame it’s so far away,’ said Angela.
‘You can bank on it, sweetheart. We’ll make sure we head Down Under one of these days.’ Bradley’s father downed the last of his champagne and handed his glass to Bradley. ‘How about getting your old man a decent belt? Scotch and soda with lots of ice.’
The dinner where the two sets of parents met was a great success, though, as Catherine said to Bradley, it would be hard not to like his very gregarious parents.
‘Americans are a friendly bunch, aren’t they,’ said Keith at breakfast to Catherine and Rosemary.
‘They’ll be very easy to get along with as in-laws,’ her mother added.
‘Especially when they’re miles away,’ commented Keith.
‘Same goes for us,’ said Rosemary. ‘Now, they are coming to visit Australia and stay at Heatherbrae, I hope. We’ll have to make sure we show them a good time. I don’t think they’re really country people by the sound of it.’
‘Mum, that’s not going to be for a while, so don’t start planning just yet,’ said Catherine. She didn’t like to remind them that Bradley had already arranged for the two of them to spend Thanksgiving in California to meet the rest of his family.
‘Well, I’d like to spend some more time with Bradley, on his own. Just the four of us. Get to know him better,’ said Rosemary.
‘I’m not going to give the poor chap the rounds of the kitchen,’ said Keith. ‘If Catherine’s picked him then that’s all there is it to it.’
‘And it is a small wedding, Mum. There’ll be plenty of time to get to know him.’
‘If it were at home it would be a full-on event with a hundred people and four bridesmaids and so on,’ sighed her mother.
‘More like two hundred,’ said her father. ‘You’ve got a good bloke in Bradley. So what’re you wearing? A grass skirt?’
Catherine laughed. ‘No, you know I’m not. I have a new friend here, a lovely girl, in fact you’ll see her tonight. It’s our turn to host dinner so I thought we’d go to the Moonflower and see Kiann’e dance. I’m so glad Mollie has arrived, she’s going to love Kiann’e.’
She wanted her parents to meet Kiann’e as well as see her perform. She was happy that she had made a friend here already. She and Kiann’e had got together twice since they’d met on the beach. After a coffee and exchanging life histories, Kiann’e had come to the apartment one morning and Catherine had tried on her wedding dress to get the dancer’s reaction.
‘I just feel it’s a bit formal, stiff, you know, after seeing what people wear here,’ said Catherine. ‘But I couldn’t not wear it. My mum and girlfriend Mollie and I had a huge shopping expedition one day in Sydney to find it.’
‘Of course you can’t not wear it and you look dreamy,’ exclaimed Kiann’e. ‘From what you’ve told me, you’d have had a huge wedding at home and this would be perfect.’ She walked around Catherine who stood still in the tiny lounge room in her cream wedding dress. ‘It’s kind of Elizabethan, very romantic,’ said Kiann’e. ‘But it’s the little crown and the veil, I think, that makes it so formal.’
‘I’ll pin up my hair, pull it back in a smooth bun,’ said Catherine, trying to control her flyaway curls.
‘No. I like that casual hair,’ said Kiann’e. ‘If you like I’ll get you an Hawaiian tiara . . . made of fresh flowers. Keep your hair soft and I’ll bring over a wedding lei of tiny pikake flowers, strands and strands that hang down almost to your knees. Then you’ll look more like an Hawaiian princess. Just a touch, yet still a regal bride.’
‘That sounds perfect. I can’t thank you enough, Kiann’e. I wish you could be there. I’ll ask Bradley.’
‘No, no. Not at this late stage, and while I’d love to be there . . . this is a family thing. I’ll see you on the morning.’ She hugged Catherine.
That evening with Bradley, Catherine raised the idea of inviting Kiann’e to their wedding but Bradley was definite and shook his head. ‘No, we couldn’t possibly.
Mrs Goodwin would have a seizure. If she’d been booked to come and dance as a performer, well, okay, I guess, but Mrs G has every minute of the reception planned.’
‘But what about just as a guest, as my friend?’ persisted Catherine.
‘Sorry, sweetheart. Not how things are done. You can see her socially, and I love watching her dance at the Moonflower . . . but, well, there’s just a protocol thing. She wouldn’t feel comfortable either.’
Catherine didn’t argue. She knew it was a very last-minute request but she sensed there was more to the issue than that. She decided not to tell Bradley about Kiann’e’s change to her wedding outfit. She’d told him she’d bought her dress at a bridal salon in Sydney with her mother and girlfriend and that was it quite traditional. He’d seemed pleased.
The day of the wedding was another perfect day. Catherine went out on the hotel lanai with a glass of pineapple juice and watched the sky turn from cloudless pink to clear blue and the tops of palm trees begin to shiver awake in the first breath of a breeze. Her father appeared behind her wrapped in the kimono provided by the hotel.
‘Morning, princess. Another top day. Do you suppose you’ll get sick of this endless summer, though by the looks of the greenery they get their share of rain. Hope it’s raining back home.’
Catherine linked her arm through her father’s and leant against him. ‘I’ll miss home. Miss you and Mum too. Look after Parker for me. I can’t believe I’m not going back there for ages and ages.’
‘It’s a big step in life, love. Getting married. You sure about this bloke? The kind of life he’s offering? You’re leaving your family, friends and your country. But if he’s the one, thems the breaks, eh?’ He patted her hand. ‘If you’re as happy as your mother and I have been, well, you’ll be all right.’
‘I hope so, Dad. Bradley is terribly considerate and caring. You have any advice? Putting on your legal hat as well as your dad’s hat.’
‘Your grandmother always told us, never go to bed on an argument. And while you have to make your own decisions together, I don’t have to tell you I’m here whenever you want an ear. Just to run things past. I know you’re not one of those bra-burning feminists, but you stick up for yourself. Put your side forward as well when it comes to making those big decisions.’
‘Thanks, Dad. You’re the best. Look after Mum. I don’t think it’s hit her yet – that I’m off in the world and not just on a holiday trip. Although I’m getting married, I want to do something else that’s fulfilling as well. I’d like to get a job so I can save up and come and visit as often as I can.’
‘Any time you want to do that, we’ll always stake you the fare. Just make sure Bradley understands how much your home and family mean to you. It’s different for fellows, and Bradley seems very content here, travelling, his job, now a lovely wife. He won’t feel the same pull to go back to Californ-eye-a the same way you’ll miss Peel.’ He gave her a quick hug. ‘Don’t worry about your mum. She’ll be busy helping out with Rob’s wedding, and I thought I’d try a few angora goats. It’s a new thing. Make it her little project. I’d better wake her up. She’s still complaining about these tea bags. First thing we’ll do when we get home is make a decent cuppa.’
‘Oh Dad, I’m going to miss you. I love you so much.’
Catherine remembered some moments quite vividly but other parts of her wedding day were a blur. Her mother became teary and upset over a misplaced earring and everyone was relieved when Mollie burst in to help dress the bride and diffused the tension, cheering them up with her bubbling excitement. Not long before Catherine and her father were due to leave, Kiann’e arrived as she promised, dazzling them with an armful of beautiful f
lowers.
When Catherine emerged from her bedroom wearing the tiara of tiny flowers threaded with delicate ferns and leaves and the long lei of pikake flowers, her parents and Mollie applauded.
‘Stunning, perfect. What a lovely touch,’ exclaimed her mother. ‘Keith, quick get the camera and take a photo of the girls.’
Kiann’e kissed Catherine on the cheek. ‘Ho’omaikai hauoli ame akaaka. It means blessings, joy and laughter for your married life.’
‘I can’t thank you enough. Promise you’ll come and have dinner with us after we’re back from our honeymoon?’
‘Of course. Now where are you staying on Kauai? The Plantation House? The Cottages? Or the Palm Grove?’
‘The Palm Grove, of course. Bradley is such a movie buff and apparently some famous old movies were made there in the fifties.’
Kiann’e smiled. ‘It’s wonderful, you’ll love it. Be sure and tell Eleanor you’re my friend. She’s been like a best aunty to me.’
‘Is she the manager?’ asked Keith.
‘The owner. She’s run the place for twenty years and really made it the attraction it is. Her husband bought it along with the Moonflower but it’s the real gem – thanks to Eleanor’s inspiration. The Palm Grove is her life, she still has big plans for it. She always has a big dream. She’s amazing.’
‘My, she sounds an energetic person,’ said Rosemary. ‘Now you two relax and enjoy yourselves over there.’
‘Kauai is a very romantic island. It’s my home,’ said Kiann’e. ‘You’ll fall under its spell I’m sure. Now one more thing before I go.’ She gave Rosemary and Mollie beautiful leis that matched their dresses and then held up a length of dark green leaves that she put over Keith’s shoulders. ‘Maile leaves, worn by the kings and princes,’ said Kiann’e. ‘I’ve made one for Bradley as well. All the flowers were picked early this morning.’