Adeline took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I don’t know why I find myself so defensive. That really is unlike me. I have been quite on my own since my last husband passed. I live alone. I travel alone. I eat alone.”
“Then we must really be dancing on your last nerve.” Anna stood and wiggled her hips.
Laughter can heal so much more than people recognize.
It was Carolyn who reached out to Adeline. “We don’t know each other all that well. I know it feels as if we have been friends forever, but the reality is we only met at Morgan’s wedding. Had it not been for that chance encounter we would not be here today. I think we can overlook a moment here and there. Please, know that we are here for you Adeline. We are here by choice. Not all family can say that.”
“Well, I just had a thought.” Anna looked right at the two of them.
“Glad to hear that.” Carolyn smiled. “And just what thought did you have?”
“I saw something when we were on our way to the airport. There was a big billboard. Then I saw it again in that binder with all the different entertainment suggestions. Both said that we’d come to the right place if we wanted to shoot a gun. A big gun.”
Adeline sounded utterly astonished. “Why on earth would you want to shoot a gun?”
Catching them completely by surprise put a wicked grin on Anna’s face. “If you talked to one hundred people back home and asked them what the least likely thing we would do on this trip might be — what do you think their response would be?”
Carolyn looked at the ceiling. “I think the response from my granddaughter would be something along the lines of jumping on the bones of a man much younger than myself.” She blushed but continued, “She’s been pushing for that for a while now.” The girls all chuckled. “My grandson would say trying one of those restaurants where they bring you your meat on a stick. Fogo something. It’s supposed to be spectacular, but I haven’t been there.”
Adeline gave her considered response. “We certainly do not want to think about what my older children would say, but my youngest daughter would give any number of examples. From daring young men with amorous proclivities to dropping a million dollars into slot machines.”
Anna’s eyes were wide. “A million dollars? In a slot machine? Is that possible?”
Carolyn thought about it for a second. “I’d say yes. There are bound to be thousand dollar machines.”
“Thousand dollar? You put in a thousand dollars and pull down the handle? A thousand?” Anna was gobsmacked.
“I believe it is all digital these days, but I’ll bet there are also five-thousand dollar machines.” Carolyn loved the look on Anna’s face. It was obvious that such huge and high-risk bets were completely counter to the woman’s practical nature. “And I read not too long ago about some woman who lost a hundred million dollars on video poker. Maybe it wasn’t a hundred million, but it was some ungodly amount of money. More than I will ever have in my lifetime. On video poker. You’d think the casino would have stepped in. That is obviously not healthy.”
Adeline crossed her legs. “It’s not the casino’s job to keep their client within budget.”
Anna reined in her horror. The thought of throwing away huge sums of money was more than she could allow herself to think about. “Okay, back to the conversation we started with. I think you can shoot a big ol’ pink gun, probably a huge photo op too. We could probably get a picture of us shooting the gun or maybe a movie. You can shoot a machine gun, too.”
Carolyn began to fidget. “Oh, I can just picture that in my head. I pull the trigger on the machine gun. I immediately faint. Really, who in their right mind would ever allow me to touch a machine gun? I leave a trail of bullet holes all the way up the back wall of the place and right into the ceiling. Dear God, I’d shoot an innocent bystander.”
Anna shook her head. “That’s what I like. A positive attitude.”
The girls laughed.
“Well, I changed my mind. I’m not just going to have that idiot nephew of mine put my travel changes on his refrigerator. I got a call into Morgan right now. That girl is so hard to get ahold of. If she doesn’t call me back in the next twenty minutes, I’ll just email her office to let her know our change of plans. I kind of wanted to wait for her call before we go anyplace too noisy. You know we didn’t hear Adeline when she called us and we were just sitting at the bar in a casino. Even if I catch the call and pick up the phone, can you just imagine the reaction of hearing all those gunshots in the background?” Anna looked at her phone again. Checked to see if she’d gotten a text. “I’d hate to miss Morgan. She can be a bit of a worrier.”
“If we have a plan to see Jersey Boys tomorrow night, just what did you plan to do this evening?”
“We could go shoot this evening.”
“I’m not at all certain that is a good idea.”
“Really, Adeline? I was sure you would want to do it.”
“And why would I want to discharge a weapon?”
“Because it’s something that your daughter is probably quite proficient at. I thought maybe when you have her home again you could mention it. Show her that you have something in common. That you were willing to give it a try. That you value what she does and you want to honor that by at least giving it a try. If you like it, it might be something that the two of you can do together, but if you hate it, at least she doesn’t have to see you find that out.”
“I hadn’t thought of that. That is a splendid idea. In one million years my Genevieve would never think that I would have such an experience to share with her.” Adeline slapped her thigh and stood up. “I’ll go change into dungarees now.”
“Dungarees? I haven’t heard that term in years. I didn’t bring any, but I do have a pair of cargo pants. My idea of an urban safari I guess.”
“Well, I’ve got khakis. I’m not sure that’s what you wear to a shooting range, but then, I’m not sure that it matters.”
Each of the girls was headed to her room when there was a knock on the door. A rather insistent one.
Anna charged toward the door but stopped short and looked out the peephole. Her face lit up upon seeing the person on the other side.
“Well, Amy, isn’t this a lovely surprise.”
“The surprise was for me. Gilberto, your driver, told me about your decision to turn around and come back here.”
“Sounds like the place is pretty well plugged in.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Word travels fast.”
“Oh, it’s not really like that. I babysit his sister’s daughter. It was his turn to pick her up. He mentioned these three lovely women that were guests of Mr. Colluride. He said they were elegant and kind and very good to him. I knew it was you.”
“Child, you know how to turn a phrase. What can we do for you?”
“I just wanted to say hi. I was in the building going over some plans with one of the facility guys.”
“We’re so glad you stopped by.”
“Oh, and I have some really good news.”
“That was quick. It’s only been hours since we saw you.”
“I know, right? I got a call just after I left you guys this morning. You know that drug trial my mom was accepted for? They have added another clinic to the test. The clinic is like, three blocks from my mom’s place and they said that they could make sure she got back and forth. I don’t have to worry about giving her a ride or making sure that transit shuttle thing is available. It couldn’t have worked out better. She’s really excited, and it’s been a while since she’s been excited about anything. It just seems like ever since I met you ladies things have been going really good for me and I wanted you to know it.”
“What a lovely thing to say, Amy, thank you.”
“You ladies are my good luck charm. I’ll never forget all that you’ve done for me.”
“We really didn’t do anything Amy, but we are thrilled things have worked out
so well.”
“I don’t know what you ladies did, but I do know that nothing in my life was working until you took the time to talk to me, and you believed in me. That seemed to turn everything around. I want you to know that it means a lot to me.”
“Amy, you are more than welcome.”
“I gotta go. I have to be back at my place in about forty minutes. Mr. Colluride’s mother-in-law is going to drop off the kids.”
“Any news on that front?”
“Unfortunately not. They are still running tests. I don’t know what I’d do if I had a sick kid. I’m so blessed.”
“Amy, if you hear of anything that we can do for Mr. Colluride or his family, please let us know.”
“I will. Again, thanks.”
And she was gone.
“Where were we? Oh, yes, we were going to change and go to the shooting range.”
Carolyn held up her finger. “I have a proposition. How about we go look at dolphins and tigers? We can do that now, then come back and have a good dinner, then go shoot guns.”
“We don’t have to shoot guns if you don’t want to, Carolyn.”
“No, it isn’t that, I just think that if we do this a little later in the day it will be better. If the kids call, the sounds of dolphins in the water will be much better than Uzis.”
“Good point. We can walk. The attraction is actually at a casino. I suggest that we put on our walking shoes, walk as far as we choose and if it is too much, hail a cab.”
“Perfect.”
They paid their way in and walked through the turnstile. The attraction was much cooler than expected, probably because of all the plants and strategically placed misters.. The animals were relaxing in the sunshine or on strategically placed rock-like formations. They seemed happy enough. Didn’t smell like a zoo, but Anna felt sorry for them just the same.
They wandered through the experience – that’s what they call everything in Vegas, an experience - and took a few pictures as they meandered.
The tigers were absolutely stunning but watching tigers lounge was a bit of a snooze.
They made their way to another area. Past a gift shop and the snack bar, they sat at shaded tables and looked toward the large pool in front of them. The pool had a little wall, a foot or maybe a foot and a half high. There was an employee sitting at one end. All was quiet.
Carolyn commented on the fact that it was clearly marked not to put your belongings on the wall. Obviously they didn’t want your drink cup falling into the pool and being swallowed by a dolphin. It seemed like such a simple and valid request yet several different people had their belongings piled on the wall. Even after they were told by employees to remove their possessions they would wait a few moments and then place them on the wall again. A small microcosm of society. Very telling.
Anna felt as if the whole thing was a bit of a flop.
Adeline chose to reserve judgment.
Anna was about to say that changing all their arrangements might not have been such a good idea after all, when a guy in a wetsuit walked up with a white ice chest.
Within moments several other trainers appeared and the show began. Dolphins were flipping around the pool while trainers explained their natural behaviors. The dolphins were so close you could reach out and touch them. Actually, you might fall in the water if you tried.
You would probably get arrested too.
It might be worth it.
About three or four minutes into the whole production, two women, somewhere after middle age but well younger than the girls, showed up in wetsuits and climbed over the short wall and onto the shelf at the end of the pool. After a few directions by the trainer, one of the women walked right off the edge of the shelf and half doggie paddled half swam toward the middle of the pool.
The trainer blew a whistle and made a gesture with her hand. The woman in the water stuck her hand out and a dolphin appeared. The woman grabbed the dolphin’s dorsal fin and was given a short ride to the other edge of the pool.
It appeared that she lacked the upper body strength to hold on tightly enough for long, but she didn’t seem to mind.
The girls watched the rest of the show, wandered to the snack bar for a drink and then through the gift shop.
Anna couldn’t decide if she wanted to get a plush dolphin for Jordan or some other souvenir. In the end, she got nothing, but she worried over almost every product they had to offer.
Maybe she’d walk back to the other gift shop; the tiger souvenirs seemed more little boy oriented.
For the next hour, the girls wandered in and around the exhibit, going downstairs to see the dolphins play with basketballs under the water through huge windows positioned around half the pool.
There was another pool next door. It was for humans and the humans were getting noisy by the time the girls decided to leave. Anna explained that it was a top-optional pool.
They should run next door and get something to make the kids at home think that they’d actually been at the pool.
After the initial gasp of disbelief, Adeline and Carolyn burst out laughing.
That laughter set the tone for the night. They each found things to point out to the other two. Vegas is full of weird and wonderful sights. If you keep your eyes open you can be entertained all day and night without spending a cent.
Some of it was a little disturbing.
Like the mother and her daughter walking down the street in matching outfits—tight faux leather leggings, leopard print backless top and silver heels, the mother in stripper heels the daughter in dance shoes. Both carried hot pink purses. The daughter was about five.
There was a Mutt and Jeff pair. One very tall and thin, the other much shorter. It wasn’t so much the pair, but the memories they brought the girls. How long had it been since they’d thought about Mutt and Jeff?
Anna reminded them that Mutt and Jeff had been the first real comic strip, back when reading the newspaper was a daily event shared by all the members of her family. She explained how it worked in her parents’ household.
Her father would read it first, sometimes escaping into the bathroom — the only room in the house with privacy — often not coming out until he’d finished the news and the sports. That was a problem in a house of ten people with only one bathroom, but never did you try to push Daddy out of the way. If things were really urgent, a doe-eyed request to Mamma might get the deed done. She’d knock on the door and say ‘Hun, the kids need the bathroom.’ He’d come out muttering. It was not an occasion to be trifled with.
Anna’s mother would then take the paper and read those sections she was interested in. The news and the more social sections. God help the person that read The Parade before her mother got the chance on Sundays.
The funny papers were kid territory. Her older brother would take it first, folding the paper so that he could read without the others seeing the page. He was a quick reader and by the time he was done, the others would lay in a circle around the paper reading, sometimes aloud. It’s how Anna, being in the younger group, learned how to read upside down and backwards, a discipline that came in handy later in life.
When they still hadn’t gotten a response from the kids by the time they returned, both Anna and Carolyn tried again.
Voicemail all around.
They decided to have a good dinner and then the ‘water show,’ as Anna referred to it, and then head toward the shooting range. Turns out the range was open late and Anna was able to get tickets to the early show.
Sometimes things really do turn out the way they are supposed to.
Dinner was a quick meal at an Italian place in one of the casinos. Not a restaurant, more of a quick sit down place for shoppers. The meal was filling, if not exquisite, but then, they had intended for it only to keep their stomachs from growling during the performance. They would find out later that there was no need for concern. The show’s sound quality was perfect and very loud.
The show was in one of the big casinos. The
y had just enough time to donate twenty dollars each to a video poker machine. When it was time to get in line for the show – doors open at seven, show starts at seven-thirty — Adeline and Carolyn had lost several dollars each, and Anna was up thirty-two. She offered to pay for dinner, but the girls wouldn’t even consider it.
They got to the entrance just a few minutes early, and people were already being allowed in the door. Straight ahead was an escalator to deliver them to their seats, but a velvet rope and a cute little girl in costume blocked their way. She must have been four foot nine and ninety pounds. Anna wondered if she might be a gymnast from the show doing double duty. Cruise ships are famous for having their performers doing all kinds of other things. Perhaps she should bring that up to the girls. A cruise might be fun.
They wandered around the area, stopping at the concession stand. Anna got a drink in a special commemorative cup she would bring home for Jordan and was shocked at the ten-dollar charge. The kid behind the counter didn’t comment when she said that there had better be free refills.
Carolyn picked up a bag of candy while Adeline wandered away and checked out artwork.
The piece she was looking at – a sculpture — when the girls found her was eighteen thousand dollars. She was looking at another beside it that said to ask for the price. Anna almost dropped her drink.
People were starting to mill around when the velvet rope was moved from in front of the escalator. The girls checked their tickets, noted that they would be upstairs, and headed that way.
At the top of the stairs, another employee in costume met them. She led them down a short flight of stairs to the left and directed them to their seats. Rather good seats to one side, in chairs Carolyn assumed they could pick up in any office supply store. They looked like high-end desk chairs.
Anna looked at her ticket, then at the back of the chair where a little plaque had been attached. “I’m sorry, this isn’t right. I booked center seats.”
The woman in costume looked again. “Oh, I’m sorry, these are two-thirty-two. I thought they were two-twenty-two, please follow me.”
Hawaii Can Wait (The Girls Series) Page 2