|
"Laura's Dream" |
| Copyright Francis Blow, 1986. |
| CHAPTER 22 |
| Laura decided to talk a little longer. After all, perhaps her uneasiness was nothing more than being in a country with a different lifestyle and culture. Alan motioned her to the sun lounge where her keys lay. As soon as she sat, he was close beside her. There was no room for her to move. A white-clad knee was pressed against her own leg. |
| Once more, Laura felt awkward about the warmth that rose inside her. When he took her hand, though, Laura decided that was enough and stood up. |
| "Alan, I'm not used to this. I don't want to be rude, but I think you're assuming too much. I don't know you and I think you're coming on too strong." |
| "I'm really sorry, Laura. Forgive me?" His winning smile was soon mirrored on Laura's lips, despite her reservations. |
| "Let me make it up to you tonight. I'd like to take you to dinner." |
| "I can't tonight, I'm going out with some friends." |
| "Boy friends?" |
| "Actually, yes." Laura knew from Toriko that several of the students who were going to the luau were young men. |
| Alan seemed to be studying her. His mouth still wore its smile, yet his eyes were emotionless. |
| "You already have a boyfriend? And you said you didn't want to rush into a relationship!" |
| "There are no relationships. I am going out with a group of people, and some of them are boys," Laura was starting to realise what her instincts were trying to tell her. Alan was after more than just a date. "I think that there is nothing more to say. Good bye." |
| "Good bye? Have I done something to upset you? Whatever it is, tell me and I'll change my ways!" He had an air of complete honesty and openness, and Laura was certain it was all a false front. This must be another one of those men her mum warned her about. |
| Laura could have waited for him to leave, and it would have made her feel superior to do so. Instead, she picked up her keys and walked away from him; it was smarter and safer. |
| With the door to her room locked, and the security chain in place, Laura gave a sigh of relief. She opened the door to the balcony, and stepped to the railing to watch the street, eight floors down. A cool sea breeze eddied and puffed around her, evaporating the moisture from her skin and swimsuit. |
| To either side of her were identical balconies, each a private nest from which guests could view the sea. It was impossible to see anyone else on another balcony, without swinging well out from the railing. |
| Laura paced the apartment, angry at her self-imposed confinement. She did not want to leave before Alan was sure to be gone, but she needed something to do. The TV provided a few minutes diversion, then, to keep herself busy, Laura started counting sit-ups in front of the screen. Thirty was as far as she wanted to go, and her figure did not really need the extra exercise. |
| Laura waited almost an hour, then cleaned up and dressed for outside. A denim skirt and white shirt were simple enough not to draw more unwanted attention. Laura felt reasonably safe, and again mixed in with the groups of tourists that wandered through the International Markets. She examined many trinkets and clothes, buying nothing, and secretly smiling at the garish costumes of some of the older tourists. One bald man wore bright pink floral shorts, matching shirt and hat, teamed with long brown socks and golf shoes. |
| The time soon came when Laura had to return to the hotel to prepare for the Luau. She arranged for the laundry to pick up a bag of clothes, once she had yet another shower. Three outfits were laid out on the bed, where she could study them, while she applied lipstick and brushed her hair. |
| "Keep it simple." She told herself choosing a white, off the shoulder blouse and white flared skirt. The travel desk had told her there were chairs for all the guests at the luau, so she would not have to worry about getting dirty. |
| Her phone rang. "Hello? Laura Shell speaking." |
| "Hello, Laura. Toriko say to meet you near door in ten minutes." |
| "Is that Kazamuki? What's Toriko doing now?" |
| "Sister no can decide on clothes. I say not matter." |
| "Tell Toriko not to wear white." Laura suggested. |
| |
| In the lobby, Laura was sitting on a huge couch and watching the elevators. When she saw how Toriko was dressed, she felt frumpy by comparison. Toriko was sheathed in black and gold, from mid thigh to throat. Kazamuki wore black tights and an off-white shirt, with the tails left out. |
| "Toriko! You are stunning. What a gorgeous dress!" |
| "Arigato. Thank you. Ka'muki say I should have it. Too expensive!" |
| "Oh, no, Toriko, Ka'muki is right. Whatever it cost it's worth it!" Laura assured her. |
| Kazamuki smiled at them both. "I know what Toriko wear. I know what Laura wear. So I mix up colour for me!" |
| "Very clever," Laura said. "When are your friends coming down?" |
| "They come soon. Bus here soon to take us luau." Kazamuki assured her. |
| As she spoke, an elevator opened, releasing almost a dozen young men and women. Toriko and her sister tried to introduce Laura to everyone at once, amidst a constant barrage of incomprehensible Japanese words. |
| "Here bus!" One of the youths shouted, and Laura was carried along by the tide. |
| The bus was really a big yellow van, with windows and seats. In minutes, every seat had a bottom on it, some already being occupied by tourists from other hotels. |
| "Aloha and good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome aboard for the ride of your life to the best luau in the world!" The driver announced modestly. "I'm Cousin Frank. The luau is approximately an hour's drive, sometimes two or three, depending on how many times I get lost... I'm joking, I think. It is a tradition that the guide gets to kiss all the ladies who join his tour. Unfortunately, my wife brought in another tradition, where she sacrifices the guide to the goddess Pele if he does kiss the ladies..." |
| Cousin Frank kept Laura and the other passengers entertained with jokes, and even played Australian, Japanese and German music once he learned what countries they all came from. A few rain showers along the way were normal, Cousin Frank assured them, and would not interfere with the luau. |
| |
| When the bus stopped, the passengers were all greeted by a man and a woman in traditional costume, who presented each of them with a shell lei. |
| "Aloha," the man placed the lei around Laura's neck and kissed her cheek. "Welcome to our celebration. I'm Cousin Malu. I will be one of those available to answer your questions and help in any way I can." |
| Their group was shown where to stand around a roped off area of beach where many other people waited for the show to begin. From around a rocky point, long war canoes were paddled towards the beach. Warriors and women, some dressed in magnificent feather robes, stepped ashore while conch shell horns trumpeted the arrival of the ceremonial king and queen. |
| A running commentary explained the significance of each scene, up to and including the uncovering of the specially roasted "kalua" pig from its oven in the sand. |
| As dusk began to fall, that part of the show ended, and the guests were invited to the bar for complimentary drinks. Laura had a cherry soda, and made her way to the tables prepared for them. Each table seated twenty people. At Laura's table were her Japanese friends and a family of Americans on vacation from Oregon. The mood was cheerful and bright, as if at a large family gathering. Laura was seated between a young man named Hironishi, and the America, Glen Bolden. Mr. Bolden had two sons aged ten and eight, a daughter aged eleven and his wife, Kareen. |
| "Aloha!" The speakers boomed. "My name is Cousin Henry. I'm your host this evening, along with the beautiful Princess Waialua, descended from a long line of royalty." |
| The princess was a large woman dressed in a splendid gown of green, a red hibiscus was in her hair. As music played, she sang a haunting, Hawaiian love song in a sweet, evocative voice. |
| There were other songs, and Polynesian dancers and fire dancers. Early in the show, there was an interlude, just before the food was brought out, where each man had to kiss every female at his table, then line up around the outside of the dining area, along with all the other men; once that was done all the women and girls had to go along the line and kiss every man in turn. |
| Laura enjoyed the custom as much as all the other females. Most of the food had names she could not remember, though she made sure she remembered poi, just so she would never have to eat the bland, starchy food again. A few of her table mates said they enjoyed the poi, but most agreed with Laura. |
| The night ended at eleven o'clock, and buses were refilled. In Laura's bus, Cousin Frank led them in singing and jokes, though by the time they neared the hotels, everyone was quiet and happy to be back. Laura tipped Cousin Frank five dollars before she went up to her room. She let herself in quietly, but Gran was still awake. |
| "I only beat you by half an hour," Gran said. "How was the luau?" |
| Forty minutes later, Gran managed to get Laura to stop talking and into bed. |
| |
| Laura woke up and instantly remembered what day it was. |
| "Happy birthday, Laura." She whispered to herself. Her watch said it was six thirty. If she went for a run now, she would miss Gran, who had appointments to keep. A short run would not do; instead she would run after Gran left for the day. |
| Laura was very disappointed that after all the months of planning the holiday to coincide with her birthday, Gran forgot the actual date. Quietly, so as not to wake the sleeping woman, Laura tiptoed into the bathroom and closed the door. With the light on, Laura was able to do her face. After the moisturiser was on, she examined her skin and features. |
| "You're getting old, Laura." She admonished herself in a deep voice, and giggled. |
| Her brown hair was past her shoulders and beautiful once more. She never allowed herself to get sunburned. The creams and lotions Gran had started Laura using were keeping her skin soft and smooth. She stood and turned in front of the mirror, studying the good figure and flat stomach; her body had none of the corded muscles of a real athlete. |
| Satisfied with the inspection, Laura switched off the light and went past the beds to the windows. Without letting light fall on Gran, Laura stepped out onto the balcony; Gran told her that in Hawaii, the balcony was called a lanai. |
| During the night, a light rain had dampened her world, and everything glistened in the soft morning light. The floor was cool and wet to her bare toes, and the breeze had the slightest chill that raised goose flesh on any exposed skin. |
| Everything was clear and beautiful. Eight floors below, occasional strollers were unaware they were followed by Laura's contented gaze. |
| A rustle of curtains behind Laura caused her to turn. |
| "Isn't it a wonderful day to be alive, Gran?" She said brightly. |
| "Marvelous. Now come inside, or you'll catch a cold." |
| Laura laughed lightly. "I doubt anyone could ever get sick in such a Paradise!" |
| Since Laura did not come inside, Gran joined her on the lanai. In her hand was a small, gift-wrapped packet. |
| "Happy birthday, Laura." |
| "Oh, Gran! I thought you forgot!" Laura hugged her, and opened the packet. A diamond and sapphire bracelet glittered in her hand. It fit her wrist perfectly. |
| "Oh, Gran!" Laura exclaimed again. "Thank you!" |
| "You're suppose to say mahalo, not thank you." |
| "Mahalo, Gran!" |
| "Now get dressed and we'll go out for breakfast. I know a nice little place called the Jolly Roger where they make great pancakes." |
| |
| There were booths in the restaurant to give diners privacy. As Laura ate her pancakes, covered in butter and maple syrup, Gran told her "Be sure and be in the room no later than six o'clock. I've got us booked for another show. It's a surprise, but you must dress formally." |
| "A surprise? Okay!" Laura popped the last piece of pancake into her mouth, and wished she had room for more; next time, she would try the coconut syrup. |
| "Darling, I really wish I could spend more time with you today, but I just can't," Gran apologised. "Can you forgive me?" |
| "There's nothing to forgive, Gran. Without you, I'd probably be on my way to school right now." |
| "I doubt that. Remember time zones?" |
| "Oh, yeah. You know what I mean, Gran. I'm going to hire a surfboard for a whole fifteen dollars, and surf all day. Or at least until I get tired." |
| |
| After Gran's taxi left, Laura dressed for running in blue shorts and red singlet. She put five kilometres under her Nikes before she returned. Laura surfed for three hours, lunched late on a salad, and went shopping in a place she had not been to before. |
| The Royal Hawaiian Shopping Centre was three levels of virtually three buildings, interconnected by walkways. It was filled with every kind of boutique and shop. Laura searched diligently, until she found what she needed. |
| It was an evening gown, black lace over deep blue satin. Reaching to her calf, and featuring a low-cut neckline, the gown complimented Laura's figure perfectly. A small clutch purse and shoes to match the gown were found, and Laura was ready to go back to her room, since she had just blown most of her remaining clothing budget. |
| |
| Laura walked towards the entrance of her hotel, and stopped. |
| Standing out the front was Alan Stevens, and even from where she stood, Laura could see he was scowling. |
| Unnoticed by the youth, Laura went searching for the side entrance through the hotel's shop. It was after five, and Laura did not want any unwelcome intrusions on her birthday surprise. |
| What was he doing here? Laura felt sure she had made herself clear. She wanted nothing to do with Alan. |
| Gran was not back yet, so Laura showered, applied make-up, dressed and tried the bracelet. The diamonds and sapphires were mesmerising when she held her wrist in front of the black lace. |
| Laura was in the bathroom when she heard the outer door unlock and open. Wanting to make an entrance, Laura peeked around the door frame to see if Gran was looking, then drew back, shocked. |
| Alan was in the room, passkey in hand and searching through Laura's wardrobe. |
| There were only two ways out for Laura: past Alan, or through the bathroom window, eight floors above the ground. |
