My Kind of Town
>> Kalanianaole Highway The Honolulu Soap Co.:
Sunday digestSitting in the rental van, Muhammed Resurreccion was pleased with himself. Wilhemina Orlando was driving and in the seat behind him was his cousin Jesus' widow Rosalita and her 6-year-old daughter Elizabeth. The last thing he looked like was a terrorist.
"I've always wanted to see the Arizona Memorial," Muhammed said. "It's a very important place for all Filipinos. Do you know why, Elizabeth?"
"No, sir," the little girl said.
Muhammed smiled again. His niece was so precious. That's what made her the perfect one to convey the message he wanted to give to America . She was the last one they'd suspect.
"Pearl Harbor is so important to Filipinos because if the Japanese didn't attack Pearl Harbor and force the Americans into the war, the Philippines might still be a Japanese colony.
"By the way," Muhammed said, "where can we buy some flowers? I want to bring some to the memorial."
"Right here," Rosalita said, pointing to the Foodland-Aina Haina store.
>> Honolulu Soap Co.
Lily Ah Sun was plotting ways to take over the family company when the phone rang.
She answered and nearly dropped the phone. "Laird, what a surprise!"
They'd never been really close. Lily and younger brother Laird lived under the same roof, but in different worlds. Daughters were supposed to find a husband to pay the bills, while sons were supposed to go to college and become successful. In a couple of days, Laird would graduate from Stanford Business, an opportunity never available to Lily.
"Dad just called and told me about Lance." Their younger brother was in a coma.
Lily heard the question Laird had not asked. "Yes, he's gay. He confided in me."
"Well, I sort of suspected it," Laird said.
"Lily, I've got a problem."
"The real reason Dad called was to tell me that he's naming me president of the Soap Company. Immediately."
"Congratulations," she forced herself to say.
"No, that's the problem!"
>>Royal Hawaiian Hotel
A man who thought he'd made love for the last time.
A woman who wondered if she ever would.
The widower and the virgin. What a pair.
Chuck Ryan fingered her business card - Fawn Nakamura, Office Manager - punched in the number.
"Hi, how's your day going?"
"Oh, Chuck, it's so sweet of you to call!"
"The strangest thing happened when I was ..." He paused, looking for the right excuse. "... out for a run this morning at Ala Moana Beach."
Ryan hated lying to Fawn. But lying was part of his job description. That's why he'd told her that he was into investments. One day he'd have to tell her the truth, that he was in fact Commander Chuck Ryan, Navy intelligence officer.
But now he spoke honestly of the World War II-vintage Japanese mini-sub that ran aground at the beach.
"Anyway, my client from the Philippines is here. I'm not sure how long this will take, but if it's possible I'd like to see you for dinner."
"I don't have plans tonight," Fawn replied. "Just call and let me know what's happening."
Ryan hit the off button just as he was getting into his car. Then his phone rang again, and he listened to Lt. Martin Luther Washington's status report.
Ryan's "client from the Philippines" had picked up a woman and a girl in Hawaii Kai. They stopped to buy flowers and were headed toward town.
>> Honolulu Soap Co.
Even though the words Laird was speaking were exactly what Lily wanted to hear, they did not make sense. Lily could not believe what she was hearing.
"I don't get it," Lily said. "What's the big problem? You ought to be happy."
"But I've got things that I want to do, on my own. Lily, I just finished reading the most amazing book, 'Jesus Was a CEO' and it changed my life."
"You're not kidding, are you?"
"Not at all! It relates the teachings of Jesus to capitalism. The author has an organization that sends groups out to Third World countries. I just signed up to spend a year in Afghanistan, teaching them Christianity and capitalism!"
>> Queen's Medical Center
When nurse Nina Ramones named the seven people who had visited Quinn Ah Sun today, it explained a couple of things. For starters, Quinn wasn't just dreaming that Gwen Roselovich had been here. And more importantly, his cousin Lily had been here a second time - when Quinn was knocked out from a painkiller. Apparently that's when she dropped off the photocopy of an old news story about the disappearance of "Clarence 'Bobo' Ah Sun."
Was that what made Lily do the quickest emotional about-face in history, one moment wanting him to come home with her, the next moment refusing to speak to him? Quinn was sorry about that, but at the moment he was so fixated on Nina that Lily mattered less and less.
But Quinn was dying to ask Lily the significance of the Bobo story.
"When I'm off duty I'll stop by and check on you," Nina said.
"I'd like that," Quinn said, as he took one of her hands in his.
When Nina was gone, Quinn reached for the phone. Maybe one day he and Lily would be friends, maybe not. Right now all he wanted was answers.
>> Honolulu Soap Co.
Lily couldn't believe how stupid Laird was acting, and she told him so.
Laird's feelings were hurt. "Lily, 'Jesus Was a CEO' changed my life."
"Getting your head cut off by extremists will change your life too."
Ridiculousness was catching. All Lily ever wanted to do was run Honolulu Soap Co. She should have been encouraging Laird to hurry to Afghanistan.
Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek.
His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin
with weekly summaries on Sunday.
He can be emailed at dchapman@midweek.com