My Kind of Town
I promised a few days ago that you'd be watching as our mad experiments unfold. Let’s explore
‘My Kind of Town’Watch the characters spring
to life in this Hawaii-based serialWith this in mind we introduce "My Kind of Town," by Midweek editor Don Chapman, who reconjures the old days of newspapering through the lure of the serialized novel.
The story offers a glimpse into life in Hawaii, as seen through the eyes of characters who may look and sound like your neighbors or co-workers. Real characters may wander in for cameo appearances, so you may never be sure who's real and who's fictitious.
"My Kind of Town" is a minute-long read that will run Mondays through Saturdays, with a weekly synopsis running Sundays beginning April 1.
Today you'll meet Lily Ah Sun, daughter of Honolulu Soap Co. patriarch Sheets Ah Sun, who Chapman has drawn as his "perfect woman."
The adventure begins below.
-- Nadine Kam, Features editor
>>H-1, Ewa-bound Vol. 1: The Honolulu Soap Co.
Trouble in the fast lane
The shriek of a siren startled Lily out of her autopilot reverie and she jumped in her leather seat. The seatbelt tugged her Anne Namba white silk suit taut against soft brown skin lightly scented of gardenia blossoms.
Smelling good was her business, and business was very good. But business had her so lost in thought, Lily hadn't noticed the flashing blue light and the cop on a motorcycle in her rearview mirror. For how long?
She recalled waving the usual friendly good-bye to Jon and Randy at the Union 76 station in Hawaii Kai, but how had she managed to drive to town with no memory of steering or braking or changing lanes? She'd even missed the political sign-wavers. Unless they'd all skipped showing up this morning -- even the Gabbardites --which was hard to imagine with the recall effort in full heat.
But here she was in the left lane. Which on this occasion really was the fast lane.
Thinking about her plan to reorganize the Honolulu Soap Co., now that her father was talking about retirement, had so consumed her consciousness that Lily also didn't notice the faded gray sedan with the tinted windows. The young driver of the sedan had been tailing her since he saw her jogging -- her lavender sweats clinging to her body -- along Lunalilo Home Road yesterday and followed her home.
The young driver of the gray sedan about lost it when he saw the biker cop rushing up behind him, blue lights flashing, as he was speeding to keep up with the babe in the Beamer. This piece-of-bleep car wasn't exactly his.
But the cop whipped around him and nailed the Beamer, although it took a while to get her attention, from Koko Head almost to University Avenue.
He smiled darkly. The key to his success is women who don't pay attention.
>>School Street
The shiny black SUV with tinted windows idled at the Houghtailing light.
The male driver glanced at his cousin in the passenger seat and his brother in the back.
"Where to now?" the driver asked.
"No matter," the one in back said. "Jus' keep cruising, brah. Sooner or later, we'll see him."
"Palolo?"
"Shoots."
>>Tomorrow: Class reunion
Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek. His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin. Reach him online at dchapman@starbulletin.com
Send E-mail to dchapman@starbulletin.com.