My Kind of Town
The Honolulu Soap Co.:
Sunday digest>>Makiki Heights
To say that Sen. Donovan Matsuda-Yee-Dela Cruz-Bishop-Kamaka is getting edgy is to say that Captain Cook is getting dead. Three days of smoking ice will do that. He takes another hit on the pakalolo pipe, grabs another Bud from the fridge. Down below, the lights of the city are coming on. The senator likes this time of day at the hillside hideaway he keeps for Serena. That's when he hears knocking. It must be Serena coming home to make up! She knocked three times!
>>Portlock
Peeking around the kitchen doorway, Mickey watches the Filipina maid walk across the yard to a cottage, from which he has just heard a phone ring and a young girl's voice call out "Mama! It's Auntie Lily!" He likes the way the butcher knife he found in the kitchen feels in his hands. But he likes the .22 he left in the master bedroom better and hurries to retrieve it.
>>Maunalua Bay
"You know, Lily, if you weren't my cousin ...""Oh, Quinn, I know." She slumps her head against his chest, stays there.
"But you are my cousin. And unlike you I'm sober. I think we'd better walk." He steps back, they disentangle.
"I still need to lean on you, Cousin," Lily says. She is starting to sober up from her afternoon of drinking. But the ground is so uneven here. "Here, take my hand." And so the Ah Sun cousins walk hand in hand, in silence.
>>Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Manila
Muhammed Resurreccion likes meeting soldiers in the field, fellow believers in people's independence. Their faith and willingness to sacrifice inspire him, so he always brings them encouragement. On this trip from Zamboanga the encouragement is in his carry-on bag, two million pesos ($400,000), sent from Infitada Inc. Encouragement that will lead to more bombs and more chaos to destabilize Gloria's new government. It's nothing compared to the statement he plans to make in Honolulu. The world will hear and begin to take his people seriously.
>>Queen's Medical Center
Where has the day gone? That's what happens when you have back-to-back ER cases, Dr. Laurie Tang knows. You forget about time, the only thing that matters is your patient, even when one turns out to have been driving your boyfriend's car, and her only words before slipping into a coma are "Save the baby." Laurie tries the number HPD Detective Sherlock Gomes left for her, gets his recording. Her mom has also left a message. Like the detective, she is asking about Donovan. Laurie has more questions than both of them.
>>Kailua
Grace Ah Sun is still afterglowing from making love with her husband as she dials the number on their answering machine."Thank you for returning my call," the ER social worker says. "Is Lance Ah Sun your son? ... I'm calling because Lance was involved in an accident."
"What happened? Is he alright?"
"He is responding to treatment. But it would be best if you could come down."
"Of course."
The worst of fears filling her heart, she races to the bedroom to wake Sheets. They had just shared a moment of passion. Now they must share whatever terrible thing happened to their youngest son.
>>Kahala Mandarin Oriental
"This is so nice," Fawn Nakamura says after they've been seated at the Veranda. "I've read about tea here, and I've always wanted to go, but for something like this I think you need to come with someone.""Excuse me?" Lt. Col. Chuck Ryan says. "It's hard to believe a young woman as beautiful as you and of such obvious ..." He searches for the right word. "... virtue doesn't have a husband."
"Thank you." She semi-blushes. "But you might be surprised. I'll be honest, Mr. Ryan. I'm 27 and still a virgin. And I intend to remain a virgin until my wedding night."
"Good for you. I admire that."
"You do?" She is unaccustomed to such a response. Her virginity -- or at least her vow to keep it until marriage -- sends most guys scampering.
"Yes, but I have to be honest too. I'm 51 and, well, not quite a virgin."
"I wouldn't expect so." A giggle. "You've been married?"
"Yes, and widowed. Just a year ago." He looks away, blinks fast.
The mere mention is like reopening a wound for him. And Fawn doesn't know why, but she wants to make it better.
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