My Kind of Town
>> Royal Hawaiian Hotel All tingly
It wasn't until after her 6-year-old daughter Elizabeth fell aleep on a Rosalita's side of the king-size bed that Rosalita Resurreccion allowed herself to cry. Until today, their life had been so happy in the home of Lily Ah Sun, for whom Rosalita worked as a maid. But then a man had gotten into the house because Rosalita herself forgot to lock the front door, and while Rosalita was changing the sheets on Miss Lily's bed he attacked her. And though she fought back bravely he was about to rape her. But then Lily's cousin Quinn had heard her screams, rushed in and shot the man in the you-know-where so he'd never bother another woman again. Now that was justice. But Rosalita would never forget the terror or the humiliation. And she would never forget her debt of gratitude to Quinn.
But as awful as the attack was, Rosalita knew that their lives with Miss Lily would return to normal after Miss Lily had the house fixed up. And the three females could all feel secure, because Miss Lily said Quinn would be coming to live them when he got out of the hospital.
>> Makiki
Tomorrow was Sunday, and Fawn Nakamura had to be at the Full Faith Fellowship to play the organ at the early service. As much as she needed to sleep, Fawn's mind raced with thoughts of this incredible day. But it wasn't just her mind that kept her up. It was a feeling in a place that she had never noticed before. Still a virgin at 27, Fawn didn't really understand this feeling, but she knew it was very natural and feminine. Because at last she had met a man to whom she could give herself.
That would have to wait until marriage, of course. That was her rule. But Chuck Ryan said he respected her virginity and admired her choice to wait, and he would be proud to wait.
Who would have thought that when she finally fell in love it would be with a man who was 51 and a widower. But in some ways their age difference, which at first intimidated both of them, was a comfort. Fawn knew nothing about sex or about pleasing a man, or even how she was supposed to respond. But the wonder of how God made our bodies is that she was already responding. It was that feeling in a place that she didn't know could have feelings, all tingly.
Yes, Fawn would wait until marriage. But it would not be as easy as she used to think.
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