My Kind of Town
>> Queen's Medical Center Begger’s luck
Lily Ah Sun was looking for a quiet corner of the lobby, a place to make a few calls from her cell phone. There were voice messages from her maid Rosalita Resurreccion and her travel agent Donna Gomes. And Lily needed to call Dave Donnelly at the Star-Bulletin to ask about Clarence "Bobo" Ah Sun. She was about to call Rosalita when she saw calamity coming.
"Hey, Dad," she called as Sheets Ah Sun entered the lobby.
She hurried to intercept him before he got to the elevators, speed-dialing her mother's number. They had to get Greg out of her brother Lance's room. The last thing the family needed was a surprise meeting between her father and Lance's gay lover.
"How's Lance?" he said.
"Same, I'm afraid." In a coma.
Sheets grimaced. "I guess your Mom won't be making the trip with me." To the graduation of Lily's other brother Laird.
"Guess not," she said as Sheets stepped onto the elevator. "I'll be up in a bit."
Grace Ah Sun answered on the second ring.
"Mom, Dad's on his way up! You gotta get Greg out of there, now!"
"Oh, my goodness." Grace didn't think her husband could handle knowing his youngest son was gay, at least not on top of everything else that had happened recently. "You're right."
"Is that you, Greg?" Lily heard in the background.
And then Greg shrieking with joy, "Oh my God, Lance, you're back!"
Perfect. Not only would her father get to meet her brother's gay lover, he'd get to see Greg tearfully hugging and kissing Lance too.
"Mom, I'm on my way."
But at least Lance was out of the coma. And thank God.
Make that Goddess. Stepping onto the elevator, Lily smelled the scent of eucalyptus and sea spray. Ho'ola had been this way. Alone in the elevator, Lily closed her eyes, breathed deep the essence of the goddess of life. Thank you, Lily prayed. Thank you for bringing Lance back. But you know me, don't you, Ho'ola? I'm such a little beggar. You answer one prayer, I come running back begging with uku-plenny more. Please bless me and Quinn. Bless our fathers. Bless my mother. Bless Lance and Greg. Bless Laird up in California. And wherever he is, whoever he is, bless Bobo Ah Sun too."
"That I cannot do any more."
Lily's eyes went wide and standing there was a very tall, very brown, very beautiful and very naked woman. Ho'ola. So big a few moments were required to take in all of her verys.
"No problem with the others, my little beggar," the godess said, reaching down to gently touch Lily's cheek. "But Bobo, he went bye-bye."
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