My Kind of Town
My Kind of Town
>> Queen's Medical Center Healed by Ho'ola
When Ho'ola, goddess of life, left Sheets Ah Sun's room in the cardiac unit, she left behind more than the healing scent of eucalyptus and sea spray. She left behind a man whose heart had been given new life.
Yes, he would have to change his lifestyle, give up salted pork, start exercising more, swap his Coors Light for red wine. But just as important as the health of his ticker, Sheets' heavy heart was heavy no more.
Gone was the crushing weight of a lifetime of misjudgments. They were behind him, Ho'ola said, and should stay there. She also reminded him of "the rightest thing" he'd ever done, and said that should be his future. Something to build upon.
Mostly what Ho'ola left behind was a man who knew the right thing to do, no matter how unthinkable it was even a few hours ago. That's why Sheets needed to talk with his daughter Lily. He had some news for her, and a question. He thought she'd want to hear it as much as he was looking forward to asking.
At that moment, though, Lily had her own questions to ask based on research she and her former cousin Quinn had done into the feud between their fathers. Well, Lily's former father. She wasn't looking forward to asking, but she had to. Her mother was also not looking forward to the questions. But there was no avoiding them.
"OK," Grace Ah Sun said when they were seated in Lily's teal BMW in the circular parking structure, "what is it about Quinn you want to ask me?"
"Mom, when Quinn and I just happened to meet the other day after 21 years, we both started asking what was so terrible that our fathers quit speaking and tore the family apart. I went to the State Library, looked up newspaper references to the Ah Sun family from years ago."
A shudder ran through her. Grace remembered too well the stories of 21 years ago, including Bobo's disappearance.
"And that led us to Tony Martinez, the singer."
The kids were so close to the truth that had been locked away all these years, Grace started to panic.
"Then Quinn got up the nerve to call his mother for the first time in 16 years."
"Flo?! How is she?!" Hoping to change the subject, even for a moment.
"It's weird, the only professional gambler in the family is apparently as happy and balanced as anyone. By the way, she sends her regards."
Before Grace could reply, Lily added, "Auntie Flo has this theory that I need to ask you about. Did Bobo Ah Sun rape you that night or was it just a fling?"
Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek.
His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin
with weekly summaries on Sunday.
He can be e-mailed at dchapman@midweek.com