We cooked our breakfast of oatmeal and pancakes along with some of the fruit we had left in our tiny pantry. As we enjoyed the warm morning air and sunshine, I commented that we would have to find a grocery store in the near future and restock our supplies. Becky said that her Uncle Pika had told her there were plenty of stores near the city of Kahuku where we could purchase whatever we might need. She said she would call her uncle later today. Then she asked me what I would like to do today. I told her that I would like to go snorkeling and see if I could find us some great seafood items from the sandy sea floor below us, and then maybe try out the new dinghy. I commented that we could also walk along the beach for a couple of hours. Then I looked her in the eyes and said, “With the hot sun beginning to beat down on us, the walk on the beach might need to happen before the swimming or we will cook in the heat of the afternoon.” Becky said that she would like the walk on the beach, and if we put on our thin white Under Armour swimming clothes and hats, we could keep some of the sun off our bodies.
I asked Becky if she knew exactly where her uncle’s beach house was located. She smiled and said she did not. She looked me in the eyes and said, “It could be one of the mansions that we see along the beach.” I smiled and said, “You have been keeping secrets from your husband, I do believe.” Becky giggled and said, “His wealth was inherited. His parents discovered gold in a creek that meandered through their northern California ranch. They later sold the ranch to a wealthy investor, and then Uncle Pika inherited that wealth when his parents died a few years back. Uncle Pika built the beach house here on Oahu, and paid the taxes in advance for ninety-nine years. He can now live here basically free for the rest of his life.”
We raised the ensign on the mainsail mast so we could easily see the Pacifica from the beach. After we dressed appropriately for being out in the hot sun for the rest of the day, we launched the dinghy and began paddling it towards the shore. We could see a large pier along the coast and we steered towards it. As we paddled the dinghy into shallow water, we saw two small stingrays swimming just above the sandy sea bottom. They were incredibly beautiful, but we both knew that their sting was a serious threat if we happened to step on one, or provoke them. As we got up close to the pier, we realized how large it was, and that it extended out into the ocean a quarter of a mile. There were probably twenty-five vessels tied up to the pier, but we moved our tiny dinghy up to the shoreline and stepped out onto the beach.
A man that had been mowing the grass on a riding mover walked up to us and said that we could store our small dinghy behind the storage building where he stored his mower. As we introduced ourselves and pointed to the Pacifica anchored in the harbor, the man smiled and said, “You are the ones Pika has been talking about for weeks now. You must be the woman who designed and built a submarine that has sails. Pika cannot stop talking about you and your vessel, and now I find out you are married.” The man looked into Becky’s eyes and said, “I know you don’t remember me, but I remember you, young lady. You were only three or four years old when you came to visit your Uncle Pika for the first time, but I remember those eyes. As a child, your eyes were captivating and the most beautiful blue I had ever seen. They are just as beautiful today as they were the first time I laid eyes on you. I must call your uncle and tell him you have arrived. He is about to burst with excitement over your visit. By the way, my name is Harold. Do you mind if I call him?” Becky smiled and said, “I talked to him just before we arrived in the harbor, but I have not told him we have arrived yet. You may call him if you wish.”
Within twenty minutes, Uncle Pika and his wife Elizabeth met us at the pier. Harold was grinning from ear to ear as we hugged and giggled with our new friends. As we talked, Harold spoke to me and said, “If you will help me strap your dinghy onto the top of Pika’s Jeep, you can take it with you to the beach house, or should I say, to the mansion.” He chuckled and said, “You will soon see how some of the better half of the islands population lives.”
Within five minutes, we were on the road to the mansion. Our presence here in Oahu seemed welcomed, and our hosts were very hospitable. We unloaded our dinghy and the oars at the guesthouse, and then toured the mansion and the grounds. By noon, we ate a seafood meal prepared by the servants, and then we were off in the thirty-foot skiff to show Uncle Pika and Elizabeth the Pacifica. As we boarded our vessel, Uncle Pika and Elizabeth stood on the deck looking down into the clear water at the rudders and propellers. However, the cabin impressed them the most. We explained how the ballast tanks worked and how we could dive and then resurface when needed, and how the propulsion motors worked to give us maneuverability when we were submerged. By the end of the tour, our guests did not want to leave, so we anchored their skiff and took them sailing on the Pacifica. We did not return to where we had anchored the skiff until four hours later. Elizabeth was in seventh heaven and seemed enchanted by the thoughts of living at sea for a whole year.
When we arrived back at the mansion, this time with some clothes and toiletries to spend the night, hundreds of people had invaded the beaches. We sat on a small patio where we could watch the beach as we ate tiny ham and turkey sandwiches that the servants had prepared for us before they had left for the day. Elizabeth said we would be on our own for the weekend, but there was plenty of food in the kitchen and we would not starve. We discussed a food market where we could purchase supplies to replenish our pantry on the Pacifica and Elizabeth said she would take us on the grand tour in the morning and we could make our purchases. She said that we could make another food run just before we left the island for fresh fruit and perishable items. She asked how long we planned to stay. Becky told her and Uncle Pika that we wanted to be sailing again by Tuesday morning at the latest. Uncle Pika asked her why we were in such a hurry. Becky looked him in the eyes and said, “Because if I don’t leave this island soon, I will fall in love with it and my husband will have to live out his days here on Oahu.” Uncle Pika laughed over Becky’s love of the islands and then he began discussing Becky’s Father and his love of the sea. That discussion continued until well after midnight.
Finally, Elizabeth said, “Enough already, let’s get some sleep and then we can go shopping in the morning. We have a thousand places to show you, and a thousand places to shop and eat. We have a very full agenda for tomorrow. Later in the day, we can make a trip out to the Pacifica to take the things you purchase and to check on the vessel before we take an evening walk on the beach. They have the best beer and hotdogs money can buy on the food wagons that line up along the beach on Saturday and Sunday nights.”
As our guests showed us around the kitchen of the mansion and then helped us find blankets and everything we might need in the guesthouse, we finally settled down for the night. After a long shower together, we decided to walk on the beach for a few minutes, hoping the exercise would help us unwind and be able to sleep when we did finally lie down in the plush bed in the guesthouse. We only walked a half mile when we both decided we were tired. As we walked up to the guesthouse and stepped inside, we realized someone had put a sign on the pillows of the bed. It was hand written on a large piece of white poster board and read, “Congratulations on your marriage and we hope you enjoy your stay with us. If you should decide to stay a couple extra days, we would take you to Honolulu and spend some time on our yacht. It is great having family visit us. See you in the morning for breakfast around eight o’clock.”
As Becky and I cuddled under the covers, a cool breeze began to blow in from the sea. There was a wind chime somewhere on the property and we could hear the delicate crystals serenading us to sleep. As I lay in the bed, I could hear the ocean waves breaking on the beach below us and I could feel the bed gently moving under me. Then I heard a giggle and realized that Becky was moving her hips up and down to make the bed move. I asked her what she was doing and she said, “Just trying to give us the sensation of sleeping in the rolling waves on the Pacifica.” I swatted her on the bare butt and then snuggled up closer
to her.
When we woke in the morning, the sun was up and the breeze blowing in the windows was getting warm. Becky and I both walked outside to see how hot it really was. Within seconds, she turned to me and said, “I will run if you join me. We don’t have to go very far.” I agreed and within ten minutes, we had used the rest room and dressed. I rubbed suntan lotion on the exposed places on Becky’s body and off we went. As we ran on the hard packed wet sand along the water’s edge, we realized it was not so hot after all. By the time we were running up towards the guesthouse, we saw Pika and Elizabeth sitting on our deck sipping coffee.
When we stopped beside the table, they both smiled and looked pleased. Uncle Pika commented that the two of us seemed a perfect match and that lovers who run together, stayed together. Becky looked into my eyes and said, “Stanley, I had never considered that you and I might not remain together for the rest of our days.” She snuggled up into my arms and I realized she was crying. I hugged her tight and finally she stepped back and wiped her eyes with her fingers. Uncle Pika quickly apologized for making Becky cry, but she just hugged him and said, “It is okay. I love this man very much and never thought about us divorcing or even arguing in anger. We often disagree, but one of us always gives in and allows the other to have the final say.” Elizabeth smiled at Becky and said, “We would like to take you two to a very nice outdoor restaurant for breakfast. We remembered the place this morning and you will love it. They have a huge buffet, or you can order from the menu. We would like to have you join us if you would like to go.” Becky immediately said we would love to go, and then turned to me, put her hand over her mouth and giggled. She said, “I guess I will start asking my husband’s opinion more often instead of answering for him. I would not want him divorcing me.” I patted her on the butt, and then reminded her that I was an adult and could speak up if I did not like her decisions. Then I looked into her eyes and said, “Besides, I am madly in love with you, Captain.” I heard the giggles from behind me as I kissed her hard on the lips. After we changed our clothes, we headed out for breakfast.
***
As we walked out of the restaurant and headed back to the Jeep, Pika asked if we wanted to go shopping this morning before the afternoon heat set in and we all agreed. Once we were in the Jeep and driving down the road towards the shopping mall, Elizabeth asked if we liked to water ski. I laughed and explained that I had won a high school water skiing tournament and had beat out a hundred other kids. Uncle Pika laughed and said, “That may be the case where you live, but here in Hawaii, we add a little twist to the sport that keeps things lively. Here in the warm ocean waters, you will have to ski ahead of the sand sharks that prey on tender young bodies from the mainland.” He started laughing so hard over his comment that Elizabeth finally told him to mind his driving before he crashed the Jeep. Becky looked at me and said, “I don’t think I like water skiing anymore.” I chuckled at her and explained that her uncle was just teasing. The look on my wife’s face told me she was not so certain. Elizabeth said, “I have a better idea that does not involve being eaten alive, how about if we go see a movie at the I-MAX Theater?” Becky immediately perked up and slipped her arm inside mine. I pulled her a little closer and said, “I love I-MAX theaters.” Pika laughed and said, “Okay, if no one wants the man-eating sharks to chase them, then the I-MAX it is.”
As we shopped, we decided to purchase our groceries for the Pacifica. We filled two shopping carts with plastic containers of vegetables, fruit, coffee, and juice. Then we loaded up bags of potatoes, squash, and other fresh vegetables that would keep for a few weeks in the cabin. We had found that the bow of the cabin seemed to stay relatively cool and we hoped that things like potatoes would remain usable for a few weeks. Then we loaded tin foil packages of tuna fish, salmon, and a dozen boxes of powdered milk and a few boxes of potato buds just in case our potatoes spoiled. We talked to Elizabeth and she said we could get fresh pineapples and coconuts at the store near their home just before we planned to sail. By the time we had finished, Pika began laughing and said, “I will call a taxi to help us get this stuff to the yacht. The springs in the Jeep are not strong enough to hall all this stuff you have purchased.” As we loaded the Jeep, the springs did sag a little and that just made Pika laugh louder. We visited a huge golf course on the way back to the mansion, and then loaded our purchases onto the yacht and headed out to the Pacifica.
As we got close to our vessel, we saw over a hundred seagulls sitting on top of the deck. As we approached, they reluctantly flew off, but some would liked to have stayed and fought for the territory they now claimed. The deck had a layer of nasty white bird poop all over it and it smelled disgusting. Once the groceries were aboard, Becky and I got two brooms from the cabin and began the task of ridding the deck of bird poop. Our efforts seemed in vain, but then I devised a plan. I added seawater to the ballast tanks until the Pacifica’s deck was just under the surface, and then we used the brooms to clean the hull. Within twenty minutes, the deck was clean and I raised the Pacifica back up onto the surface to a respectable height. Pika came on board with four tin foil pie tins from the galley of the yacht, and some twine. We rigged the pie tins on both masts so they would rattle together in the wind and keep the sea gulls at bay. As we headed back towards the mansion, Elizabeth said, “Now I see why you created a submersible sailing vessel, Becky. It makes cleaning the deck very easy.”
As we got near shore, we spotted the seagulls perched on some large lava boulders along the beach. The gulls seemed content, but the home we had banished them to did seem a little crowded. Becky held up her index finger to the birds, but got no response from any of them.
We took a few minutes to change clothes and put on long pants and warmer shirts. Uncle Pika warned us that the theater was always cold, even for him. He suggested that we take long sleeve shirts with us so we could put them on if needed. As we walked into the theater, we decided to get a large bucket of buttered popcorn and two drinks. Becky giggled and said, “We will have to eat the popcorn from one bucket quickly. I will need to use the empty one to pee in after drinking all this tea.” Pika almost spilled his tea trying not to giggle over the thought of Becky squatting over the empty popcorn bucket in the main isle. As Pika predicted, the theater was very cool, but to me it felt good after being out in the sun for many hours today. After the first hour of the movie, I put my shirt over Becky’s shoulders and she warmed up a little.
By the time the movie was over, it was beginning to get dark outside. When we stepped out the front door of the theatre, the heat quickly warmed us. After a few minutes, we all began shedding the extra clothing we were wearing.
As we drove back to the mansion, we discussed the yacht trip to Honolulu. Becky had not seen her uncle in many years and liked Elizabeth a lot. We decided to take the time and travel with them to Honolulu. The yacht had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large fully equipped galley and a covered deck to enjoy the sea air. We planned to leave around ten o’clock in the morning.
When we got back to the guesthouse for the night, we washed two loads of clothes and I logged my laptop onto the Internet using the AT&T air cards I had purchased. I realized that I needed to pay my Visa bill before it was late. Becky was standing over my shoulder when I opened the bank account that I was transferring money from and I heard her take a deep breath. I turned to her and she quickly walked away as if she had seen something that was a secret between us. I spoke to her and said, “Becky, please come back over here and look at my bank account. I have no secrets from you. I eventually want to put your name on all of my bank accounts. I have worked hard all my life, and being single for a few years, I have put away a lot of money. I also put a large sum of money into this account when I sold my New York Condominium. My daughter’s name is on all my accounts in case of my death, but she can only access them with a power of attorney that she and I have locked into my bank safety deposit box. When we return home, we will work with an attorney to get the power of attorney c
hanged over to your name as primary, and Dawn as secondary beneficiary. For now, I think it is best that we keep our finances separate so we do not have to argue over money.”
Becky leaned down and kissed me on the neck. She said, “You understand that I have inherited my father’s wealth. I also think it is best that we keep things separate for now as you suggest. Later on when we get home, we can create a single joint account that we both put money into for our normal living expenses. I don’t feel that it is your responsibility to pay for the upkeep and maintenance of my property, or the Pacifica for that matter, but we can decide on those issues as they arise. I want you to have full knowledge of all my assets, just as you wish for me to understand your finances, but with separate bank accounts, we will not argue, as you so politely put it.”
I stood up and hugged Becky, and then told her that I did not want us to have an ugly divorce over silly things like money. She kissed me and asked, “Is that what ruined your marriage to June?” I explained to Becky that money was the biggest issue in the divorce, but my work away from home was probably the straw that broke the camel’s back. I said, “June cheated on me, my daughter found out and told me of the affair. The divorce occurred shortly thereafter.” I told Becky that what hurt the most about the breakup was not so much that June and I separated, but that June had put her own daughter in a position where she had to tell her father about her mother’s affair. I looked Becky in the eyes and said, “That broke my heart. Dawn and I have learned to deal with June’s indiscretions, but I think Dawn was hurt the worst by the whole thing. I guess the children truly do suffer the most from a divorce.”
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