Every evening for ten days, the couple hung by the pool deck for the free puu puu’s and a tropical libation. The fragrant breeze blew in with the conch shell, and a lone musician sat off to one side playing tasteful guitar – light jazz and some Hapa Haole’s. The couple seemed to be the only ones paying attention to him – calling out enthusiastic grunts, and “Yeah, man” whenever he played a tasty riff.
The guitar player was friendly during intermission. After several days of casual conversation, plus the $5.00 tip they left for him each night, he felt comfortable enough around them to suggest that he could provide them with some Big Island Green if they were interested.
“That’s OK,” Kristie smiled. “We’ve got it taken care of…” She thought nothing of stowing some MJ in the folds of her brassiere wrapped in double sealed plastic. (*Note: That was before the dogs, the x-rays, and body scan.) But he was nice enough to ask…
On the next to the last night of their luxury vacation, the guitar player gave them a present wrapped in the Big Island Gazette comic section. “Open this later in your room,” he said with much aloha. “I’ve enjoyed meeting you.”
Jack dropped another fiver in his guitar case, “Well, you might say that you’ve made our trip. We’ve loved the nightly music. Mahalo and aloha,” Jack said as he shook the fellow’s hand. He was hip enough to have learned a few Hawaiian phrases.
They opened their present when they got back up to their room. It was a small hand painted shell, chipped on one side that had been made into a refrigerator ornament with a dob of glue and a magnet. Within the shell itself was a miniature painting of two angles reclined in the clouds with the sea below them – making love. The caption read, “Angels Time Out – Beaudet ’88.”
Within the cup of the shell was a very nice Big Island bud. The couple enjoyed it that night on their lanai gazing over the moonlit shore. Then they made love with the window slider open and the white sheer drape billowing in the tropical wind. The moon was shining on them as they entwined in their own version of ” Time Out.” It was always good between them, but this night was particularly special.
The next evening they went down to their usual haunt to seek some friendship, and expecting to see their new favorite guitar player doing his thing. He wasn’t there. “Is it his night off?” Jack asked the bartender. They had wanted to leave him an extra special tip on their last night.
“Oh no,” the bartender said. “That guy hasn’t worked here for years. I think he got fired for being too friendly with the customers, drugs, or something,” the bartender tried to joke. He seemed out of place and lacking in the Aloha Spirit.
“That’s too bad, we really enjoyed his music,” Jack said as he left the bartender a buck and murmured disparaging remarks under his breath.
The ghostly guitar player would have to remain a mystery. Was it the Menehune? They were known for playing tricks. Maybe he really was an angel taking time out to sing and play for them? At any rate the guitar player was gone and the couple flew out the next day. But they had the proof. That little crooked shell still occupies the top left hand quadrant of the magnet display on their refrigerator.
#BeKind #AngelsTimeOut #AlohaSpirit #DaKine
(First published 6/13/13)
