This Side of the Sun (The Sun Trilogy) (16 page)

It was a long drive to the airport, upward of two hours. We had left early to allow for plenty of time for going through security and finding the right gate. Joe had seemed somewhat disgruntled and hadn’t said much on the drive. Justine had stayed home to rest before she was due to start her shift at two o’clock that afternoon.

Joe pulled up to the curb labeled ‘departures’ and Saul and I hustled to grab our bags from the trunk of the car. Joe grumbled something about being glad he’d be back home in time to drive Justine to work. He hadn’t found a new vehicle since the explosion had totaled his and was still driving hers. I forced him to give me a quick hug goodbye and was glad to see him shake Saul’s hand. It had been several years since my one and only trip on an airplane and I was starting to feel nervous.

“You have your ID, right?” asked Saul for the fourth time.

“My driver’s license.”

“Since we don’t have any bags to check through, we can head straight to the gate.”

We both pulled our rolling suitcases with our smaller bags resting on top near the handles. The airport was already bustling with travelers and I made sure to stay near to Saul. Before we had walked very far we came to the security desk where they checked our preprinted boarding passes and ID. After letting us through the checkpoint we made our way to the luggage
scanners where Saul insisted on lifting my bags for me. We placed our shoes, cell phones, his wallet, and my purse into a plastic bin before sending it through the scanner. After walking through the metal detector one-by-one, we retrieved all of our items and followed the sign that read ‘C-Gates.’ We walked down a wide, short hallway until the sign directed us to the right. We immediately came to a bank of sliding glass doors that refused to open.

“What’s this thing?” I asked.

“SeaTac’s a huge airport, love. This here’s a train-thing.”

“A train-thing, huh?”

“Uh-huh. A train-thing.”

As he looked over at me and smiled the ‘train-thing’ appeared and the automatic sliding doors opened. Several people filed off in a noisy rush and just as quickly we stepped into the tram. Overhead a computerized voice told us to sit down or hold onto something securely. There were gray plastic seats facing each other on either side of the tra
m and metal poles ran down the center of the cars, spaced about every four feet. Several other people had boarded with us and I decided to stand and hold onto a pole to allow younger children and the elderly to sit. Saul stood close behind me, wrapping his arms around me and holding on to the pole just below where my hands were placed. Our luggage was tucked neatly by our feet. The train sped away with a slight jolt. I must have tensed because Saul kissed me on the cheek and whispered to me that he was excited to get into my pants later.

***

We sat at a Starbucks and drank coffee until it was almost time to board our flight. Once to the gate, we sat off to one corner waiting for our turn to board the plane. I was surprised when Saul stood when they called for first class passengers.

“Saul?” I asked.

“That’s us, babe.”

“First class?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Oh my God. The tickets must have cost a fortune!”

“Uh-huh. But don’t worry about it. My Grandpa would have insisted on only the best for such a pretty girl as yourself,” he said with a wink.

He offered me his hand, which I took as I stood. We gathered our bags and walked to the roped-off area that would lead us to the plane. We presented our boarding passes to the man scanning them and then proceeded down the jet way and eventually onto the plane. We settled into our seats, which were located in the very first row. They were dark blue with burgundy trim and unexpectedly comfortable. Saul stowed our luggage in the overhead bin before joining me in the seats. Passenger after passenger filed onto the plane, most looking excited.

***

After a quick safety demonstration by the flight crew we were in-air and underway. The flight lasted nearly six hours, landing later than scheduled. The captain had explained that the delay was due to strong headwinds. I hadn’t been bothered by the delay because it had been time spent just being near Saul. The flight had been smooth and we spent most of the time talking about our childhoods, our hopes, our dreams, even life regrets. For one day, I found my thoughts to be less focused on recent tragic events.

As soon as our plane came to a stop at the Kahului airport, Saul stood and retrieved our bags. We were the first two passengers to disembark. Our first steps off the plane brought us to a small uncovered section of jet way. The sun was shining and the air felt, and smelled, different. It was pleasantly warm; almost hot. Saul told me that the scent was wild plumeria. Once we entered the airport itself, we crossed the gate to an outdoor hallway that was built of brick. Saul pointed at lush green trees nearby that bore beautiful white flowers. We walked hand-in-hand down the corridor, each pulling our luggage behind us. Several people walked toward us, obviously on their way to an outbound flight. They were all tan and looked sad to be leaving. Before long the corridor ended at an inside circular area that led in four different directions. We followed the sign to “baggage claim/rental cars.” After a quick escalator ride down one level, we entered a large room that housed several luggage carousels. A young woman stood off to the left holding a sign that said “Meyers.”

“That’s us, babe,” said Saul, gesturing toward the woman with his head.

The woman smiled when she saw him. “Saul, so good to see you!”

“Tina, thanks so much for picking us up. This is Hattie,” he said as he wrapped an arm around me.

Tina extended her hand to me, and I took it with a smile.

“Hattie, Tina’s my buddy’s sister. They’re from the islands.”

“Nice to meet you, Tina,” I said.

“So glad Saul brought you here,” she directed toward me. “Saul, Brock’s in town. He says to come over for a luau before you head back to Seattle.”

Saul beamed at the news. “We will, for sure. Have him call me in a couple days? We’ll arrange it.”

“Good, you can meet my fiancé when you come!” said Tina.

I found the news of a fiancé relieving and felt myself relax. Tina was a natural beauty. I wasn't sure if she was native or not, but her dark skin looked sun-kissed and her black hair was long and shiny. Her features were petite and I could tell that her personality shined as well.

“You’re getting married? That’s great! He better treat you well?” said Saul.

Tina smiled, making her striking features stand out even more. “He does. His name’s Suko, by the way. You’ll like him.”

“I better,” grumbled Saul with a wink.

“Ok, let’s get you guys to your little resort paradise. Just drop me off at home?”

“It’s the least we can do. I really appreciate the car loan.”

“Be good to my baby, ok?” said Tina said, indicating the car.

“You know it, girl.”

We followed Tina out into the bright sunshine. Three crosswalks later, we arrived at her car. I was a bit surprised to see it was old, and only had two seats.

“Uh, Tina?” I asked.

“Huh?”

“It’s cute but how will all three of us fit?”

She chuckled, and from Saul’s expression I could tell he was wondering the same thing.

“Teen, where’s your Ford
Focus?”

“Oh that piece of crap? I wrecked it. No worries…I was kidding about taking me home.
Suko’s picking me up in a few minutes.”

Saul hugged her. “You brat.”

“Ok, so it’s a 1975 MGB. Glad you didn’t bring much luggage cause the trunk’s small. The top’s manual so put it up at night in case it rains. It’s not hard to figure out. The wipers can be a bit tricky, but if they won’t work just turn the engine off then restart it and they usually work again.” She held a key out to Saul. “Keep it unlocked at night so no one slashes the top, okay? You never know when someone might try to break in and look for hidden treasures.”

“Thanks, Teen. We’ll take good care of her.”

Tina opened the small trunk and I saw she hadn’t been kidding. The tiny spare tire took up most of the space. Saul was able to fit one rolling suitcase and both smaller bags inside the back end, and the other rolling case fit nicely in the small space behind the only two seats.

As soon as our luggage was stowed, a motorcycle pulled up. A handsome man waved to Tina.

“That’s Suko. I’ll introduce you when you guys come over. He’s in a hurry to get to work.”

Tina skittered off and straddled the bike. She took a helmet from her man and put it on as he was speeding away.

“Ah, just the two of us now,” said Saul as he leaned down and kissed me.

“She seems nice,” I said.

“Her whole family is. You’ll like them.”

“How do you know them?”

“I met her brother, Brock, when I worked up in Alaska for a summer. Fishing.”

“Ah. Cool. What kind of fishing?”

“Deep sea crab,” he said as he held my car door open for me.

I slid into the little bucket seat and fastened the seatbelt around myself. I took my sunglasses from on top of my head and put them on my face as Saul took his place behind the wheel. I watched as he started the engine and grinned at me.

“I hope you don’t mind me borrowing the MG from Tina. I thought it’d be a lot more fun than a stuffy rental car.”

“No, it’s fine. Looks like fun,” I answered.

“You ready, babe?”

I was growing warm sitting in the direct sun and nodded in reply.

“It’s about a forty-five minute drive to the Villas. Do you want to go straight there or stop at a beach along the way?”

“Oh, can we stop at the beach?” I asked excitedly.

“We can. But not for long because I’m dying to get inside of you.”

I felt my insides tingle in response to his desire. “To the resort, then.”

***

The drive to the Westin Villas only took about half an hour since Saul went a bit faster than the speed limit. I had never ridden in a convertible before and the entire drive was a thrill. The entry to the resort was lined with plumeria and palm trees and lower growing tropical shrubs. The asphalt roadways were dark and bordered by lighter colored sidewalks. As Saul turned to the right with the curve of the road I took notice of an ornate long-canoe on display. Within a few more seconds he turned to his left and into a circular drive, where he parked the car.

“Okay, Hattie Cakes, this is our stop.”

I grinned like a school girl, excited about our adventure. Before I could open my door one of the resort staff opened it for me.

“Aloha!” said a dark-skinned man wearing a string of shells around his neck, white shorts, and a tropical short-sleeved shirt in hues of white and beige. “Welcome to Paradise!”

Saul quickly stood. “Mahalo!”

I had no idea what ‘mahalo’ meant, but since he said it with a smile I assumed it was good.

“Are you checking in today, sir?” asked the man.

“We are.” Saul walked around to my side of the car and handed the man the car keys, and I noted he slipped the man a folded green bill along with the keys.

“Mahalo,” said the staff to him. “My name’s Henry. If you need anything, feel free to ask for me or any other member of our staff. I’ll get your car parked while you check in.”

“Thanks, friend, and aloha,” said Saul as he shook Henry’s hand.

We fetched our meager bags from the trunk and the space behind the seats, and I followed Saul through a large open area that led to a grand lobby. There were clean damp washcloths set out on a table to our right. Saul told me they were for freshening up hands and face after a long, hot journey. There was also a large clear glass cooler filled with ice water and slices of pineapple. I had never seen anywhere so lavish in my life. Saul stopped at the table and filled two small plastic cups with water.

“You have to try this,” he whispered. “It’s tradition.”

I gladly took the icy beverage and sipped at it. It smelled of pineapple, with just a faint taste of fruit. I drank the rest thirstily, not caring if it was unladylike. Once we had both finished two glasses, we proceeded inside and to the large reception desk. There were five “stations” for checking in, and we were the only guests at the moment. Another tan woman with dark hair, wearing similar clothes as Henry out front, smiled when she saw us. Her hair was pulled back and on the right side of her bun was a large tropical flower. I knew right then that I had to have one before the trip was over.

“Mr. Meyers, good to see you back!” said the woman, whose name badge read “Rose.”

“You too, Rose.”

“We have your suite all ready for you. Two weeks this time, in an ocean view studio? Does that sound right?”

“That sounds perfect. Thanks, Rosie.”

“Okay, it’s room 7-632. Would you like a map?”

“Just one, please.”

“And how many room keys?”

“Two should do it.”