WilliamThe Hawaiian Islands have to be one of the most

William

The Hawaiian Islands have to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. The exotic flowers perfume the air, the bright rays of sunshine bathe your body in a perfect warmth, and the deep blue ocean waves lapping against the warm white sand soothe your mind and soul. If God created heaven on earth, this must be the place.

Our final destination was the beautiful island of Molokai. No traffic lights, no malls, and buildings, no bigger than palm trees, a quiet place where we could get away from it all, unwind, and reflect on our forty plus years together.

Sitting on the front lanais of our island cottage, I can scarcely believe we are actually in Hawaii. I gaze at Elise who is contentedly surveying the landscape surrounded by tropical palm trees, exotic flowers, and fruit trees. She turns and smiles at me. "It's so beautiful here, I might never want to leave."

"And to think you had to be talked into coming," I tease.

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"Well, I'm glad everyone was so persistent."

"In some odd way, it reminds me of that little town we stayed in on our honeymoon."

"That was in Maine," I laugh.

"I know the flora and fauna is different, but there's something about this place that reminds me of there."

"It's probably because it was the last time we were alone," I joke.

Our big honeymoon was not unlike our big wedding, but Elise never minded our humble beginning. She's always been practical. Our wedding was very small just the justice of the peace, a few family members, and us.

Partly because that was the way we wanted it and partly because we had no choice. The parish priest refused to marry us unless Elise agreed to convert to Catholicism. Elise was willing to accommodate, but I refused. I've never put much stock in religious protocol. Those are rules set down by man, not by God. As it turned out, Elise is a better Catholic even if she's not Catholic by name. She carried the burden of raising our kids with religious training. She even enrolled them in a parochial school. She did that to appease my parents, but I couldn't be saved. After I returned from Vietnam, I rarely set foot inside a church. Baptisms, weddings, and funerals only· that is my rule. My irreverence must have rubbed off on most of our kids even with Elise's good example because Benny's the only one who attends church regularly. I suspect he'd enjoy going anywhere where he could socialize with other people. He's a very friendly guy. Who knows, maybe he actually gets something out of church that eludes me. Elise says it's the peace at church that you can't find anywhere else, but Elise has always had a calm aura about her. In the midst of any crisis, she keeps her cool. The things that she has had to go through, Vietnam, Leanne's arrival, Benny's birth, Joe's sexual orientation, and Leanne's sickness is more than any mother should have to bear. The thing about it is she's done it all with grace and dignity. I guess that is why I married her. Even when we were kids, she possessed that grace and dignity.

I've never really told her how much she means to me. It's hard for me to say the things that are in my heart. Someday, I hope that I can find the words to tell her how I feel. That seems like a silly thing to say when you are over sixty. You would think I would have learned by now, but some things in life never change. Besides, I'm sure she knows. Words aren't the only way that you can let someone know that they are loved.

Elise and I haven't kissed in public since we were teenagers, but while walking along the wooden boardwalks of Kaunakakai, I leaned over and kissed her. It took her by surprise, but she didn't resist. We stand there in the middle of the sidewalk smooching like a couple of sixteen-year-olds until we feel the watchful eyes of a street vendor burning into our backs. We apologize, a bit uncomfortable from our display of affection, but the lady in the colorful dress brushes off our apology. "It is good," she says, plucking a bright red flower from her basket and handing it to Elise. "For your hair," she instructs. I retrieve a dollar from my pocket and offer it to the woman. "No money, the flower is my gift." She insists

"It's beautiful," Elise blushes, placing the flower behind her ear.

Hand in hand we walk a little further until the smell of fresh bread lures us into a local bakery. "What's that wonderful aroma?" I ask the man in a white apron who is situated behind a counter.

"It is the sweet Molokai bread baking in our oven," the proud proprietor answers. "It will be ready soon. Might I interest you and the lady in a loaf?" he adds temptingly.

"It smells too good to pass up," I answer.

"I'm starved," Elise adds. "We'll just sit in the booth by the window and wait."

I gaze at Elise, the sun's rays shining through the window, dancing playfully on her hair. She is just as beautiful today as when we were kids.

"What's wrong?" she asks. "You look like you're seeing a ghost."

"I was just thinking about you and Abby May's," I reply.

"Whatever made you think about that place?"

"Oh, I don't know, this place· looking at you... the sun shining on your hair". I feel like I am embarrassing her. "Remember how you used to sneak out of your house and meet me there?"

She smiles a distant smile. "I did love ice cream.

"That was so long ago, we are getting old," I sigh.

"It happens," she replies." Years fly by so quickly."

The baker interrupts our reminiscing. "Best in all of Hawaii," he smiles as he places the bread ceremoniously on the table. "Enjoy."

We finish our lunch in silence. Both caught up in our own little world. That is what happens when you spend so many years together. You don't need words to communicate anymore. I reach across the table and hold Elise's hand in mine, just like old times.

The next day, we rent a car and drive along the coast of Molokai, stopping to poke around the ruins of ancient temples, fishponds, and pretty churches. We decide to have a picnic in a place called Twenty-mile Beach. Elise spreads a blanket onto the white sand, we stretch our bodies in the shade of trees that hang over this long strip of sand.

"We haven't been to the beach in years. We used to love the beach. What happened?" I ask.

She thought for a moment. "Benny. Don't you remember how he used to eat the sand?"

"By the handfuls," I laugh. "We didn't know what we were in for when Benny came along."

"He was so active. It's a good thing he was last."

"He turned out to be a great person. I'm proud of what he's accomplished," I reply.

"It's been a long road," she admits. "But I've learned a lot about what's important from Benny."

"I think we did our best raising him, at least I hope we did." I was quiet for a moment. "What's your thoughts on John?"

Elise smiles slightly. "I don't know what to make of him. He has his fancy job and his fancy car, but he seems so unsettled. I wish he'd meet a nice girl and settle down. He and Bette seem to have bad luck when it comes to love. Even Joe has found a soul mate. When it comes to families, ours is exceptional. I never would have guessed when we began that our family would be so diverse."

"We started out so normal," he replied. "I don't know if I've ever really told you, but I think you've handled everything extraordinarily well. Not many women would·"

Silencing me Elise placed a finger on my lips. "I love you William and I wouldn't have chosen any other way."

We rested on the blanket. As the sun moved higher in the sky the shade from the trees no longer protected our bodies from its warmth.

Elise was rubbing her temples. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I just have another headache. Probably too much sun."

"Do you want to head back?"

"Do you mind? I think maybe I'm overtired and need to rest. Can we go to Halawa Valley tomorrow? We can get an early start."

Our first glimpse of Halawa Valley is from a roadside overlook. The sun is shining and it makes the water cascading from the spectacular green cliffs into a chasm below, look like diamonds falling from the sky. It is breathtaking. We park our car by an old, long forgotten church, remove our sneakers and wade across a river. I peer into the crystal clear water, wary of the rocky bottom, being careful where I step. "I don't know if my old leg can take this," I yell to Elise who is giggling like a teenager, scrambling over boulders, stopping every now and then to inspect shells and limpets that she picks up from the water's edge. I didn't even realize that we'd been hiking for quite some time. If someone had told me when I lost my leg that thirty years later I would be able to hike and swim through the Hawaiian Islands, I would have called them crazy. Things have come a long way.

The monstrous cliffs that surround us rise into the sky so high that the clouds seem to settle around them like whipped cream topping.

"Can you believe this place?" I ask Elise. "It's got to be one of the most beautiful places on earth."

"I picture the Garden of Eden looking like this. I just hope we don't meet up with any snakes," she giggles.

Finally, we reach Moa'ula Falls at the head of the valley. Back at the village, we were told of the legend of a giant lizard that lives in the water waiting to catch intruders. If a leaf, thrown into the water sinks, then the lizard is lurking nearby. Elise threw a leaf into the water and it danced across the pool like a ballerina pirouetting on a stage.

"When was the last time you went skinny-dipping?" I ask with wry a smile. "There's no one around for miles."

"I don't think I've ever been skinny-dipping," she admits.

"Well, there's a first time for everything."

I remove my clothes and wade into the pool. The water feels cool against my warm skin. I beckon for Elise. She's watching me with a look of disbelief on her face.

"Come in," I yell. "The lizard's nowhere in sight."

"It's not the lizard I'm worried about," she yells back jokingly. "What if someone else shows up?"

"We'll tell them the water's great·seriously, there's not a soul around. It's just you and me and a few fish."

Elise hesitates.

"C'mon," I pout. "Pleeeease".

Warily, Elise removes her clothes. Running for the water, she dives below the surface coming up under the waterfall. I swim to her, the frothy water swirling around our bodies. "This is better than a Jacuzzi," I exclaim.

"When have you been in a Jacuzzi?" she asks.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," I tease. "I don't tell you everything."

Elise splashes water in my face playfully. "Like what?"

"If I tell you, what will you do for me?" I stand behind her, wrapping my arms around the smooth skin of her shoulders. I kiss the back of her neck. She turns to face me. "I love you, William," she whispers.

"I love you, too Elise. More than I can ever say."

When the plane lands at Logan Airport, Leanne and Benny are there to greet us. "My God, look at you two. You two look like Hawaiian natives," Leanne laughs.

"No tan lines, either," I wink at Elise and she blushes.

"I stopped by the house and picked up your winter coats," Leanne exclaims. "It's freezing outside. I hope you're prepared for twenty-degree weather."

"Did it snow much while we were gone?" I ask.

"It snowed, but I shoveled you out," Benny answers proudly. He gives us both a big hug. "I really missed you guys."

"We missed you too, sport."

"How was Hawaii? Did you learn the hula?" he asks.

"Not exactly," Elise laughs. "We didn't have time. We were too busy seeing all the sights. Hawaii is the most beautiful place on earth·. Next to home."

"We had a great time, but it's good to be home," I add. Did anything interesting happen while we were gone?"

"Never mind that. We want to hear all about your trip," Leanne demands.

"Can it wait until tomorrow? I'm exhausted." Elise begs. " I just want to go home and get a good night's sleep. How about you all come over for brunch. I'll make my famous blueberry pancakes?"