Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
So the evening went. Dee was wonderful company and a very talented chef. She kept a
spotless house and her kitchen was surprisingly modern. She was very proud of the new
glass top stove on the rugged brick island in her kitchen. I sat at a high stool sipping the
chilled white wine she offered me. I talked to her about sailing and some of my adventures.
She would prove to be a very dear friend, and let it be stated that that is all it ever was.
The Kalamungai chicken was Dee-licious. It tasted lemony and earthy, an unusually pleas-
ant combination of flavors. She laid pieces of the chicken and fresh Japanese mushrooms
on a bed of rice that had butter and garlic mixed into it. I sat on the couch next to her after
the meal and listened to some of her favorite tapes. She was obviously lonely in the even-
ings during the week, and I believe she found me entertaining. For my part, it was all I
could do to stop myself from leaning over and kissing her. I managed somehow, and I be-
lieve she appreciated that a lot. Dee was one of the few beautiful women I have encountered
who could flirt with me without being suggestive. I, in turn, had immense respect for her
and never tried to take advantage.
The following afternoon I had a visit from Mike and his beautiful wife, Susan, from the ser-
vice station. They came aboard Déjà vu and were most complementary about the little ves-
sel. We had tea and home-made carrot cake that she had baked. Susan was from Alaska and
was a strikingly beautiful woman. She could have graced any classy women's magazine
cover. I often wondered what she was doing on Lanai, one of the remotest places in the
world. The answer came when I got to know her a bit better; she loved living away from
civilization, away from the humdrum of the mainland of the United States. She and her
husband had spent many years in Bali and then decided to move to Lanai. They have been
there ever since, raising three beautiful children and contributing greatly to the success of
the Trilogy Boat Charters.
The conversation finally came around to my working on their house, and Mike asked when
I would consider starting. I told them any time really. I loved just pottering around in the
harbor, but I also needed to earn some money. He said he would have to order a supply of
timber and hardware, and when that arrived from Maui, I would be able to start, most likely
within the next week.
Murphy and I had a daily habit of wrestling in the early hours of the morning. I would wake
up with him playing on my bunk. He would chase and bite my feet under the covers. I knew
he was learning how to hunt, and he would pounce on my feet at the slightest movement.
He would then saunter up to my hands and start biting and clawing and skidding on my
wrists. He had sharp little claws and wicked teeth, and many a time he would overdo it, and
I would have to send him flying off the bunk as I flung him away from me.
