Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
If you can stay over, you can ride back with me and the boys.
I glanced heavenward. Lord, please, please, please let there be only one bed available for us both. Not likely, but a guy could dream.
Sounds like a plan.
I grinned widely while thinking it sounded very much like a date.
Ten
Just a reminder, ohana, that surfing is not a valid excuse for missing class! Catch all those waves on break, and see us back bright and early Monday morning!
NOLAN
The commute to North Shore Oahu was an adventure. I started by taking a bus from the base, then transferring to one heading to the North Shore area. I’d packed a small leather backpack with essentials for an overnight, but what had seemed sporty in New York seemed out of place here, along with myself. Not liking that thought, I let myself indulge in people-watching instead. My fellow passengers heading out of Honolulu included workers bound for the various North Shore resorts, thrifty tourists balancing stacks of luggage, students, and surfers toting boards that took up the aisle on the bus.
As we left Honolulu, the landscape changed rapidly from suburbs and strip malls to lush green scenery and small houses here and there. Then, almost like magic, the ocean appeared on my right, first little glimpses, then more frequent views and public beaches dotted with post-Thanksgiving tourists. And more surfers. Every colorful surfboard made me think of Merry, who was meeting me in one of the little towns along our way north. The weather changed too, windier and chillier, but the sun was out, the sky somehow even bluer than usual, and the day seemed full of possibilities.
The farther north we went, the more rural the surroundings appeared, simpler houses in pastel colors, none of the new construction with manicured yards like around the base. Curiously, there were tons of free-roaming chickens. At first, I thought one must have escaped from a backyard coop, but no, others kept cropping up, and when I exited the bus, there were several milling about like this was simply an average Friday in chicken land.
“Hey there.” Merry’s smile seemed warmer than usual as he greeted me. Barney sat by his side and also offered a furry greeting. “How was the trip? And are you hungry?”
“The trip was rather enjoyable. And I’m starving.” A particularly bold chicken walked right up to a group of tourists collecting their luggage from the bus. “What’s with the chickens? They’re everywhere.”
“They live here.” Merry shrugged. Barney also seemed disinterested in the barnyard fowl roaming around. “And if you find animals interesting, I have the lunch spot for you.”
“I’m intrigued.” I followed him and Barney to his car, where I stowed my bag next to Barney in the backseat. Merry drove us to a large, colorful collection of food trucks that had taken over an old sugar mill. We wandered a bit with Barney on his leash, checking out the different trucks, including one in an old-school bus, but when it came time to pick, Merry directed me to a burger place that not only had chickens lurking nearby but also several giant pigs. They were huge, way bigger than I’d ever pictured a pig, and surprisingly friendly, wandering between the picnic tables. Barney didn’t so much as bark, staying right at Merry’s heels. “Do the pigs live here too?”
“Yep. Don’t try to pet them.” Merry laughed, pulling me into the line for the burger place. “You want the loaded fries here. Trust me.”
“Carbs…” I studied the menu, not seeing many alternatives that would be virtuous.
“We’ll walk it off.” Merry was in a take-charge mood, and I was here for it, letting him order for both of us and relishing the results. Crispy fries. Melty cheese. Perfection. In the end, only a couple of fries were left for Merry to hand to Barney.
After we finished our food, Merry asked, “You wanna see the boys surf? Dad took them out earlier this morning.”
“Yes! I haven’t seen the beach much since I arrived.”
“That’s a travesty.” Merry shook his head, and given our present scenery, I was inclined to agree. I really should have been exploring more. He drove us farther north to a wide beach populated with a lot of surfers along with families with kids in wetsuits toting smaller boards.
“Oh my gosh, yes, I should have visited way more beaches if they all look like this.” I gazed off into the vast horizon, taking in the cloudless blue sky, the tawny sand, scrubby trees, and all the colorful people.
“It’s a bit of a hike to where Dad and the boys are, but it will be worth it.” Merry led us away from the bulk of the crowd, walking easily across the sand while I trudged along. Even Barney was faster than me, especially once Merry unclipped him so he could frolic on an open stretch of beach.