Saturday, October 20, 2007

Farewell to Maui Hill

Maui Hill
webshots

This is the page I never wanted to write. We've had a wonderful week. It went fast and it went slow. It was beautiful.
Today I went for a quiet walk by myself. I went down the road to a pretty little beach behind the hotel that faces the water and is across the road from our condo. Since I really am still on California time, I think I was easily out the door before 7:00am.
The others wanted to spend the better part of the morning by the pool. We hadn't really taken advantage of the pool yet. It's been usually noisy and sorta crowded. Today though, is a final do-nothing day and the pool looked good to them. I found it stuffy. The development plays the same Hawaiian music tape over and over. I'd much rather feel the breeze off the ocean. They all know I can't sun-bathe like they can.
I saw a number of beach-combers and a few early swimmers. I sat on the steps and just thought. I pushed tomorrow far away. I told the Lord how happy I was, how thankful I was for giving me this precious time. Maui is so incredibly beautiful. Friendship is such a wonderful gift.
I found a tiny path to the sand through the ice plant that looked just like the breaks in the foliage I remembered from long ago. I've had quite a few of those reminiscent moments. Hard to put my finger on feelings of familiarity. It's been sweet. I turn my head and I'll see my childhood, either through a hole in a fence or across a school ball diamond. I did as I determined to do; savor every single day.
This last evening we decided to watch the last sunset from that same little beach. We carried our chairs and towels across the road and set up camp. I took one last quick dip in the Blue Pacific. A whole swim, actually. You can barely see me splashing, a feeble backstroker, out past the rocks. I tried to judge the timing...how long can I stay in the water, still get dry in the waning sun light, see the sunset, and make it back across the road, not dying from hypothermia? Interesting difference; the sea water here isn't so pungent as the water off California. It's milder, more soft or something, definitely different.
We reluctantly trudged uphill towards home, had a 'clean-out-the-fridge' supper of pork fried rice, baked potatoes, shredded cheese, re-heated steak, and a dessert we'll call a Shunshine Special: a Pineapple, Banana, Pineapple Sherbet, Coconut Milk, Crushed Ice, Smoothie. Yum!
None of us is ready for bed. The only thing I have done to start packing is move Mom's rice cooker back to my bedroom so I won't forget it.
The others are sitting on the lanai behind me, howling at yet another somehow 'more funny than is possible' story. After a week of mishaps, miss-turns, misspeaks, misjudgements, and mispronunciations (you can only imagine), we have a truck-load of inside jokes. I wish I had a recording of them trying to figure out, and incorporate daily, Hawaiian slang.
I was teary eyed on the flight over to Maui when the airline played a melancholy Hawaiian melody on their introduction video. Then, I felt like I was finally coming home.
I can only imagine my future feelings of homesickness.
Can you be home and homesick at the same time?

4 Comments:

At 12:28 AM, Blogger Jailgy said...

I'm glad you got to savor the moments alone. Too often we let that slip and are forever knowing we missed something special.

 
At 8:47 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Aloha nui loa, Aloha no ka oi, Aloha

 
At 10:07 PM, Blogger ioi said...

Great comment, Anonymous! It couldn't have been said better. Just the right response to such a touching post.

 
At 11:24 AM, Blogger knitterykate said...

Very sweet. I know you better. Wish I could have been there. Love you.

 

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