Take off your hat, I want to stand up.

Chapter 35: Hawaiian Trade Winds.

Chapter 35: Hawaiian trade Winds.

The Hawaiian trade winds

It was January of 1980, my brother  and me moved to Hawaii for the winter. I closed out my apartment and moved my meagre possessions back into mom's house on Empress St. Oh no, as an adult you never expect to be camped out in your parents home, lucky for me, Ev was also my friend. She did mind the intrusion, but kept the irritation down to a minimum. To me, it was a fresh start, a new beginning, a pit stop of sorts. I had been swimming against the current trying to make sense out of an irrational circumstance, Hawaii was the answer.

The island was a mix of poetry and sun. We spent the day at the most famous beach on the planet, Wakiki Beach. The warm, azure blue ocean had an attractive intoxicating effect on us.

I would get up early, jog down the Ali Wai Canal to the Y.M.C.A, work out with the World Wresting stars, jog to the beach and catch the sun. We  would sleep late, eat, suntan and go out at night. We were young and did not mind coming home when the sun was winking at the horizon. It was perfect. 

Ev had married in the meantime. She was lonely and searched out an old high school friend. She chased him until she caught him. They were married at city hall. It was very difficult to fit into an already established family, but we tried our best to make the situation work. We were all in it together.

After the glow of the first few months together, serious tension emerged in the family. Ev was not happy.

Ev, needed a break. She wanted to visit us and with our sister Janie she came to Hawaii. The phone call went something like this, hi we booked the flight we will be there tomorrow, can you meet us at the airport? Sure enough by mid-night the next day they were at the airport arrivals in Honolulu.

Ev had her brown, horn rimmed glasses hanging from a draw string around her neck, cigarette in hand, Sky captains lugging her bags. Jackie good to see you, I hope you do not mind we are going to stay at your one bedroom condo until we can get a hotel room. Sounds good, I said, what can you do? I had all of my stuff at her place in Canada, it was the least we could do. Yes, of course, glad to share, Ev stay, as a matter of fact stay as long as you like.

We managed to find a cot for them and set a small space aside for living together. Ev said, I do not want to be a bother, I can stay out on the lanai.

One night the trade winds picked up so as to breath fire over the island. The palm trees screamed and swayed, the hour was late, I had a feeling the calamity would sweep our mom off of the lanai where she had been sleeping. At two In the morning I opened the patio door. Ev are you alright? The black blanket was sheet sailing, rising and flapping about in a vigorous display of random movement. She said it is good, she liked the breeze. Breeze I thought it was two points less than a tropical storm, but I left her to it and found my bed again.

I thought if she does not get swept off the lanai in the night we would all have breakfast there in morning.

Three days later they checked into the Princess Kaiulani Hotel. We came for a visit, she was at the pool chatting up an Australian airline captain. The next day we went to visit and she had checked out. They moved to the Rainbow Sheraton. We caught up with them in the restaurant and it was during the meal Ev complained that her marriage was not what she had wanted. Dave was turning into a clingy complainer who did very little work around the house. He contributed nothing in the way of love and affection nor did he offer to pay for his upkeep and maintenance. She was sad and lonely. What should I do? She layered out the problem and asked me to give her advise. I said I would sleep on it.

The next day she was back at the Princess Kaiulani. She was about as stable as a June bug chasing a night light. She said the Sheraton reminded her of the family vacation to Hawaii with your father in 1975. Too many memories.

I went to sleep, with this on my mind and as with my belief of allowing the subconscious mind to problem solve the real world I astral travelled through time and space. I turned the problem over, broke it down into several component parts. I had a revelation by the morning, I had the solution.

I life-guarded at Regina Beach with my good, life-long friend, Scott. We loved the beach and took the protection of the population very seriously. We worked nine to five seven days a week for two months. One of the regular blanket people was a single, older gentleman named Eddie. We did not judge anyone, Eddie was a man who preferred the company of other men. Not a big deal. Who are we to judge others?

At one point I was talking with David and somehow the conversation brought up the name of Eddie. His only comment was, Eddie was such a sweet man. Not another word was said.

David had a son and a daughter from two of his previous wives. His daughter gave my mom and Dave a suggestive purple model of two naked people kissing romantically on a rocky wave swept beach. This was their wedding present, interesting. I looked at the model I had it in my hands. I asked her what's with the model? She responded, you will find out. Her eyebrows raised, a sly smirk erased from her face as she turned away.

I looked into the three marriages David had before he married my mom. Two of the women committed suicide and the middle wife just got up and left one day. There was no ceremony or pleading it was a fast, do not call me, the marriage was over.

Odd, however people were more free in their marriages in the post war era. At the time I felt it was bad luck more than anything.

I said to Ev, Dave is a gay man. All of the patterns of his life point to the reality of his homosexual nature. She said no way. I said do not tell him I said so. I liked Dave. He was a nice man and he was always good to me. I held no animosity towards him or anyone else, the behavioural pattern fit. He was emotionally cool and aloof toward women. Ev felt cheated.

The minute she hit home from Hawaii, she confronted him and said, Jackie says you are a homosexual. The accusation stung him to his quick. Now the fight had turned into a battle. The battle into confrontation. Both sides dug in for the long haul.

He denied, denied and denied the comment and the connotation. Six months later he was in a stalemate with Evelyn. It seemed he would not move out and she could not make him. What does a person do in a situation like this? You cannot go to the local store and hire a removal expert, it is very much a legal battle.

David said he would move out on the condition she gave him half of her money. He came into the marriage with nothing, loafed around for the most part. He reminded me of Fog Horn Leghorn in the animated cartoon, all bluff, mostly mouth, no substance and no follow through. Ultimately he was a big brown bag of wind. Ev needed help. She was in a tight spot.

Dr. Morris Shumiatcher, the former solicitor to the Premier of Saskatchewan, Tommy Douglas, well known and respected lawyer was retained by Ev. She outlined the issue and the problem, Dave married her as a homosexual man. She was not aware of this fact at any time. Once Mr. Shumiatcher settled on a line of reasonable defence, David agreed to leave. He submitted to the divorce and would in fact not require any funds or community property sharing.

Evelyn was free. Dr. Morris Shumiatcher saved the day. Thank you so much.

The Hawaiian trade winds helped solve her personal issues. Ev was single once again, but more lonely and depressed than she had been in a while. She would ask, what should I do?

I had no answer