Chapter 19: The Un-Thinkable in Paradise

[Suddenly my world begins to go topsy-turvy]

The quick physical at Fort DeRussy requirements continued without regard to my status as a college student. As mentioned life was busier than busy but I got a notice from Selective Service to show up yet again.

I made the well worn trek to the little building to pee on a stick and wait my turn to be checked for any progress in my rehabilitation non described. I laughed to think flat track racing was my rehab. After getting run over on the coral track I headed off to the hospital, Kaiser hospital in Waikiki.

It was Sunday and the parking lot was empty. The tall and new hospital sat right on the beach, the first tall building you came to entering Waikiki from the west side. The parking area, slightly elevated was not large. Yet my little truck was almost the only vehicle there. Luckily it was my left shoulder that was damaged and I was able to shift gears.

I paid $8.00 dollar per month for my health insurance which I had never used before and my entrance into the hospital a new experience. Without going into great detail I was X-rayed and waited to have a doctor come to reduce my dislocation. The collar bone fracture was simple but the reduction was long and arduous, ended up painful. The doctor who came spoke almost no English and apparently was the only or at least one of few available that day.

He took off his shoes and with socks one he took hold of my wrist, inserted his foot in my arm pit and started pulling. He pulled and pulled some more for quite some time before he stopped to check the positioning of my shoulder in the socket. Never mind I also had a broken collar bone, he complained in his native tongue apparently about how hard it was to reduce and he pulled some more. My hand was turning blue with no circulation due to his strong grip. When I finally mentioned he looked perplexed and frustrated but kept pulling. Finally he felt I had apparently a normal shoulder positioned as it was intended, put me in a sling and sent me on my way without instructions concerning anything. I went home and my body continued to hurt from his efforts. What do you expect for 8 bucks a month.

I wasn’t too comfortable to say the least and sleep was hard won that night. The next morning I called Wally and told him what happened and in my youthful state of mind I probably expected some sympathy. But Wally said simply if I wasn’t able to get to work he’d have to find somebody else and I wouldn’t be working at Pepo anymore. My first thought was panic, I would be out of work and my second thought was I was going to have to go to work in a sling, and I did.

Simply said I hurt but I started all the vehicles and did some minor detail work. I skipped classes that one day and went home a little early to recoup. As I recall I didn’t wear that sling for more than a couple of days total because I could move my arm more and more by using it. When Siza found out about my injury and I told her Wally was going to fire me if I didn’t continue working she got really mad and started off in his direction. I begged her not to complain because I was afraid he would fire me immediately. I pleaded with her to just let it go and I’d be fine. She really gave him the stink eye and from that day forward never gave him the time of day.