Chapter 24

Honolulu time: Friday 8:43 PM May 1, 2015

Los Angeles time: Friday 11:43 PM May 1, 2015

Cider Junction WV time: Saturday 2:43 AM May 2, 2015 (local time EDT)

Cider Junction WV time: Saturday 1:43 AM May 2, 2015 (EST Aina baseline)

Aina time: 4:52 AM day 240 of 1413 (3 Aina years and 24 days after Mayoni's Red Bird Festival)

"Man! Don't you ever stop working?!"

Mayoni looked over to the door of the JABSOM genetics lab. "Oh, hello Simon. What time is it?"

"Almost 9 PM. Come on, put down all that stuff! I'll take you out. You can even be my date!"

"Ha! The campus Casanova wants ME for a date?! Seriously Simon, I don't think I'm your type."

"You're a hot-babe female! That's the type I date!"

"Simon, you're proving my point."

"Huh? Are you saying you're not hot-babe female?"

"Ha! No! I was referring to women who appreciate gentleness." Mayoni smiled at Simon's total lack of understanding. "Why don't you try the student lounge? I'm sure you can find girls there who'd be thrilled to party with you."

"But tonight I want you! Come on... I won't take no for an answer."

"Simon..." Mayoni's smile slowly faded to thoughtfulness. "Seriously, our likes are completely different. You'd be better off prospecting the student lounge."

"Try me! Just for one night!"

"One night! What are you suggesting?!"

"I'm suggesting that you try me. I've seen you here what, three years?"

"Close enough."

"I've never seen you going out with anybody! What's wrong? Your body is gorgeous. You should see all the guys ogling you when you surf! Me included! The other surfers say you're world class, the hottest thing they've seen in ages. Why don't you compete?"

"The North Shore competitions? I just love surfing for what it is, not to show off..."

Simon walked up and stood close to her. "Mayoni, tonight you're mine. Come on! I won't take no for an answer."

"Simon, seriously, we're not compatible. The places you would like to go would probably distress me."

"Try me."

"Well... Oh, I don't know. Where do you want to go?"

"A secret! A surprise... Mayoni, have you ever dated anybody?!"

"Ha! What a question to ask a girl!"

"Have you?"

Mayoni smiled. "This is a fascinating lab Simon. Would you like me to show you some of the things going on here?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, right! Talk about work stuff on a Friday night?!" Simon idly picked up something from a lab table. "Ouch!"

"Simon! What did you do? Oh! Let me get you a Band-Aid..."

"Why didn't you tell me it was so sharp?" asked Simon, as Mayoni dabbed his finger with a cotton ball and then put on a bandage.

"Apologies. It didn't occur to me you would pick up the business end of a scalpel like that..."

Simon wrapped his hand over Mayoni's as she finished. "I know how you can make this up to me. Come out with me tonight!"

"Oh... I don't know..."

"Mayoni, I know the faculty here has been going ape-shit over you and all your theories. Forget all that for a night! There's all sorts of May-day parties going on! Don't you ever want to go out with anybody? Come on!"

"Simon, where do you want to go?"

"I'll take you somewhere. It's very public. If you don't like it, I'll bring you right back."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise..."

Ten minutes later Mayoni was sitting in Simon's car. She glanced back and saw the JABSOM campus receding in the distance. "So... Where are we going?"

"A surprise! Tell me about yourself Mayoni. Where are you from?"

"Oh, just places... I came to the islands from West Virginia. I have family there. How about you?"

The social chatter went on for quite a while. Mayoni was somewhat impressed how artfully Simon tried to draw information out of her without sharing any of his own biography. She decided to adopt the same position, and amused herself by keeping the conversation absolutely pointless. She talked about food.

"You say your parents send you vegetables and spices from their garden? From West Virginia?"

"Well, my aunt and her family, but yeah. It's great food, very tasty. I'd really miss the green pepper spice if I didn't get it. They have their own gardens, very private, in a large piece of land near their home..." Mayoni looked around and worried a bit as Simon drove into the seediest part of town. She then groaned when Simon pulled into a parking lot adjacent to an all-night Disco.

"A Rave?! That's my surprise?"

"Yep! You can reward me for this later, but for now, it's party time!"

"Simon, seriously, no... I'm sorry if I wasted your time, but no."

"Come on!"

"Simon! For once in your life honor me! Plug into what I'm saying! No!"

"Huh? What's honor got to do with anything? Come on!"

"Ha! Honor has to do with everything! And no, I'm not going in."

"Come on. You're twenty-one, right?"

"Actually, not yet. But that's not the point."

"What IS the point?"

"That I don't want to go in there. Please Simon, take me back."

"Come on!"

"Simon, read my lips! No!"

Simon made a loud sound of exasperation. "Why are you making so much... Why don't you want to go in?"

"Simon, please be serious with me on this. I'd be distressed to go in there."

"Distressed? Why?"

"The music is so loud it will hurt my ears. But it's the lyrics and the sex that drive me away. The self-centeredness, the wantonness, the debasement, the hateful lyrics... They will hurt my soul. Please Simon, take me back."

"I can't believe this! Mayoni, what kind of date would you like?"

"Truthfully? Something a lot more peaceful. We could go for a walk or a swim. If you're hungry, we could have a light meal together. Or maybe just plan something for the future. Would you like to be with me tomorrow? * Hana * ho'opa'a * manawa * no * ka * launa * pu * " Mayoni sang.

"Huh? What the hell was that?"

"It's amazing to me there's no English word for it. Let me call it a work date."

"You talk in song?"

"Sometimes..."

"How bizarre can you get? Your family ever talk to you about this?"

"My family sings too."

"Yikes... So tell me, what's a work date?"

"Think of something constructive that you like to do, and do it with me for a date. Gardening, painting... For the cost of almost nothing, we could buy a roll of garbage bags and pick up litter around the campus."

"WHAT?! AS A DATE?!"

"Sure, why not? The work is light and would be a gift to the campus. We could talk while we work, learn how to be honest with each other, help each other to understand our hopes and desires..."

"This sounds as whacky as your singing parents!"

"Hey!"

"Tell you what. Come in with me for a while and I'll reveal my desire later tonight! You'll be pleased! It's very long!"

"Simon!"

"No? Okay, how about this? Come in now and I'll take you swimming later. But I get to pick out the bathing suit you'll wear! I have it right here, in the palm of my hands! And I get to lather on the suntan lotion over ALL the exposed surfaces!" Mayoni glanced down and saw his open hands holding absolutely nothing.

"This isn't funny anymore! Take me home!"

"No! You're my date for the night. It's too late for me to get another one." Simon whined.

Mayoni took a moment to take a deep breath and collect herself. She sighed. "You did promise, you know."

"Promise what?"

"You promised me a ride back if I didn't like your surprise."

"I didn't exactly promise that. Afterwards... You can't know that you don't like it unless you try it for awhile. Come on!"

"Simon, I must leave. You have insulted me in every possible manner."

Mayoni got out of the car and began to walk away. She was dismayed to hear Simon following and starting to yell at her. She finally decided to run away. Simon chased her for a while, but he was no match for her swiftness and agility. He finally stopped out of breath and very annoyed, embarrassed that Mayoni had outran him. He yelled out after her, "I INSULTED YOU?! YOU'RE INSULTING ME! You dumb bitch! You can't dump me like this! You owe me! You fucking worthless cunt! This is not over! THIS IS NOT OVER!"

Two days later Mayoni was coming home from her afternoon jog. But when she tried to push her key into her dorm-room lock, the door just moved away from her. Pushing past the broken lock, she was shocked to see Simon lying on the floor. There was a pool of blood near his head, and Mayoni thought it looked like it had flowed from his mouth. She quickly dialed the campus emergency number.

Honolulu time: Tuesday 8:13 AM May 5, 2015

Los Angeles time: Tuesday 11:13 AM May 5, 2015

Cider Junction WV time: Tuesday 2:13 PM May 5, 2015 (local time EDT)

Cider Junction WV time: Tuesday 1:13 PM May 5, 2015 (EST Aina baseline)