Nov 20
25
In The Beginning (24)
FOURTEEN
“What do you say we go get some stuff at the store and remind me that we need some kind of sunburn remedy while we are there? I just had a brilliant idea that might relieve some of the sexual tension. We could gently apply some sunburn cream on each other and see what happens, what do you say about that my man?”
“Oh great, now what am I going to do …I didn’t bring my computer case to cover up with.”
“This time I don’t share the problem, all I am feeling is this terrible stinging from the sunburn, but then, well, we will just have to see won’t we.” I reached for the remote and this time he didn’t stop me.
The store was everything Auntie Em had promised, complete with every kind of sunburn remedy – the store was obviously equipped for “haole” (the Hawaiian word used now for “white person” and pronounced how-lee); remedies for tourists who ignore the warnings about exposure to the sun in the tropics. We read the labels carefully and picked one that claimed the product removed the pain and subsequent itching immediately upon application. We giggled and agreed that was the one that might be the perfect aid to our multiple challenges to have immediate intimacy.
The store carried a huge wine selection …we both admitted to being clueless as to what was “good.” Brad pointed to a four liter jug of California Red Wine – and made a comment that had us convulsing in laughter again, although we both kept the volume to levels that wouldn’t attract attention:
“Hey look,” he said, “I know we can afford better, whatever that means,” putting his finger through the loop on the neck and hoisting it up for my approval, “but I really like this stuff. Besides, it’s the brand we use for our ‘communion’ of sorts back in Ponte Verde – maybe this will help us with our communal gathering together tonight, you think?”
“Between consuming just enough of that to reduce my inhibitions, due, mind you, to pain alone and the proper application of this stuff,” I held up the bottle of burn lotion, “we might be able to get through it all quite comfortably.”
In the end everything worked perfectly just as something that was “ordained” is supposed to. We were as comfortable about that as every other area in our lives together would soon prove to be. We fit together perfectly and it was fun.
In the ensuing days we discovered that our ideas for putting the book together flowed and we always seemed to come up with an easy way to agree which part each of us would write. Brad even helped me with the series and we jokingly talked about splitting my paycheck for that part too.
Brad said something to me two days later that helped me enormously to adjust my thinking about how to meld our lives together. “Jeanne, I want to talk about two things. First of all I now understand what it is that Jack and Darlene Adams have together. A totally guilt free, open and very demonstrably loving relationship, like ours, is ordained; everything just comes together” – we giggled at the pun, but it was quite and miraculously true.
“I’m getting that you will easily become an accepted part of our family, in Ponte Verde and the way that has worked for everyone else, is our resident accounting guy who handles the money for our house there, Bob, has put everything together so that everything belongs to everybody equally. On paper, the Patricks’ still own the building up in Jacksonville, but that’s because Bob said it was the best way to handle it for everyone. The money from their home went into the pool.
“The money we take in from our consulting business just gets pooled with everything else. The Barrys, The Adams and Vic Schneider all sold their homes and Bob simply structured everything so that we each have financial security and he handles all the bills and whatever. If somebody wants out for whatever reason he has assured us all that it will get handled painlessly and seamlessly.
“If you’re not uncomfortable with that kind of an arrangement I’m seeing that Ponte Verde will be our home base, so to speak; after this honeymoon we’re having here, thanks to the publisher …and that you and I are going to be traveling all over the world together just to share whatever Spirit gives us to share and that we’re not to worry over where home is anyway.
“Jack and Bob handle the consulting business perfectly without my involvement …my business from now on, is you and I doing whatever it is we are led to do on a daily basis and I don’t worry about money. Is that a problem for you?”
“Not at all, I’ve already seen that I’m supposed to sell my place in Oregon which will be easy; I gave a couple an option to buy about eight months ago and they really want it and I already agreed to the offer they made, if I sell …so the proceeds will go into the pool and Bob can explain to me how it works if he wants to. My only concern is, how we explain to the twelve plus one that they have now grown to thirteen plus one …and how do we explain that we are living in sin?”
I said this with a totally unselfconscious giggle because Brad and I knew that we were ordained as a couple and totally in the will of our SPIRIT-PARENT.
“They already know Jeanne. Darlene, Debbie and Will have made enough innuendoes and snide remarks that aptly sowed the seed for everyone else, except I didn’t believe it or accept it until the plane was well over the Pacific. I can almost guarantee that they are just waiting for us to tell them.
About then the phone rang and startled us both. It was Rob reminding me that the four of them would be there the next afternoon and should they rent a car or what. The Lexus has bench seats both in the back and the front and will easily accommodate six people comfortably as well as their bags. She assured me they would be traveling light. She was bubbling over with enthusiasm about their visit.
“Hey what’s Brad like …Jan called me this morning and said that Walt had a dream that you guys are already a couple joined together in both body and Spirit and insisted that if you didn’t know it yet, you soon would. She told me to tell you when I called to tell you that Walt said ‘it is ordained.’
“We already know it and the vows have been exchanged and we have consummated everything,” Brad and I are grinning at each other at this.
“Have you told him about your midget sister yet?”
“No, between getting acquainted, working together, having a honeymoon and trying to listen to the plans SPIRIT already has for us, I neglected that little tidbit. But he’ll see you and fall in love with his new sister-in-law tomorrow when he meets you,” and rang off.
I told Brad that I had already felt free to arrange for us to go over to Oahu in about three weeks and showed him the pre-paid, inter-island flight passes. We went back to our writing.