Jan 21
27
In The Beginning (31)
TWENTY-ONE
We didn’t really need a designated driver to get us home, but since Walt now had the best eyesight of all of us, he asked if we minded if he drove. He and Jan were considering buying the Lexus owned by one of their store managers and it was the same year and model, and this would give him a good opportunity to see if he really wanted it. All of us agreed happily to leave the driving to Walt!
To say that we’d had an eventful day and evening was an understatement – there were several things we wanted to discuss …questions raised during our time at dinner, mostly centered on what SPIRIT either said directly in that appearance by the pool, but also spoken through several of us.
Rob gave voice to something I was beginning to sense – just as we were deciding to leave the restaurant: “Jeanne, I’m really getting the sense that you two need to get prepared for your writing assignment that SPIRIT has outlined, are you feeling that as well?”
“Yes,” I said without any hesitation whatever.
“How about you, darling,” I looked across the table at Brad, feeling so comfortable using another brand new word for me, “darling,” and knowing it was perfect and not out of place at all.
“The thought just crossed my mind,” he replied, thoughtfully, “just at the time you brought it up, Rob, and now that Jeanne has put the question to me – I’d have to say an enthusiastic ‘yes’ as well. But, I also feel that all of us together have some unfinished business together that we need to process – one thing that comes immediately to mind, I’d like to see if we all witnessed the same phenomena of the appearance of SPIRIT. I feel like part of the learning process and preparation for whatever is next, for the six of us as a group, needs to be processed together right away.
“I know we all agreed to just relax until you guys left on Monday, but I’m sensing an urgency, to get started, not just on our writing project, but some of the preparation for it. The six of us have unfinished business. I have no doubt whatever we, as a group, are ordained to be core in the next big move of SPIRIT; core is the operative word.
“I’d like some confirmation for this, but I am sensing that we really need to spend the time around the pool starting tomorrow morning in letting SPIRIT lead us in discussion.”
Right then we all looked at our watches and Jan and I gasped at the same time in shock that it was after 11:00 PM. We agreed that we should go to bed and Jeff offered to whip up some pancakes as he’d caught a glimpse of a large tub of his favorite pancake topping, blackberry preserves.
I quickly agreed and added that there was already a supply of pancake mix in the pantry …do we need anything else?
Walt mentioned that there was a 24-hour convenience store about five miles south on Alii Drive. Walt kept proving his claim that he really knew his way around on the Big Island, “let’s pop in there just to see if we need anything else for morning, he said, “and let’s all get a good night sleep.
Jan kept proving to be less and less what I considered to be a typically reserved Japanese woman, quipped: “Certainly you are not warning me that you are going to get back into your semi-celibate shell, are you, husband dear?”
“I’m sure they sell that same wine, I probably won’t have to drink as much to lose my inhibitions again. Quite frankly, my dear, I kind of find the idea of another tryst quite appealing …he looked around at the rest of us, with an absolute comical look on his face, practically leering at his wife who was sitting between Rob and me. Walt had really come out of whatever shell he had been in and was a natural clown. I adored the man. I adored our entire group and said a silent thanks to SPIRIT while joining in the new wave of convulsive laugh-therapy.
“See Brad, I told you that you were a great addition to the group” Rob quipped, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve never had so much fun in my entire life – we all agreed.
Brad capped it off perfectly. “Not only fun, but relaxed fun; this is ordained as well. I really expected it would take us some time to get to know one another, I can’t say that I’ve been uncomfortable about sexual innuendo or the relaxed attitude of others related to alcohol. Our resident psychiatrist, back in Florida, is constantly making the same kind of innuendo and none of them have any hang-ups related to the wine or even harder stuff …so I’m used to it, but I just always thought it was all for somebody else.
“I’m totally comfortable that everything we are doing together is ordained and perfect. I have a brand new wife and a brand new set of friends and I just want to say thanks to you all. I do want you to explain sometime, Walt, your remarks about judging alcohol, but right now I just want to go home and get to bed …you guys can take that any way you want; my sweetie and I will work it out perfectly. Oh yeah, Jeff, I can’t wait for those pancakes in the morning.
We got up to leave and somebody asked about the check; Walt explained that he had already worked out everything with the owner. We headed out the door and I just had that serene sense, again, that no matter what Brad and I faced and no matter what the six of us faced SPIRIT was with us and would work out each step of the way perfectly. We drove home after the quick stop at the store …each with our own thoughts; the three men sitting up front, with Walt at the wheel and we three women companionably sharing the back seat.