Book 1 - Chapter 2

MEET MICHAEL

This particular weekend (several weeks later), Anuhea' finished helping her aunt at the swap meet early. She heads in the direction of her favorite produce lot. After she made her selections (satisfied and pondering new recipes), she heads for home content. It hadn't begun to dawn yet, so the town is still bright and the weather is savory. As she began to hum to herself, she`s approached by a semi-confident young man-- about her same age. He offers Anuhea' a smile while making an obvious attempt not to crowd her. He speaks softly.

“Aloha! I'm Michael… Michael Oshun.”

“Aloha. My name is Anuhea'. …Anuhea' Amalu.” she replies with a smile, mocking him.

Michael`s groomed well enough for any corporate setting, but it`s the singe of smoke from an angry bar-b-Q pit that suggests where he was before this moment. It wakes Auhea’s belly up indeed. Michael smiles back to signify how he caught onto her friendly mockery. She first notices how perfect his teeth are complimenting his complexion [slightly darker than her own]. Michael is easy on the eyes, healthy and it`s obvious he spends a lot of time on the surf. His tan placements mocked him for his time waiting for the next wave. She figures he's about her same age and has seconds to diagnose his intentions. This meeting is in view of everybody so she felt free to rule out anything she should be concerned about. There are plenty of people around and all she could sense is the generosity of genuine aloha spirit. Michaels hospitality must be making the spirit of ole' Hawaii proud. Knowing how shy she tends to get around new people— Anuhea' appreciates Michael's straight forward approach. Inwardly, she`s admiring him for his friendly boldness.

“You must live nearby. I've noticed you walking this same path before. It`s not far from where I take my work break.”

By this statement, Anuhea' concluded that Michael is educated. She's thinking he'd probably been a “B” student.

“I work just over there.” he says, pointing to the popular local diner down the street.

It`s a growing fast food chain where local favorites are on the simple menu.

“Oh, ok” is her short answer as she stumbles a bit.

“I can help you with those bags if you want?”

She didn`t hesitate as she handed over two bags. One of which struggled to contain small melons.

“I live just a short ways away. Thank you, Michael.”

Saying his name is a friendly gesture of appreciation. She also wants to assure him that the melons wouldn't get too heavy before they had arrived. Anuhea' makes small talk about her love for different smoothies as they walked the 10-minute route to Anuhea's 2nd floor apartment. Michael`s chit-chat is about miscellaneous things like surfing and high beach endeavors. He figured he'd talk to her as if he already knew her. Nothing too personal is asked between them. He assisted Anuhea’s bags up a flight of stairs and set them down just inside her apartment door.

“Well… I'll see you around, Anuhea'.”

All Anuhea' has time to respond with is her smile before the gentleman turns back towards the staircase. He leaves without making any spectacle of dispersing. It turns out Michael is a man with a sincere heart. There was no reason to suspect he has any hidden agenda. In this area of town, he's adored as a brother-type to most the local girls his age. He'd stop flirting with them long ago. Apparently, it grew awkward trying to flirt with girls that know you so well. Still, he longs for love and companionship, but Michael is a victim of his own kindness. He's definitely attracted to Anuhea', but he knowing he'd see her again there`s no reason or need to rush into a thousand questions. Anuhea' would later come to find out that Michael is known for his kind nature. He's a harmless young man that has never made any enemies. However, she is wrong about him and how he'd probably been a B student. He was an honorable “A” student in his community high school. Unlike his slightly younger brother, Michael always envisioned himself proudly serving the armed forces like his (late) father. Michael is the son of a half Samoan/half Fijian woman who met, fell in love and married an African-Americanized man who served in the U.S. Army. They'd met 17yrs ago at a recreation center party on the 'ALIAMANU Military Reservation'. It`s properly affectionately named "The Crater" because this housing development is literally situated inside a crater on Oahu. Five years previous to now, Michael's father suffered an unfortunate training accident that claimed his life and two other soldiers. He left behind his wife and their children, Michael and his younger brother Kevin. The widowed family was left to return to Hawaii and press on. His mother had recovered and remarried a respectable local man that loved Michael's family very much. Michael and his family had been stationed on the mainland before (as dependents) three times in three different states. This is why he has always been so inspired to join the U.S. Army. Michael has always been anxious to graduate from his high school. He loved his late father and respected how the military service allowed service members to travel.

Michael and Anuhea' did meet again. Naturally a courtship between them began and the two are off to a great start. The town's people often see them together while browsing the shops and enjoying each other's company. They never held back showing their joy and appreciation for one another's opinion. It isn't long before his friends became her friends and the friends they now share started referring to them as “each other's significant other”. Where's your girlfriend? and “Where's your boyfriend?” have become the new standard of inquiry when the other was out of sight. Neither of them minded it at all.

It`s been nine weeks now and the two love birds are more than comfortable holding hands—even adored for its sincere presentation. Their public displays of affection are modest. Their hand-in-hand affection is adored for its innocent presentation. It`s not possessive or overboard. It`s innocently obvious that neither of the two have ever entertained a serious love interest before. This is a new feeling for them both. Michael has an idea.

“I want to introduce you to a favorite fat burner of mines, Nunu. You like to laugh, so I'm positive you`re going to enjoy this almost as much as I enjoy you.” he confirms as Anuhea' blushes.

“The rules are simple. Be silly, get goofy and don't stop dancing.”

Anuhea' responds with an Oh, gosh, but her smile is saying let's do this.

What she'd soon find out is what Michael already knew. It`s not surprising that dancing while laughing always proves to be a real challenge. It often snowballs into gut busting, eye tearing embarrassment. He had selflessly figured it'd be a great way for them to hear each other's loudest laughs and get a quick workout. Michael tunes the radio to a popular up-tempo music station. The two stand on their feet only inches from each other when the next song starts. The dance-off commences. Michael dances with no regard that his movements be sexy or accomplished. For Anuhea’, the silliness takes a couple moments to kick into full gear. In contrast to Michael's flopping around, her attempts to hold back and be cute are obvious. The smiles have turned into laughing. Michael never stops dancing while he's laughing at how Anuhea's hair is jumping around in front of him. He's laughing because he's noticing Anuhea' studying her feet. She's concentrating on her leg movements when she looks up and now notices Michael is watching her. This embarrassed her and causes her to laugh abruptly harder. She couldn't stop dancing so she had to keep moving while she laughed through the embarrassment. Rules are rules. The 5-minute jam is now a laughing torture. Both Michael and Anuhea's dance moves are totally uncoordinated and are making absolutely no sense. This is the magic that turned this into what Michael planned it to be. They're both laughing tearfully at how quick this escalated into what would be a total embarrassment in front of anyone else. The song finally ends their torture and they both collapse on the couch. It takes several minutes to giggle away the goofiness and catch their breath.

“Oh, my god that was so much fun… And that was only one song.”

Michael is slightly out of breath as he wipes away his tears and manages to get a sentence out.

“Imagine two songs, or even three!”

They calmed themselves and hug on each other. Over the next few days, even mentioning this moment created laughing amongst them. Needless to say, this became a normal regimented routine in the apartment as insurance for a good gut busting time. Michael is turning out to be a genius at creating memories that make life worthy of living—moments making him worthy of Anuhea's deepest love.

The two love birds are thriving, smiling and loving life. The next few weeks are like any other. Their bond is growing stronger–causing them to become inseparable.

“Let's spend this weekend alone on the beach. No friends allowed. What do you think?” he asks.

“That sounds like fun Michael. There`s plenty of shops and amenities on the beach sand, so we wouldn't have to carry much. Yes. Let's do it.”

When they arrived, Anuhea' found a nice spot on the sands of Waikiki where she spreads the oversized beach towels down. The gorgeous waves and breaking surf are in a rhythm that begs for naked toes and splashing children. Here, the two hard workers are resting with their bodies facing each other. Their heads are tilted and respectively for watching the surfers in the water achieve their tans. Anuhea' just finished explaining a small observation when she notices she`s no longer hearing Michael “being Michael”. She turns her head (to face him) and her eyes land directly into his gaze. He's looking at her. This isn't just any look. It`s much deeper. She caught him penetrating her soul in a blissful state of awareness. As Michael gazes intensely into Anuhea's eyes, the intensity did not yield. Anuhea' immediately answered his pure focus with a dreamy gaze of her own. It`s intentionally willing, but unintentionally out of her control. She's (not only) being invited, but her deepest being is escorted into the same portal of heartfelt awareness Michael's allowing himself to submit unto. This moment is timeless. Caught up in each other's eyes, they're no longer two people on a beach. They're two aspects of pure consciousness—that has stepped into complete awareness. There`s an unsaid vibration here that desires to appreciate the other. An awareness so aware, that it itself is aware. This moment is allowed to linger unchallenged because it`s in control. The term “soul-mates” undermines the refinement this moment is accomplishing for these two souls. The waves and the world are no longer here. This is two souls enjoying coexistence in one of many dimensions. The eye-to-eye love affair is finally interrupted by Anuhea's bashfulness and she looks away from his eyes with a smile on her face. As she loiters in the joy that overwhelmed her, somehow six seconds was more than efficient for one million “I love you's” to be exchanged. The two knew they'd briefly shared a single intent. Perhaps they had glanced into their future. It all signified telling each of them “we are now one” from the deepest realms of themselves— nothing that needed to be spoken aloud about it. Instead, they just sat for a moment and smiled to themselves. This is the type of chemistry lovers should seek that binds. Such a moment is sponsored by pure awareness that lovers [so often] miss out on. …A rare stillness that forces colloquial understandings into Spiritual experiences.

“Let's go for a quick splash!” Michael asks Anuhea.

She's happy to comply because Anuhea’ has yet to regret going along with Michaels ideas or suggestions. They swim the shallows until they became hungry and head back to town.

“Thank you again for taking me, babe'.”

“You don't have to thank me Nunu'.”

"It was my pleasure. You're my pleasure.”

“I know. I… I just thank you for being who you are. You deserve spoken gratitude.”

By this time, Anuhea's pet name had already been established as Nunu'. Her aunt has met the young gentleman and is already familiar with his noble family who runs the LOCO-MOCO eatery.

“I knew I recognized him. He's a graceful, respectful and deserving young man.” Aunty expresses.

She really appreciates his respect for Anuhea's shy nature. Auntie also notices how Michael only occasionally kisses Anuhea’ conservatively on the cheeks. Although it was never made official, they're officially a young, healthy, vibrant couple. Although they never talk about it, naturally (inwardly) they’re excited about how and when the first time they'd embrace each other in the art of intercourse. How would turn out? Anuhea' often wonders how she'd refrain from laughing during their first time. It`s a real concern because they've really built a strong *laughing bond amongst themselves. Anuhea' suspects it wouldn't fit during any serious attempt to be sexually intimate. Her solution has been to practice being sensual whenever she was alone. There`s nothing in the world this young woman desires more than for Michael to feel comfortable connecting to her femininity— whenever such a magical time would came. (Interesting enough) Anuhea' has no idea that Michael shares some of the same concerns. He knew the pain [all too well] of romantic approaches being awkward. Michael also knows he's in love with his Nunu'-- with everything in him.

“I'd love for you to be my whole life Nunu.”

Anuhea' laughed and hugged Michael before she playfully corrected him.

“...You mean your wife.”

They smile.

.