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Maui Wowie

It's has to be Based on a True Story, Somewhere.

By JBazPublished about a year ago 12 min read
5
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Chad stumbled upon the sandy shores, waves lapping over his bare feet, mumbling to himself, his words slurring, barely comprehendible.

"I can do what I want, no-one tells me how to enjoy myself, I tell myself."

Pausing to gaze out onto the waters, the ocean sparkles like a million strands of tinsel as the setting sun cast its light across the waves. It hurt his eyes and makes him feel like vomiting. Maybe they had a point, he may have overindulged the last few nights. His head was a little fuzzy, but the morning mimosa’s help clear that up. It was definitely the local Caribbean craft beer he consumed that caused the problem. It was the reason he was banished from the resort, walking by himself in a foreign country with no where to go.

His fiancé had enough and told him in so many words, which turned out to be a lot of words. ‘Grow up and figure out how you are going to live your life.’ Yelling that he was acting no better than a monkey in a suit.

"She wants a grownup, I'll give her a grown up. Why I'll be so grown up she will be the child." Glancing back the resort towers over him. He can spot their corner room, with the large balcony overing looking the pool, and an ocean view. He paid for the entire trip for all four of them and this is the thanks he gets. "No better than a monkey in a suit am I? I'll show you.”

Reaching into a pocket of his cargo shorts, Chad searches for a true love, it takes four tries before he finds it. His heart becomes full, a sense of calm washes over him, as he lifts the bag of marijuana high above his head. The descending suns rays captures the glistening bag of buds he can feel the soft stone already. Lighting up one of the pre rolled joints he takes a deep drag, feeling himself relax. The suns glow feels alive, the waves rushing upon the sand soothes his soul, now this was a holiday. This shit was really good, the cabana boy definitely earned that huge tip. Chad was on his fifth toke when he hears it.

"What are you doing there buddy?" The voice breaks what ever calm Chad has and scares the something right out of him.

Coughing, Chad spins around. Questions flew in his head faster than dropping stocks on a Friday afternoon. Was he in trouble? Is marijuana illegal on St. Kitts? Am I going to jail? Do I even know a lawyer? Where can I get a cheeseburger?

Tossing the joint into the water he was prepared to run if needed or fly if he must ....he starts to giggle with that thought. Then reality hits him hard. Scouring around he finally spots where the voice came from.

Sitting on a stone bench, was an older looking man, tan skin, full beard dark piercing eyes. Leaning back in a most relaxing way. Chad was impressed with the boldness of his attire. A flowered shirt, under a light sport coat, black and red beach shorts, bare feet. It was a freak'n hippie, an honest to god beach bum surfing hippie. Well, Chad didn't know if he surfed, but why not?

In one smooth move the hippie uncrosses his legs, lifts himself up, placing his feet on the seat and sits on the back rest. "Hey, little dude chill, you're looking a little freaked out."

Chad can only stare, his mouth open, trying to find that inner Zen. Thankfully, it wasn't a cop. Composing himself he managed to sputter out. "Jeez man, ya scared the crap outta me."

"My apologies, I didn't mean to scare you. I heard you talking to yourself, and it appears that you are a little agitated."

Agitated? That is an understatement, he was furious. "Not that it's any of your business, but yeah I am a tad frustrated. This trip is a celebration of my engagement, invite my best friend and his girlfriend and everyone watching as the resort cops toss me out, and they didn't do anything."

With a smile that resembles a smirk Hippie man states the obvious. "Dude, I wasn't there but I do know it takes a lot, and I mean a lot for the resorts to toss a guest out on his ass. So I'm guessing you had it coming to you."

"Having fun, that's what I was doing, just having fun. I work hard and…"

"Oh Please, don't say party harder, that lame ass excuse gives idiots the right for justifying stupid behavior."

Like a child caught in a lie, head hung low and kicking his toes in the sand Chad says. "I...I deserve to have fun, that's what I was going to say."

"Oh, well then my deepest apologies, how rude of me to assume otherwise, of course I am sure that is what you meant. Seriously what happened."

"I prefer not to say."

"Oooh that bad eh!"

Silence.

" I'm not going to share what happened with some washed up hippie hanging out on the beach talking to strangers."

"You're talking back."

"You know what I mean."

"I don't, please enlighten me."

"Look, I work hard all year, my job is twenty-four seven."

"What do you do?"

"I'm a day trader."

"Oooh la la."

"And very successful."

"Double la la."

"Scoff if you must, but I paid for this entire trip, I deserve a little thanks."

"Did you do it to impress your fiancé and friends, if so then you did it for the wrong reason."

"What do you know?"

"A lot more than you think, I know your fiancé loves you, and I think the real reason you are acting like a spoiled child is because you miss your father."

"Bullshit, what do.....hey how do you know about my father?"

Now it was Hippie mans turn to feel embarrassed. "I may have overheard you and your girl talking. Very little, hardly anything at all."

"What did you overhear?"

"As I said not much. Last night I saw you sitting over there." Pointing to an outcropping overlooking the ocean. “You were looking up at the stars and talking to your father. I am not sure exactly what you said but you asked if he was proud of you, and that you wished he could have seen how successful you have become, and that you miss him. Also, that you were nervous about being a good husband."

Chad stares at Hippie man.

Shrugging his shoulder Hippie man continues. "Something about how you think he and Anna would have loved each other...But like I said I barely heard anything."

Chad begins to shake, his hands clench into fists, stepping forward, "What else did you see?"

Holding his arms out wide, he continues. "Nothing, honest. Well, I heard you crying, and shortly after Anna, I am guessing that is your fiancé, came out and she held you while you cried. She really loves you man.”

”Oh yeah, Well if she loves me why did she let me get kicked out and not defend me?”

”Ah, dude. Loving someone doesn’t mean you have to put up with their bullshit, and me thinks you have a lot of it.”

Chad walks toward Hippie man, "Why you eaves dropping, hippie freak. That was none of your business."

"Whoa, settle down tiger, I couldn’t leave, you would have saw me and that would have been worse. I was trying to be the good guy, letting you save face."

Chad breathes deeply trying to calm himself. In a sarcastic tone he growls. "Listening in on a private conversation, and not leaving so I don’t become embarrassed…I should thank you?"

"Well, it isn't necessary, but you're welcome."

"I WASN'T THANKING YOU."

"It kind of sounded like you were, but no worries. Listen all I want to say is your girl, Anna, she seems nice and if I were you I would do what ever it takes to keep her. I mean don't tie her up and kidnap her or anything like that."

"What?"

"I mean treat her right, maybe grow up a bit, you know mature."

"I'm supposed to take advice from a hippie?"

"Look, I belong here, this is my home. You don't know me. You see a good looking middle-aged man in comfortable clothes and awesome beard and you think you know me. What I am like, who I really am. Look, I lost my old man when I was young, I know what that is like.”

"Sorry, you're right, I seem to be taking my frustrations out on you, and you haven't done anything wrong. Except listen in on a private conversation."

"Hey, I'm sorry and as I said I hardly heard a thing. But if you were to ask my opinion, Anna is right. A fall wedding is beautiful and there are way more venues to choose from. Why wait till next summer?"

"Oh that's it, you are going to get ..."

Hippie man starts to laugh, holding out his hands he says. "Slow down friend, I'm messing with you. Look, I know some things. I've been around, just listen to this piece of advice and then I will leave. Ok?" He pats the bench for Chad to sit down.

Chad slowly walks over and sits next to Hippie man, who slides down next to Chad. "Ok, I'm Listening."

Steepling his fingers, Hippie man says. "There comes a time in your life when you need to ask yourself, am I ready?"

"Ready?"

"Yeah, are you ready to change because you want to be a better person? This doesn't mean you cave to ‘The man" and his rules and regulations."

“No?”

“No, but of course rules and regulations are there for a purpose, you know to stop the downfall of society."

"Of course."

Hippie man takes a deep breath and reaches out to Chad, "If I was your father, I would say this. In life, there are challenges and conditions that will confront us, and yes, overwhelm us at times. But to be the person you are meant to be, the person you want to be. You will need to face and overcome adversity, fear, and self doubt. If you can do this with honor and dignity then you will succeed. Remember success comes in many forms. Some find it in riches others find it in a child’s laughter. Find what success means to you.”

They sit in silence for a moment, in the fading light a soft voice asks.

"So, what did you do to get kicked out of the resort?"

Shaking his head Chad whispers. "I peed in the pool."

"Gross man. Unfortunately you are not the first, many people do, they would rather relieve themselves in the water than lose their coveted chair at the swim up bar."

"I wasn't at the bar."

"Well, what ever part of the pool you were in, still not cool, but…"

"I was standing,"

"Please tell me, in the pool."

Hanging his head in shame, Chad continues. "I was walking to the washroom, but I had at least six beers in me and ...."

"And ?"

"And I didn't make it, so I peed in the kiddy pool."

"That’s not right."

"It gets worse."

"How, can it get worse? Don't tell me there were kids..."

"I swear I didn't see him."

"Ok, enough said."

"Poor kid just lay there on his floaty…"

"Wow, you are something else."

"I know, hearing me say it out loud, the look on his mothers face..."

“What did his old man do to you?”

“He was yelling at me from the swim up bar, I guess he didn’t want to lose his seat.”

"You need to change little man.”

"Standing up Chad reaches into his pocket and pulls out his bag of weed. "I do need to change, and it starts NOW."

Marching over to the oceans edge he hurls the bag into the water. Standing there he feels a relief wash over him, a burden from his shoulders removed, the weight of the world...

"Dude, you can't throw a bag of weed in the water, some turtle is going to swallow it."

By James Lee on Unsplash

Ten minutes later Chad emerges from the water, thoroughly soaked but holding the bag of Maui Waui in his hand.

Hippie man approaches Chad, relieves him of the plastic bag, gives him a hug. "I'll take this off your hands, remember our talk."

With that hippie man fades away into the forest. Chad stares after him.

“Chad?”

Hearing his name, Chad turns around, his friend Jake is right behind him.

Jake approaches Chad like he would a growling dog, calmly he asks. "Are you ok?"

Smiling, Chad gives him a huge hug. "I am man, I really am I had the most interesting conversation..."

"Yeah, we saw from the balcony, Anna was worried and sent me to get you. Come on back, the hotel management is ok with you returning but you are on a beverage limit for the remainder of the stay."

Gripping his friends shoulders, Chad replies, “No worries, I am a changed man. That hippie dude was amazing, so insightful.”

"What hippie dude?"

With a puzzled expression Chad answers, "The man you saw me talking too."

Jake turns Chad so he is facing him. "Chad you were talking to one of those Vervet Monkeys"

"What?"

"Yeah, we were all watching, worried that he was going to attack you or something."

"A monkey, you sure?"

"Damn sure, buddy."

Jake puts his arm over Chads shoulder and walks him back to the resort. "Hey Chad, did I see you give that monkey a bag of weed?"

Chad stops short, stares out onto the ocean. "Ah jeez, I'm going straight to hell. I really need to change."

Humor
5

About the Creator

JBaz

I have enjoyed writing for most of my life, never professionally.

I wish to now share my stories with others, lets see where it goes.

Born and raised on the Canadian Prairies, I currently reside on the West Coast. I call both places home.

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

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  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  3. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  1. Expert insights and opinions

    Arguments were carefully researched and presented

  2. Eye opening

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    The story invoked strong personal emotions

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    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

  5. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

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Comments (3)

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  • Canuck Scriber L.Lachapelle Authorabout a year ago

    A life lesson, moral of the story and monkey wisdom. Can't get better than that. 😁

  • Cathy holmesabout a year ago

    Great story. Love the ending. Very well done.

  • Alex H Mittelman about a year ago

    What a great read! I really enjoyed it, especially the monkey ending!

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