Ho!!!! Holy Shot!!!
I usually frequent Hostess Bars and fellow female co-workers couldn't figure it out Why does he go to those hostess places?! What a loser! Gosh, my manswer? It's a friggin' Man thing, men's endeavors! No commitment; cute hottie asking me to sing a Stevie Wonder song 'cause she learns English when the older customers sing Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow. Stevie, no, no, I 'll pick my song...here, there I'll sing Savage Garden....oh, sorry, Mr. Kam has one more song, okay..yeah..I sing later. Like, I don't get excited about girls' bridal showers! Hello?! Well, I do, sometimes, but I only get amped up about those shower functions when I'm the ONLY server assigned to a party of 12 close hotties celebrating their dear Sylvia's decision to tie the knot with a guy whose name they say out so loud as I refill.... their..... flutes....... of.. .sparkling............. wine.....; that guy's name they say out loud, the groom-to-be....name....so ....familiar
My cell phone rings. An 808 area code. Of course, it's a Hawaii incoming, but no I.D. The shower continues jolly with loud, ladies' laughter and Japanese tourists walk-by, curious, searching for a late day snack or the TOI-RETTE. I pick- up the call, " Yo,don't hide, you did a Ninja last night!" I reply with a voice similar to the host of the wedding shower, "..hey..Franklin?" He suddenly interrupts,"Yeah, Franklin, dude, last night, you introduce me to that chick! Brah, you work in one high maka-maka place. Nervously, I question, " What, where are you?" He searches, "...it's like the first floor, choke chicks.. my Sylvia is having her pre- wedding deal going on. I have no idea where. Guys not suppose to know. I'm heading to your work...." I jump in and rescue myself, but now I can hear car engines through his phone mic. "Dude, I'm outside. Bad Signal. I'll call you back."
He never appears through that door. The wedding shower is done. The gratuity is an even hundred in 20's. Sylvia's so happy. The girls thank me, they leave joyfully, and I break it down, wash up things up, re-set the tables/ chairs, clock-out, and I exit. Outside, it's a beautiful Honolulu sunset. The girls are there too still laughing, but catch me! They hand me a camera and I take their happy group picture. I walk along Keeaumoku. Walmart's so busy. Can't believe there's traffic lights every way down this classic strreet. Panda Cuisine is packed. Oh God, Walgreen's. I miss Tower Records.
Soon, Champion's opens up in front. I cross, take a left, and the regulars are cheering as I approach Di's.. I usually don't sit in the booths or at the bar; I'm always by the big, double door entrance, on a comfortable stool. My cousin's more inside and toasts me his Miller Lite. "This guy! Your cousin, he here since 3 o'clock!," the loveable lady- owner declares. Then a cute, smiling girl walks up, "What do you want to drink?" "She's new girl!," one big, muscle bound regular announces to me! "I'll have a Bud Light and two shots of Crown, one shot for that big guy!" The bar regulars friggin' laugh! My cousin is set on winning the highest score on that computer game at the end of the bar! He's entranced, but I just chill and watch Sports Center.
Franklin never calls me again. '..bad signal...he went outside..did he see the shower... In any of the many hostess bars, there are professionals going through rough divorces or guys about to be married like Franklin. Di's is a beautiful place to hang out, but no drama I didn't hang there as much as I would 've, but that night, I just turned my phone off and chilled, actively soaking up the merry Thursday night. Wherever Franklin was, alone, he must' ve wondered why I no- showed at the agreed Hostess bar where he saw me the previous night; carousing with that Mandarin cutie. She was so tipsy, the place was crowded, and God, no more toilet paper! That's why I left Apple with Franklin! 'Cause he's cool, his uncle was going to drive him home, not blood kine uncle, but old man neighbor kind of uncle who coached him JV football, but then switched to coach high school golf. "Uncle, I'm gonna run to Ala Moana Hotel. Mama, no mo' toilet pehpah!" I tell him painfully and his contractor buddies giggle with various degrees of loud, hoarse coughing."No worries! Franklin-Boy's with me, his bachelor party, we go Fems laterz, I'll call you, go, go bat-troom," uncle reassures. Then I wake up, taking a group photo of local cuties and a bride-to-be hottie. It's been six years since I resigned from that fabulous place. Sylvia must have eventually told him where she had her bridal shower. I always, always searched out that door scared he'd kick my face in!
Pensacola rain. 8:46 PM. "Daddy!" I line up with Franklin and Sylvia and their bundle of joy, smiling little daughter. She drops her jacket, I catch it. They thank me. And head out. They don't recognize me.I didn't expect them to.I felt a sense of joy. Safeway-Beretania. I walk to Di's. read more
