Sujata Massey - Shimura Trouble

Proceeding to the rear of the house, I saw a small bathroom, all with the original porcelain fixtures, and a kitchen with a charming antique icebox, an apron sink, small table, and some old crockery on shelves. Josiah Pierce had opened the back door and was looking out.

“Big waves tonight,” he said.

I moved to stand next to him, and then went down the steps to explore a narrow stretch of overgrown garden, and a rough gravel path leading downward to a strip of sand and a broken wooden dock, and then the Pacific.

“This location is paradise,” I said. “I’m very surprised you didn’t sell it to Jiro Kikuchi or somebody earlier on.”

“Who wants to build a resort behind a downscale shopping center?”

“Well, you could tear it down. Couldn’t you?”

“The commercial areas you saw aren’t under my control. All I have in Ewa is this little portion of-as you put it-paradise.”

“I’m sure the local people would prefer a supermarket to another resort. This little area is such a haven, though. The area’s convenient, and the water access is amazing.”

“Do you think this is the kind of place you might like to start your married life?”

“Sure.” I laughed shakily. “The only problem is, each plot alone would be a million and more, wouldn’t it?”

“If you knocked everything down to create a brand new housing development, perhaps. But that’s not what I have in mind, so the price I was thinking of is somewhere around ten grand.” Before I could recover from the shock, he’d moved on. “It’s a low price because of all the renovation you’d have to pay for yourselves, according to your taste. That, and there would be an additional expectation.”

“Aha!” I smiled at him. “I imagined some strings were attached.”

“You saw how Tenney Village was restored, and I’d like to do that, but I’m afraid I prefer not to have state involvement. I want someone to create aesthetic guidelines for the entire redevelopment and live onsite in a cottage that has been renovated to the highest standards. The homes are going to be reasonably priced and comfortable, but there will be development covenants, and ensuring buyers are agreeable to the covenants will take some finesse.”

“I understand.” I was afraid to ask the next question, because I wanted the job so badly, but I was afraid he’d think I was unqualified. “The employee you mention-is he or she already working within Pierce Holdings, or are you getting an architect from outside?”

“I’m thinking of you, Rei. You may refine the title as you like, but the important thing is to remember that even though these cottages are small, you must think on a large scale.”

“I…I will!” I stammered, thinking that this really was a position I wasn’t trained for, just like every other one I’d taken on in my life.

“There are things that only a person living here, day in and day out, could figure out, such as whether some unsalvageable or badly located cottages should be removed for open space. In the old days, we had lots of sports in the plantation villages, playing baseball in the evenings and so on.”

“That’s a great idea, and you could also…make it a little more like a resort?” I knew I was throwing myself out on a limb, since he was so cautious about modern development.

“This is going to be housing for local people. In what way should we make it like a resort?” He sounded puzzled.

“There could be a communal barbecuing area, a small playground, and at least one swimming pool. And what about that empty plantation store? It’s perfect for a coffee shop, which also could sell fishing and boating supplies.” I already had an idea who could run the place.

“I like those ideas.” Josiah Pierce’s voice was firm. “And I won’t develop this village unless you agree to take the job. Of course, you may want to discuss it with Michael.”

BUT I WAS headstrong, so I had no intention of discussing it with Michael. Instead, I just married him. I had expected the wedding to be full of little mishaps, but there was nothing but sunshine and smiles as I made my way barefoot in a thin white silk gown toward Michael. I felt overwhelmed when Michael slipped a pale pink plumeria wedding lei around my neck, because this intimate moment was being shared by so many people I cared about.

My old friend Andrea Norton and her Japanese mother Pearl had come from Washington, DC. Richard and Enrique were representing Tokyo quite stylishly in their ivory tuxedo jackets worn over jeans. Aunt Norie and my cousin Chika wore proper black wedding suits, and my friends Nana and Akemi Mihori of Kamakura came in exquisite silk kimonos. Mr. Ishida had thought the journey was too taxing for his health, but he had sent a sweet letter and an 18th century woodblock print of a Japanese bride and groom. I could not wait to frame it for the new bedroom-no, I corrected myself. Our new bedroom.

Only after a long day of hugging new relatives and old friends from Japan was the time finally right to give Michael the news about our future. We waved Michael’s parents and mine off to dinner at Alan Wong, and boarded our white limousine, decorated in the gaudiest manner imaginable by Braden and Courtney. When we were safely en route to the Halekulani, I slid the glass partition separating us from the driver and instructed him to detour to the faded supermarket near Ewa Beach.

“Did you forget something?” Michael asked, looking at me with concern. “If you really need it tonight, we can go to the supermarket, but I think we’ll be a laughing stock, dressed like this.”

“Just wait,” I said, and continued with my directions to the old Pierce village. I remembered the little street, and had the driver stop, and ushered Michael out and up to my favorite cottage in the row.

“Let me guess-Josiah Pierce owns this area?” Michael asked as I led him up the short flight of steps and inside the empty old house.

“It’s about to become mine-I mean, ours.” I laughed slightly, and leaned into him. It was going to take a while to get used to being married. As Michael listened, I explained Josiah Pierce’s offer of a house, and an exciting new job for me. When I’d finished, he walked out to the back of the house, opened the door, and there was ocean.

“I could sail to work,” Michael said. “This is…unbelievable.”

“Yes, and I haven’t even told you how low the price is. You could keep your condo in Virginia, in case you-I mean, we-decide to go back.”

“There’s no going back,” Michael said, slipping his arms around me, and burying his face in my hair for a moment.

“Hey, do you smell something?” I asked, finally noticing what had seemed different this time around.

“Just your skin. Is that plumeria body cream?”

“No, and I left my lei in the limousine. I think there’s fresh plumeria nearby, and I swear it’s not growing in the garden.” I broke away from Michael, and he wandered after me into the former parlor, which I’d pegged as our future bedroom.

I hadn’t noticed anything before, but the room now held a small, weather-beaten card table, and on it was one of the old crocks from the kitchen filled with yellow hibiscus and white plumeria: the colors of my wedding gown.

“You didn’t arrange this to welcome me?” Michael said, leaning over and sniffing the lush bouquet.

I shook my head. “No, and nobody knows this will be our cottage. I never told JP I came back here one afternoon, looked at all the houses, and decided this is the one I like best of all.”

Michael straightened up and slipped his hand into mine. “Well, by the time we move in, we’ll hopefully have an answer to this mystery.”

I smiled back at him, thinking to myself that it wasn’t going to be that simple. I didn’t need to know who’d brought flowers to the house. All I cared about was their scent, and my dreams.