"Hey there, 'Uncle' Alan, whatcha doing?"
I had been relaxing as I sat on my broken-down pier to the Kaneohe Bay. The waters were calm, the breeze gentle, and the sunshine warm, leaving me on the verge of drifting off. Without looking as to who was the source of the inquiry, I knew that it came from Melinda Camara.
I couldn't help but think back to that first-time months ago when this lovely part-Hawaiian young woman befriended me. I had been lazily fishing off my pier one day when she walked up and sat down next to me. I should have been taken aback at her sudden and unexpected appearance; yet, for some strange reason, I wasn't. Completely nonchalant and utterly charming, she told me right off to call her 'Mel.'
"Do you know what 'Melinda' means?" popped from her lovely lips. "Do you know it means 'honey sweetness?' Like yuck! Who wants to be something that's so syrupy sickening? Anyway, I often see you lounging around at this old pier as I walked to my aunt's home from the bus stop...yeah, she lives two streets down and three houses in...and so I decided to introduce myself. And you are?"
"Alan...Alan Chang. A pleasure to meet you."
"And I you, 'Uncle' Alan..."
"Please don't call me 'uncle'...I mean I know it is a courtesy title extended by younger people to their elders in Hawaii...but it makes me feel so damn fricking old...something I don't need to be reminded of."
"But you are 'old'...well, at least older than my twenty-five years, 'Uncle' Alan," was the quick retort that was playfully zinged back at me.
"Why bless your 'sweet' little heart, 'Melinda.' You are such a 'honey,'" I riposted back, and said to myself, 'Touché!' when I saw my target flinch at my comment.
"Okay, okay! I won't call you 'Uncle' if you don't call me 'Melinda.' Pinky swear?"
Gripping her extended little finger with mine, I solemnly swore, "'Pinky swear.' Whew, now that the ground rules are laid out and vows given, tell me about yourself, Mel."
"Okay, but you've got to do the same...okay? Let's see...you know my name and age already...hmmm...I am of Hawaiian, Portuguese, and Chinese ancestry with what I think may be a little white New England missionary blood sprinkled in there somewhere. While I grew up on the Big Island, I opted to attend, board at, and graduate from the Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama where we part-Hawaiians go, and I excelled in volleyball...but not much else. Anyway, the University of Hawaii at Hilo offered me an athletic scholarship which thrilled my folks since they would get to see me play.
"However, after completing my first two years of general studies, I didn't know where I was going academically ...or for that matter, with my life. So, I dropped out and moved back to Oahu. Being twenty-one at the time, footloose and fancy-free, I messed around and messed up. I was working as a waitress in Waikiki when the Covid pandemics struck and I got laid off when my restaurant was forced to close.
"I moved in with my aunt, went on unemployment until it was exhausted, and sold my car to cut back on expenses and to save some money. I am still trying to figure out what to do with my life and especially myself. Fortunately, I haven't hit rock bottom. Ha, but the way I think about it is that if I do, the only way to go is up. But 'nuff about me, tell me about yourself, Alan?"
I took a long moment to look at this inquisitive and yet candid young woman who was next to me. Mel was...attractive...with a caramel-tone to her, rich and inviting chocolate eyes, a cute button nose, inviting lips, and long dark brown hair. From what I could see, she had a unique blend of an athletic figure mixed with a certain sexual appeal. Taller than my five-six shortness by about two to three inches, Mel moved with a casual fluidity and unspoken sensuality.
"Well, I am fifty-five-year-old...yep three decades older than you...a full-blooded 'pake' (pronounced pa-keh which in the Hawaiian language means Chinese)...and a public high school graduate, unlike some pure- or at least partial-pure-blood private schooler. I then attended and graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree in business administration.
"However, I soon found I had a strong entrepreneurial streak that was aided by three natural talents. The first was the ability to size up a good investment. The second was being able to persuade others to join me or at least, back me with capital or influence. And lastly, I had a sense of timing -- knowing when to let an investment ride, when to go all-in, or when to call it quits.
"By the time I was forty-five, I had amassed a sizeable fortune, held significant shares in many of the island shopping malls, had acquired land resources, and was able to selectively fund new business ventures that showed promise. My revenue streams are 'sufficient' to allow me to buy the A-framed three-bedroom house behind us outright and to kick back and contemplate on what to do next."
"Wow," Mel gasped in utter surprise, "compared to you, I'm some lousy beggar who has nothing to show..."
"Mel Camara, don't sell yourself short! I know that we have just met but I see a definite 'promise' in you. Look, you said that you 'messed around and messed up.' That's something that I've never done. For me, it has always been the fricking straight and narrow...all business...no distractions...just make money and then make more. And yet, once I did, I found my life utterly empty and boring. I sit here many days like today just reflecting on where I went wrong...and what could I do to capture that which has eluded me so far."
"Then count your blessings, Alan, that Mel Camara dropped into your life today. Maybe... just maybe...we can help each other to find what we're looking for. The way I see it, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. What do you say?
