Ian's invited me to his sister's wedding and I am debating... We've been hanging out a month, but it's been an intense month. We fit. Yet no matter how perfect our time together, Kauai would never let two people get swallowed up in each other. This island has a say in everything, especially when you're dating a man born here. I've met his boat crew, a few of his friends... And now as I prepare to meet his entire family, extended mainland family included, I find myself very hesitant on a couple of notes. Is it too soon? Yes, it might be awkward, and I better damn not catch that bouquet, but there's usually no harm in meeting new friends. The pressure will be on, and I know I will be scrutinized. Locals looove sizing up newbies and usually find them lacking. But my friends that know his family tell me they are an easy bunch.What to wear? Look PRETTY is the overwhelming answer I've been given. Don't look glitzy, not trendy, just pretty. And wear a flower behind your ear. I need to sort out which ear though. Usually a flower worn behind the left ear means you're taken/married and the right means you're single. So both options are really quite tenuous when my date is a man I haven't yet told I love, and we're so new into it. Maybe I won't go. It is really early for all this.
I think that I do love him though. He took me to Polihale last weekend. We arrived at midnight, under a full moon. After about ten trips from the truck down the dunes, we were sweaty and exhausted. We took off our clothes and swam naked in the Pacific Ocean, water lit up from above. Polihale is remote, detached, wild. It makes the rules and its visitors heed them.
Meagan, Drew and their child, Sequoia, came to visit us the next day. They have four wheel drive and so cruised down to our camp, and stayed all afternoon. As the afternoon wore on, I grew more and more elated. This is the life that I want. At one point Ian radioed his boat, then grabbed his longboard and paddled out to meet them as they cruised by. They dropped us a bag of ice. Rabbit out of a hat...The winds grew to 30 knots and we decided that since cooking dinner would be impossible, it was time to call it. We packed up and drove back to Hanapepe and set up a hibachi in front of his place, and grilled the best piece of Ahi I have ever tasted.
Aloha.
