Kona Winds Read Free Page A

her purse and heavy parka clutched in her arms, she took the steps two at a time to the second floor. Below she could hear Mrs. Kelly singing some old melody and caught the words "heavenly flower." Julie knew she would be much too busy in the next thirty-six hours to do much singing, but Mrs. Kelly was doing it for her. There were such a staggering number of things to accomplish before she left.
     

 
    Chapter Two
     
    "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, we are making our descent for Honolulu International Airport." The pilot's voice came over the intercom. "The weather in Honolulu is seventy-two degrees, overcast skies, with occasional light showers. Despite the inclement conditions, those of you on the right side of the aircraft should have an excellent view of Diamondhead and the Waikiki beach when we break through the clouds."
    In her right window seat, Julie leaned closer to the curved glass. The sleek jumbo jet was engulfed in a cloud, a gray white world outside its windows. Although she was exhausted from the frantic schedule of the past forty-eight hours, including more than eight hours of flying, Julie was determined not to miss her first glimpse of the island of Oahu.
    The cloud dissipated into wispy trails and then nothing. Etched against the oyster-gray backdrop of the overcast was the familiar bulk of Diamondhead jutting into the sea. Directly below, the Pacific Ocean churned up whitecaps, sending rows of foaming white to the shore. A jungle of building blocks rose behind the pale strip of beach—the mass of skyscraper hotels and offices portraying a city in miniature. Houses climbed the slopes of the mountains behind the beach as the city of Honolulu seemed to tumble over itself in search of room. It was a city much larger than Julie had expected.
    The No Smoking sign flashed on and a stewardess announced that they were making their final approach for landing. Julie leaned back in her seat and refastened her belt. A curious anticipation of what was before her chased away the tiredness, not just for the job, but for the people and the place. The aircraft wheels seemed to thud onto the runway and seconds later the powerful thrust of the jet engines reversed itself. The plane slowed to taxi to the terminal.
    Having a first-class ticket gave Julie the advantage of being one of the first to leave the aircraft. She emerged from the long tunnel of the jetway into a glassed boarding concourse. The instructions from Mrs. Grayson had said she would be met at the airport, but they hadn't included the information of where and by whom? Julie took a deep breath and walked forward, unconsciously scanning the small group of people waiting at the gate, as if she would recognize someone.
    "Miss Julie Lancaster! Miss Julie Lancaster!"  
    She heard her name being paged by a male voice in the group. Other names and tour groups were being called, and it took her a minute to identify who was seeking her. The voice belonged to a Hawaiian man who looked like he was in his late thirties, of medium height with a waistline that had begun to thicken. His hair was as jet black as his eyes.  
    "I'm Julie Lancaster," she told him.
    The friendly smile that enveloped his face was easy to return. "Aloha, Miss Lancaster." He took the lei he held and placed it around her neck. In the same motion he lightly kissed her cheek. "Welcome to Hawaii."
    Like his smile, the kiss on her cheek had been totally friendly. Julie wondered if this was an example of the "aloha" spirit that she had heard came so naturally to the islanders. She touched a finger to the pale yellow petal of one of the tubular flowers strung one after another into the lei. The blossoms' spicy fragrance reminded her of ginger. She guessed that that was what the flowers were.
    "Thank you." She meant the words sincerely.  
    "In Hawaii, we say mahalo," the man smiled again, warmth and gentleness radiating from his face.
    "Mahalo," Julie repeated.
    "You're welcome." The dark head bobbed in