I awoke this morning to the sound of roosters crowing. Many, many roosters. Last night a pair of cats were yowling beneath my window; this morning, after the roosters apparently woke them up, they were at it again. Not sure if they were fighting or making love but either way they sounded like they were having a grand time of it. It IS that time of year.
After a very long flight (I forget how long it takes to fly from the Pacific Northwest to the Hawaiian islands) I arrived around 7:30 Island time, about 10:30 Portland time. Shortly before landing the sky was lit with streaks of pink, orange, cherry, magenta. My daughter and son-in-law had arrived the day before and they picked me up in the rental car. We went to dinner at a samin restaurant -- a kind of hole-in-the-wall place where narrow counters snake around room and you sit on stools facing strangers six feet from you -- and had some delicious noodle soup and chicken bbq and lilikoi chiffon pie (passion fruit). We were the only haolis in the place but most people seemed friendly.
We wandered north to Princeville, finally finding our resort after I called them for directions. It’s hard to find where you’re going in the dark. But find it we did and got settled in. By Portland time it was now close to 1:30 a.m. And then the cats. And then way too early, the roosters.
But there is a peach glow as the palm trees wave in the breeze. And I just heard a bird -- not a rooster -- that sounded very tropical. It will be a fun week, I’m sure. Looking forward to the sun and warmth, snorkeling and kayaking, hiking Na Pali and possibly even surfing and, if I can figure how, sailing.
On Friday afternoon I learned that my friend, Linda, who had been suffering from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s) passed away. I had been to visit her less than 24 hours before to take dinner to the family. We had a number of good visits after I returned to the Portland area last year and had, I think, become pretty close. We talked of many things and I hope I was able to give her some comfort and hope and an absence of fear as she faced death. Unfortunately, I have spent so much time fighting colds this winter and spring that I wasn’t able to spend much time with her as I didn’t want to give her any germs.
As it turned out, she had come down with a bad chest cold even without my help -- when I went to see her on Thursday she sounded like she could have pneumonia. She was apparently too weak to fight it -- or else just ready to go. I could tell immediately that she was feeling miserable and very unhappy and uncomfortable.
She had lost the ability to do much of anything and she could no longer even communicate much. She was a very intelligent, strong woman and I know this was excruciating for her. Her quick mind was trapped in a body that needed constant help and care from others. She was completely helpless. Her family was exhausted. She was exhausted. So she has had her Easter resurrection and is no longer dealing with a body that won’t do what she wants. I’m not sure of Linda’s age -- I think she was in her very early 60s.
She will be missed by all who loved her but I prayed for her what I would have wanted for myself: to go quickly, with as little pain and struggle as possible, and with the least amount of trouble for my family and friends. I hope they can hold the funeral off until I return, but that doesn’t seem likely. Still, it would be nice.
It’s funny; this is at least the second time I have been able to be with a friend within a day or two of their death. In addition, I was with my mother the day before she died and with my dad when he died. How sad that I hadn’t seen John for nearly a week before he died and wasn’t able to say goodbye to him.
