First figure out how many people will be attending the party. If the party will have only 10 people, two narrow tables can be set up. For a larger party between 15 and 20 attendees, three tables can be set up in a traditional U-shaped luau fashion. Halloween paper lanterns are available through Wrapables for $29.95. Ten lanterns come on a string that can be attached to movable poles on the patio, or hung from a nail from a rafter of the house. Each lantern is black with an orange background and Halloween decorations inside the orange circle. You can use as many strands of lanterns for the luau as you want.

For other decorations, a tiki torch like the one available from Taylor Gifts can be uses. This is a solar powered torch, so you will want to stick this out during the daylight so when the sun goes down, it will be glowing in the dark. The tiki is made of poly-resin and comes mounted on a pole. Get two of these, and region one at each end of the table formation. The solar tiki costs $19.98 each.

On each table, plot a carved pumpkin. These can be something you or your children made. Add the tropical fruits on a large tray, arranged in an gorgeous fashion. Your guests will each receive a lei upon arriving to the Halloween luau and these leis from Giant Party Store will brighten up the mood. Each lei is made of orange and sunless flowers and costs $1.19 each. Have these ready by the front door to distribute when the guests arrive.

Before making the table settings, set out bamboo placemats like these from Amazon. Each placemat is $3.19. For the dinnerware, use disposable plates with a Halloween decoration on them. These attractive 9″ spider plates are colorful and will definitely hold the guests in the mood while they enjoy their meal. The plates reach in a package of 10 for $2.90 from Windy City Novelties. Matching drinking cups are also available, with 8 per package at $2.90, also from Windy City Novelties. For utensils, you can use black plastic forks and knives, since black is a Halloween color.

Don’t forget to include floating candles in a shallow bowl. These ghost candles will stare best against a bowl with a black or deep orange interior. Light them up right before everyone arrives for the party so they will enjoy the growing spooky atmosphere at the luau.

Now, for the menu. As mentioned before, you can serve a recipe like chicken or pork with pineapple, or any other traditional Polynesian dish. For the kids, try a Polynesian burger with carrot sticks and French fries.

The entertainment part is the easiest and most fun: telling ghost stories! Seize turns sharing really scary stories with each other. Let the fun go on for as long as possible at your luau. Don’t forget to keep some Halloween cookies or cupcakes on hand with either soda or juice. Your Halloween luau will be a success, with many happy memories afterwards

Mosquito magnet defenders work by mimicking human and animal breath and body heat to attract female mosquitoes looking for places to bite so they can get blood to lay their eggs. These machines look like small drill presses with propane tanks attached to them. Most of these defenders attract mosquitoes by omitting a gas that lures mosquitoes to the machine, than traps and kills them. These machines are small and portable, making it easy to move the machine around to areas of the yard most heavily populated by mosquitoes. Other types of mosquito barriers include sprays you can use over your entire yard and grass to eliminate mosquitoes. These are applied much like regular bug sprays and repellents. Another type of repellent is a misting system similar to water misting systems used for gazebos and outdoor patios. These can be setup over the entire perimeter of your yard, and omit a repellent to detract mosquitoes and other insects.

Mosquito Magnet is one of the leaders in the mosquito defender world and is one of the most popular machines sold. Mosquito Magnet claims that within a matter of weeks, the mosquito population is virtually eliminated in your yard. The Mosquito Magnet offers machines in both corded and cordless versions and covers approximately 1/2-1 acre per machine. The cost will set you serve about $300. Refills are extra and typically urge about $30. This machine offers portability to move your machine to various areas where mosquitoes are populating the most. It also offers a cordless and corded version and holds up well in inclement weather. It also protects against the aggressive Asian Tiger mosquito–a day biting mosquito. The drawbacks are obviously the price and the fact you will have to buy refills for the machine. In addition, the Mosquito Magnet states nowhere on it’s website that you won’t have to stop using mosquito repellent, or that it will eliminate mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus. So, you’ll still want to keep the repellent handy. The Mosquito Magnet rated well by Consumer Reports. However, the Consumer Reports study of the Mosquito Magnet was done over 20 hours in a lab setting. Various user reviews were mixed, many with complaints that the machine had a hard time working over long periods of time, or stopped working after being stored over winter. For more information, go to www.mosquitomagnet.com.

Another company claiming to provide a much more affordable alternative to the Mosquito Magnet is Mosquito Barrier. This company claims that mosquitoes dislike garlic. So, they formulated a very expensive soybean oil and garlic formula that you can spray over your entire yard and grass to protect against mosquitoes and kill mosquito larvae. The oil acts to suffocate mosquito larvae, and the garlic kills adult mosquitoes and acts as a deterrent to other mosquitoes wanting to enter the yard. The company claims that one gallon will suffice for the entire mosquito season, even in places where the mosquito is the location bird. One gallon of the Mosquito Barrier will cost you about $85, a smaller quart version is available for $25. A quart version covers 1.25 acres, and the gallon version covers approximately 5 acres. The company recommends spraying your yard approximately four separate times during the heavy mosquito seasons. Mosquito Barrier offers a nice price on their product making it easy to afford and try. It also covers large areas, and kills both larvae and adult mosquitoes. The product is also organic. The drawbacks are obviously the price. You could probably make a home version of the product for much less money. The reviewers on Amazon who bought the product claimed that some of the drawbacks of the product were that while it greatly reduced the number of mosquitoes, it didn’t eliminate all of them, especially in heavily populated mosquito areas. Keep your mosquito repellent handy. To find out more information, go to www.mosquitobarrier.com

The last kind of mosquito deterrent available is the mosquito fence by Mosquito Mister. This version is set up similar to those water misting systems you use in the summer time, except this one is setup along the fence line of your entire yard. Along your fence-line at intervals a mist of mosquito repellent is omitted to reduce, not eliminate mosquitoes. The product is not all natural but has been considered by various reviewers to be the best defense system against mosquitoes. Again, don’t get rid of the can of repellent. While Mosquito Mister doesn’t spot a designate because each home is considered a custom job, you can go to their website for more information regarding the product at www.mosquitomister.com.

While none of these products will cause you to do a celebration dance and throw out those citronella tiki torches, it will greatly reduce the number of mosquitoes and mosquito transmitted diseases entering your yard. These products also claim to repel many other types of bugs like flies too, so consider one of these system types too if those kinds of bugs are also a nuisance. While pricey, you can choose the type of repellent that best fits your budget and lifestyle.

Answer a series of forehead-slapping anecdotal factoids. It’s up to you to weigh each fact in each anecdotal factoid. They’re tricky. One might seem like total B.S. until it’s revealed to be strangely and disturbingly “True.” Another anecdotal factoid might seem to contain all solid and verifiable facts until it’s revealed to be yet one more big fat garden variety “Bald-Faced Lie.” And here’s the trickiest part: an anecdotal factoid might even be “Half-True“; in other words, a mishmosh of truths and bald-faced lies, where you don’t know where one ends and the other begins, much like the usual slop served by Madison Avenue, Washington D.C., and the Internet in its entirety.

Category: That Spacious Woman standing in the harbor for no apparent reason

Resolve for yourself, and mark “T” for “Truth”, “F” for “Bald-Faced Lie” or “TF” for “Half-Truth” in the blank slot next to each factoid.

The answers will be revealed in a follow-up “Answers” article.

1) __ In 1867, Egypt’s viceroy Ismail Pasha visited France and met with French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi who proposed a giant statue of a “robed woman holding a torch” erected at the mouth of the nearly completed Suez Canal. While the Pasha was eager about the project, Egypt didn’t have the money to finance it. Bartholdi went on to propose his giant statue of a “robed woman holding a torch” to his native France for a gift to America, The Statue of Liberty.

2) __ At the time of the Revolutionary War, the Statue of Liberty’s home, Bedloe’s Island, was seized by the British, who used the island as a place of refuge for Tory (English) sympathizers. Descendants of these Tories lived on Bedloe’s Island for decades until the U.S. government claimed eminent domain and moved them off the island in order for the ground to be broken for the Statue of Liberty. There was a brief armed resistance, and several people were arrested. One was wounded.

3) __ In 1916, the Statue of Liberty’s copper-plated torch was redesigned. The new do by Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum included 600 pieces of yellow cathedral glass. Borglum originally proposed replacing the torch with an illuminated flaming cross, but his plan was rejected. In later years, it was revealed that Borglum was a member in good standing of the Ku Klux Klan.

4) __ Also in 1916, during World War I, German agents attempted to blow up the Statue of Liberty. The Bedloe’s Island explosion killed four people. At the time, the United States was a neutral power. The reason for this act of sabotage: the German government felt that the United States was secretly supplying arms to the British.

Shards of shrapnel are still embedded in the Statue of Liberty.

5) __ The Statue of Liberty was originally intended as a monument to the raze of slavery in America. The idea began at a dinner party in the home of Edouard de Laboulaye, a prominent French abolitionist.

(see part two for answers)

-Carnival/Midway Party

Step right up! Step right up! This theme party is a surefire hit for guests of all ages, and can be done right in your own back yard. Take an even number of lawn tents, at least 2, and site them up facing one another to create your Midway illusion. Use bunting or veils to decorate the doorways and in between the tents, giving the illusion that it goes on forever. Each tent can have a different attraction, from pinatas, pin the tail on the donkey, beanbag toss, or ask a willing friend to tell fortunes! If you want to go all out for this theme, you can rent various games and carnival supplies from vendors local and on the web.

http://www.carnivaldepot.com/carnivalsupplies.html

-Roaring 20′s/Hollywood Glamor

Hollywood – it calls to mind images of glitz, of glamor, of red carpets and paparazzi. Throw it into the Roaring 20′s or the Golden Age of Hollywood and you have a ready-made excuse for zoot suits, big hats with feathers, and sequined gowns that shimmy while guests shake it!

This theme party calls for a long swath of red carpeting to lead into the front door, and if you have some friends who don’t mind playing along, have them gather on either side and go crazy with flashbulbs and pictures as your Graduate of Honor arrives. Your music should fit the theme, with jazz, ragtime, Motown, and swing. For party favors, think pearl necklaces for the girls and floral pins for their hair, and long chains for the “gents” to wear with their watches (in their pockets, of course!) Food should be snacky, perfect for grazing while everyone stands around and shows off for the cameras.

http://partysupplieshut.com/roaring-20s/roaring-20s-theme-party.htm

-Luau/Tiki

Rep your Graduate Lei’ed at this Luau-themed graduation party!

Decorations for this graduation party should stick to bamboo, grass table skirts, coconut bowls and cups, and lots of tiki torches. Music of the Islands is recommended, including rhythmic drums, ukuleles, and surf rockers like Dick Dale or Tito and Tarantula. The soundtrack to the musical “South Pacific” also works, and includes songs that guests of multiple generations can appreciate. Give your guests silk flower necklaces as they enter the party, and have a few grass skirts set aside for the more adventurous. For dinner, anything pork-based is traditionally a good idea – you might even go so far as to roast an entire pig, should you have a large enough roaster and spit. You may want to skip the poi though – while a traditionally Hawaiian dish, your guests won’t ever miss it.

http://luaupartyshop.com

-Las Vegas/Casino

Looking for the glitz and glamor of the Hollywood party and all the games of the Midway? Try throwing a Las Vegas Casino themed graduation party! Roulette, Blackjack, Texas Hold’Em, and Showgirls, what’s not to like about this party?! Your guests can arrive to a casino filled with games and your party favors can range from blue chips and dice to stacks of play money and drinks! Music is anything popular, anything from a musical, and anything from the 1950s, and the Ratpack; Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Dinners should be referred to as “comp’ed” for your High-Roller guests, and drinks should center on real martinis and gin drinks. Your local party supply stores can typically provide for a night like this, complete with vests for your dealers and sequined skirts, or you can find resources online.

http://casino.ziggos.com

-Sci-Fi/Fantasy

This is for that fan boy or girl that we all know and love. Your party can be a whole range of themes; vampires and werewolves to Godzilla and Star Wars. It only depends on what your Graduate and what their passion is, and to take that to its reasonable end. Movies like “Twilight,” and “Transformers” succor as inspiration much the same way the Ed Wood classic, “Plan 9 From Outer Spot,” and Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire,” conjure iconic images for your guests. Use this opportunity to indulge your Graduate in their fascination, and your guests can indulge in their wild sides with their costumes. Party favors can be anything from little fairy flowers to phasers to communicators, wands, and plastic battle axes. Music should include goth, dark wave, classical, Vangelis, the Blade Runner soundtrack, John Williams, or Danny Elfman and Oingo Boingo.

Check out your local independent music store or ThinkGeek.com for toys, goodies, and mini-figs obedient to any and all obsessions!

http://tinyurl.com/dhtqju

Sources:

http://www.orientaltrading.com

http://www.bulkpartysupplies.comhttp://www.plumparty.com

Here’s a quick guide to choosing outdoor lighting fixtures for your home patio.

Types of Lighting – The lighting choices available are going to depend on a few things, namely how much lighting you’re looking to find and the size of your patio. It’s certainly an option to use string lights, tiki torches, and the like if you’ve got a temporary lighting need, like if you’re throwing a party, but for a quality lighting fixture you’re generally looking for installable lighting fixtures to spruce up your patio and improve your home’s aesthetics.

There are a variety of lighting fixtures out there, from motion detector lights to installable bullet lights which throw light all over the deck, but these will require separate wiring unless you utilize something like deck rail lights that are battery or solar powered. These are a great, fairly shaded type of light that can really change the mood of your patio without drowning everything in light.

Most homes have a flood light or other lighting fixture installed over the patio, and replacing this with a fresh lighting fixture is a fairly simple endeavor, but before you buy a unique fixture check the wattage and the power requirements of the new light to make sure that it’s compatible with your unusual electrical system and to make obvious that it won’t be too bright or dim for day to day use.

Installation - If you’re replacing an feeble lighting fixture, the actual installation process will be a sail. Remember to shut off the power to the fixture before removing it, and withhold the power off until you’re ready to test the new lights. Be careful to fully wind the wires of the modern lights and cap them properly to avoid electrical issues that could cause a short.

Follow the installation instructions that come with the new lights carefully, and test the new lights when you’ve got the wiring completed but before everything’s screwed back together to make sure that you don’t have to go back and re-wire anything.

Have you recently installed outdoor lighting fixtures for your patio? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.

First figure out how many people will be attending the party. If the party will have only 10 people, two narrow tables can be set up. For a larger party between 15 and 20 attendees, three tables can be set up in a former U-shaped luau fashion. Halloween paper lanterns are available through Wrapables for $29.95. Ten lanterns come on a string that can be attached to movable poles on the patio, or hung from a nail from a rafter of the house. Each lantern is gloomy with an orange background and Halloween decorations inside the orange circle. You can use as many strands of lanterns for the luau as you want.

For other decorations, a tiki torch like the one available from Taylor Gifts can be uses. This is a solar powered torch, so you will want to stick this out during the daylight so when the sun goes down, it will be comely in the dusky. The tiki is made of poly-resin and comes mounted on a pole. Get two of these, and residence one at each demolish of the table formation. The solar tiki costs $19.98 each.

On each table, place a carved pumpkin. These can be something you or your children made. Add the tropical fruits on a large tray, arranged in an attractive fashion. Your guests will each receive a lei upon arriving to the Halloween luau and these leis from Giant Party Store will brighten up the mood. Each lei is made of orange and black flowers and costs $1.19 each. Have these ready by the front door to distribute when the guests arrive.

Before making the table settings, set out bamboo placemats like these from Amazon. Each placemat is $3.19. For the dinnerware, use disposable plates with a Halloween decoration on them. These attractive 9″ spider plates are colorful and will definitely sustain the guests in the mood while they enjoy their meal. The plates come in a package of 10 for $2.90 from Windy City Novelties. Matching drinking cups are also available, with 8 per package at $2.90, also from Windy City Novelties. For utensils, you can employ black plastic forks and knives, since sad is a Halloween color.

Don’t forget to include floating candles in a shallow bowl. These ghost candles will look best against a bowl with a shaded or deep orange interior. Light them up right before everyone arrives for the party so they will enjoy the growing spooky atmosphere at the luau.

Now, for the menu. As mentioned before, you can benefit a recipe like chicken or pork with pineapple, or any other traditional Polynesian dish. For the kids, try a Polynesian burger with carrot sticks and French fries.

The entertainment portion is the easiest and most fun: telling ghost stories! Take turns sharing really scary stories with each other. Let the fun go on for as long as possible at your luau. Don’t forget to keep some Halloween cookies or cupcakes on hand with either soda or juice. Your Halloween luau will be a success, with many elated memories afterwards

Chapter One: The Party

“Put down that phone and come help me,” her mother yelled from the kitchen.

She cupped the phone with her hand and replied, “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Andrea walked out of her bedroom where she spent most of her time when she was at home. She walked down the long dark hallway. With every step of her bare feet, she could feel the smooth cold marble on her toes. She wandered why her mother wanted the nicest things; never mind how practical they were. When they first moved into this house, there was wall-to-wall carpeting and every aspect of the home was similar to the other houses in the neighborhood.

It was not even three weeks after they moved in that her mother started changing things and beginning new projects. She had the entire house repainted; each room coordinated with a different “motif.” The majority of the house was in a “Roman Royalty” theme as she called it. The sandstone cathedral ceilings and marble pillars and floors made the house seem so fine. The furniture was ample Italian leather in a champagne color with the runt hues of sand coloring. It was very breath taking upon its first gaze.

As she ended the hall and walked through the formal sitting station, she could see the fireplace that her mother wanted so much still was not turned on. It was not a fireplace mature for heating; its purpose was for decoration. It was not an ordinary fireplace. For one thing, wood did not go in it. It had a remote control a basic on and off concept. It was almost as tall as the eighteen-foot ceiling and was as wide as the wall that it was built on.

“Andrea, are you still coming? ” Her mother yelled.

“Yes mother.” She finally entered into the parquet floor and cherry wood kitchen. Her mother was carrying groceries into the kitchen from the garage. “I’m here now. What do you need? “

“Would you be a dear and grab some of those bags for me? My shoes are killing me.” She gazed down at her new pumps that were fair bought within the past hours. “Do you like them dear? “

“Yeah, but why did you buy them if they hurt your feet? ”

“I didn’t know that they were going to distress my feet, but they spy so cute so that’s ok I guess.”

“Okay then,” Andrea said in a sarcastic manner then turned and went out of the door that was closest to her. She entered the garage. She walked to the aid of her mothers Envoy. Not to her surprise her mother had went shopping, again. The entire assist of the SUV overflowed with bags of stuff. The last bench seat was folded down and hidden away, so that her mother could have more room for the bags. She began placing the handles of the bags into her hand.

“Now don’t take too many at a time. Some of those bags are really heavy and I don’t want them breaking …and I don’t want you hurting yourself.” Her mother walked through the door into the garage without any shoes, just her stockings. “Has your father been home today? “

“I saw him this morning leaving for the marina,” Andrea said as she was attempting to walk around her mother and not bump her with one of the bags. “Do you want me to just take these to the kitchen? “

“Yes, be careful sitting those bags down. Try not to scratch the floor or break anything.”

Why does she think that I am so clumsy? Andrea thought to herself. Her mother was always repeating the important things that she said to her. It always seemed that it was important that she did not crash anything. Its not as if she ever broke anything anyway, she was rarely home enough to do any distress.

After gently placing the bags in her hands onto the floor she made an about face and started back toward the garage for more bags. She passed her mother carrying a large unmarked box. “What’s that,” she said as she kept walking to the SUV. “These are some of the supplies for tomorrow nights party,” her mother stated, then disappeared into the kitchen.

Andrea had forgotten that her parent’s party was tomorrow night. Her parents enjoy their own yachting business. They do not build the yachts they just occupy them really cheap and mark the price up on them. In order to support their cliental returning they through elaborate parties and invite everyone. The parties are always very nice and fun in an upscale sense. Sometimes they can be a bit tiring, so Andrea usually stays the night with a friend while her parents entertain their guests.

After her fourth trip to the SUV Andrea had finally gotten all the bags and placed them on the kitchen floor. Her mother had not made any returning trips to the SUV for bags since she had carried the large box into the house. As Andrea was sitting the last bags on the floor her mother asked, “So what do you think? I will have tiki torches around the entire back yard and floating candles in the pool. The caterer said that he would be serving Hawaiian food with crab, shrimp, and chicken. Sylvia will be coming later today to make sure that everything is shapely. Can you please design sure that your room is picked up before she gets here? ”

“I’ll go do that now,” Andrea said as she began to walk back to her room. “Wait,” her mother called, “What do you view on doing tomorrow? Are you going anywhere? ” Andrea thought about it for a few seconds and replied with, “I was thinking about going to Natalie’s.” ☻

“Is Natalie there? “

“Yeah. Hold on, let me get her,” Natalie’s dad said on the phone. Then Andrea could hear him screaming for Natalie in the background. “N-A-T-A-L-I-E-E-E-E…” and again and then she finally picked up the phone. “This is Natalie,” she said trying to score her breath.

Andrea quickly responded with, “What are you doing girl? ”

“Oh, hey Andie, what’s going on? “

“Not distinguished. My mom just reminded me that they are having another one of those parties again tomorrow.”

“Chilly so that means your parents are getting drunk and they don’t want you to be around to see them party.”

“That is what it resplendent much boils down to. So what are you going to do tomorrow, Nat? “

“Well, Bennie is having his birthday party tomorrow. Ever since dad let him move into the pool house out back there has been hot guys crawling all over this place. I do mean crawling, they all come over here when dad goes to work at night and they get drunk. Hardly anyone can issue a sure sentence, much less slump.”

Natalie’s cousin Benny moved into their pool house about two months ago. He is a tanned and toned surfer that looks like Gods gift to women. He is a tall, blonde hair, blue-eyed pool guy. “What does your dad say about it, Nat? “

“He’s frosty with it. He just tells them to wait until he leaves so that he can’t be held responsible if the police are called and there are underage guys drinking at his residence.”

“That’s really frosty.”

“So, will you be coming over tomorrow night? It’s going to be a blast.”

“I think that I’ll do unprejudiced that. How old is Bennie going to be? “

“Andie, you asked me to fast. I think that he said that he was turning eighteen.”

“What should I bring with me? Do I go buy him a gift? If so, what type of gift do I select him? “

“You don’t have to bring him anything. The one thing that I do ask is that you do not tell anyone that you are in the seventh grade. Unbiased tell them that you and I are in the same classes. If anyone asks, you are sixteen years venerable. Okay? ”

“Sure…I hate being so young. Everyone always thinks that I don’t know how to take care of myself.”

“Well, listen Andie, I have got to go. I study that Bennie finally woke-up and he is walking in the backdoor. I am going to talk to him about tomorrow’s party. I’ll call you back later.”

“Alright I will talk to you later Nat.”

“Bye Andie.”

“Bye Nat.” ☻

Andrea started to giggle and jump up and down in her room with excitement. She was so happy to be finally going to a real party that her parents would not be at. So thought about that for a moment and decided that telling her parents that there was a party at Natalie’s would not be the wisest thing to do. Her dad would only effort about her and her mother would simply want to make sure who was going to be there so that if I got into trouble who would know about it. She was so obsessed with her social status that sometimes she considered that instead of Andrea’s feelings.

Andrea’s father was remarkable closer to her than her mother was. Andrea had a more serious approach to life than her mother did. Her mother was fervent in spending her fathers’ money, while Andrea was more interested in spending time with her father. Andrea somewhat, resented her mother for spending so great of her fathers money. If she did not spend so considerable and if she would learn to save her money, then her father would not have to be gone so often to make a lot of it. She felt the vicious financial circle that her parents lived in and did not like it.

At that moment there was a knock on her bedroom door. “Andrea,” her mother said from behind the closed door, “I need your opinion.” “Come in,” Andrea replied, as the door was already being opened. There stood her mother with clothes draped over her arm. Andrea could smell her mother’s expensive perfume from the moment she opened the door. It seemed as though the strong musk that she wore is what she actually bathed in. She walked over to Andrea who was now sitting on her bed. “Ohh…it smells so good in here what is that smell? ”

“Nothing mother. It’s just clean air, no perfume,” she snappily replied.

“Which outfit do you like? ” Her mother asked as she began to hold up a black short skirt with a red silk blouse. “This one or this one.” Then she held up a limited red dress.

“That one,” Andrea said as she pointed to the red dress. “About the party tomorrow. I am going to go to Natalie’s and stay the night. Okay? ”

Her mother was not paying attention to her, but level-headed managed to ask, “Who will be there? ”

Andrea opinion about it for a moment and then replied, “Well, Natalie, of course, her father and Bennie. Why? ”

Her mother was holding the red dress up to her body as she was gazing at herself in the long mirror on Andrea’s wall. “Bennie. Who is Bennie? Oh that’s right, Bernard Spellman. So how is he doing? Did you know that he works over at your father and mine’s club house at Wellington Hills? ” Her mother switched her attention from the dress, turned to Andrea, and was looking directly at her.

“I guess pleasing. I don’t get into their personal affairs. Ever since Natalie’s mother died last year, I don’t ask too many questions. How long has he been working at Wellington? “

“Oh, dear, at least a year, maybe. I don’t know. I do know that he is too old for you to be interested in.”

“Mother, please. Give me a break. I’m not alive to in guys like that. I have too many things on my plate as it is. I have tennis practice, majorette practice, piano lessons, schoolwork, and let us not forget the modeling school that you signed me up for. That way my weekends are tied up. As busy as my life is, I’ll be lucky to have a boyfriend before I graduate high school in five years.”

“Do you not like Barbizon? Carolyn Dunn’s daughter’s go there and they are models for Lazarus in the mall. They teach self-discipline, etiquette, poise, and…” as Andrea cut in with, “I know what they teach. I’m the one that goes to the school.”

“Are you that ungrateful? I do all these things for you and I give you all these opportunities for you to throw them into my face later. Then you make it seem like you don’t even want to do them. Do you know how many kids out there that would just die to have half of the things that you have? “

Andrea rebutted louder with, “Well, give those kids all the crap that I have. I don’t want to spend my Saturdays doing my hair just right. Learning how to paint my nails with three strokes. Learning how to walk a stupid runway and pivot just right. ‘Right heel down, Left toe down, Pivot to the accurate.’ Who fucking cares? ”

“Andrea Marie Petruccio. Is that the type of language that you are learning for that public school? I told your father that you needed to be in private school, but you conspired against me to have it your way? “

At that moment the sound of a horn came from outside. Andrea blurted out, “Thank God. Dads home,” she then took off running toward the garage. ☻

Andrea opened the door to the garage with her father smiling brightly at her. “How’s daddies little girl? ” he said to her as he reached out for a hug. She was swallowed in his tremendous arms. At that moment, she felt completely better, as though nothing had happened between her mother and her. Then her mother rounded the corner saying, “Howard, you need to do something with that girl. She just cursed at me.”

“Oh, my quarreling little women,” he said as he reached down and kissed Andrea on the forehead. “What am I going to do with you two? Are you two at it again? ” He then reached over and kissed his wife on her lips, a simple Hollywood kiss.

Andrea was first to respond with, “it’s her fault if she didn’t push me so much then I wouldn’t lose my cool.” Her mother replied with, “She is objective ungrateful.”

Howard said, “Can we just go into the house now? Theresa maybe we do push Andrea to much, but Andrea knows it is for her possess good.” Howard looked down at Andrea unruffled attached to him and winked at her. ☻

“Thank you again, Mrs. Dunn, for taking me to class today,” Andrea said as she was shutting the door to Mrs. Dunn’s Escalade. She waived once more to Jessica and Jennifer in the back seat, before ‘pivoting’ and going inside her own house.

Andrea opened the door to spy a flood of people in black and white outfits. She walked toward the kitchen to get something to drink. The modeling school is hard learning how to be a “proper, noted young lady” the worst allotment is that they do not encourage eating, which was one of Andrea’s favorite activities. This never became excessive, but she just loved food. She squeezed by the caterers and the waiters that were preparing the food display’s and whatever else they were doing and charging her father outrageously for. She began to open the door to the refrigerator when some French accented guy screamed, “No. No. Do no open. Do no open. That tis’ for de dinna tonite.”

Andrea just stared at him and said, “but I’m thirsty and this is my house.” “Wait un momient, un momient,” the French guy said as he grabbed a wine glass and poured Andrea a glass of opened Burgundy. “Here.” Andrea smiled took the glass, thanked him and took off at a fast pace for her room before her mother saw her drinking wine. At first, she understanding that French guy was rude, but she soon changed her mind when he poured her wine.

She shut the bedroom door behind her and locked it. She took a sip of the wine and made an awful face as she coughed and swallowed. Gosh, this stuff is immoral, she thought. How could people make grapes taste so immoral? I opinion that wine was a wonderful drink that people loved to drink with their dinner. I could not withhold dinner down if I drank it while trying to eat. Before she knew it, the glass was empty. When she realized it, she began to laugh and feel all giggly. She had a buzz. The thought of a glass of wine giving her a buzz was comic and she began to laugh more. Then she realized that she needed to call Natalie, but she also wanted another glass of wine.

She unlocked her door and started to giggle because she felt that she was being sneaky, shut the door hastily and attempted to salvage control of her laughter. After breathing for a few seconds, she swung open her door to only meet her mother walking down the hall toward her door. She almost panicked, but sobered up abruptly.

Her mother smiled and said, “I was just making sure that you were home from the modeling school. I didn’t see you when you came in because it is so busy out here. Are you okay? “

“Yes, mother I’m fine,” Andrea said with the straightest face that she could make.

“I also wanted to apologize about yesterday. I was just so stressed about this party and I did not mean to take it out on you. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to curse at you. I didn’t mean it.”

“So we are alright.”

“Yes mother we are fine.”

“Good. Are you calm going to Natalies? “

“Yeah. I just have to call her here in a minute.”

“Okay. Honest let me know when you are leaving. If you want I will take you down there? “

“Okay. I’ll let you know.” Andrea said as she slipped befriend into her room and shut the door again.

Oh my Gosh. Andrea thought to herself. I was almost busted. She said to herself as she began laughing again.

She opened her door again and saw that her mother was gone. She slipped out of her room and crept down the hall, through the sitting room, past the fireplace and into the kitchen that was now abandoned, except for the bottle of Burgundy. She had a better idea since there was no one in the kitchen now. She went to the cabinet and grabbed a mug that had a lid. She poured this full with the Burgundy. Set Aside the bottle back on the table. Build the lid on the mug and headed back toward her room.

Once to her room she locked the door leisurely her again and grabbed her phone. She dialed Natalie’s number as she status back in her desk chair and sipped the wine from the mug. To her surprise, a queer voice of a man that was not her friends’ father answered the phone.

“Spellman residence,” the mysterious thunder answered.

“Uh…um…is Natalie home? ” Andrea said trying to speak without slurring any words.

“Yeah…who is this? ” the scream asked.

“Andrea Petruccio,” immediately after saying her last name she regretted it. She though who cares what my last name is? Why would I say that? Gosh, I am retarded.

“Well, hello, this is Bennie. Are you still coming over later for my birthday? Natalie told me that you were coming. What did you get me? “

Andrea began to panic because she specifically asked Natalie what to procure him and she told her that she did not need to accept him anything. “Oh it’s a surprise, um, Burnie.”

“I love surprises and you mean Bennie.”

“Yeah that is what I said, Bennie.”

“No you said Burnie.”

“Well, you know what I meant. I’m sorry.”

“Okay. Let me regain Natalie for you. See you in a minute bit.”

Andrea’s heart began to flutter and she could not sit down anymore. She got up and began to pace her bedroom floor. Before she knew it, the mug that was fleshy was now empty. She drank the entire thing while waiting for Natalie to recall up the phone. Right before she hung up she heard.

“Hello, are you still there? “

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, um, Burnie,” Natalie said laughingly, “told me what you said.”

“I embarrassed myself so much. I’m trying to empress this guy and here I call him by the wrong name. And I don’t even have a gift for him.”

“Don’t worry about it. When you earn here just tell him that your gift to him is you.” Natalie said in a laughing manner.

“Yeah, that’s what I’ll do.” Andrea said without fully understanding what Natalie meant.

“So when will you be here Andie.”

“Give me about an hour to an hour and a half to get ready then I will be over, okay.”

“Okay, I’ll spy you then.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”☻

After hanging up the phone and walking over to her closet, she wandered exactly what Natalie meant by, “Tell him that your gift to him is you.” Did this mean that he liked her like that? Her mind wandered as she sorted through the clothes in her walk-in closet. She could not make up her mind. Finally, she decided on a pink Tommy polo and a stonewashed denim Mudd skirt. Then she could not make up her mind about what shoes to where.

I have turned into one of those girls that I’ve tried so hard not to be. Andrea thought to herself. I am making sure that I look good for a guy and not for myself.

Pushing this to the succor of her mind fair as fast as she thought of it, she continued on attempting to find the perfect pair of shoes to go with this outfit. She had hundreds of shoes; any color or style. She tried on hills, pumps, sneakers, boots, and sandals. She went with the J Lo sandals that were petite and separated her tremendous toe from the other four.

With her clothes draped over her arm and sandals in hand she walked out of her closet into her bedroom then on into her bathroom. She sat the clothes down on the counter beside her sink. She walked over to her painted French glass shower doors, opened them, and turned the rain shower on. The turn of the golden nozzle immediately pushed out a roll of steam as the hot water began to pour. Andrea did not know if it was the fact she had drank a bunch of wine, or if she was really excited about going to Bennie’s birthday party, or if she was too tremulous about what she was going to be doing at the birthday party, but she knew that something was going to happen.☻

Andrea meticulously styled and blow-dried her highlighted hair straight. The modeling school had taught her that she needed to first cleanse her face with a special cleanser for ‘combination skin’ and then apply a toner to it with a cotton swab, and then moisturize it, but she didn’t like the way her face felt, so she just towel dried it and applied some mascara and pink lip gloss.

She got dressed quickly and stood in front of the mirror that her mother looked in earlier when she was admiring herself. She hoped that the outfit that she had chosen was good enough. She threw her sandals on and then headed out of her bedroom door.

By this time, the guests were already arriving and the DJ was blaring in the back yard. Andrea walked over to the double doors near the fireplace that was never used, and stared out at all the people that were running around with their round trays in the palm of one hand and a towels over the other arm. For a moment, she wandered how do they keep the balance of that tray with glasses and bottles on the top from falling? Either device, she knew that she would never be in the position to be paid to carry one of those around.

She then remembered that she had not seen her father since yesterday. This morning when she had left with Mrs. Dunn for modeling school, he had to meet a friend for breakfast. Her mother was unbiased getting home from the gym and on the phone planning for tonight when she left that morning, so she had not talked to her parents much.

Andrea walked out of the door and began looking for her parents, when she heard her father over by the DJ. He had apparently had a few drinks so that it took the edge off him. Her father was the tall, strong, silent, supporter type. He was not a man of many words, but when he did talk people listened. He was tender hearted which was noble and bad. He had been taken advantage of so many times in his life and suffered.

As her father, Howard attempted to tell the young DJ that he needed to “spice up the party real nice with some of that cold stuff,” the DJ just shuck his head yes and went serve to what he was doing. At that moment, her father noticed her and said, “There you are. Your mother thought that you had already left.” Yes, she was right he had been drinking. The smell of liquor was definitely coming from his mouth.

“Well, you all have fun. I’m going to Natalie now.” Andrea said as she reached and gave her father a hug.

“Do you need a ride? Do you want me to take you? Come on I’ll take you,” her father pleaded.

“No dad. That’s okay. I’m fine. Plus, I need some fresh air.”

“Oh, don’t I know that feeling. Well, you be careful and call me if you need anything. I do mean anything. Sylvia will be here tonight and tomorrow to shapely up when everyone goes home. Therefore, she’ll come procure you if you want to come home. Okay.”

“I’ll be pleasing dad really. Tell mom bye for me.”

“Okay.”

She pivoted and walked back into the house for her cell phone.☻

Andrea rang the doorbell that she never liked. She felt as though it had a spooky sound that echoes throughout their house. She rang the doorbell again, Di-nnnn-g Do-nnnnn-gg. Then the door flew open with Natalie’s smiley face greeting her.

“I was wandering if you were going to leave me here alone with these guys or what. Thank God, you’re here. Come in. Bennie has been asking about you.” As Andrea walked in, she realized that no one was in the house and saw through the living room windows that two guys by the pool occupied the yard. Bennie and his best friend Malcolm, who Natalie was in love with but would never, snarl him.

“I thought that you said that this was a party, Nat.”

“It is. It’s a private party that only we are invited to,” she snickered and smiled.

Unprejudiced then, the guys came walking through the glass doors with empty bottles in their hands. “Why didn’t you let me know Natalie that my final guest had arrived? It’s my birthday,” he said in an intoxicated and sarcastic way. “You want a beer. Wine cooler, shot.” Andrea tried to think what she wanted quick but had never tasted so many things, though she did remember that she didn’t like the taste of beer, and then she just asked, “Any Burgundy? ” Bennie laughed and said, “Oh we have an expensive drinker here. I’m sure that we have something.”

Malcolm gave Natalie a beer and a shot of something and then took a seat next to her on the couch. Andrea walked over to the love seat next to the flat screen on the wall. Bennie walked into the living room from the kitchen with a large plastic cup with coke and something strong and a wine glass. He walked over to Andrea and gave her the wine glass. At first, she was not sure how to assume it properly. The modeling school taught her how to acquire a wine glass when drinking from it, but not how to grab one from the hand of a moving nearly drunk guy. Once she finally had possession of the glass, he sat next to her on the love seat.

Andrea had an overwhelming feeling of dread. It burned deep within her chest. Her hands were warm, and her thighs were quivering. Natalie and Malcolm didn’t take long to start pawing on each other. Every few minutes Andrea would hear Nat say something like, “Oh you wouldn’t…you better not… (smooch, smooch),” and then you would here them kissing.

“Would you like to hit it? “

Andrea had apparently gotten so involved with what Natalie and Malcolm were doing that she did not notice that Bennie had lit a joint.

“Uh, uh, sure. How? ” Andrea said as she sat down her half empty wine glass.

Therefore, he proceeded to expose her how to hold it, and how to inhale the hot smoke that smelt like old gym socks. Andrea hit it several times, every time coughing so hard that she felt like throwing-up, but didn’t. After two seconds of the smoke being in her lungs it hurt too powerful, which caused a series of hard coughs. Once the smoke cleared from her lungs, her body trembled and gasped for a clean breath.

She thought that she was going to die because her lungs were going to collapse. Natalie had an obese fuzzy cat, which Andrea had forgotten about. Out of nowhere, it jumped into her lap. She screamed in terror, only to realize that it was fair the damn cat. Bennie laughed, while he leaned over to pet the cat. Natalie and Malcolm excused themselves and then went upstairs toward Natalie’s room.

Once Bennies hand was on the cat’s head, he then turned to Andrea. He removed his hand from the cat’s head and placed it on her face, as he began to kiss her. All she could do was smile. Hours it seemed, but minutes later Bennie rose up, turned around, and took her hand. Bennie led Andrea to a bedroom near the living room.

From that, point on her world was irregular and different. She was high. Her best friend was in the next room doing the same thing. Or was she? Maybe she went too far. This guy that she was having sex with was eighteen years worn and she was twelve. She really did not know this guy, or what she was doing. She did not want to lose her virginity like this, but she was afraid to stop. She didn’t know how to stop. What was it that she wanted to stop?

Bennie shut the door behind them and left the light turned off. He took her hands in his and wrapped her arms around his waist as his lips embraced hers. At first this seemed to rough for Andrea and she tried to pull back, but she was not sure how to kiss. She had never kissed a boy like this before, distinguished less a man. Maybe this was just a part of it. She didn’t really know what to do, so she just let him do what he wanted.

He kissed her ear down to the tape of her neck. She could smell the beer on his breath and feel the warm of his mouth. His hands caressed her lower back and then they rested on her butt. Her hands were around his waist and she could feel his white shirt sticking to his muscles underneath. For some reason her hands made their way under his clothes and onto his flesh.

She was actually rubbing the warm body of a dazzling man. This was the first time that she had ever felt a man’s body. She was surprised in herself. Her hands wandered up his spine to his shoulder blades that were stacked with muscles above them. He then lifted his hands, grabbed his shirts by the collar, and took them off.

Andrea froze because she didn’t know what to do next. Bennie reached over to her and slipped her shirt over her head. He reached down and once again their lips met, but in a more stunning draw. His hands were moving from her waist to her breast. He bent down and kissed the part of her breast that her bra did not cover.

All of a sudden, he had reached around to the back of her bra and unlatched it. Her breast were now not restricted, which was a weird sensation. The bra slipped off her small breast and off her arms. She moved and it dropped to the floor. His lips ventured from hers down her neck once again and then to her breast. Andrea could not take a breath and was very still.

Bennies hands made their way to her skirt, which he slid down to her ankles. He began to slid her pink cotton panties down when Andrea grabbed his hands and said, “I have never really…did, um…had, um…,” Bennie interrupted with, “That’s a wonderful birthday exhibit. Thank You.” He winked at her as he pulled her panties down and off her ankles.

Bennie reached under Andrea’s arms, picked her up, and carried her to the bed, where he placed her. He hurried and took off his pants and underwear. For the first time she saw what a man’s penis looked like. For some reason she thought to herself that, she was not impressed. Bennie slid Andrea up further on the bed and then lay over top of her. Andrea could feel his body next to hers and his weight above her. Then she felt a pain, not a pain like a needle but a pain from pressure. A warm, moist feeling overwhelmed her lower body. She could feel his rhythm swaying above her as he penetrated her. She would let out in pain, but he ignored her, so it seemed. Sweat built around his brow and at his hairline. His face was like that of a concentrating statue, and then all of a sudden it all stopped. No pressure. No penetration. He was done.

He kissed her and said, “I’ll get you a town.”

Andrea laid there with her legs spread and a pink mess around her. Bennie got up, grabbed his clothes and went for the bathroom. He threw a towel toward Andrea and shut the bathroom door behind him.

Andrea did not know what to do once again. She took the towel and cleaned her thighs and pubic area as best as she could. When she tried to stand up and walk across the floor she felt as though her legs were going to give out from under her. She had a burning sensation and it was very painful to bring her legs together, but she managed to get to her clothes and started putting them back on. Objective after she had gotten completely dressed, she heard the shower in the bathroom start.

Andrea did not want to talk to him; she just wanted to go home as quickly as possible. She grabbed a pen and paper that was lying on the desk near the bed and wrote:

“Happy Birthday Bennie got to go. Search For ya, Andie.”☻

Andrea left Natalie’s house and started toward her house. It had already gotten dark, but the road was well lit. Every step that she took she could feel pain in her thighs, legs, and mind. The only things that she could think clearly about was getting home and how much longer it would take her. After walking about ten minutes, she heard music that she assumed was coming from her parent’s party. Andrea passed some sports cars and SUV’s that where parked off of the road then she saw her house. She knew that the cars that she had passed were more than likely some of the guest that were in her house. The driveway that circled around and made an easy entrance driveway was full with cars. She assumed that there were at least forty or fifty cars.

She reduce between two cars and began to walk through the lawn. The closer that she got to her house the louder the music came. She thought to herself, it is a good thing that none of the neighbors calls the police, and then she realized that they were probably at the party too. The neighbors, not the police. They had just recently bought a yacht from her father. Andre did not feel like socializing she just wanted to go to her room, get clean, and go to sleep.

She reached the steps on the front entrance of the house. The doors were unlocked, so she slid apt in. The moment that the door swung open a trip of people talking nearly deafened her. She didn’t like it when people got so drunk that they became annoying. Andrea was very peaceful and quiet and really did not want to talk to anyone now.

Out of nowhere, Sylvia began calling to Andrea from across the room.

“Misses Andrea, excuse me, pardon me, Misses Andrea wait,” Sylvia said as she pushed her way through the flood of people that were standing around the fireplace that, for the first time, was actually on. “Misses Andrea, come here, your home.” As Sylvia reached Andrea, she was cursing slightly under her breath something about the, “these damn rich and rude motherfu…”

“Yes Sylvia I’m home,” Andrea replied as she remembered that her father instructed her to call if she needed a streak home.

“You should have called me and I would have picked you up honey,” Sylvia said as she began dusting off invisible dust on Andrea’s shoulder, then straightening the collar on her polo shirt. “Are you okay dear? You seem outside of yourself.”

“No. I mean, yes. I’m sparkling Sylvia. I impartial don’t feel so well. I didn’t call for you to near pick me up because it was only about a ten minute walk and unlike the majority of people in this house, I survived the walk.” Andrea tried to believe a halfway smile, but she knew that Sylvia saw through her act, but would not say anything to her about it. Andrea had a more than normal respect for Sylvia. Her mother took advantage of her and her father tried to make up for hiring a maid by paying her very well. She was clear that Sylvia appreciated this financially, but Andrea always doubted the morals of having a servant or a maid. Andrea knew that Sylvia had her beget home that she lived at, but she spent the majority of the time at the Petruccio’s house.

“Are you hungry? Thirsty? Have you even eaten today? I have not made anything for you today. I have not seen you eat…Come to the kitchen. You are eating now.” Sylvia turned and began to walk toward the kitchen. Andrea reached out with hesitation, but knew that if she attempted to say no that Sylvia would honest bring it to her room. Sylvia was so nice how could anyone say no to her.

Andrea moved her leg to start toward the kitchen when she then remembered what had happened unprejudiced a little while ago. The pain had not left her body, but it was now a dull afflict, which seemed slightly easier to deal with. She slowly and bow legged-like walked to the kitchen and snappily grabbed a seat on the bar stool, which proved to be a mistake. She then slid out of it into the breakfast nook, which had a bench seat like several speedy food restaurants and old country diners have. Andrea did all this while trying not to be too noticeable to Sylvia.

Sylvia had toasted two slices of rye bread, applied Miracle whip to one chop, and added some cheese that Andrea was not sure what it was. Sylvia then rolled slices of lunchmeat and placed it on the bread. The tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, and onions made the sandwich huge, but Sylvia kept it from falling apart by shoving a toothpick with a Mexico flag on the end of it, through the center of each sandwich fourth. Sylvia turned and opened the refrigerator before walking over to bring Andrea her snack, and grabbed a bottle of water.

“It’s not the healthiest thing in the house, but you look like you need some energy,” Sylvia said as she gave Andrea her food.

“Thank you. Have you seen my parents? ” Andrea asked as she opened her water.

“Yes, they are around her somewhere. I’m sure that your father is outside, but I don’t know exactly where you mother is though. I have not seen her in a puny while.”

“Thank you for making this for me. You didn’t have to, ya know.” Andrea finally bit into her sandwich.

“I know,” Sylvia smiled then began to rummage through her apron. “If you need anything just call for me. I need a smoke; these people are killing me.”

Andrea nodded her head as she chewed her food. Sylvia left the room and then went out of the glass doors. Andrea grabbed her sandwich and water and headed for her bedroom. Once she was in her room and about half of her sandwich was gone, she tossed it into the trashcan that was near her desk. Grabbed the phone on her desk and dialed Natalie.☻

“Hello.”

“Is this Nat? “

“Yes Andie it’s me. What happened to you? Bennie said that he got out of the shower and you were gone.”

“Yeah. I impartial needed to salvage out of there.”

“Why? What happened? Bennie said that you all were fooling around and you spilled your wine on him and he got in the shower because he was sticky. When he got out you were gone.”

“Hell no,” Andrea began to procure really mad, “No. That is not what happened at all. After you and Malcolm went up to your room Bennie and I started kissing and then he led me to that bedroom by the living room and then we had sex.”

“No way. Why would he not drawl me that? Who cares? So what was it like? “

“It sucked is what it was like. I didn’t really want to, but…”

“Your saying that he raped you. Bennie is not like that.”

“No I’m not saying that he raped me. I’m saying that I didn’t want it to be so non-sentimental and trashy. I wanted my first time to be special.”

“What are you saying, Andrea? “

Andrea thought for a split second about Natalie calling her by her full name, she never used that name. Andrea could tell that Natalie’s attitude was changing. “All I’m saying is that…”

“Is that because my family is not as wealthy as yours and because Bennie didn’t have a romance suite for you that we all are trashy.”

“What? Have you lost your damn mind, Nat? That is not what I’m saying at all,” but once again Andrea was interrupted with Natalie’s sarcasm.

“You were rude to me the moment that you got here. ‘I thought this was a party’ bullshit. Just because my family doesn’t spend entirely too much money attempting to impress people that don’t matter, it does not mean that we are trashy. So fuck you Andrea? “

“Fuck you Nat. I was trying to tell you the truth and…”Andrea heard the dial tone. What just happened? She thought to herself. She lost her virginity and now her best friend.☻

Andrea sat there on her bed as her head dropped into her hands, and tears started to flow. She could not deal with what happened that day. She lost her innocence, her companionship, and control of herself. She could feel her eyes swell from the tears. Her face was hot and her body trembled as she sobbed.

She pulled her head up, attempted to wipe her tears, and drug herself to the bathroom. Andrea lifted her head to eye at her self in the bathroom mirror. The young women looking back at her was not the little girl that she saw in there earlier. She looked different. Never mind, the blotches of mascara that made their arrangement from her eyelashes to her rosy cheeks, or her hair that was now a little frizzy at her roots and no longer styled. It was the look of her own eyes staring wait on at her. A peer of disappointment, shame, embarrassment, and hurt.

Andrea always took pride in herself and became frustrated when she was not able to follow through with a goal. This did not happen a lot to her. She sat a goal and worked toward it. Her parents sat a high bar for her to come, in order for her to be as successful as her parents and live a nice lifestyle, she could not give into temptation at such an early stage in life. She knew that she was very mature for her age, but it was only because she was not allowed to be a child. She lived with and associated with adults.

Disappointment was an understatement that she felt toward herself. Andrea assumed that her parents, especially her father, would feel ashamed of her because of her reckless actions, therefore she decided that she would not convey them. That she would not tell anyone.

Andrea opened the bathroom closet and grabbed a washcloth. She then reached for the sinks handle and turned the water on. She held the washcloth under the water and let it believe the soothing, warm water. She saw the reflection of her face in the shiny brass that was on the handle. Her eyes looked like a raccoon and she let out a small laugh when she notion of that.

She realized that she needed to get clean, that her skin was crawling and she really was a mess. Hopefully, a shower would brighten her spirits. She pulled her polo over her shoulders and then unlatched her bra. Slipping out of her skirt and underwear, she discovered that her underwear was saturated with blood. She didn’t know what to do. She just assumed that it would all stop after she showered.

After she got into the shower and the warm water was hitting her skin, she began to scream. She had so many plans and doing this one shrimp pre-marital act ruined them all. She began to think irrationally as her guilty thoughts exploded in her mind. Will any decent man ever want someone like me? Was this incident considered a one – night stand? I cannot let anyone know because people will mediate that I am an easy whore. What would my parents say? Andrea swiftly concluded that they would not say anything; they would cut straight to the point, punish her, and send Bennie to jail.

She continued to turn the hot water up and the frosty water down. She just could not get clean enough. She felt so dirty, used, and disappointed. Andrea did not want to lose her virginity like this. She wanted to wait until she was serious with a guy before she gave herself to him. She knew that sex is all the Bennie wanted and a relationship was just not conceivable. Just yesterday, she was telling her mother that she did not have time for a boyfriend. To unpleasant, she could not take her gift to him back.

The warmth of the shower eased some of the pain that had begun to throb in her groin. The blood was now all gone. She slide into her flannel pajamas. As she wiped the worn makeup off her face with her towel, that somehow she missed in the shower, she heard a small knock at the door, then it opened.

“Misses Andrea, I’m leaving for the night. Do you need anything before I go? “

“No, I’m fine thanks,” Andrea attempted to scream from the bathroom, without giving the hint that she had been crying.

“Goodnight then,” Sylvia responded.

“Goodnight.” Andrea had not realized that it had gotten so late. How long had she been home exactly? How long was she gone? She took a gape at the clock that was on her desk and realized that it was already a quarter past midnight. The music was off, but she couldn’t remember since when. She did remember though that it was on when she had gotten home from Natalies’.

Andrea walked out of her bathroom and over to the bookshelf radio that was on the shelves that her father made her by hand. She loved those shelves. Just two years ago for her birthday her father took the only wall that did not have a window on it in her room and made shelves that went from the floor to the ceiling. Her mother protested against them because she said that the room needed to be more feminine. Andrea wanted to spend time with her father, so she asked for shelves.

Just pressing the power switch made the entire room fill with her favorite Latin-American singer Jae P singing Ni Aqui, Ni Alli, not here, not there. It is a song about people not belonging and searching for who they are. She walked over, turned the light off, and curled into her bed. Once she was in between the soft linens and the heavy comforter, the tears slowly came benefit. Her eyes began to become more swollen again as the tears made her pillow wet. She just shut her eyes and tried to clear her mind.☻

The next morning Andrea was woken up by a knock on the door.

“Andrea, get up. We are going to be late for church.” Her mother was in her typical morning chirpiness.

“I’m not going,” Andrea yelled as she covered her head back up. Then she heard her mother open the door and enter in her room. “Why? Are you just being lazy? “

“No. I just don’t feel like going. Please let me stay home this once.”

“When did you get home? I thought that you were going to stay at Natalies. Sylvia told me earlier that you were home.” Andrea’s mother said as she was looking around the room. Natalie peeked her head out of the blankets and looked at her mother.

“I didn’t want to stay there once I got there. It must have been something that I ate.” Andrea said to her mother who was looking at her with eyes of concern, a look that she often does not regain from her. “Was it the calamari, because I told the caterers that it tasted weird? ”

“Probably,” Andrea responded as she covered her head back up with the comforter.

“Go ahead and stay home. I’ll let your father know that you’re not feeling well. Sylvia will be here if you need anything. I’ll accomplish sure to put my phone on vibrate and not turn it off, impartial in case you need anything. Do you want anything on our way home? If so just, give me a call around twelve. We should have already left by then.” Her mother head toward the door and then added, “I will not be using those caterers anymore. I think that I am feeling a cramped ill myself. Andrea knew that her mother was just trying to switch the blame of her hangover on the tainted calamari that Andrea never ate.

Chapter Two: Good help is hard to find

Andrea peeked out from her comforter toward the clock, which read, 10:42. She generally never slept so late, even on a Sunday. She pushed the sizable white comforter partially off her upper body. She began to turn on her back when a piercing damage shot through her stomach and then her thighs. She dropped one leg off the bed and then pulled herself into a sitting position, while her hands were closed in around her stomach. She paused and then let out a extreme moan.

She placed her toes on the floor and slowly supported her weight on her feet. She felt every muscle from her ankles to her lower back. She threw her hands above her in a rapid motion and arched her back as she stretched. As the blood pulsated through her veins, she had a dizzy head hurry and stumbled back onto the bed. She attempted to throw her hand up to catch herself, but came up short by landing on her elbow. This is when she discovered a very bloody mess. She had not noticed this before. The center of her bed was saturated with blood, about the size of a shoe.

Instantly she pulled wait on while attempting to wipe the residue that was on her arm off on another part of the bed sheet. She tossed her pillows onto the floor and ripped the thick white comforter off her bed. She then went to the head of the bed, grabbed the corners of the throw sheet and the fitted sheet, and tore them off her bed. She took the white pillowcases off the pillows and tossed them into the pile with the others. She stripped off her pajamas and went for the shower.

After she thoroughly cleaned herself and got dressed, she just threw her hair in a pony tale and went for the dirty linens in her bedroom. She walked in and found that they were gone. The bed had light pink hospital corned linens and a unique comforter folded at the bottom of the bed, waiting to be spread out over the bed. The pillows had new cases that matched the linens. Sylvia must have come in while she was in the shower.

Jumpy about what she may think about the stained sheets she ran out of her room and down the hallway then downstairs into the laundry room. Sylvia was not down there, but the pile of white linens that were in her room was in the bin marked, “Whites.” She grabbed the sheets and pillow cases and crammed them into the washer. She poured in some laundry detergent until she saw the blue liquid all over the top of the sheets, then she reached for the Clorox bottle and poured more than enough into the washing machine.

“What are you doin’? ” Sylvia said as she walked threw the doorway. “Honey, you don’t need to do any of that. I was getting ready to do just that.”

Andrea looked like she was guilty of something, as soon as she heard Sylvia’s voice, she froze. Sylvia just looked at her while she walked over and looked down into the washing machine.

“Did you put enough in there? ” She said to Andrea with a half smile.

“I wanted to get them really shapely.” Andrea said as she was trying not to get eye contact with Sylvia. Sylvia moved her nostrils and said, “How noteworthy bleach did you use? You really need to be careful with that stuff.” Sylvia looked long at Andrea and said, “Are you hungry? You have already done the laundry for me, so let’s go eat. Okay.”

Andrea nodded her head and asked, “Has anyone called for me today? ” Andrea knew that she should have said something about what happened, even if nothing was wrong with her, but she just could not admit to what she had done the day before.☺

Andrea stretched out in the Lazy Boy recliner as she mindlessly channel surfed. Though there were ever bit of a thousand channels, the only thing that seemed to be on was football and preachers claiming to be doing gods work. It seemed rather ironic that the preachers on TV could guarantee to save the sinners souls by the means of a donation. She just stared at the cover not absorbing what was actually going on in front of her eyes.

“Lunch is ready dear,” Sylvia informed Andrea as she walked by. Andrea reached down and pushed the little dark handle that was hidden under her cushion that instantly dropped her feet to the floor. She stood up with a slight head change and walked to the breakfast nook in the kitchen.

On the light oak table sat a small plate that contained a friendly snack. It was a homemade grilled Chicken and low-fat cheese quesadilla. It had a half a teaspoon of sour cream for the left gawk, and an equal amount of guacamole for the right eye, then there was a line of salsa for the smile. Andrea loved the small things that Sylvia did like this; it just made her day. She could not help from cracking a smile. Sylvia walked by with a bottle of dishwashing liquid and said, “I concept that you could use a smile today. Your parents should be getting home anytime now.”

“Do you go to church Sylvia? ” Andrea said catching Sylvia a little off guard.

“Yes and no. The church that I go to is not made of walls, or doors, or people.”

“What do you mean? ” Andrea said as she looked up from devouring her snack with a little sour cream on her lip. She grabbed for a napkin that was placed into a holder in front of her. After cupping her hands around her mouth to take the sour cream, she placed it back down and gave Sylvia her undivided attention.

“I don’t have time to go any where to find my faith. I pray a lot and keep god close to my heart. I think that he knows that my intentions are good. I have never been one much for going to church on a regular basis. There are just too many materialistic aspects to going to any church. Do you know what I mean? ” Sylvia poured herself a glass of orange juice and sat beside Andrea at the nook.

“Yeah I do. Mother is a prime example of what you’re talking about I think. She always wears something new for church every Sunday. She must always attempt to buy the best cookies for the bake drives. Which I assume defeats the purpose in the first place. They spend more money on buying the darn things, than they do selling them.” Andrea said then realized that the delicious quesadilla was in front of her.

Sylvia gave a little laugh and said, “I don’t understand all that nonsense. Since when did bake sale close having anything to do with baking? I don’t assume that God really cares what you wear to church anyway. For that fact I don’t think that God cares if you even go to church, just as long as you try to live a good life.”

“Yeah, but when you really mess up. Do you have to do more things to be forgiven? ” Andrea said as she looked up from her snack and place the rest back down onto the plate. She instantly lost her appetite when she remember what she had done yesterday. No matter how hard she tried to push it to the succor of her mind, everything seemed to trigger that shameful memory. ☺

Andrea slipped a pair of flip-flops on her feet and walked outside the front door. She made her way to the edge of her driveway. She walked out of the six-foot high wrought iron gate toward the mailbox that was made into a brick wall that matched her house. She reached into the lower box for the Sunday Gazette. When she looked up from the paper that she retrieved from the box, she saw her fathers mother-of-pearl jaguar slowing down as it approached the house.

She smiled as her father pulled up onto their brick driveway next to her and waved as he pulled up to the left door of the garage. All of a sudden her body became very tense, this was the first time she had seen her father since before she went to Natalies, the day before.

Andrea walked up toward the garage as the door rose and her father slowly trudge his car in the garage and jumped out.

“Hi honey. You feeling any better? I have somethin’ for you.” Her father said as he reached back in and pulled out a small red bag. Her mother stepped out of the car in her too-high-for-church tan leather strapped hills. Her long pink, white, and beige dress gathered at her ankles and swayed with every step of her silken, toned legs. Andrea noticed unprejudiced how tremendous her mother was compared to her father. The hills made her mother tower over him in an unnatural intention. Her dainty hold-the-minimal purse was carelessly thrown over her petite shoulder, while she carried two large bags labeled Abercrombie & Fitch. She closed the car door slack her with her hill and headed toward Andrea with a smile.

“Sylvia fixed me something and I feel a lot better. I was wondering when you two were going to be getting home. What did ya get me? ” Andrea said as she reached for the bag that her father was handing to her. She looked inside and there was a small box. She reached in and opened the box. There was a small key in a bed of long cotton.

“What’s this? ” Andrea asked as she looked at her father.

“I got you one of those speedoo things.” Her father replied.

Andrea’s forehead wrinkled in a confused way. With her head tilted to her father she said, “A what? … Then what’s the key for? And why would you give me men’s swimwear? “

“No, um, it’s one of those things you chase on top of water.”

“A Seadoo.” Andrea said as her eyes lit up. “Oh, my gosh. Thanks dad.” She said as she flung her arms around her father in a hug.

“Peek… he is finally listening to me. There is nothing that shopping cant fix.” Andrea’s mother said as she smiled at Andrea and then touched her shoulder before she went inside. “Howard, Andrea, are you two coming in? “

Once inside the living room Andreas father walked past her toward the kitchen and her mother jetted upstairs to their bedroom. Andrea followed her father to the kitchen and placed herself on the barstool at the island in the kitchen.

“So where is it? ” Andrea asked her father as she dangled the key in front of her.

“Down at the marina. After we eat do you feel well enough to go down their? “

Andrea had to try hard from smiling, but she was unable to control that one part of her lip that forced its way upward. “That sounds great dad. I’ll go get ready.” Andrea stepped off her barstool and headed toward her bedroom. She swung open her door and went for her closet. As she opened her oversized walk in closet she flipped the switch on which lit up the entire little room.

The closet had been designed with more than unprejudiced rod to hang clothes and a top shelf. This closet made those As-seen-on-TV-infomercial closet organizers look petty. When she made a few steps in her closet to her right were about 30 white hooks with an assortment of accessories in every color possible. There were polka dotted scarves, with matching gloves and cute headbands of many different colors. Ribbon trimmed trilby hats and other cute fitting hats and tops hung from their own hooks. Belts of many styles of buckles lay next to each other. Their were stacks of wooden belts, various colored circle belts, black and brown rope woven leather belts, sequin, glitter, and stone encrusted belts, and her favorite French double buckle leather belt.

Next to the hooks were a stack of small 1 square foot shelves that went from ceiling to floor. There were hundred purses, at least, that matched something else somewhere in the closet. Some of the purses were still in their bags, the ones that she did not exercise very often, while others were stuffed into shelves with others. The leather purses were on the higher shelves, below them were the flower, leopard, and solid color printed purses. Then it varied from shoulder bags, clutch, bags, flap-over school bags, travel pouches, and satin chain bags. Every purse had its place.

The bottom of the opposite wall, from the floor to about three feet up, was a built-in wooden organizer with about three shelves that held her precious shoes. This is what certain what she wore for the day. Andrea would always determine the shoes that she wanted to wear, then pick the outfit that would go with it. She had shoes from every store that she had been into that sold shoes. Andrea and her mother would find shoes online and order them in different colors. Andreas shoe collection consisted of lace, leather, and patent leather stilettos of several different shades, bow and ballet flat pumps, sandals of different styles, dim over-the-knee leather boots, western glide, ankle, suede boots, and a several pairs of sneakers from nike, sketcher, reebok, and puma.

Andrea was looking for a certain pair of shoe, her black and pink wet shoes that she did water sports in. Toward the back of the closet in the long shelf, beside her hiking boots she found her wet shoes. She stood up to scavenge threw the clothes that were hanging up. Her eyes skimmed the sleeves that of the shirt that was sticking out, then she saw it: a dim and red hand on the upper sleeve. It was her modern Vaporflex BodyGlove super stretchy, neoprene, fully water repellent wetsuit. She pushed the surrounding clothes away from it and took it off the hook that it hung from and placed it over her arm. She went to the back wall of her closet fingered through some of the one-piece swimsuits that hung on strange looking hangers. She grabbed a solid black basic one-piece and headed out of her closet closing the door slack her with her foot on the way out.

Andrea dumped the clothes her bed then went to her bathroom. She grabbed a bottle of baby powder and a towel and went back to her bed. She stripped her clothes off and tossed them toward her bathroom door. She placed the towel in the floor below her bed. First, she slid each foot into her swimsuit and stretched the straps over her shoulders. She immediately felt the snugness of the nylon and spandex swimsuit. Then she reached for the wetsuit turned and then sat on her bed. She grabbed the baby powder and sprinkled her shoulders, hips, and upper arms. She slightly rubbed her hands over the areas that got powder and then slid each foot in the leg openings until she saw her foot and shins come out of the bottom, then she did the same with her other foot. She wiggled and stretched until the wet suit was up to her waist. She slid each hand through and pulled the suit over her shoulders. She zipped the suit up, grabbed her wet shoes, and walked over to the mirror on the wall. Her arms to her knees were hidden underneath the wetsuit and her muscular shins were exposed. She dropped the shoes and slid her feet in them. She turned to go find her father.

When she walked into the kitchen and saw that her mother had changed into a banana yellow Dominica Republic tied bikini, standing in front of the bar on the phone. Her father was drinking a beer and talking to Sylvia.

“I’m ready dad.” Andrea said as she walked up to her father and Sylvia.

“The pool guy apparently quit. It’s hard to find dependable befriend anymore.” Andreas father said.

Sylvia gasped and lightly smacked him on the shoulder and said, “Well what about me, I have never left you high and dry.”

“Wh…I…I didn’t mean you. You are great. This family couldn’t exist without you. You are a miracle.” He pleaded.

“Yeah dad, what the…”

“Don’t you finish that sentence young lady,” her mother said as she hung up the phone. “Ok. I found a original independent pool guy. He said that he could start today and he doesn’t live far away.”

“Oh good. When did he say he would be here, Theresa.” Howard said.

Sylvia whispered under her issue as she walked out of the kitchen toward the backdoor, “and how young is he.”

“What Sylvia? ” Theresa said.

“Oh, I said ‘this is where I’ll be’.” Sylvia replied while pointing to the pool outside. “I’ll get things ready for the new pool guy.”

Andrea smiled a little because she heard what Sylvia really said. Andrea knew that her mother was a very flirtatious woman and there was not a guy around that she couldn’t turn into a drooling mess when talking to him.

Andreas’ mother turned to her father and said, “Oh, about an hour or so.”

“Well, are you not going to go down to the marina with Andrea and I. She was going to get to play on her new toy? ” Howard said to his wife with a disappointed behold.

“Dad, don’t call it a toy. It makes me sound like I’m six years former or something.”

“I’m sorry honey. I forgot that you two were leaving.” Theresa walked over to him and pressed her body up against his and traced his face with her index finger. “I’ll compose it up to you later,” she whispered and gently kissed his lips.

“Gross, get a room you two, come on lets go dad.” Andrea said as she rolled her eyes and became impatient.

“Well, it’s your loss. We are going to have a lot of fun. When that guy gets here make determined you tell him how often to be here and what the pay is ok. My check book is in the office to pay him for today ok.” He said to his wife and kissed her on the fourhead before letting her go. “Lets go Andrea.”

“Thank God. Bye mother.” Andrea said then she stuck her head out of the glass door and yelled bye to Sylvia.

Andrea and her father walked out into the garage and got into her mothers Envoy.

“Why are we taking her car.” Andrea said as she climbed in the passengers seat.

“Because you didn’t bring a change of clothes and I don’t want my leather seats wet,” he said with a smile.☺

Andrea and her father listened to the radio on the intention to the marina not talking to each other unprejudiced enjoying the nice Florida day. The air conditioner made the SUV frosty, but not enough for Andrea to complain. Soon they would be in the heat of the sun. From years experience of being in and on the water, Andrea knew that it would be hotter when she got on her new ‘toy’, as her father called it.

The twenty-five minute drive was over in no time. The two of them finally arrived at the marina. On the extra mammoth sign at the front of the gates there was a large swordfish over the name of the place: Northern Naples Private Marina and Wellington Hills Yacht Club and in a smaller letters below that, Members and Guest Only Please! Her father drove up to the closed gates to the security guard booth.

“Well, capable afternoon Mr. Petruccio. Nice day isn’t it.” The security guard said as he stepped out of the small air conditioned booth. Andrea could recognize the sweat instantly forming around his forehead. He looked like a very odd security guard, his clothes were khakis shorts with a white polo shirt with an embroidered star on his pocket. As he got closer to the vehicle he said, “Hello Miss Andrea. I haven’t seen you in a long time. You two have a great day.” He smiled and signed to his fellow security officer to open the sliding gates in front of them. Andrea and her father waived and drove slowly into the marina.

“There sure are a lot of people here today, dad. Do you think we’ll have any room of our beget.” Andrea said as she noticed how packed the place was. There was at least fifty or sixty SUV’s parked in the designated parking status. There were four SUV’s with smaller speed boats and pontoon boats, lined up at the boat entrance waiting to drop their boat and go park. Andrea and her father drove past the people waiting to get out on the water and went to their designated parking area, which was conveniently next to her father’s personal yacht.

Andrea jumped out of the SUV and took a deep breath of the salt air. She let out a sigh, “Gosh, that smells so good.” Her father was standing next to and she caught him taking that same fresh breath. She pointed and asked, “What are those over there? They are huge.”

“Oh, all of those are just yachts that rent my area to dock and refuel at. That very last one that is brown and doesn’t look as new or as well kept as the others is my new one. Objective don’t let your mother know, she would kill me if she knew I bought it.” Her father said as he shook his head. I found it last year when we were vacationing in Spain.

“That broad one. What is it? ” Andrea said as she looked at one of the biggest vessels that was at the marina.

“It is a 752 foot, unfinished passenger vessel. It has twelve decks and as soon as the guys get it nice and heavenly. I’m going to turn it into a person cruise ship for the marina.” Her father said in a very proud manner.

“How much did you pay for it? “

“Well, this is the fraction that you really have to keep from your mother. Do you see that ship beside it, the red and white Ferry boat. It’s the one just a little bit bigger.” He pointed to the one that looked like a Carnival Cruise ship. “That boat is from Greece and it is a personal wing liner. It holds 2000 passengers and 600 cars. About eight years ago the owner of that boat bought that brown boat there. It was out in the water and the engine caught fire. There was not anyone on deck, but the guy just didn’t want to fix it completely. He was having wretchedness coming up with money to park his boat since he was just starting out in the skim line industry. I ran into him in Spain and told him that I would trade him a port entrance for the vessel that he no loner wanted. So he parks here for free and I got a skim liner. It’s going to make us a lot of money once its up and running.”

“How much could you sale it for? ” Andrea got so caught up in the conversation that she tripped walking up the entrance to her fathers 40 foot Maiora Yacht. It had three decks and was white. The vessels name was the S.S.S. Andie Marie. Andrea painted this on the side for an art project at school. It was not the best paint job, but she was proud of it.

“Well, if it was in perfect working order and I had a knowledgeable dealer I could regain at least fifteen out of it.” He said looking at his daughter.

“I would think that you could get more that fifteen thousand out of that, hell dad, cars cost more than that.”

“No honey, fifteen million.”

Andrea couldn’t say a word. She had no clue that her father dealt with so much money. She just though, Fifteen million dollars! Oh my god! Fifteen million dollar! Oh my god! Andrea was on the upper deck of her father’s yacht and saw that the boats were docked according to the type of boat. There were areas that had sailboats, then a section for the fast powerboats, and a section for the large passenger motor yachts, then the scream and cruiser boats were grouped together, and there were a few areas for the angler’s boats that were in the small cover that was toward the relieve of the marina.

“So where is it? ” Andrea said as she remembered why they had come to the marina.

“It’s portside over the deck there.” Her father said with a dinky smile.

Andrea looked over and there it was tied to the side of the boat. It was white with pink decals on the side. Her father had her name put on the seat. Andrea ran down to the lower deck, grabbed a life preserver and jumped into the water. She climbed up on the seat and remembered that she had forgotten the key.

“Dad,” Andrea yelled up to her father. “I forgot my key.”

“I knew that you would I have another one I’ll be down in a cramped.”

Andrea gazed at the unique machine that her father had gotten her. This is what she liked. She liked having fun and being in the water. That was one of the characteristics that brought her and her father closer together, a trait that her mother and her didn’t share. Andrea loved having fun and acting like a kid, her mother tried to accomplish her a socially elite lady like herself. Modeling school was what her mother liked not what Andrea liked.

“Here it is on a mini floating buoy. So if you plunge it in the water it won’t sink.” Her father tossed her the key and sure enough Andrea didn’t catch it and it feel into the water beside her. She reached down and grabbed the pink buoy. The Seadoo tilted with her just a little, though she knew that it wouldn’t flip with her in it her grip become tighter. She sat straight up again, achieve the key in the ignition, and started it. The engine started and it sounded like a four-wheeler in the water. She could not hold back the smile that soon consumed her face. She looked up at her dad and said, “Thank you so powerful.”

Her dad just smiled back and said, “Do you have your phone? “

She didn’t remember to bring that either, “No.”

“There is a phone under the seat. The tank is full. There is a gauge in front of you. If you get on half a tank, advance back. It should be sterling for about an hour at least of real driving. Be careful and have fun.”

“Will you be here when I get relieve? “

“Maybe or I might be at the club house. Impartial call me.”

“Thanks again dad.”

“Love you.”

“You to, examine ya.” She turned the right grip and split the water in front of her. She went steered away from the boats and left the bay area. She went down the beach coast where she found it extremely difficult to steer because of the tide and fresh. She was not experienced enough to drive in such choppy waves, so she turn around and came back toward the marina. She saw toward the middle of the marina the powerboat of her friend Natalies father.

She approached the boat, but not as snappily as she had been going out in the open water. As she got closer she saw two guys standing on the front of the boat. They didn’t have their shirts on, but she saw that they were very tanned. She then recognized one of the guys that was apparently waxing the boat it was Bennie. She forgot that he worked here at the country club. She couldn’t figure out why he was on the boat waxing it, but she felt the need to go say something.

Andrea slowly approached the boat and turn the engine off about twenty feet from the boat. Bennie looked up and noticed her.

“Hey you.” Andrea said hoping not to feel like a fool.

“Back at ya,” Bennie turned down his head and went back to what he was doing.

“What is your problem? “

Bennie looked up at her a stood up, “We need to talk.” He said in a loud voice across the boat to his friend, “Lets take a break.” His friend looked up and said, “Sounds like a beer break to me.” They both climbed off the boat and walked down the deck. Andrea started the engine and slowly steered toward the deck. Bennie popped around the side of the boat and sat down on the deck. He had grabbed a beer and a cigarette from the cooler at the bottom of the deck ramp off the boat.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Damn girl I could go to jail.”

“Tell you what? ” Andrea said shining exactly what he meant.

“Your only 13. Natalie was the one that told me. I think that your cute and you did aesthetic well for a virgin, but damn your 13 years old. What if you dad finds out? Not only am I jobless, but he’ll send me to jail for sure. I didn’t realize that you were Howie’s daughter. He’s going to kill me if he finds out. You didn’t tell him did you? ” Bennie said nervously.

“Are you crazy? Hell no I didn’t train him. I hope that Natalie doesn’t boom him though.”

“Why would she do that? “

“We got into an argument last night on the phone. She told me off. I have no clue why she got mad.”

“Well, last night after you left she and Malcolm broke-up. Apparently, he has been cheating on her with some other girls. She was probably just made at him and took it out on you.” Bennie had finished his can of beer and was still smoking on his cigarette.

“So are you furious at me? ” Andrea asked wanting him not to be and hoping, for some reason, that he was still going to talk to her.

“I guess not, I unbiased really hope that your father doesn’t find out about this.”

“He wont,” Andrea reassured him.

“Nice jet ski.”

“Thanks, my dad got it for me today.”

“Is your birthday? “

“Nope…he honest got it for me.”

“Must be nice. You know to be spoiled.” Bennie said smiling.

Andrea turned the engine back on as soon as she noticed his friend walking toward Bennie. “I’ll see ya around.”

“Be good,” Bennie said, as he pushed her off with his foot. As Andrea turned the handles to go away she heard his friend say, “You better be careful, that’s the bosses daughter.”

For some strange reason that convey made her feel good. To be referred to as the ‘bosses daughter’, though she had done absolutely nothing to deserve such a rank in the twisted social order that her family lived, she felt empowered. One day she knew that she would be the boss. ☺

The drive home was different than the drive to the Marina. Andrea talked about how cool the new jet ski was and what she could do on it. She told her father how she had to turn back because the waves were too rough to handle. She went on and on until they reached the road that they lived on. Then the conversation ceased when they approached the house. They had been gone about four hours and the son was not advance setting yet.

Andrea’s father pulled into their brick driveway, but did not pull into the opened garage. He parked beside the unfamiliar Jeep Wrangler that was parked in the driveway.

“Andrea, do you know the driver? “

“No, but remember the pool guy was going to approach over while we were gone.”

“That was three hours ago though.”

Andreas father put the SUV in drive, pulled the keys out and quickly jumped out of the door. Before Andrea could get out of her side he had already entered the side door of the house that lead into kitchen from the garage. Andrea didn’t know why her father was rushing so fast, but she ran to catch up with him anyways.

Once she was inside the house she saw her father going out the glass doors toward the pool. “Dad what are you…doing? ” Andrea looked down and saw her mothers yellow bikini that she had been wearing earlier thrown over the back of one of the lounge chairs beside the pool house. Her father bolted into the pool house and Andrea quickly followed. Andrea idea, Oh my gosh mom is having sex with the pool guy in the pool house. She just knew that they were going to catch her mother.

Her father went toward the bedroom and stopped when he passed the bathroom and heard the shower on. He slowly turned the knob and opened the door. He turned to Andrea and whispered, “I’ll be right help.” Andrea sighed because she wanted to see her mother get busted once and for all, but realized that she might see her mother naked which would just be imperfect on so many different levels. So, Andrea watched the bathroom door shut behind her father as he went in the bathroom, then she heard her mother let out a short yowl a few seconds later. She wanted to just bust down the door.

What seemed like an eternity of a wait, her father finally came back outside of the bathroom and walked good past her. Andrea was confused, Did her father beat the guy up that was in the shower with her mother? Was her mother ok? Andrea caught up with her father who had a smile on his face, “So what happened? “

“What do you mean what happened? “

“You mother was just taking a shower. I don’t really know why out in the pool house, but whatever. She said that the pool guy just got here about a half an hour ago or so. Lets go meet him.”

“Did she get a name for this guy, dad.”

“Yeah, I think that she said his name was Malcolm.”
Andrea stopped dead in her tracks. Oh my gosh, Natalies boyfriend. He knows about Bennie and me. Oh my gosh. Andrea wished that her dad found this guy in the shower with her mother now. That scheme he would have killed him and it would not be possible to let it inch that he knew her or anything about her. Andreas father had reached the entrance of the door and yelled down the hall to Andrea, “Are you coming or not? “

Andrea walked down the hall and followed her father out the door to the other side of the pool where Malcolm was feeding a long hosed vacuum across the bottom of the pool.

Andrea thought to herself, Had he been here the whole time? Did she and her father pass this guy on the blueprint to pick up her mother in the Pool house? Andrea hoped that he didn’t remember her at all. Was it at all possible that he was to drunk yesterday to remember her?

“Hello sir. You must be Mr. Petruccio. I apologize arriving during your absence.” The guy said. Malcolm stood their with the lowered sun’s red and orange glow beaming off his zero-percent-body-fat build. His coal black hair set out his icy blue eyes, in an unnatural and fantasy like way. What was she thinking? She let her mind get away from her again. Then she realized that she was walking into her occupy doom.

“Hello. Malcolm is that your name? ” Andrea’s father said to the young man by his pool.

“Malcolm Mackenzie, sir.” Malcolm said as he reached out for Andrea’s fathers hand.

“Well you can call me, Howie or Howard. It doesn’t matter. It is nice to meet you, Malcolm. This is my daughter Andrea.” Her father looked toward Andrea with a smile.

“Hello. I believe that I have seen you at Mr. Joseph Spellman’s residence.” Malcolm said with a smile at Andrea.

Andrea froze and for a lack of words and confidence murmured, “Yeah.”

“You work for Joe. Wow, what a small world. His daughter Natalie and Andrea are the best of friends. They are really nice people.” Her father said with a smile. “How long have you worked their? “

“I have been working over there for about seven months. For some reason today they unprejudiced didn’t need me anymore.”

“Really,” Howard said, and turned to Andrea, “I knew that he was having a rough time in the business, but I didn’t realize that they would start cutting succor on financial expenditures so soon.” Andrea had no clue what her father was saying. She did realize that he was attempting to make excuses for his business associate Joseph Spellman, but Andrea knew why he got fired. It was not due to ‘financial expenditures’, it was because he cheated on Joe’s daughter Natalie and she broke up with him.

“I’m going inside,” Andrea said to her dad. And ignored Malcolm as she left and went in the house. Once she was inside the house she realized that Sylvia was not there. Her sad Camry was not in the driveway. Malcolm’s Jeep was in her spot. Sylvia generally didn’t leave sometimes until after dinner and it was dinner and there was no Sylvia.

Andrea opened the left side of the refrigerator to find some frozen dinners and some food that she could not mumble. Then she saw a frozen pizza. She pulled that out of the side of the bottom of the freezer and placed it on the island that had the stove. She looked through drawer after drawer, searching for a pizza pan. As she opened the box and ripped the plastic that the pizza was wrapped air tight in, her father and Malcolm entered through the glass doors.

“So I will see you on Sundays at two and Thursdays at two, right.” Her father said while handing him a few twenties.

“I’ll be here with goggles on, (haha), unbiased a runt pool humor,” Malcolm said as he shook Andrea’s fathers hand once again and headed toward the door to the garage.

Andreas father walked Malcolm out and waived as he left. “He sure seems nice. Have you seen him before over at Natalies? ” He said to Andrea as he shut the door and walked over to her.

“Yeah, just once or twice or something. Apparently, he does a good job because their pool is always nice.” Andrea stated hoping that Malcolm didn’t tell him about how he was sleeping with her sixteen-year-old friend, and how they partied all the time and about Bennie and her having sex and smoking pot and drinking. Andrea looked away from her father and placed the pizza in the oven, turned the temperature up, and opened the refrigerator to find her something to drink. “What would you like to drink dad? Soda? Diet? Orange? Water? Beer? “

“Yeah, the last one.”

“Bottle or can? “

Andrea grabbed an Aquafina and a BudLite and placed them on the counter. She cracked open the can for her dad and placed it front of him. She grabbed her water and said, “I’m going to change. I’ll be assist before that’s done.” She drug herself to her bedroom. Once she was in the comfort of her room she sat her bottled water down and feel backward into her bed. The long day that she had, raced through her mind, conversation by conversation. She was absolutely exhausted and she couldn’t figure out where Sylvia was at.

As she laid their her eyes started to get heavy and for a second she thought that she feel asleep. She jumped up real quick, and her heart beating fast. She had only drifted off for about ten seconds, but enough to confuse her and get her blood racing. She popped up to her feet and pulled the zipper down on her wet suit and pealed it off. She grabbed her bathing suit and pulled it down. She walked over to her drawers, past her bathroom and noticed that the clothes that she had thrown in the floor before her father and her left were still there on the floor. She knew that Sylvia was constantly picking up after her a split second after she dropped it, she was almost psychic like that.

She brushed it off and tossed her wetsuit and swimsuit on top of the pile. She grabbed some under clothes, a pair of shorts and a loose fitting billabong tee shirt, set them on and headed out to the kitchen. Her mother was in the kitchen mixing a margarita in the blender and her father asked, “Theresa were is Sylvia. I haven’t seen her since we got home. Dinners not even cooked and Andrea through in a frozen pizza in the oven.”

Andrea noticed her mother tense up as he asked her this seek information from. She stopped blending and poured the margaritas into two frozen mugs. “I let her have the afternoon off. She look so tired after yesterday. She did so grand yesterday at the party that I belief that I would do something nice for her and give her some time to herself.” Andreas mother had made her way over to Howard and was standing beside him handing him his Margarita. “Pizza for dinner doesn’t sound half bad,” then she whispered, but not soft enough because Andrea heard, “later, I’ll give you desert.”

“Excuse me! I’m standing honest here. I would like to eat the pizza and not throw up. Yuck. I don’t want to hear about stuff like that about you all.” Andrea said as she went over to the oven to check on the pizza.

Andrea’s mother started laughing, “Well, you had to be conceived somehow.”

“That’s not even funny mother.” Andrea asked her father, “So how many has she had? “

“To many, but not enough, I’m afraid.” Andrea’s father said as he kissed his wife and tossed her to the side when he rose to bag up. “Is that pizza done yet? I’m starving.”

Andrea grabbed the oven mitts, pulled the pizza pan out, and then cut the pizza. Her father put two pieces on every ones plate and sat down at the bar. The three of them sat down eating pizza while making small talk about the day. It had been all weekend since she sat down with both of her parents and did absolutely nothing. Andrea craved more moments like this, but would never dare to share these thoughts. She couldn’t careless if she spent time with her mother, but she knew that her father loved her mother a lot and when they spent time together it made her father really elated, which is what made Andrea content.

Chapter 3: Caught in the act

Andrea rose quickly to the sound of the buzzing horror. Once she steadied herself in an upright station on her bed she tried hard to scan the room while attempting to adjust her eyes and vision. Then the loud buzzing finally motivated her enough to perambulate over to the apprehension and shut it off with a pound of her hand. The clock read 5:15.

It was still murky outside but she could hear a bird chirp as she passed by her window on her way to the shower. She flipped the switch and drug herself over to her shower doors and slowly opening them as she widely yawned taking in a large breath. After letting the air out of her lungs and making a defusing command, she reached down and turned the hot water on. Soon the mirrors were steamed up and she could only see the shade of her skin in them. She gathered a washcloth from the cherry wood cabinet and a matching pink towel.

She sat the folded town next to the shower on a small stool that she generally tripped over in the mornings, but not this morning. She stepped into the shower of steam and let the heat consume her sleepy body. Only after a few seconds, her eyes widened and she felt the energy quickly flowing through her body. She soaked her washcloth in the falling water and applied a huge fragment of Pure Jasmine and Bean Vanilla body wash. This was her favorite scent of the Plants in Harmony selection. Andrea lathered the relaxing gel over her skin, while the sensual blend of jasmine and vanilla oil stirred her senses.

She rinsed and took a deep breath before slowly stepping out of the shower into the bathroom. Her wet and wrinkled feet sunk into the huge shag throw rug that was on the outside of her walk-in shower. Instantly a chill went though her body. It was far from being cold in the bathroom, it was because of the quick change in temperature surroundings. She grabbed her towel and dried her body off. She dropped her, swinging her hair down with a quick force, and wrapped the towel tightly around her long curly locks.

Andrea walked over to the cabinet and opened a rather long, thin door, which hide her robe. After tieing it around her waist, she walked out into her room. The clock read 5:38. She could smell cinnamon from the kitchen, then she remembered that Sylvia was sent home by her mother the previous evening. She wanted to see what Sylvia had to say about what happened.

She pulled the towel out of her hair and untied the robe and she quickly got dressed in a pair of khakis Mudd shorts and a white Ron Jon Surf Shop tee shirt on. After getting dressed she rushed to the bathroom. She grabbed a plastic bristled brush and a bottle of Pantene Pro-V Mousse. She wildly brushed at her hair before top-sizing again and scrunching her hair with gobs of mousse. She flipped her hair back and a small amount of foamed mousse that she missed rubbing into her hair, went flying and landed on the glass doors of her shower. It slowly began to slid down the glass leaving a white slouch behind, when she grabbed a hand towel from the sink and wiped it off.

She scrunched at her hair and tossed in back and forth a few times and headed toward the kitchen. Half way down the hall, she could smell the coffee brewing and heard Sylvia humming something to herself. Andrea turned the corner and greeted Sylvia with a cheerful, “Good Morning.”

“Oh, good morning dear. Would you like a fresh cinnamon bun? They are still warm.” Sylvia said as she held a plate of freshly made cinnamon buns. The were so fresh and warm, that the white icing was still slowly melting down the sides.

“Sure,” Andrea said as she reached for one. “Can I get some milk? “

Sylvia walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a glass that had already been poured, “I knew that is what you wanted. I have to say your bones must be like bricks, because you are very edifying about drinking your milk. I father only drinks milk in his coffee.” Sylvia said as she poured an entire pot of Maxwell House coffee in a blue thermos for Andrea’s father.

“So how was yesterday? I mean did you get to relax? ” Andrea asked attempting to find out something about why Sylvia was sent home yesterday.

“Oh, I got to go grocery shopping for my cat. Albert doesn’t win to mighty attention, nor does he want it for that fact, but he loves food.” Sylvia said with a nurturing smile. Andrea noticed how warm and honest this smile was of Sylvia’s. She really loved her cat.

“Oh…well…um…Did you gain to meet the new pool guy? ” Andrea dug a tiny bit deeper with her question, desperately wanting to find something.

“Yeah… So, did you have fun yesterday in the water with the Jet Ski? It looks like you got a miniature sun on your face.”

“Yeah, I had a lot of fun. I went out a slight too far and lost my nerve and came wait on…When did you get to leave? ” Andrea hastily answered her seek information from and asked another before she could bit her tongue.

“I’m glad that you got to have a little fun. You seemed to be having a unpleasant day yesterday. Plus, I’m distinct that you had a lot of fun with your father. He is such a droll, down to earth person… I left…oh, I would probably say about an hour or so after you and your father left for the marina.”

“And Malcolm was here then? ” Andrea asked as she remembered that her mother said that Malcolm got there only about a half an hour or so before her father and her got there. Andrea remembered that she and her father left the house around 1:30 or 2 o’clock. They were gone about four hours. They got home around six that evening and the pool guy was still there. So, if Sylvia had left at 3 o’clock and the pool guy was already there, then that meant that her mother lied. The pool guy had been there for at least three hours.

“Yeah, I guess, I was not properly introduced to him. I know that he had to go his white Jeep so that I could get my car out. He pulled right up on my bumper.” Sylvia said abruptly.

“Reliable morning ladies. What’s for breakfast, Sylvia? ” Andrea’s mother asked as she made her presence known. “So what is all the gossip about this morning? ” She said as she starred directly at Andrea.

“Nothing, really,” Andrea replied while making direct gawk contact. “So mother I thought that you said…” Andrea was interrupted by her father walking in the room talking to someone on his cell phone.

” ‘Patrick, I told you that it would be unprejudiced fine. Come into port today and we’ll just get it all straightened up…yeah…um,uh…I understand that, but I’m not willing too…yeah, ok…then I will be expecting you around 1800 hours…Bye.’ Why I ought to unbiased.” He whispered to himself. “Good morning girls.” He said to everyone in the kitchen. He walked over and kissed his wife on the forehead and tapped Andrea on the head as he passed.

Andrea’s father walked over to the thermos that Sylvia had prepared for him just moments ago. “Thank you Sylvia. I couldn’t wake up with out you.” He thanked her and smiled genuinely. Similar to the smile that Sylvia had broken into when she was talking about her cat, Sundance. Andrea also noticed the brow of her mother’s face wrinkle with disapproval, before her mother dropped her head.

“Listen. I’ll be working later than usual tonight. So after everyone gets home, if you all want to come down to the clubhouse that would be more than welcomed.” Andrea’s father said as he was licking the warm, gooey cinnamon off his fingers from the cinnamon bum that he was trying the sneak off the plate. “Does that sound like a plan to you all? “

“I have aerobics and yoga tonight. Then I’m having a late dinner with the girls.” Andrea’s mother snarled out. “What time are you looking at getting home? “

“Late, like I said.”

“I have a lot of homework. At six I have practice.” Andrea said letting go the fact that she didn’t get to finish asking her mother about the time discrepancies of yesterday.

Andrea’s father turned to her, “Practice for what, your already perfect dear.”

Andrea’s mind abandoned the thoughts of her mother. “oh, dad, thanks…You know piano practice.”

“Yeah, I know…Shit, I gotta go. Quarter after six. Gotta go chase that dollar.” Andrea’s father said as he shifted his weight toward the door. Andrea’s mother walked over and wrapped her thin arms around his waist. She placed her hands on his lower relieve, and her palms pressed up tight against his polo. She reached up and kissed his lips and held it long enough to make Andrea wretched.

“Once again, enough you two. Your forty or something, give it a rupture. Gross.” Andrea blurted out. She hated it when they acted to young for their age. If Andrea would ogle this behavior from others kids at school then it would be different, but her parents, that’s fair not a pleasant sight.

“I love you.” Howard said to Theresa.

“You to.” Theresa replied.

“I love you too, grouchy.” He said to Andrea.

“Yeah, Yeah. I know.” Andrea said feeling really uncomfortable. To early for all that lovey dovey crap.

Andrea watched her father leave out toward the garage. Her smile turned downward with a look of nothing. Then she remembered that she unruffled had to finish getting her stuff ready for school.

“Are you taking me? ” Andrea said to her mother, who was pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“Where? ” Andrea’s mother said never looking up.

“School, where else? “

“Sure. I need to stop by Lazarus today anyway.” Andrea’s mother took her cup and walked toward the stairs. “Meet me in the car in thirty minutes.”

After Andrea’s mothers footsteps could no longer be heard going upstairs, Sylvia said sarcastically, “That woman will die with a credit card in one hand and a shopping bag in another.”

Andrea could feel the orange juice burn in her nose and pushed to swallow what was in her mouth. She wanted to just burst out laughing. She smiled and replied, “Yeah, not soon enough.”

“Bicyclist dies in Crash with Van.” “Two Italian Catholic nuns kidnapped.” As I sat in that smooth coffee shop, those are a few of the headlines I see on the newspaper before me. I try to look out the window pane into the sidewalk but the early morning sun shines brightly through. I go back to reading. What a world we live in. We are presented with death everyday. Headlines such as those are aimed to elicit an emotional response, yet many grow indifferent to such death and violence. I lower my paper as the waitress comes around to refill my coffee. Her brown hair and blue eyes almost glowed as the sun’s rays illuminated her lovely face, and yet something in her young face seemed to age her far beyond her years. I thanked her and told her that I was sorry. She looked confused at the latter part of the statement.

“Sorry? What for? ” Her voice had a sweet sound. It was a shame. Only a fool would betray such a nice girl.

“Your left ring finger. The silhouette of a ring is there but the ring is noticeably missing. Your eyes are slightly red. You’ve been crying. You don’t seem the kind of woman to be unfaithful which means the problem lies with your fiancée. I am sorry”. Her eyes began to water.

“I caught him with my best friend. Our wedding was supposed to be next month. I am sorry I have to go” She turned away, heading towards the back room as she wiped away her tears.

There are times when flexing my deductive muscles is beneficial. Most of the time it serves to impress my clients so that they are fully aware I am profitable of doing what it is I say I am able to do. Sometimes, such as this particular instance, they don’t do anything but give me some personal satisfaction of luminous what others don’t. There are other times still when, powerful like factual now, they serve to bring pain. Some truths hurt plenty by themselves. No need to bring them up, even if one wishes to affirm some sympathetic concern. As I took a sip of my coffee, I was about to go back to my newspaper when the bell of the door got my attention. “Damn it” I cursed under my breath. The door had opened and in came a middle extinct man, turning and scanning as if he was looking for someone. Of course he was looking for someone. I told him to meet me here. I didn’t expect him to be so punctual. I was hoping to finish the paper long before he showed up. Tamiati was a substantial, tanned man in his late 30s. A native of French Polynesia, he had moved to the States with his family shortly after his mother died. His face and arms served as a canvas to his people’s primitive custom, the art of tattoos. The complex patterns and colors provided a means to identify his ancestors residence in society. Now days, the beautiful art kept its deep symbolism and meaning only in the hands of a select few knowledgeable enough to appreciate it. “Ici, mon ami!” I waved him over from my table. I was surprised at how fluently the words came out. It seemed like ages since I had spoken the so called “language of love”.

“Oh! Monsieur Vega, ne pas? ” He seemed relived to finally get a chance to speak to me. “Mon frere, il…” I had to interrupt him. Like a sword becomes rusty if left unpolished, so too had my French become weak.

“I am sorry Tiamati, I am afraid I’ve spent all of my French on waving you over here.” He gave a chuckle.

“That’s alright. Mr. Vega”

“Please, Rafael is fine. Now, Mr.Tiamati your cousin told me you had a peculiar problem I could assist you with? ” As fate would have it, I met Tiamati’s brother during my stay in Nuku Hiva. Of course I didn’t know this when I first met Marquis. I owed him a lot. When his brother needed help, he decided to cash in on what I rightfully owed him. I was only too cheerful to oblige.

“Well Mr…Rafael. My brother spoke highly…Oh! Your face…where did you get that? “

“What? Oh this? ” Tiamati had noticed the tattoo covering the right side of my face. I touched it slightly, remembering the cloudless night when Marquis had done his handiwork.

“I got it on your home island Tiamati. I am surprised Marquis didn’t mention it”

“No he did not. He only mentioned he knew you and your profession. He spoke highly of you.”

“Ha-ha, I am glad. Well then what sort of problem brings you here? ” I had only spoken to Marquis over the phone. He had said his brother had a…peculiar problem. Cryptic enough to get my attention. I agreed to meet with his brother, it was the least I could do after all he had done for me.

“I don’t know where to begin, its all so impossible! I didn’t know what to do. I belief of going to an exorcist. Yes! An exorcist! The matter is so bizarre I started to occupy spirits or some other supernatural thing was responsible. My good brother attempted to chase the thought out of my head. But if only he could see! He would not be so quick to dismiss the powers of the Tiki Gods.”

“Tiki Gods? ” I interrupted. I was certainly glad I had decided to take up the matter. I had to remember to thank Marquis for sending his brother’s queer pickle my way.

“Yes, Tiki Gods. Wooden statues of the ancient Polynesian gods. It is rumored that some statues are empowered by the Gods they relate. As you know, I have only lived here for a couple of years. After my mother died, I felt I needed to get away from the island. So, I took my family and came here. Marquis had vacationed here for some time and had befriended a local couple. They too hailed from Nuku Hiva. Some years ago they had decided to travel. They offered the house they lived in to my brother but he refused it. When I told him I was leaving the island, he remembered the house. The couple was very friendly and more than happy to sell me the home. Everything was comely until last month. That’s when the trouble started. Being natives of Nuku Hiva, the couple took the customs of the island quite seriously. They had an entire room filled with various ceremonial things. Among them, were three Tiki figures. Each representing a different god. They all stand in a triangle, one on the back wall facing towards the front and another two on opposite sides of the side walls, facing towards the center of the room. Last month, I was making my way to the kitchen for a midnight snack. As I passed the…well we kind of started calling it the “Tiki room”…I saw the door was slightly opened and I could look a light coming from inside. Once I opened the door I couldn’t believe my eyes. Somebody had broken into the Tiki room! He was dressed in black clothing and was crouching in the middle of the room. As soon as he saw me, he picked up his flashlight and went out the window. He had a mask on so I couldn’t see his face. I thought of going to the police but why bother? There was nothing missing. Then the real danger started. The following night I passed by the room again. I was still shaken up so I decided to check the room. That’s when it happened. As I stepped in the middle of the room…the eyes of the Tikis began to glow!

“Glow? The eyes of the statues begin to glow? ” The matter was growing more interesting by the minute.

“Yes! All three of them! A bright fiery red! I could hardly believe my eyes! As if that wasn’t enough…the Tiki’s mouth began to open. And from it…a burning flame came out! I ran for the door as quickly as my feet would allow. I can’t remember the last time I ran that speedy. I shut the door gradual me. I could hear the sound of two other flames spewing forth as I lay against the door, trying to calm myself. I hardly dared to walk back again inside till a week later. My wife didn’t believe me but I couldn’t let her walk in there and I certainly didn’t want to go help in. But I had to show her. So I went in. This time I didn’t even get to the middle of the room. Their eyes began to glow like they did before but this time…the Tikis on the side walls…they turned towards me! My wife had noticed the door was open and walked in. ‘Don’t be ridiculous Tiamati!’ she said. The minute the statues turned towards me, she realized I wasn’t imagining things. ‘Oh my god!’ she yelled as I ran towards the door and told her to shut it. Once again we could hear the flames being breathed out of their mouths. I haven’t walked into the room since. You can see why nobody would believe me. Even now, it all seems so ridiculous. I couldn’t go to the police. Not sure they handle haunted Tiki rooms.”

I chuckled at the last remark. “Couldn’t go to the police”, the old detective story cliché was not wasted on me.

“I know there must be some sort of explanation that doesn’t involve furious Tiki gods…but…I can’t imagine what it could be! We have lived in that house for five years and nothing ever happened.”

“The first incident, you said occurred after the breaking at the room true? “

“That’s right. We hadn’t had any problems before that. You…you don’t think they are connected do you? “

I couldn’t be obvious of anything yet and told him so. “Perhaps. I’ll know more when I see the room. The Tikis activated the minute you entered the room the second time? “

“Yes. It was so odd. I took a few steps and…it was as if the gods themselves had awakened.”

“You can be positive Tiamati; this is not the work of your Polynesian gods. I possess the culprits are far closer to Earth than they are to the heavens. Anything else that could help me rid you of your curse? “

“Well…the room. It doesn’t have any electrical outlets. The Tikis aren’t plugged in or anything. The curse is real! The Tikis aren’t like those puppets in some amusement park. The only thing electrical in the room is the two halogen lights on the ceiling. Please Raphael…I don’t know what else to do.”

I gave him some words of encouragement and promised him I’d do everything within my power to help him. We parted ways and made arrangements for me to study the room the following morning. I needed some rest. What I had neglected to mention to Tiamati and Marquis was that I had just arrived from visiting my parents. Florida is nice this time of year. I stopped to see the folks and catch some rays on the way. I made my way up the steps to my apartment building. As I opened the door, I was relieved. I was finally home. No matter how gigantic vacations are, you are always joyful to be support home. I train its that sense of the familiar after a period of the unfamiliar. I stepped over what must have been a dozen newspapers and letters on my way to the living room. The mail had clearly piled up during my two week absence. It was mostly junk mail and a few bills. There were several newspapers with varying headlines, from the feel splendid story “Local child saves dog” to the dark reveal case of human rank “Man kills three in subway.” A particular headline in The Gazette caught my eye, “Jewel thief level-headed at large”. I threw the rest of the papers away and put The Gazette on my nightstand. I laid on my bed staring up at the ceiling. Cursed Tikis and timorous rooms. The oddest case I’ve handled so far. I drifted to sleep.

The following morning brought me to Tiamati’s “haunted” abode. The commonplace features of the home served to cover the corrupt power Tiamati so dreadfully feared. The house was a single story home, a white fence gate separated the front yard from the sidewalk. I made my way up the steps unto a porch and knocked on the door. The door opened and I was greeted by Tiamati’s wife. Unprejudiced as I had known her to be his wife, so too had she come to realize I was the help her husband had so desperately sought out.

“You must be Mr. Vega! Oh please come in!” She grabbed my arm and led me inside. She had quite a grip for a woman her size. Her dainty-slim figure was in sharp disagreement to Tiamati’s round and powerful frame. Her long brown hair flipped over her shoulder as she turned to address me.

“Tiamati is out support. I can’t teach you how worthy we—.

“Ma! Ma!” The voices were followed by running footsteps coming from the backyard. The two children were tiny versions of their parents.

“Ma! Near look, we found a caterpillar!” The children pulled and tugged at their mother’s dress as she laughed. “In a minute kids. Why don’t you go tell your papa his friend is here? ” With a double nod of their heads the siblings raced out of the backdoor as quickly as they had come.

“I’m sorry. They are such a handful sometimes” I told her it was no problem. The cheerfulness and innocence of children brought a smile to my face sometimes. Made me wish I had a couple of rugrats running around. Rachelle (Tiamati’s wife) led me to the backyard, passing the Tiki room and their bedroom along the way.

“Bonjour Monsieur!” Tiamati was full of life as we came out in the backyard. He seemed an entirely different man from the man whom I had spoken to the morning prior.

“Bonjour, Tiamati. That smells great. What is it? ” Tiamati was cooking some fish on a small grill with a caramel looking sauce. Ancient Polynesian secret recipe he said. I looked to his right and saw a bottle of BBQ sauce. Evidently Heinz was in the business of bottling ancient Polynesian secret recipes. Taking off his apron, he kissed his wife and motioned for us to go inside. As I was walking back inside, I noticed an old well behind some bushes. An old relic from a time long past perhaps? Once the door closed, Tiamati returned to the man I had met at the coffee shop.

“Monsieur, I must warn you. As much as I want this horrible thing gone…what if I am right and the curse is real? You could get hurt.”The cheerful disposition of Tiamati and his wife was clearly all but a façade. Underneath it all, they were deathly panicked of what was inside the door that stood before me. I put my hand on his shoulder.

“You don’t have to worry about me, mon ami. It is one thing to believe in the supernatural and another thing entirely to believe that something is so seemingly impossible that at first glance it seems unreal. Now, I am going to need some things from you.” I asked Tiamati for a handful of bed sheets, some water, and something large and preferably square. In response to the last part of my seek information from, he produced a seat cushion from a couch on the living room.

“What exactly are you doing to do with all of this Rafael? ” Admittedly, the idea was not a brilliant one. I poured the water over the bed sheets and the cushion. One of the bed sheets I wrapped around my face, leaving an opening for my eyes. The rest I former to cover the cushion. A make-shift shield and mask. All I needed was a make-shift sword and I could be ready to slay a make-shift dragon. Or in this case…make-shift haunted Tiki statues. Tiamati looked on in disbelief.

“Are you really going to—?

“Yes. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher ready. No telling if I am going to come out like The Human Torch.”

He seemed confused at the last remark but he nonetheless hurried to the kitchen in search of an extinguisher. As a matter of principle, the whole idea of a curse was entirely improbable. The flames from the Tiki gods however, were entirely within the realm of possibility. My heart raced as I began to open the door. Various decorations hung from the Tiki room ceiling. All were, as Tiamati had said, of a ceremonious nature. The décor of the room was completed by a rug in the center of the room. Tiamati had only mentioned three Tiki gods. Evidently, a fourth god called the Tiki room his home, or more accurately, the rug in the middle of the room. The last Tiki god had been bound in an intricate pattern of colors and fibers. My admiration of the fine rug was cut abruptly short. I had apparently awakened the gods. Their eyes began glowing with a bright red light. The sound of creaking wood warned of the inferno to come. And so it did, as the jagged teeth of the Tikis gave method to blasts of burning flames. By now all three sets of eyes were upon me. I dodged the first volley of flames. To my surprise, the eyes turned to face me and once again breathed fire. As I stood with my back against the door shielding my face, I realized…the flames came up short. The flames reached a length proportionate to the size of the statues themselves, about four feet. The heat was no less intense however. I stood shielding my face for a few minutes, not sure whether the wrath of the gods would ever stop. To my surprise, it did. Not sure whether they had given up or were simply biding their time, I began involving slowly to the middle of the room. No response. The statues were sleeping once again. Aside from the décor and the Tikis, the room was normal in appearance. Tiamati was right. The statues were not connected to anything. I crouched down come the Tiki on the right wall, inspecting its base. There was no sign of the Tiki having been moved. I attempted the deed myself but to no avail. If the statues were this heavy then, there was no way…

“Rafael? Rafael are you ok in there? I have the extinguisher ready” Tiamati’s voice came from leisurely the door.

“I am pleasing Tiamati. Don’t open the door. Stay where you are.” I rose and began to walk over to the left wall. Upon stepping on the fourth Tiki’s image, the others must have taken offense as those bloody eyes glowed red once more. I leaped and roll towards my cushion-shield on the right corner of the room. Cushion in hand I made my way to the door and closed it behind me.

“It is like I said isn’t it? The room is cursed!”

Gasping for air I attempted to retort. “No mon ami. There is nothing haunted about your room. However, that is not to say I know why the statues are guarding your “Tiki room”.

“Guarding? What makes you think they are guarding anything? I could have burned in there!”

“Right, but only if you would have gotten close enough to the center of the room. The flames of the statues don’t near all the way to front of the room. They weren’t meant to burn, rather they were meant to instill the fear of getting burned. The threat of pain is almost as good a deterrent as actual pain itself. As I told you before, the cause unhurried your “curse” is far closer to the mundane than it is to the divine. Why your statues would so fiercely protect that room…I am unable to respond at the moment. But I can stutter you I will give you an respond soon.”

With those words, I bid him farewell. He offered to walk me to the door. As I was walking down the steps of the porch, a sudden thought entered my head. The windows of the Tiki room, they were locked with the exception of the left window. The window the would-be burglar had opened to escape. Tiamati had not been able to enter the room after the night of the attempted burglary. So how did the burglar enter the home?

“Tiamati the night of the break-in, did you hear any noise? Like the sound of glass breaking or anything like that? “

“No, not at all. You know now that you mention it; there was no sign of him breaking in anywhere. And we would have known. We have an panic system. If he had tried to break-in through any of the doors, the alarm would have gone off.”

“Hmm. Thank you, Tiamati.”

The problem Marquis had thrown my way had become more complicated that I believed it could be. As I opened the door to my apartment, I once again walked over a copy of The Gazette. “Jewel thief continues to elude police, but not for long” was the headline of the day. I hardly had any time to read the other paper I had saved. Now seemed like a first-rate time to read it. The first paper was dated from a month ago, September 12^th:

Jewel thief unruffled at large

The museum of Maori mythology is noticeably short on its collection of precious artifacts. One month ago today, the Eye of Tohua went missing from its highly protected display case at the world renowned museum. “Everything was in order. All the security systems were working perfectly. We have no idea how any one could have gotten it out of here”, said Curator Alika Manu. Polynesian police do not have many leads at the moment but they are confident one vital clue left at the scene will help them track down the thief. “A puny statue of Ku, a Polynesian Tiki, was left near the jewel’s case. We have found statues of a similar nature at the scene of numerous high value jewel thefts over the last couple of months.”

The article went on to mention that over twenty or so jewel thefts were accredited to the Ku thief. The thefts had begun some years ago and the police never had any clue as to the thief’s identity other than the telltale sign of the Tiki being left tedious. The article on today’s paper had little new information to offer. It did, however, mention that the police, although unable as of yet to pinpoint his location, were hot upon his trail. A clever detective had noticed that the particular design of the statues left behind by the Ku thief were very strange. They weren’t mass produced souvenirs, but rather hand-carved works of graceful craftsmanship. With that information, the police were able to determine the type of wood used in the making of the statues. As luck would have it, the wood used was of a rare type only found on petite parts of the island of Nuku Hiva. Lady Luck was on the side of the Polynesian police force, as detectives were able to find the maker of the statues and were able to regain a description, albeit not a particularly good one, of the thief. Upon further investigation, it seemed the thief had left the island some years ago only to return to the island a month or two ago and leaving again soon after. If I wasn’t tied down with my own Tiki mess, I would have been glad to lend a hand to the Polynesian police force. It certainly would have been great to visit the islands once more.

After a shower and a hot meal, I headed to the living room. I picked up the latest book I was reading, The Innocence of Father Brown. A keen mind and a forgiving heart, all packed into one meek priest. Chesterton had certainly got it right with the good Father. Turning on my reading lamp, I sat down on the recliner. Wonder what sort of evil the good father would sniff out this time? As I opened the book a thought, as suddenly as it had entered my mind in Tiamati’s porch steps, came forth from my unconscious. Nuku Hiva…the jewel thief had been to Nuku Hiva. Ha-Ha! So that was why. It seemed a closer inspection of the horrified Tiki room was in order. I made a ticket of calling Tiamati the following morning and got back to reading. It seemed I was going to be able to give Tiamati some answers soon.

Late the following afternoon I made a call to Tiamati’s house. Rachelle had picked up. I told her if it was possible for me to originate a quick visit to the home. She said it was fine, she had to leave to pick up the kids but Tiamati would be home. I thanked her and we hung up. I was at the home within half an hour. I knocked on the door and it was Tiamati who greeted me this time.

“Monsieur Rafael! I hope you have good news for me.”

“I am skittish not Tiamati. Not yet. Not until I take a look at the room one more time.”

“The room? You don’t mean you are going back in there? “

I nodded. “If we are going to put an end to your curse, I have to.” We walked along the hallway until we reached the door of the dreaded room once more.

“You want some more bed sheets this time? ” said Tiamati in a joking tone. I chuckled.

“No, I am fine.” I opened the door and was once again greeted by the Tikis and their unrelenting flames. Tiamati was behind me, using me as a shield.

“It’s alright. They’ll stop in a slight” The flames had lasted for about five minutes last time. I looked at my watch and tried to wait. Just as I thought, the flames were first activated by the opening of the door and were timed. After five minutes the flames would stop, unless of course any one dared to venture into the middle of the room. More specifically, I believed, the area in the center which contained the Tiki rug. The last time I was in the room, the flames had not activated again until I was in the very dead center of the room, which is to say on top of the Tiki that also lay in the middle of the rug. I walked inside, assuring Tiamati that it was safe so long as he didn’t step anywhere near the rug. I carefully walked to one of the edges of the rug, and very carefully lifted it. I had found what I was looking for. All that was left to do was to ascertain whether or not stepping in the very middle of rug, the very dead center of the room, would awaken the statues rather than objective stepping on any area of the rug.

“Tiamati, do your kids have a ball or something like that lying around? He looked a bit confused by the question.

“Yea I assume so but why do you want a ball? “

“You’ll see”. He gave a shrug and left the room. I made my procedure back to the front door.

“Here” Tiamati had approach back from the backyard with a big red ball. It was a bouncy ball the size of a basketball.

“Stand back” I warned Tiamati as I threw the ball, hitting the middle of the rug. I was surprised I had hit my sign dead on as the ball bounced back and the mouths of the Tiki gave way to the flames.

Tiamati was shocked. “How did you–? “

“I am afraid that confirms my thoughts, mon ami. I am sorry to say that I can do nothing further to help you. The only thing that you can do now is leave this place at once. Sell this home. Place an ad on the paper. I am afraid you may have been right after all.” A look of fear and sadness covered his face.

“You are certain? “

“I am”

“Alright. I’ll let Rachelle and the kids know. But how am I going to find somebody to buy the home in such short notice? Where would we stay? ” He looked about, seemingly confused, and then started to head to his bedroom.

“Tiamati wait. Go and place an ad for the house on The Gazette. Before you do anything else, I’d like to stay here for the next three days. You can stay in my apartment in the meantime. If you don’t get any potential buyers at the end of the three days, I’ll make a call. I have an ragged friend who is a realtor. He owes me a favor.” He nodded and thanked me. The next few hours were spent packing and collecting various items around the house. I took Tiamati and his family to my apartment. It wasn’t as big as their home but they would be comfortable there. I picked up some of my things and launch heading for the door. As I opened the door, I turned and asked Tiamati if he had placed the ad.

“Yes. An ad on The Gazette just like you said. I also placed some in other newspapers.”

“Good. Good night. Feel free to call me if you need anything.” Tiamati’s home was dead silent that night. As I lay in the bed in the guest room, I missed my own bed. I shouldn’t have told him to leave the house that night. They could have stayed here tonight. After all, it was tomorrow night that the curse of the Tiki gods would come to an end.

I woke up at around eight that day. I spent most of that morning reading and exploring the backyard of the house. The extinct well leisurely the bushes in particular. By lunch time, Tiamati had called to scream me no one had called his cell phone and to ask whether anyone had called the home. I told him no one had called and asked if he was doing alright in the apartment. “We are ok. Looking in the papers to see what sort of home we can gain.” The rest of the afternoon I spent making some calls. Technically, I had taken two months vacation from my day job. I had two weeks left out of those two months. In that time, the Situation attorney’s office had not stopped running merely because their star prosecutor was off soaking up the sun. Most of my morning was spent talking to Amy, my secretary, in an attempt to see if any cases were pilling up for me to take care of once I returned. Sadly, there were none. At least not any I would be interested in. After speaking with her, I decided to get in touch with Marquis. I caught him up on the details of the whole affair. He was glad I was helping his brother out. We reminisced for a few minutes after that. Before I let him go, I asked him if he knew how I could get in contact with the Polynesian police. “I contemplate I know someone yea but why do you want to get a hold of them? ” he asked. “There are some things I want to ask them” He gave me the name of a friend of his who was the Polynesian equivalent of a patrol officer. By the time I got done speaking to the Chief of Police, it was around 2 o clock. All the pieces were set.

Night had advance and all the lights in the house were off. I found myself in the Tiki room, waiting. The Tiki gods were detached and yet they seemed almost alive. The craftsmanship of the gods was so intricately detailed; I could glimpse how they could have instilled fear and commanded respect from those who worshipped them long ago. I felt a tug on my sleeve followed by a whisper:

“What are we doing here, Rafael? We’ve been waiting for hours now” Tiamati was annoyed and inpatient. I had asked him to come to the house by himself. I didn’t want to risk endangering too many people.

“Patience, mon ami, patience. Rome wasn’t built in a day after all. Ah! Pay attention now, Tiamati. The show is about to being.”

Sounds could be heard from the middle of the room. A sound resembling the opening of a lock resonated through the black room. The rug began to move, seemingly slithering toward us. Soon enough the face of the fourth Tiki was standing erect staring at us and, as quickly as it had risen, it fell to the ground, reveling the silhouette of person in its wake. The gloomy outline of the man stood frozen as I flicked on the lights. He quickly turned around and was once again startled, this time by the pair of firearms pointed at him. He raised his arms in surrender and the man to his right holstered his weapon and drew handcuffs. Once safely secured, the other man put his weapon away but not before removing the would-be burglar’s mask.

“I cant believe it! You…you are—! Tiamati could not have his excitement.

“Gentlemen, I give you the Ku thief!”

“What? A thief? You mean to say that this man…the very man that sold me this house…is a thief? “

The French Polynesian police had been most gracious. They had weathered a long flight to the States, on only a cryptic statement I had given them hours before. They could no longer hold their annoyance.

“Monsieur! You can’t possibly expect us to believe this man and the Ku thief we seek to be one in the same?!”

“I do. If you’ll check that bag, I think you’ll accumulate a very exclusive eye you have been looking for.” The Chief turned around to see the bag left unnoticed in all the excitement. He opened it and pulled out a bright red jewel with a smaller blue jewel in its center. From afar it almost looked like an eye.

“I don’t believe it. Its…the Eye of Tohua!” Tiamati, however, did not share the Chief’s astonishment.

“What do jewels and thieves have to do with the Tikis Rafael!? “

“In this particular instance, everything mon ami.” I began to walk towards the Chief, kneeling down and examining the hidden door that lay at the center of the room.

“The very man who sold you this home is also the very same man known as the Ku thief in Polynesia. For whatever reason (which we can ascertain by asking Ku himself), our thief fled the Polynesian islands. He and his wife came here and made themselves a home. Being a couple who revered their homeland’s customs, they built a room in honor of those very same customs. So strong was his belief in the power of these statues that he entrusted them to protect his most valuable treasures. Now, he and his wife had a comfortable life here but our thief could evidently not stay in temporary retirement for long. He was drawn to his homeland for one more challenge; I say challenge because it is obvious that our thief thrived in the face of adversity; as none of the precious stones found in that bag could have been easily acquired. So it was that the Ku thief stole one of the Maori museum’s most precious exhibitions, the Eye of Tohua. With his prize in hand, he returned to the States. By this time, they had already moved from this home. However, mostly likely due to his faith in these statues, he had kept the jewels here. Why shouldn’t he? Who would think to gaze under a rug for a secret entrance in an ordinary room? And yet the room became anything but ordinary. Soon after returning from Nuku Hiva, he returned here. He faced a different sort of challenge now. With others living in the house, it could be possible the entrance to the room below (yes a room, most likely containing a safe among other things) could be found. The stealing of the Eye was such a personal triumph; he felt the need to further protect his treasures. And so he awakened the Tiki gods. But in so doing, he inavertedly revealed the very thing he wished to remain hidden. Had he not been so overprotective of his treasures, the room would have never drawn any suspicions.” By now the two officers had placed Ku inside their car and Tiamati, the Chief, and I stood in the front steps of the home.

“But how did he come by into the room? And how did you know he was coming tonight” asked Tiamati.

“The well in the backyard. As the Chief will tell you; a rule of thumb in an investigation, criminal or otherwise, is to make effect of anything that stands out whether it seems relevant at the moment or not. The well in your backyard stood out. So I took a look. While it once served to quench the thirst of its owners, it now served to quench a different kind of thirst…the thirst for wealth. There was a door at the bottom of it. It’s heavily locked, but I imagine it leads to the room underneath the Tiki room. As to how I knew he would come. Well you helped with that, mon ami. Once Ku activated the Tikis, he knew it would be a matter of time before you managed to ‘awaken’ the gods. Knowing you hailed from his birthplace, he counted on you fearing the ‘supernatural’ powers of the statues. As he was almost caught once, he must have hoped that you would scare a ‘curse’ and thus leave the house, allowing him to get his precious stones without any dread of dismay. Because of this, he must have kept his eyes and ears open for any mention of your home being up for sale.”

“And the Tikis? How were they activated? ” It was the Chief’s turn to inquire into the matter, ” And how can we…um turn them off? “

“Oh that. Well, the activation is relatively simple. Motion sensors. Most likely some along the base of the door frame and inside the statues themselves. The trap door of course had one. It’s why the Tikis were activated when Tiamati stepped in the middle of the room. Tiamati, you said the night after you saw Ku in the room, the Tikis activated when you walked to the middle of the room correct? “

“That’s suitable.”

“Hmm. I suppose the sensors along the door failed that first night. Now, as to the Tikis themselves I imagine there is more in that hidden room than just a safe. The statues must have been controlled remotely and the sensors must have had a control mechanism as well. Both of the mechanisms are, more likely than not, within the room.”

“So it wasn’t a curse after all” uttered Tiamati.

“A curse? ” The Chief added in disbelief.

“No, mon ami. There was no curse. You can rest assured there is, more often than not, a logical explanation for the seemingly illogical.”

The following afternoon found me sitting at that calm coffee shop once more with a newspaper in one hand and a coffee on the other. The headline of The Gazette was quite a sight: “Curse of the Tiki Gods broken”. The chime of the door drew my attention to a familiar face entering the shop.

“Bonjour mon ami. Ce une l’apres-midi magnifique, ne pas? ” I said to Tiamati as I offered him a chair.

“Oui, tres magnifique. I just came to thank you. You believed me when most anyone else wouldn’t have. Merci.”

“You are welcome. The case was certainly one of the oddest ones I had the pleasure of handling. Merci, mon ami.”

Tiamati went on to say he and his family had moved back into the house. The Polynesian police had managed to deactivate the statues. Just as I had said, a computer found inside the hidden room controlled the Tikis and monitored the motion sensors. A small well-behaved served to store the thief’s many treasures. He also said the police discovered the mechanism inside the Tikis. Apparently the statues had been carved by the very same man who had carved the diminutive Ku statues the Ku thief had been notorious for. As to the mechanisms inside it, Ku’s wife was an electrical engineer. Along with Ku, they had carved out the inside of the statues and installed the circuitry responsible for both the glowing eyes and the flames. Not brilliant, but certainly ingenious. We said our goodbyes and I went back to my newspaper. I took a sip of my coffee and hoped no other curses interrupted my reading anytime soon.

First figure out how many people will be attending the party. If the party will have only 10 people, two narrow tables can be situation up. For a larger party between 15 and 20 attendees, three tables can be set up in a customary U-shaped luau fashion. Halloween paper lanterns are available through Wrapables for $29.95. Ten lanterns come on a string that can be attached to movable poles on the patio, or hung from a nail from a rafter of the house. Each lantern is black with an orange background and Halloween decorations inside the orange circle. You can use as many strands of lanterns for the luau as you want.

For other decorations, a tiki torch like the one available from Taylor Gifts can be uses. This is a solar powered torch, so you will want to stick this out during the daylight so when the sun goes down, it will be glowing in the dark. The tiki is made of poly-resin and comes mounted on a pole. Get two of these, and position one at each end of the table formation. The solar tiki costs $19.98 each.

On each table, place a carved pumpkin. These can be something you or your children made. Add the tropical fruits on a tall tray, arranged in an fine fashion. Your guests will each receive a lei upon arriving to the Halloween luau and these leis from Giant Party Store will brighten up the mood. Each lei is made of orange and black flowers and costs $1.19 each. Have these ready by the front door to distribute when the guests arrive.

Before making the table settings, set out bamboo placemats like these from Amazon. Each placemat is $3.19. For the dinnerware, employ disposable plates with a Halloween decoration on them. These attractive 9″ spider plates are colorful and will definitely keep the guests in the mood while they enjoy their meal. The plates come in a package of 10 for $2.90 from Windy City Novelties. Matching drinking cups are also available, with 8 per package at $2.90, also from Windy City Novelties. For utensils, you can use black plastic forks and knives, since gloomy is a Halloween color.

Don’t forget to include floating candles in a shallow bowl. These ghost candles will look best against a bowl with a black or deep orange interior. Light them up right before everyone arrives for the party so they will be pleased the growing spooky atmosphere at the luau.

Now, for the menu. As mentioned before, you can befriend a recipe like chicken or pork with pineapple, or any other traditional Polynesian dish. For the kids, try a Polynesian burger with carrot sticks and French fries.

The entertainment allotment is the easiest and most fun: telling ghost stories! Take turns sharing really scary stories with each other. Let the fun go on for as long as possible at your luau. Don’t forget to keep some Halloween cookies or cupcakes on hand with either soda or juice. Your Halloween luau will be a success, with many happy memories afterwards

Or so his thought process went.

He had spent an entire week studying the layout of the bar. There was one entrance, which was also an exit, and an emergency exit in the rear by the parking lot. The windows were too small for anyone to fit out of, and if a few did happen to escape, that was okay too. The bar, known as The Fine and Dandy, was located amidst a few stores that closed at six and more than a few abandoned warehouses. It was the perfect spot for a sacrifice.

He would block the rear exit with the dumpster that was near it and originate the fire at the entrance. He would do it on Saturday, which was Comedy Night at The Resplendent and Dandy. There wouldn’t be a lot of laughter that night, that was for sure.

And Guarar would be pleased.

If he made this sacrifice, Guarar would do his bidding. Hell, all Joseph really wanted was a better paying job, a nicer apartment in a rent controlled building, a new car, and a chance to go on a date with Alicia, the girl that worked at the same supermarket as he did. She was a cashier, working her way toward management, and he was a bag boy, working his way toward more bagging.

He knew that Guarar wasn’t real though. It was something he made up in his mind so that he could have some sort of excuse to burn down The Fine and Dandy. If he followed through with his plan, he would have enough courage to ask Alicia out, quit his job, get a better job and apartment. The car would follow.

Plus, he enjoyed killing people. He just wasn’t that good at it. Not that he didn’t have enough practice.

His first “victim” was a dog, which bit the hell out of him and sent him crying home to his mom. He was fourteen and had intended to strangle the dog. He picked a Doberman, which in turn made hamburger out of his arm. Later that week he tried to run the dog over with his mom’s car, which he stole from her, but instead crashed into a tree.

Joseph became an animal rights activist soon after and decided to just kill people.

By the time he was eighteen he hadn’t killed any, except in his head, of course, but he was ready to. He picked up a prostitute and brought her to the apartment he illegally shared with a guy named Bo.

Bo came home from work two hours early to procure Joseph strangling the woman. A fight ensued, and Joseph ended up killing Bo with a baseball bat. The prostitute, a hearty shaded woman named Chocolate, came to while Joseph was finishing Bo off and attempted to leave the apartment. Joseph caught her out in the hall and dragged her screaming back into the apartment.

Joseph didn’t remember distinguished after that, but he knew that the police saved her even after he had cut her throat, and he had to move to another town. He was never caught. That’s when Joseph, a mere twenty-three, invented Guarar.

Guarar would protect Joseph just as long as he did bad deeds. Trying to hit children with his car was a favorite, though he only succeeded once. He also liked to stalk teenage girls. Guarar loved that and told him that he would be willing to serve Joseph forever if he just made a sacrifice.

Enter The Fine and Dandy.

Joseph stood in the rear parking lot pacing back and forth between expensive cars, the same kind that he would soon own. His gas cans and lighters were hidden behind his own car, a Citation, at the end of the lot. It was cold out, October usually was, and the wind was picking up. Everything looked valid for the sacrifice.

“Got any pot? “

Joseph whirled around at the sound of another man’s voice. Guarar?

“What? ” Joseph asked, nervously running a hand through his hair.

“Got any weed? ” the man in the business suit asked him.

“I net high on life, you sicko. Go in that bar and drink!” He pointed at The Fine and Dandy. “Go!”

“You’re fucking weird!” the man exclaimed, slowly walking away.

“Yeah. I have two phones, you sicko. Go drink and burn!”

The man turned around and gave him the finger. Joseph would make definite that he burned especially well.

Guarar was egging him on.

“Fine, fine,” Joseph said, retrieving his gas cans and lighters.

He poured some gasoline around the rear exit door and then tried to push the dumpster in front of it. The damn thing wouldn’t budge. There were no wheels on it!

Joseph banged his head on the side of the container in frustration. How could he have overlooked that? The dumpster was pretty damn notable for his belief.

“I’m an idiot,” he said through clenched teeth.

Alicia.

The name brought him abet to reality, just like Guarar knew it would. He had to go as normal. He would set the front on fire first, giving the patrons time to panic, and then run around to the back and light that puddle of gas before anyone had a chance to realize that there was an emergency exit.

He splashed some more gasoline onto the door and surrounding wall. He actually emptied the whole can, but he had one more left, which he grabbed.

He started to walk around to the front of the building. The noise was unbelievable. People laughing. People talking. People drinking. It was sick.

He planned on lighting the front door on fire and then splash gas on the walls as he made his way to the back to light that door too.

Another well-thought plan.

“Thank you, Guarar,” Joseph whispered, coming around to the main entrance.

The door was open!

That wouldn’t do. He needed it closed, plus there was a doorman there. Luckily he wasn’t spotted honest yet.

He set the can of gas down and walked up to the doorman, who was a spacious man in a sleeveless shirt. A bouncer?

“Excuse me, kind sir,” Joseph began.

“You smell like gas.”

“I’ve had problems with that in the past. Could you do me a favor and shut the door? “

“What? Fuck you.”

“Ack! Listen, I need to have you close it. Guarar is getting restless and doesn’t like the door open.”

“Guarar? Is that one of the amateur comedians? “

Pay dirt! “Yes! Yes it is! I’m his manager-slash-friend. He can’t do with the door open. Please! I’ll give you a five spot.”

“Five dollars? Wow. Thanks. Get out of here.”

The bouncer pushed Joseph away and pulled the door closed in his face.

Pay dirt double!

“Oh, Guarar, this is going tall!”

Joseph grabbed his gas can and ran to the door. He started to pour the gas at the ground in front of the doorway when the door flew start, knocking him backward about five feet and straight onto his ass. The gas can fell with him and landed on his chest, gas gurgling out onto his cheap suit.

“You fiends!” Joseph shouted at the men and women that came out the door, all in their

expensive clothes and beautiful hair. “You’ve knocked over Guarar’s servant! For that you shall pay the -”

“Hey, Buddy,” a man with short dark hair said as he took a cigarette from his mouth, “shut the fuck up.” He tossed the cigarette at Joseph.

Joseph lit up like a Tiki torch. The gas can exploded and fired off into outer space somewhere as Joseph writhed around on the ground like a voodoo queen going into some sort of trance.

People ran out of The Fine and Dandy to see what the commotion was about and were stunned to see a man on fire, rolling around on the ground shouting something that sounded like, “Le Car! Le Car!”

Joseph tried to roll toward the front door, but he had no sense of direction, a situation he faced throughout life.

“Damn you!” he shouted at the crowd of people. He shook his fist, the skin of which was burning off at an alarming rate.

Joseph eventually stopped rolling around on the ground like an idiot.

“His head’s still on fire,” a woman in a slinky black dress observed. “Is that because of gel? “

Her date, who was a year younger than her, shrugged. “Who knows, Barbie? “

“I’m Baby.”

“Whatever.”

The bouncer walked over to Joseph and doused the flames with his fire extinguisher. “That smell’s gonna linger,” he whispered to himself.

Joseph wasn’t exciting.

“Is he one of the joke guys? ” the babe named Baby asked.

The bouncer shrugged, looking only at her breasts. “I don’t know, but it sure was humorous.”

One of the men in the crowd threw his cigarette onto Joseph’s corpse. “Damn,” he grimaced when the corpse failed to reignite.

“I don’t believe this,” the comedian known as Johnny Laffass shouted from the back of the crowd. “You idiots walked out on my act!”

Everybody turned around to look at the lanky comical, who was wearing a fish tie and a colander on his head. He was a prop comedian.

“This isn’t funny,” he said, pointing at the smoking corpse. “I’m funny. Any asshole can set himself on fire. I use props.”

“Are we getting sued for this? ” the bartender asked the bouncer.

The bouncer shrugged. “I don’t know. I conception it was pretty funny.”

One man in a Big Johnson t-shirt fashionably tucked into his Bugle Boys kneeled by Joseph and propped him up. He made the corpse wipe its brow with its right arm. “Is it hot in here,” Big Johnson asked, “or is it just me? “

The crowd howled with laughter.

“That’s not funny!” Johnny Laffass asserted. “He’s not a comedian!”

“He’s using props,” a woman dressed in western wear noted.

Johnny threw the colander off his head and began to sob.

Big Johnson was making the corpse roll around like it was on fire. He was surprised by how little it now weighed. “I’m breakdancing!” he shouted as he snapped a finger off its right hand.

Baby was laughing so hard she was crying.

“Now this,” the bouncer said, wrapping his beefy arm around Johnny Laffass’ shoulder and nodding toward Big Johnson and his prop, “is comedy.”