June 2, 1973

Honey

The date of the recital dawned sunny and warm.  Honey Wheeler stretched and rolled over in her bed, counting the hours before she would dance before a crowd of parents and friends at the auditorium of the Westchester County Community College.  She closed her eyes and pictured the stage, with Mart and Dan’s tropical beach scene in the background; herself, Trixie and Diana in the graceful, flowing hula dresses she had made; fragrance wafting around her from the flower leis her father had ordered especially for the recital.  She stretched herself again and glanced at her bedside clock.

“Oh my gosh!” she squealed,jumping out of bed and pulling on the shorts and T-shirt she had worn the previous day.  “I can’t believe it’s seven-thirty!  We’ve got to be at the dance studio by noon for our final rehearsal and to pack up any of our personal things to take home.”

Honey ran a brush through her shiny light-brown hair, slipped on a pair of thong sandals, and ran downstairs to the dining room, where a delicious buffet awaited her.  It was Saturday breakfast as usual at the Wheeler estate.   Her parents, brother, Miss Trask, and Regan would be finishing up.  The rest of the staff would eat after the family.

Her father was just folding up his newspaper after reading it; although he wasn’t going to his office today, he had an important international call coming at eight o’clock.  He had already pushed back his empty plate, which Honey knew had contained two eggs, three slices of bacon, and two slices of buttered toast.   Madeleine Wheeler was sipping on a cup of coffee; a cup of fresh fruit and a small bran muffin were in front of her.   Miss Trask was just helping herself to a small serving of scrambled eggs and a slice of toast from the hot buffet that was set up; a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee were already at her place, along with a copy of the New York Times.  Jim read a paperback copy of Macbethwhile he munched his toast and scrambled eggs, and Regan perused the latest copy of The Horseman’s Quarterly as he drank his coffee.

“Good morning, everyone!  It’s such a beautiful day, isn’t it?” Honey greeted her family, helped herself to bacon, fruit, and toast, and slid into a chair across from Jim and next to her mother.         

“Good morning, darling,” Mrs.Wheeler said.  “Do you have everything ready for the recital?”

“Oh, yes, Mother.  It’s all ready.  Luckily, our costumes are so simple that it won’t take any time at all to change.  Daddy, thank you for the beautiful leis!  Trixie and Diana will be so excited when they see them.”  Honey beamed at her father, who grinned back at her.

“Nothing is too good for my princess,” he replied. “I just hope the fragrance won’t be overpowering when you dance.”

“I’ll be getting out to the horses, Mr. Wheeler.”  Regan pushed back his chair and stood.  “There’s a lot to do this morning if I’m going to be ready to go by noon.”  He grinned at Honey and remarked, “It’s supposed to be bad luck to wish you a good performance, so I’ll just say, ‘Keep your head up and your heels down’.”   Giving her a “thumbs up” sign, he left the dining room to begin his duties as stablemaster.

“It’s too bad that the recital couldn’t be held at the dance studio,” Miss Trask commented.  “But I suppose the studio auditorium isn’t large enough for this event, and the parking might be a problem, too.”

“Yes, that’s what Hali’a told us. She said the college auditorium is very nice, and there is plenty of parking nearby.  Tom knows how to get there, doesn’t he?”  For the first time, Honey felt just a little nervous.  Tom was driving her parents, Miss Trask, Regan,and Mr. Maypenny to the recital, while the Bob-Whites were going in the club station wagon. 

“Yes, he knows how to get there. In fact, Tom told me he took a few classes at the campus after he finished hisArmy service and before he started working here.”  Mrs. Wheeler smiled at herdaughter.

“Tom was in the regular Army?” Honey was very surprised.  Although Tom spent a weekend every month in military training, she’d never heard him speak of being on active duty.

“Yes, he was stationed in Germany for two years.”  Her mother looked surprised that Honey hadn’t known.  “We were all tremendously relieved when the U.S. and Vietnam signed a cease-fire in March,so that he won’t have to worry about being sent to Vietnam, into combat. Surely you’ve noticed that he and Regan both have had Reserve training since we’ve lived out here, Honey!” 

“Oh, well, yes … I knew they went away for military training every month.  I don’t know why I never thought about him or Regan being in the service before they came to work for us.”  Honey was embarrassed.

“Remember when I turned eighteen and had to register for the draft, Sis?  Brian did, too; so did Dan and Mart. It’s the law.”  Jim spoke for the first time.  “I sure hope President Nixon can keep us out of the mess in Vietnam, now that the treaties have been signed.” His lips were set in a thin line. 

“What would you do if you were drafted, Jim?  Would you go?”  Honey’s eyes were huge in her pale face.

“I hope I don’t get drafted,because I don’t believe in war as a way to settle disputes among nations.  But if my country called me, I would serve.”  Jim’s green eyes blazed.  “I don’t think you have anything to worry about right now, Sis, because I’ve got a student deferment as long as I’m attending college.  But as soon as I graduate,I lose that deferment.”

“What about Tom and Regan, Daddy? Could they be drafted … or whatever, since they’ve already spent time in the service?”

“Honey, I don’t think Regan would.  He served a tour of duty in Vietnam right after he left Saratoga, before he went to work for the Claremont Riding Academy.  Even though he’s in the reserves, he has an injury that will probably keep him from being called to active duty.  And Tom has a very high draft number.  He’s not likely to becalled up unless war breaks out somewhere else.”    Matthew Wheeler looked at his watch.  “I’ve got to be ready for that call, darling.  I’ll see you later.” He kissed Honey and his wife, and patted Jim’s back before leaving the dining room.

Honey was thoughtful as she packed the overnight bag she was taking to the studio.  It would be a long day, and she wanted to have a change of clothes and some extra makeup to be prepared for whatever happened.  While she packed, she thought about Mr. Maypenny and his “battle fatigue” and wondered if Regan had experienced any of that.  How would I act if I went away to a war zone, some place where I might be killed – or a friend might be killed – at any moment?  What if I was there for years on end, and then I came back to my nice, normal life in Sleepyside?  How would I feel toward my old friends?  How would I react to things like sudden noises? Regan doesn’t seem to be jumpy, if that’s what it does to you.  But it’s true he doesn’t like being in large groups of people.

Unable to reach a conclusion to that line of thought, she began to imagine Hali’a’s reaction to seeing the ukulele.  Once Mr. Delanoy had told Trixie that his children had agreed to his giving the ukulele to Hali’a, Trixie had called the dance teacher and informed her that they were sure now that the missing instrument had been located. Honey could tell that Hali’a was very excited in spite of trying to act casual. She’s probably been disappointed so many times that she can’t really believe this might be it.  Hali’a had agreed to the plan for Mr. Delanoy to present the uke to her following all three hula performances, and Honey had another surprise for her in the form of a lei made of double strands of fragrant white tuberoses, interspersed with lavender orchids, to match the ones the girls were wearing.  Matthew Wheeler had paid an exorbitant sum of money to have the leismade and flown to New York.

At eleven-thirty, Honey and Jim had just finished eating a light lunch when the Bob-White station wagon pulled up into the Manor House drive, Brian at the wheel.  While Jim went to the front door and waved to let their friends know they would be out in a minute, Honey ran to find her mother in the music room.

“Good-bye, Mother,” she said,giving her mother a kiss.  “We’ll see you at the auditorium.”

“Good-bye, darling.  I’m looking forward to it.  Tom will be pulling around soon, to take me to White Plains, and then he’ll come back for your dad, Miss Trask, Regan, and Mr. Maypenny. Miss Trask will bring the leis.  I’ll be there in plenty of time to do a run-through of your dance.”

“Where is Daddy?  I want to tell him good-bye, too.” 

“I believe he is in his study. He’s had calls all morning long.”  Mrs. Wheeler smiled at her daughter.

“All right, I’ll go tell him,too.”  Honey turned in the direction of the study just as Jim entered the music room to tell his mother good-bye, and the siblings nearly collided.

“Whoa, there, Sis!”  Jim grinned at his sister.  “No injuries right before the big performance.”  He rubbed her head in an affectionate gesture.

Ten minutes later, the Bob-Whiteswere on their way.  It was crowded in the station wagon, with Mart’s and Dan’sinstruments, and the girls’ overnight bags, but everyone was in a good mood, and they spent the drive singing.

The hours before the recital passed in a blur for Honey and the other Bob-Whites.  Changing into their costumes, applying the slightly heavier makeup Hali’a had advised for performing onstage, setting up the backdrops, studying the program to see when their turn would come;  doing a run-through of their own performance while Mrs. Wheeler warmed up on the piano;  all of that took a couple of hours.  The students were encouraged to eat a light meal or snack since it would be hours before they would have another chance to eat.

Finally, it was time for the hula portion of the recital.  Diana’s little sisters and a dozen classmates were in position on the stage, while Miss Hali’a and Diana stood on either side in the wings. The opening notes of Kanaka Waiwai sounded, and the little girls began to dance, as Hali’a and Diana performed the movements in the wings, for the benefit of any student who might forget what she was supposed to be doing. As the song ended, a burst of applause brought smiles to the little ones’faces, and they bowed gracefully before moving offstage. 

“Di, they were so cute!”  Honey stood by as Diana hugged her sisters.  She and Trixie couldn’t help smiling at Barbie’s and Margie’s excitement.

“We did it!  We did it!” they chanted.

The intermediate class was doing a hula to Mauna Alani,and Honey began to feel just a bit of stage fright.   The girls were backstage, putting the final touches on her makeup.  “Trixie, Di, I don’t know if I can do this!”  She swallowed a nervous gulp.

“Of course you can, Honey!”  Trixie was matter-of-fact. “This can’t possibly be as hard as facing down some of the crooks we have caught.  Remember how scared I was when we first started?  Well, I finally figured out that it’s only scary if I let it be.  If I can do it, you can do it.”

“Honey, you’ll be fantastic!  We all will.  We can do this in our sleep.”  Diana smiled reassuringly at Honey.  “Besides, just smell the heavenly fragrance of those leis!  It was wonderful of your dad to have them made for us.”

The opening notes of Aloha Chant rippled backstage, and Honey took a deep breath.  Firmly, she placed her mind in a tropical paradise and inhaled the fragrance of her lei.  Diana was to lead the way to center stage, and Honey saw that her friend was smiling and appeared relaxed.  She took another cleansing breath and followed Di, using the graceful gliding walk and expressive hand movements Hali’a had taught them. From the corner of her eye, Honey could see Trixie, following at the exact distance that she was supposed to.

As she swayed and moved her feet in the intricate steps of the hula, Honey could make out the sounds of Mart’s and Dan’s guitars, as well as her mother’s melodic piano accompaniment . Although she couldn’t see the tropical backdrop, she could see the two beach chairs she and her friends had cleaned and set up.  Mr. Belden’s ukulele lay in the seat of one of the chairs, propped up against the back.  She thought of the story behind the words to the Aloha Chant, and imagined herself welcoming a friend to the paradise of Hali’a’s stories.

Before Honey knew it, the final refrain was playing in diminuendo.  She, Diana, and Trixie placed their hands together in front of their chests and bowed.  The applause felt almost like thunder, it seemed so loud and lasted so long.  She peered out into the audience, but was unable to make out the faces of her father, Jim, Miss Trask, or Brian.  She could barely see her mother, still seated at the piano, or Mart and Dan, seated just beyond Mrs. Wheeler, with microphones for their guitars.

As the applause continued, the intermediate and the primary hula classes joined them onstage, and Miss Rhonda stepped forward to the microphone to speak.

“Parents and friends, I’m so happy that you have enjoyed the hula section of our recital,” she began.  “It was a great stroke of luck that we were able to offer a hula class this spring, and I’d like to thank the teacher who made it possible, Miss Hali’a Kinney.  Please give her a big round of applause.”  Miss Rhonda stepped aside, and a blushing Hali’a stepped forward.

“As a gesture of thanks for her many hours of hard work, I’d like to present Miss Hali’a with this beautiful lei, donated by the family of one of our students,” Miss Rhonda announced. “Girls, …”

With great solemnity, Margie and Barbie Lynch stepped forward, and as Miss Hali’a bowed her head, they reached upto place the lei around her neck.  Hali’a straightened up and moved toward the mike.  “Thank you, everyone!  From the first moment I entered the Dance Academy of White Plains, I felt at home.  Everyone here has gone out of their way to make me welcome.  I would just like to thank every one of my students, and every one of their parents; most of all, I would like to thank Miss Rhonda and the rest of the staff here.”   She bowed again.

“There is one more special presentation for Miss Hali’a before we continue with the recital.”  Miss Rhonda had stepped to the microphone again.  “Most of you may not know that Miss Hali’a’s great-grandfather made handcrafted ukuleles during the 1920s and 30s. Her mother is in the process of writing a book about him, and Hali’a has been searching for one ukulele that was believed to be here in Westchester County.  She had nearly given up hope of finding it, but with the assistance of three of her students, the ukulele has been found.  The present owner has decided to donate the ukulele back to the family of the man who made it, as a part of the Hawai’ian culture that should remain in the islands.  Mr. Delanoy, would you like to come forward now?”

Honey could see a shadowy form arise from his seat.  Slowly, Mike Delanoy came toward the stage.  She could see that he held the instrument case in his hands, and she held her breath. Hali’a had been prepared for the presentation, but she still had not seen the ukulele and Honey had a terrible thought.  What if it’s not the right one?

But as Mr. Delanoy reached the stage and ascended the steps, Honey let out the breath she had been holding.  There’s no way that can not be the right uke!  The mark is identical!

After Mr. Delanoy held the case out to her, Hali’a sank gracefully to her knees on the stage, released the latches holding the case closed, and slowly lifted out the ukulele.  She gazed at the beautifully grained, golden wood of the instrument body, and ran her finger along the mother-of-pearl inlay.  Only then did she turn it over to look for her great-grandfather’s mark.  As she traced the mark with a careful finger, Honey glimpsed a sheen of tears in the teacher’s eyes.  Hali’a reached forward to shake Mr. Delanoy’s hand, and then she stood, looking for Trixie. She enveloped Trixie in a tight hug, and turned to Diana and Honey, embracing them, too.  Only then did she walk back to the mike, holding the ukulele.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! Mahalo, as we say in Hawai’i.  Mr. Delanoy, I can’t tell you how much this will mean to my family.  Just now there is a movement to resurrect some of the traditional Hawai’ian music, and this ukulele is a part of Hawai’ian music history.  I’ll never be able to thank you enough for being generous enough togive it to me.” 

Mr. Delanoy cleared his throat. He wasn’t standing near enough to the mike for it to pick up his words well,but Honey could hear him perfectly.  “I’m glad to be able to return the ukuleleto your family.  But I have to thank an old friend for bringing it to light. If it hadn’t been for my old buddy, Ike Maypenny, I would never have known that uke was anything but an interesting souvenir.  Ike told these young people here– ” he gestured to the three Bob-White girls, Dan and Mart, “ – that I had bought a ukulele in Hawai’i during the war.  Without Ike, it would still be locked up in my attic.  I want to thank Ike for thinking of me and I hope we can get together soon.”

He shook Hali’a’s hand and walked back down the steps into the audience.  The audience applauded again, and then Miss Rhonda stepped back to the microphone.  “We will take a ten-minute intermission before resuming our program,” she said.  “Thank you again,students, for all of your hard work, thank you Miss Hali’a, for your generosity in teaching, and thank you, parents, for your constant support.  Thank you to Mrs. Matthew Wheeler, who accompanied the students on the piano, and to Mart Belden and Dan Mangan, who accompanied on the guitar.  They all did a wonderful job!”

Honey, Trixie, and Diana helped Mart and Dan move their backdrop and the beach chairs backstage before hurrying out the doors that led back into the auditorium.  “Do you suppose Mr. Maypenny is still here?” Trixie asked anxiously.  “Do you think he heard Mr. Delanoy?”

“Oh, I hope so!” Diana said fervently.  They hurried to find their parents and brothers in the audience, but only Miss Trask was sitting in the row of seats occupied by the Sleepyside group. 

“Your parents and brothers went to get drinks for you girls,” she told them.

The three Bob-White girls made their way to the concession stand in the lobby.  Honey, as the tallest, had the job of spotting their parents in the crowd.  It was a moment before she could see them, and then she noticed the red heads of her father, her brother, and Regan standing together near the door.

“This way, Trixie, Di!  I see Daddy and Jim over by the door,” she said.

When they reached the door, they discovered that Mr. and Mrs. Belden and Mr. Lynch were also with Mr. Wheeler, Jim, and Regan.  “You girls did an outstanding job,” declared Matthew Wheeler with a broad smile.  He gave Honey an affectionate hug, and handed her a cup of soda.

“Thank you, Daddy,” she replied. “I had stage fright for a minute, but Di motivated us with some positive thinking and it worked!  Where’s Mother?”

“She and Mrs. Lynch took Diana’s little sisters to the bathroom, and Brian took Bobby and the Lynch boys,”answered Mrs. Belden.  She and Trixie’s dad were both beaming at their daughter with pride.  Honey could see, though, that Trixie really wanted to know what Jim had thought.

“How did you like the dance, Jim?” Honey asked, so that Trixie wouldn’t have to.

“It was great.  You girls did a marvelous job.”  Jim smiled at each of the girls, but his gaze lingered on Trixie.  “You were just … just … well, you were just great!”

Trixie blushed to the roots of her sandy hair, but she smiled at him before taking a sip of the soda her father had gotten her.

“Daddy, where did Mr. Maypenny go?” Honey asked. “I thought he’d be out here with you.”

“When we got out here to the concession stand, Mr. Maypenny had gone outside,” Regan answered.  “I went out to see if he was okay.  He said he really enjoyed watching you girls, but he was just about tired of the crowd.  He wanted to get back home, but he wouldn’t say anything, because he didn’t want Tom to use the gas to take him home alone, and he knew your parents were staying until the end of the recital.  Well, just as he finished telling me that, Mr. and Mrs. Delanoy came out.  Mr. Delanoy asked Mr. M if he wanted a ride back to Sleepyside, because he and Mrs. Delanoy were leaving.  I told Mr. M that if he wanted to leave, I’d tell your parents, Honey.  I knew they wouldn’t mind.”

“Oh!  Did he go with them?” Trixie had been silent until now, but the question exploded out of her as her curiosity was tested to the bursting point.

“That he did.  He said something to the effect that the ukulele wasn’t the only thing that had been lost and found.”

“Lost and found!  That’s right. How wonderful that he and his old friend got back together after all this time.  Who would have dreamed that something so wonderful could have come from us taking this hula class?”  Trixie’s eyes sparkled, and Honey and Diana hugged her.

The group spread out to welcome Mrs. Lynch, Mrs. Wheeler, Brian, Mart, and Dan, and renewed explanations were made.

“Sis, I’ll take my hat off to you,” said Mart with a grin.  “You’re like a dog with a bone.  You never gave up hope of finding that uke, and you never gave up hope of getting Mr. M and Mr. Delanoy back together as friends.  Besides being a fabulous hula dancer, I’d say you’re a fabulous human being.”

Honey smiled at her best friend. “I hope we never lose our friendship, Trixie.  But if we do, I hope we have someone who loves us enough to try to get us back together.”  As she spoke, she put her arm around Diana’s shoulders.  “Right, Di?”

“Right!”  Diana returned the gesture, and pulled Trixie intoa group hug.  “All for one, and one for all!”