Aloha's End Current Chapter" Chapter 31 God's Quiet Man Amplified

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Aloha’s End by Michael F. Zangari
© 2007 with all rights reserved.

Chapter 31: God’s Quiet Man Amplified

TrueWest strolls into the hotel with his jacket over his shoulder.
His hat is tipped back on his head as he crosses the empty lobby past the koi pool and the front desk. A couple sits on their luggage in the in the foyer.
He crosses the burgundy and ash carpet past the pay phones to the elevator. He presses the lit button down that says up.

When the doors to the elevator part Benny Aloha steps out with his jacket over his shoulder and his hair slicked back.

One pomade silver and black curl hooks on his forehead.

His hair is salted and peppered.
It’s slicked back like a wet otter’s.
In the bright Florissant light his hair is veined with silver and indigo and the fresh comb tracks texture the flow back up over his forehead and down the back of his neck like a wave.

His hair looks like oiled raven's feathers.

His lavender silk tuxedo shirt is unbuttoned to the thymus and there’s a thin gold chain around his neck. Hanging from it is a fishbone fishing hook and a gold tree of life.

Sammy Davis Junior gave the tree of life to him.

He had taken it from around his own neck and put it around Benny Aloha’s.
He had kissed him on the cheek and lingered there nose to nose with his arms around his shoulders. His one good was eye crinkled with delight, the other, the lame glass one-- stared off in disbelief.

Sammy and Ben were forehead to forehead on the streets of Wai’ki’ki.
Their young, black hair reflected light like moon on the dark sea.
Sammy tapped Ben on the cheek with his hand.

“Grow” he said.

Benny stops in his tracks and looks up at the Marborro Man with the amber eyes.

“Benny Aloha” says TrueWest

“Aloha to you, Cowboy Ku” says Benny back to him.

His pale brown eyes search up at TrueWest.
He has cataracts.
They are rimmed in tatoo blue.

“Nice hat” he says.
“Thanks” says TrueWest.
“Needs feather work” says Benny Aloha.
TrueWest scrunches up his forehead.
“Feather work?” he asks. “You mean like angel wings out of the sides?”
“No” says Benny Aloha, “Like real Hawaiian feather work around the band, like peacock feathers.”
He reaches up and takes TrueWest’s hat off his head.
He dusts it off on the breast of his shirt.
“You and Momi went to the beach” he says.
TrueWest is slower than usual.
“Hey” he says. Touching the place on his head where the hat used to be.
The air conditioning hits his sweat damp head and cools him.
“I’ll take care of it” says Benny Aloha. “You’ll love it.”
TrueWest scratches his head.
“Thanks” he says. Not sure if he’s thanking him or not. He misses his hat.
“Don’t mention it” says Benny Aloha.
TrueWest doesn't.
TrueWest and Benny Aloha step aside and watch people get on the elevator.
There are a couple of late arrivals for the cheerleader convention.
They are giggled out, dragging suit cases after their chaperones into the elevator.
They look tired.
They are followed into the elevator by two monks in steel wool burnooses.
The hoods are up.
A third monk runs into the elevator, his leather sandals slapping the carpet as he gets on the the car and the door shishes shut behind him.
His burnoose catches in the door.
It opens again and the monk pulls it in, dropping a little paper mai tai parasol on the carpet in the process.

Benny Aloha picks it up and offers it back to the monk.

“Your bumbershoot” he says.

The monk grabs it a little too quickly and says “Thank you.”

“You getting on?” he asks TrueWest.

TrueWest shrugs.

“No” he says.

Benny Aloha smiles and shakes his head.

“The stairwell is over there” he says. “Underneath the red sign that says exit.”

“But it’s an entrance, huh?” says TrueWest looking for a way to continue the conversation past the logical end point.

They walk over to the stairwell.

Benny Aloha hold the door for him.

“I’ll walk you up” he says.
“Ok” says TrueWest. Looking up the stairs, wondering what he is doing.
“It's good exercise” says Benny Aloha. “Good for you.”
“Exercise” says TrueWest.
“Yeah” says Benny Aloha.
They climb stairs.
TrueWest is winded two floors up.

Benny Aloha trails behind. He is singing Frank Sinatra’s version of “The Summer Wind” quietly in the echo chamber of the stairwell. He has his cadence and ennuciation down.

He looks up at TrueWest as TrueWest turns to look at him.

“I’m God’s quiet man, amplified” says Benny Aloha.

TrueWest nods.
He looks at the huge cowboy hat in Benny Aloha’s small hand.
“God’s quiet man” repeats TrueWest.
“Amplified” says Benny Aloha.