Beginning on November 1, which is the date of my mother’s first letter from her Hawaii trip 84 years ago, I am serializing day by day, the book, Cecilia King’s Extraordinary Senior Trip, which you can obtain from Amazon in either Kindle or paperback.

I hope you enjoy the upcoming nine-months in Hawaii 1940-41. You can order the entire book from Amazon in either paperback or Kindle format, click here.

Honolulu, Wednesday, December 11, 1940

Wednesday

I just heard the postman’s motorcycle stop at our mailbox & I couldn’t resist a second (hard as I try to be casual about getting mail) so rushed out & was so glad to get your letter. While reading it I thought of a million things to tell you so decided to do it right away instead of waiting until my usual “night writing hour.” I certainly enjoyed all the news and “comments” of the day.

I can hardly wait to get my box & see what you sent as dress ----& I don’t believe I can “hold” the knowledge of U. Ed’s cake a minute after he gets home ----I hope your pumps are “cute” and not those matronly homely black patents that I abhor --- Grace W. house sounds perfectly lovely, so don’t forget your promise to take me there when I am home ---Want to hear about the McA. Rug trip --- and please tell me more about b you as “authoress” ---I’ve had a wonderful inspiration about my own bureau and will tell you so you can use it, if you like the idea for our bathroom. You know those old dressers or bureaus (like the Galloway rooms) with a slightly protruding & curved top & drawers beneath –

this is top looking own on it.

Well, if you make a crisp skirt that is on to some kind of frame at the top –separated in center & can be pulled open to get into the drawers.

I don’t seem to be able to draw or say it clearly – but maybe you can see what I mean. The frames would have to be wire or something with body, shaped to the top & strong enough to hold the skirt. The dark is the drawer space below. X is fand___ frame; legs, if any, are to the cut off, or with a straight top & use boards on hinges as frame.

About other clothes. I don’t absolutely have to have anything else right now but may need some slacks soon – but will only now on minutes notice so will get them here. I also made muselee today & am saving pictures I like to send you for suggestions when I will need other things which won’t be before spring, I’m almost sure. Then – these two suggestions about what I have & am wearing most – my blue sheer & jacket is just wonderful – and the shirtwaist comes second (the beige). So those two (tailored-cool, smart) are the best ones. A soft washable, printed silk would be nice. Then when spring & summer are officially escorted in here so low heeled spectator pumps & very tailored casual straw hat. These I don’t want until late spring if I can possibly wit because by then my things will begin wearing & aging – so want to save any other new things I can for a “fresh, late spring, & summer.”

When you write – or separately, will you send me a few rug pamphlets & a picture of the Ark. rug if you have one? – just in case, I want to do a little campaigning.

Lt. Lucas (the Mississippian) just called me for a date Sat. night (and that’s “Sa’day” sounded good after all the foreign & Yankee English I’ve heard lately) but that’s our party night so I had to refuse.

I keep forgetting to write on the back of my pages – wasting paper and postage.

Back to news of the day –

My first visit to a police station: At eight o’clock this morning (and it seemed like dawn to me after sleeping till 11 every day) Uncle Ed & I drove into town. It was cool, cloudy & dampish. After doing several jobs of bad parking we finally got the little old lady settled between two white lines. Walked down to the stock exchange to kill a few extra minutes & he showed me how to look up market reports for him (to be used later) – then on back to the yellow stucco, arched entrance of “Hawaii Police Bldg.” Up some steps, inquiry, then directed down a narrow dark stair to the basement offices of the military police. I was sat down in a hard black straight chair amid the smell of leather polish, for the initial frightening. After I had become nervous & frightened enough I was taken back up to the top floor (behind a M.P. Sgt. with bow legs in leather wrappings) – questioned, examined & sent out in the little Dodge with a policeman for a trial drive. So of course, when I got in the middle lane he said “turn right” – I steadied one trembling knee against the door & the other against the brake – got into the right lane to turn, to the tune of “That’s violating the law” with a postlude of “Now don’t be nervous, Miss King.” After several blocks of lane trouble (I think Mr. Policeman was getting a bit nervus, himself, by then) he ordered me back to the station. “she’s fine,” was his report to Uncle Ed. So I “whewed” with relief, slowed my jitters down to a slower tempo & went back up to fill out the “size, shape, and fashion” blank. Paid the man $3.00 & scatted out. Don’t think I’ll have much appetite for driving for a while, anyway.

             Figure 30 - Old Honolulu Police Station (Source https://www.flickr.com/photos/warrenlemay/52248538325)

It seems that you all have to sign a form instead of the other for the license so I’m sending that on to you. However I have a temporary permit until it comes. After thinking about it, too, I’m not sure whether I got my first license in ’36 or ’37 but guess it doesn’t matter – Isn’t the thumb print on it attractive? I had to swear an oath, too, but don’t know what it was because he mumbled it is a foreign lingo & I didn’t think it would be quite proper to say “pardon – I didn’t hear you” – so I said “yes.”

Oh! and another problem I wish you’d help me with – soon after I got here I quick wrote the several ladies at the Nevadale who had been so lovely to me (wanted to do it before my enthusiasm died) but saved U. Arthur’s letter until I could write more interestingly about Honolulu, the family, etc. And, stupidly, didn’t think about his reaction about their hearing from me when he didn’t. So today, Mrs. Phelan (one of them) wrote, very apologetically, that “Doc+ -- as they call him looked so hurt when Mras. Simmons opened her letter rom me in the lobby – so Mrs. P. didn’t even tell him she had heard from me. But she supposed my letter to him had been lost in the mail & just wanted me to know that he hadn’t heard & was rather hurt about it. SO, when you write to him will you mention, casually, that I said something to you about the reason I had saved my letter to him to write later because I wanted to give him “an eye” on Honolulu with it -- & that I hoped he didn’t think I wrote or put those hasty “thank yous” to the others before his for any other reason. You can word it however you think best (but don’t mention Mrs. P. letter to me about it) and should appreciate it ever so much if you would do it for me. I’ll write him another chatty letter later on when there’s more to tell. It was a stupid thing to do, but my intentions were good!

Heavens! I’ve been writing so hard & long that I didn’t even realize it as dark – guess I’s better scat back and dress –
Later – Randy Meade (the navy chap who I told you about keeping score for Army-navy game broadcast at DeRussy) just called & is to take me to the party Sat. night. He’s a lot of fun & quite a “diplomat” so will see that I get properly introduced around.

             Figure 31 - Driver's License issued December 11, 1940 (Cecilia’s Scrapbook)