Beginning on November 1, 2024, 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 Friday-Sunday, April 18-20, 1941
Friday – Sunday Night
Just as I started to write Friday the telephone jingled – max calling to say he & B. Hand would be by to take me to DeRussy in thirty minutes. And this is the first time since then I have sat down for a minute except to kick in & out of bed for a few short winks of sleep.
Had a nice afternoon at the pavilion Club – I finally succeeded in swimming out to the last raft, one of my favorite ambitions finally accomplished! Haven’t recovered yet, from exhaustion.
Migrated to Paul’s from there – and I’m still getting teased no end over the gigantic filet & baked potato I consumed while they had a few dainty scallops! After dinner we rushed home for me to put on an evening dress & p.j.s in an overnight bag – then tried to beat Father Time out to Schofield for the movies. A four minute change from beach attire & salt water coverage to evening clothes – at Elmores – then jogging to #1 Post Theater – “Boston Blackie” thriller with usual film break in a good “shootin’ bout.” From there to the Schofield Club – got in on the last two hours’ dancing of a nurses’ party – had marvelous band – 19th Inf. – after we saw the club well closed for the night – and hamburgered at Wahiawa. I was truly glad to get to Elmores and tumble into bed. It seemed about the time I got to sleep well – that it was late morning and I had only five minutes to rise, dress and meet Max for lunch at the club. After lunch, back to Elmores to meet Potts & Worley who were bringing me back into town. We went by the butcher & grocery PX — & I helped Potts plan & market for his weekend meals (two of the bachelors do all their own cooking — & are as proud of their reputation as chefs as they are of their Army commissions). Just as we drove into the driveway here at home, Halland came in, too, to collect me for our Sat. afternoon date. Si I brought all three of them in for a coke while I said hello to aunt Susan & dropped my bag away. Miss Wing had called asking me to lunch for today but I had to call her & regret –she’s planning a “sukiyaki” (it sounds that way but I have no idea how to spell it) dinner – it’s some awful Chinese version of what we call food. Wanted it Wed, but we were all dated – I’ve invited her to tea this week.
But, back to Saturday – Haaland & I hung out our sails & went down to Ala Moana park for the annual Hawaiian flower show. It was held in the Banyon Court – a lovely “picture” – the white stones with grass between, white walls around the court, huge shady Banyon trees growing in grassy plots set high like huge pots – pool with “lily pads” of flowers. Solid leis large a tree trunks, from branches to the grass plots below, or stretched across the water to large urns in the pools. Four titan columns completely covered with thousands of hibiscus blossoms from yellow & gold to flaming red. One entire building full of growing orchids – at least five hundred varieties and too beautiful to be real. Most fascinating of all was the exhibit of an old Japanese artistry – dwarf trees. In little pots, with their gnarled roots crawling about the little bit of soil or rocks were trees from ten to forty years old – beautifully shaped and exact miniatures of the giant ones one sees growing. A peach tree, 5 yrs. Old, two feet high – its trunk, rotten & worm eaten, but bearing one small peach – a Banyon with all its dropped roots looking like the whiskers of an old man – but enough for a table centerpiece – pines, cedars, bamboos. It is quite a trick of utmost shill & most artistic – rare.
In the “Flower Arrangements” were orchids, anthuriums, Calla lilies, Birds of Paradise by the hundreds. Lovely tropical seed pod arrangements. Sea shells filled with water & used as vases for freshly cut blossoming vines. “Miss. America,” a clear round fish bowl with lips and eyes painted on – and a flower hat of red, white & blue. So many lovely things.
We got down to DeRussy about four and chit chatted an hour or two – then came back home and within an hour to do it in, dressed more leisurely than I had in days. Wore my pink organdy, all crisp and pretty, with pink oleanders in my hair – and the white gardenia lei Haaland brought – looks very pert.
There was supposed to be a Chinese lantern parade & dragon dance for the service personnel at seven, and I thought it would be fun to see – so after getting in and out of three traffic jams we finally got parked & walked five blocks for a “curb side” standing place. We were so conspicuous in evening clothes among all the half-garbed Orientals & natives, I felt like sausage in a vegetable salad. Anyhoo, though many torches and lovely floats, there were no lanterns – and the dragon was only a gigantic head. So we finally got through the dirty mob again & out of traffic, heading Green lantern for dinner. Got to DeRussy about ten – and , for once, the crowd was nearly all families instead of strange navy people. Not only the DeRussy bunch, but couples form Schofield, Shafter and all over the island. Max & B. Hand just drifted in out of nowhere – danced a few dances then headed homeward. Hand says, “Max, we don’t have any more dates with Cecilia – let’s make one for Saturday.” So Max says yes & I say yes & its all settled. I like Bob Hand.
My Navy doctor with the tango mania was there – we were invited to their table & went for a while – met a very nice Commander Turner who had a ghastly blond wife. It was all fun.
This morning about ten the door bell wakened me & it was Bob Dunlop – we’d halfway decided to play tennis and I had gone to bed hoping he wouldn’t show up. No such luck. I climbed into shorts and got a glass of tomato juice & we headed for the DeRussy courts. He’s a good tennis player, but was so doggone condescending & pooh pooh about playing when we got started that I finally gave in and released him from the game. He gets his nose a little higher in the air every day & gets a little more spoiled & conceited each minute. It’s like pampering a headstrong child every time I try to keep a n evening pleasant when we have a date – I feel like, & did say he could go straight to the snake pits. And from now on if he comes back, it’ll be absolutely on my terms.
Figure 58 – From Cecilia’s Scrapbook
We had lunch (hot dawgs) at the pavilion Club – then I came on home. Too much rush & going the last few days – my disposition and physical condition were both very much worse from wear. Aunt Susan gave me an alcohol massage and I slept for three hours – still felt a bit dizzy and weak when I got up at six, but showered & dressed for my date with Haaland. We went out to Waialae for dinner & concert, then came home rather early. Had a very pleasant evening – but I was almost too tired to enjoy going out at all.
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