2 Bianca Pamela Srey/ Paradise 1 There was a chill when Bianca woke up in the morning. She fell asleep out on the balcony thinking about Pete. She stood up and gave her arms a good long stretch. Her neck ached a bit. She went to go shower, and the first thing she wanted to do was head over to the campus cafe for some breakfast. Bianca packed her tote with her Art History textbook, as well as her sketchbook and charcoal. She wanted to do some sketches of Waikiki beach, which was only minutes away from the university. The café offered many varieties of food, from sandwiches to pizza to even gourmet soups. She decided to grab a bagel and juice and sat outside to enjoy the beautiful Hawaiian weather. She noticed that the university library was right next door. She would have loved to go and explore the books there, but couldn t. She knew she had more important things to do this morning. She needed to find a job. Bianca grabbed a bus route from the campus center to Honolulu. It was taking her much longer to figure out how to take the bus to the bookstore since she wasn t used to seeing any other bus routes besides Philadelphia s. After minutes of figuring out which bus went where and on what street, she finally felt confident enough to hop on the next bus to the bookstore. The bus took her on a route right outside campus to an area not too far from downtown and Waikiki beach, filled with local shops and cafes. There weren t many high-rise buildings there and the streets weren t too crowded, but it did leave her curious to see more. She couldn t wait to get the chance to see all there was to see in Hawaii. The bus dropped her off right at the corner of where the bookstore was. The name of the store was Ohana. It was a cute little spot along a strip of other stores. Bianca made her way over to it and walked right into a café. The kitchen was to the left, where Bianca saw the heads of two men behind the counter. She could hear the banging of pots and pans from their cooking. Ohana gave an island feel to a bookstore with its bright and cheery décor, including lots of wood trimmings and greenery. Eddie s, the bookstore Bianca worked at back in Philly, had been filled with art and traditional architecture, which gave it a totally different feeling than Ohana.
Pamela Srey/ Paradise 2 Straight ahead of Ohana was an outdoor oasis filled with tables and chairs, and to the left was an open entryway that led to the bookstore. She was convinced that it was a lot different than Eddie s when she walked towards it. Eddie s had stacks and stacks of books everywhere. Ohana, however, was a lot more contemporary with the way they showcased their books. Their bookcases didn t reach the ceiling. Eddie s felt like a giant library. Ohana felt just like what it was, a small bookstore. There was a guy at the front of the counter with jet black hair that came to his ears. Bianca glanced at the cover of the magazine that he was reading. It had a surfer on it. we? Hi, Bianca said to get his attention. Hi, he said, flipping his hair to the side. He had very pretty blue eyes. I saw a flyer that said you were looking for help, Bianca said. Is that position still open? Sorry, I got that position. Bummer, Bianca said. Hey Shawn, he said, looking behind Bianca. We re not looking for any more help, are Bianca turned around to see a guy with the wildest hair she had ever seen on a guy before. It was shoulder length and frizzy, and looked like he never bothered to comb it. Why, are you interested in the position? he asked her. Yeah, definitely, Bianca said. Come over to the café, he said, as Bianca followed him over. Have a seat. I m Shawn, by the way. He held his hand out for her to shake it. Bianca, Bianca said. Bianca, that s a very pretty name, he said as he sat across from her. Would you like something to drink? No, thank you. What makes you want to work here, Bianca? Well, I worked in a bookstore for four years. Really? he asked. Where at? Nearby? In Philadelphia, she said. It s where I m from.
through it. Wow, what brings you out here? I m going to the University of Hawaii. Pamela Srey/ Paradise 3 Are you studying art? Shawn asked, pointing at the sketchbook sticking out of her tote. I am, she replied. Can I see? he asked. Bianca pulled out her sketchbook and handed it to Shawn. She watched him as he flipped You re really good, he said. Hawai i, he began to say. She loved how he said the word Hawaii. Barbara said it the same way. It was the correct pronunciation of the name. It s filled with so much art and history, he was saying. You ll enjoy studying that here. What s your schedule like? For the summer, I m taking one class on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Other than that, I m free to work any hours, Bianca told him. Well, to tell you a little bit about Ohana, my father owns it, Shawn said. His name is Tony Devesa. Ohana used to be just this café. It was just my parents working the kitchen, but then my dad started exploring more options. He expanded the café and added a bookstore, but he didn t stop there. He started looking at other business opportunities in the city and he became very successful. I started working here right out of high school. I m twenty-one, and soon it ll be up to my brother and me to take over the family business. So, we could use all the help we can get. The position is yours if you d like it. Bianca smiled her biggest smile ever. Wow, Shawn said, look at that smile. Sorry, she said, embarrassed. I m just thrilled to be able to work here. No, no, don t apologize, he said. I m glad to have you here, just as much as you want to be here. Let me go grab you an application. Even though I just hired you, you still have to fill it out to get paid. Shawn left to go get the application. Bianca was ecstatic, and did all she could to control her excitement. She filled out the application and Shawn went over her work schedule with her. She was to work a full shift on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Can you start tomorrow? he asked her. Absolutely, she said. Pamela Srey/ Paradise 4 Shawn gave her a quick tour of the place, and she was so overwhelmed by everything that she couldn t remember anyone s name that she had met. So, what are your plans for the rest of the day, Bianca? Shawn asked her after he introduced her to everyone. said. I m going to head over to the beach to do some sketching, she told him. I d like to see it when you re finished with them. Bianca nodded. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to work here, she Shawn smiled at her. Enjoy the rest of your day, Bianca, he said, and you are a really good artist. You ll love Hawai i. They said their goodbyes, and Bianca couldn t stop smiling all the way to the beach. The beautiful blue water was magnificent. The sound of the waves hitting the shore could put her in a trance. The feel of the heat against her skin and the sand against her feet felt so warm and so wonderful. It was truly paradise. The beach was packed with locals and tourists. There were surfers out surfing along with sailboats and jet skis. There were sunbathers, kids making sand castles, and volleyball players. Bianca found a little hammock underneath a hut where she crawled in and took her sketchbook out. She began to sketch the beach umbrella that was in front of her, and drew a silhouette of the family underneath it. She used her two fingers to shade, and defined where the skyline met the ocean, which met the shore. It was tremendously relaxing and comfortable for her. She could spend the rest of the day there if she liked. She could go back to the dorms any time she wanted. She didn t have to work around Sandra s schedule anymore. She thought about Pete again. She remembered how quiet and secluded the beach was at the resort they had stayed at. She wondered how he was doing when, SMACK, she fell off the hammock and got the wind knocked out of her. She had been hit in the head by a volleyball. She sat there on the sand for a few seconds, dazed.
Pamela Srey/ Paradise 5 Are you alright? A tall shadow came over to ask her. The sun was beaming in her eyes, making it hard for her to focus. When she did, though, she noticed how attractive this stranger was. He was tall and handsome, with lots of tattoos. She was embarrassed. He held out his hand to help her up. volleyball. I m really, really sorry about that, he said. I m ok, she said to him. Hey Adam, pass it here. One of the guys he was with called, and Adam passed him the I m Adam, he said with a very cute smile. I m Bianca. Is your head ok? That was a pretty bad fall you had there. I m ok, really. Are you an artist, Bianca? I m aspiring to be one. Can I see? he asked pointing at her sketchbook, which lay opened on the sand from when she fell. Bianca picked it up and gave it to him. He sat down on the sand and began flipping through it. Bianca sat down next to him. afterwards. Wow, you are amazing, he said. I m actually studying art at the university, Bianca told him. That s where I go. Right now, I m taking up business, but I plan to go to law school Hey Adam, are you playing? One of the guys called out to him. No, Adam hollered back. You don t mind if I sit here with you? he asked her. No, not at all, she said. Bianca looked at his tattoos. Your tattoos look incredible, she said, intrigued by them. Can I get a closer look at them? His whole right arm up to the upper right side of his chest was tattooed with symbols and images. He s an amazing artist, Adam said, just like you. He s way better than me. What does all this mean? Bianca asked.
Pamela Srey/ Paradise 6 It s all Hawaiian and Polynesian, he said. I m not Hawaiian. My family moved here from Washington when I was a little boy. Dad got promoted, but I ve been here all my life. Even though I don t have Hawaiian blood, I feel like I m Hawaiian. Adam showed Bianca all the little details of his tattoos. Each design was symbolic, with the deepest meanings. He had a design of a hammerhead shark, which he had done for his determination to succeed in life. He told her he was a little rebel growing up and his parents grew concerned about the path he was taking. He had changed since then though, and now felt like he was on the right path in life. He also had a cool design of a tiki on his chest, which was there to protect him from all evil. Bianca learned so much about Adam, and Hawaii, just from the stories his tattoos told. Adam Daley was his name, and he went on to tell Bianca all about himself and what it was like for him living in Hawaii. He was twenty years old, and a junior at UH. He talked a lot, but Bianca didn t mind at all. He was interesting. Eventually his friends came over to join the two of them, and they too flipped through her sketchbook and told her what a wonderful artist she was. Hey, there s this really good pizza shop close by, Adam said. We re thinking about heading over there. Are you hungry at all? You can join us. Yeah, I would like some pizza, Bianca said and grabbed all her belongings. She didn t get a chance to finish her sketch, but hanging out with Adam and his friends seemed like a lot of fun. There was a strip of shops within walking distance of Waikiki beach. They walked by a swim shop, a surfer shop, and quite a few others that served food. The pizza shop was right at the corner. She ordered herself a plain cheese pizza and joined the guys at one of the tables. So Bianca, are you Hawaiian? Adam asked her. My mom s Hawaiian, yes, Bianca said. I actually just moved here from Philadelphia. Philadelphia? One of Adam s friends said, shocked. His name was Nathan. He was a big guy, not very attractive. He was the opposite of Adam. The tomato sauce from the pizza kept accumulating on the side of his mouth when he ate. Bianca found it hard to swallow at times when he would talk. What s it like? Nathan asked her. Different, she said.
Pamela Srey/ Paradise 7 Well, you will definitely love Hawai i, Nathan said, wiping the sauce off his lips with the back of his hand. You can t beat the tropical weather. They spent hours at the pizza shop, Bianca learning so much from Adam and his friends. They were a nice group of guys who loved the beach and volleyball. After they finished eating, Nathan having half a pie to himself, Adam offered to give Bianca a ride home. Adam, she said as they pulled up in front of Kapono Hall, thanks for bringing me home. I really appreciate it. he asked her. It s the least I can do since our volleyball hit you in the head. Can we hang out again? Absolutely. She said goodbye to Adam and headed back to her dorm room. Once again, Bianca sat out on the balcony, but this time she had her sketchbook out. She was finishing the sketch she started working on earlier. Bianca couldn t believe how wonderful of a day it had been. She got the job she wanted and she d be able to start the next day, and she even made some friends. It had always been difficult for her to socialize, but Hawaii made it all seem too easy. She stopped for a moment to look up at the moon once more. The night was still and quiet. Adam grew up here, and Hawaii had become home to him. Hopefully, everything would work out right for her so she could call this place home, too. Who knew what she was getting herself into? Who knew what she would find at the end of all this? One thing she knew for sure was that she had definitely made the right choice by coming here.