Surfer, Sailor, Smuggler by Melissa Burovac

Author:Melissa Burovac [Burovac, Melissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wanderers Press

Chapter Twelve

In 1978, Rod’s sister paid him a visit on Kauai; she had become a real estate agent — although I would always picture her as the flat-chested young goddess in a bathing suit and cutoffs from our pre-teen days and not the business-suited professional he described — and after touring around the island to see what the market was like, announced to him that she had found the perfect house for him to buy; she was one of the few people who knew Rod had the money for a house, and where it came from. He hadn’t been looking to buy a house, content in the $125 per month rental he had been living in, but she persuaded him to accompany her for a look. He went along to humor her, with no intention of buying or moving.

They drove to Kapaa, and Rod fell in love the moment they pulled into the driveway. The two-story house had a wrap-around ocean-view lanai and he walked directly to the rocking chair facing the water, sat down, put his feet up on the railing, and announced he’d take it without even entering to look at the interior. He envisioned it as his new headquarters — plenty of land and privacy to grow marijuana and throw amazing parties — and promptly went home to dig up his hoard of money to buy it with cash. He still had plenty of money left, and after quickly closing on the house and moving in his few possessions, began to bury the remaining plastic-wrapped cash in his new backyard.

With grand visions, Rod recruited friends to help him build a second house on the property, which was zoned for three separate rental units. He never actually rented them out, but kept them as furnished places where anyone could stay when visiting him on the island. Or, more often, for friends to sleep off all-night alcohol and cocaine binges.

I had the opportunity to stay there once, and it took the most eloquent argument I’ve ever made in my life. I had graduated from medical school and accepted a cardiology residency at University Hospital, happy to remain close to family and friends, and at a place that was already very familiar. Alicia, now my wife of two weeks, was ready to start our own family, and asked what sort of wedding gift I’d like before our lives got crazy with a new career and little ones running around our house. I asked for a few days to visit Rod, and finally see a small piece of Hawaii. Surprisingly, she said yes — on the condition that she accompany me; the trip would also serve as the honeymoon we hadn’t made plans for since we weren’t certain where I would begin my career.

I called Rod, excited to let him know we were coming.

“Great, buddy! I can’t wait to see you again; it’s been too long. I have a cozy little apartment you and the wife can stay in. Congratulations on the wedding, by the way.

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