Pink Hawaii [Elvis]

Chapter 14 - Hawaii's Power is Strong, but Ours is Stronger

Our parents stared at all three of us as we sat at the dinner table the following evening. I was staring off into space dreamily as I moved around my pineapple rice. Apparently, my brothers were doing the same thing. My dad cleared his throat loudly, and that snapped us out of it. Mom laughed.

"You all should've seen yourselves," she said. "I should've taken a picture. All of you, at the same time, had lovestruck looks on your faces."

"Can you blame us?" Jeremy asked. "We're all in love, and with famous people. Can you believe that?" He sighed in that lovesick way as he rested his chin on the palm of his hand. "Joan is the most beautiful girl on the planet. I'm gonna follow 'er to the states when she leaves."

"You are?" Mom asked, genuinely surprised. "You never mentioned this."

"How else are we supposed to continue our relationship? Both Lola and Eddie have thought about it."

"I haven't," Eddie put in. "But... now I am. Darlene's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Hold on, hold on..." Dad stopped us. "You all are planning on leaving to the states for these famous people? Especially you, Lola, when you worked so hard to get here in the first place?"

"Elvis Presley is definitely worth it," I said.

Dad pointed his fork at us one at a time. "I hope you all know that famous people go through partners rather quickly because of scheduling, traveling and whatnot. And because other people throw themselves at them. I just don't want you guys to up and leave and then get your hearts broken a year later. It would be like it was all for nothing."

"I think we'll last," said Jeremy confidently. "Wasn't it you, Dad, who told me that love at first sight is a rare thing? Well, it happened when Joan first looked at me, so I think that's a good omen. Plus, wouldn't it be nice to have a few famous children-in-laws?"

"Jeremy, no one said we're marrying them!" I gasped, and I automatically thought of marrying Elvis... and what would come after that. My whole head started to enflame. "All of us just started out with them. We just need to see where things go. With Eddie, he may soon have two girls fighting over him."

"Wait a minute, really?" Mom asked, looking over at him as he purposefully started eating his pineapple rice quickly so he wouldn't have to talk.

"Yeah, with Elvis's ex-girlfriend who fell for him at first sight," Jeremy told them as he skewered a piece of pork with his fork. "And Elvis was standing right there. He didn't seem to mind much since they broke up because of Lola."

My family knew of that little ordeal. Mom enthused, "My, my, what has this family come to? Elvis Presley broke up with his girlfriend because of my daughter." She smiled. "Well, I'm flattered by that since you got your looks from me, Lola."

"Hold on there," Dad jutted in. "They all received our looks, and now, they're involved with actors. I think we both should be flattered."

Us kids laughed at the proud looks on our parents' faces. Jeremy said while chuckling, "Okay, are you two humble enough?"

We all laughed at that, and we continued eating our dinner. Eddie commenced telling our parents about his conversation with Elvis after he and Anita talked in the back gardens to the resort. Dad advised Eddie on the same thing, which was to be careful. Really, all of us should be careful. Dad had a point in that moving to the states for our sweethearts could end in heartache since stars were busy people, especially Elvis, Joan and Darlene, and they would move on from normal folk like my brothers and me. Plus, people loved Elvis and Joan, and a lot of men probably thought Darlene a sight, too. We had a lot to compete with.