SATURDAY STORY - MARCH 6, 2021
I’m trying to follow a writing prompt this week.
“Write about someone who books a bargain vacation, only to be told when they arrive that they need to share a hotel suite with a stranger.”
******
IT was FINALLY here. “MAUI HERE I COME” was Cory’s shout as she left Beadle Hall.
It was spring break at Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota and Cory’s dream vacation was here. A dream vacation to Maui!!!
Cory Stimpson was an administrative assistant at Dakota State University for the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Okay, Cory didn’t make a lot of money - but she didn’t spend much money either. She lived on the second floor in an Aunt and Uncle's house on West Seventh street. She lived for free - kind of - as she ran errands for her Aunt and Uncle (who were in their 80s). She cooked and cleaned. Maybe not the life that Cory had dreamt about when she was a little girl.
She was going to be a princess - just like those Disney Princesses. Even her Dad called her “Princess”. But, there are a lot of little girls and very few Disney Princesses.
After graduation from Woonsocket High School, she went to Dakota State and got a degree in Business. She worked as an office assistant in the College of Arts and Sciences while a student and when she graduated, the position of administrative assistant opened up. Without much else going on, she took the position. Now in her mid-thirties, life hadn’t quite passed her up, but she did need some excitement in her life.
But, ever since then, she had dreamt of being a princess - on a beautiful island. She saved her money - and now she was packed and going!!!
*****
She had booked the trip through a vacation broker - Maui Excursions and Gaiety (MEG). She had a hotel in Lahaina - the old whaling village on the northwest side of Maui. (It was about $400 cheaper than all the other packages - which fit her budget!!)
The week before spring break had been bitterly cold with highs in the low teens and overnight lows below zero. Cory was ready.
*****
Her trip had three legs - Sioux Falls South Dakota to Denver, Denver to Los Angeles, and Los Angeles to Kahului Maui Hawaii!!!
The petite, blue-eyed Cory had been to Minneapolis, Omaha, Denver, and the Black Hills of South Dakota. She had flown from Sioux Falls to Minneapolis twice, and Sioux Falls to Denver once for a cousin’s wedding. But, those were regional trips without stops.
*****
It was a long and grueling day for Cory. She tried to sleep, but sleeping in an airport (in the middle seat) was a challenge. The leg from Denver to Los Angeles had been crazy. She was in the middle seat between two heavier people and she felt squeezed. And, the long leg to Maui was okay as there was an empty seat she took.
The flight was about twenty minutes early to Kahului airport. She got her suitcase and then looked for MEG’s van. There were two other people from her flight that were also going to MEG.
WOW - she was in HAWAII!!! At the airport, Maui ambassadors put plastic leis over her head. Stepping outside, she was in paradise finally. The trip from Kahului to Lahaina took about 45 minutes. She sat next to Paige from Shreveport Louisiana - her first time to know anybody from Louisiana. It was also Paige’s first time in Hawaii!!!
Cory and Paige talked almost non-stop on their ride to Lahaina. They both were excited. Paige was 42 and divorced from an abusive husband. She was a nurse at Family Health Systems in Shreveport - and she had never met anybody from South Dakota.
The MEG van pulled up in front of what looked like an old Motel 6 hotel. Paige turned to Cory and whispered “I think I know why this was so cheap. Oh well, I’m only going to sleep here.”
The van went into the lobby. Cory was going to room 311 and Paige to room 315.
The clerk mentioned that there was a continental breakfast in the morning from 6:00 to 10:00.
In the elevator, Cory asked Paige “Can we meet for breakfast at about 8:00 and plan our day.”
Paige said “Yes”. Then she added - “that is about noon our time”. She had a big grin “Oh well, let’s get to bed”!!
Cory used her room card to open the door and found the light switch. AND SHOCK OF ALL SHOCKS - there were two double beds in the room and a man was in the first bed!! He sat up when she opened the door. Cory said “I’m sorry” and closed the door.
She quickly went back to the lobby desk. “There is already somebody in my room - and it is a MAN”!!
The clerk smiled and asked, “Did you read the small print on our contract?”
Cory said “no”.
The clerk said, “All rooms are set for double occupancy. I do admit that we thought the name Cory was a male name”.
Cory was stunned for a minute. Then she blurted “Can you at least put me in a room with a woman?”
The clerk looked on her computer. I have one room with one woman - room 219. I’ll move you there”.
Cory looked relieved and said, “I’ll take it”.
The clerk switched the room key cards.
So back on the elevator and to room 219. This time she expected a woman in the room and there was. BUT the woman wasn’t alone and was ‘entertaining a man”.
She had a decision. She was tired and ready for bed, so she walked in - to the surprise and horror of the couple and said “Hi, I’m Cory, and I guess I’m your roommate tonight”!!! Ignoring them, Cory went into the restroom. What else could go wrong? Hearing the door open and close, she guessed it might be okay to come out.
The man had grabbed his clothes, dressed, and left.
The lady had pulled her sheets up to her neck - and glared at Cory.
Cory pulled her suitcase to the other bed, got out her nightie and toilet things, and went back into the bathroom, closed the door and brushed her teeth, and washed her face.
Coming back out, the lady in the other bed whispered “I’m sorry. It was late and I wasn’t expecting you”.
Cory smiled, one of her good, wholesome South Dakota smiles, and said “That’s okay”. Then she climbed into her bed and was asleep in about five minutes.
*****
In the morning, the other lady was up first. Cory woke when the lady got up and went to the bathroom, but quickly went back to sleep.
Later, Cory woke - she was alone and her watch - still on South Dakota time, said “11:00”. She stretched and went to the bathroom for her morning activities. The warm shower was wonderful.
“Wow”, she thought to herself. “What a day yesterday was. Maybe I can just relax on the beach today and work on my tan.”
She dressed and went to the lobby to meet Paige. Paige laughed at Cory’s room situation.
“Maybe both of us can be lucky and find some rich men who are vacationing here and they will sweep us off our feet”, Paige said. Cory laughed. She was enjoying this girl from Louisiana.
They took their time at the continental breakfast. There wasn’t all that much food, but orange juice, coffee, and a time to get to talk with each other were great. Shops on the main street in Lahaina didn’t open until 10:00 so there was no rush. They agreed to meet at 9:45 and walk the streets and find the beaches.
*****
It was almost a relaxing day for Cory and Paige. They went shopping and walked to the beach. They found an interesting place for lunch together, and then went back to the hotel to change. Cory’s roommate was gone (although her things were still in the room). Cory had a brief moment of wishing that was her. Thirty-six, and single. There had been some men in her life - but just not anything that worked out.
****
The two met at 2:00 with their bikinis and covering and headed to the beach. There was a reasonable number of people at the beach but it sure wasn’t full. They found a place to put their towels down. Cory rubbed sunblock onto Paige who did the same back. Paige, who was black, didn’t want much of a tan. She joked that she was tan enough already.
They did get into the water. Cory was a good swimmer but didn’t go out too far. Paige splashed Cory, who splashed her back. (Cory thought, this is going to be okay)
It was Paige’s idea that they explore the beach more. A little farther to the north was a sign “Clothing Optional Beyond this point”. Cory was naive and asked Paige “Does that mean it is a nude beach?”
Paige grinned and said “yes”.
Cory wasn’t sure she could go, but Paige said “Well clothing is optional, but we don’t have to be naked. And, besides, who knows us here?”
Paige also promised not to take pictures of Cory on her iPhone on the clothing-optional beach, and Cory also agreed.
The clothing-optional beach was almost deserted - maybe about ten people - all nude - on a mile-long beach.
Paige and Cory looked at each other. Paige said it first “Do you want to try going clothing optional?”
Cory said, “not yet”. But, they laid their towels down and Paige stripped off her bikini. She said, “You realize that as a nurse, I’ve seen pretty much everything.”
Cory stifled a laugh and told the story of walking into the second room last night. Paige got a big laugh out of that.
That was a first for Cory. Paige seemed not to notice as time went on, Cory stopped blushing every time Paige or another “clothing optional” person walked by. Wow had she lead a sheltered life!!
The rest of the week was full of excitement. Sunday, the van took those that were interested in the volcano on Maui - Haleakala. Cory had brought a jacket with her and was glad she had. It was windy and cold on the mountain with light snow flurries. Paige wasn’t quite as prepared so Cory grabbed her new friend to keep her warm.
Monday was a kayaking day. The two new friends did well kayaking. Paige had done it before so she sat in the back and could steer while Cory tried to keep paddling. Tuesday was a bus trip to Hana on the southeast coast of Maui. They saw lots of waterfalls. Wednesday they had a surfing lesson. And Thursday and Friday were beach days with optional turtle watching, scuba diving, or more kayaking.
And, (blush) Cory did try the “clothing optional” beach on the last day of the trip.
*****
Returning to South Dakota was okay for Cory. She promised to stay in contact with Paige (and they did). And Cory’s roommate didn’t entertain any more men in their room!!
She had been at the ocean, she had made a new best friend - a black woman from Louisiana, she had kayaked, been to the top of the highest point on Maui, and even skinny-dipped and was nude on a beach (she didn’t tell many about that part of the story).
That summer, Paige flew into Sioux Falls and Cory and Paige went to the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Devils Tower, AND the world’s Only Corn Palace. And, on Christmas/semester break Cory went to Shreveport and stayed with Paige (and even went to a black church, and into New Orleans).
*****
End of story
The story shows that sometimes we do need to “break out of the ordinary”. Pollyanna might suggest that Cory was never the same after that. She went on to get a master's and doctorate degree at Dakota State (why not, she was on campus anyway), and eventually took a faculty position at LSU - Louisiana State University in Shreveport Louisiana!! And, she lived happily ever after!!!
