Hawaiian Escape

Surprisingly, I had agreed to go back to collage. Somehow, I was going to do this with two of my best friends (but not my wife). We had somehow developed a sweet deal to return to college within the great state of Hawaii.

We are arriving in Hawaii, disembarking from the plane to be greeted with the traditional Lei ceremony by “native” Hawaiians and then we are whisked off to the campus of the university.

We checked in with all of our stuff and were escorted to our new living quarters which consisted of a very nice looking apartment that was well suited for two people. As I suggested though, we were three. Apparently the deal which was masterminded by my oldest friend Jerry was to have all of us enroll in college but have me live with them (in their dorm room) to conserve funds.

We were all celebrating and marveling that we were beginning this great new adventure. We were congratulating each other on this wonderful decision, the weather was going to be great and we were going to have a grand time in the ensuing four years in the beautiful environs of Hawaii.

It was then that my internal voice reminded me that I was married. I still seemed to be 18 years old (and even I wasn’t stupid enough to be married when I really was 18 years old… I waited until I was 20…), I realized then, that I hadn’t even informed my present day wife (a wonderful woman who I am madly in love with) that I had “run off” to college, moved out and living in Hawaii.

I knew that I needed to call her. My friend was regaling some stories of the last time he was in college and the hazing that was performed on “newbies.” He was accounting this apparently for my benefit. It was seemingly suggested that this was about to take place with me playing the role of the victim.

Just then, my friend handed me the phone. Said it was my wife on the phone. I swallowed hard and took the phone trying to figure out how I was going to break the news to her and wondering how quickly I could get her out here and what that would do to our envisioned plan for the next four years.

Somehow the conversation got onto the topic of Internet access. It seemed we currently (in our room in Hawaii, in college, within this bizarre situation that I was in) enjoying some pretty good bandwidth. My wife asked if we were going to be getting the same kind of connection in our “new” apartment. I wasn’t aware that we were moving and asked about this to my friend and his wife. His wife then said well… “Geez, you didn’t think we were all going to stay here long. It was set up for two people.” This seemed to strike me odd as I thought this was all pre-arranged and I wasn’t aware that she wasn’t cool with me being the unofficial housepest of the experience.

Some surrealistic scenes then took place with me sleeping in different places within the building.

This series of scenes halted with me still being on the phone with my present day wife. My rational mind was also seeping into this experience by pointing out that if my friend and his wife were 18 years old, then they weren’t married either. They hadn’t even met until my friend was almost 40 years. This was also the case, my rational mind reminded me, with my wife and myself.

I was enjoying the experience of being 18 again and in college. I was really relishing the fact that we seemingly would be spending some great times in Hawaii. My rational mind was also reminding me that I needed to get a job because I had been spoiled of late with having money and all appearances seemed to suggest that this was definitely going to be a contrast with my current course of action within this "new arrangement."

The alarm then went off and I was awakened.

This was all a dream.

I lay there after “killing” the alarm letting the dream experiences conflict (casually it seemed, almost easing my passage into wakefulness) with reality.

I got up and passed my over 50 wife in the hall way as I was proceeding to the bathroom. I heard the coffeemaker start up by grinding beans in the kitchen. I felt the pain in my over 50 back as I was picking up some items that had fallen off the bureau onto the floor. I didn’t even want to think about the day that was ahead of me but my now fully awakened mind reminded me that I had to go to the eye doctor after work today to get new glasses. I began the morning routine to take my medications and juice to prepare the aging body for the day ahead.

What a contrast with the fun loving 18 year old that was looking at an amazing streak of luck to begin a four-year college experience with good friends in Hawaii.