Golden eyes

"Can I describe your eyes?"
"What was that?"
"Your eyes, I'd like to describe your eyes, for the interview." The blogger was serious so Bea reined an impulse to be flippant.

Lola Akiona was a hugely popular Hawaii blogger, and radio personality. When Beatrix posted "Blunt pulls plug!" Lola was the first to PM with the message, "Can we talk?" It was the first of many curious comments and emails. Beatrix replied to each of the queries, but it was Lola's reputation and culturally sensitive interview with Moe Palani, a Hawaiian sovereignty leader, that left an indelible mark. The women were doing a few preliminary questions using Skype before recording the podcast.

"Bea?" Lola paused. "Do you mind that I call you that on the interview?" She was being respectful. Beatrix appreciated that. There was probably a twenty years difference between them. Bea took her time with this, and finally nodded, "Sure."

"Bea, the question about your eyes comes from a comment from one of my readers. She said, "Beatrix Blunt has the most incredible golden eyes. Sparks! Sparklers that melt light." Beatrix was quiet again. "It's a disturbing description. I've never heard that. But do any of us average Joes known what our eyes look like? We're busy looking out. Like from the eyes of the hurricane it's calm back here while the chaos of the huli churns. My eyes are brown. Light brown." For a moment Beatrix looked through those light brown eyes, and saw them. In their places, She saw the golden eyes of her Uncle, Moon, and he was not alone. "I believe your reader may be an answer to my silent, till now, prayer," The people were gathering, Beatrix was glad.

Lola pursued, "What prayer is that?" Beatrix had agreed to be candid, she was retiring from active on-line presence after a decade of authoring her eclectic blog that was part politics, generous philosophizing, and honest disclosure of a life with physical limitations.

"I'd like to answer that question in the interview," Beatrix replied. "Like we agreed, when you run this through your production and editing magic, I get the first listen before you air, and have a say about content."

"Exactly. The contract names you, and Leslie as co-producers."

"Good," Beatrix looked up from the screen and searched the room. Les was seated just off camera, nervous as a cat but ready with Bea's mask and oxygen.

Bea called to Crook, "Come on boy we're going to make history."  Tic, Tack and Toe looked on from their positions on the couch. Crook leaped into Bea's lap then turned to catch Les's eyes. Leslie Mills gave the blonde their special variety of thumbs up --a hand gesture-- equivalent to Crook's ears when in comforting position. The dog nestled in.

A young Filipina assigned to apprentice the project adjusted the microphone. "You ready Aunty?" she asked.

"Let's proceed, dive in and open up this day to them." The young woman lit with awareness. There was a connection. Bea discovered the apprentice was from Renton, "Where the minority is the majority." Her words! That cracked the older woman up, "I remember when Renton was pure Red-neck. Makes an old lady think there's still time to see things change."

The apprentice did a sound check, and listened to the reception on the Hawaii-end. "We good?" Lola and her crew made a couple adjustments. "Ready when you are," Lola said. "We'll make the switch to audio. Counting down from ten. When we're there. Thumbs go up. Okay?"

"Whenever you need to stop, for whatever reason, Aunty, just say the word. Remember, you have a hui to make this right. We lined up for this assignment. I got lucky." Her voice dropped subtly, "I feel the buzz ... and ... expect the doors to be open to the greater Lahui." The young woman kissed Beatrix's cheek, and squeezed her hand gently. There was that golden glow of eyes. Crook licked the young woman's arm.

"Nine, eight, seven, six ..."

What happened? (click here)