The ornament was fixed to a base that read, “Christmas in July.” He couldn’t remember ever seeing a Christmas in July ornament. Was Christmas in July even a real thing?
Like the few other statues of hula dancers he’d seen, this one resembled those placed on truck or car dashboards. It reminded him of that crazy kids’ movie, Madagascar, where the penguin had a dashboard hula doll as his girlfriend.
Girlfriend! Why would he think such a silly thought while studying this hula dancer? And why would someone send such a strange Christmas ornament?
JT shook his shaggy head. Aloud, he wondered, “Why would anyone send me an ornament?” Whether the ornament was normal or strange, the better question was why anyone would send it in the first place.
Setting the ornament reverently on the table, he lifted out the envelope. Pulling a folded sheet of paper from it, he smiled at seeing it was Christmas stationary. The fat Santa grinned up at him from the top of the sheet with his pudgy wife next to him.
Cute! Whoever sent this really loved Christmas, for sure.
Aloha J. T.,
The hula girl is real and waiting for you. Come find your true love.
Wishing you Christmas cheer every day of the year,
Mrs. Claus
The letter was short, cryptic actually. Why would he want to find the hula girl? And who was Mrs. Claus? Since Santa wasn’t real, his wife couldn’t send this package. Who had mailed it to him then?
What did it mean, Come find your true love? This was a strange way to fix him up on a blind date.
The hula girl is real. Those words had him lifting the ornament again to study it. She was delicate with a joyful tilt to her lips. Her hands were held out as if she danced for him. Or beckoned him. And something about the small face tugged at his memory, like he’d seen her before.
A strange urge gripped him. Moving to the closet, JT pulled out the one Hawaiian shirt he owned. It was blue with large white flowers. His girlfriend at the time had told him the blue of the shirt made his blue eyes darker.
He had the shirt, but Bethany was long gone. She hadn’t been the one, and they both knew it before the relationship progressed too far. He didn’t miss her exactly, but he did get lonely.
Did the hula girl really exist? He’d pack his Hawaiian shirt and go to the luau that Ma mentioned before the phone went dead. Could be he was headed to Oak Grove for more than just to help Pa and Ma?
Maybe one specific girl really was out there, waiting for him. Dear God, let him find her!
Chapter 3
The weather was perfect. Bonnie lifted her face to enjoy the warmth of the evening sun, long golden strands falling away from her face as her head tilted backward.
It had been a hot July day. She welcomed the slight coolness that came with a Wisconsin summer evening. In the small wetland behind the strip mall, frogs croaked to one another, and a dragon fly buzzed nearby Bonnie.
How she loved her home and this small town? She couldn’t imagine living in a large town or city.
No, she would never leave Oak Grove. She’d vowed that at her high school graduation when she considered leaving to attend college. At the time, thinking about leaving had started a panic attack. Her first one, as she remembered it.
Rather than head to a university, Bonnie took online classes to get her business degree. That, along with culinary classes offered at a nearby technical college, were all the education she wanted for what she planned to do with her life. She loved running her restaurant.
Standing in the parking lot, Bonnie looked up and down the mall. Items filled the sidewalk in front of the businesses. An honest to goodness, old-fashioned sidewalk sale was happening, along with the luau. The other business owners had embraced the Christmas in July theme and were putting on summer sales that were a lot like Black Friday.
People flocked in, unfolding lawn chairs and pulling coolers. Bonnie had brought in extra help at the restaurant so she would be free to mingle with the community. Her mother had volunteered to oversee the restaurant that evening so her daughter was free.
Odd, since this luau had been her mother’s idea. Usually, Rita liked to be in the thick of any scheme so she could enjoy watching it happen. Tonight, Bonnie’s mother almost acted as if she were a shy girl who wanted to hide away.
What was she up to? Bonnie turned that question over and over in her mind as her grass skirt swished against her legs. Thankfully, Rita hadn’t insisted on her daughter wearing a skimpy swimsuit top as a part of the outfit. Bonnie wasn’t the kind of girl who liked to flash a lot of skin.
No, her t-shirt was comforting. Loose enough to be modest, it connected her with the business that was her whole life.
Checking a trash can, Bonnie caught Chuck’s eye and waved him over. The young man usually bussed the tables in her restaurant. Tonight, he was in charge of bringing out food and keeping the trash under control, and he beamed at the responsibility. Hopefully, he’d keep washing his hands after dealing with the trash.
As much as possible, Bonnie watched over him. Chuck was a good worker, but he easily forgot things like cleaning his hands. No matter, he was an incredible individual even if he did have Down Syndrome.
The local polka band
