Day 6: The Adventures of Jen and RaeRay

Tuesday was pretty much a normal day for Rae. It became a work day for Jen, and a day of relaxation for Ray. They left Wailuku for Lahaina about 7 a.m. in a drizzling rain that would continue through the afternoon. Rae would begin teaching at 8:30 a.m., and Jen planned to paint the rest room at the gym where Rae taught. Ray’s duty for the day would be attaching Rae’s new Hawaii license plates to the Subaru. He would need to use a bit of Southern ingenuity to install a tag on the front bumper.

Kid Zone Maui and Lahaina Dance & Fitness are the creations of Sue Martin, who hired Rae sight unseen to travel 4,300 miles across the continent and ocean to help her manage them. The businesses teach and coach gymnastics and cheerleading etc island youngsters aged from toddlers to teens. The gyms are in a large warehouse building in Lahaina’s Emerald Plaza. The rooms are colorful with their mats and tumbling equipment, so Jen chose to paint one wall blue, one yellow and one gray in the tiny bathroom. The other wall and ceiling she sponge-painted to a pattern of green swirls. While waiting for the students to arrive, Jen and RaeRay phoned Kaki Renee and Julian back in Alabama on FaceTime. They sang kids' songs and made faces at Jen and Ray's 21-month-old grandson. Maybe they weren't so far from home after all.

The employees at a nearby NAPA auto parts store weren’t very helpful to Ray. One told him to put the front tag in the windshield. This Hawaiian said in five years, he has never attached the front license plate to his car. That didn’t satisfy Ray. After watching a few YouTube videos, he found two dimples in the front bumper of Rae’s Subaru and managed to attach the tags with screw he bought at NAPA for $2.50. That job done, he settled into the front passenger seat for a nap. Inside the gym, Rae completed her first class and suggested that they go to lunch around noon. She wanted to treat them too vegetarian and vegan food, but Ray was being drawn to Fleetwood’s on Front Street. His craving won over everyone.

Fleetwood’s is the creation of the band Fleetwood Mac’s drummer Mick Fleetwood. It is an upscale tavern restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean about midway down Lahaina’s Front Street artisan strip. A bandstand at one end of the dining room was set up with two drum sets. The hostess said those were perfect settings for groups posing for pictures. Jen was sold on that idea. She leaped onto the stage and plopped on a stool behind the bass drum labeled “Fleetwood’s.” A set of drumsticks was too tempting for Jen’s rock ’n’ roll soul. She slapped a snare and then a cymbal, and the entire restaurant gasped. The hostess whispered to Rae that guests were not allowed to touch the equipment. This didn’t phase Jen, but she did slip down from the bandstand and back to her seat quickly. She ordered a cheeseburger that was probably the best any of them had eaten. Ray tried a massive fish sandwich, and Rae enjoyed two fish tacos and took one home for dinner. The trio was a bit rushed to get back to the gym for the next group of children, but after a brisk walk in the rain down Front Street, they made it in time.

Back at the gym, Jen competed her painting, and Rae assisted Sue with classes. Ray walked down the street to the Island Depot Grocery to pick up a few things they would need for their trip to Hana later in the week. Rae admired her Hawaii license tags before they headed back to Wailuku. This would be an evening to relax. Jen and RaeRay planned to have breakfast on Day 7 at Charley’s Restaurant and Saloon in Paia.