Even 20 years later, at our reunion, I showed up 15 minutes late, but we were still the first one there. The reunion committee was there, still folding programs and trying to organize the name tags. Heck, our 10 year reunion, which was supposed to be held in 1997, wasn't held until 1998. I missed that one. Why? Because I was late. Castle graduating class of 19- eh, I'll finish it later.
The reunion was held at the Ko'olau golf course ballrooms. Strangely enough, at the same place my brother Matt and Sue got married. It's quite a beautiful setting with large windows looking out on the golf course and the mountain range. Tracey, our class president greeted us at the sign in table, "Daniel? Oh, I thought was you! It's Tracey! So glad you could make it!" She folded a program and handed me the fresh crease, "Now you cannot take your own name tag, you have to get someone else, here, take her," She scanned the name tags and picked out one, Pua Mulligan.
Pua Mulligan? Oh yeah, Pua! We had a couple of classes together, maybe even were lab partners for chemistry. It's been 20 years, I don't remember. Uh-oh, I don't remember. Am I going to recognize her? I did sort of recognize Tracey and the others on the committee, but in my old age, I was remembering faces and loosing names. At least on the name tags, they had our graduation pictures. Hopefully, I will recognize Pua.Like any high school, mine had cliques. The jocks, the cheerleaders, the geeks, the mokes and titas. By my senior year, I found myself hanging out mainly with the theater kids, and even more secluded, with the "techies". I'm sure some of them were even in my graduating class, but I was sure none of them would show up.
Nicole and I grabbed drinks and sat at table 3. Granted, we were next to the dance floor and stage, but far from where the slide show was going to be shown. All in my grand plan. When the band started playing I wouldn't need to talk to anyone, and when the slide show happened everyone was going to turn around and look the other way, leaving me in the background. Just like a techie, always in back, holding the spotlight not standing in it.
Slowly the people began to pour in, and just as I expected, I knew no one. Sure, I recognized faces, but there wasn't anyone I had actually hung out with. "Techies" was a very small clique within the theater kids. I knew I wasn't going to see my good friends Danny and Kent. I had lost touch with both of them many years ago when they first moved away from Hawai'i. I did end up finding Danny through the magic of the internet, but even then, I send him an email once in a blue moon.
Finally, Pua walked in, she looked like everyone else (including myself I'm sure), the same, but 20 years older. I told Nicole, and she said, "Go give her the name tag, say hi." But I didn't, wanted to wait a bit. She was saying hi to her friends and didn't want to intrude. This would mean I would have talk to more people than her. "Let's go get another drink instead," I suggested.
As fate would have it, as we walked to the bar, so did Pua and I as able to give her the name tag and engage in some harmless small talk. We said, "Talk to you laters," and Nicole and I returned to our chairs. We then began our wait, who had my name tag?
Josh, the class clown, came over, "Eh, you Dan eh? You da Hollywood guy right? Eh, next time da show 'Lost' is filming an' dey need one pygmy fo' die, I ready. You can get me da part eh? Nah, nah nah, brah, it's good fo' see you!" I remember Josh, he has always been a funny guy, and a good class clown. Now, 20 years later, he's the M.C. for the reunion.
He walked to the podium and grabbed, the microphone, "Okay, okay everybody, it's time fo' staht da program. So everyone come in, sit down at one table wit you friends and we can start." Everyone, in standard Castle class of 87 style, slowly moved away from the bar, and began filling up seats. Finally, a girl whom I recognized, but couldn't remember, came over and handed me my name tag, she said nothing, and just smiled. "Ah! Thank you," I said. She smiled some more and then walked away and sat with her friends. Still don't remember her name.
We ate dinner, delicious Hawai'ian food. Almost like being at a luau, except in air conditioned comfort. No one was sitting at our table, for a long time until Craig Ganiko and his wife Wendy joined us. I recognized him. He was also in the theater program, but was mostly on the acting side. We were then joined by members of the reunion committee including Joelle. She was my dancing partner during Seniors week back in high school. We had a 50's day and every class had to present a dance number. We danced to a song from Grease. That's about all I remember.
After dinner, they had a small program which included some door prizes. Of the 100 graduating classmates that showed up, only 3 of us were from the mainland. Which means, we got gift baskets for blowing the money and crossing the ocean at peak tourist season.
Which was a very nice gesture. Lots of thing in there that Nicole and I will use, including coffee and guava jelly. When I came up, Josh gave me a good razing, "And dis, dis is Daniel Boland. He's mista Hollywood. Aftah he when graduate he went to Hollywood, and den was on da movie, 'Debbie does Dallas'. He was da guy dat when make to microphone dip in da pictcha. Nah, nah, nah brah! Tank you for coming!"
And then, the DJ started playing, so we left.
Glad we went. I'll see them all again in 6 years, when we do our 25 reunion, 1 year late.
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