Chapter Six: A Lei and a Kiss

Rose put the lei around each boy’s neck, but quickly stepped back to avoid their embrace. “Sorry, but the native custom ends there.” She blushingly answered, giggling helplessly.

Tony and João both grabbed for her at the same time, wrapping their arm on each side of her and each kissed her cheek, one on either side. What a picture it made, as everyone stopped talking to watch these antics.
The boys held tightly to Rose’s hand so she couldn’t escape and dragged her along with them. Tony said, “Come on and sit with us. The picnic is about to begin. We want to hear all about you since we last saw you at the wedding eight months ago.”

“Yes,” urged João, “Please sit and talk with us. You don’t know how much we have missed you!”

They pulled Rose along until they found a place they could all sit. Then João spread a quilt on the ground, and when everyone was seated, pulled out his ukulele and started to sing. He sang one love song after another, serenading Rose with his beautiful clear tenor voice. Soon others with ukulele joined in and the singing began spontaneously.