Confusion

When I first worked on the Big Island back in the Spring of 1995, I worked on a coffee farm for about 4 months. It was an interesting time time for me, made all the more interesting by the owners of the farm. By the time I left there were three of us working there and we'd all been insulted by the owners. One guy ran out of his own going away dinner because of the continued assaults during the meal. The C was told quite bluntly on her first day there that the owners hated vegans, especially those with dreadlocks, as well as people who "love the earth" (odd statement for recent purchasers of an organic farm). Basically they let her know that they didn't like her. Our time on the farm was still fun as we had each other, but we left with rancor in our hearts. In the years since they've asked our friends here to send us their way when we've been on the island, a request we never understood. My feeling was that they wanted to finish the job and bury us in a lava tube somewhere while The C was too confused to even develop a theory.

And then last night happened. Yesterday was the kick-off of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, a week long celebration of all things Kona Coffee (yum). There was a Parade of Lights through downtown Kailua-Kona to celebrate the diversity of people in Kona. Our December employer who is quite involved with the Kona Coffee Farmer's Association called and asked us if we'd come down and walk in the parade with their group. The C had been in the parade before and had fun so we agreed to the duty.

The first people we recognized among the mass of parade walkers were the owners of that first farm. I ducked my head and walked past them wondering aloud how we could avoid them, especially since it appeared we'd be walking in the same group. The C just stared at me and told me to suck it up, that it would be fine. Still I dawdled. Finally it could be avoided no longer. My loins girded and stomach steeled we walked over.

The squeal that issued forth from She-B was piercing. "The C and Corey!! Oh my god! He-B! Look, it's The C and Corey! Aaahhh!!" Hugs and kissed, happy happy. He-B came over and gave us big hugs. Both of them looked a little teary-eyed.

I'm not always great at reading people, I've been hoodwinked before. But these two looked genuinely delighted to see us. Hell, She-B even remembered my vagabond sister and asked where she is these (I tried to answer, but I don't even really know the answer to that question)!

As we chatted about their farm, activities and the various interns they've had since us, they told us that the third in our group, D, had emailed them a short while back to ask if he could come out and spend some time on the farm. Wha??? D could not have left on terms much worse than he did, so his having asked to return floored us. And got us to wondering if our version of events didn't quite match other peoples'.

The Kona coffee growing community is not an overly large one but somehow they've managed to fracture into 2 groups. The group with which we were walking was the rival group to the Bs group. While prepping to walk (assembling paper lanters, donning headbands emblazoned with the words "Kona Coffee Cultural Festival" and stringing glow strings around ourselves) The C and I chatted about the mind hump we'd just received.

"D asked to work there again? Really? What the hell. Are we totally off on what happened there?"
"I don't know. My brain hurts and I'm hungry."

Today our confusion has not been allayed. The past is behind us so we're planning to stop by and see the Bs and their farm, which they adamantly requested we do. Still, can our memories be that off?

Nah, I don't think they are, but what a wacky encounter!