The cowboy looked at his watch. \u201cOne more number,\u201d he told me. I set up, tuned softly and waited by the fountain through an interminable \u201cHorse with No Name.\u201d Finally, with a fade-out, the cowboy said to the passing crowd, \u201cThat\u2019s it for the morning show. The evening show is about to begin.\u201d It was a few minutes after noon.<\/p>\n
A lady, who had been listening from the benches, gave me the first dollar of the day. Shortly after, 2 college-age girls from Taiwan found time to hula. They were bright and energetic, and quite impressed that not only had I heard of Taiwan, I used to know it as Formosa.<\/p>\n
A 40-something Mexican woman caught my eye. \u201cHave you got time for a hula today?\u201d Reluctantly, she accepted the lei I put around her neck. \u201cDo you know how to hula?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike this?\u201d she said, waving her arms hip-high and waggling her fingers.<\/p>\n
\u201cPerfect,\u201d I said, throwing myself into \u201cThe Hukilau Song.\u201d With a wry smile, the woman raised her arms higher, quieted her fingers, swayed her hips, and danced a beautifully restrained hula. \u201cYou\u2019ve done this before,\u201d I said. She winked. I picked up the tempo for the second verse.<\/p>\n
A thin blonde, in a ponytail and baseball cap, threw a crumpled fiver into my case as she strode by. \u201cYou made me smile,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
It was a hot day. As the sun rose higher, people who had sought the benches for the shade moved on. A few of them came by to show their appreciation. <\/p>\n
A family of 4 from Florida toddled by, mom pushing an empty stroller. Dad had given each child a quarter, with instructions. I stepped back and let the kids complete their task. \u201cNow how about a hula dance?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow about it?\u201d said mom, taking a lei from me. I put leis on the little girls, perhaps 3 and 6 years old, and picked up a lei for dad. \u201cHow about it?\u201d mom repeated. They danced joyfully en famille<\/em>. <\/p>\n After exactly 90 minutes, I packed up quickly, counted my money and got out of the sun. I made $15.60; the quarters came from the little girls, and the dime I missed from yesterday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"