Porter Pineapple

   Six weeks prior to his graduation from Fruitland University, Porter received more than five job offers in Business Management, his major. One position required him to work sixty-hours a week; within a year, he would be the manager of an upscale, fast-food franchise. Porter liked that the job was in Maui, Hawaii, his desired location, but he didn’t think the hours would allow him to enjoy life. (When would he have time to spend with his new wife? When could they surf?)
   Every Christmas vacation, all of the Pineapples gathered in Maui for their annual family celebration. Learning that the manager of his favorite natural food store had just set up interviews for the selection of manager of their newest location in Maui, Porter excitedly applied. When he received the call that he had been chosen, he had a difficult time removing the smile from his face. Beyond the full health-insurance package, an annual visit to the company’s headquarters in Fruitland seemed like an outstanding added bonus. Actually, the job’s location provided the best dividend: quality surfing. Porter dreamed about waking up very early each morning to surf before work.
     A lot seemed to be happening all at once! In less than a month. Porter Pineapple and Pamela Peach would be getting married at Fruitland’s exquisite hotel. Before Porter agreed to work for the natural foods company, he made certain that the organization would pay for renting an apartment until he and Pamela could find one of their own.
    Porter and Pamela loved spending time with their niece Patience and nephew Peter and set aside several hours to explain the importance of valuing time and friendships. Lunch at their favorite beach café followed each session. Peter and Patience knew that they’d deeply miss their Uncle Porter and soon-to-be Aunt Pamela. For years, Uncle Porter had consistently encouraged them to be good time managers and taught them how to make wise decisions. Thankfully, he assured his nephew and niece that beyond the annual family Christmas event, they were always welcome to visit during other school vacations.