Huaka'i: My Hawaiian Journey by Ken R. Young

© Ken R. Young, 
All Rights Reserved

Below are some excerpts from the book. You may purchase a copy of this book at:

Amazon.com / My Huakai: A Hawaiian Journey

Preface

A strong part of the Hawaiian heritage involves storytelling, or as Hawaiians call it, to “talk story”. The famed Hawaiian hula dance and music, beyond just being lovely, is based in storytelling. In keeping with such customs, several ancient Hawaiian legends have been woven into this narrative that relate to the story being told.

Most of the Hawaiian legends originated many hundreds of years ago, and were passed down through the generations in oral storytelling. It wasn’t until the arrival of the Christian missionaries and the creation of a Hawaiian alphabet in the early 1800s that the many ancient legends and stories were put into a written format. Some of the legends have been re-told many times with many variations. The legends that are part of this story have been gathered from various sources and are re-told by the author.

This is a fictional story of a man who had become removed from his Hawaiian heritage, and through a journey of the heart and genealogical discovery, he reconnects with his family and himself in Hawai’i.

“And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers…” – Malachi 4:6

NOTE:
Hawaiian words and names are used throughout the story. In most cases, Hawaiian words are italicized and defined only at the first usage. Pronunciation of vowels is the same as in Latin-based languages: a=ah, e=ay, i=ee, o=oh, u=oo. There are no silent letters, and every letter is pronounced, including double vowels. Thus, "aa" is pronounced "ah-ah, and "oo" is pronounced "oh-oh".




Chapter 1    

Ka Huaka’i (The Journey)

    Everyone needs to take a journey to paradise. For some, paradise on earth is a beautiful place you go to for rest and relaxation. For others, it is a state of mind, a spiritual experience, or a reconnecting with your life purpose. 

    My journey to Hawai’i has been all of these. Or, should I call it my huaka’i to Hawai’i. Using the Hawaiian word for journey or mission seems to give greater depth to what this journey means to me.

    When I married Annette last year, I promised her that we would take a trip to Hawai’i someday. Someday came earlier than I thought it would with a sizeable tax return and with Annette’s increased desire to start a family sometime soon. Since I had gone to Hawai’i a few years back with some college buddies and had such a great time, I couldn’t help but share my enthusiasm for the place with her. Plus, when she learned that I actually had some Hawaiian family background, she became even more interested and wanted to know more about it.  Her curiosity made me also want to learn more. I really didn’t know much about my Hawaiian heritage.

    I wasn’t raised in any kind of Hawaiian family or culture, although as far as I know, I am one-quarter Hawaiian. You’d never guess it to look at me, though. I could sooner pass as a Swede than a Hawaiian, with my fair skin and blond-ish hair. And, with a name like Daniel Johansson, and a step-dad that comes from Sweden, no one would guess that I also had a Hawaiian background.

    As Annette and I began planning our trip to Hawai’i, I sensed a growing desire to reconnect with this part of me and learn more of my Hawaiian family history. This casual vacation trip started to become more of a journey with a purpose, what I would come to call my huaka’i.

    Planning a trip to Hawai’i was a lot of fun, especially since I had already been once and knew some of the great places to see and cool things to do. Annette and I spent hours looking at websites and reading guidebooks to plan our perfect trip.

    Top on the list of things to do was to return to some of the cool places where my buddies and I had gone.  On Oahu, these included snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, boogie boarding on Kailua Beach, waterfall cliff diving at Mauna’wili Falls, and exploring the North Shore beaches – especially Sunset and Waimea Bay where I improved my surfing skills.

    I also wanted to take Annette to Maui, where my friends and I had had a blast exploring the beautiful Hana Coast – waterfalls, hiking trails, black sand beaches – ahhh, what a great time we had! But with all of the plans to return to these great memories, I had a yearning to do something more, see something more.  What exactly that was, I wasn’t sure.

    As we researched other places to go to, I was attracted to the island of Kaua’i, known as the Garden Isle. Annette loves gardens and greenery, so she agreed that we should go there.  But for me it was something more than the beauty of the physical landscape or activities available that caught my interest. Something kind of mystical, maybe… spiritual?  I don’t know, but I felt I was being drawn there.

    So, yeah, we’re definitely going to Kaua’i.

    As we got further into the details of the trip, Annette began asking me more and more about my Hawaiian background. Did I have any relatives living in Hawai’i that we could visit? Where did my father, who was half Hawaiian, come from? What about his parents - my Hawaiian grandparents? How did I come to be so disconnected with my Hawaiian heritage?  

    These were questions I needed the answers to as well.

    When I was 14, I had my first opportunity to learn a little about my Hawaiian heritage when I spent a week with my grandparents in California. But being a teenager from Colorado, I’m afraid I was more focused on the excitement of visiting California’s beaches and learning to surf. I know my grandparents told me a lot about the family, and Grandpa told some cool Hawaiian stories, but the memories of my one week’s worth of time with them have faded somewhat over the last decade.

    One experience while surfing with my grandpa has stuck with me, though.  This upcoming journey to Hawai’i - or rather, my huaka’i - has something to do with that surfing experience, and recalling what happened to that boy on the surfboard has created a stronger desire to discover more about my Hawaiian heritage.

    I can’t really explain what happened, because I don’t really understand it myself. Annette became frustrated with my hesitation to tell her what happened, but I promised her that I would, eventually.  I just wanted to understand it more myself, first. I told her that, for now, she should just know that it had a significant impact on me, and I was now determined to understand it better while in Hawai’i.

    While thinking about Grandpa and his stories, I thought it would be a good idea to give him and Grandma a call and see if they had any advice for us as we planned our trip – maybe some family heritage sites, or people to visit?

     I hadn’t spoken with my grandparents since that week I visited them in California ten years ago. The only communication since then came through Christmas cards, when every year they would invite me to come out and see them again.  Unfortunately, it never worked out and my life in Colorado continued on a different course.

    But now I felt that my course was starting to converge with theirs again, so I tried calling them. The number I got from my mom was no longer in service. Where were they? How could I get in touch with them now?  I called mom and told her I couldn’t get through, and wondered if she had any more information.  She then recalled that in last year’s Christmas Card (I hadn’t seen this one) they mentioned something about moving back to Hawai’i. 

    After digging out the card from her Christmas storage items, she called back and said the card had their new address, but they had no new home phone number yet. Evidently, they had not yet joined the world of cell phones. 

    I got online and searched them by name and address, and sure enough, there they were: Keith and Alania Kanaloa, in the town of La’ie, on the island of Oahu.  After four rings, Grandma finally answered the phone.

    “Hello?”

    “Grandma? This is Danny, your grandson. It’s been a long time.”

    “Danny? Oh my, Danny! Keith! Come here, it’s Danny! Hurry, old man!” she said. It was so good to hear her enthusiasm.

    “Grandma, how are you?”

    “Oh, Danny, we are so good, so happy to be back in our Hawai’i.  Danny, we miss you! When are you going to come and see us?”

    “Funny you should ask. Is next month soon enough?”

    “Really? Oh my!  Yes!  And you shall stay with us!  Oh my!  Keith, Danny is coming to see us!”

    Grandpa then took the phone, and with his bass-toned, cheerful voice said, “Danny, my boy! You are coming? You are bringing your new bride?  We’ll be so happy to meet her.” As we caught up with life events and expressed our love for each other and our excitement to reunite, I felt like I was already returning home.  A home I had never visited, but knew I was a part of.

    Before hanging up, Grandpa - the great storyteller - reminded me of the legend he had told me when I visited them earlier about how the demi-god named Maui snared the sun to lengthen the time of daylight. “You are as Maui, Danny boy. Your coming shall lengthen the sun in our days.”

    So, as we sat on the plane, flying over the Pacific Ocean, I pondered the significance of this great huaka’i. My heart was full and longed to reconnect with a heritage I knew so little about, to see the land of my Hawaiian ancestors, and to enjoy once again the embrace of my grandparents. I dozed off thinking of that story of how Maui snared the sun.

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The Legend of How Maui Snared the Sun

    One day Maui saw his mother Hina, who was on her knees where she had been beating out kapa cloth, wipe tears from her eyes. When he asked her what was wrong, she explained that with the work of beating the cloths and then laying them out to dry, she barely had enough time to finish before it was time to bring them in at night. She couldn’t keep up with her work because the daytime was so short, and there was no time for rest. Maui felt sorry for his mother who had always worked so hard for her family.  

   Thinking on his mother’s troubles, Maui decided that he needed to find a way to make the days last longer, to make the sun move slower across the sky.

    Maui woke up early the next morning and watched the sunrise over Haleakala, the mountain known as House of the Sun. He watched the course of the sun all that day until it sank into the sea, and came up with a plan to force the sun to slow down. 

    When he told his mother of his plan to snare the rays of the sun, she told him of the best places to find the strongest coconut palm trees to cut down to make the strongest cords. “You will need to make many ropes with a noose at the end, intertwined with the strongest seaweed that grows at the bottom of the sea,” she advised him. 

    All that day Maui was busy cutting the trees, preparing the fiber of the coconut husks, gathering the seaweed, and then twining the materials into ropes strong enough to snare the rays of the sun.  That night, he set them out along the slopes of Haleakala, and then waited in the forest with the ends of each rope.

     As dawn approached, Maui prepared for his plan to capture the sun. He knew that he would have to fight to control the sun with all his might.  When the first ray of sunlight worked its way over the mountain, Maui watched as it caught in one of the nooses. He pulled tightly on the rope, and then did the same as each new ray appeared and caught itself in another noose. Finally, all the rays had been snared and were held tightly in the trap.

    Maui sprang from his hiding place, pulling tightly on all the ropes and tied them securely to the deeply rooted wiliwili tree.

    When the sun saw that many of his rays had been caught, he tried fiercely to get away. But he couldn’t break free - the strong ropes and the great wiliwili tree held fast. He used all his burning strength against Maui. But Maui protected himself with a shield made of a turtle shell.

    After a long struggle, the sun began to tire and was unable to shake off the ropes that held it bound.  “Let me go, Maui! I will do whatever you want. Just loosen these cords.”

   “I will let you go on one condition,” Maui stated firmly. “You must not move so quickly across the sky. You must slow down your course so that people on the land can live better lives and accomplish more. Promise me that from now on you will always move slowly across the sky.”

    The sun resisted, but feeling the tight hold that Maui continued to have on the ropes, it finally gave in. With the agreement made, Maui allowed the sun to continue his course, and moved forward across the sky more slowly.

    As the sun came up the next morning, it moved slowly over the mountain. When its rays hit the ground the ropes and nooses that had snared him the day before were still there.

    “Maui!” the sun cried. “Why are these ropes still here?”

    Maui responded firmly, “To remind you of your promise. If you ever forget, I will tie you up again.” And since that day, the sun has not forgotten the promise it made when it was snared by Maui.

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Chapter 2    

A'a (Roots)

    I finally got the answers I had been looking for.  

    Grandpa, the great storyteller, told us the stories that I was now wanting and ready to hear - both stories of family that has gone before, as well as several legends of old Hawai’i. 

    He started by telling the story of his father, my great-grandfather, Keoki David Kanaloa. 

________________________________

    Keoki was born in 1918 and raised by his parents Keali’i and Mele Kanaloa in the small town of Wahiawa in the central valley of O'ahu. The Kanaloa family had held title for many years to a tract of land north of Wahiawa, which was sold to the Great Hawaiian Pineapple Company when Keoki was eight years old. The pineapple plantation that the family had worked on for years was then combined into the adjoining company property. When Keoki was fourteen, he began employment as a field worker on the large company plantation.

    Within a couple of years, Keoki had proven his worth as a skilled laborer, and was very adept at working well with others. Having also done well at school, he was well spoken and had a way with words that was not common among the Hawaiian boys his age. His fellow workers loved and respected him and began to see him as a leader. His supervisor recommended that he be given the responsibility over a new team, and with that, Keoki became the youngest team supervisor in the history of the company.

    Over time, the knowledge of his abilities, and the successes of his team that frequently exceeded company quotas, were noticed by the company managers. At eighteen, Keoki was offered a mid-level manager position over several fields, which involved occasional trips to the company offices in Honolulu.

    Although he was assigned to a small desk in a shared office, the mere fact the he was working there, at the offices and cannery of the Great Hawaiian Pineapple Company, made him feel proud.

    It was while working on some reports at his small desk, on one of those few days he was in the office, that Keoki first saw her. Outside his office, a little way down the hall in a small group of people, stood the most beautiful haole, or non-native, girl he had ever seen.

    "I saw you lookin' at her," Keoki's office mate Steven said accusingly, "Be careful there, she's kapu." 

    "Off limits?" Keoki replied. "Why's that?"

    "The General Manager's daughter, that's all," Steven said, while sipping his mug of coffee. "She's a looker, for sure, but you'd better look the other way. Mr. Manning is a bear."

    "Oh," Keoki said, and nodded as if agreeing with good advice, yet inside him, Keoki now felt even more attracted to the idea of meeting her. He had a history of wanting to go after things he shouldn't, daring to explore the unexplored. This was a character trait that had pushed him into many precarious and sometimes dangerous situations.

    Keoki and his friends loved jumping off cliffs near waterfalls into the pool below. Usually, they were waterfalls that had a deep enough pool at the bottom for jumping into, and there was an obvious, easy jump-off spot. Almost always, however, Keoki would look for a higher, harder-to-get-to spot that would provide more of a thrill. Where others may have feared or avoided the more difficult or dangerous path, Keoki was drawn to it.

    The task before him now was to figure out how to meet her: Miss Manning, daughter of the General Manager. He peeked out into the hall and noticed that the group had started moving down the hallway. Not knowing when or if he would ever see her again, he decided to take a chance.

    After a short moment of focusing on the reports in front of him, he stood and mentioned that he needed to use the restroom. Down the hall was a water cooler - a great spot to covertly watch the group and its most important member. As he spied her with a paper cup in hand, she glanced over at him and smiled.

    Taken back at this, he turned his head and stared at the water tank. Whoa, did she just smile at me? he thought. Okay, then. Time to jump in.

    The group split up and Keoki watched as Miss Manning and an older woman headed into the lobby and out the front door. Moving close to the front entrance window, he watched as the two women stopped and waited by the street curb, with their eyes gazing down the street.

    Opportunity arose with some quick thinking.

    "Good afternoon ladies, are you looking for a ride?" he asked after making sure his company badge was visible. "I've got a company vehicle ready, if so."

    The older woman looked at him inquisitively, and replied, "No thank you, young man. We are taken care of."

    But fortune was on his side, as the younger woman said, "But grandmother, Thomas said it might be a bit of a wait, and it is rather hot out." She pulled a handkerchief out of her purse and quickly fanned her face, as if to demonstrate her point. Turning to Keoki she asked, "Do you work for the company?"

    Looking at his badge on the shirt, he said "Yes, ma'am. My name is Keoki. I will be happy to take you wherever you need to go."

   "Well, good afternoon Keoki," she said. "My name is Elizabeth, and this is my grandmother, Mrs. Charles Manning. I'm sure you know who she is."

    Quickly, he said, "Why, uh, yes, the wife of the General Manager?" 

    The older Mrs. Manning laughed and said, "And now you think you will flatter me young man? No, no, I am not his wife - I am his mother!"

    "Oh, please excuse me for being mistaken by your youthful appearance," Keoki cunningly replied. "I am happy to meet you both."

    After a moment of awkward inaction, with Keoki being taken in by the beauty of Elizabeth's eyes, he said, "So, um, let me go and get that car." Hesitantly, Mrs. Manning gave her consent with a wave of her hand.

    Keoki turned and jogged towards the coach house while frantically devising a plan of how to take a company car he was neither assigned to nor authorized to take. He certainly couldn't take the ten-year old, 1926 Model T Ford field truck he used to get from the fields to the office.

    Again, it seemed that fortune favored him. The coach house supervisor had his head under the hood of one of the vehicles, hands stretching deep inside. First checking the name on the front office door, Keoki went over to Bob Bergon and said, "Hello, Bob. I'm Keoki Kanaloa, Field Manager," he said pointing to his company badge. "I was sent over by Mr. Manning, who asked me to drive his daughter and mother home," he said, trying hard to convincingly state this untruth. "I was told to come and get a car."

    "Thomas Kāne is their driver. Where's he at?" Bob responded.

    "Oh, yeah, uh, Thomas told them he would be held up for a while, and Mr. Manning's mother is needing to get home right away," Keoki said in his best authoritative voice.
    "Okay, take the black Dodge up front," Bob said while removing a fan belt. "Keys are in it. But make sure you're back in an hour. We gotta pick up some mainlanders that are coming in on the next boat."

    Being simultaneously amazed that his deception actually worked, and excited to have the chance to spend some time with Elizabeth, Keoki jumped into the car and drove to where the ladies were waiting.

    During the next hour, Keoki enjoyed playing the role of chauffeur to Elizabeth and her grandmother, who asked him to stop at the bank before taking them home. Elizabeth chose to stay in the car and wait, and it was during the next 10 minutes that Keoki and Elizabeth developed the beginnings of their mutual attraction, which led to future meetings. By taking her to her home in Kahala, he was able to not only get her address, but he also learned a lot about her family and their wealthy status. Theirs was the biggest home on a street with several nice homes - a plantation home built in the Greek Revival style of architecture.

    "Thank you, boy," Elizabeth's grandmother said as he helped her step out of the car. The condescending tone in Mrs. Manning's voice might otherwise have bothered him, but Keoki was still riding high with excitement and his attraction to Elizabeth.

 ........ “You'd better stop and let me out here," she said as they came to the beginning of her street. Keoki got out, went around the truck and opened her door. With a full heart, he took hold of her hands and said that he would be waiting for her response. They said their good-byes in a final embrace.

    As she turned to walk towards her home, she was met with the cold stares of her grandmother, who had come out for an afternoon stroll, and evidently had witnessed more than enough. With a firm grip, Mrs. Manning took her granddaughter by the elbow and escorted her home in a scurried march. As she looked over her shoulder, Elizabeth saw Keoki mouth to her the words. "I love you." 

    "Not so hard, grandmother," Elizabeth begged. "You're hurting my arm."

    "And you, young lady, are hurting my heart. What in the world are you doing with that native boy? Where is your head? You forget who you are!"

    She wasn't sure whether she should cry, scream or try to reason with her grandmother, but Elizabeth chose to just remain silent. But as she was led closer to the house, she started to get angry. She couldn’t stand being treated as a child now that she was eighteen.

    "Let me go," she demanded, and jerked her arm free of her grandmother's grip when they reached the front door, then ran upstairs to her room.

    That evening, following an unusually silent dinner, Elizabeth was asked to see her father and mother in the parlor. After many stern words by her father, and strong warnings by her mother, the final demand was made: Elizabeth was forbidden to ever see Keoki again. And, to lessen their chances of meeting again, Keoki’s duties would be re-assigned to be out of the office.

    And yet, as Grandpa explained in relating this story, there’s something about forbidden love that makes such star-crossed lovers seek to defy the odds and the constricting world around them, as in the story of Halemano and the Princess Kama.

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The Legend of Halemano and the Princess Kama

      Every night for a long while Halemano had seen in his dreams the vision of a beautiful girl. He called her by name and even talked with her. He could remember how she looked – the long, dark hair, sometimes braided around her lovely head, sometimes falling loosely around her shoulders. He could remember the clothes she wore, and the wreaths, and the flowers, even the scent of her dress. But every time when he would awaken, her name and what they said to each other slipped away from his memory. He tried with great anxiety, to remember, but could not.

    One day his sister Laenihi saw the anguish on his face and asked him what was the matter. Halemano told her of his dreams and explained his great desire to know more. She told him of a place called Puna where the women wore lehua leis, scented kapa dresses, and hala wreaths around their heads. She promised to go to Puna and see what she could find.

    The next day Laenihi returned home from Puna and said, “Kama is her name. The Princess Kama of Puna.”

    “Yes!” cried Halemano. “That is her name! How can I meet her?”

   Laenihi explained that it would be very difficult since there are two kings who are vying to have her as their bride, and until she is given in marriage she cannot be seen, living on an island with her brother away from everyone else.

    “But don’t worry, Halemano”, Laenihi said. “I think I know a way for you to see her.” She then put into in his hands a lehua flower lei, a scented kapa dress, and a hala wreath, and said, “You must go and present these as gifts to her.”

    “Yes, let's go right now,” agreed Halemano. “Show me the way.”

    “But first we must make some gifts to bring for Princess Kama's little brother,” Laenihi said.

    So, they made a bright colored kite and some little figures of people that stood about a foot high. Halemano and Laenihi put the gifts into their canoe and started off for Puna. As they neared the island where Princess Kama and her brother were staying, Halemano put the kite into the sky.

    When Kama's little brother saw it, he came running and laughing, and asked them if he could have it. Halemano paddled the canoe to the shore and gave him the kite. As he took the kite, the boy noticed the standing figure toys, and asked if he could have them as well.

    “I will give these to you,” he said, “if you will take me to your sister.” The boy took Halemano by the hand and led him to a place under some palm trees where the Princess Kama was sitting.

    Halemano presented himself and his gifts to Kama, which she accepted. Both were taken with each other in what seemed to be love at first sight.

    After a time, Laenihi cried out and pointed towards several canoes filled with people that were coming towards the island. It was the two kings and their entourages, coming to claim Kama as a bride.

    “You must go!” Kama said firmly. “I am not supposed to be with anyone, and they will take your life!”

    “I will not leave you, my love,” Halemano answered. “Please come with me.” Halemano took Kama's hand and with Laenihi, they quickly ran to their canoe on the other side of the island, and soon they were out of sight.....

Chapter 3    

Manu Heu (Leaving Home)

    As if things hadn’t become difficult enough in Keoki and Elizabeth’s relationship, fate brought another twist: A week after their love had been declared forbidden by her parents, Elizabeth’s father announced that he had accepted a promotion as Vice President of the Great Hawaiian Pineapple Company, which would require the family to move to be near the headquarter offices located in San Francisco. They had two weeks to make preparations, pack up their belongings and board an eastbound ship.

    Elizabeth was devastated. It had been made very clear that everyone would be making the move. Her attempts to explore ways that she might stay in Hawai’i were quickly squashed by her father’s forceful manner and threats. Plus, she lacked the confidence in her ability to make it on her own without her family’s support, and she was not yet sure of the promise of a future relationship with Keoki.

    Facing the reality of the upcoming move caused her many sleepless nights and daylight hours of sadness. She wasn’t sure how to let Keoki know. But she knew she had to, and she was determined to see him again, even if it would be their final meeting.....

   

   ..... Elizabeth could hardly finish reading his letter through all the tears. A whirlpool of emotions filled her soul: shock, sorrow, disbelief, disappointment and a heavy pining for her love. She locked herself in her room and cried, pondered and prayed the whole evening. Please, dear Lord, help us! she prayed. There must be a way. I must see Keoki again! This cannot be the end for us.  

    But as she prayed, she was weighed down with the reality of her parent's plan to enroll her in the nursing program at Stanford University. Her life in California was about to become more committed, more occupied.  She had convinced her parents to let her wait a year before entering the school, but now the time was coming upon her.  

    And then the answer came. She had been able to save some money from various jobs she had worked since moving back from Hawai’i.  The money was deposited into an account that was set up by her father, which included money from a fund that was intended to assist with her living expenses while at school.

    The account was in her name, she thought. It was for her living expenses. What if it was used to help her to live in Hawai’i with Keoki?  The amount was more than enough to purchase a one-way passage to Hawai’i.

    She decided that this was what she had to do, though her decision was plagued with guilt. How could she leave and disappoint her parents? How could she spend the money on something it was not intended for? And yet, how could she live without Keoki? How could she not do all she could to keep her promise to him?

    Elizabeth acted quickly. The next morning she took a cab to the bank and withdrew all but $10 from her account, and then down to the seaport office of the Matson Line, where she purchased passage on the SS Malolo, scheduled to sail to Honolulu in three days. Malolo, she learned, meant "flying fish" in Hawaiian. Yes, she wished that she could fly to Hawai’i, if only there were commercial airplanes that flew there. But on the five-day ocean passage she would "fly" to the arms of her Hawaiian love. 

    Back at home her thoughts ran wild. So much to do, to organize, to sort through and pack. And it all must been done secretly so that her parents didn't suspect anything. Sitting at her table, she began to make out a list of all that she needed to do. First, she had to let Keoki know she was coming. She'd start a letter as soon as the list was done. But after listing all she could think of, she stared at the first task and then realized that a letter probably couldn't get to him before she would. Calling him from the family's phone in the parlour would be impossible without detection. 

    No, she thought. I will surprise him.

    At 5:00 a.m. three days later, she stood outside the front gate of their home, waiting for the cab she had pre-arranged to take her to the port. She had with her three pieces of luggage that she had carefully packed in the middle of the night during the last couple of nights. She was both exhausted and exuberant, caused by a lack of sleep and the sheer excitement to see Keoki again.

    Waiting for the cab in the foggy morning air, the reality and finality of leaving her parent's home hit. Since she wasn't able to say goodbye, to kiss and hug them, Elizabeth began to grow sad, and then even a bit angry, that her leaving had to be done this way. She needed to follow her heart, and her heart was in Hawai'i. It would have been so much better if she had her parents understanding and support. But it was not to be. She knew too well that she would be stopped if they knew anything of her plans....

     

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The Legend of Ohi'a and Lehua

    Ohi'a was a strong young man who fell in love with the lovely, gentle Lehua when they first met at a village dance. Her beauty was known throughout the island. When Lehua saw the strikingly handsome Ohi'a speaking with her father, she was unable to take her eyes off of him. Ohi'a glanced over at her and was taken by the beauty of the girl.  

     Lehua's father was impressed by Ohi’a, and noticing that the two had eyes for each other, he offered to introduce O’hia to his daughter. Ohi’a quickly won Lehua’s heart, and soon the two were wed, and made their home together in a house that Ohi’a built. 

    One day, the goddess Pele came near where they lived and caught sight of the handsome Ohi’a while he was working on building an outrigger for his canoe. Not only was Pele attracted to him, she decided that she must have him as hers. Although Ohi'a spoke politely to her as she made her advances, he did not respond to her the way she desired, which frustrated and angered Pele. She was determined and as she thought of other ways to attract him, Lehua came to give her husband the lunch she had prepared.

    Pele watched Ohi'a's eyes light up when he saw his lovely wife coming, and she fumed as he dropped his tools and went to greet and kiss Lehua. In a rage of jealousy and revenge, Pele struck out and turned Ohi’a into an ugly twisted, tree.....

Chapter 4

Male‘ana (Wedding)

    .....The morning sun that rose on the first of May was as beautiful a sunrise as Elizabeth could remember, with a perfect mix of brilliant clouds near the horizon. She had always loved watching the sunrise in Hawai’i, and now on this day of all days, the sunrise meant so much more.

    Having Emmaline and her family to help her and be with her on her big day was a tremendous blessing, although it pained Elizabeth that her own family would not be there. Emmaline was to be her Maid of Honor and Mr. Baldwin, who had acted as a second father to her during the last couple of months, would give her away.

    The Baldwin's had arranged a flower laden carriage, driven by two white horses wearing multicolored leis, to carry the bride to the church, beginning at 1:00 pm. In her flowing white gown and delicate red lehua lei, Elizabeth looked and felt like a princess as she rode the carriage ride from the north side of the Royal Iolani Palace down King Street to the Kawaiahaʻo Church a few blocks away. Greeted by Mr. Baldwin at the door, Elizabeth was escorted down the aisle to the enchanting sounds of Hawaiian music, passing the many stands of fragrant flowers, to the altar where the priest and Keoki stood.

    The ceremony was performed in both English and Hawaiian, and was followed up by a choir singing a mix of favorite Hawaiian songs and hymns. Outside the church the carriage was waiting, this time for the two of them, and they rode off being sprayed with rice, to prepare for the wedding lu'au in Wahiawa.

    The acquaintances, friends and family of the Kanaloas, indeed it seemed the entire community of Wahiawa, helped with the lu'au. A beautiful spot located on the shores of the Wahiawa Reservoir was chosen and set up for the wedding luau, under the shade of some large monkey pod trees.

    To start things off, two young men in traditional Hawaiian dress blew conch shells to call everyone to come to the nearby imu ground oven that had been prepared earlier that day to cook the pig.

    The men of two families who were friends of the Kanaloas had gone the day before to the nearby Waianae Mountains to hunt the pig, and came back with a hefty boar.  Then, in the early morning light of the big day, a round pit about 3 feet deep and a diameter of about 5 feet was dug several yards from where the tables and chairs were being set up. 

    The process of preparing the imu took time, and was done in careful manner to ensure successful cooking.  First, at the bottom of the excavated pit was placed a pile of twigs and small branches, with several pieces of larger wood hardwood built around the kindling wood.  Medium sized porous rocks were then positioned on top of the larger wood, and the kindling wood was lit.  The rocks began to drop inward as the fire died down and left burning embers and hot coals. When the stones had become very hot, they were spread out evenly on top of the coals.....

     

__________________________

 

The Legend of Hakuole and Leilehua

    Staring out into the blue-green ocean for many hours and watching guard, Hakuole could not see anything of concern. He was one of the strongest and bravest of King Kalanikupule's warriors, and had been given this important assignment at the hill of Leahi, to watch for the coming of the canoes of the armies of the great Kamehameha. To that point, the island of Oahu had remained a separate kingdom, outside of the control of the great conqueror of the Hawaiian Islands. But word had been given that Kamehameha was on his way to complete the task, and face his last rival, Kalanikupule.

    As he waited above the shore, watching the waves roll in, Hakuole's thoughts were on the the beautiful maiden Leilehua, for whom he wished to declare his love and make his bride. How he longed for her, and wished that the coming conflict could soon be over, so that they two could start their lives together! 

    Suddenly, through the trees appeared the sweet Leilehua. With large soft brown eyes, olive skin and wavy black hair, Leilehua was one of the most beautiful maidens on Oahu, and daughter of the great kahuna Kamakahou, who was a priest of the god Lono .  

    "Leilehua!" he cried, hardly believing that his thoughts had turned into the reality of her presence. She said not a word, but came towards him with a beautiful lei, made of the crimson lehua flower, in her hands.  She kissed him on the cheek, dropped the lei at his feet, and then turned and ran away.

    "Wait, Leilehua!" he called, but she did not respond. Unable to leave his post, he was left pondering over what her actions meant. He did not know, but he was not concerned for he knew that she loved him. He placed the lei around his neck, over the tall helmet of yellow feathers and on top of his shark tooth necklace and warrior cloak. He stood tall and proud to have such station and to have such a love. 

    Emboldened, he looked out to the sea and cried aloud, "Come if you will, but we shall conquer, and I shall have my love, my sweet Leilehua, as my wife!"

   Then from a distance came the sound of shell trumpets, and soon out near the horizon Hakuaole saw the company of many swiftly moving canoes filled with warriors, paddling towards Oahu. "E ala, e ala, e ala!" cried Hahuole at the top of his voice, a warning to the other, distant guardsmen. As the canoes came closer and the shells continued to trumpet their sounds, Hakuole could see the famous double war canoe Pelelu, carrying the mighty conquering chief....

Chapter 5

Ohana (Family)

   

    The next morning, on Sunday, December 7, 1941, Elizabeth was sitting outside on the back steps of their lanai with a cup of coffee, enjoying a few quiet moments before the baby awoke and the day's activities would begin. It was a beautiful, peaceful morning and Elizabeth once again felt a surge of gratitude for her blessings: to be a mother of a beautiful, healthy little boy, to have a wonderful, supportive husband, and to be living in such a lovely place. Checking her watch, she was surprised that at 7:50 am little Keith had not yet cried out to get out of his crib. I'll go check on him soon, she thought.  Just a few more minutes.

     As she soaked up the joy and peace of these final moments, she began to hear the low buzzing sound of incoming planes. Living in such a place, between the Wheeler Air Field near Wahiawa and the Pearl Harbor Naval Base, such noises were common. Yet, it began to sound much louder than just a few planes.

    Suddenly, the peace of this and other similar mornings was to be forever altered. Elizabeth watched in horror as the incoming onslaught of planes began dropping bomb after bomb over Pearl Harbor. Explosions of various sizes began changing the beauty of the horizon with tremendous flames and thick, black smoke. Not able to move or to speak, she sat in shock, unable to comprehend what her eyes were seeing.

    Keoki suddenly slammed open the screen door, and cried, "What in hell's name?"

    The two of them firmly embraced as they gaped at the hell unfolding ahead of them, and then they both began to cry. "Dear God," sobbed Elizabeth, "what is going on?"....

_____________________________

 

The Legend of the Menehune Ditch

    The Menehune were small, dwarf-like people who lived in Hawai’i long, long ago, who were known to have supernatural powers. They were also known to work only at night, and their work resulted in magnificent structures.  One such structure was the Menehune ditch in the Waimea Valley on Kaua‘i, which was made of the finest workmanship, including finely cut and assembled stones. 

    The great ditch in Waimea Valley is said to have been built during the time that Umi was king over the people. During this time there was a period of drought, when little rain fell upon the land that was otherwise fertile, bringing forth great crops. One day, while King Umi was walking through the dry land, trying to find a solution to the challenge that had been given his people, he came pondered on how to bring water down from the high mountain springs. 

    Were there enough gourds big enough that could be filled at the mountain tops and brought down? Did he have enough men that could make such a long trip every day? He wasn’t sure how, but he knew there must be a way to get water to the land.

    One day as he was thinking of this problem, a little dwarf suddenly appeared before him. Startled at the appearance of this little man who was dressed all in green from head to toe, wearing a crown of emeralds, he asked, “Who are you and where have you come from?”

    The little man answered, “I am the king of the Menehune people, who live high in the mountains. We have watched your people struggle with the lack of water. We can help bring water to your lands that will continue to moisten your crops.”

    King Umi’s eyes lit up at the thought, and then asked the Menehune king, “But how would you do it? Let us know that we may learn and do it ourselves!”

    But the Menehune’s cunning response was, “It is a work that only we Menehune can do. And we will do it for you, but for a price.”

    “I will pay anything you ask, if indeed you can accomplish such a task,” King Umi said....

    “

_____________________________

Chapter 6

He'e Nalu (Surfer)

 .....One August afternoon the three of them decided to go a little further south to a place called "wild hook". It was known to be a place only for skilled surfers, where the waves are fast and vertical. Keith wasn't sure if he was ready for these more challenging waves, and yet the thought of mastering them was exciting to him.

    When they got there, they all sat down on the rocky shore for a while, gazing in wonder and awe at these larger waves and a couple of guys out there surfing them. Watching some great rides and some crazy wipe-outs provided ample time for them to ponder whether they would take their next step.

    On Phil's cue, Keith jumped up with his board and joined his friend on a race to the waves. Scott, however, decided that he wasn't quite ready, and waited to watch his buddies try out the new surf.

    Although his heart was pounding so hard he thought it might explode, Keith knew that this was something he wanted to try - he had to try. The two young surfers paddled their way out to the area where the other surfers had been, and they learned quickly how much more difficult it was to get over – or through – these larger, peaking waves before they got to their destination.

    Catching a good wave proved more difficult at first than they had expected, but after several tries, both Phil and Keith were able to get up and ride for a while. And, they both had several turns at wiping out as well.

    Finally, Scott paddled out and joined them in their pursuit of finding that perfect ride. After a while, Phil caught up with the other two and said, "Hey guys, I think I've had it. These have been great waves, but I'm a bit worn. I'll see you guys on shore."

    "Okay, man." Keith responded. "See you in a while."

    "Hey Keith, does it feel like the surf is getting bigger to you?" Scott asked.

    "Yeah, maybe. Isn't it cool?"

    "Sure, yeah. But maybe we ought to call it quits in a bit."

    Although he too, was tired, Keith was a bit excited at the thought that he was getting better on these bigger waves. Cocking his head as he looked at Scott with a grin, Keith said. "Oh come on, now. Don't let the bigger waves scare you. Just a few more waves to prove we can do this "wild hook" stuff, okay?"

    "Okay, man."

    The next couple of tries for both boys on some peaking swells didn't prove successful. But then Keith caught a big wave just at the peak, and he began what he would later consider to be the ride of his life. It was so exhilarating and powerful - he was going faster than he could ever remember riding on a board. Slowly, however, he could feel the wave pushing him in a direction further south than he had gone before, and began to feel a bit out of control. Should he jump off or keep riding?

    He was considering these options as the wave brought him closer to shore, when he suddenly felt the board shake and he was thrown off the board into violently churning water. He did not come right up to the surface as usual, since he really couldn't tell which way was up. Swimming with all his might, he wasn't sure which way to go as the water continued to churn him and force him in different directions. As his lungs began to burn and his head began to feel light, he wondered if he would ever get out of this, if he would ever see the sky again.

    In a state of near delirium, Keith felt a myriad of different feelings, and he thought he heard voices, calling him, reprimanding him, encouraging him. Although it mustn't have lasted for more than a couple of minutes, his time underwater seemed an eternity. Finally, he breached the surface, barely aware of what was happening. Within a few seconds, Scott, who had caught the next wave that turned out to be a bit smaller, had paddled to where Keith had fallen and came to his rescue. Scott pulled him up and they shared the board as it floated towards shore. Within moments, Phil was also there helping to pull Keith out of the water and laying him on the sand.

    Although he didn't need mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, he definitely needed more oxygen and rest. As his friends tried to help him, they noticed that Keith was not fully coherent and was not communicating well, although they heard him mumble, “Thanks for pulling me out of the water.”

    After a few minutes of holding Keith's head in their hands, wondering what more they might need to do and praying that he would be alright, their concerns began to lessen as he showed more and more signs of recuperating.

    That night, lying in bed, Keith thought over this experience and the still present mix of feelings of having enjoyed the most fantastic and exhilarating ride, followed by a terrifying, near-fatal wipe out. Many thoughts came to his head of the feelings he had felt and the voices he had heard underwater that made this such an extreme and life-changing event. It would be many years before he would fully understand what had happened down in that churning water....

___________________________________

 

The Legend of Paao's Journey to Hawai’i

     There once were two brothers who lived on the Samoan Island of Upolu. The older one, Lonopele, was a priest who lived in a beautiful valley that opened to the sea. The younger one, Paao, was also a priest as well as a seaman. He lived near the beach, where he had several canoes.

    As they grew up together they were always fighting about something. When they were older the bitter feelings remained, and their two families became unfriendly towards each other.  Misunderstandings and suspicion caused many fights between them. Jealousy and suspicion led to accusations and rage, and soon both men had killed the other’s son.

    Full of grief and anger, as well as a desire to protect his remaining family, Paao determined to leave Upolu. Some of his trusted friends agreed to leave with him, and they prepared large canoes to take a long voyage northwards to the land of the burning mountains – Hawai'i.

    Preparing for such a journey required much effort.  The canoes had to be built to be at least two to three feet higher than normal, to hold at least 30 people each while sailing over stormy waters. Tools such as stone axes, spears and cords of coconut fibre were necessary items to bring.  Food such as dried bananas, pigs, fish, and pounded taro were packed into baskets. Water in gourds and other provisions for survival were placed within each canoe.

    Their preparations to leave were hastened when Paao was warned that Lonopele and his warriors were on their way to make battle. Family and friends were brought into the canoes as quickly as possible, and pushed out into the sea, while Paao’s warriors tried to hold the enemies back. At the last moment they ran and jumped into the last canoe and launched out as fast as possible....

Chapter 7

Kelamoku (Sailor)

    Keith was likely to be stationed in Hawai’i for at least a year before receiving a new assignment. Routine military exercises, as well as performing ship maintenance on several of the ships in port, became the bulk of his duties during that year. Having regular leave time gave him plenty of chances to enjoy some great home-cooked meals at Grandma Mele’s, visit with cousins and extended family, and of course, hit the waves. 

    Although the beaches in the Honolulu area provided easy access to surfing, it was the North Shore beaches that Keith tried to get to whenever he had enough time and a way to get there – usually catching a ride with his cousins on weekends.

    His favorite place to surf was at Waimea Bay, which is where he stumbled – literally – on a couple of cute Hawaiian girls while he was making his way to the water, with his new “short” surfboard under his right arm.  Not quite used to the feel of the new 6-foot length board that was becoming popular in the islands, it started to slip from his grip just as he approached the two girls sitting in the sand. Tripping over the legs of one of them, and sending his board flying, Keith ended up flat on the sand a few feet away.

    The shock of this made the two girls scream and jump up, but on seeing what had happened to the poor guy on the sand, the girl whose legs had been compromised ran over to help him up.

    “Are you okay?” she asked.

    More than a little embarrassed, Keith answered, “Uh, yeah, thanks. I’m so sorry about that.”  He wanted to say more, as he was taking in the beauty of the girl in front of him, but was at a loss for words. He took her offered hand, stood up and went for his board.

    He started to walk away, still embarrassed, but then chided himself: Dummy, don’t just leave. Go talk to her!  He turned around and saw that she was still watching him, and then walked back to her.

    “So,” he started in with a bit more confidence and in a joking manner, “do you always try to catch a guy’s attention like this?”

    “What?” she replied in astonishment. “It was you that…” she trailed off and then just smiled at him. “Oh yes. It is a very effective method I use,” she joked back.

    “Okay, well, since you have my attention, I guess I should know who you are,” Keith said.

    “Oh, I don’t know,” she answered. “I’m not sure I should tell you, unless you put the board down. I wouldn’t want you to lose your balance again.”

    Keith’s balance was feeling just a little off as he watched and listened to this beautiful Hawaiian girl coyly tease him.  Standing his board up in the sand next to him, he stretched out his hand and said, “Hello, my name is Keith Kanaloa.” In a gallant tone he added, “And, who do I have the pleasure of meeting?”

    “My name is Alania,” she said as she took his hand, “and this is my cousin Nalani.”

    “Nice to meet you, uh both.” After shaking Nalani’s hand he smiled broadly at Alania and then stood in silence, amazed at the beauty before his eyes.

    “So,” Alania finally said, “do you actually surf, or do you just go around tripping over people?”

    “Uh, yeah. I surf,” he answered awkwardly.

    “Any good?”

    “Sure, well, let’s see,” he said with a smile. “So, okay, uh I’ll just go catch some waves, then. See ya.”

    “See ya,” she answered with a coy smile, “We’ll be watching you.”....

    Keith came up to his grandmother, wrapped his arms around her, kissed her on the cheek, and said, “I love you, Grandma.” She gave him a light pat on his cheek and rested her hand on his arm.

    “Your grandma suffered a stroke just a few days ago, and has had increasing problems with speaking since then. Although she was diagnosed with cancer a couple of months ago, and would probably have had a couple more with us, the doctor says that it may be the stroke that will take her. She has a swelling on her brain that is interrupting some of her functions.”

    “Grandpa, I am so sorry,” Keith said. “I am so glad I was able to come and see her now, before…” As he trailed off he looked away to hide the welling up he was sensing in his eyes.

     Then, as he looked down at his grandma, Keith and the others watched her pick up a pillow that she had been using to rest her arm and hold it to her cheek, hugging it as tightly as her frail body would allow.  She then handed the pillow to Keith’s cousin, Eddie, who was standing on the opposite side of the bed, and motioned to him to hug it.  Eddie wasn’t sure exactly why he was doing this, but he did as she desired. When he was done, Grandma pointed to Eddie’s brother Mike, who stood next to him. From there the pillow was passed around and hugged by all of the family that was there, until it came back around to Keith, who did the same.

    As Alania, who had been standing behind Keith, watched this tender family moment, she too, felt tears welling up. Keith was about to give the pillow back to Grandma when he was done, but she pointed to Alania with a big smile and a nod.

    Alania was overcome with emotion, and gave the pillow a tearful hug. On handing the pillow back to this darling, bed-ridden woman, she was drawn in to come closer to Grandma, who took Alania’s hand in hers. With her other hand Grandma motioned for Keith to come closer. When she had both of their hands holding hers, she pulled up her right hand and patted the top of their combined hands and then patted her chest, over her heart. And she smiled a big smile. Then she took up the pillow again, and hugged it as tightly as she could, for a long moment.

    There was not a dry eye in the room....

....Unfortunately, Keith’s parents found that they were unable to afford the trip to Hawai’i to attend their son’s wedding. As a gift from Keoki and Elizabeth, in lieu of their inability to come, some money was sent and arrangements were made for a five-night honeymoon in a cottage belonging to a family friend in Hana, Maui.

     Hana is located on Maui’s tropical northeast coast, and because the only access is along a narrow road that hugs the coastline with many sharp, winding turns and over 50 narrow one-way bridges, it is very remote and quiet. Nothing like the bustling, growing metropolis of Honolulu, and even a far cry from Maui’s biggest towns, Kahului and Lahaina. Hana was very much how one might envision a small, remote, and tropical Hawaiian town.  From the Kahului airport, the journey by car takes about three hours, if you don’t stop along the way. But how can you not stop to enjoy the plethora of beautiful waterfalls, vistas, and beaches just off the road? The intensity of the tropical beauty of this area is tremendous.

    For the young honeymooners, the journey from the airport to the cottage took them about eight hours. Places like Puohokamoa Falls, Waikani Falls, the Keanae Peninsula, and the Wai’anapanapa Black Sand Beach begged them to stop the car along the way and enjoy the wonders of tropical Hawai’i.

    They found the cottage in a beautiful setting overlooking Hana Bay, with easy access to the beach. Nearby were several local fruit and flower stands, as well as an older lady who sat by the road and sold her freshly-baked loaves of banana and mango bread.  With these and a handful of small stores and restaurants, Keith and Alania found everything they could want for a luxurious, delicious, and romantic honeymoon.

    The day before they were to leave, Keith and Alania decided to go back to a favorite spot they visited on the way in: the Wai’anapanapa Black Sand Beach. A narrow trail led down the cliffs to a small cove of volcanic rocks and black sand meeting the ocean. On the right side of the beach, they found what they were looking for: an opening under the volcanic rocks that led into a cave – a private room that opened up to the sea.

    When they had gone earlier to buy some mango bread from the nice old lady down the road from their cottage, it took them more time than they anticipated. She had many stories to tell about the area, but the one that really piqued their interest was the tragic legend of Wai’anapanapa.

_____________________________

The Legend of Wai’anapanapa

    Long ago in Hana, a Hawaiian princess named Popoalaea was forced to marry an older chief named Kakea.  The chief was very jealous and suspicious of his young bride and beat her often.  One day she fled with her faithful maidservant to find refuge and peace. As they ran along the coast near Hana, the maidservant of Popoalae pointed to a small cave opening in the large volcanic lava rocks. "Come, princess. Here is a place to hide!" So they hid for several days inside this cave that was near the black sand beach known as Wai’anapanapa, which means “glistening fresh water”.... 

....Although Keith and Alania initially had only planned to be on the farm for a couple of years, the longer they stayed, the more comfortable and the more like home the farm began to feel. The twins were doing well and loved to spend time near the animals. One day, as Alania sat on the back lanai and watched her twin three year-olds play, and feeling the movements of the growing infant inside her, she considered how great and blessed their lives had become, living on a busy, yet peaceful farm here on Maui.

    It seems that just as you get comfortable, life throws you for a loop.

    Later that day, as she was preparing dinner, Alania watched as her husband was leaving the barn and walking toward the house. Good, she thought. I’m just about done. Good timing. When he didn’t come into the house within the anticipated few minutes after she saw him coming, she wondered where he had gone.  He should have been here by now, she thought. What, did he find something else to distract him? Come on, Keith, dinner’s ready!

    A few minutes later she walked out on the back lanai to see if she could see him. At first look she didn’t see him, and was about to call out when she noticed what looked to be him on the ground, not far from the barn.

    “Oh, no!” she cried as she ran out to where he was.

    “Keith! Keith!” she cried as she approached him. “Keith, are you okay?” It took a few shakes before he slowly responded to her. “Keith, what happened? How are you feeling?”

    He slowly picked himself up and just stared at her.... 

....As the twins grew, Liko and Lani, seemed to also grow apart. Naturally, brothers and sisters will often follow different interests, which certainly was the case for these two. Where Liko was more interested in the school subjects of math and science, Lani preferred the humanities and arts. Where Liko was a critical thinker, Lani was trusting and accepting. Where Liko was good working with his hands, Lani was creative in music and storytelling. Where Liko sought time alone, Lani was a social butterfly. And, where Lani embraced and celebrated being Hawaiian, Liko turned away from it.

    At age fifteen, Liko Jonathan insisted that he should become known to all the world as simply "Jon". Something in his personality pressed him to seek individuality and a separation from not only his twin sister, but from his entire family. Throughout his teenage years, this inner drive to be his own man was a source to an ever widening gap between him and his father. 

Chapter 7

Wailele (Waterfall)

                       

    

 .....  "Jonny, I've missed you. It's so good to see you again," Lani said. "I'm sure mom and dad would love to see you and meet Marilyn."

    "Uh, well, maybe not yet."

    "Why not?"

    "You know dad," he answered. "He'll want to know what my plans are, what kind of job I have, where we're going to live - and it sure ain't gonna be with him! I just gotta figure some things out first before I have to deal with his drilling. Let's just keep it quiet about me being here for a while."

    Noticing the look of concern on Lani's face, Marilyn assured, "I won't let him wait too long. I’ve got to meet your family, and find out more about this mysterious man I married."

    After a couple of weeks, including several phone calls from Lani filled with anxious pleading, Jon finally relented to visiting his parents and introducing Marilyn.  By that time, he and Marilyn had both found jobs at a courier service and were looking for an apartment.  Enough answers for dad.

    Dinner at his parents’ home started out pretty well. Alania was overjoyed to see her son and meet his new bride. Keith was cordial and accommodating. Dinner was delicious, and of course, Hawaiian-style. But then after dinner, the drilling began. Keith wanted to know where Jon had been, why he hadn't kept in touch, where his life was headed, where they are living, what about jobs, etc, etc. 

    It was more than Jon could handle. He soon began saying things that Keith took as disrespect, and the two men slid into their mode of previous years of butting heads, as their banter escalated into yelling. If it weren't for Alania, Lani and Marilyn's efforts, there could have been a war.

    Leaving his parents' home, Jon vowed not to return....

....Fortunately, pregnancy is a temporary condition. As a final challenge, the process of labor and delivery was fraught with difficulty and several complications, including the cord being wrapped around the baby's neck. Yet, finally, three days before Thanksgiving, both mother and baby came through the trial, and Marilyn and Jon welcomed their little baby boy, Daniel Cameron, to the world. 

    Although the Thanksgiving holiday hadn't seemed very special for them during the last two years, with Jon refusing to return to his family's home, and with them having no other family in the area, this year the two new parents both felt they had much to be thankful for. Their Thanksgiving dinner was but a meager attempt of Jon's efforts to prepare a feast, but this year's holiday in their small home was the best either could remember.

    Over the next several weeks, try as they might, they couldn't seem to convince little Daniel that day was night, and night was day. Whenever he could, Jon would take a turn staying up with the baby - rocking, singing, feeding - whatever he could think of to influence sleeping. One night, as they traded off, Marilyn turned and watched her husband in the rocker, and heard him say, "Who are you, little man? You know, I love you more than I thought I could. I don't know much about this father business, but I really do want to be a good dad to you. Help me, little man, okay?"

    Keith and Alania, although excited to hear the news through Lani about their new grandson, were disappointed to find that the news had been held from them for over two months. Despite their best attempts, Jon was still unwilling to reconnect. It wasn't until four more months that Lani was able to schedule a lunch for her and her parents to meet with Marilyn and the baby, while Jon was working a delivery route.

    Jon's delivery routes usually took him to locations within a hundred miles of the Monterey area, but on occasion he would be assigned a route delivering seafood from the Monterey Bay to Los Angeles and San Diego. It was late at night on Highway 101 on the return trip home from one of these long distance deliveries that everything changed. A few miles south of Paso Robles, a highway patrolman at the scene of the accident reported the head-on collision, likely caused by the driver of the other truck who had fallen asleep at the wheel....

The Legend of Hiku and Kalewa

     A long time ago, on the slopes of a high mountain, there lived a strong, young man named Hiku. He spent most of his time roaming and hunting in the hills, always using the bow that he had crafted himself from the wood of the wiliwili tree. Although his bow was strong, it was the arrow he used that made him such a good hunter. His mother told him that this was a special arrow called Pua Ne that had been handed down through the generations, which had been fashioned by the gods. It had helped him to provide well for his mother, who relied upon his skills and help at home.

    Searching for new places to hunt, he came further down into the lowlands and into the village of Holualoa. There, he found other young men shooting their arrows in a contest of skill. Hiku asked if he could join in the contest. As he did, he shot his arrow high and far, much farther than any of the others. It soared across the planted fields and entered the courtyard of the ali'i, or chief, of Kona, and landed at the feet of the fair princess Kawelu. When she saw the strong and noble Hiku approaching to retrieve his arrow, she quickly hid it away. Seeing the princess standing at her door, he stopped and admired her beauty. He then asked politely, "Did you see an arrow fall nearby?" 

    "Perhaps," she replied. "But there are so many arrows. How would you know your arrow from any other arrow?" she asked, and challenged him to find it. Then Hiku called to the arrow, “Pua ne! Pua ne!” and the arrow replied, “Ne!” revealing its hiding place to be within the house.

    Hiku entered the house of the princess and there, sure enough, he found his arrow.... 

Chapter 8    

Mo'olelo (Stories)

   So, here’s where I come in. Hearing Grandpa’s stories of previous generations have helped me to understand more of who I am and where I fit into the family picture. Now it's my turn to try to fill in the blanks.

________________________________

    I was only three years old when my father, Jon Kanaloa, died in the accident. I really don’t have any memories of him, and over the years, mom only told me a few things about him – that he was half Hawaiian and that he was estranged from his parents who lived in the San Francisco Bay Area.

    When I was four, mom met and married Alex Johansson, from Sweden, who was attending the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Alex adopted me shortly after, and our family moved to Boulder, Colorado, where he was offered a job. He became the only dad I ever really knew.

    For quite some time, as far as I knew, I was an all-American kid with some Swedish family heritage, growing up in Colorado. When I was eight, our family took a trip to meet my step-dad’s family in Sweden. We were there during Christmas and I got a good dose of life in Sweden and the Swedish yuletide traditions. We brought home several souvenirs and established new family holiday traditions that helped us remember our time there. The trip helped me to feel connected to my Swedish family and heritage. 

    While growing up, I learned to play hockey and to ski, and lived a life far removed from anything Hawaiian. I didn't have any contact with my Hawaiian grandparents. Until I was fourteen, that is.

    One day, Mom came into my room one day and said she needed to talk to me. Uh-oh, one of those serious adult-like talks that every teenage boy loves to have. What’d I do now? I wondered. 

    She was holding a letter in her hands and had a rather somber look on her face.

    “What’s up, mom?” I asked.

    “Well, Danny,” she replied, “We got a letter from your Grandma and Grandpa Kanaloa in California.  They said they have been trying to find us for a while now, and wondered about coming out to visit, or maybe having you come out to see them in California. I know you don't know them and it might seem awkward, so I’m not sure what to think. We just have never had much to do with them. Your dad had a falling out with them many years ago, you know.”

    “Yeah, you told me.” I said. “So, they want me to come to California?” The thought of going there was kind of exciting – not because of meeting my long lost grandparents or anything, just that California sounded cool.

    “Well, I guess I’d just rather you see them if they could come here, instead. I’m not sure about you going out there by yourself.”

    “But I’d be with my grandma and grandpa, right?” I said, still feeling more interested in seeing the Golden State with beaches, surfing and the legendary California girls.

    “Yes,” she replied hesitantly.

    “Okay! Cool! I wanna go! When?” It was apparent that I was a bit too excited about this for her comfort....

    Loaded on top of the van were four surf boards, which were to be used in turn by any who wanted to hit the waves during the day.  We followed Grandpa to Cowell’s Beach on the right side of the wharf, and within minutes the boards were down and under the arms of the 4 older cousins on the way to the water.  I was amazed at the sight of it all – the wharf, the sand, the water, and yes, the girls.

    This was going to be a great day!

    I learned quickly, when it was my turn, that surfing looks a whole lot easier to do than it actually is.  Just standing up for more than a couple of seconds took most of my time and energy. But as the day wore on, I started to get the hang of hanging ten, and was able to ride out a couple of awesome waves. Yes, they were more like beginner’s waves, but, dude! I was surfing!

     What was cool was to watch the others, and especially Grandpa. Talk about a dude! This man certainly was one – he was awesome at surfing! My cousin Kelly told me that Grandpa was actually an original member of the Santa Cruz Surfer’s Club that got started way back in the fifties, and he had won some surfing competitions. Whoa, dude. I was impressed.

     As it got to be later in the day, a couple of my cousins asked Grandpa if he would take us to Pleasure Point, where the waves can be more challenging.

    Initially, the answer was no.  He was concerned whether some of us could handle it, and the younger ones would be better off at and were enjoying the beach at Cowells. Plus, didn’t we want to get on some of the rides at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk?

     After much badgering, in which I joined, and after my Aunt Lani offered to stay with the younger ones, a handful of us loaded the boards, jumped in the van and drove a little way down the coast to Pleasure Point. 

    Stepping out of the van, I was in awe. The waves were definitely bigger, and there was some fantastic wave action going on - professional surfers doing what they do best.

     After getting some strict warnings and advice from Grandpa, our boards hit the water.  I sat out the first round and watched the show from the shore. A feeling of amazement and thrill hit me as I watched this ocean scene. I loved being here! As I watched, a deeper indescribable sense of connection with the water flooded over me. It was the first time in my life I can remember feeling anything spiritual – it almost brought me to tears. Wow.

    Then it was my turn to try out the bigger waves. Grandpa, me and two of my cousins all paddled out together, and all the way Grandpa was feeding my head with advice of what to do when you don’t know what to do. I’m sure I must have heard most of it, but my head and my heart were racing with wonder, fear and excitement all at once that I wasn’t much of a student.

    When we got out to a certain distance, Grandpa gave the go ahead, and my cousins caught a wave.  Of course, they did just fine and it looked like fun.

    Then it was our turn. Grandpa said go, and I went. I got up and had one of the greatest thrill rides of my life. Look at me! I’m a surfer dude! It was so much fun, I immediately turned the board around and paddled out again. Could I top the fun of that first ride? I was hell-bent to find out.

    My second wave also started out great. But about halfway in, I felt my board being tugged to the left and felt the wave breaking on me much earlier than last time. All of the sudden, I lost my balance, and I fell in the churning surf. I quickly found myself disoriented and gasping for air under tons of rushing seawater.  Despite my efforts to find the surface, it eluded me. I panicked.

    And soon things got dark....

______________________________

The Legend of How Maui Fished Up an Island

    Maui stood on the beach and watched his brothers go off in their canoe for a fishing trip. He hadn’t been invited to join them on the trip, because his brothers were jealous of Maui. They had seen him do many marvelous things. One day he had lifted the sky, and another time he killed Puna, the great eel. And he could outrun his brothers and surpass everybody at any kind of sport. Maui was the only one in the family that was born with such great powers.

    His brothers were excellent fisherman and didn’t want Maui’s abilities to overshadow their efforts.  But since Maui wanted to prove his great abilities in fishing as well, he began to prepare himself for his own fishing trip. He created a special barb to put on the end of a spear so that the fish wouldn't wriggle off, unlike any other fish-hook in the world. It was made from the jawbone of a strange creature in the underworld, known only to Maui.

    The next thing needed was a special kind of bait, different from and more powerful than anything ever used by fisherman before. As he pondered over what this bait should be, he heard the loud noises of the sacred alae birds in the trees above his head. Such birds were considered to have powers of their own, and were very rare. Just the thing, he thought to himself as he devised a trap to catch one of them.

    With his caged bird he was practically ready. Now just one more thing was needed - a strong fishing line.  He searched among the olona vines for the strongest he could find and wove them carefully and tightly into a line that was stronger than any other made before.   

    With his basket containing the special hook, line, and bait, he walked toward the beach to prepare a canoe and said to himself, “Now I will show my brothers what I can do. I'll fish for something at the bottom of the sea that they could never catch. I'll show them how to really fish.”

    There at the beach were his brothers, preparing for another fishing trip.

    “Let me go with you,” Maui asked.

Chapter 9    

Ali’i (Royalty)

     The stories of four generations of my family have now been told. The day that Annette and I spent with my grandparents was remarkable – a day that I will always cherish – a day when I learned more who I really was.  After many hours of listening to Grandpa's stories while flipping through old photo albums and scrapbooks, and learning much about my family history, Grandpa said there was one more box of old documents and journals that he wanted me to see.

    It was getting to be early evening and Grandma insisted that we take a break to make and eat some dinner. Grandpa agreed that a break was good, and that we could continue after dinner. The two of them shooed us out the house and said, with a break in the rain, we should go down to the La’ie Beach Park and have a walk on the shore while they prepared the food.

    Great idea. No need to twist my arm to get me to go to a beach. Although sunset happens on the west side of the island, and we were on the east side, the cloudy skies were broken up enough to show some brilliant colors in the sky as the sun went down. Kicking off our shoes, the two of us waded in the end of the waves as they came to shore, and really enjoyed a peaceful walk along the beach. The rainy day must have chased everyone else away: we had the beach all to ourselves....

    At first, I was most curious about the content in the Hawaiian Monarchy book, so I opened it up and started carefully flipping through the brittle paper. With Annette looking on, I passed a handful of title and introductory pages, and then stopped at the page titled

“Monarchs”.  A list of names began with “King Kamehameha I; Reign: Spring 1795 – May 8, 1819.”  I recognized the name of this first king of Hawai’i, whose full name was listed as “Kalani Paiʻea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiʻikui Kamehameha o ʻIolani i Kaiwikapu kauʻi Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea.”

    Whew!

    The list continued with his son Kamehameha II, and so on, down to Queen Liliuokalani, Hawai’i's last queen.

    Okay, I guess that’s interesting. But what else? I thought.

    “Let’s see, what page did Grandpa say I should be looking at?” I asked Annette.

    “Didn’t he say page fourteen?”

    Turning to page fourteen, which was folded down in the top corner, we found a picture of King David Kalākaua, with a couple of pages of text following.

    “So, are we related to this guy or something?” I wondered aloud.

    “Did he have any children?” Annette asked. “I don’t see any listed here.” Looking through the chart of basic facts below the picture I read the answer: “It says none,” I said. “Okay, so we’re not related to him.”

    “But look at this,” Annette said.... 

The Story of Maile’s Dilemma                                 

As re-told from entries in Victoria Maile’s journal, 1917-1918

    ....Although Maile and her family were devout Christians, they also revered many of the ancient Hawaiian customs and superstitions. Not only was it considered good luck but essential to the child’s happy life to be presented with the mana found at a heiau to the old Hawaiian akua gods.

    The Ke’e Heiau was considered by many to be one of the most important sites in all Hawai’i, because of its association with legends of the goddess Pele and its history as a place for the celebration and instruction of the hula dance. Additionally, this heiau was an important site to her family. They had come to visit this spot several times as she grew up. It was related in royal family storytelling that her 4th great-grandfather, King Kaumuali’i, was presented here as an infant, and that it was at this sacred spot that he pronounced a blessing on the island nation of Kaua’i, just before ceding the island to the controls of King Kamehameha.

    Maile was accompanied on her journey to Ke’e, by many of her relatives and family friends, several of whom were kumu hula and haumana hula, teachers and students of hula. A special presentation of song and dance had been prepared for this celebration and presentation of Keoki.

    After a few hours, the group had arrived at the end of the road with the lovely Ke'e beach right before them. Before climbing the trail to the heiau, Maile stepped down to the water and lightly dipped the infant boy into the water's surface, as a symbolic cleansing.

    Then, on the last few steps of the trail near the heiau, Maile stopped at the stone called Kilioe. Following ancient customs, Maile carefully placed a wrapped banana leaf containing the piko, or umbilical cord, that once connected her to Keoki, in one of many small holes in the large Kilioe stone. She then sent heavenward a prayer for Keoki to be blessed with a long life and divine protection.

    At the heiau, the group of travelers gathered on the sacred platform called Ke Ahu a Laka as the sun began to set. The ceremony began with everyone participating either by chanting, playing the ipu hula gourds or performing the dance. This special hula was dedicated to the goddess Pele, but performed in honor of Keoki, the son of Maile.  As tears flowed down her cheeks, Maile held her little boy and looked out to the sea, down the Na Pali coast and said, “Aloha nui loa, my little Keoki.”

    With her baby boy brought into and presented to the world, the next step of releasing her little Keoki to another family seemed impossible. How could she do this and live with herself?....

The Lost Princess Haina Kolo

    With a heavy heart the princess Haina Kolo entered the canoe and pushed it out into the sea. For many days and nights she had been in sorrow, missing her husband the great chief of Kaua'i, who had gone to war. Her songs of sorrow and sobbing could be heard well above the waves, as she paddled wearily toward Hawai'i, the island of the burning mountains. The strength of the winds and the waves seemed to both increase her burden and strengthen her resolve to move her tiny boat across the sea and find her husband.

    It was not only for her own sake that she did this, but for that of her baby son, Lei Makani, who was tucked into the bottom of the canoe. Asleep at first, the child woke up crying. Haino Kolo put down her paddle, lifted up her son and held him close to her. The lullaby she sang to him was to comfort not only him, but also herself.

    "Go back to sleep, my little one, son of Loakalani. Your mother is here and loves you much. Together we shall find your father who has forgotten his home in Kaua'i. We shall remind him of the love of a wife and a son. Sleep, my Lei Makani." As she continued her lullaby, tears rolled down her cheeks, glistening in the light of the moon. 

    Throughout the night Haina Kolo traded off her paddling with comforting her son. She paddled as best she could in the direction of the star that was to lead her to Hawai'i. But when morning came, she was unsure of where she was and there was no land in sight. Had she lost her way? Would she ever find Hawai'i? She shivered in despair as a cold breeze hit her shoulders, and wondered how much longer she and her son would survive with the near empty water gourd and food basket she had brought. She picked up her little boy and held him close to her heart as she looked towards the heavens and prayed for help.

    Paddling on and off again throughout that day while tending to her baby, Haina Kolo grew very weak and tired. She didn't think that she would have the strength or courage to continue on much longer. Falling asleep with the baby in her arms, she didn't see the paddle sliding off the canoe and into the ocean. 

    As the new day dawned in the purple east and the warm sun touched her cheeks, Haina Kolo awoke. A gentle breeze brushed through her long, flowing hair and it gave her new hope that perhaps it would soon lead them to their destination. 

    But her hopes became dashed as the purple skies became darker, and the roaring of an terrible storm came their way. Haina Kolo looked helplessly for the missing paddle. Soon they were engulfed in the midst of heaving waves and the beating of windswept rains. The baby cried out, and so did Haina Kolo, believing that this was their end. 

    Holding her baby tight, she looked up in horror. The crest of a giant wave was coming upon them.... 

Chapter 10    

Pukana la (Sunrise)

   

 ....After a short moment of silence, all of us enjoying the scrumptious meal, Grandpa then asked, “Do you remember our time surfing in Santa Cruz, Danny?” Grandpa asked.

    “Remember? I had the time of my life that day, Grandpa! It was so cool to learn how to surf from one of the surfing greats – my grandpa!”

    He smiled a bit sheepishly, and then continued, “Then you remember the incident of being churned underwater, and being taken ashore to catch your breath?”

    “Catch my breath? Wow, it was much more than that! I remember nearly drowning, thinking I was about to die, before you pulled me up and saved me. Yes, I remember it very well. How could I forget? You saved my life, Grandpa! Thank you!

    “You're welcome, Danny, I only did what I needed to,” he said while Grandma placed her hand on his arm and smiled a deep smile of gratitude at both of us. “Do you remember what you told me that you heard?”

    “I, uh...” I stumbled a bit while trying to recall what it was I heard, being a bit surprised that something that had such strong impact on me so long ago, yet for many years now had been nearly forgotten, was now being brought to the surface.

    “Remember?” Grandpa started in, “You are not the first to ride these waters. Honor those who came before.”

    “Yes, yes, that was it,” I said. “I remember.”

    Noticing the puzzled look on Annette's face, I related the story of my surfing incident with Grandpa to her, including how Grandpa told me that he had had a similar experience hearing those same words when he was younger.

    She then asked, “So, what does that mean? That you were not the first to surf there? And who are you supposed to be honoring?”

    “Good question, right Grandpa?” I asked.

    “It is a good question, Danny. One that has a good answer. Would you like to know the answer?”

    “I thought you told me you didn't know what it meant!” I said in surprise.

    “Well, I didn't really understand it much when it happened to me, but after that day when it also happened to you, I spent a lot of time pondering its meaning. It used to keep me up at nights, a lot." He looked over at Grandma, who confirmed with a nod that this was true.

    "Then, one night I had a dream.... 

The Legend of the Akua Kanaloa             

    In the days of long ago, the four great akua – the first of all the ancient gods – created the earth, including everything above and everything below. Kanaloa, Ku and Lono shared in this great work, under the direction of Kāne, the god of creation.

    Kanaloa was created to be the god of the sea, including all things associated with the ocean and long distance voyaging, and was the god of healing. Kanaloa was known to provide protection to those who sailed, journeyed or fished upon the sea. He watched for needs of all the creatures of the great deep, and was known at times to take the bodily form of various sea creatures, including the squid, the octopus, the dolphin and the whale. In fact, the entire ocean itself was thought to be one of Kanaloa’s bodies.

    The name of Kanaloa, meaning “the great peace”, defined his powers of healing and the control and calming of waters. Sea voyagers learned that an offering made to the great Kanaloa before starting out would increase their chances of safely reaching their destination. Fishermen knew that the size and success of their catch could depend on how well they gave honor to Kanaloa. The people of the islands found that by looking into the eyes of Kanaloa, which on tiki representations are usually shown as being more open than on the other akua, would help them to find peace and be healed....

Chapter 11

Ho’i Hou (The Return)

    It's been about a year and a half now since Annette and I were in Hawai’i. I think of my life now as BH and AH: Before Hawai’i and After Hawai’i. The impact of that trip – that huaka’i – on both of us was tremendous. Though our bodies may now be in Colorado, and our lives are quite busy here, our hearts and our thoughts remain in Hawai’i.

    Two months ago we welcomed a new member of our family – a beautiful, strong little boy that we have named David Keoki Kanaloa Johansson. Yes, two middle names – we couldn’t pass on giving him both of these great names. A whole new dimension of love, joy and disturbed sleeping has entered our lives. David seems to think that he is in Hawai’i, too. He wants to stay up and won't sleep well until around 2 a.m., but then he'll usually sleep until around ten a.m.

    Is it any wonder that his sleeping times correlate to the period of 10 p.m. through 6 a.m., Hawai’i Time? It's as if he awakes just in time to catch a Hawaiian ocean sunrise.

   Well, maybe that's good, because he'll adapt well to being in Hawai’i. We've now booked another trip, heading out in a couple of days. This time it will be a final farewell to Grandpa. A few months ago, Grandma called to let us know that Grandpa had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and he only had a short time left.

    With having a new baby, it has been difficult to be able to plan another trip until now. Both Annette and the baby are doing well, and the medical bills are finally under control. It's going to take racking up a bit on the credit card to do this trip, but we both feel it's necessary. We want Grandpa to meet his new great-grandson. And we want to show our love and thank him again for his life and love shown to us.

    As we finished packing the night before the flight to Hawai’i, I got a phone call from Grandma. She at first acted as though she just wanted to confirm that we were still coming, and wanted to know what our flight plans were. But when I asked how Grandpa was doing, she began to cry.

    “Grandpa has taken a turn for the worse,” she was finally able to say, “and the doctor said it is just a matter of time now. Oh, I do hope you can get here before he goes, Danny!”

    “Me, too, Grandma,” I said chokingly. “Me, too. Tell him Danny is coming and to hang on. I'll be there soon.”

    When the phone was hung up, tears were shed on both sides of the line....

Get the book and read the whole story!

Go to: Amazon.com / My Huakai: A Hawaiian Journey

COMING SOON:

2nd Book in the Huaka'i Series:
Huaka'i: The Lost Legends of Kanaloa

by Ken R. Young

Book Introduction: 
Danny Kanaloa was not raised to be Hawaiian, but has recently discovered deep connections with his Hawaiian family and heritage (see the book Huaka’i: My Hawaiian Journey). After having moved his small family to the island of Kaua’i, he develops a desire to better understand the background to his Hawaiian last name of Kanaloa. A journey of discovery into Hawaiian culture and legends takes Danny on a huaka’i to the Big Island of Hawai'i, and then across the ocean to the Tahitian islands of Raivavae and Raiatea, the ancient homelands of the Hawaiian people. Exploring the origins of the legendary god Kanaloa, he discovers lost records containing several forgotten legends. The story of Danny’s journey is interwoven with the legends, traditions, and historical events of Hawai’i and Tahiti.