Helu 5

I ke ao ʻana aʻe, na ke kaʻa lawe leka i hoʻāla mai iā Laʻialoha nei, e hōʻike mai ana ua kani ka hola ʻumi. Ala aʻela ʻo ia me ka hauʻoli a me ka maha pono o ke kino. Mālie wale nō kona hoʻomākaukau ʻana i ke kope a me ka ʻaina kakahiaka, a pau ka ʻai ʻana, ūlū maila i nā pono hele kahakai. He lā kaʻawale kā, kūpono paha no ke kaha nalu ʻana.

I kona hele ʻana i ka pahu ʻume e kiʻi ai i ka lole ʻauʻau, hoaka maila ka poho pōhaku a ʻane hikilele aʻe ʻo Laʻialoha i kona ʻike aku. Ua hei ʻia akula nō kona mau maka a pūʻiwa ihola ʻo ia i ka poina hou iā ia. Aia lā nō naʻe ia ma laila, e waiho mū ana me kona nani hiwahiwa.

Hoʻi maila ka nīnau o nehinei i kona noʻonoʻo. ʻAʻohe naʻe ona moeʻuhane ikaika o ka pō nei. I loko ona, ʻakaʻaka iki ihola ʻo Laʻialoha i kona hoʻohuoi ʻana ua pili ka moe ʻuhane nui i ua wahi poho pōhaku nei. Nānā akula ʻo ia i ka poho me ka ʻī aku, “E kuʻu malihini ē, Pōʻakahi nō au e lawe aku ai iā ʻoe i ke keʻena.” Hulali wale maila ka ʻalā makahinu.

Ma mua o ka hele ʻana i ke one ākea o Mākena, ua kalaiwa aku ʻo Laʻialoha i Keoneʻōʻio, kahi e pau ai ke alanui. He ʻāina ia e wehi ana i ke kapa ʻeleʻele a ka wahine i ka maka o ke ahi. He pāʻā wale nō i kekahi poʻe, akā iā Laʻialoha he ʻāina nani, kahi o ke kai ola loa a me nā kīpuka lāʻau ʻōiwi he nui.

I kokoke aku ka hana i ke awa liʻiliʻi, lele aʻela ko Laʻialoha hauli i ka ʻike aku i ke kalaka o Keakalani. Ua hele mai nō kā lāua i kahi like. Kupanaha ka ʻonou ʻia mai o kēia kanaka i kona ala. Ua ʻike nō ʻo Laʻialoha, aia ka uʻi lā i ka holoholo i ke alaloa a Kihaapiʻilani.

Aia kona kalaka ma ka ʻaoʻao hema, akā kūkulu akula ʻo Laʻialoha i kona kalaka i mua pono o ke kai me ka hoʻopio ʻole. ʻAʻohe ona manaʻo e noho lōʻihi a hālāwai me Keakalani he alo a he alo, ʻoiai ʻaʻole ʻo ia i kikokiko hou aku iā ia i nehinei. He nānā wikiwiki wale nō kāna i ke ʻano o ke kai i kēia lā.

Kauaheahe akula kona mau maka i ke kai uliuli a lalau koke akula ka noʻonoʻo. Kū aʻela nō ka moemoeā no ka ʻōiwi pūkonakona pālule ʻole o ka uʻi lā e hoʻolei aku ana i kahi ʻupena me ka huki mai a ua piha nō i ka iʻa. ʻO ka hoʻokomo mai nō ia o nā manamana o ia ala i mau ʻoʻolopū iʻa lāwalu i loko o ko ia nei waha. ʻO ka poi ʻuoʻuo mai nō o kāohi puʻu. ʻOmo wale ʻia nō a maʻemaʻe pono ka manamana miki. A laila, ʻo ka pili pono o ko ia ala waha wela i ko ia nei. ʻO ke kiʻi hope loa ia e nanea ai ko ia nei manaʻo. Inā ua lilo ʻo ia ala i kāne na ia nei, ʻaʻohe wahi lā pōloli.

Pūʻiwa ihola ʻo Laʻialoha i nā manaʻo kuko wale e kupu aʻe ana i loko ona, ʻaʻole naʻe ʻo ia i hōʻole a ʻuʻumi paha.

Iā ia e walea ana i ka moemoeā, lohe aʻela ʻo ia i ke kani kanono o ke pani o hope o kekahi kalaka. I ʻalawa aʻe ka hana a kona mau maka i ke aniani kilo hope, ʻike akula ʻo ia i ke keiki alokele lā o Kaupō, iā Keakalani hoʻi. E kau aku ana ʻo ia i kahi ʻeke piha i ka iʻa ma ka hope o kona kalaka. Hoʻokuʻu akula kona mau lima, hāliu maila ke poʻo i ka ʻaoʻao o ko Laʻialoha kalaka, a hālāwai maila nā maka o lāua. Palai ihola ʻo Laʻialoha a kau maoli maila ka weli. Ua loaʻa pono nō.

ʻUʻumi ihola ʻo ia i ka piʻoloke a manaʻo ihola i kāna mea e ʻōlelo ai. ʻAʻohe ʻōlelo no kahi tūtū e pakele ai. ʻAʻohe kio pōhaku nalo i ke alo pali.

ʻAlawa hou aʻela ʻo Laʻialoha i ke aniani. Unuhi aʻela ʻo Keakalani i ʻelua kini wai hua ʻai Pass-o-Guava me ke ʻeke hau mai loko mai o kekahi pahu kula nui. Hoʻomoe akula ʻo ia i nā iʻa ma luna o ka hau o lalo o ka pahu, hoʻohāliʻi akula i hau hou aku ma luna, a pani ihola. Huli maila a hele maila nō i ke kalaka o Laʻialoha nei me nā kini ʻelua e paʻa ana ma kona lima.

Hōʻea mail nō ʻo Keakalani i ka puka o ke kalaka a kamaʻilio maila me ka mahamaha, “Aloha, e ia nei!” ʻAʻohe ona pālule, pulu kona lauoho ʻeleʻele piʻipiʻi i ke kai, a pēlā pū kona lole wāwae pōkole. I ʻalawa aku ko ia nei mau maka i ko ia ala kino ikaika, ʻike akula nō, ʻaʻole ia he ikaika i loaʻa mai ma ka hāpai hao, he ikaika i loaʻa mai ma ka hana ʻana ma ka ʻāina.

“Aloha kāua,” i pane aku ai ʻo Laʻialoha me ka haʻalulu iki o kona leo. ʻAʻohe ona lihi hoʻomaopopo i ke kumu e palalū wale ai ʻo ia i ke alo o kēia kanaka. ʻAʻohe ona makaʻu i kahi kāne hoʻokahi—hānau ʻia ʻo ia nei i ka pō Lāʻau. Ma kāna hana ma mua, iā ia ka hoʻokele i ka hana a nā kāne he nui, a ʻo kona leo nō ma luna. Kēnā wahi keiki naʻe o Kaupō, hoʻohaʻalulu wale mai nō, a he mea hoʻonāukiuki wale ia i ka wahine ʻoʻoleʻa nei o ka mauna kilakila.

“Pehea mai nei?” i hoʻomau ai ʻo Keakalani ma ke ʻano waipahē.

“ʻO ia mau nō i ke alo pali,” wahi a Laʻialoha, “ʻO ʻoe, pehea?”

“Maikaʻi wale nō!” i pane ai ʻo Keakalani me ka minoʻaka. Ua maopopo iā Welina, he hauʻoli nō ko ia ala i ka lokomaikaʻi mai o Kanaloa i kēia lā.

“Kanono wale ka wela o ka lā, ʻeā,” i hoʻomau ai ʻo ia ala, “e hōʻoluʻolu liʻiliʻi paha kāua i ka malu kiawe?” ʻIke akula ʻo Laʻialoha i ka lana nui o ko ia ala manaʻo i wahi wā o ka noho pū ʻana me ia ma kahakai nei.

Wahaheʻe akula ʻo Laʻialoha me ka leo kānalua, “He ʻumi paha minuke ka lōʻihi loa e hiki ai. He hālāwai kaʻu ma Kahului i ka hola ʻekahi.” Minoʻaka nui maila ʻo Keakalani a ʻalawa koke ihola ʻo Laʻialoha e wehe ai i ka ʻili kalapu, i ʻole ai hoʻi e heihei ʻia e ko ia ala mau maka ʻālohilohi. Hoʻopio ihola ʻo ia nei i ke kaʻa a lele akula i lalo.

Ma lalo aku lāua o ka malu kiawe. Hanu nui ihola ʻo Laʻialoha i ke ʻala o ke kai e māpu mai ana, a hui pono maila me ka māpuna ikaika o loko ona. Wehe aʻela ʻo Keakalani i kahi kini wai huaʻai a hāʻawi maila iā Laʻialoha. Inu ihola ʻo ia, a ʻoluʻolu loa kona puʻu i ka wai momona a huʻihuʻi loa.

“Ua alahula iā ʻoe ʻo Keoneʻōʻio nei?” i nīnau mai ai ʻo Keakalani me ka hoihoi.

“I kēia mau lā, ʻaʻole. Ma mua naʻe, hele pinepine mai nō me ka poʻe o ka ʻAhahui Lāʻau ʻŌiwi i mea e mālama ai i nā kīpuka liʻiliʻi,” mālie iki maila ko Laʻialoha naʻau i ka hoʻopuka ʻana i kekahi mea pili i ka hana.

“Ua nui, eh, kou ʻike i nā lāʻau ʻōiwi?” wahi a Keakalani me ka mahalo. Inu nui akula ʻo ia i ka wai o ke kini i mea e kena ai ka makewai maoli i ka holoholo ʻana.

“Tsā. He wahi ʻike mālani wale nō paha, a pili i kuʻu wahi ʻāina wale nō,” i pane haʻahaʻa aku ai ʻo Laʻialoha.

“ʻAe, pololei nō ʻoe. Ma ka ʻike mālani wale nō e loaʻa ai ke kuleana nui o ka mālama ʻana iā Auwahi, ʻeā. ʻAʻohe paha nui kou ʻike, a he noho nani wale nō paha kāu i ka ʻolu o ka AC, e like hoʻi me ko Honolulu,” i hoʻohenehene wale mai ai ʻo ia ala me ka hene pū o kona ʻaka.

ʻAkaʻaka aʻela ʻo Laʻialoha me ka pūnono ʻana mai o kona mau papālina. A laila nīnau akula ʻo ia nei no kā ia ala hana, “A pehea kou ʻāina e mālama nei?”

Pane akula ʻo Keakalani, “Pehea lā? ʻAʻole mākou ʻike i ka holomua me ka ʻole i kēia makahiki aʻe. Maopopo iā ʻoe ke ʻano lauwili o ka Mokuʻāina.”

Luli ana ke poʻo o Laʻialoha, “Lapuwale maoli nō. ʻImi wale nō lākou i ka mea hou e hoihoi ai ka poʻe noiʻi. ʻAʻohe ʻike o ko Honolulu i ke ʻano maoli o ka hana ma ka ʻāina. Maikaʻi loa kā ʻoukou papahana. Hūpō ka hoʻolako ʻole aku i ke kālā.”

“Ua noi ʻia au e hana pū me ka Nature Conservancy ma Oʻahu. Ke noʻonoʻo nei au i ka neʻe ʻana i laila no kahi wā…Koe aku ia,” wahi a Keakalani me ka nānā aku iā ia nei.

Hoka wale ana ʻo Laʻialoha i ke ahuʻawa i ka lohe ʻana i ia ʻōlelo. Pane koke akula ʻo ia me ka pūʻiwa, “He manaʻo maoli nō kou e haʻalele iā Kaupō?” Inu hou ihola ʻo ia i ʻoʻolopū wai huaʻai i mea e kinai iho ai i ka pīhoihoi e lalapa ana i loko ona.

I ia wā nō i haka pono mai ai ʻo Keakalani i loko o nā maka o Laʻialoha nei, me ka ʻī nahenahe ʻana mai, “ʻAʻohe mea e kāua mai ana iaʻu e noho…A ua ʻano mehameha ka nohona ma Kaupō.”

Lelele aʻela ke aʻa koni o Laʻialoha, a pane aʻela ʻo ia me ka pīhoihoi iki o kona leo, “A pehea hoʻi nā kumu lāʻau a ʻoukou i kanu ai?”

“Na haʻi nō paha e mālama,” i pane ai ʻo Keakalani me ka hoʻopalaka. Walawala aʻela ke kini a komo ke koena o ka wai i kona waha.

Hāliu akula ʻo Laʻialoha i ke kai no kahi manawa pōkole a laila nānā hou akula i ka uʻi lā, a pane akula me ka hāpai aʻe i ke kini, “Ua maʻū nō ka puʻu, mahalo. E haʻalele paha au no kaʻu hālāwai.”

“Alia,” wahi a Keakalani me ka haka pono hou aku nō i nā maka o Laʻialoha, “E pāʻina pū paha kāua i kekahi wā?” He ʻolu waipahē ke ʻano o kā ia ala noi, a he noi ʻiʻo nō ia. ʻOkoʻa ke noi mua i ko lāua launa mua ʻana ʻeono mahina aku nei.

E kāpekepeke maoli ana ko Laʻialoha manaʻo. ʻO kahi keiki kuaʻāina nō kāna mea i liʻa mau ai, a he uʻi nō ʻo ia ala, mai loko a waho. Inā naʻe he manaʻo kona e noho ma Oʻahu, e haʻalele wale i ka ʻāina hānau me ka papahana nui āna i luhi ai, e waiho pū ʻia akula auaneʻi paha ʻo ia nei i ka hope waʻa. ʻAʻohe ʻoluʻolu o ia manaʻo i ka māʻukaʻuka hoe hewa o ka mauna.

Nānā akula ʻo Laʻialoha i ka uʻi maka onaona e hoʻomanawanui mai ana i kāna pane, a ʻī akula, “E kala mai, akā e paʻahana maoli ana nō au i kēia mau pule e hiki mai ana. Inā holo kēia manaʻo no ka Leeward Partnership, e nui aʻe ana nō ka hana i mea e hoʻomaka pono ai. Lana nō koʻu manaʻo e mau ke kākoʻo o ka Mokuʻāina i kā ʻoukou papahana. E hoʻomaopopo mai ke lohe ʻoe. A hui hou aku kāua, ʻeā.”

I lawa nō a puka ia mau huaʻōlelo mai kona waha aku, ua makemake ʻo ia e hoʻi hope a pane ʻokoʻa. Lohe aʻela nō ka pepeiao o ka uʻi lā, a mamae ihola ka pua o ka māmane. “Hiki nō,” wahi a Keakalani me ka nānā aku iā Laʻialoha, “a hui hou aku nō.” A me ia nō i huli aʻe ai ka uʻi o Kaupō a hoʻi nele akula i kona kalaka.

Kokoni ana ka ʻeha i loko o Laʻialoha, akā ua hala ʻē aku nō ka Puʻulena. No Hilo aku nei nō a waiho ʻia maila ʻo ia i ka nopu wela o ka lā o Honuaʻula. Kau akula ʻo ia i luna o kona kalaka a lālau akula i kāna kelepona. Ua kelekiko hou mai kona ʻanakē. Nānā akula ʻo ia i ka manaʻo, akā ʻo ka ʻoiaʻiʻo, e kakali wale ana a haʻalele mua ʻo Keakalani. Inā holo ʻo ia ala ma hope o ia nei, e ʻike mai auaneʻi i ka wahaheʻe ke huli ko ia nei kalaka no kahakai o Mākena, ma kahi o ka hele pololei ʻana no Kahului.

Penei ka manaʻo o kona ʻanakē:
Aloha e Laʻi. Ua hoʻomākaukau au i kāu kupa punahele. Makemake paha ʻoe e pāʻina pū? Inā pēlā, hele mai i ka hola 5.

Ua ʻike ʻia nā huaʻōlelo, ʻaʻole naʻe i komo pono i loko o ka noʻonoʻo o Laʻialoha. Aia nō ʻo ia i kapa kai, kahi e ahu ana ka hoka. Nīnau ihola ʻo ia iā ia iho i ke kumu e makaʻu ai i ka uʻi lā. ʻAʻole naʻe ʻo ia luʻu aku a i nā papakū o kona naʻau e ʻimi ai i ka haʻina. ʻOi aku ka maʻalahi o ka lana ʻana ma ka ʻilikai me ʻOle Wale mā.

I loko o ʻumi minuke, hōʻea ana ʻo Laʻialoha i ke one mehana o Mākena. Nānā akula ʻo ia i ke kai uliuli e kōlilelile mai ana i ke alo o Puʻu Ōlaʻi a hū wale aʻela ke aloha i loko ona. Kala loa kona ʻike ʻana i ka nani o ia wahi, ʻekolu paha mahina. Na ke aloha i ka ʻāina i kono mai i ke aloha i ke kanaka a ʻuʻumi ihola ʻo Laʻialoha i ka minaina i kāna pane i ke keiki alokele lā o Kaupō.

Hoʻi maila ka moe ʻuhane ikaika i kona noʻonoʻo, a manaʻo ihola he hūpō paha kona moemoeā ʻana e like iki ka pō me ke ao. Hoʻokae akula ʻo ia i nā manaʻo kuko e ulu ana ana i loko ona ma mua pono o ka hōʻea ʻana mai o Keakalani, a hoʻohiki ihola iā ia iho e waiho i ka noʻonoʻo ʻana i kekahi kāne e haʻalele wale ana paha i ka ʻāina.

Leha akula kona mau maka i ke kai, wehe aʻela i ka pareu e paʻa ana ma kona hope, a ʻimi akula i ka hōʻoluʻolu mai o ke kaha nalu. Lulumi pono ʻia maila e ka nalu o ia kaha a numi ihola ke ānewa a ke aloha. ʻAʻohe ona nānā hou ʻana i ka manawa, ʻo ka hoʻoipoipo wale nō kāna me Kanaloa, ʻo ka hoʻoleʻaleʻa wale nō i ke kai nuʻu a Kāne a ka napoʻo ʻana o ka lā.

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