Helu 9

Aia nō ka ʻāina a me ka hale o ʻAnakē Lahela i ke alanui ʻo Baldwin, ma lalo pono aku o ke kaona ʻo Makawao. I ka wā ma mua, ua male ʻo ia i kekahi paniolo Pukikī no laila. ʻO ke keiki lanakila mau ʻo ia ma ka hoʻoheihei pipi ma ka hoʻokūkū hana paniolo o ia ʻāina. Ua hala nō naʻe ʻo ia he ʻumi paha makahiki aku nei, a waiho ʻia maila ka ʻāina no Lahela a me kā lāua mau keiki ʻekolu.

Komo akula ko Laʻialoha kalaka ma ke ala kīmeki loloa i hoʻomalu ʻia maila e nā kumu lāʻau ʻohai nunui e ulu ana ma nā ʻaoʻao. Piʻi akula nō ʻo ia i ke āhua liʻiliʻi, a piʻi pū aʻela ka haʻalulu i loko ona. I ka hōʻea ʻana aku i mua o ka hale o kona ʻanakē, ua mahalo hou ʻo ia i ka nani. He haneli makahiki a ʻoi o ka hale, he mau pūhala nui e ulu ana ma nā ʻaoʻao, a ma uka iho ona he mau kumu koa nui.

Kūkulu akula ʻo ia i ke kaʻa ma lalo o ke kumu koa a lele ihola. ʻOʻoʻō mai ana nā leo o nā moa kāne hakakā o kona hoa hānau, o Byron. ʻAʻohe mahalo o Laʻialoha i ke kanikani ʻana o ia poʻe manu i ka pō me ke ao. I ko lākou kūkala ʻana i kona hiki ʻana mai, ua komo ka makemake i loko ona e huli hoʻi aku.

Kū akula ʻo ia ma ka ʻaoʻao o kona kalaka, a huli ihola kona manaʻo i kumu e haʻalele ai. ʻO ke kumu i haku wale ʻia maila, ua pilikia kona ʻanakē i kāna mau koho ponoʻī—ʻo ka pāʻina ʻana, ka inu lama ʻana, ʻo ia mau ʻano—a ʻaʻohe kuleana o Laʻialoha i laila. E aho paha e waiho iā ia e hoʻoponopono nona iho. Iā Laʻialoha e noʻonoʻo ana i ala e pakele ai, aia hoʻi, piʻi aʻela ka makani, pā kolonahe maila i kona kua, a pōʻolopū aʻela kona lole wahine.

I ia wā nō i puka mai ai ʻo Lehua mai loko mai o ka hale, a hele maila i ke alo o Laʻialoha me ka ʻī mai, “E Kuʻu Laʻi, aloha nui kāua. Mahalo piha ka hele ʻana mai.” ʻApo ikaika maila ʻo ia iā Laʻialoha i ka pūliki nui.

Pane akula ʻo Laʻialoha, “Aloha nui. Ua pīhoihoi ka naʻau i ka ʻike ʻana i kou manaʻo i kelekiko mai ai. Pehea ʻo Māmā?”

“Maikaʻi ʻo Māmā. Poʻo paʻakikī, e like me ka mau. Akā ua nuku ʻino ke kauka iā ia. No laila ke hoʻomaha nei nō. E kali ana nō ʻo ia i kou hiki mai. E nui ana kona hauʻoli.” Nānā pono maila ʻo Lehua iā ia me ka minoʻaka. ʻO ia ka hoa hānau hoʻokahi o Laʻialoha i pili mau ai.

Piʻi aʻela lāua i ke alapiʻi i mua o ka lānai nui, a komo akula i loko o ka hale malumalu. Kau maila nā ʻano haliʻa like ʻole o ko Laʻialoha wā kamaliʻi i ka honi ʻana o kona ihu i ke ʻala o ka lauhala i hoʻohui ʻia maila me ke kupa pāpapa Pukikī. I waena o ko uka poʻe, ua kaulana kona ʻanakē i ia ʻano kupa.

ʻAlawa aʻela kona mau maka i nā pāpale lauhala hiehie loa e kau ana ma ka paia, nā kūkaʻa puʻipuʻi e waiho ana ma ka hakakau, a me nā ipu ulana he nui o kēlā me kēia ʻano lāʻau. ʻO nā hiʻohiʻona kēia o ka hale o kekahi wahine nona nā makahiki he 40 o ka ulana ʻana. ʻAlawa akula kona mau maka i kekahi kiʻi o Lehua lāua ʻo Lahela ma ka hui ʻohana o kēlā makahiki aku nei, a nūnē ihola ʻo ia i ke ʻano o ka helehelena o kona makuahine inā ua ola ʻo ia i kēia manawa.

Hahai akula ʻo Laʻialoha iā Lehua i ka lumi moe o kona ʻanakē. I komo aku ka hana, ʻaʻole o kana mai ka pūʻiwa o Laʻialoha i ka ʻike ʻana i ka ʻōiwi o kona ʻanakē. Ua nui aʻela nā oho hina o kona poʻo a lenalena iki maila ka ʻili. ʻO nā hōʻailona kēia o ka lōʻihi o kona maʻi ʻana. ʻAʻole i ʻike ʻo Laʻialoha i ko lāua aloha wikiwiki ʻana ma ka pāʻina hui ʻohana. Ua komo pū ʻo ia nei i ka hana imu me nā ʻanakala i mea e hōʻalo ai i ke kamaʻilio ʻana me ia ala.

“E waiho au iā ʻolua, ʻeā,” i hoʻomaopopo aku ai ʻo Lehua iā Laʻialoha. Hoʻi akula ʻo ia i ka lumi hoʻokipa.

E hiʻolani ana ʻo Lahela ma lalo o kekahi kapa kuiki a ko Laʻialoha tūtū i hana ai. Hele akula ʻo Laʻialoha a kona pela moe, noho ihola ma ka ʻaoʻao, a kui akula i kona lima me ko kona ʻanakē. ʻO ka wahine ʻoʻoleʻa a paʻahana wale o kona wā kamaliʻi, me he keiki palupalu lā ʻo ia i kēia manawa. Hū aʻela ke aloha i loko o Laʻialoha, e hoʻopiholo ana i ka mauhala o mua aʻe nei, e hoʻolilo ana i ka ʻeha āna e mālama ana i mea liʻiliʻi.

Hāwanawana akula ʻo ia, “ʻAnakē…ʻO wau nō kēia, ʻo Laʻialoha.”

Me ka mālie i kaʻakaʻa ai ko Lahela mau maka, a i ka ʻike ʻana aku iā Laʻialoha, ʻo ka uē maila nō ia, “Laʻi! Ua hiki mai ʻoe. Ua hiki mai nō.” ʻAʻole nui kona leo, akā ikaika maila ka ʻapo o kona lima i ko Laʻialoha.

“Eia nō au, e ʻAnakē.” Hānupanupa aʻela nā ʻale o ko Laʻialoha naʻau.

“Nānā i kou nani. Kohu loa ka lole o kou māmā iā ʻoe.” Nānā maila ʻo Lahela i ka lole o kona kaikaina a nui aʻela kona waimaka. Ua pūʻiwa paha ʻo ia i ka hoʻohāliʻaliʻa ʻia mai ma ia ʻano. ʻIke akula nō ʻo Laʻialoha i ka minamina nui i loko o kona ʻanakē, e hua ana nō i ka umauma, e ʻimi ana nō e puka ma ka waha, e laoa iki ana paha ma ka puʻu.

“Kala loa ko kāua hui ʻana, ʻeā,” wahi a Welina me ka nānā aku iā Lahela. “E kala mai i ka pane ʻole aku iā ʻoe, i kou kāhea ʻana mai, kelekiko ʻana mai.” He mihi maoli kēia ma ko Laʻialoha ʻaoʻao, me ka ʻauʻa iki nō naʻe i ka nui o kona naʻau.

Luli ana ke poʻo o Lahela, “E Laʻi…ʻO au ka mea e mihi aku iā ʻoe. ʻAʻole au i mālama iā ʻoe e like me ka mea kūpono.”

ʻImi akula ʻo Lahela i nā maka o Laʻialoha, akā palai ihola ʻo ia nei. ʻAʻohe ona ʻike no kahi e hoʻonohonoho ai i ia ʻano ʻōlelo i loko o kona noʻonoʻo me kona naʻau.

Hoʻomau akula ʻo Lahela, i loko o ka nui ʻana mai o kona waimaka, “I ka ʻike ʻana iā ʻoe, ʻike wale akula nō au i kou makuahine, me koʻu hoʻonele ʻana iā ʻoe i kona aloha, a he ʻeha kēlā i hiki ʻole iaʻu ke hoʻomanawanui. E kala mai i koʻu huli kua ʻana iā ʻoe, e Laʻi. E kala mai nō.”

Iho makawalu mai ana ko Lahela waimaka, a e haʻalulu ana ke kino o Laʻialoha. ʻO ka manawa nō kēia e hōʻike aku ai i kona manaʻo me kona naʻau, akā e paio ikaika ana ʻo ia i ka makaʻu.

Noho mālie ihola ʻo ia no kahi wā, a laila nānā akula nō i kona ʻanakē, “Ma mua, ua ʻeha nō au i kou nānā ʻole mai.” E hua ana ka uē ma ko Laʻialoha puʻu, akā moni ihola ʻo ia a hoʻomau akula nō, “Ua hala nō naʻe ia wā, ʻeā. E waiho nō kāua i nā ʻeha o mua aku nei. Pēlā nō paha e ola ai ʻo loko. Kala ʻia nō ʻoe, e ʻanakē.” I ka hoʻopua ʻana aku i ia mau huaʻōlelo, pua pū aʻela kona waimaka.

Uē like ihola lāua, akā me he wai holoi ia e hōʻoluʻolu ana iā loko, e hoʻomāmā aʻe ana i ko lāua naʻau. Hala akula kekahi mau minuke a mao aʻela ka ua. ʻŌlelo hou maila ʻo Lahela, “E hāʻawi au i kekahi mea iā ʻoe. ʻO ka wā kūpono kēia.” Kāhea akula ʻo ia iā Lehua, “Baby, e lawe mai i nā mea ma ka hikieʻe o ka lumi keu.”

ʻAʻole i liʻuliʻu, hōʻea mai ana ʻo Lehua i ka puka o ka lumi me kekahi mau mea nui e paʻa ana ma kona mau lima. Kau akula ʻo ia ma kekahi ʻaoʻao o ka pela moe o kona makuahine.

“E Laʻi, ʻo nā mea hana kapa kēia a kou māmā. ʻO ke kua, ka hohoa, a me ka iʻe,” wahi a Lahela.

Kū aʻela ʻo Laʻialoha a hele akula i kekahi ʻaoʻao o ka pela moe. Kūnānā ihola ʻo ia i ka paulehua o kona manawa i ke aloha me ke kāhāhā. ʻAʻohe ona hoʻomaopopo i ke kuku kapa ʻana o kona makuahine. Kau akula kona lima i ke kua a hamohamo akula. Lālau akula ʻo ia ka iʻe kuku a milimili akula.

Hoʻomau akula ʻo Lahela, “Ma mua o kou hānau ʻia ʻana, e aʻo ana nō ʻo ia i ke kuku kapa. ʻO Tūtū Kaiʻaokamālie kāna kumu, kēlā luahine no Kanaio mai. Na kāna kāne kēia mau mea hana i kālai.”

“Pehea kāna mau kapa i kuku ai?” i nīnau ai ʻo Laʻialoha. Mau ka hahani aku o kona mau maka i ke kua a me ka milikaʻa o kona lima i ka iʻe.

“ʻAʻole paha nui, ʻoiai ʻekolu paha makahiki o kona kuku ʻana ma mua o kou puka ʻana mai. Hoʻomanaʻo au i kona hāʻawi ʻana no ka iwi kupuna. Ua kuku nō hoʻi ʻo ia he kapa no ke keiki ʻakahi a hānau.”

Kau maila ka haliʻa o kona makuahine i ka mālama aku i kekahi mau kumu lāʻau wīwī a lōʻihi. Hoʻomanaʻo aʻela ʻo Laʻialoha i ka hele ʻana i waena o ia mau kumu a me ka ʻalawa ʻana aʻe i luna i nā lau nui a heuheu. Nānā akula ʻo ia i kona ʻanakē, “Kanu wauke nō naʻe ʻo ia i koʻu wā keiki?”

Minoʻaka maila ʻo Lahela, “ʻAe. Mau kona mālama i ka māla wauke. Ma ka ʻāina o tūtū, ko ʻoukou wahi e noho ana i kou wā kamaliʻi.”

Na ka haliʻa i kono i ke kaumaha, a nānā akula ʻo Laʻialoha i kona ʻanakē, “No ke aha kou hāʻawi ʻana mai i kēia mau mea i kēia manawa?”

“Ma hope o ka hala ʻana o kou māmā, ua kauhoa mai kou tūtū e lawe wau i kēia mau mea. He hōʻeha nō paha i kona naʻau ke ʻike aku, no laila kauoha maila ʻo ia iaʻu e lawe. Hoʻihoʻi loa akula au i loko o ka hale kaʻa a poina ihola. ʻEkolu makahiki aku nei, iā mākou e hoʻoponopono ana i ia wahi hale, me ka wae aku i nā mea like ʻole o loko, ʻike hou akula nō au. Mai ia wā mai koʻu makemake e hāʻawi aku iā ʻoe.”

Hoʻomaopopo ihola ʻo Laʻialoha i nā manawa like ʻole i kāhea a i kelekiko mai ai kona ʻanakē i loko o kēia mau makahiki ʻekolu i hala aku nei. Komo ihola nō naʻe ka manaʻo, ʻaʻohe paha hua o ka minamina ʻana i ia mau makahiki. Ua kūnewa akula.

“He aha lā, ua hiki mai nō ka wā kūpono,” i ʻōlelo ai ʻo Laʻialoha me ka nānā aku i ka nao hoʻōki o ka iʻe. ʻAlawa aʻela kona mau maka i luna a hālāwai akula me ko Lahela, “Mahalo nui, e ʻanakē. He mau mea makamae loa kēia.”

Mahamaha maila ka leo o Lahela, “He pono nō ke paʻa me ʻoe. ʻO kaʻu mea minamina, ʻo ka poho pōhaku āna i hoʻohana ai no ka hana wai ʻeleʻele. ʻAʻole i loaʻa mai ia mea iaʻu. Na kekahi lālā paha o ka ʻohana o kou pāpā i lawe. Pehea lā? He mea loaʻa wale nō naʻe ka mortar a ka haole i kēia mau lā, no laila e kūʻai paha ʻoe i mea nāu ke hiki mai ia wā.”

ʻAʻole i ʻū, lele akula ko Laʻialoha manaʻo i ka poho pōhaku e waiho ana ma luna o ka pahu ʻume a me ke akakū ma hope pono o ka loaʻa ʻana mai iā ia ma Auwahi. Kāhāhā ihola ʻo ia, ʻaʻohe naʻe puaʻi leo aku no ia mea.

Minoʻaka aʻela ʻo Laʻialoha, "E loaʻa mai nō ka mea kūpono ke hiki mai ia wā. Nui nā mea e aʻo ai ma mua o laila.”

Lele koke maila ʻo Lahela, "E ʻimi au i ka helu kelepona o ke kaikamahine a tūtū Kaiʻaokamālie. Ua aʻo nō kona makuahine iā ia a mau nō kāna hana i kēia manawa...Inā pēlā kou makemake. Aia nō iā ʻoe."

"He manaʻo maikaʻi wale nō ia," wahi a Laʻialoha. He mea kūpanaha nō i kona manaʻo ke aʻo ʻana mai mai ka ʻohana like i aʻo aku i kona makuahine.

I nānā hou aku ka hana i kona ʻanakē, ua paʻa kona mau maka, a ʻike akula ʻo Laʻialoha i kona māluhiluhi. Ua lawa paha ke kamaʻilio ʻana no kēia lā. Hōʻike hou akula nō ʻo ia i ka mahalo i kona ʻanakē, pūliki akula iā ia, a pēlā pū i kona hoa hānau.

"E hoʻi mai paha ʻoe i loko o kēia mahina e pāʻina pū ai?" i nīnau ai ʻo Lahela ma mua o ko Laʻialoha haʻalele ʻana.

"E hoʻi mai nō au e ʻanakē."

"Inā he ipo kāu, e lawe 'ia maila, ʻeā." I loko nō o ka nāwaliwali o kona ʻanakē, mau ke kolohe o kona minoʻaka.

Kani a'ela ka 'aka o La'ialoha, a ʻī akula ʻo ia, "E ʻike auaneʻi kākou."

ʻĀlohilohi wale maila ka wai o ke kiʻowai a pā aheahe maila ka makani. Hahau akula ʻo Laʻialoha i kāna pule, a ʻo ka hoʻoluʻu akula nō ia o kona mau lima i ke kua i lalo o ka wai. Huki hou aʻela ʻo ia i luna, lawe akula i kahi pōhaku nui, a kau akula i lalo. ʻO ka hohoa a me ka iʻe mai nō a like akula kāna hana.

ʻO kona kino ka hope loa, a luʻu ihola ʻo ia i lalo o ka wai huʻihuʻi o ʻĪao, ke kahawai āna i hele mau mai ai me kona tūtū i kona wā liʻiliʻi. I ka luʻu piha ʻana i lalo a aea hou aʻe i luna, ua kau mai ka mālie, a ua māmā aʻe kona naʻau. Ua kuʻu nō ka luhi āna e hāʻawe ana no ka wā lōʻihi a ua nā piha nō ʻo loko.

Hoʻopau koke akula ʻo ia i ka ʻauʻau ʻana a hoʻi akula i kahi o nā mea hana e waiho ana. Lālau akula kona lima i ka ʻōmole hakahaka a hoʻopihapiha akula nō i ka wai. ʻO ia ka mea nui e pono ai kāna hana i ka lā ʻapōpō. Mahalo piha akula ʻo ia iā Kāne, me ke kahawai nani e hoʻokipa mau mai ana i ka lehulehu, kona wahi e pakela mau ai i ka hū a me ka wela o Kahului.

Halihali akula ʻo ia i kāna mau mea makamae i ke kalaka. Ma hope o ka hoʻonohonoho pono ʻana aku, kiʻi akula ʻo ia i ke kelepona a ʻimi akula i ka helu o Keakalani. Kikokiko akula ʻo ia i kekahi manaʻo iā ia, peneia:

Aloha e ke keiki o Kaupō. Ua noʻonoʻo hou au i kou leo kono. ʻOiai e neʻe ana ʻoe i kekahi mokupuni, maikaʻi paha ke hui koke kāua a pāʻina pū, o hala ʻē ka Puʻulena. Pehea ka Pōʻalima ma hope o ka hana?

Hoʻi akula ʻo Laʻialoha i kona hale i Kula. Hoʻoneʻe akula ʻo ia i nā mea a pau ma luna o kona pahu ʻume. Holoi akula ʻo ia iā luna, a laila hāliʻi akula i kahi pareu nani i komo ʻole ʻia ma mua. Ma luna o laila, kau akula ʻo ia i ke kua, a i mua pono o ke kua, hoʻomoe ihola ʻo ia i ka iʻe a me ka hohoa. ʻO ke kiʻi hoʻokahi āna i hoʻihoʻi ai ma luna, ʻo ke kiʻi o lāua me kona makuahine ma ka pāʻina lā hānau ona, ka piha ʻana hoʻi o ʻelima makahiki iā ia.

Lawe akula ʻo ia i ka poho pōhaku a kau akula ma ke pākaukau i mua o ka puka o ka hale. Ma kona ʻaoʻao hoʻi, kau akula ʻo ia i ka ʻōmole i piha i ka wai o ʻĪao.

I ia manawa nō, ʻike ihola ʻo ia, ua nahā ka umauma. ʻAʻohe ona ʻai ʻana i kahi mea hoʻokahi i kēia lā. Hele akula ʻo ia i ka pahu hau, wehe aʻela, a ua hālana kona mahalo i ka ʻike ʻana aku i ka hoʻina a Welina i hāʻawi mai ai i ka pō nei. Lālau akula ʻo ia a hoʻō akula i loko o ka ʻomawawe.

Iā ia e hoʻonuʻu ana i ka ʻai, manaʻo ihola ʻo Laʻialoha i nā hana kupanaha like ʻole o ka pule nei, nā mea ʻano paʻakikī, a me nā pōmaikaʻi nō hoʻi. ʻAneʻane hiki ʻole iā ia ke hoʻokahua pono i loko o kona noʻonoʻo. I lawa nō a pau ka ʻai, koikoi ana ʻo Niolopua e kui lima lāua.

Ua palaki niho ʻo ia a laila hikikiʻi akula ma ka pela moe. Ua piula maoli. Ma mua pono o kona hoʻopio ʻana i ke kukui, kani aʻela ke kelepona. ʻo Keakalani ia i ka pane mai i kona manaʻo:

E ke ʻala onaona o ka pua hōlei, hoʻopaʻa ʻia iho ke ahiahi Pōʻalima. ʻApōpō paha kāua e kamaʻilio ai no kahi e pāʻina ai? A hui hou kāua i ka nani o Puʻu Māhoe.

Lalapa aʻela ka pīhoihoi i loko o Laʻialoha a minoʻaka nui aʻela ʻo ia. I wahi chance hoʻi no ke keiki alokele lā o Kaupō. Inā ʻaʻole ʻo ia mahalo pono mai i ka ʻiniki a ka ua ʻŪkiukiu, he nui hou aku nā ulua o ka moana. A me ia manaʻo nō i kau ai ke keha i ka uluna a hoʻi koke akula nō ʻo ia i ka hiamoe.

ʻAʻole i pau...