My Kind of Town
>> North shore of Molokai Don’t question
a goddessIt had been 57 years since he arrived in the valley of Ho'ola, goddess of life, and Shinjo Eiki had not aged. He never would as long as he remained here. Shinjo had found what so many seek, eternal life. He had also found a place where all of his needs were met and there was no sorrow. He could have contentedly remained there forever.
But not now, not after a set of encyclopedias washed up in a steamer trunk on the beach in August and he discovered what had happened to his older half-brother. Tojo's soul could find peace only if Shinjo could atone by fulfilling his mission that had started back in June 1944. Tojo was Tojo Hideki, Japan's military dictator in WWII, and it was Tojo who approved Shinjo's plan to wreak havoc on Hawaii with a one-man submarine. But the torpedo tubes had jammed, and Shinjo had sought a quiet cove away from civilization to repair the sub, and somehow was drawn to Ho'ola's valley.
And he had stayed. But as Shinjo read of his brother's terrible fate -- losing the war, a failed suicide attempt, and finally being hung to death -- he knew that he must at last fulfill his mission now to atone for Tojo. To fulfill his mission, however, Shinjo must leave this nirvana on Earth. Ho'ola had told him that he was free to leave at any time, but there was no coming back. He would never find her or this valley again.
Shinjo found Ho'ola bathing in the waterfall at the back of the narrow valley. "Your mission," she said knowingly.
"I must fulfill it. For my brother."
"But your mission has changed."
"Yes," he said, but not knowing how.
Ho'ola beckoned, and Shinjo joined her, bathing in the spray of the waterfall. And there in the mist they loved one final time. Lying together afterward, her head resting on his arm for the last time, Ho'ola whispered in Shinjo's ear, her words ringing like sacred music:
"Your mission this time will not bring death. You will bring life. You do not yet know what your mission is, but it will call you, just as this valley called you. And you will recognize your mission, just as you recognized the call of my valley. When you go, you will have no memory of me. You will only know that you believe that love and nirvana are real. But I will be with you, dear Shinjo. And if you die before you complete your mission, you will complete it. We will."
Shinjo did not understand, but he knew not to question the goddess.
Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek.
His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin
with weekly summaries on Sunday.
He can be emailed at dchapman@midweek.com