What’s the buggah doing?

Randy Makapu'u was the first to arrive at the Interisland Terminal and stood at the gate for over an hour before the airline personnel showed up to board the flight to Kona. He wanted to make sure he got a good window seat on the left side of the plane.

Now, as the Hawaiian Airlines jet swept across the 'Alenuihaha Channel, he stared out the window, waiting to see the large tract of land he was about to suddenly own.

"There it is," said Tokelani Green, leaning across from the aisle seat, pointing. "You see that dark rock up there? That's the top of the ahapua'a. It spreads down from there."

Randy bumped his head softly against the window frame three times.

"I still no can believe I get land," Randy said.

"Oh, you get land, Mr. Makapu'u," Tokelani said. "Lots of land, including over a half-mile of oceanfront. And as Jeff Lam explained, the Pono Commission can also guarantee various grants and loans to develop the land."

"What if I jus' like leave 'um?"

"You can do that, of course. But unless you do something to significantly increase your income from what you earn as a security guard with Portagee Protective, the taxes will eat you up."

"I still get taxes?"

"I'm afraid so. We want to make things pono, make it right, but after that everybody plays by the same rules."

"'At sounds fair, I guess."

The jet, making it's final approach to the Keahole Airport, was low enough now that Randy could see just how much lava and scrub he owned, miles of it. In the upper reaches of the triangular ahupua'a were a few trees, but otherwise lava, lava and lava. The oceanfront was fantastic, but most it was also rocky, except for a small white sand beach cut perpendicular to the rest of the coastline, and a turquoise bay.

"How bout farming?"

"You can hire your own scientists, but what we've found is that the cost of irrigating a golf course built the right way is less than to irrigate, say, guava or oranges or coffee."

"Golf course. Hotel. Pools. Tennis courts. Riding trails. Fancy restaurants. Fake waterfalls. Me and da kine, Chris Hemmeter, eh?"

"Could be, Mr. Makapu'u," Tokelani said. "But you needn't be so extravagant. Eco-tourism is growing in popularity. You could keep the development small, Hawaiian. Who knows, there may be historical sites on the property that your guests would like to visit. Our survey is not complete."

"Eh, what's that buggah doing on my land?"

Standing at the water's edge in the golden light was a male, holding something round and white out to the sea.