Synopsis: This is a story about the love and support freely given during times of sadness by the 'ohana Kaiapuni (Hawaiian Language Immersion Families). It is also a loving rememberance of a teacher for her student, his brother and their cousin.

Aloha kākou a pau loa mai ka hikina a ka lā i Ha'eha'e a i ka mōlehulehu ihola ma Ni'ihau a Kahelelani, aloha.

He wahi mo'olelo kēia e ho'omōakāka ai i ka pilina pa'a o ke aloha no nā kau a kau o nā 'ohana Kaiapuni ma Maui a me ka 'eha'eha e pā ai ka na'au ke 'ako 'ia nā pua ma'ema'e i aloha nui 'ia a nalo nā pua mai ko kākou 'ikena ma nēia ao. He kaiāulu li'ili'i wale nō ke kaiāulu Kaiapuni ma Maui. Kama'āina nā 'ohana a pau kekahi i kekahi, a pēlā pū me nā kumu. Ke pōmaika'i kekahi o mākou, ku'i 'ia ka lono ma ke kaiāulu Kaiapuni a puni. Pēlā pū ke hiki mai ka wā lu'ulu'u o ke kaumaha. 'A'ohe 'ino nāna e uhae.

Ma ka 'ehu kakahiaka o ka Pō'ahā, ma ka lā mua o ka mahina 'o 'Okakopa, ua ka'a ka pō'ino ma ka 'ohana Kana. Aia 'ekolu kāne e holo ana ma ke ka'a i ke alanui ma kahi o Waihe'e. 'O ka hiapo o ka 'ohana Kana, 'o Nā'ilima, ke kalaiwa ana, 'o Kalamakū, kona kaikaina, a me ko lāua hoa hānau, 'o Kepo'ikai, nā ‘ōhua. 'Ane'ane lākou e hiki i ka malu o ka home, a hālāwai ‘ē akula lākou me ka pō'ino, he ulia ka'a. Ma muli o kēlā, ua hala 'o Nā'ilima ma luna o ke ka'a i ia manawa nō, a 'o Kepo'ikai, i kekahi mau hola ma hope, ma ka haukapila. 'O ka hope i holo aku i ke ao Polohiwa a Kāne, 'o ia nō 'o Kalamakūokana'auao, ku'u wahi haumāna.

He 'ohana kaiapuni ka 'ohana Kana. He haumāna ‘o Kalamakū na'u no 'elua makahiki. Aia 'o ia i ka papa alaka'i, ka papa 12 ho'i, i kēia makahiki. Ua mākaukau 'o ia e puka aku mai Kekaulike. He kumu kaiapuni ka makuahine o lāua ‘o Nā'ilima, 'o Leinani. Aia 'ekolu o nā keiki Kana ma ke kula kaiapuni. He pukana 'o Nā'ilima mai ke kula ki'eki'e 'o Kamehameha ma Maui, akā, ma mua o kona komo 'ana i ia kula, he haumāna Kaiapuni ho'i 'o ia no 'eiwa makahiki.

He mea kūpaianaha maoli nō ko'u a'o 'ana i kēia po'e 'ōpiopio o ke Kula Kaiapuni 'o Kekaulike i 'elima mau makahiki. No 'elua o ia mau makahiki, ua pōmaika'i au i ke a'o 'ana iā Kalamakūokana'auao Kana. He 'ōpiopio loloa a iwiiwi ho'i 'o ia, e mino'aka mau ana. He leo nahenahe kona, a hīmeni 'o ia i ka hui, a 'o ka hui wale nō, o ho'okahi wale nō mele ke komo 'o ia i loko o ko'u lumi papa—

“Faith, Hope and unconditional love, no bad mind, no hatred, no envy and no grudge.”

'O nā laina mele i hō'ike 'ia ma luna nei, 'o ia wale nō kai lohe 'ia mai kona lehelehe e o'u mau pepeiao, no 'elua makahiki kula! Ua no'ono'o au, a i kekahi manawa, namunamu nō ho'i au, me ka lana o ka mana'o, e lohe ana au i ke mele holo'oko'a, a kahi mele 'ē a'e paha, e puka ana mai kona pu'u kālena.

E ho'ouna 'ia mai nā leka iā māua, 'o ia ho'i 'o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:
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a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:
» 956-2627 (Laiana)
» 956-2624 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by the Hawaiian Language Department at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, supported by the Initiative for Achieving Native Hawaiian Academic Excellence.