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.

(Ho'omau 'ia)

Ma ka lā 'eiwa o 'Okakopa, aia ka ho'olewa no lākou 'ekolu, he 'elua lā. Ma ka lā mua, ma St. Anthony’s ma Wailuku, a ma ka Pō'aono, ua huaka'i nā kino wailua i Ke'anae no ke kipa hope 'ana. 'O ke kumu, no kahi kua'āina o Ke'anae nā 'ohana. He pālua 'ia ke kaumaha o ka 'ako 'ana i nā pua kilipohe, no ka mea, he kāka'ikahi wale nō nā po'e e noho ana ma laila. Ke ha'alele kekahi o nā ‘ōpio o ia wahi e hele ma ke ala ho'i 'ole o Kāne, kūpina'i 'ia kēlā 'eha e nā po'e pākahi o ia wahi.

Mālama ko Kalamaku a me Na'ilima mau kūpuna i ka hale pule Kakolika ma Wailuanui, kokoke loa i Ke'anae. Ma laila nō lākou 'ekolu i ho'omoe 'ia ai. 'Oiai lākou e iho ana i ko lākou wahi e moe loa ai, ua kūō 'o Lei, ku'u wahi haumāna, me ke ka'akūmākena no ke aloha nui i “Ku'u Na'ilima”. E pūliki ana 'o ia i kekahi hoapapa Kaiapuni i ha'alele pū me Na'ilima no Kamehameha, 'o Malia Purdy. I ko'u hiki 'ana i laila, ua kīpuni ko'u lima iā lāua, me ka hākilo pū 'ana i ka maka o Lei. 'Ike 'ia ka luhi a me ka 'ainea i kona maka.

“E ho'i mai 'oe e Lei,” i 'ōlelo ai au iā ia.

“Makemake au e 'ike iā ia i ho'okahi manawa hou aku, e ha'i aku au i ku'u aloha nona!”

“Maopopo iā ia nā mea a pau āu e 'ōlelo ana, e ho'opā i kou na'au, aia nō 'o ia i laila” i wehewehe ai au iā ia.

Ma ia manawa nō, nā ihola ke kipona 'eha'eha o kona na'au, a ho'omaka 'o Lei e kama'ilio me Malia i nā mea e ho'omana'o mau ai e pili ana iā Na'ilima. 'O ia ho'i, kāna mau 'ōlelo ho'omāke'aka kolohe, a me kona huaka'i pū 'ana me lākou i ka hoe wa'a 'ana a puni ka mokupuni. Hali'a aloha 'o Lei, “;E ho'omana'o 'oe, e Malia, i ka hiki 'ana mai o nā 'iwa, e hui pū ana 'o Na'ilima me kākou ma ka huaka'i ka'apuni iā Maui? Pono nō kāua e ho'omana'o, ke 'ike nō kāua i nā 'iwa, 'o Na'ilima nō ia, e kipa ana iā kāua. E maika'i ana nā mea a pau. Mai hopohopo 'oe e Malia. Nui nā hali'a aloha a kāua no Na'ilima.”;

Ma hope koke, ua hiki mai ka helekopa i mea e lū ai i nā pua na lākou ‘ekolu. Leha a'ela o'u mau maka i luna, a 'o ka 'ō'ili mai ho'i o 'elua 'iwa e kīkaha ana ma ka lewa. A laila, pi'i a'ela ke kolu. Heahea aku au iā Lei me ke kuhikuhi pū 'ana i kahi a nā manu e lele ana.

“Ua ha'i nō au iā ‘oe e Lei, ua lohe nō 'o Na'ilima iā 'oe.

Ua lohe ho'i 'o Kalamaku a me Kepo'ikai. Maopopo le'a lākou i ko mākou aloha nui i kēia mau 'ōpiopio piha 'eu a 'olu'olu ho'i.”

'O ia ihola ka mo'olelo. He mo'olelo i piha i ke kūmākena ma kēia wā kaumaha palena 'ole, akā he mo'olelo i hō'ike 'ia aku ai ke aloha nui o nā hoapapa, nā 'ohana, a me nā kumu o kēia polokalamu kupaianaha. 'A'ohe ona lua ma muli o kēia aloha.

He pilina pa'a ke aloha no nā kau a kau. 'A'ohe 'ino nāna e uhae.

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:

» .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

» .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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.