Ka Ho‘iho‘i Lole Wāwae ‘Ana

Kanoelani Chang

I ka wā kahiko, i ke awaawa ʻo Nuʻuanu, ma ka mokupuni ʻo Oʻahu, ua noho ihola kekahi ʻohana menehune. ʻElima keiki o kēlā ʻohana akā, hoʻokahi wale nō ona keiki kāne. ʻO ʻAuliʻi kona inoa. ʻO ke keiki muli loa ʻo ia akā hana ʻino mau ʻo ia i nā pilikia he nui! No ka mea, kolohe loa ʻo ia i ka nānā ʻana o kona mau kaikuāhine. Makemake lākou e hele i ka nahele e ʻimi i nā ʻunahe. Haʻi mau ko lākou mau mākua, "ʻAʻole pono lākou e ʻauana i ka nahele no ka mea ʻaʻole maopopo ka mea o loko iā lākou." Akā, ʻa‘ole lākou hoʻolohe pono a ua hele hou i kēlā me kēia lā.

I kekahi lā, ua peʻe ʻo ʻAuliʻi ma hope o kekahi kumu lāʻau koa a ua hoʻolohe wale nō ʻo ia i ke kamaʻilio ʻana o kona mau kaikuāhine.

"E kuʻu mau tita, makemake au e hōʻike i kekahi mea iā ʻoukou. I nehinei, ua waiho ʻia kēia ma lalo o ka wailele i uka o ko koʻu ʻohana hale."

Wahi a kekahi kaikuahine ʻē aʻe, "Auē! ʻAʻole hiki iā ʻoe ke ʻaihue i nā mea e waiho ʻia ana!"

"Pēlā paha . . . akā ʻaʻole paha waiho ʻia! Poina wale nō ia!"

I kēlā manawa, hoʻomaka ka ua he nui a ua hoʻi lākou i ko lākou hale. Manaʻo ʻo ʻAuliʻi, makemake au e ʻike i ka mea e hōʻike ʻia ana. No laila, i kēlā aumoe, ua komo ʻo ia i ko kona mau kaikuāhine lumi a loaʻa kēlā mea iā ia. He lole wāwae selamoku ia. Manaʻo ʻo ʻAuliʻi, he aha kēia ʻano lole? ʻAʻole loaʻa kēia ʻano lole i nā menehune. A maopopo koke iā ia, he lole kanaka ia!

I ia lā aʻe, ua holo ʻo ʻAuliʻi ma kai e hoʻihoʻi i ka lole wāwae selamoku. Maopopo ka makaʻu o kēia hana iā ia akā, i kona manaʻo, he hana pono kēia.

I kona hiki ʻana mai i kai, ʻaʻole ʻo ia i ʻike i ka poʻe sela. Aia kona mau moku nui i ke awa, akā ʻaʻohe kanaka i laila. Manaʻo ʻo ʻAuliʻi, "E noho ana au i ʻaneʻi e kali. No kekahi kanaka sela kēia lole wāwae." Ua hala ka manawa pōkole, hiamoe koke ʻo ia ma mua o ka moku sela.

I kona hiamoe ʻana, ua hele maila kekahi mau keiki haole. Ua nānā lākou iā ʻAuliʻi e hiamoe ana a wahi a kekahi ma ka ʻōlelo haole, "What’s that?" Hoʻāla ʻia ʻo ʻAuliʻi e ka ʻōlelo o ke keiki. Pīhoihoi nā keiki iā ʻAuliʻi a ua holo ʻāwīwī akula lākou. Kū hoʻokahi ʻo ʻAuliʻi e hāpai ana i ka lole wāwae selamoku. ʻAʻole hiki ke maopopo ke kumu o ko lākou holo ʻana aku iā ia. Makemake wale ʻo ia e hoʻihoʻi i ka lole wāwae. ʻAkahi nō a pau kona manaʻo ʻana, a hiki maila kekahi ʻuhane mai ka lewa mai a wahi a ka ʻuhane, "ʻAʻole pono ʻoe e kū i ʻaneʻi no ka mea nui nā kānaka haole o kēia mau moku. Maopopo iaʻu ke kumu o kou hele ʻana mai akā ʻaʻole maopopo iā lākou. Manaʻo lākou he kiapolō ʻoe! Hoʻi i Waolani i kahi o ka ʻeʻepa. (ʻŌlelo Noʻeau, 1033) No laila, hoʻi akula ʻo ʻAuliʻi e haʻi i ka moʻolelo e pili ana i kona hana wiwoʻole.

© Kanoelani Chang, 2004