Ke Kāne Ho‘okano

Ka‘aimalani Spencer

I kekahi lā, ua pā‘ani kekahi keiki i ka pō hīna‘i. A ua maika‘i loa ‘o ia i kēlā pā‘ani, akā he ‘umi wale ona makahiki. ‘O Ka‘ai kona inoa. No ka mokupuni ‘o Maui mai ‘o ia i Makawao. Nani loa ‘o Makawao a he ua ma‘a mau ko laila. Hiki iā ‘oe ke ‘ike i ke kuahiwi kaulana ‘o Haleakalā mai Makawao. Hū ka nui o kēlā mauna. He kāne maika‘i ‘o Ka‘ai, akā ho‘okano loa ‘o ia. No laila, ‘a‘a ‘o ia i ka po‘e a pau i ka manawa a pau. No ka mea, mana‘o ‘o ia, "‘O au ka ‘oi loa." Nui kona po‘o.

A he ʻumikūmāiwa ona makahiki, ua hui ʻo ia me kona hoa paio ma ka hui pō hīnaʻi o Molokaʻi ma ka mokupuni ʻo Molokaʻi. ʻO Waipahe ka inoa o kona hoa paio a maikaʻi loa nō hoʻi ʻo ia i ka pō hīnaʻi. No laila, ʻaʻole makemake kekahi i kekahi; hana ʻino lāua kekahi i kekahi. Akā, ʻaʻole lāua i hakakā i kēlā manawa, ʻuā wale nō. I kekahi manawa, ua ʻōlelo lāua:

Kaʻai: E Waipahe, e neʻe ʻoe! ʻO au ka ʻoi ma ʻaneʻi, ʻaʻole ʻo ʻoe.

Waipahe: Auē! ʻAʻole maopopo iaʻu kou ʻōlelo. ʻO kēia ka mokupuni ʻo Molokaʻi nei, no laila ʻo au ka heke ma ʻaneʻi!

Kaʻai: E hoʻi aku i kou māmā. ʻO koʻu pāʻani kēia.

Waipahe: E ʻike ana kāua ma hope o ka pāʻani.

Auē! ʻAlua, ʻakolu kēia hana. Ma hope o ka pāʻani, ua lanakila ka hui o Molokaʻi. No laila, ua huhū loa ʻo Kaʻai iā Waipahe, a makemake ʻo Kaʻai e hakakā iā Waipahe. Akā, ʻoi aku ka ikaika o Waipahe ma mua o Kaʻai. No laila, ua manaʻo ʻo Kaʻai, "ʻAʻole hiki iaʻu ke hakakā i kēia manawa, akā hiki ma hope aku." A hoʻi ka hui pō hīnaʻi i ka mokupuni ʻo Maui, ua hele ʻo Kaʻai i ka hale hoʻoikaika kino e hāpai mea kaumaha i laila a e hoʻoikaika i kona kino.

A ua pau ke kau pō hīnaʻi. Ua ʻike ʻo Waipahe iā Kaʻai e holoholo ana i ka hale ʻaina me kona mau hoaaloha i Makawao. E ʻai ana lākou, akā ua ʻai ʻia ka mea ʻai a pau e Kaʻai. A pau ko lākou ʻai ʻana, ua hele lākou i waho o ka hale ʻaina. Ua ʻike ʻo Waipahe iā lākou, a ua kāhea ʻo ia iā lākou:

Waipahe: Hūi! E Kaʻai! E hele mai i kēia manawa ʻānō!

Kaʻai: ʻO wai kēlā? . . . Tsā! E aha ana ʻoe i ʻaneʻi? E hele paha ʻoe i kou hale.

Waipahe: Ke holoholo nei au a e ʻimi ana i kāu ipo nani.

Kaʻai: Tsā! He aha kou makemake? ʻO Makawao kēia ʻāina nei! ʻAʻole ʻo Molokaʻi kēia. E huʻe mai ʻoe i ke koaiʻe o Makawao! (ʻŌlelo Noʻeau, 298.)

Waipahe: ʻOia? Akā ʻaʻole au makemake e hakakā iā ʻoe. Ua pāʻani wale nō au me ʻoe. Makemake wale nō au e walaʻau iā ʻoe a e holoholo me ʻoukou.

Kaʻai: Maikaʻi, ʻaʻole nō hoʻi au makemake e hakakā iā ʻoe. Māʻona au i ka mea ʻai. Loaʻa iaʻu ka mea ʻai koena, makemake ʻoe?

Mai kēlā manawa mai, he mau hoaaloha lāua, a hele lāua i ke kulanui o Hawaiʻi i Mānoa. A maʻa lāua i ka pāʻani pū ʻana i ka pō hīnaʻi i laila. A pāʻina nui lāua i nā hopena pule a pau.

© Kaʻaimalani Spencer, 2004