Ka Ulu Hoi

Ua hānau ʻia ʻo Bernadine Luana Maio ma ka lā 16 o ka malama ʻo Kēkēmapa i ka makahiki 1947, a kau aʻela i ke ala hoʻi ʻole i ʻAukake nei. Ua piha iā ia nā makahiki he 74. Ma hope iho ka hala ʻana o kekahi mau mahina, aia hoʻi ma ka Pōʻakahi, ka lā 17 o ʻAukake ua lele akula kona ʻuhane a hala akula ma kēlā ʻaoʻao o kēia ola ʻana. Hū wale koʻu aloha i nēia kūpaʻa aloha ʻāina, ka mahaoʻo poʻokela o ka iwikuamoʻo i hānai aku i nā moʻopuna. Kuʻu pili aloha i ka ʻehuehu a ka noe, kuʻu makamaka o kahi Makamakaʻole. Me ke kaumaha o ka naʻau iau e waiho ai i kēia kanikaunou e Bernadine, kuʻu wahi puna o Nā Wai ʻEhā, luʻuluʻu mai wau i kō aloha. Me ka paumākō, nāueue nā lāʻalo lau o Paukūkalo nei. Ke noho nei au me ka ʻū, me ka minamina i ka hale noho ʻole ʻia. Ua hele aku nō ʻoe i ke ala hoʻi ʻole mai. E ʻIhikapalaumāewa, ua pau, ua pau ka ʻike hou ʻana iā ia no ka manawa mau loa. Ua pau kona hehi hou ʻana i ka lepo o ka ʻāina aloha, eia naʻe kūpaʻa mau nā mole o ia ʻāina. Ua pau nō hoʻi ka lohe hou ʻia ʻana o kona leo, eia naʻe kani mau ka pihe o ia ʻalalā keiki. Ua pau ka ʻike hou ʻana i kou helehelena no ka wā mau loa, eia naʻe ʻo ʻoe kaʻu e hāʻupu aʻe nei. I kuʻu wā kamaliʻi, ua paipai maila kuʻu kupuna iaʻu e kūlia a loaʻa ka naʻauao. ʻUpu maila kekahi wā a māua i iho aku ai i ka ʻāina laʻa i kapa ʻia ʻo Maluhia. Hahai akula wau i kona meheu i ka muliwai ma waena o Waiehu a me Wailuku a kuhikuhi aku ʻo ia i ka loko iʻa kuapā a me ka loko iʻa puʻuone i kūkulu ʻia a haʻi maila ʻo ia he kuleana ko laila a i kekahi lā e ʻike ana wau i ia kuleana. I kēia manawa nō wau e noho nei me ka mehameha me ka minamina e kūmākena nei no ko kāua hui ʻole ʻana. He wā kēia no ka ʻehaʻeha a me ke kanikau, pēnei hoʻi ka ʻōlelo:

Auwē kuʻu kupuna aloha ē!

He hala uē, he hala uē

He hala kūkū, he hala kukū

He hala hōʻehaʻeha i ka ʻili

He kumu hala, he kumu i hala

Kū ke kumu hala ma ke puʻuone o Waiehu

A kau nō i ka pūhala o Kealoha ē

Auwē kuʻu kupuna aloha ē!

O ka wai lua, o ka wai lua

He ʻeha, he ʻehaʻeha

I ke ahe ʻolu a ka makani hōʻeha ʻili

Kilikili mai ke Kiliʻoʻopu

I ka lehulehu ʻā a ka wahine kapu līlī e

Ua pala ka lauhala, ua hina ke poʻo

Iā ia nō ka lei ʻōpuʻu i Keakakilohi

Auwē kuʻu kupuna aloha ē!

ʻAuhea ʻoe e ka wahine ʻākeu, keu i ka ʻaʻa

Noho akula paha ʻoe i ka welo o ka lani

Haʻalele mai nei ʻoe iaʻu

E hele, e hele nō ʻoe ē

A hui kāua i ka laʻi o Maluhia

I ke kanu ʻia ʻana o kona kino ā pili i ka ʻāina, ulu maila ka minamina i loko oʻu ma muli o kona hala ʻana aku. Akā naʻe hōlapu ke ahi i loko oʻu a koe iho ka lehu, hūʻaʻā aʻela ka ʻena ma muli o koʻu noho pūlō ʻana i ke anu o ke kilipue o kuʻu ea. Ma muli o ka maʻi ahulau e hoʻokaʻawale nei iā kākou i kēia manawa, ua hala ka manawa a māua e hui ai he alo ā he alo. He maka noeʻula nō e loku ai i ka pūkai, pehu ʻino ua mākole nei mai ka hāloʻiloʻi me ka hālanalana. Pōpilikia kuʻu naʻau i ka hala ʻana aku o ko māua hālāwai ʻana ma mua o kona huakaʻi hoʻi ʻole a ma muli o kaʻu huakaʻi ʻole ʻana i kahi i kanu ʻia ai nā iwi. Ke piʻi māhuʻahuʻa loa aʻe nei ka maʻi ahulau ma ʻaneʻi a ʻo kekahi poʻe, ua pau aku i ka pūheʻe i nā wahi kūkonukonu o ke anu o ka hoʻoilo, aia he mau haneli kino ola i pepehi ʻia e kēia maʻi ahulau. Aloha ʻino! Hoʻi akula ʻo ia a noho ma ka hale o nā ʻōpua a hoʻi akula wau i ka hale noho ʻole ʻia.

© Keahi Johnson 2021

na Keahi Johnson