Ova Da Rainbow: HAWAII'S STORY (3)

Under A Mango Tree

1988

Hawaiʻi prided herself often in that she thought she was a rather good mother, in comparison to some of the ones she knew.

This is probably why the term 'Kamaaina' exists as we know it, quite literally meaning "child of the land'.

Not only the Native Hawaiian people, but all who were raised in the islands, call themselves the children of the land of Hawaiʻi Nei. They call Hawaiʻi their own, and the blood that runs through the veins of Mauna Kea to Waialeale is their own.

The Hawaiʻi that these people are the children of is up for interpretation. Some staunch Native Hawaiians claim that they are the children of that old Hawaiʻi, father of the Hawaiʻi they knew. As such, Hawaiʻi was a sister, a friend in their hearts, and the blood that runs through her was very much the same as their own.

Others, especially children and grandchildren of immigrants who came here, claimed that the Hawaiʻi who was a kingdom and died and was restored to life like the phoenix on the seal, was their mother, as it made them feel connected to their home in a way that could not be taken from them.

Hawaiʻi took great pride in her people of all races and backgrounds and colours. Of all things, she had to admit she was a prideful person through and through.

This pride was why Hawaiʻi had such a hard time with Anuenue.

As Anuenue became a bigger part of Hawaiʻi's life, the pride swelled with her. Because she was able to escape, she was able to find love, she was able to continue on in a way that Hawaiʻi could have never foreseen.

She knew now why she couldn't see Kainalu as a man in the future. Because there was no man there to begin with.

With the swelling of this pride, the urge to tell her about things became increasingly frightening.

Eventually Hawaiʻi would have to tell Anuenue something, or phase out of this girl's life, and Hawaiʻi desperately didn't want to. She wanted, with all her heart, to just be able to be there for Anuenue. And it didn't get better with Kālahui's nagging to say something.

Anuenue would wonder why she didn't grow, or wonder why she never went to school, as Hui would say, shaking her little head and going back to reading some book.

Hawaiʻi could procrastinate telling Anuenue until she did ask... right? Not really lying, just leaving out the truth. Hawaiʻi could lie to politicians, she could lie to tourists, she could lie to America, the states, the whole world, even.

But to lie to one of her own? That was horrid.

It was almost great that there was so much news lately to get her mind off of things.

Diana, Princess of Wales, was in a rocky relationship with her husband of 6 years at the time, Prince Charles. It was all over the tabloids, all over the television, and for some odd reason, Americans were obsessed with the crown. Diana captured their hearts, and her face became one that everyone wanted to be like.

She was gorgeous, prim, proper, and so very kind.

Also in the United Kingdom, they decided to replace paper notes with coins for pounds. Which was very good for them, I suppose.

The Japanese Red Army terrorised the coast, being labelled as terrorists by both the US and the Japanese government.

And of course, the war in Afghanistan.

The people of Hawaiʻi, after Vietnam, seemed sick of it all. While thousands were ready and signed up with almost no need to draft, now... it was a dead silence.