Kamaile by Joni Keamoai

Ho'omana

Manā

The days slowly passed, then weeks, months and finally almost a year had passed since Lilina's passing. Chief Ho'omana had busied himself with work and rarely spent time at home. The duties of being a konohiki had sequestered him back to Manā and surely over time he had found himself back in his hometown, doing the same work and watching the same battle being waged between his brothers, as he'd been raised around. The very upbringing he had promised himself that Alohi would never witness.

Nualolo Kai

Leaving her in Nualolo, Alohi spent time in the sea with her ocean friends and spent time with Kaulana and Kapua working around the hale. On really nice and sunny days, they would go adventuring in the mountains and headed toward Kalalau. There were streams and waterfalls where the girls would swim and Kapua could pick medicinal plants, or la'au. Alohi missed her mom, whenever she would see a hibiscus flower. Her mom really loved the color and beauty of it and always picked them whenever they went on nature walks. "Alohi? Makemake oe e ho'i?" Kapua asked the young chiefess, noticing her sadness. "A'ole hiki mākou I hele auau wai  mamua 'o kou makou ho'i ana." She replied, telling them she was fine and that she'd like to go swimming at the fresh water pond before heading back. They obliged and walked toward the stream. "Anakē Kapua?" Alohi sighed. "Ae" Kapua replied. "Hiki au I hele ike i ku'u papa?" the young chiefess questioned, asking her aunt, if she could go and visit her father. "A'ole au maopopo." Kapua responded, saying that she did not know if it was ok. Chief Ho'omana had been quite clear that Alohi was not to leave the cove until his return.

Manā

            In Manā, life was busy for the Chief. The village of Manā was full with people and there were lots of work to be done. Kalo was a profitable resource and the floating lo'i beds that were well known in Manā needed constant tending to. Kapa was needed as well for clothing and blankets, mats or moena with the pawehe design were constantly being made by the ladies using lauhala, and the uala fields and kahakai, the sea were busy with Mahi'ai, farmers and Lawai'a, fishermen, working the land and sea. Ho'omana worked hard during the day and found a quiet place to rest at night. He rarely celebrated with his brothers but occasionally would partake in the awa ceremony that was held daily in the neighboring village. His thoughts often drifted home to Nualolo Kai, where his daughter remained, during these long months without her and Lilina. The grief that he could not share with Alohi, enveloped him at night and almost suffocated him at times. Although he knew that his daughter needed him there, his guilt did not allow him to return. He felt she needed her mother more. 

A message had arrived, the previous night by boat, asking for permission to allow Alohi a visit to Manā, to which Chief Ho'omana did not reply. He knew that if she were allowed to visit, life in the bustling village would distract her from the peaceful life he had planned for her. He needed to think of a solution and went for a walk on the shores of Nohili.

Nualolo Kai

        " Lo'aa ka leka?" Alohi shouted as she ran to the canoe, greeting Kuha'o, her father's guard. He had been sent to Manā for provisions and to deliver Kapua's letter to the Chief. "A'ole" he sighed, relaying the message to the young chiefess. Alohi was confused, was her father not allowing her to visit because he did not wish to see her? Tears pooled in her eyes, as the thought entered her mind. Kapua hugged her and Kaulana sat with her on the shore, calming her down.  "Does my father not love me anymore?" she cried. "Of course he does" Kaulana replied, comforting her. "Then why does he not wish to see me? ......it has been many months since I have last seen him." Honestly, the ladies and guards did not know what to make of it. They all had relocated to Nualolo Kai when the Chief and his ohana had decided to move there but now with the Chief living back in their home village, wondered why they had remained in the cove.

Manā

            "Palala e hele mai he inu me makou!" Chief Hulali shouted. He was one of Ho'omana's older brothers and the one that was known as the "life of the party" at these celebrations. Whenever there was a party, he could be found spearheading the event. "A'ole. Mahalo nui, e ho'i ana wau ma Nualolo i ka la popo." Ho'omana replied, informing his brother of his morning departure to Nualolo.  Hulali and the men left him alone to rest and bid him a safe journey.

Nualolo Kai

Midday had arrived in the cove and the guards had built a solid board on a keawe branch for spear throwing. They passed the time with sport and games, as the ladies went in search of shells to string into leis and bracelets. Alohi played along with the guards and joined the ladies on the shore. "Wa'a!" Makani yelled from the shoreline, alerting them that there was a canoe approaching. They all ran from the hale to greet their visitor. When Alohi saw her father, she stopped dead in her tracks. She did not know what to make of his last message, or lack thereof, she took it as her dad forbidding her to visit him and did not know if his feelings for her had changed. The Chief hugged the ladies and guards, whom he treated as family and searched among them for the one person, he had longed to see. "Alohi?" he smiled, holding his arms open. "Papa?" she cried, running to hug him. "Why are you sad?" he questioned. "I just thought...that maybe, you didn't love me anymore." She breathed. "Now why would you ever think that?" Chief Ho'omana replied, trying to hide his smile. "Because you did not want to let me visit you in Manā, so I thought you did want to see me anymore." She explained through fits of crying and a runny nose. "Oh I see, but how can I not love you anymore? You are my child and the only one I have in this world...if there is no you, then there is no me. You understand?" he lifted her chin so she could see his face. "Yes father" she nodded. "I love you Kealohilani, the same way that I loved your mother. Looking at you, reminds me of her and as long as I am breathing, I will always love you, you hear me?" they hugged and then walked to the hale to unload the goods that the Chief had brought. He planned to stay on in Nualolo Kai until the new moon and talked to his guards about returning to Manā for work and to help him run the ahupua'a nearest to Waiawa. The ladies would also take turns visiting Manā for work and he discussed his plan with Kapua to care for Alohi until she was a little older, before relocating her. "Yes, if that is your wish." Kapua agreed, listening to Ho'omana' s plan. "Do you agree?" He asked her. She had been working for his family, since he was a teenager himself, surely she would know the answer.  "All I know is that, these long months in your absence has been hard on her, she needs you around." Kapua answered. He knew that she was right. He could not expect Alohi to live without him for a long period of time. He needed to, at some point, let her discover the world around her. Later that night, and just as they'd done so many times before, Alohi and her father, sat on the porch after dinner staring at the stars and sang songs. Singing and laughing like old times, reminding them how much had changed since the last time. "Papa?" "hmmm" he smiled. "Will you be returning to the village soon?" Alohi questioned. "In a month's time......why?" he turned to face his daughter. "Are you taking me with you?" she continued. He looked at her with all seriousness in his eyes and slowly replied, "if that is what you want. Then yes, but you will not live there, it will only be to visit." He explained. 

Days and weeks passed and things went back to normal, preparations for the new moon were underway. The ladies had started their cleaning of the hale and all things that needed replenishing. They fixed gourds used for housewares and wove baskets, replacing torn ones that had become tattered over time. Alohi enjoyed spending time with her dad and the men picking opihi and spearfishing, her mother had worried that Alohi would get hurt by following the Chief and his men but noticed how much fun she had and the stories she shared with her were always done with so much excitement. "I wish mum were here" Alohi sighed as she and her dad dug out the meat from the coconut and took a bite. "So do i " he smiled, melancholy yet thankful for this moment spent with Alohi, they continued eating their coconuts in silence until it was time for them to head into bed.