Kamaile by Joni Keamoai

Kililau & Kealohilani Part 1

Nualolo

Alohi stood on the shore for what seemed like the umpteenth time this year waving to friends and relatives wishing them well on their journey. For once, she'd had love to be waving to them, as a traveler arriving home to Manā but her father was adamant about her remaining in the cove. She was happy to have at least spent some time with her aunt Lilinoe before their tearful goodbye but wished she could've spent more time with her aunt and grandparents at their home in the village.

"C'mon lets go in" Ho'omana announced to his daughter. The mood was somber, especially with the lot of everyone gone and how quiet it was all of a sudden. Kapua and Kaulana had also returned home as well, along with Koa and Lamakū. Some of the guards had also departed with their Ohana, as Makani returned to Manā for the birth of his newborn baby. Pūnohu had escorted Lilinoe home but would return to the cove In a few days, leaving Kana'i and Nawai behind along with Ehukai and of course Na'eole.

"Papa why is it so empty here?" Alohi sighed, noticing the dramatic decline of guards and ladies. "Umm well it's because I've decided to close up the hale here and have everyone return home to Manā" Ho'omana replied. The workload had increased so much in the villages and they could use the manpower especially with the land parcels stretching toward waiawa, he decided to man the work that was happening further inland toward the main water ways of kawaiulailiahi. Alohi couldn't help but smile from ear to ear, for she could not hide her excitement. If they were leaving Nualolo Kai, that meant her father had finally decided to bring Alohi back to the village where she so desperately wanted to be, where she could visit her family and friends whenever she wanted to. "Oh papa" she smiled hugging him "I can't wait to go back and finally be amongst everyone."

Ho'omana was taken by surprise, quickly realizing that his daughter clearly misunderstood what he was trying to say.

"Alohi Aale ...hele ana oe e noho me Tutu Hali'i ma kona hale maluna ō" pointing upward toward the mountains of Napali. Telling her, the opposite of what she wanted to hear, that she'd be staying with Tutu Hali'i in the uplands of Nāpali, a mountain range known as Kamaile.

Kamaile

Wait what? she thought ...."there?" She replied
Shocked at her dad's announcement.

The wind literally stopped as silence filled the space between them.

"Mā kona home 'o Kamaile" he continued. Alohi was still in shock, more like dumbfounded to be honest. What had happened in Manā that had her father so dead set against her living there? She thought. "Papa why?.....I don't want to live there. I want to live with you" she pleaded. It just didn't make sense and frankly Alohi was frustrated about the whole situation. "I stayed back because we will be making the trip to Kamaile the morning after next" he further explained.

Wainiha

"Kili ! Mai poina ho'i oe mamua o ka pau ana o ka lā" Malanai yelled out the door. With her husband away for a meeting with other Chiefs and her son feeling adventurous she was worried that he wouldn't heed their warnings about boundaries, especially with Kamaile. It was a place shrouded with mystery, Kililau could sense it but yet something was drawing him in, or someone was pulling him in and he needed to know who it was and why. "Mai hopohopo Mama!" He shouted back, obviously trying to appease her as he grabbed his gear, heading for the very mountain range he was warned not to go, more intrigued than ever.

Limahuli

The trek proved simple enough, located next to Makana, he and his father had hiked it many times before but being alone gave it that sense of eeriness and although he was the type to not get scared easily, there were still some things he had yet to learn. The spiritual aspects of a place or wahi pana sometimes required extra knowledge as to not offend anyone in the spirit realm by intruding. Was that it? He thought to himself as he continued his journey, the reason why they weren't allowed there? Because it was a very sacred spiritual place? It would make a lot of sense, if that were the case his mind concluded. But that meant he needed to halt his steps and not go any further or enter the mountain range at all especially not by himself. He finally made a decision. He would wait for his father or take his cousin Manaleo with him, after all maybe Mana knew about Kamaile or his uncle Kahiau. They had both scaled the areas all throughout the mountains of napali toward the coast and to Nualolo as well. Surely they had more information as to what happened there and could help unravel the mystery.

Nualolo Kai

"No Papa I'm not going!" Alohi screamed yet again before slamming her bedroom door shut. She refused to leave her home for the mountains and the trip had already been delayed. It was mainly due to the storm but Alohi's refusal to leave for the mountains did have something to do with it. "Alohi this is not up for discussion! You are going and that's final" her father shouted before heading onto the front porch. He honestly felt bad for sending her there, especially now realizing the reason of her hesitation but he was worried about her being loose in the village. It was similar to a caged animal being free to run wild in an open plain for the first time. He would be too busy working to keep up with her and that would not be good. They went back and forth like this for at least the whole day until Ho'omana made himself comfortable outside her door to talk with her. He could easily remove the door and barge in but didn't want to scare her. "Alohi the reason I would like to send you to stay with your Tutu is because it's a very magical place and even in my youth during training I myself, along with your uncles stayed there. We didn't all at once but each of us did so at certain times and I learned a lot." Alohi listened intently to her father's story. "It has not gone unnoticed that you witnessed Tutu Hali'i at the shoreline, the day your uncle Iokepa arrived with his friends and I'm sure it scared you a little.....I assure you she would not jeopardize your safety and my hope is for you to learn from her." Ho'omana explained. It lightened the mood quite a bit and eased Alohi's worries from what it was earlier. "So you want me to learn how to wield magic?" She questioned "Ae polole'i" her father replied and just like that they started preparing for the trip. "E noho ana wau me oe no Elua lā, a Pau, ho'i ana wau ma Manā" Ho'omana assured her. He would stay in the grove with her and his aunt for two days before heading back to Manā. Na'eole, Kana'i, Nawai and Ehukai would close up the hale in Nualolo, while Ho'omana brought his daughter to the mountains. Along the way he'd teach her what he knew about magic.

Wainiha

Two days had passed and Kililau finally convinced Manaleo to accompany him to Kamaile. It took him a while to ask for his assistance on the off chance, his cousin would refuse but Kili was smart and fed him his favorite Kalua pork and poi while starting a conversation. "What do you know about Kamaile?" Kililau questioned. Manaleo was so focused on eating his meal, he barely heard him. "Hello? " Kili tapped the table. "Did you hear what I just said?" He continued. "What was it again?" Mana responded still chewing heavily. "What do you know about Kamaile, the mountain range next to Makana?" Mana's eyes opened wide. He had gone to the trailhead a few times and had actually climbed the mountain but his father, just like Ha'ikū advised against it. "Wait did your dad explain why?" Kili responded. "Yeah he said it was a land deed or something like that....and it was the only parcel of land that was like that here...everywhere else we were free to roam." He continued licking his lips satisfied by the meal. "Hmmm" Kililau sighed ....still not convinced by his cousin's answer. He was determined to find out for himself and decided to hike the trail by daybreak with or without Mana.

*Authors notes: Mahalo for being patient we are finally in the part of the muolelo where we head to Kamaile and the two youngsters meet for the first time. I have the vision of their first meeting in my head and it is a really good one! Also I felt I needed this story to be set the way it is for you, the reader to get a sense of who Alohi and Kili were individually and among their Ohana and friends. Both genuine and kindhearted yet headstrong and independent. They have shown a lot of themselves and are finally ready to be seen together. Kamaile, the song is written during the very end of this story and is the aftermath of what happens to them. Those who know the song and translation will finally get a chance to see all of it come to fruition. Mahalo Nui again for being on this journey with me.
Aloha❣️~ JNK