Meet the author: Kepo`o Keli`ipa`akaua

 

I ka wā kahiko ua noho nā kanaka ʻoluʻolu i Hāna Maui.  Ua kahe mālie ka wai i nā ʻauwai mai uka mai i nā ʻauwai a i ke kahakai.  i nā loʻi i kupu ai nā kalo ma kahi o  nā ʻoʻopu e ʻauʻau i ke kahawai.  Ulu maikaʻi nō nā mea kanu a pau ma kēia ʻāina momona.  ma laila i noho kekahi kāne ʻoluʻolu ma kahi o Puʻuiki me kona ʻohana. ʻo Kaʻimi ka inoa o kēia kāne, he kanaka lawaiʻa ʻo ia a loaʻa nā iʻa iā ia i nā lā a pau no ka ʻai ʻana o kona ʻohana.  i ke kahakai āna e aʻo ana i kona hoahānau i nā mea ʻoihana lawaiʻa.  ʻo Kamaloheʻole kēia hoahanau.

i kekahi lā i hele ai ʻo Kaʻimi i kai i ka pō ʻo Kāne no ke kiʻi ʻana i nā iʻa moi.  ʻO Haneʻōʻō kahi a Kaʻimi i lawaiʻa ai.  ʻAʻole ʻo Kamaloheʻole e hele pū me iā no ka mea ua moe ʻo ia ma ka hale; moloā loa ʻo Kamaloheʻole, auwē!  i ka hiki ʻana o Kaʻimi i Haneʻōʻō, nui nā moi i ʻauʻau i kai.  Ua kiloi ʻo Kaʻimi i kāna ʻupena ma hope o nā moi.  Loa’a kekahi moi nui wale no.  Ua makemake ‘O Ka’imi e lawe aku i kēlā moi i kona hale akā i ke ko’a ‘o ia i hā’awi ai i ka iʻa no ka hoʻokupu no Kū’ulakai.  ‘O ke ko’a ke ko’a a ‘Aiʻai i Kūkulu ai no ka pāpahi ‘ana i kona Makuakāne ‘O Kūʻulakai, ke Akua o nā Lawaiʻa.  ʻO ʻAiʻai ke keikikāne o Kūʻulakai.  Ma hope o ka hāʻawi ‘ana i ka moi i ke koʻa, Ua kiloi hou ‘ia ka ‘upena ma hope o nā moi.  Ua hala he mau minuke a loaʻa nā moi iā Kaʻimi i kāna ʻupena he nui! Hana nui nō ʻo Kaʻimi i ka huki ʻana i ka ʻupena no ke kaumahaloa o ka ʻupena me nā iʻa!

i kā Kaʻimi huki ʻana i ka ʻupena i ke one, ua lilo nā lau hau ʻōmaʻomaʻo i nā lau melemele. ma hope o kā Kaʻimi hana, ua ʻike akula ʻia kekahi wahine uʻiloa e noho nei ma ka pōhaku kokoke pono o ke kai.  ʻAʻole ua wahine la i noho ma laila ma mua o ko Kaʻimi hiki ʻana a i ka huki ʻana i ka ʻupena!  i kēlā pōhaku a ka wahine uʻi e palaki ana i kona lauoho loa.  Paʻa nō nā maka o Kaʻimi i kēia wahine no ka mea ʻoi aku ka uʻi o kēia wahine ma mua o nā wahine a pau a Kaʻimi i ʻike ai.  Wahi a Kaʻimi “no hea mai kēia pua uʻi kakaʻikahi i ʻōʻili ai?  Nani nō ʻo Haneʻōʻō no ke kupu ʻana o kēia pua.”  ʻĪ akula ka wahine iā Kaʻimi “Hāʻule mālie kou leo like me ka ua kilinahe e hoʻokili ana i ka honua momona.  i ʻaneʻi kēia pua e ulu nei.  ʻAʻole hiki iā ʻoe ke ʻike i nā pua like me kēia uʻi i nā ʻāina ʻē aʻe a pau.  ʻaʻole au i ʻike mua iā ʻoe i ʻaneʻi.  No hea mai ka ua kilinahe i hoʻokili ai?”  Pane ʻo Kaʻimi penei “E kalamai iaʻu e ka pua ʻaʻala e paʻa nei i koʻu maka, ʻo wau ʻo Kaʻimi, no Puʻuiki mai au.  ʻo nēia koʻu wāmua i hele i Haneʻōʻō no ka lawaiʻa ʻana i nā moi.  Nui nā moi ma ʻaneʻi a nui nā moi aʻu i kiʻi ʻia ai.  ʻAʻole hiki i koʻu ʻohana ke ʻai i kēia mau iʻa a pau.  Makemake ʻoe i kekahi mau iʻa?”  Ua ʻōlelo ka wahine “ʻae, pololi nō wau no ka wela a ka lā.  Hiki iā ʻoe ke hoʻomoʻa i nā iʻa no ko kāua ʻai ‘ana?”  Wahi a Kaʻimi “ʻae, Naʻu e hoʻomoʻa i kekahi mau iʻa i kēia manawa.”

Ua hōʻā ʻia nā lāʻau e Kaʻimi a i ka wela ʻana o ke ahi, i hōʻope ʻia ai nā moi i nā lau kī, (ʻo ia hoʻi ka lāwalu). ma hope o ka hōʻope ʻana i nā lāwalu i kau ʻia ai nā lāwalu ma nā lānahu wela e Kaʻimi.  Pōloli nō lāua no ka honi ʻana i nā mea ʻai ʻono e kuke ana.  Ua hala kekahi mau minuke ma mua o ka mākaukau ʻana o nā iʻa a hauʻoli loa nā kanaka pōloli ʻelua no ka ʻai ʻana i ua mea ʻai la a Kaʻimi i hoʻomoʻa ʻai.  ma lalo o ka hele ʻana o ka lā lāua i ʻai a i lawa puni lāua i nā mea ʻai no ka piha ʻana o ko lāua mau ʻōpū. Ma hope o kā lāua ʻai ʻana i nā iʻa, pono ʻo Kaʻimi e hoʻi i kona hale no ka hānai ʻana i kona ʻohana.  Ma mua o kona hoʻi ʻana, wahi a ka wahine uʻi iā Kaʻimi “Mahalo nui iā ʻoe no ka mea ʻai.  ʻOluʻolu nō ka ua kilinahe.  Inā hoʻokili ka ua Kilinahe i Haneʻōʻō, nui nā iʻa ma laila.”  ʻĪ akula ʻo Kaʻimi iā ia “Inā hāʻule mālie ka ua Kilinahe i Haneʻōʻō, e hānai ʻia ana ka pua uʻi kakaʻikahi.”  Ua hāʻawi ʻo Kaʻimi i kona aloha i ka wahine ma mua pono o kona hoʻi ʻana i kona hale.  i ka hiki ʻana mai o Kaʻimi i ka hale, hauʻoli ka ʻohana no nā iʻa a Kaʻimi i lawe ai he nui!  No laila ua kamaʻīlio ʻo ia me ka ʻohana e pili ana i kona lawaiʻa ʻana i Haneʻōʻō ma hope o ko Kaʻimi ʻohana ʻai ʻana.

Nui nā mahina i holo ai a Kaʻimi e lawaiʻa ana i Haneʻōʻō a i kona kipa ʻana ma laila ua ʻike ʻia ua wahine uʻi la a hānai ʻia ʻo ia e Kaʻimi me nā iʻa i kiʻi ai.  Hoihoi nō ʻo Kamaloheʻole i ka ʻike ʻana i ka wahine uʻi a Kaʻimi i kipa ai a makemake nui ʻo ia e kiʻi i nā kini iʻa.  i kekahi lā i inu ai ʻo Kamaloheʻole lāua ʻo Kaʻimi i ka ʻawa he nui! akā aʻole i inu nui ʻo Kamaloheʻole.  i ka ʻona ʻana ʻo Kaʻimi no ka ʻawa, inu ʻo Kamaloheʻole i ka wai i kona apu. i ke kahiaka aʻe i ala ai ʻo Kamaloheʻole akā ua moe ʻo Kaʻimi no kona inu ʻana i ka ʻawa i ka pō nei.

Ua hele akula ʻo Kamaloheʻole wale nō i Haneʻōʻō no ke kiʻi ʻana i nā iʻa a me ka wahine uʻi.  i kona hiki ʻana mai ma laila, nui nā moi i ʻauʻau i kai akā ʻaʻole i ʻike ʻia ka wahine uʻiloa.  ma laila i kīloi ʻia ai ka ʻupena ma hope o nā iʻa a ua huki ʻia ka ʻupena e Kamaloheʻole i ke one.  Ua kiʻi ʻia kekahi moi nui wale nō.  ʻAʻole ʻo Kamaloheʻole i hāʻawi i ka moi i ke koʻa no ka hoʻokupu, no ka mea makemake ʻo ia e lawe aku i ka iʻa no kona ʻai ʻana wale nō, auwē!  Kiloi hou ʻia ka ʻupena ma hope o ka moi a ua hala he mau minuke a loaʻa kekahi mau moi iā Kamaloheʻole.

i ka huki ʻana i ka ʻupena, ua lilo nā lau hau ʻōmaʻomaʻo i nā lau melemele a i ʻike ʻia ka wahine uʻi ma ka pōhaku āna e palaki ana i kona lauoho loa.  Ua kiʻi ʻia nā moi ʻumi e Kamaloheʻole a hūnā ʻia nā moi e ia ma hope o kekahi pōhaku.  Ua kāhea akula ʻo Kamaloheʻole i ka wahine uʻi “Hui!, pehea ʻoe e ka wahine uʻi?!!”  Wahi a ka wahine “ʻo wai lā ʻoe, a he aha kāu hana?”  Ua ʻŌlelo akula ʻo Kamaloheʻole “o wau ʻo Kamaloheʻole mai Puʻuiki mai, ua lawaiʻa au i kēia kai.”  ʻĪ ka wahine, “He iʻa kāu i kēia Manawa? Pōloli au no ka wela a ka lā.”  Ua pane ʻo Kamaloheʻole “ʻElua aʻu iʻa wale nō.  Makemake ʻoe i kekahi iʻa?”  Ua hāʻawi ʻia ka iʻa i ka wahine a wahi āna “e hele pū me aʻu i koʻu hale no ka inu ʻana i ka ʻawa.”  i ko Kamalohe manaʻo, makemake ka wahine iā ia, no laila hoihoi nō  nēia kāne no ka hoʻi ʻana i ka hale o kēlā wahine.

i ka hale o ka wahine lāua i hoʻi ai a ua hala he mau minuke ma mua o ko lāua hiki ʻana i kekahi luakele ma waena o nā hau me nā lau melemele.  Ua pau ka hele wāwae ʻana i ka wahine ma mua pono o ua luakele la. Huikau ʻo Kamaloheʻole no ka hale ʻē.  Ua nīnau akula ʻo ia i ka wahine  “ Aia i hea kou hale?, ʻaʻole hiki iaʻu ke ʻike iā ia.”  Pane ka wahine “ʻO nēia koʻu hale, e komo mai e kaʻu hoa nohea i koʻu luakele a e noho me aʻu.”  i loko iho o ka luakele lāua i komo ai a ua ʻoni nā manaʻo kolohe i loko iho o ko Kamaloheʻole naʻau no ka ai ʻana me ua wahine uʻi la no ka mea nui kona ʻiʻini  e komo i kona luakele.  Hahai akula ke kāne me ka ʻāwīwī i ka wahine i kolo, Hahai ʻo Kamaloheʻole iā ia like me ka iʻa awa e komo i ka loko iʻa.  i ka hiki ʻana a lāua i ko ka wahine hale ʻī akula ka wahine iā Kamaloheʻole “Eia ka ʻawa, e ʻuwī iā ia no ko kāua inu ʻana.”  Ua hala he mau hola i ko lāua inu ʻana a ʻona nō ʻo Kamaloheʻole me ka ʻawa.  ʻOni nō kona manaʻo kolohe no ka wahine i loko iho o kona naʻau a wahi a Kamaloheʻole i ua wahine uʻiloa la “E ai ana paha kāua i kēia Manawa?”  Pane ka wahine “ ʻae, e ʻai ana wau.”  Ma mua pono o Kamaloheʻole, ua lilo ka wahine i moʻonui!  Ua kupu nō ka makaʻu i loko iho o kō Kamaloheʻole naʻau.  Ua holo ʻo Kamaloheʻole me ka ʻāwīwī akā ua kiʻi ʻia ʻo ia e ka Moʻowahine.  ʻAʻole i ʻike ʻia ʻo Kamaloheʻole ma hope o kēlā kipa ʻana i ka hale o ka Moʻo; Ua ʻai ʻia ʻo ia e ka Moʻowahine no ka mea ʻo Kamaloheʻole kai pī me nā iʻa a ʻaʻole ʻo ia i hāʻawi i kekahi iʻa iā Kūʻula kai, Nona e lawe aku i nā iʻa no kona ʻai ʻana wale nō!  No laila, mai hana pī, e hāʻawi kou aloha i nā manawa a pau.

Credits: Performance and interview videos courtesy of Leihulu Pine; featured post featured courtesy of Shawn Kahoʻolemana Naone, Makawalu Photography