The times I like the best comes when you are relaxed, not much to do but remember things of your past. A trip down to the "Taro Patch", it's early in the morning, and your maka is closed tight, my bed is so warm and then EDWARD, you betta get up, Tutu man going be here soon, wiki-wiki, and don't wea your moelepo pants. I open my maka and run to the lua and blow the hannabuddah from my nose in da toilet paper, I hemo the toilet lid make some funny kind noise after I finish, brush my teeth, and put wada on my face to wash the maka pia pia from my eyes, I look in da mirror check my face to make sure I wen clean my maka good.
As I walk into the kitchen my Madda say to me Edward, your Grandpa going come get you for help at the Taro Patch, no make any humbug ok, eat your breakfess (left-over stew and poi), oh how ono. My Madda hands me a bread wrapper (Loves bread), with some buttah rolls, and one manapua and this is for me to eat on my trip to Laie.
Then I hear my Grandpa's truck pull in the drive, he honks his horn, I run outside and climb into the back of the truck bed, its full of drums that contain "Slop", which my Grandpa collected for his pigs at the Taro Patch, inda truck is my Uncle Simi, Madeline, and sitting in the cab is my Auntie Ida with my Grandpa. "NeddyBoy" are you ready? (My Grandpa's name for me, my Dad's name is Ned), ok Grandpa I ansa, then we head down the road to Laie, it's always one interesting trip.
My Grandpa's truck was an old gray Ford pickup; it had wooden rails on the side. The trip to Laie would take us thru several towns. As we start down the road we go thru the town of Wahiawa, pass the old Bus Station, my Grandpa honks at one of his friends driving the Bus. Uncle Johnny worked there until he passed away. Then we would turn on Cane Street past Tai-Sing grocery store, then turn left and head towards Kilani Bakery, oooh the smell of the brownies and buttah rolls. ONO! We would go west now towards "Bigway" burger, ooooh the "Teriyaki" burgers, and plate lunches mmmmm. We turned north going towards "Whitmore" plantation camp, oooh the smell of the Pineapple. I can still remember picking pine "Monsu", "Ho-hana" gang.
As we travel we pass over the old Iron Bridge, which spans the Wilson reservoir, I can still remember the people catching "Mosquito" fish "Talapia", I still rather eat "Opelu", or "Mahi-Mahi". As we travel north, I can remember the Cane and Pineapple fields. Oh, I almost forget the," small Pineapple stand", along the road. I laugh about that, it's not small anymore.
One of the most beautiful sights was coming up, just as we drove over the crest of the hill, laid out in all its splendor the North Shore. What a gorgeous sight, the different colors of blue. From aqua that trails off to deep blue with the white ripples of surf. Mmmm. I can smell the salt air now; we were heading towards "Waialua" and "Haleiwa". Waialua was more towards the north west, my Grandpa would turn at the split and go thru Haleiwa, I remember it as old Wild West store fronts and surrounded by cane and pineapple fields. We would past the old Haleiwa Poi factory and Sea View Inn, and drive over the old white concrete bridge heading towards Haleiwa beach park, but before that we always stopped at "Matsumoto's" for Shave Ice. Not so crowded then. My Grandpa say, eh you guys, we going stop and eat shave ice, my Aunty and I would get the Rainbow kind, this stop was good because my Uncle Simi, Madeline and I was tired of dogging the slop cans, the buggahs smelled "hauna", and made you think it would give you "kaki'o".
After we finished our shave ice we headed out again, we passed Haleiwa park, and headed towards North Shore Pipe Line, depending on the time of the year we could see the big surf, but to me I would rather see "Waimea Bay", there is a pretty view, I can remember jumping from the rock, we passed the old spooky house, and the Catholic church with the tall tower, and past another country store by "Pupukea". We still had a long ways to go before we came to "Kahuku", and dogging the slop cans kept us on our toes.
About Author
I am from Wahiawa, O'ahu. The stories are from my memories of my growing up in a large family with extended relatives.
