If you lived in Ewa in da 1960s, then you would know where Pakay Stowa was. Pakay Stowa was really Mrs. Ladera's garage in Fernandez Village. She rented her garage to Papasan. I neva did know his real name everybody just called him Papasan.
The garage was lined wit home made wooden shelves on da left side. The back wall had one old ice box (now know as a refrigerator). There was also a coca cola machine. Not da kine you put money in but da kine stay filled wit ice watah and filled wit bottles of soda. On hot days us kids would stick our hands in da ice cold watah. Us would sprinkle each ada until we hear Papasan scolding us.
On da right side in da back had one small shelf anden there was one big table. I don? t remebah a cash register. But I rememba Papasan had one apron with pockets in'em and he had one of dose silver change thingees hanging on his belt.
Papasan's old truck was reversed into the garage. His truck bed had some shelves. It had a big canvas tarp to cover the stuff in da back. So wen he left to go home he just covered the back of da truck.
Pakay Stowa was where all da kids of Fernandez Village stopped afta school. I didn't always have money but I rememba whoever I was wit would share whatever they had. And when I bought candy or gum I always share wit who eva no had money. Everybody always had something, even if was only one bite. Even da gum us would broke in half and give to somebody who no had.
Mostly Pakay Stowa had basic kine groceries, can goods, bread, milk juice and plenny candy. Tuna, spam, Vienna sausage, sardines and stuff la dat. I rememba going to da stowa fo go buy juice. One small can called Orange Exchange, you mix?em wit watah for make one big pitcha of juice. One can Orange Exchange was quarta.
Half da shelves in Pakay Stowa had candy, gum and see moi. You know da li hing mui, ika and mochi crunch (arare) la dat. Small keed time, if I had ten cents I tawt I was lucky cause I could buy one small package li hing mui or a candy bar or 10 bubble gum. If I had a quarta I tawt I was rich cause den I could buy candy, li hing mui and gum too. I rememba buying da kine candy called Necco. Rememba da pack of kalakoa sugar candy wafers, da white ones look like da holy host. Weneva us eat da white one us gotta make sign of da cross wit'em first. I neva did like da black ones.
One ada ting I use to go stowa for was to go buy bread. My Mahdah would give me five pennies extra so I could buy candy or gum. When eva us walk to da stowa us always look on da ground for moe pennies. Sometimes we would walk down da back road, behind da houses where had chicken fight and people selling stuff on weekends. Us always looked for money on da ground.
Pakay Stowa days are a thing of da past now. Its part of Hawaii's Plantation days heritage. Small Mom and Pop stores are few and far between nowadays, but da Pakay Stowas live on in da memories of us grown kids.
About Author
Linda "Lika" Relacion Oosahwe was born at Queens Hospital raised in Fernandez Village/Ewa and Waipahu. She currently lives in Arizona. She has three children; Quannee Mokihana, Star Leinaala, and Keokuk Hokule'a a.k.a Quan, STA & BoBOY! A palm reader once told her she would have three husbands. She's way behind, she still working on her first one and it's been 26 years!! When she grows up she wants to be "financially independent" currently she is "financially embarrassed"!
