I grew up in Ewa, 140 Fernandez Village to be exact. My community was what I thought the whole world was like. Like I thought the only religions had in dis world was Buddist, Catholic, and Protestant. I thought you had to be Oriental to be Buddist and there weren't any Oriental Catholics. Even though, Father Toms last name was Miyashiro; I didn't see him as Japanese, his nationality was Priest. The other priest was Father Pirate! I think his real name was Father Peterson and I think he was haole. But he wore a patch over one eye, so az why all da kids called him Father Pirate. Had any kind story about why he had to wear a patch; like he was born wit one eye, he lost his eye in da war, wen he was small he saw someting he no pose to so he lost the site of one eye la dat. Father Pirate had one deep mean kine voice, he would scold people in confession and they would come out crying.
All the Catholic kids went to mass Sunday mornings. Wedda your parents went or not, da kids were there to represent, I guess. Back in da day, females could not (or was not allowed to) go to mass with out a hat or veil. All us girls had a little round lace veil. If you went to mass wit no veil or hat, somebodys mom or grandma would put a kleenex tissue on your head. Den afta mass all da kids would tease, "You kleenexhead, kleenexhead!"
In Ewa you can tell its a Filipino house because of da calamonguy tree and da chickens. In the back of our house we had double decker chicken coup, "Da Chicken Condos !" Part of it was right up against the back fence. To get on top the chicken coup all you had to do was climb the fence. Us kids use to like stand on the chicken coup roof and check out the scenery, yell at anybody we see and small kids stuff la dat. Wen I was about 7 years old, one time we wen climb on top da chicken coup roof. I stepped right where the tin overlaps. The edge sliced a 5 inch gash on the bottom of my small luau feet. I screamed, seeing blood. My bruhdah and his friends jumped down from da roof real quick. I climbed slowly down, leaving a trail of blood. My Mahdah came out of the house after hearing me scream and all the big noise us kids was making. My Mahda pulled me down off the fence. My bruhdah dem was telling her what happen. One slippa went flying across my okole a couple of times. She was saying, "Wea yo slippas on yo feet, so I no have to putem on your okole??!!"
She carried me into the house and started to fix my feet. All the kids were watching and looking at the gash. I rememba my Mahdah coming at me with alcohol and cotton balls telling me if I no watch out I going get lockjaw. I was crying really ugly kine. I had no idea what lockjaw was. My bruhdah and his friends started saying, "Yeah, you can get lockjaw; yo jaw going lock and you no can talk any moe." All pau fix my ow-wee, my mahdah said, "Go head climb the chicken coup some moe." And da next day I did, but I had my slippas on !!
If I did anything wrong in school and my Fahdah found out; I would get it even moe worst. Dis one time I got 2 slaps with da ruler from my teacher. I no rememba why. My Fahdah found out and I got dirty lickings. As the belt was wizzing across my okole he lectured, "You stupid or what, you know you not stupid, stupid!" (I remember thinking, No, yes, not) The famous words: "You no listen as why" was the reasoning for my dirty lickings. It's not that I neva listen; it's that I did things different or kapakai while talking. Kids use to be classified like, Smart, Regular, or Retarded. There wasn't room for different. I think between Regular and Retarded was Stupid (or acting Stupid/def ea no listen). I think these days its labeled Attention Deficit Disorder.
I often thought my parents were strange. What kid doesn't? Like my parents named my oldest sista Betty, a good American name. But my Fahdah could never pronounce it. He always said, B T. So for 5 years my sister hears her name as BT. She starts school; the teacher does roll call, "Betty !". My sister doesnt answer. Process by elimination the teacher says to her, "You must be Betty." My sista says, "Na-uh, my name is BT." My sista goes home and tells my Fahdah what happened. My Fahdah gives her dirty scolding, he tells her, "Whateva da teacha tell you is right. If dat how she sayem den as how. You listen, neva mind answa back."
Growing up in Hawaii in the 60s was a special time indeed. Our parents had one major rule; "break da rules or ack disrepectful to anybody and you going get dirty lickings." It spawned the "Dirty Lickings Generation." Us is da kids (adults now) who knew the consequences of breaking rules or being disrespectful was dirty lickings. In the words of my Sista Ku; We everytime got dirty lickings BUT eh....we turned out OK, no ??!
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"!
