When I was small we used to live across Araki Store in Haleiwa, you know where "Oogenisis" is now? Those was da days. We used to charge stuff from Araki man. He was ole already. My olda braddah and sista used to drive him crazy. They used to "borrow" stuff from da store. My madda used to let us cross da street fo' read comics back den, hardly had cars, as why. Ho, dat store was so dusty, but so good fun.
Den was summa and we knew we was going camping. Da whole family, even my cuz'ns from da mainland used to come. Fo' me and my keed braddah, dat meant no school, just play fo 3 months.
Ali'i beach back then was just date trees, kukui nut and Hau. Our favorite spot was in front da Hau trees. Dey used to set up kitchen tent and all. My stepfaddah was lifeguard at the army beach up da road so we felt like we was da bosses of the whole beach. My faddah used to tie da raft from da army at Ali'i. Good fun jumping from da raft and playing king of da raft.
Den pretty soon nite time. Befo' get too dark my maddah tell us fo' get kindling fo' da fire and "den you folks go get da tires". Ho, we knew we was going have one BIG fire dat nite. So we had to dig one big, deep hole in da sand and pile up da kindling and whatever else wood we wen fine next to da hole.
Den we would go to Three Corners Gas Station, you know da one at da corner befo' you drive past da harbor? Well, das wea we used to get da tires. Da owner (I tink) was one Japanee man, he used to have one ciga in his mouth all da time. I tink he used to just give us da tires, I dunno know cuz I neva used to see money, ass why. Ho, sometimes we load up ten tires or moa.
Den we go back to Alii and start rolling da tires to da hole. Me and my keed braddah, all pau au'au, but we stay rolling inside and over da tires getting all black. So good fun! K'den we start da fire. Small kine at first, just da wood ! My maddah tell us we can have craka and cocoa or tea wit budda fo' snack. Ho, saloon pilot crackas da bes. Just broke 'um in da cocoa and eat up wit da spoon. Afta we pau, we start making owa bed in da sand. We lay down by da fire and measure our body fo' see how long we gotta make 'um and den we dig owa hole, just like one coffin eh? Den we spread da itchy army blanket down, half inside and half fo' cover us.
Befo' you know it, one of da men throw one tire on top. Den we get one big bonfire going and da tires used to burn fast. We could throw couple on top, den we used to have to back up cuz used to get too hot eh?
We used to play wit da fire wit sticks. Could see da wata so we could go walking far places fo' explore. Den we would finally come back to our hole in da sand fo' sleep, still yet playing wit da fire and talking story, saying how I was going watch da fire all nite or my keed braddah was. Or how much good fun burning tires, how big our fires and hoping we going do um again tomorrow nite.
Finally, wen we wake up in da morning we both neva keep watch on da fire. We wen fall asleep talking story. You could see orange burning and around da hole. Da sand is black and red and still feel warm by our feet. All of a sudden I look at my keed braddah and he stay all black except fo' his eyes. Ho, I start cracking up cuz he look so funny. Da tires wen make ashes and now he stay all black. Den he start laughing at me cuz he said,"You too!" We get good fun laughing at each other.
My maddah tell us fo' go wash up. She say, "Ho, you keeds just like wata rats, I tell you. look how black dem from da tires." We beg her if we can go wash in da ocean. "Yea", she say, "but befo' you folks go, cova dat fire real good, eh." So me and my keed braddah cover da fire wit lots of sand. Den we go look at ourselves in da wata and we cracking up all ova again. Those days was da bes! I neva going forget our bonfires at Ali'i.
About Author
Pamela Wailehua Rodrigues from Ft. Rucker, Alabama, graduated from Mililani High School ('77). She served in the Army from '79-'86. Her husband John Rodrigues III (St Louis '76) is in the Army. Pamela is a busy wife, mother (girl 16, son, 13).
I have been the chairperson for the Asian/Pacific Heritage Month celebrations here at Ft. Rucker for the last 4 years and am a very active volunteer. I dance hula with the Northwest Florida Ohana (choke Hawaiians down there) and enjoy sharing the aloha spirit whenever I can.
