I cry wen I rite dis story about da good ole days of whea I was bon an raise. Makaweli, Kauai (peepol no yom as Pakala) is da home of da Gay an Robinson sugar plantation, da lass on Kauai, an probally in all of Hawaii Nei, I not shua.
I now retired an living in England. You know, eh? Da place whea Capt. Cook had come from. I live ony about 60 mile, as da myna bird fly, from whea he was bon an raise. An, he been "discova" Hawaii when he been land by Waimea, ony about two mile Kekaha-side of Pakala. Too good, yeh?
Anyway, not so long ago I been just come back from visiting da ohana in Hawaii. I still get famly in Pakala, but my Fudda and Mudda maki aready so I no can go visit da house I been live in since I was bon. See, if you no work fo da plantation, you gudda move out an da bosses give da house to unadda worker. Kinda sad doh cuz my Popoman had live in dat house since 1913 when he been first come from da Philippines. Dat was very sad wen I been drive pass da house cuz had make me rememba all kine stuffs from small keed time.
Wen I been drive down da road fo see da camp I been recanotice how evryting stay fallin down, man! Wat I talkin!!?? Da place still look da same from wen I been lass see om in 1990! Da houses stay old, an even da pukas in da dirt road still stay da same place. Not too much diffren from how was in da 50's an 60's. Wen I drive down da road I been close my eyes an no needz look cuz I rememba from habit whea every puka was. Get so much pukas dat you no can drive mo den 10 kine feets in one straight line. I rememba afta da heavy rain da workers go fill da pukas wit sand or gravel an da road was level fo lilly while. But, neva lass long. Everybody huhu about da pukas but my Fudda use to tell dat da bosses neva like macadamize da road cuz da pukas been stop da cahs from going too fass around da camp. Smaht, doze guys!!!
Da centa of "town" was whea all da special kine stuffs use to happen. Fot of July, Easta egg hunt, wedding pahtees, an all kine stuffs lahdat. We call da place "da Park". Had two stores, Kokubo an Kashiwai stores. Had one small grass park an one dirt basketball court. Da Daligcon boys was Waimea High School all-star basketball playas cuz dey cud practis weneva dey been like. Da court was right outsai dem guys front doa. Lucky buggas!!! We even had one outdoas kine movie tee-a-tah. Mr. Nakashima from Eleele use to lean one beeg screen up nex to Kokubo store an show good kine movies. Even had da kine "chapter" kine show like da Lone Ranger an Tonto. No have to pay, but Mr. Nakashima use to ask fo donashen wen intamishin time. Some peepol give money, but plenny guys run away until dey turn off da lites again. Was kinda mean, but us was ony small keeds dat time. Anyway, was good fun!!! Christmas time da bosses trow one big luau down by da "landing" fo all da workers an dey famly. Had so much kau-kau dat evrybody cud take food home afta da pahtee pau. Laulau, Kalua pig, poi, lomilomi salmon, kulolo, haupia, an wat eva else you cud cacarooch. Man, doze was da fun kine days!
Da peepol who been live in Pakala was good kine peepol. Even to dis day, da keeds an grand keeds still live in Pakala cuz dey still work fo Gay & Robinson. Talk about da keeds. Pakala had sum of da best atletes on da west-side of Kauai. You name it. Football, baseball, basketball, track. An all went Waimea High School. Names like: Honda, Keale, Baron, Kahale, Harada, Daligcon, Yamada, Nakaya, Campos, Furutani, Mizuno, Fernandez, Albarado, Duarte, Perreira, Hookano, Furtado. An doze ony jus da guys about da same age as me. Had plenny mo!!!
I mean, look at da kine peepols had. Filipino, Japanee, Poragee, Kanaka, Borinki. An we neva care wat you look like. We was all one beeg happy famly. We all live, sleep, an play togedda in one happy place. We neva no wat "racial prejudice" was. We neva care. We was just happy fo be alive. Live and let live!
So, even doh da houses stay fallin down an da roads get plenny pukas, Pakala an all da peepol who been live ova dea been no what "Aloha Spirit" was. Even if sum of dem neva no about dat kine stuffs, dey lived it, natrally, cuz dey had om insai dem wen dey was bon. Das why I say, dat, alldoh get plenny udda places dat is good in Hawaii, "Pakala no ka oi!!!
About Author
I am from Makaweli, Kauai. I retired from the Kauai Police Department and now living in England. My English wife and I have two sons and three granddaughters. I like writing short stories in pidgin English.
