From da Big Island

by Bill Hutchinson

  “Oh, der you are!” Auntie exclaimed, addressing Ben, “Da keiki’s need you. You klinim here first.” Pointing to the broken Tiffany pitcher. “Den kam wikiwiki.” She turned for the door and abruptly disappeared.

  “Darling, what was that all about?” Ruth asked.

  “What?” Ben inquired.

  “That lady, what is with her?”

  “Dat Auntie. I work for her, too.”

  “I don’t like the way she just burst into my house. I want to be left alone.”

  “I talk to her.”

  ✽✽✽

  Ben entered the interior of a large opaque plastic greenhouse Quonset hut. The aroma of a freshly mowed lawn with a hint of a skunk permeated the building. An elaborate watering system hung from the metal frame of the greenhouse. Auntie was trimming one of several hundred marijuana plants; most had reached maturity.

  “A-lo-ha.” Ben said as he entered.

  “A-lo-ha, she plenny tight!”

  “Oh, she oh-kay. She da new owner. She no like her name Luka ... she like Ruth.” Ben picked up a pair of trimming shears and started to trim one of the plants near Auntie.

  “Luka, Hawaiian name. Ruth, haole name. She plenny haole. Ruth, mo betta.” Auntie stroked one of the plants, adding, “da keiki, dey nidim our kokua nau.”

  ✽✽✽

  Ruth, wearing a sundress with house slippers, was seated on one of the Adirondack chairs on her lanai typing on her laptop. A can of Cutter’s bug spray was on the table. The sun beamed on a curled up Mrs. Wiggins who was on the grass at the foot of the steps. The brightness of the sun yielded to a darkness Ruth had never experienced. It started to lightly rain, followed almost immediately by a downpour. Mrs. Wiggins’ tail twitched as she looked up at Ruth and let out a long sorrowful meow which was drowned out by the deafening sound of the rain hitting the metal roof. Ruth jumped up and ran for the cat, reaching her in moments. As Ruth bent down and grabbed the cat, she heard a loud roaring, rumbling sound, coming down the hill towards her. She looked towards the sound to see a foot high torrent of water, mud, branches, flowing in her direction. Ruth being unable to maintain her balance fell backward landing on her derrière. The torrent was so powerful, Ruth and the cat started to slide down the hill.

  Ruth continued to slide, holding the caterwauling cat up in the air. They were carried down the hill plowing through a thicket of bushes, her mud covered sundress moved up to her thighs. She saw she was about to hit a house and braced her legs for impact, holding the mud covered cat close to her. They slammed into the side of the house which shook as though a boulder hit it.

  The downpour continued as Nalani and Meka, the middle aged Hawaiian-Filipino owners of the house downhill from Ruth, ran to the uphill side of their house to see what caused the huge thump, only to find Ruth and the cat covered with mud. Ruth looked up.

  Nalani looked at Ruth, “rain stop soon.”

  Meka reached down and helped Ruth up.

  “Eh, wha? Ohhh!” Ruth exclaimed.

  “We wait on lanai for rain to stop. Then you can go.” Nalani suggested as they walked to their lanai. The rain was so heavy, it washed the mud off both Ruth and Mrs. Wiggins.

  Nalani escorted them to four rickety chairs surrounding a table on the lanai. “You sit.”

  “I’m Meka.” Meka said, before pointing to Nalani. “Dis Nalani, da misses.”

  “Darlings, it is nice to meet you. I’m Ruth Newcomb, I live next door, up the hill. Does it always rain like this?”

  “Dis sometimes happens when da rains are in da right place on Mauna Kea. Da good ding is, it doesn’t last too long.” Meka answered.

  Nalani looked at Ruth’s slippers, then up at Ruth. “No won-da you fall. House slippahs no good in Hawaii, too slippery. You need zori.”

  “Zori?”

  “Haole call dem flip-flops.”

  I Need a Car!

  The bright Hawaiian sun filtered through the floor to ceiling kitchen nook windows where Ruth and Ben were having their morning coffee.

  “Darling, have you found a car yet?” Ruth inquired.

  “Yes.”

  “Where is it?”

  “It not ready.”

  “Why not?”

  “No windows.”

  “Darling, what good is a car without an windows?”

  “Dat is all I could find. You take truck?”

  “Ben, I don’t want to use your truck. I want to own my own car. Where do we go to get a car? One with windows?”

  “Hilo, it closer than Kona.”

  “Fine, we go to Hilo and buy a car.”

  “Auntie need me.”

  “She can wait. I need a car, now!”

  ✽✽✽

  The car dealership was small compared to those found on the mainland, with one or two of each vehicle model. Ruth was still dressed more like a mainlander, wore a designer dress and high heels, was with Ben and a car salesman looking the small selection of cars.

  “Not many cars have four wheel drive,” the salesman said, “you really need a truck or SUV.”

  “I don’t want a truck. What is an SUV?” Ruth inquired.

  “Sports Utility Vehicle. Dey like a truck, but look like a cross between a van and a car, and a lot more comfortable.” The salesman took Ruth and Ben over to a couple of SUV’s. “Dis one will get you from Hilo to Kona on Saddle Road, like riding in first class. No bouncing, smooth ride. It’s great when you get caught in downpour. You can go almost anywhere on the island.”

  “Darling, what about Waipio Valley?”

  The salesman shook his head. “These are All Wheel Drive SUV’s, they may not make it. You need a four wheel drive SUV. Let’s go over here.”

  The salesman took Ruth and Ben to a four wheel drive black SUV “Dis da best SUV to use. You won’t slide off the road like other SUV’s and trucks do when you go down to Waipio.”

  “Okay, I’ll buy it.” Astonished, both Ben and the salesman look at Ruth, “On one condition, you show me how to operate it.”

  “It’s easy. But first, you must always take off your high heels when you engage da four wheel drive. Safety first.”

  Ruth got into the driver’s seat and took off her high heels as the salesman got into the passenger’s seat and gave instructions on the operation of the gears and pedals. Ben stood nearby watching the training session unfold. Before long the sound of the SUV starting was heard, followed by the wrenching sound of grinding gears. This was repeated several times before the grinding sound was followed by the SUV lurching forward and coming to an abrupt stop. Ben looked on, shaking his head wondering if Ruth would ever be able handle the SUV. After an hour of training, Ruth was able to drive the vehicle around the lot with little trepidation and parked in front of Ben.

  ✽✽✽

  A pleasant breeze blew down Mauna Kea rustling through the macadamia orchard teemed with a variety chickens, turkeys, and néné’s pecking the grass. Occasionally the sound was interrupted by a crowing cock. Mrs. Wiggins was curled up on one of the Adirondack chairs on the lanai. Ruth was typing away on the laptop. “If you ever saw The Trouble with Angels with Haley Mills and June Harding; that would typify my schooling at St. Francis Academy for Girls. I was more the Haley character where Sarah Martin was June’s. As in the movie, we had fun devising schemes to be defiant. Even to this day, I don’t like rulers; they remind me of the nuns using the back of our hands for target practice.”

  As Ruth continued to type, she heard pecking near the bottom of the lanai steps. She looked up and saw a couple of wild turkeys had made their way to Mrs. Wiggins’ cat food dish eating its contents. The chickens and néné followed the turkey’s lead and made their way to the dish and water. Ruth bolted from her chair frantically waving her arms. “Shoo, shoo!” The birds scurried into the orchard. Mrs. Wiggins disinterestedly looked up at the commotion and returned to her nap.

  Honoka’a

  Honoka’a Town was the closest village with a post office. Almost every sign in town had
an accent between the two a’s. Locals and tourists alike left the pronunciation of the second “a” off saying Honokaa in lieu of Honoka’a. This was quite acceptable to most, however, those true to the old Hawaiian ways would always pronounce the second a.

  In the center of Honoka’a, the paint had peeled on a majority of the wooden buildings. The aged elevated wooden sidewalk had an occasional missing board that made it hard to walk on, while the newer sections were made of concrete. The dilapidated sugar mill wasn’t far from town. When the mill was in operation, the workers and towns’ people used to hang out at Mr. Woo’s, the only market for miles around. There was no doubt Honoka’a had seen better days. However, the town was going through a Renaissance. The government recently built a modern brick post office down the street from Mr. Woo’s.

  A breeze blew through the open aired post office box collection area. Ruth, wearing a designer dress and high heel shoes, was collecting mail from her post office box. The only other person in the post office box collection area was Danny Mauka, the local television station manager. Danny knew everyone and what was happening on the north end of the island. He smiled at Ruth as she walked past him, “What a wonderful dress you are wearing. Where’s the wedding?”

  “Wedding?” Ruth inquisitively replied. “Darling, why would I be going to a wedding? I am picking up my mail.”

  “Sorry, I thought there was a wedding that I wasn’t aware of. People always tell me when there is a wedding or other big event.”

  “Darling, sorry to disappoint you.” Ruth responded and continued to walk down the street to Mr. Woo’s Market which was not much larger than a mainland convenience store. Inside were a variety of items, primarily small single use or sample size items, one of almost everything. Ruth walked through the aisles looking for peanut butter. Finally, she spotted a small jar. She picked it up and looked at it. She frowned and shook her head thinking one would be lucky to get a couple of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches out of such a small jar. Ruth went to the front of the store to the sole cash register. Nearby, Mr. Woo, an older Asian man, wore a white apron stocking shelves. As Ruth approached him, he bowed, “How may I help you?”

  “Darling, do you have a larger jar of peanut butter?” Ruth asked.

  “Have only small. Big ones at da supermarket in Waimea.”

  ✽✽✽

  Waimea was about fifteen miles up the main road from Mr. Woo’s. Ruth pulled her SUV into a parking space at the large Waimea supermarket. When she got out of the SUV, she was beaming and proud that she made the half hour journey herself without incident.

  Mr. Woo was right, the supermarket was enormous. Locals and tourists alike pushed their carts through the large well stocked aisles. The tourists could be readily identified because they were tanner than the locals and had crackers, nuts, and other fattening snacks and liquor in their carts. Ruth roamed the aisles looking at all the unfamiliar local items and the mainland brand name items she was so familiar with. When she reached the peanut butter and jelly aisle, she was amazed by the large variety of local fruits and vegetables that were made into jams, jellies, and preserves next to the peanut butter.

  Charlene, a lightly tanned copper haired woman in a missionary dress with kitschy Hello Kitty zoris, was visually sorting through the variety of peanut butter jars. Ruth saw there was only one jumbo jar of peanut butter left on the shelf. At the same moment, Ruth and Charlene reached for that sole jumbo jar. However, Ruth was the first to grab it.

  “I was reaching for that jar.” Charlene exclaimed.

  “Darling, it’s my peanut butter.” Ruth selfishly responded.

  Charlene examined the overdressed Ruth from head to toe.

  “Your first time on the island, isn’t it?”

  “Darling, I live here!”

  Without maintaining eye contact, Charlene scanned the shelves and found and took a smaller peanut butter container. Looking back at Ruth, Charlene decided she would defuse the conflict stating, “A long time ago, I was like you.”

  “Darling, I am the only one like me.” Ruth exclaimed.

  Charlene shook her head and extended her hand. “I’m Charlene Strong, Honokaa’s high school counselor.” Ruth refused to shake hands. “When I first arrived from the mainland, I too used to be uptight like you. We are now on the Big Island, not the mainland. Life is different here. In time, you too will change and become more relaxed and enjoy our Big Island ways.”

  Without wanting nor needing to respond to Charlene, Ruth turned and left her, who responded, “Have a great day, A-lo-ha!”

  Doesn’t Anybody Knock?

  While Ruth was shopping in Waimea, William Ayala, teenage son of Nalani and Meka, Ruth’s neighbors, was carrying a Hawaiian floral arrangement of anthuriums and birds of paradise in a glass vase, opened Ruth’s unlocked front door. After William placed the arrangement on the living room coffee table, he looked around the room and noticed changes Ruth had made to the Martin’s former home. He noticed the photographs of Ruth with the Clinton’s and Donald Trump, Jackie Onassis, Princess Dianna and Prince Charles in the book case. He spotted the Emmy placed in the center of the book case. Having only seen one on television, he went to the shelf and studied it up close. William remembered that many of the actors said how heavy the Emmy was, so he decided he would pick it up and almost dropped it because it indeed was heavy. He examined the gold statuette and the plaque that read “Outstanding Informational Series - 2001, Ruth Newcomb - Host, From the Big Apple”, and then returned it to its resting place, turning his attention to the collection of hardback books which include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Catcher in the Rye, Uncle Tom’s Cabin amongst Dante, Dickens, and other classics.

  William looked at the flowers, “Des no gut here.” He picked up the flower arrangement and headed for the kitchen where he placed it on the center of the island making sure everything looked perfect. He returned to the living room to leave and found Ruth was entered through the front door with her paper bag of groceries. Ruth screamed and dropped her bag.

  “What are you doing here?”

  William innocently replied, “Noth-thing.”

  “You are stealing something, aren’t you?”

  William shook his head no.

  Ben came running in from the front door and noticed William, “William, what are you doing here?”

  “Noth-thing.”

  “You go home.”

  William started to leave.

  “No!” Ruth proclaimed, “I want to know what he is doing here.”

  “I do noth-thing.”

  “Darling, you are here. That’s enough.”

  “I do noth-thing, I just leaving.”

  Ben did not want to further escalate the situation and commanded, “William, you go.”

  As William headed for the door, Ruth scolded him, “Darling, where I come from people just don’t wander into other peoples’ homes. It’s a violation.”

  When William reached the door, Auntie burst into the room addressing Ben and William, “You come, wikiwiki! Da keiki’s no wait!”

  “I go.” William responded as he left.

  Auntie observed the bag on the floor, “You fo’ever drop dings.”

  Ruth gave Auntie a look of disdain.

  “I no like yu stink-eye. I go.”

  Auntie turned and left the house leaving Ben and Ruth alone in the living room.

  “Talk about violations! People enjoy popping in around here, don’t they?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Darling, what are those keiki things that lady is always talking about? Why are they so important?”

  “Keiki, it Hawaiian for little ones or children. If everything oh-kay, I go Auntie’s.”

  Ruth watched Ben leave and head up the hill to Auntie’s. After picking up the grocery bag, Ruth went to the kitchen and placed the bag next to the flower arrangement on the kitchen island. She reached for the yellow rotary wall phone and picked up the receiver, then hun
g up. Opening a cabinet door, she pulled out a worn AT&T telephone book and placed it on the island and then noticed the flower arrangement. She smiled, thinking Ben had put the arrangement on the island. Ruth returned her attention to the telephone book and noticed that it had the original AT&T logo of years past. She shook her head, opened the book, and looked at the inside the cover, picked up the phone and dialed the number, “Police?”

  ✽✽✽

  Later that same day, Ruth was reading Dante’s Purgatory in the living room. She heard footsteps coming from the lanai before the front door burst open. Two police officers entered. Ruth was startled. “What the heck! Doesn’t anyone knock around here?” Hearing no answer, “I’m glad you are here.”

  “You want to report a break in?” The first officer queried.

  “Darling, why else would I have called you?”

  The second officer attempted to be funny and lighten the tension asked, “What was broken?”

  Ruth saw no humor in the question, “I want to report a break in. I even know who he is and where he lives. He’s the neighbor boy next door.”

  The officers looked at each other and smiled.

  “Oh, William ... William Ayala, he’s harmless. He won’t cause you no harm. He’s a curious kid.”

  “I don’t like it that he was in my house. In New York this isn’t done.”

  “Dis is Hawaii, not New York.” The first officer countered.

  “Did you lock da door before you left?”

  “Yes, and Ben, my caretaker, also lives here.”

  “So maybe Ben didn’t lock da door?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “No harm done. Nothing taken. Is der anything else you need?”

  “Darling, I want something done.”

  “There isn’t anything for us to do if nothing was taken.”

  Ruth shook her head.

  The first officer looked to the second officer, “We’re here, we check on Auntie.”

  ✽✽✽

  Ruth was seated in her white Adirondack chair on the lanai reading The New Yorker magazine. Ben was coming down the hill from Auntie’s. As he approached the lanai, Ruth asked, “Ben, come here, please.”