“Eleven hours isn’t that bad when you’re traveling first class.”
“I lose a day each way! Perhaps most of all, all those new post 9/11 restrictions are taking the fun out of air travel. Like air travel was ever fun.” Ruth quipped as they both laughed.
“It’s an opportunity for you to reinvent yourself and make more money. Think about it, Ruth.”
✽✽✽
Auntie and William, both in Aloha wear and zoris, strolled through Central Park walking by a pond loaded with ducks.
“William, you remember da duck pond in Catcher in the Rye?” William nodded as Auntie continued. “Dis is da duck pond.”
“Der plenty of duck here.” William retorted.
“What dat?” William asked as he pointed towards a couple of small animals that he had never seen before, they looked somewhat like a mongoose, but were darker, had bushy tails, and climbed trees.
“Dey squirrel, dey all over da mainland.”
Auntie and William continued their stroll through Central Park absorbing the scenery around them, the ducks, the squirrels, trees, and people strolling. As they approached the Alice in Wonderland statue they heard the all too familiar sounds of a ukulele strumming to an old Hawaiian song. There was a small crowd around a Hawaiian man wearing an Aloha shirt and Rayban sunglasses. As Auntie and William approached the man, they recognized Michael, Ben’s brother. Upon seeing Auntie and William, Michael stopped singing and strumming, “Auntie! William! Aaa-loooo-haa!”
“Aaa-loooo-haa!” they reply.
The crowd realized the music would not begin for a while and dropped a few coins and dollar bills into the ukulele case and continued with their stroll through Central Park.
“What you do here?” Michael exclaimed.
“We here to see you, Michael.” Auntie answered.
“You come all the way from da Big Island to see me?”
“Yups. We miss you. Ben and I need kokua. It time you come back to da island.”
“I do oh-kay here. I make plenny money.” Michael tried to convince Auntie who quickly realized he wasn’t telling the truth.
“You make plenny money wid me on da island. You be mo happy.”
“Ben misses you and we need you in Hawaii.” William added.
“Come back wid us.” Auntie urged.
“Please.” William pleaded.
✽✽✽
That evening, the door to the Presidential Suite swung open by Danny holding an Emmy in one hand, the door in the other. Ruth entered carrying an Emmy. She was followed by Linda and Pauline, her sister and niece. Behind them followed Auntie and William, all wearing formalwear. Danny closed the door behind him. The group moved into the suite sitting on the sofa and in the chairs surrounding the coffee table.
“We knew you would win.” Pauline exclaimed.
“Yeah, From da Big Island is da bomb.” William added.
Ruth placed her Emmy on the coffee table. Danny placed his next to hers.
“Don’t they look great together?” exclaimed Danny. “I never knew they were this heavy.”
“That reminds me of the first time I won. I almost dropped it on the stage.”
“Aunt Ruth, Mother and I remember our going to Sardi’s after the ceremony.” Pauline reminisced. “Are we going this evening?”
Linda added, “Darling, Sardi’s is a great place to celebrate.”
“It never entered my mind to celebrate at Sardi’s.” Ruth responded.
Linda and Pauline both made pouting faces. Linda attempted to convince Ruth, “Darling, you’ve been away too long. We always celebrated at Sardi’s. Don’t you miss it here, Darling?”
“I used to, but not anymore.”
“Darling, Pauline said Jim was going to make you an offer. Did he?” Asked Linda.
“Yes, Linda, he did.”
“Why don’t you take it and move back here? You can stay with us until you find a place.”
Pauline perked up. “Oh, Aunt Ruth, that would be simply fabulous. Did Jim tell you I’d be the producer of your show?”
“We discussed it.”
William looked concerned, “Are you thinking of leaving us?”
“Oh, Luka, you can’t.” Exclaimed Auntie, “Think about us. Da island.”
“What would dat do to From da Big Island?” Danny asked.
“I never said I accepted Jim’s offer. Jim made an offer. I turned it down.”
Linda was always against her younger sister moving to the Big Island, thinking it was foolish and Ruth’s way to escape Zach’s untimely death. Linda couldn’t take it anymore blurting, “Ruth, I’ve told you many times, Hawaii is no better than a third world country.”
“It not bad!” Auntie proclaimed defending Linda’s attack on Hawaii.
“Darling, the people are ill-educated.”
“I’m almost educated.” William added, “I graduate next month.”
“Darling, All night, all I’ve been hearing is fragmented talk.” Linda looked at Auntie, Danny, and William. “It’s hard to understand you.”
“It come wit time.” Retorted Auntie.
Linda looked at Ruth, “Darling, you see what I mean? And you are willing to put up with it?” Ruth nodded. “Come back here to civilized New York.”
“I’m civilized.” William exclaimed.
“Hawaii civilized.” Auntie added.
“Darling, you call that language civilized?” Linda asked Auntie.
“What you say, sista?” Auntie quipped.
“Darling,” Linda addressing Ruth, “that’s my point exactly. Come back here. Listen to that deplorable language.”
“What wrong wit pidgin?” inquired Auntie.
“Darling, it is low class, like you.” Linda snapped.
“I no low class.”
Linda directed her attack towards Auntie, “Darling, listen how you speak. No one with a real education speaks like that.”
“Wat you mean, sista?”
“Darling,” Linda addressing Auntie, “you need to come to the United States and get a real education.”
Ruth was becoming agitated with the way her elder sister was treating her Hawaiian ohana, especially Linda’s latest United States statement.
“Linda, Hawaii is a state!” Ruth reminded Linda. “How do you know where Auntie was educated?”
“You go, sista!” Auntie encouraged Ruth.
Linda was looking a little confused, directed her next question to Ruth, “Darling, what’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you what’s going on, darling.” Ruth responded emphasizing the word darling. “Auntie speaks pidgin because she wants to speak that way, darling. She enjoys it, darling, and most of all it’s expected, darling. You can stop using that damn darling shit because you cannot remember people’s names. This is Auntie, this is William, and he is Danny.” All three smiled and gave Linda a howdy wave.
“Ruth, darling,” Linda retorted, “you surround yourself with people like them. What kind of life is that?”
“It’s the kind of life I need and want. I enjoy my life on da Big Island. I chose to live there, not because I have to, but because, I like it there. I didn’t know how much I liked it until this trip. New York no longer does it for me, all the rushing around and superficial people.” Ruth pointed towards Auntie, William, and Danny continuing. “These people are my new family; the Hawaiians call it ohana. To put it more succinctly, I have more friends on da Big Island than I ever had here in the Big Apple!”
Ruth looked at Auntie, William, and Danny then at Linda and Pauline. “We have a long flight tomorrow. I don’t want to go to Sardi’s. It’s late and we need to rest before our long flight.” Ruth stood. “Now, Linda and Pauline, let’s call it an evening.”
Linda got up followed by Pauline. As they approached the door Pauline asked, “Aunt Ruth, what about the show?”
“I am not going to do the show. Jim will find someone else. Pauline, you will still be the producer.”
Pauline ran ov
er and hugged Ruth. “I love you, Aunt Ruth.”
Da Battle
Back on the Big Island, Ruth was comfortably sleeping without the silk night mask. The sounds of grunting and popping were so loud it awakened her. She sat on the edge of the bed and slipped on her zoris, reached into her night stand, took out her flashlight, before going to the closet and took out the rifle.
Using her flashlight to guide her, Ruth made her way through the orchard towards the grunting and scratching sounds. The flashlight illuminated a large wild boar scratching the ground under a macadamia tree, with the flashlight in one hand and the rifle in the other hand, she rose the rifle feebly took aim and fired. The recoil of the rifle caused Ruth to drop the flashlight. When it landed, it fully illuminated the pig who looked at her, grunted then turned its attention to eat more fallen nuts.
A few moments later, in the distance, from the direction of Auntie’s house, Ruth saw a figure with sole flashlight approaching her. It was Auntie also carrying a flashlight and rifle. As Auntie approached she yelled, “Luka, what da heck are you doing?”
“I’m going to get that damned pig!”
Auntie saw Ruth’s flashlight illuminating the pig and directed her flashlight in the same direction as she approached Ruth.
“Thank, God! I thought it was da local boys trying to steal my keiki’s.”
Ruth and Auntie laughed as the pig started to trot towards Auntie’s.
“Oh, no!” Auntie exclaimed, “I don’t want him to get into da keiki’s, he’ll go lolo.”
Using the light from Auntie’s flashlight which was following the pig, Ruth could more accurately aim the rifle towards the pig. Carefully, she pulled the trigger.
✽✽✽
Ruth, Auntie, and Ben were seated in lounge chairs on Auntie’s lanai, each sipping red punch enjoying brownies.
“We tell no one that Luka kill pig.” Stated Auntie.
“Luka, you in plenny trouble.” Ben added.
“Trouble?”
“We next to state park. You must kill pig with bow and arrow. We need to get rid of da evidence.”
“What evidence?” Ruth inquired.
“Da pig!” Auntie and Ben exclaimed.
After a moment, Auntie smiled and proclaimed, “We have luau!”
Da Graduation
A large green and white Congratulations Graduates sign hung from the Honoka’a Gymnasium rafters. The bleachers were filled with family members, among them seated together, were Ruth, Ben, Auntie, Danny, Nalani and Meka. Mickey and another cameraman, both wore black From da Big Island T-shirts, were filming the graduation.
On the court facing the bleachers were forty empty seats and a podium. Michael, Ben’s brother, holds his ukulele off to one side maintaining a close watch behind the bleachers. He got the signal and started strumming and singing Queen Liliuokalani’s Aloha Oe. Every one stood as the students dressed in green graduation regalia and gold tassels hanging from their green mortarboard graduation caps walked from behind the stands to the seating area. William was amongst the proud students who waved at their families and friends.
✽✽✽
The school’s valedictorian had finished her speech and was returning to her seat from the podium. Mrs. Strong, wearing a green and white muumuu, returned to the podium and announced, “And now for our most improved graduate, William Ayala. Please approach the podium.” The audience clapped as William proudly rose and walked to the podium. “Not only is he the most improved student,” Mrs. Strong continued, “he is the first member of his family to graduate from high school.” The crowd clapped and whistled as he made his way to the podium.
When William approached the podium, Mrs. Strong extended her right hand. William shook it. In her left hand was a plaque. The From da Big Island video crew was capturing the entire event as the high school and news photographers snapped Mrs. Strong presenting the award to William. Mrs. Strong moved back to the podium. “William, would you like to say a few words?”
“Yes, Mrs. Strong.” William faced the crowd, specifically addressing his parents and Ruth in the stands. “I want to thank my mother and father. They had to put up with a lot from me.” There was laughter throughout the crowd. “But, most of all I want to thank you Mrs. Strong, Dr. Tilton, Auntie, and Mrs. Newcomb for helping me get here.” William winked at Ruth and Auntie. “Mahalo.”
William started to turn to leave the podium, but quickly returned. “Oh, I almost forgot. Da pig for tonight’s luau is from Mrs. Newcomb. Ma-ha-lo.”
✽✽✽
Later that evening, Mickey and the From da Big Island video crew were shooting the graduation luau festivities in Honoka’a Park; picnic tables filled with graduates, ohana, and friends. Tiki torches illuminated the Congratulations Graduates sign which hung between two palms. Michael was among a group of performers who provided Hawaiian music for the graduation celebration.
Folding tables were filled with all the trimmings of a luau; one had chicken, the partially eaten pig, hamburger buns, and an assortment of utensils to cut and pull the pork off the pig. Another table had poi, brownies and other deserts, plates, glasses, and large five gallon jugs filled with red punch.
One picnic table had William, his parents, Nalani, and Meka on one side, the other his ohana and friends, Ruth, Auntie, Ben, and Danny all were enjoying the pig and all the trimmings.
“Ben, I still don’t understand where da pig come from.” Meka probed.
“Meka, I told you da pig kill Luka’s cat. I use crossbow and kill da pig.” Ben responded.
“You never use crossbow for pig before.”
Ruth interjected, “There is always a first time for anything, isn’t there?” She then used her spoon to eat what looked like purple pudding. This was the first time Ruth had poi. Upon tasting it, she grimaced. “This pudding is funny tasking. What is this purple stuff?”
“It poi.” Nalani answered, “No use spoooon! Use fingers. Like this.” She took her fore and middle fingers bringing them together, and showed Ruth how to scoop up and suck the poi off her fingers.
“It called, two finger poi!” Added William.
At that moment, Mickey arrived at the table motioning to Danny that he was set up for the closing. Danny looked at Ruth, “Luka, they are ready for you to shoot da closing.”
Ruth looked at Mickey, “Bring the camera over here. I want to shoot my poi lesson before we do da closing.”
“Luka, I’m already set up for da closing. Can we shoot that first, then shoot the poi sequence?” Mickey retorted.
“That will work for me.”
Ruth and Danny got up heading to where Mickey had set up the camera. He handed Ruth a wireless lavaliere microphone which she put on her muumuu. As she did, she tells Mickey and Danny, “I don’t want to do a run through. Let’s shoot it.”
Mickey had the camera pointed at Ruth who was standing looking into the camera. Mickey gave Ruth the signal to start.
Ruth smiled, “We learned a lot in this episode, including how to eat poi. I would like to dedicate this episode to William Ayala. I know he has a great future ahead of him. Until next time. This is Luka Newcomb, From da Big Island. Aaa-loooo-haa!”
Epilogue
In the years that followed my high school graduation, Luka, Auntie, and the Baccio’s provided for my college education in English Literature here on the islands and then my journalism masters at USC in California. Between my studies, I was always able to find time to surf and documented my adventures in my surfing blog which Surfer magazine liked and later contracted me to write surfing articles. I posted short surfing videos on YouTube. Luka loved my videos and made arrangements to have me do a few surfing segments for From da Big Island. This not only gave me public speaking confidence and on camera experience, it opened doors for me. The surfing videos quickly morphed into Da Wave with William television show produced by Pauline, Luka’s niece. I still travel around the world doing the things I love. None of this could of happened without the help of my ohana, L
uka, Auntie, Charlene Strong, Dr. Tilton, and my folks.
Due to the escalation of the pig issue, following my high school graduation, Ben and Michael built fences around Luka’s, Auntie’s, and my folk’s property. Sometimes, when a sounder of pigs breach one of our fences, Ben will dispatch them and fix the damage. Ben continues to help Luka and Auntie. Michael, in addition to helping Ben with his projects, has a regular gig playing at luaus and hukilaus, glad to have returned to the Big Island.
Joe and Eileen Baccio return to the Big Island a few times a year, primarily during the winter months, stay for a month or two at their Waikoloa Beach vacation home. Unlike Michael Corleone of The Godfather fame, Joe was able to get out of the mob, go legit, and became a proponent for the legalizing medicinal marijuana.
Auntie’s medicinal marijuana research continued as she developed hybrid cannabis strains which increased the potency that better helped patients deal with pain without the psychotropic effects associated with marijuana. Many states have now legalized medicinal marijuana, while others have legalized its recreational use.
The call of the island was also felt by Gloria La Fong, who returned regularly over the years before retiring in Kona.
Luka was happy with her decision years ago to move out of her comfort zone and do something she had never done before; having the courage to take that chance and not be afraid of the unknown and made her move to the Big Island of Hawaii.
Luka eventually fully retired from show business, enjoying her retirement at Hale Newcomb. Once a month, she had Girl’s Day Out when Luka, Auntie, Gloria, and Charlene would get together and have lunch at a old favorite or new restaurant, discussing books they had read, update each other on what was going on.
Luka became a well-known figure at the local libraries on the islands, with her Reading with Luka program where she would read a chapter from a book or have a visiting author read, but most of all encouraged everyone to read. She always ended her reading program much like she did her television shows, “Reading is an adventure. Until next time. This is Luka Newcomb, Aaa-loooo-haa!”
From da Big Island Page 10