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“It was his dream. Our dream.”
“Dreamers can’t be tamed, and I get that. But dreams have to be based in reality. My first question is do you still want this?”
“Yes.”
“You are having trouble navigating and this entire business model is broken. But I see what is here. What an awesome place thiscouldbe if it reflected whoyouare. But it would require work and dedication. I’m not sure you have it in you at this stage. And that would be one hundred percent understandable, Mom. You are seventy-one and there’s no ignoring facts.”
She sits up straighter and a fire lights her eyes.
“I could outlast you in some ways, ohana. I have proven my dedication and work ethic for that many years too. Don’t let my knees tell the only story.”
“You have been pushing a boulder up a hill. Because you loved him so much and he loved you. You need to let it fall. What makes you is your connection to this land and culture. What if you reimagine this whole thing to reflect the aloha spirit?”
Something appears in her eyes, some distant light.
“That would be so cool, Tutu!”
“Another thing. Fish needs to be the centerpiece of the menu. Sashimi grade tuna, and poke. Not pasta and cream sauces.”
“Boat to bowl,” she adds, seeing my own excitement.
“If we build for the locals, the tourists will come. Word of mouth.”
“I love the feeling of ohana. It has always been about family.”
“That is the one thing that you shouldn’t alter. But if you don’t like what people are saying about you, change the conversation.”
“How would we start?”
“This view alone isn’t worth the drive. Not the décor or menu. It’s tired. It all needs to be redesigned. Where’s the color here? We’re in Hawaii!”
“But where do I get the money to do all this? I have to keep what I have left to support me the rest of my life. The house, my medical. It requires more than you realize at thirty-nine.”
“We will figure it out. I have an idea already, but I need to run it past Makani.”
“I don’t want my children to pay for my sins.”
“Your children are men now and they can help their mother who raised them to be strong and successful.”
That is the first genuine look of happiness I have seen since we got here.
“And it wasn’t a sin, Mom. It was only a hiccup on the way to success.”
Chapter 4
LEILANI
The sound of the ceremonial trumpet shell reaches under my unbound hair, and through the haku lei encircling my head and covering my ears. A fresh lei of leaves rests against my chest. There is no cellophane skirt here, or coconut bra. Authenticity is valued in this place and not to be defined in Western terms.
I was never interested in “hula kitsch”. Neither are the owners of the resort, or the Entertainment Manager. The world has changed. It is not nineteen-fifty. An ancient, meaningful practice won’t be turned into some cheap packaged entertainment for the tourists anymore. Not when the real is so spectacular. They have come to Hawaii. This isn’t a trip to Disneyland.
We all want to widen the guests’ vision of who we are as a people. To show the sacredness of the stories told through the dance. Not many visitors even know the deity Pele is a woman. Her sister Laka, another holy revered figure, inhabiting the forest realm where many of our adornments are found. They oppose each other, but have unconditional love. It is the right story to begin with. In Hawaiian mythology, women have places of power, respect, and independence. Hopefully tonight, the audience will be enlightened along with being charmed.
If only I could get Auntie Nani to come. She would see how respectful we are of the art and traditions. How the musical instruments used are authentic. And the complete disconnect we have from those that stole the culture and made the stereotypical view of Hawaiian identity. A person does not have to be pure blood to see the truth. It is a matter of curiosity and understanding.
The ukekhe’s strings sound along with the large ghord drums. I hear Uli uli’s, filled with seeds and surrounded by bright feathers, shake in the strong grips of the dancers. Almost time. One more look in the dressing room mirror. Usually someone with more confidence stares back. The idea Alek will be watching has aggravated the family of butterflies currently living in my stomach.
One six-minute opening number now, with the men announcing the arrival of Pele, and I’m on. Unless the ladies rush the stage and throw the entire schedule off. After seeing half-naked young muscular men in loincloths beneath loose skirts, they get bold. Add a few too many Mai Tai’s to the vacationers’ sexual tension, and it could happen.
