From da Big Island Read online

  William sat down and started to read.

  “Ruth Newcomb, former host of the syn-d—” William paused turning his head sideways as he tried to pronounce the word.

  “Syndicated,” Ruth finished.

  “--syn-di-cated television show From the Big Apple, was born in East Hampton, New York. The so—” William paused again.

  “Socialite,” again Ruth finished the word for William.

  Ruth and William were so involved, Ruth didn’t notice the wild turkey, chickens, and néné had made their way to the porch and started eating Mrs. Wiggins’ food.

  “The so-cial-ite attended St. Francis Academy for girls and graduated mag-na co-me la-” William paused.

  “That’s magna cum laude, it’s Latin meaning ...”

  The sound of the birds pecking drew Ruth’s attention. She looked at the birds, got up and chased them away. “Shoo, shoo!”

  William started to laugh.

  “Darling, what’s so funny? Every day they come, every day the same thing.”

  “Why don’t you give dem food, too?”

  “That’s Mrs. Wiggins’ food. I don’t want to feed the entire island!”

  “Da birds, dey eat bugs. Dey good for you.”

  “I’m not going to feed them and that’s final!”

  ✽✽✽

  Ruth collected her mail from her post office box while Danny, the local television producer, was collecting his.

  “Excuse me, aren’t you Ruth Newcomb?”

  “Yes, Darling, who else would I be?”

  “Aaa-loooo-haa! I’m Danny Mauka, station manager at KBI, Big Island TV, channel 32.”

  Ruth acknowledged Danny. “Nice to meet you.”

  “I’m sure you have made quite a few adjustments to life here on da Big Island.”

  “Darling, more than you would ever want to know.”

  “Da first few months are tough and you’ll adjust.”

  Ruth closed her mailbox as Danny continued, “Would you be interested in doing a broadcast or two?”

  “Darling, I am not interested in doing television, radio, or anything right now. I just want to be left alone.”

  Danny reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card and handed it to Ruth.

  “Here’s my card. If you change your mind call me.”

  ✽✽✽

  Ruth wore slacks for the first time along with a large hat covering her face from the sun, was kneeling in the garden clipping flowers and placed them in a Tiffany ceramic basin at her side. Mrs. Wiggins was curled up next to her. William was seated in an Adirondack chair reading an article from The New Yorker. He placed the magazine on the table, looked up at Ruth, “I finished, Mrs. Newcomb.”

  Ruth put the clipping sheers down, got up and took her seat in the Adirondack chair next to William.

  “Excellent, William.” William smiled. “You have made a significant improvement in your reading.”

  “It’s coming a lot easier, thanks to you and Auntie.”

  On the table was a new paperback edition of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Ruth reached for the paperback.

  “I think reading is an adventure and it’s about time you start reading a novel. We’ll start out with an easy and fun one, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Ruth handed the paperback to William and he started to flip through the book.

  “What type of name is Huckleberry? Is he related to Huckleberry Hound, the cartoon dog?”

  “No, but that’s not important. What is important is that you enjoy Huck’s adventures.”

  “Huck?”

  “Darling, that’s short for Huckleberry. You will get into the story and won’t be able to put the book down.”

  “Ma-ha-lo, Mrs. Newcomb.”

  William opened the book, flipped to chapter one, and started to read. After a moment, he looked up, “It says he was in another book called The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Should I read that book first?”

  “I think this book is better.”

  “Oh-kay, but he sure writes funny.”

  “That’s known as colloquial writing.” Ruth noticed William cocked his head and continued, “Colloquial is like Auntie, when she speaks, that is known as Hawaiian Pidgin. In the case with the book, that is how Huck speaks. It will take you no time to pick it up. Continue reading, William.”

  William started reading. His lips slightly moved with each word as though he was reading aloud. Ruth watched William.

  ✽✽✽

  Ruth was watching television. Mrs. Wiggins was curled up on her lap. Ben entered through the front door.

  “Good evening, Mrs. Newcomb.”

  “Good evening.” After a brief moment, she asked, “Darling, have you found a security system yet?”

  “No.”

  “I want you to check on it in the morning, okay?”

  “Oh-kay.”

  ✽✽✽

  The night was still. Ruth was sleeping, wearing her silk night mask. The grunting and popping sounds were so loud they awakened Ruth. She removed her night mask and sat on the edge of the bed. Mrs. Wiggins waddled into the bedroom meowing. Ruth reached into the night stand, took out a large flashlight, and turned it on as she headed outside.

  Ruth used the flashlight to guide her; making her way towards the grunting and popping sounds. She turned the flashlight toward the sounds, which illuminated a large one hundred and fifty pound feral pig, grunting and scratching the ground near the base of a macadamia tree eating the nuts. The macadamia shells were so hard that when the pig bit down and broke the shell, it sounded like gun fire. Distracted by the light, the pig looked at Ruth, grunted, snorted, and waddled away into the darkness.

  No More Keiki’s

  A bright sunlight filtered through the mango and other fruit trees that border the macadamia orchard. Ruth checked the mango fruit to see if it was ready to eat before she continued walking through the orchard. She looked down at the ankle high grass, frowned and shook her head in disgust, as she saw a plethora of macadamia nuts on the ground. Under a few trees were large sized holes where the grass had been dug up by the night visitors. Ruth was getting mad. She looked around for Ben. Not seeing him nearby, she called, “Ben!” After a few moments, she called, “Ben!” Ruth walked faster, past her house and headed up to Auntie’s, calling, “Ben!” She passed through the trees and shrubs that separated her property from Auntie’s. She found the greenhouse and headed for it. She called, “Ben! Are you in there, Ben?”

  “Uh-huh!” Ben replied.

  Ruth opened the door to the greenhouse and was greeted with the aroma of skunk and grass. She entered and found Ben and Auntie clipping marijuana buds from mature plants. They both looked up at Ruth.

  “You, kokua?” Auntie inquired.

  “No, I came for Ben.”

  Ruth took a moment and looked around the greenhouse. Her jaw dropped as she realized the keiki’s were not at all kids or little ones, but marijuana plants.

  “That’s marijuana!” She exclaimed.

  “Haole call it marijuana, we call it pakalolo. You kokua?” Auntie responded.

  Ruth did not like the current arrangement one bit. “What you are doing here is wrong. Ben, I want you down at my place, now!”

  Ben put his head down as if he was caught in the act of doing something terribly wrong, “Oh-kay.”

  Ruth turned to leave.

  “No!” Auntie commanded “Ben stay. Keiki’s need kokua, now!”

  “No! Darling, Ben will come with me, to my place. I pay him to take care of my place.”

  “I pay Ben, too. Da pakalolo help people and make more money den mac nuts, Kona coffee, and orchids.”

  “What you all are doing is wrong; growing marijuana is illegal.”

  “Dis is medicinal marijuana.” Auntie clarified.

  “I don’t care.” Ruth said then looked at Ben, “Ben, come!”

  Ben shook his head.

  “Ben,” Ruth continued, “you were hired to take care of my place. You
haven’t mowed the lawn in over a month. The nuts need attention and the security system. Well, what about the security system?”

  “I work it.”

  “Enough of this, Ben, I have had all I can take of you and your lack of work. If you like it so much here, Ben, get your stuff out of my place and move up here with Auntie.”

  Auntie glared at Ruth, “He no live wit me.”

  “I want Ben out of my place tomorrow. You understand?”

  ✽✽✽

  On the lanai, Ruth typed on her laptop. Mrs. Wiggins was curled up in her usual sunny spot. William approached carrying The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Smiling as he reached Ruth, “Aaa-loooo-haa, Mrs. Newcomb... Am I disturbing you?”

  “No, Darling. Have a seat.” William took his seat in the other Adirondack chair.

  “You were right, Mrs. Newcomb. I couldn’t put Huck Finn down. It is a great book! I could really identify with Huck cause we have a lot in common. I really liked the part where he uses pigs blood to fake his death.”

  “It was a great story, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Newcomb. Ma-ha-lo!”

  William returned the book to Ruth, who placed it on the table next to Catcher in the Rye, which she handed to William commenting, “You know, William, Catcher in the Rye is a great book. You will like it too.”

  “Ma-ha-lo!”

  “William, I need help around the house, mow the lawn, collect the nuts, and do odd jobs. Do you know of anyone?”

  “Ben, he da bomb. There is no one betta than Ben.”

  “So you don’t know of anyone?” Ruth asked.

  William shook his head no.

  “Darling, would you help me?”

  “I am not Ben. I do not have tools or experience like him.” William responded as started to get up. “I need to go help Auntie.”

  “Why are you helping her with that stuff? You shouldn’t engage in such activities.”

  William sat back down, “That stuff? Such activities? I don’t understand.”

  “You know what I mean, William.”

  “No, I don’t, Mrs. Newcomb!”

  “What you are doing is wrong.”

  “There is nothing wrong with helping Auntie.”

  “William, I agree with you to a point. However, helping someone tend marijuana is not.”

  “Helping ohana is da Hawaiian way.”

  “If you go up there and help her with that stuff, I don’t want you around here anymore.”

  William got up and said, “What-ever...” as he started up the hill, still holding Catcher in the Rye.

  Be Careful What You Wish For

  It was a peaceful night until the sounds of the crickets and frogs were abruptly interrupted by the sounds of Mrs. Wiggins outside in a cat fight along with grunting sounds awakened Ruth. She removed the night mask, got out of bed calling, “Mrs. Wiggins! Mrs. Wiggins!”

  Ruth, with flashlight in hand, ran frantically into the orchard toward the sounds of Mrs. Wiggins hissing and the pig grunting. Ruth reached the scene, shining her flashlight on the pig, only to watch it meander away, leaving Mrs. Wiggins sprawled on the grass.

  “Mrs. Wiggins!” Ruth stopped dead in her tracks not believing the carnage in front of her. “Oh, no, Mrs. Wiggins!”

  ✽✽✽

  A light rain fell as Ruth finished digging a hole in the soft red volcanic soil to bury her beloved cat. Ruth reached down taking Mrs. Wiggins, who was wrapped in Ruth’s New York red woolen scarf, looking like a mummy. She ceremoniously placed the cat in the hole and filled it with soil and placed a handmade wooden cross at end of the makeshift grave and said a silent prayer. Ruth stood and shook her head in disbelief. She looked towards the house, the orchard, and the ocean realizing the vastness and loneliness of the island and started to cry.

  ✽✽✽

  Later, Ruth sat on her lanai with the open laptop, staring pensively at the screen and shook her head. She closed the laptop, got up, walked down the steps of the lanai to the garden area where Mrs. Wiggins was buried, looked at the barren burial site, and sorrowfully shook her head.

  Unnoticed by Ruth, Auntie quietly walked up; placed her hands together in front of her and bowed her head. After a few moments, Auntie started to speak. However, this time in perfect American scholastic English with no accent.

  “It’s hard when we lose loved ones, isn’t it?”

  Startled, Ruth turned and looked at her.

  “It will take time,” Auntie continued, “and you will get over it. You need a hug...” Auntie opened her arms to Ruth. “Come to Auntie.”

  Ruth hesitated.

  “It’s oh-kay,” encouraged Auntie, “I am here for you.”

  Ruth hesitantly raised her hands to hug Auntie.

  “You need someone right now. Auntie’s here.”

  Ruth finally could not resist. The two of them embraced in a hug. Ruth started to cry.

  “There, there.” Auntie patted Ruth as though she were consoling a frightened child. “Everything is going to be alright.”

  Ruth sobbed, “Mrs. Wiggins was the last thing I had. I wanted to be alone, but not like this.”

  After a few moments, Ruth and Auntie broke their embrace. Auntie looked at Ruth, “Sometimes, what we want is not what we truly need. Oftentimes, what we are looking for is right in front of us and we don’t see it. We look elsewhere because we believe it is there and not where it truly is. You came from the fast paced, wikiwiki, world of the Big Apple, to the more relaxed laid back life of the Big Island. The two cannot coexist. You are here now, but for how long?”

  Ruth shrugged her shoulders. “I sold everything and am here for good.”

  “You’re a multi-millionaire. You can move back to the Big Apple anytime you want.”

  “There’s nothing left for me there.”

  “Then you must adjust to the Big Island life. Here, we help each other, we are all one big family, it’s the Hawaiian way. The Hawaiians call it ohana. Ohana is the Hawaiian word for family, it doesn’t only mean our blood family, it also means our extended family; the family that is there for us in the here and now. William is not my son, but I treat him as though he is. That’s ohana. Hawaii was built on ohana; it is the magic of the Hawaiian people.”

  Ruth thought for a moment or two, “I think I understand. My needs and wants are out of whack, they are not set for the Hawaiian way, they are currently set for the Big Apple. That’s in the past. I need to move on, as Mrs. Strong said when she arrived from the mainland, she used to be uptight and that life is different here and she changed; she said, in time, I too would change and become more relaxed and enjoy da Big Island ways.”

  Auntie looked towards her house and back at Ruth.

  “Would you like to have punch?”

  “I’d love to.”

  Ruth and Auntie walked through the orchard towards Auntie’s house.

  “You are speaking perfect English now. So why do you speak pidgin?”

  “It’s expected!” Auntie smiled, “I have my Ph.D. in horticulture from Purdue and if I were to speak proper English, things would be completely different. Besides, I enjoy speaking pidgin. Very few people know I have my doctorate, I keep that and speaking perfect English to a select group who have at least a master’s degree, like the Baccio’s, Charlene, and Dr. Tilton; other than them, people think I’m that sweet crazy Auntie born and raised on Oahu. In due time, you’ll be speaking pidgin too.”

  ✽✽✽

  Ruth was still over dressed, wearing a designer outfit, while Auntie, a missionary dress, as they walked into Macy’s. Auntie was speaking perfect English with Ruth, “We need to change your mainland attire to that of a kama’aina.”

  “A what?” Ruth asked.

  “Kama’aina is the Hawaiian for child of the land or better known as a local person. Haole used to mean white person, but now, to be politically correct, it means foreigner. This is all part of what I have been talking about, changing your mindset to be a part of da Big Island.” Aunt
ie lowered her voice and continued “We have a secret.”

  Ruth leaned into Auntie as not to miss a word.

  “As I told you the other day, you know something very few other people do.”

  “Darling, what could I possibly know that no one else knows?”

  “My education and use of pidgin! It’s between us girls. From now on, I will only speak pidgin. And you must cut that darling stuff. Using darling may work in the Big Apple, but not here on da Big Island. We do things differently here.” Auntie leaned even closer into Ruth and winks. “You understand, sista?”

  Ruth laughed as they entered Macy’s.

  ✽✽✽

  Ruth exited Macy’s wearing, for the first time, a muumuu and zoris, carrying a few bags. Next stop was Lowe’s where both were pushing their carts into the garden department. Ruth looked at an assortment of smaller potted plants, picked up the more vivacious flowers, smelling them, before placing them in her cart. When she was done, Ruth joined Auntie who was putting two bags of fertilizer into her cart. As Ruth approached Auntie patted the fertilizer saying, “Dis kokua, da keiki’s.”

  “I don’t understand why you are growing that stuff.”

  Auntie leaned close to Ruth whispering in perfect English, “It’s one way I can afford to live here.”

  “So you see nothing wrong with what you are doing?”

  “There is nothing wrong with it. It’s not like I’m trafficking or selling to kids.”

  “So that makes it okay?”

  “Yes, I’m registered with the feds on an experimental horticultural program doing research on growing medicinal marijuana which we hope sometime in the future will help a lot of suffering people.” Auntie continued, “Did you know cannabis cures certain types of cancer? The Chinese have been using it for thousands of years. Cannabis is in its infancy. With more research it will be the wonder drug.”

  “So, why does Ben spend so much time with you?”

  “He normally doesn’t, it’s harvest time and I can use all the help I can get. You’re welcome to help any time.”