Synopsis: In the aftermath of the horrendous devastation in Lahaina, it is not surprising that enterprising law firms are advertising their services on TV. These services are ostensibly intended to help victims rebuild what they have lost. This type of help is not freely given. A contingency fee will invariably apply.
Aloha mai nō kākou e nā hoa heluhelu. Aloha nō ho‘i ka po‘e o Lahaina e kakali nei ‘o ka hemo ‘ana mai o nā hemahema o ka nohona ma hope o ke ahi. Nui ka pilikia. Ua pau ka hale. Ua pau nā waiwai lewa. Ua pau ka ‘oihana, ke ala ho‘i e ‘imi ai i ke ola. A ‘o kekahi po‘e, ua pau ko lākou ‘ohana a mea aloha paha i ke ahi. ‘Ehia ua mea aloha, ‘o lākou! I kēia manawa, ke ‘imi ola nei ka po‘e he nui, me ka mana‘o e ala hou mai ko lākou kūlanakauhale ma loko mai o ka lehu. Eia nō ua hemo hou mai kauwahi o Lahaina, a ke ‘ae ‘ia nei nā kupa e ho‘i li‘ili‘i aku i mea e kūkulu hou ai i ko lākou nohona a kū hou mai ke kūlana ‘ae‘oia.
‘O kekahi māhele o ia hana, ‘o ia ka noi‘i ‘ana i ke kumu i kupu mai ai ia pōpilikia. A aia i loko o ia hana ke kupu pū ‘ana mai o kahi nīnau nui, ‘o ia ho‘i, “I hewa ua pōpilikia nei iā wai?” Eia a‘e kauwahi po‘e loio ke ho‘olaha nei i ko lākou mana‘o “kōkua” i ka ‘imi hala aku i kekahi mea hewa, i luaahi ho‘i e ho‘opi‘i aku ai ma loko o nā hale ho‘okolokolo. He kōkua ‘i‘o nō paha ia ho‘opi‘i ‘ana, ‘a‘ole paha. Koe aku ia. ‘O ka ho‘olaha aku a ua mau loio nei ma luna o ke kīwī i ko lākou kōkua, ‘o ia ke kumuhana nui o kēia ‘atikala. He aha lā ho‘i ia mea he kōkua? No‘u iho, inā he kōkua maoli ia, e like ho‘i me ka hana a nā kānaka he nui a lehulehu nāna i hā‘awi manawale‘a aku i nā ‘ano mea like ‘ole, a laila, e hā‘awi manawale‘a aku nō ho‘i kēia po‘e loio i kā lākou kōkua. ‘A‘ole nō paha e kū‘ai ‘ia aku i ka po‘e nele a hune o Lahaina.
Mali‘a o pane mai auane‘i ua po‘e loio nei ma o ka ‘ōlelo hō‘alo‘alo ē, ‘o ia kāki ‘ana, aia wale nō ia a puka ka ho‘opi‘i ‘ana i ka lanakila. ‘O ia ho‘i, inā ‘a‘ole e lanakila ka mea ho‘opi‘i, ‘a‘ole ‘o ia e kāki ‘ia e ka loio. Inā na‘e e lilo iā ia ke eo ma ka palapala ho‘okō o ka hale ho‘okolokolo, e ka‘ana pū ‘ia ke kālā me ua loio nei. Ua maika‘i paha kēia no ka po‘e o Lahaina, inā ‘a‘ohe wahi loio a loa‘a mai ma ka ‘imi aku. ‘O ka mea ‘āpiki na‘e ma Lahaina, ‘o ua mau loio nei nō ke ‘imi mai ana i kahi mea ho‘opi‘i. ‘O ia mau ho‘olaha aku ma o ke kīwī, i mea nō ia e ho‘owalewale ai i nā po‘e i ho‘omanawanui i ia pōpilikia, e ho‘opi‘i aku. I ko‘u ‘ike ‘ana i ia mau ho‘olaha, ua ‘ano ‘ē ko‘u na‘au. He hana ‘epa kā paha ia! ‘A‘ohe wahi menemene i ka pilikia o ka hoa kanaka. He hana ho‘āhu wale na‘e ia i ke kālā.
Wahi a ka po‘e ‘ōlelo haole, e kapa ‘ia kēia ‘ano loio he mea alualu ka‘a pōulia (ambulance chaser). Wahi a ka po‘e ‘Ilikini o ‘Amelika, ua kapa ‘ia lākou i ka ‘olo‘olo pāpū (hangs around the fort) me ka huli ‘ana o ka lima i luna. A wahi a nā kānaka maoli, ua kapa ‘ia lākou i ka ho‘opili mea ‘ai! E ha‘ina hou ‘ia ka‘u i hāpai ai ma luna. ‘A‘ohe o‘u hoihoi i ka po‘e nāna e kū‘ai i kā lākou kōkua. Ke ‘imi mai lākou i mau hoa kanaka e kōkua ai, me ke kāki aku i ke kālā, ‘a‘ole ia he kōkua maoli. He ‘oihana ia.
‘Ōlelo pāku‘i: He wahi mana‘o ho‘omaika‘i kēia i ke kime pōpeku o Lahainaluna. I loko nō o ka luku ‘ia o ko lākou ‘āina, ua kūkulu hou ‘ia ko lākou kime a ua lei ho‘i i ka lei o ka lanakila ma hope o ka pā‘ani mua o ke kau! Hipa! Hipa! Hūlō!
E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:
>> kwong@hawaii.edu
>> rsolis@hawaii.edu
a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:
>> 808-956-2627 (Laiana)
>> 808-956-2627 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
