Column: Ua hiolo ka hale kū ka‘a o Ward Warehouse

Synopsis: This week marked the final piece of demolition on the Ward Warehouse lot. The developer is preparing the property for the construction of another high rise building with apartments, offices, and stores. As it turns out, I may have been an early contributor to the demolition process.

Aloha mai kākou. E ho‘omana‘o a‘e ana au i kahi kikowaena kū‘ai i kapa ‘ia ‘o Ward Warehouse. Aia ma uka aku o Fisherman’s Wharf ma ke kihi o nā alanui ‘o Ward lāua ‘o Ala Moana. Ua wāwahi ‘ia he ‘ehiku makahiki aku nei no ke kūkulu ‘ana i kekahi hale papa‘i hou. He hale ki‘enao‘a ana ia, kahi e piha ana i nā ke‘ena noho, nā ke‘ena hana, a me kauwahi hale kū‘ai. Ma hope o ia wāwahi ‘ana i ke kikowaena kahiko, ua waiho maila ka hale ho‘okū ka‘a, he mau papahele ‘ehā ke ki‘eki‘e, me ke kū hakahaka ‘ana a hiki i ka Pō‘alua nei. ‘O kona wā nō ia i wāwahi ‘ia ai a hiolo maila nā momoku kimeki, a waiho lālākukui ana ho‘i ma ‘ō a ma ‘ane‘i. Eia nō ke ho‘oma‘ema‘e ‘ia nei i kēia wā. Aloha nō ia kikowaena! He mea mau i ka lehulehu kūloko ka hele ‘ana i laila e pā‘ina ai ma kona mau hale ‘aina, a e inu ai ma kona mau hale inu, me ka ho‘olohe i nā hui kani pila me nā pu‘ukani, a me ka hulahula ‘ana nō ho‘i ke uilani ka wāwae. Eia hou, he nui nā hale kū‘ai like ‘ole no ka po‘e puni kū‘ai hele. Hali‘a wale aku nō ku‘u mana‘o i laila. Aloha nō ia mau lā!

‘Eā, e ka hoa heluhelu, i loko nō o ka hali‘a ‘ana o ka mana‘o, ua kupu mai kekahi hihia i kū nō i ka hilahila. I loko o ia wā ma mua o ka wāwahi ‘ia o ia kikowaena, ua lawe aku māua ‘o ka‘u wahine i kekahi mau malihini i laila e pā‘ina ai ma kekahi hale ‘aina. He ka‘a kalaka hou ko ia ala, akā, ua lilo ke kalaiwa ‘ana ia‘u. A no laila, i ko mākou hō‘ea ‘ana aku i ke ala komo no ke kikowaena, ua huli i ka ‘ākau me ke kalaiwa pololei aku i kahi e komo ai i loko o ua hale ho‘okū ka‘a nei. ‘Oiai, he mau papahele kona, he mau alahiō e pi‘i aku ai i nā papahele o luna a‘e. Aia nō ma luna o ka puka komo, he kua kimeki me kahi hō‘ailona e hō‘ike mai ana i ke ki‘eki‘e mai ka papahele a‘e. He ‘eono kapua‘i me ‘elua ‘īniha. ‘Oiai, ua ‘oi aku ia ma mua o ke ki‘eki‘e o ke kalaka, ‘o ko‘u kalaiwa mālie akula nō ia a komo i loko.

Eia nō na‘e ka mea ‘āpiki. Ma hope iki aku o ka hala ‘ana o ua kua kimeki nei i hope, ua ho‘omaka ka pi‘ina o ke ala hiō, a he nani ia ‘a‘ole hiki ia‘u ke ‘ike i ke kua o luna a‘e nei, ‘a‘ole au i ‘ike i ka ho‘okokoke ‘ana o ke kaupoku kalaka i laila. I ia manawa nō, lohe ‘ia kekahi kani ‘ōkalakala e pi‘i wale ai ka manene. E ‘ānai ana ke kaupoku o ke kalaka i ke kimeki! Ua ho‘ā‘o au e ho‘omau aku i mua, i mea e hala ai ke kua i hope. ‘O ia mau ānai ‘ia nō! Ho‘okū ihola au i ke kalaka a ho‘i akula nō i hope, me ka mana‘o e pakele ai i ua kua nei. Eia kā, ‘o ia hopena like nō! Auē ka ukiuki ē o ka‘u wahine! Kahakaha ‘ia ‘o luna o kona kalaka hou!

‘Eā, e nā makamaka heluhelu, pehea ko ‘oukou mana‘o? I hewa ia iā wai? No‘u iho, ‘a‘ole akamai o ka mea nāna i kūkulu i ia ‘ano kua ha‘aha‘a. ‘O ke ka‘a li‘ili‘i wale nō ke komo. A ‘a‘ole akamai ka hō‘ike ‘ana i ka helu o ka palena ki‘eki‘e inā e emi mai ana ia palena ma ia hope koke aku. Inā pēlā, i hewa ia i ke kuhikuhi pu‘eone nāna i ho‘olālā ke ‘ano o ke kūkulu ‘ana. A i ‘ole ia, e ili ka hewa ma luna o ka mea nānā i pena i ka hō‘ailona. ‘O ka ‘oia‘i‘o na‘e, i ka mana‘o o ka‘u wahine, e ili wale mai nō ka hewa ma luna o kā ‘oukou wahi mea kākau nei. I kēia manawa na‘e, hiki ia‘u ke kaena, ua kōkua au i ka wāwahi ‘ana i ia hale ho‘okū ka‘a.

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.