Laie Point
The other day, after making produce deliveries to Turtle Bay, a local resort (which we usually like to call “Turtle GAY” after we’re out of earshot), Crazy Bill took us to Kahuku Superette, which is a fantastic little store famous across the island for its fantastic poke.
Poke (poe-kay) is a fantastic Hawaiian raw fish salad, somewhat similar to sushi- cubes of raw fish (in this case, fresh ahi, or yellow fin tuna), sometimes served with sauce and/or other seasonings, and usually served over hot rice. Oh, and it’s fucking fantastic. Did I mention that?
I bought a bowl of poke and rice, along with the last slice of Ted’s pie (lemon cheese cream, ooh la-la) and got in the back of the truck.
Instead of taking us back to the farm, however, Bill kept driving towards the other end of the island. The farthest out I’d been in that direction was the Superette, so I found myself greeted by new scenery. The extent of new scenery on the actual drive consisted of Mormontown and Mormontown Foodland.
But then I found myself on the edge of town, on the edge of everything, at the point of the island where it was only rocks and sea, Laie Point. The story (according to the state anyway) is that a great and legendary warrior named Kana defeated a giant Mo’o lizard guarding the point. He then cut the giant reptilian menace into five pieces and hurled them hither and yon into the sea, leaving behind the five rock masses visible from the shore.
A local storyteller who now teaches Hawaiian lore, however, told us differently- two lovers were separated by a jealous god, he said, with an ocean between them. Undying in their loyalty, they swam the ocean to reach each other. Just as their hands touched, the god turned them to stone, leaving the archway below, Kukuihoolua Island- their touching hands.
I walked out to the edge, watched the sea lap and break against the rocks, felt the sun. There was neither euphoria nor depression, but instead a calm awareness, an acceptance, a balance. Here I am. Here I am on the edge of an island in the middle of the Pacific. Here I am, loving life. Here I am, finally just being ME.
I got back in the truck bed and ate my fresh poke, and my delicious lemon cheese pie, and watched the water and the wind and the sun and the sky.
Perfect.
Poke (poe-kay) is a fantastic Hawaiian raw fish salad, somewhat similar to sushi- cubes of raw fish (in this case, fresh ahi, or yellow fin tuna), sometimes served with sauce and/or other seasonings, and usually served over hot rice. Oh, and it’s fucking fantastic. Did I mention that?
I bought a bowl of poke and rice, along with the last slice of Ted’s pie (lemon cheese cream, ooh la-la) and got in the back of the truck.
Instead of taking us back to the farm, however, Bill kept driving towards the other end of the island. The farthest out I’d been in that direction was the Superette, so I found myself greeted by new scenery. The extent of new scenery on the actual drive consisted of Mormontown and Mormontown Foodland.
But then I found myself on the edge of town, on the edge of everything, at the point of the island where it was only rocks and sea, Laie Point. The story (according to the state anyway) is that a great and legendary warrior named Kana defeated a giant Mo’o lizard guarding the point. He then cut the giant reptilian menace into five pieces and hurled them hither and yon into the sea, leaving behind the five rock masses visible from the shore.
A local storyteller who now teaches Hawaiian lore, however, told us differently- two lovers were separated by a jealous god, he said, with an ocean between them. Undying in their loyalty, they swam the ocean to reach each other. Just as their hands touched, the god turned them to stone, leaving the archway below, Kukuihoolua Island- their touching hands.
I walked out to the edge, watched the sea lap and break against the rocks, felt the sun. There was neither euphoria nor depression, but instead a calm awareness, an acceptance, a balance. Here I am. Here I am on the edge of an island in the middle of the Pacific. Here I am, loving life. Here I am, finally just being ME.
I got back in the truck bed and ate my fresh poke, and my delicious lemon cheese pie, and watched the water and the wind and the sun and the sky.
Perfect.