It was dusk by the time they were walking along the beach on their way back to the hotel. The sunset on the horizon was a sight to behold, sensational in all its glory. Oliver kept gazing out at it in amazement.
"I must say, there is an advantage in not being surrounded by buildings, being able to see out that far and wide is…quite something."
Grace stared at him for a moment before responding. "I can't imagine anything different."
With their eyes fixed to the sun out on the horizon, neither one of them had noticed the angry looking clouds directly above them, until it started raining suddenly and heavily.
"Blast!" Oliver exclaimed, picking up the pace of his walk. Grace squealed and started to run for the hotel which was thankfully not too far ahead. As the downpour became more intense, Oliver started to run as well, both of them dashing for the hotel lobby. As Oliver finally made it inside, breathless and soaked to the skin, he turned to look for Grace and noticed she was still out in the rain. She looked as if she was dancing more than she was running now. He could feel a glow of warmth in his chest as he saw how happy she looked, realizing to himself that although she was currently under his wing, for the first time in her life she probably felt quite liberated. He couldn't help the smile that came to his own face as he watched her skipping around gaily beneath the deluge.
Eventually Grace came inside and the two of them went up to their rooms. "Will you join me for dinner in the hotel restaurant?" Oliver asked before entering his suite.
"Uh, yes but I'll have to hang my dress up to dry first", Grace answered back tentatively.
"Forgive me but I notice you've kept the same dress on since yesterday."
Grace dropped her head down, feeling judged and ashamed. "I don't really have any other clothes…we left Mr. Goodbehere's compound so quickly…"
"Oh, of course. Well in that case, we shall have to get you some more."
Grace blinked at him slowly, a deep frown on her face. "You don't have to do any of this, you know? If it's guilt or remorse you're feeling then I release you from it."
Oliver's face fell. "I apologize, Miss Farrell. I've been trying to do the right thing by you, not considering the position I've put you in. I'm not remorseful about what happened between us but I suppose I am trying to show you that not all men are created equal. What Roscoe expected of you was wrong but it was also wrong of me to go along with it. You deserve a better example than that and I want you to have it."
Grace still felt uncertain. Unsure of his reasoning and not entirely trusting of his motives.
"Truth be told", he continued. "The only other person I know on this island is Roscoe and I'm here for four weeks and I suppose I feel quite lost without a guide."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "You want my guidance?"
"Your guidance and your company", Oliver nodded. "It gets rather lonely in a foreign place when you know nothing and no one."
Grace shrugged lightly. "I suppose I can help you to orient yourself."
He bowed his head and glanced up at her shyly. "I was hoping you might agree to do a little more than that. I want to learn all that I can about these islands but not from the perspective of a foreigner. To better understand my employees who live and work here, I want to form a connection and an appreciation for what it is to be Hawaiian. I know you can help me with that. I don't want to be given the tour of a tourist. I want to see things from a local's point of view. I want you to show me your Hawaii."
Grace had to admit to herself that the man before her had her feeling quite peculiar - almost flustered, but surprisingly not in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. She didn't know why but for some reason he made her feel confident and safe around him. He was unlike any other man she'd met. Eloquent and refined yet not pompous. She barely knew him at all and of course there was nothing to say he would not try to take advantage of her again, but something inside of her told her to trust him.
"Alright", she agreed. "I'll accompany you around the islands and show you our way of life. But you must agree to be prepared for anything."
Her words might have come across as somewhat ominous but Oliver only felt intrigued and excited. There was something about Grace Farrell that told him to trust her in turn.
The following day, after meeting downstairs for breakfast, Grace informed Oliver that she had a full schedule planned for him. They walked for a while down the beach until Grace stopped and began speaking with a dark, shirtless man. Part of their conversation was in Olelo and part in English. Oliver heard the unknown word "tapu" used several times and listening intently as he was, hearing Grace speak a few words in English about Oliver wanting to immerse himself in their culture and trying to help him do that authentically and respectfully, Oliver soon got the gist of the rest of the discussion. It seemed to become quite argumentative at one point, making Oliver feel rather uncomfortable but also protective over Grace. Finally the other man sighed deeply and nodded before walking away to call some other people over to him.
Oliver turned to Grace and said "Listen, I appreciate you sticking your neck out for me but I don't want to do anything that's disrespectful."
"It's not disrespectful, Koa's just very traditional and protective over our way of life and our customs."
"I understand that", Oliver interjected.
The aforementioned Koa returned to Grace and Oliver with six men and one woman in tow. He spoke directly to Oliver this time.
"You are about to learn the ways of my people, you will be included in something sacred to us. You must listen carefully and follow every instruction. Do you understand?"
Oliver raised his eyebrows at the man's directness. He wasn't used to being spoken to with such authority but he knew and could feel the sanctity of the moment and whatever it was he was about to be involved in. "I understand."
The Hawaiian man looked him up and down a moment before asking, "How are you at paddling?"
Oliver blinked. "Well I've spent a great deal of time at sea but not a lot of it in a canoe."
Koa scowled. "This is not a canoe. We call it a va'a. It is a method of transportation which my people have been using for thousands of years. It is not the same as sailing a boat or driving an automobile. There are protocols to be followed which date back to ancient times."
"I promise to listen very carefully and follow each of them", Oliver assured him, even though he didn't really know what that entailed just yet.
The corner of Koa's mouth lifted slightly into a smile. "Good. Remove your shoes and shirt."
Oliver gaped at the man for a moment. It wasn't that he was shy or self-conscious about his body really, it was just that in America he'd become accustomed to being quite buttoned up and always well-dressed. It wasn't customary to wear so little in front of other people in New York - even bathing suits covered one's chest for dignity.
After a slight moment of hesitation and with expectant looks from both Koa and Grace, Oliver removed his shirt and singlet, followed by his shoes and socks.
Grace silently watched him, her eyes skimming over him appraisingly. Having him paddle in the va'a as part of a crew was to immerse him into a very significant and important part of her culture, it wasn't as if she'd thought of the idea merely to see him with his shirt off again, but she had to admit he wasn't unpleasant to look at.
The other men went up to the shed and began to walk forward, dragging a long, sleek carved wooden va'a outrigger canoe forward towards the water. "Makai!" Koa screeched as the other men pulled the vessel towards the sea.
"Such exquisite craftsmanship", Oliver remarked in awe to Grace who nodded with pride on her face. "This va'a was carved from the Koa tree by this man's grandfather and it's where his name comes from. This is his va'a and it carries his heritage with it."
"No wonder he was hesitant about letting a foreigner onboard", Oliver reasoned. "Thank you for organizing this. I'm beginning to understand how sacred it all is. I hope I won't make a fool of myself."
Grace gave him a reassuring smile. "I think you'll pick it up very quickly."
The boat was launched and two by two the paddlers began to jump into their seats. "Haole!" Koa called, looking in Oliver's direction, making him realize he was being spoken to. "Noho!" Koa shepherded him into the vessel. "Noho", Oliver tried confirming, pointing to the seat he was to sit in. Koa rolled his eyes at him in frustration, pointing sharply at him and then at the seat. "You - Noho!"
"Oh", realization dawned on Oliver's face. "You want me to sit…right", he clambered awkwardly into the v'a, Grace jumping up with ease on the other side of him.
"Pick up your paddle, your hoe", Grace instructed him.
"Hoe", Oliver confirmed and Grace nodded her head. "How do I know when I need to paddle?"
Koa jumped up into the bow and roughly snatched Oliver's paddle from him. "You slide in the water and bring it up to tap, slide in and up", the man demonstrated what Oliver needed to do. "That's why we chant, just follow the rhythm of the chant."
"I don't know the chant", Oliver muttered to Grace nervously out of the corner of his mouth. "It's OK", she assured him. "Just keep paddling and listen. You'll learn it in time."
"Makaukau!" Koa cried out above the sound of the waves.
"Ae!" The crew, including Grace all replied in raised voices. Oliver simply blinked.
"Hoe Hapai!"
Like regimented soldiers, all the others in the crew raised their paddles up in front of them. Oliver looked around and quickly followed suit.
"Imua!" Koa called and the crew all lowered their oars into the water and pushed off. Oliver had a bit of a false start but soon joined in with the rest, following the rhythm of the chanting from them all.
E ala e
E Ala e
Ka lai i ka hikina!
"Awake, the sun is in the east", Grace leaned over and whispered into Oliver's ear, her own paddling remaining sure and steady as she translated for him.
I ka moana
Ka moana hou honu!
"At the ocean, the deep ocean"
Pi'i ka lewa
Ka Lewa nu'u!
"Climb to the heavens, highest heaven"
I ka hikina
Ae a kala
E ala e!
"In the east, there is the sun, arise, awake".
Oliver wasn't sure if it was the cool mist from the sea, the sanctity of the chant or the closeness of Grace, but he suddenly got chills.
The crew repeated the phrases three times and by the third time Oliver had just about learned it by heart and was able to join in with confidence, earning an approving look from Grace which again caused a little tingle to run up his spine.
After an incalculable amount of time, they began to steer into a little cove. The crew all pulled the va'a ashore before running up the beach.
Oliver followed them slowly, Grace remaining steadfastly at his side, bringing him a level of certainty in a place where he was so unsure about everything. They climbed up a small hill and Oliver watched with immense anxiety as a member of their paddling crew jumped off the deathly looking cliff face into the crashing waves below. He saw Grace shake her head at the man and was glad that she too thought he was bonkers.
"Haole!" Koa spoke to him. He didn't know what the title meant but he didn't wish to question it. "Spitting cave cliff jump is a rite of passage among Oahu men. If you want to be considered tangata whenua, a person of this land, you have to jump."
There was a mad gleam in his eye that scared Oliver but also sort of drew him in...
"Are you insane? He'll break his head!" Grace jumped between the men addressing Koa heatedly.
Oliver stood back silently. He did want to prove himself to Koa because it felt like it was necessary, but the jump did look absolutely terrifying. He was startled when Koa began to laugh in a sinister manner. Grace glared at him and shoved him as if to push him off the cliff for his behavior but the man was built like a brick wall and hardly flinched. He turned around and shared a cackle with the rest of the crew.
Oliver breathed a sigh of relief to know that the man had been baiting him and wasn't really serious about Oliver having to jump off the cliff.
"Thank you Miss Farrell. I think you may have very well just saved my life", he said, his heart resuming normal rhythm again.
"Koa would have gone in after you but it is very dangerous jumping here and you wouldn't have known the risk", Grace told him, concern still etched into her face.
Oliver closed one eye, his face scrunched up in terror as more of the crew members made the terrifying jump into the sea.
"Come on", he opened his eyes again to look at Grace as she spoke to him. "We'll do something a little safer."
They shook their heads as they looked back to see Koa leap off the 70 foot high cliff while screaming "Cheehoo!"
Oliver cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Lead the way."
He followed her back down the hill and a little way along the rugged coast line until they stopped at a little cove and Grace removed her dress. She wore nothing underneath and Oliver gaped in shock and surprise to see her so openly naked in front of him again. Of course, in Grace's culture nudity did not imply any kind of sexual invitation, at least not in the same way it did where he came from. It was something Oliver would have to learn to get used to yet he still couldn't help but stare admiringly.
Not noticing the way his eyes traveled over her, Grace called back to him as she stepped over the jagged rocks. "Be careful stepping over these rocks, they're quite sharp."
Oliver looked down and saw that she was right. The coastal landscape in these parts was quite different from the typical sandy beaches of Hawaii.
"Oh and don't mind the sharks. They won't bother you if you don't bother them."
Oliver's head flicked rapidly to look at her, his eyes wide with alarm. She gave him a half smile and he wasn't sure if she was being serious or not. "Perhaps jumping off the cliff may have been safer after all", he muttered.
"Come on", she encouraged him, backing up into the water. Oliver stayed rooted to the spot on the rocky shore. Grace raised a challenging eyebrow at him. "You agreed to be prepared for anything, didn't you?"
Shaking his head uncertainly, but also not believing that she would lead him into any real danger, Oliver carefully followed her into the sea. Once they had waded out enough to be in over their heads, Grace told him "Take a deep breath." She grasped his hand in her own which had quite the opposite effect as he suddenly became quite breathless at her touch. She dove into the water, pulling him under with her, each of them kicking their way forward and down.
Oliver was quite a good swimmer thanks to his days at sea. He was surprised to learn that Grace was fairly evenly matched with his own capability in the water.
The sharks Grace had mentioned were in fact real, but Oliver was relieved to find out that they were no more than a foot or two in length. There were also many other magnificent creatures in their particular part of the ocean. Many different species of fish, sea turtles and even a seal. Oliver pointed to the animals in amazement and Grace nodded her head with a smile on her face before tugging on his hand to indicate she needed to go up for air. Together, they swam back to the surface, both gasping as their heads popped out of the water.
Once Oliver had his breath back, he panted "That's spectacular!"
"It's beautiful isn't it? I never tire of seeing it."
The pair dove back down underwater several more times until they resurfaced and noticed the rest of their crew in the distance walking back down to where the va'a was beached. "Looks like everyone's preparing to leave. We should head back."
Oliver nodded in agreement and followed Grace back along the jagged coastline towards the va'a.
Traveling back to their original destination, Oliver joined in with the traditional chorus loudly and confidently. Grace glanced over at him with pride on her face and Oliver felt a flutter of warmth in his chest. As they disembarked the vessel back on the beach of Waikiki, Oliver approached Koa and shook his hand. "Thank you", he said sincerely to the native Hawaiian.
"Mahalo", Koa corrected him and Oliver smiled. "Mahalo."
Oliver stilled as the imposing man grasped him by the shoulder and leaned into him, pressing the tip of his nose against Oliver's. He drew in a deep breath through his nostrils before releasing Oliver again and walking off like it was no big deal.
Oliver turned to Grace with a startled expression. "What was that all about?"
Grace smiled calmly at him. "It's called a honi ihu. It's when two people exchange breath and life force. It means that Koa no longer sees you as just a visitor. He's greeting you again with trust and closeness, as one of us."
Oliver wore a look of pride and contentment as the two of them made their way up the beach towards the hotel. As they drew near, Oliver said to Grace, "Thank you for what you've done for me today. For making the introduction with Koa, for allowing me to experience your culture."
Grace shook her head lightly. "You listened well and you passed the test with Koa. That was because of your efforts, not mine."
"Yes but I know he was reluctant yet somehow you managed to convince him to try me out. It seems you have a very convincing way about you."
She shrugged. "People listen to me because they know I worked for Mr. Goodbehere and because now I'm here with you."
Oliver shook his head. "I don't think it's just that. You have a presence that's… commanding but calm."
A huff of amusement came out of Grace's nostrils. "Do you think so?"
Oliver nodded assuredly. "I do. Don't just say it's because of Roscoe and me. I think these people respect you for you."
A smile stretched over her face. "Well, thank you."
When they reached the hotel lobby, they immediately noticed a crowd of staff and guests all gathered around the front desk. There was some kind of announcement being made over the radio which everyone was intently listening to.
As Oliver and Grace got closer, they could hear what was being said and could see the looks of distress on the faces of those around them.
"Many arrests are being carried out as more police officers arrive in Hanapēpē. There is still a lot of fighting and violence occurring in the wake of this dire carnage and we can now confirm that there are at least sixteen dead, the casualties including police and strikers alike."
There was a collective gasp from within the group of people around them and Grace looked at Oliver with absolutely despair in her eyes. Oliver quickly asked one of the receptionists if he could use the telephone. He called his contacts and found out that there had been two young Ilocano Filipino men attacked and taken against their will by striking sugar cane workers from the Makaweli plantation on Kauai. Local sheriffs had been notified of the abduction and had come to rescue the men, resulting in a bloody clash between more than forty police and over a hundred strikers.
Oliver knew they weren't any of his own workers but he felt deeply saddened and in a way culpable as a plantation owner. He'd known things had needed to change for a long time and had been aware of the disputes in pay and working conditions many sugar cane workers had been fighting for. He bowed his head as he hung up the phone, wishing he'd done more, wishing he'd talked to his fellow land owners. He hadn't wanted to ruffle any feathers, especially being that he was so young and so new on the scene, and now people were dead. Of course, there was nothing to say that his fellow, much older and more experienced plantation owners would have listened to him anyway.
He turned around to see people murmuring sadly to each other, some huddled together in consoling embraces. He looked across the room and saw that Grace was now sitting in a wicker chair by the window, her face buried in her hands. His heart felt as though it snapped in two to see her so upset. He approached her cautiously, not sure how she would respond to him. Would she see him as being responsible somehow? Would she hold him to account and feel resentment toward him? Even if she did, he had to let her know how sorry he was for her pain and at least try and offer her some comfort.
He came to stand behind her and tentatively placed his hand on her shoulder. She did not become startled or stiffen under his touch. She just continued to softly sniffle. Oliver kept his hand resting lightly on her shoulder, just letting her know that he was there. He was relieved that she hadn't pushed him away or become angry with him. His feelings of relief morphed into tender compassion as she reached up with her trembling hand and covered his own.