Chapter 9

Kono slowly walked up the path to his uncle's cottage . He cringed as he heard the sounds of construction in the distance, his doubts and questions growing with each step. Is this why I became a cop? To protect the people who destroy our land?

Kono shook his head as he knocked at the door. At his uncle's "E komo mai," he entered the house. Almost like walking into a museum, all our history wrapped up in this old Kahuna. He noticed his uncle studying photos of what looked like antique pottery. "Indian stuff?" he inquired.

Akanahe swept the photos aside. "Your Uncle who works at the University sent them to me. Some sort of smuggling maybe. Might wind up in your office! But that's anudder story, Bruddah." He looked into his nephew's dark eyes, reading the anguish there. "What's troubling you, Kono? Maleko?" Kono's expression told the old man he'd guessed correctly.

"Maleko," the younger man affirmed. "And the 'Hawaii for Hawaiians' thing. I believe in 'aina and ohana. 'Aina is sacred, Uncle. So is ohana. We gotta stick together or we'll lose everything."

The old man nodded. "But you're troubled by what your cuz did."

"Not the way to save the 'aina!" Kono nearly exploded. "Hurting! Kidnapping! Dat only makes people think we're all violent, all pupule." He stopped for a moment to calm down. "He coulda killed Danny and the Governor's wife."

"And you stopped him. Why?"

"Danny's ohana! He's my bruddah, my kaikaina. Can't even count how many times he's kept me from gettin' hurt. He's saved my life a couple times, too. Couldn't let him get killed. Or Mrs. Jameson, either."

"But Maleko's ohana, too." Akanahe prodded. "Your cuz. Him and Kimo both. And you helped put them in jail." He played Devil's Advocate.

"Ohana don't go round hurting Ohana!" Kono's anger and distress was evident. "I had to do what I did, Uncle. I tricked him. My cuz! We grew up together, surfed together, hung out together."

"You angry at him or yourself?"

Kono thought a moment. "Both, I guess. I hate what he did and I hate myself for having to trick him. But I believe in saving our 'aina."

"So do I," Akanahe responded. "But not Maleko's way." He stopped, then waved his hand around the room. "What do you see?"

The younger man looked around the room and studied the artifacts on display, part of a collection going back many years: tapa cloth hangings; an old royal quilt, part of his family's heritage; hand carved koa bowls; shell and bone ornaments. Then articles from other cultures: wood carvings from Africa, pottery from Peru, jade amulets, a turquoise and silver pendent, a carved bone figure from Alaska . . . His surprise was evident as he asked, "Where'd you get these things?"

His uncle smiled and said gently. "Some from our family, some from my travels. You know I was in the Merchant Marine during the war and a few years after. Taught me a lot about what others held sacred: their 'aina and ohana. Different from ours, but the same." He paused to allow his nephew a moment to grasp his meaning.

"You saying we got to work together on this?" Kono questioned. "Haole and Hawaiian?"

"And all other people who call these Islands home." Akanahe took a deep breath and continued, "What would've happened if Maleko had killed someone? War, more death? That saves the 'aina? Our sacred places? Our home?"

"Only makes things worse," the detective answered. "You sayin' what I did was right?

"You saved two lives, maybe more yesterday, even Maleko's and Kimo's." Akanahe watched his nephew's expression as the younger man wrestled with his feelings. "Danny told me what you're thinking about doin'. Don't make any decision now. Wait until the Governor's speech tomorrow."

Kono slowly nodded his agreement. "You going?"

"And you can come with me."