KIMO AND HIS MANGOES
KIMO AND HIS MANGOES
A BOY NAMED KIMO.
In Hawaii mangoes are a luscious fruit that grows throughout the chain of islands. When they are ripe, the meat of the fruit has an orange color with a scent that has been described as heavenly. There are a variety of mangoes with one of the most popular being the Hayden mango. Mangoes are sold in grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and they can also be found growing in the wild. From private homes to restaurants, the fruit is served sliced, cubed, or used as an ingredient in juices and recipes. This is a story about a young Hawaiian boy named Kimo Kahana.
Kimo lived in an area of Oahu known as Pacific Heights, along with his father, mother, and two younger siblings. Duke Kahana, Kimo’s father, was a full-blooded Hawaiian, who married a woman who was half English and half French. The Kahana’s loved everything Hawaiian, especially the foods of the islands. Of course, Lillian Kahana was very adept at using mangoes in a wide number of recipes. At the age of ten years old, Kimo was an enterprising boy who loved to dream of ideas on how to make money. From delivering newspapers, to washing cars, and to selling mangoes which grew on the hilly area of Pacific Heights, Kimo had always wanted to buy a new surfboard.
“Kimo, did you want us to sign you up for a summer fun program? Malu and Halina will be joining Mrs. Kapena’s hula class.” From the porch, Lillian called out to her son who was picking hibiscus flowers in their garden.
“Mom, I’d rather make money this summer. Maybe Ted Yuki will let me deliver some of his papers. Or maybe dad will help me to wash cars for the neighbors.”
“I don’t see how you could possibly deliver newspapers. You have such a hard time riding up the hill on your bicycle. And dad is way too busy on his boat. Can you make flower leis and sell them in Waikiki?” Lillian walked back into the kitchen.
“There aren’t enough flowers here. At least the flowers that I can pick. They’re too high.” Kimo brought the hibiscus flowers to his mother.
“Thank you honey, put them on the table.”
“Hey, why don’t you pick some mangoes? But give me some first.” Kimo’s younger sister Malu smiled as she wiped her dirty hands on her skirt.
THE GATHERING OF MANGOES TO SELL.
Kimo liked the idea of selling something to the tourists in Waikiki, and he especially liked the idea of selling large fresh mangoes. Up and down Pacific Heights there were mango trees. Nearly all the trees were in the yards of neighbors. One day he set out to pick mangoes, and gathered his slippers, backpack, fishing net, and bicycle. Halina, Kimo’s youngest sister, jumped off the swing in the yard and ran to her brother.
“Where are you going? Can I come?” Halina pulled on her brother’s t-shirt.
“Hey let go! I’m going to pick mangoes, and you’re too little. Go home.” With that Kimo rode his bicycle down the road.
Kimo picked mangoes from many yards without the permission of the neighbors. He chose the largest and most colorful fruit and placed them in his backpack. When he finally came home, the family was sitting in front of the television watching an episode of Hawaiian Private Eye.
“Hey, I got a lot of mangoes. A whole bag of them. The best ever!” Kimo brought his backpack of mangoes to his mother.
“These are gorgeous. Where did you get them?” Lillian inspected the wonderful fruit and noticed that none of them were overripe.
“Umm…ah…there were so many…that…the neighbors wanted me to pick the leftovers.” Kimo bit his lower lip.
Suddenly the telephone in the kitchen rang.
“Hello, Lillian? Where’s the little thief? Your boy climbed up our mango trees, and started to whack them with a stick.” Mr. Harmon was a grouchy old man who lived with his gentle wife.
“He stole your mangoes?” Lillian grimaced at her son, and motioned for him to come to her.
“I’ll spank Kimo for that Mr. Harmon, and you can be sure that it won’t happen again. Bye now, and thank you for bringing it to my attention.” Lillian pinched Kimo on his arm.
“Kimo, for taking so many mangoes from the neighbors, you’ll have to wash the dishes, put them away, help dad wash his boat, fold the laundry, and write an apology letter to everyone you stole mangoes from.” Lillian softly spanked her son on his rear end.
“But mom, I just wanted to pick some mangoes to sell. I want a new surfboard. I want to learn how to surf at Waikiki Beach.”
“Nonsense, right now you have work to do!” Lillian went back to the family’s television set.
Two weeks later, many of the Kahana’s neighbors had a change of heart and started to bring boxes of mangoes to their home. Surprised at the friendly gesture, Duke and Lillian offered to pay for the fruit. The neighbors refused to take the money, and instead explained that their trees were laden with delicious mangoes. When the family was alone, Duke had a brilliant idea for his son.
“Kimo! With all this fruit, why don’t you take the best ones down to Waikiki and sell them at the farmer’s market? If you politely ask our neighbors for any extra mangoes, then perhaps you’ll make enough money for your surfboard. Good idea?”
“Yeah, that’s a really good idea. Maybe I could make enough money to buy one before the end of summer.” Kimo smiled broadly.
“Duke honey, do you realize how many mangoes Kimo needs to sell before he has enough money for a new surfboard. It could take four to six months.” Lillian quietly spoke to her husband.
“I never thought about that. Well, you and I make enough money, so why don’t we match his money dollar for dollar. Better?”
Lillian kissed her husband.
KIMO AT THE WAIKIKI FARMER’S MARKET.
For Kimo’s first two trips to Waikiki, his parents drove him to the farmer’s market in their utility pickup truck. Lillian helped her son to pick out the largest and best fruit for him to sell. Thereafter, Kimo would pack the mangoes carefully in his large backpack, and take the bus to the beach.
At the farmer’s market, a kindly farmer named Mr. Kapono let Kimo sell his mangoes at his stand. Mr. Kapono would set his fruits and vegetables to one side of the stand, while he allowed Kimo to place his fruit at the other end of the stand. Mr. Kapono and the other vendors had a fun time watching the small boy sell his mangoes.
“Hey everybody…the largest…the greatest…the best ever…mangoes from Hawaii…fresher than fresh…better than best…only two cheap dollars each…they’re so good I could eat one million!”
THE DONNELLY’S.
Richard Donnelly, his wife Carol, and their ten-year-old daughter Megan were visiting Hawaii from Fort Collins, Colorado. Richard, who worked as a professor of statistics, was on his summer break from teaching. Carol took time off from her job as a nurse, while Megan was overjoyed that her summer school class had been interrupted by her trip to the tropical paradise.
The Donnelly’s loved the warm air of Hawaii, and the warm sand and water of the beaches. At night the weather was cooler with the tropical trade winds bringing a refreshing breeze. At their resort hotel, they attended a local style luau dinner complete with a professional Polynesian show. Megan was invited to join the hula dancers on stage but she simply giggled “No way!”
THE DONNELLY’S VISIT THE WAIKIKI FARMER’S MARKET.
Carol was the first to notice a pamphlet in the lobby of the hotel, which advertised the local farmer’s market close by. When they finally arrived there on the fourth day of their visit, they were amazed at how much locally grown fruit and vegetables there were. There were pineapples, watermelons, guava, oranges, limes, star fruit, mountain apples, and mangoes. The Hayden mangoes looked especially beautiful. As the family walked around the market, they went from vendor to vendor, and from stand to stand. Carol and Megan wanted to try the mangoes, and they asked the local sellers how they could find the best fruit. The friendly vendors told the family how to pick the choicest mangoes. There were many vendors who sold mangoes, but the cutest seller was Kimo who made funny faces, exaggerated motions with his arms and legs, and told the most outrageous claims about his particular fruit. And so, the Donnelly’s chose to buy Kimo’s mangoes. Megan took an immediate liking to the handsome Kimo, and he also liked the friendly little girl. After the family had returned to the market twice more, Kimo and Megan had become best buddies. He told the Donnelly’s about Oahu and the most popular places to go, as well as the places where few tourists go.
THE DONNELLY’S TAKE KIMO ON THEIR TOUR AROUND THE ISLAND.
After Richard and Carol got the approval of the Kahana’s to take Kimo on their tour around the island, Kimo began to take on the airs of a professional tour guide. In his own way, at least.
“If you go by Nuuanu Valley, you can see waterfalls from the top of the mountains. And there is a lake high up there where they have catfish.” Kimo tried as hard as he could to remember all the great places he knew about.
“Have you ever caught one? I mean like a really big one?” Megan was sitting close to Kimo in the rental car.
“No. But my dad catches a lot of big fish. He’s a fisherman.”
“Oh, yeah, there’s this story about the Pali Lookout. The first Hawaiian king, King Kamehameha, fought his enemies at the Pali Lookout and he and his men threw all the other warriors off the cliffs.”
“I read something about that in a travel brochure, Kimo. Isn’t the Pali Lookout a spectacular place to see the other side of the island?” Richard drove their car to the lookout.
At the Pali Lookout there was a carved crevice on the side of the cliffs, and a plaque which honored the feat of the Great King Kamehameha. Because the vantage point overlooked the windward side of the island, the windy gusts nearly lifted the visitors off their feet.
“Kimo, the view is unbelievable but this wind is just too much for us. We might get blown over the edge of the cliff.” Carol tried to hang onto her sunhat.
“Help! Help! I’m going to fly away like a bird, Kimo. Help! Help!” Megan was laughing as hard as she could, but the others could barely make out what she was saying because of the powerful gusts of wind.
After their visit to the Pali Lookout, the Donnelly’s and Kimo made their way around the northwest part of the island. They saw the small island called “Chinaman’s Hat,” the North Shore with its huge surf riding waves, Pearl Harbor, and the National Cemetery of the Pacific. When they finally retired for a late lunch at Antonio’s Little Italy, Kimo suddenly remembered a great ghost story of Hawaiian lore.
“Hey, you remember the Pali Lookout?”
“Yeah…what about it?” Megan was curious.
“Well, there’s a legend that if you travel over the Pali at night with pork, the Menehune or the little people of Hawaii will take you captive. They’ve been known to do terrible things to people. Maybe cut off your head, or eat you alive. Really.”
“Oh come on Kimo, do you really believe that? That’s just a silly tale. That’s like the Headless Horseman who puts a pumpkin onto his headless shoulders. It’s just to scare little children.” Carol laughed.
“Hey do you guys see that great park over there? And those sailboats in the harbor?” Richard walked back from the picture windows to the table where the family sat.
“That’s Ala Moana Beach Park, and the harbor is the Ala Wai Harbor. You can catch fish there. Well, actually you need to be really lucky. I’m not too good at it.” Kimo took the last bite of his sausage.
THE DONNELLY’S MEET THE KAHANA’S.
“Thank you so much for taking our son around the island. I hope he was a great tour guide. He’s a little bit of a ham.” Lillian warmly greeted the Donnelly’s with a hug.
“He’s been a sweetheart. He and our daughter have become best friends of sorts.” Carol smiled at her daughter.
“Hey, our family and yours, just one big ohana. Come on over for dinner tomorrow. My wife is a great cook. She can cook any dish. Please, just say yes.” Duke was overjoyed at meeting the Donnelly’s.
“We’d love to Duke. By the way, what’s ‘ohana’ mean? Some people at our hotel have used the term, and on our flight we also heard that word.” Richard looked at the Kahana’s.
“Well, all it means is that ‘we are family.’” Duke took Richard’s hand once more and shook it firmly.
The next day at dinner, the families traded their hospitalities. The Donnelly’s brought pictures of their family with Kimo at the different places they visited. Carol had the photographs processed very quickly earlier in the day.
“This is Malu who is eight years old, and this is Halina who is six years old. Both of them want to become professional hula dancers. Malu also wants to be a fashion designer. Halina just wants to play and have fun.” Lillian was so happy that their families had become friends. For that, she had to thank her little son Kimo.
When dinner was served, the Donnelly’s were amazed at the variety of foods offered. There was Teriyaki steak, lomi-lomi salmon, locally grown corn-on-the-cob, poi, brown rice, mango bread, and mango gelatin with cut fruit.
“The food is marvelous! Lillian how did you make the mango dishes?” Carol loved how Lillian used the mangoes.
“Well, the mango bread is much like banana bread, only you substitute mango for bananas. I also add chopped macadamia nuts, instead of chopped walnuts. For the mango gelatin I used ripe mangoes, ripe oranges, and ripe bananas. You first boil the fruit in water, and then you strain it. When the mixture is still hot, you add honey and boxed gelatin. Chill it in the refrigerator and then serve it with cut fruit.
“Hey, look at me! Look at me! I’m doing the hula dance.” Megan whirled around and around, with her hands waving in the air. And then she tripped over her own feet, and landed squarely on her rear end.
The families roared in laughter. And then the Kahana’s two little girls put on their own hula show to the music of the islands. When the evening was done, the families said goodbye. But not before they had traded phone numbers, email addresses, and home addresses. Megan walked over to Kimo and shook his small hand. Goodnight!
THE KAHANA’S SAY GOODBYE TO THE DONNELLY’S AT THE AIRPORT.
It was entirely unexpected when it happened, but before the Donnelly’s left the Kahana’s came to the airport to say goodbye in a manner that was more appropriate for a Hawaiian family. The Kahana’s brought flower leis of orchids, plumerias, and pikakes.
“Here Megan, this pikake lei is for you. In Hawaii a pikake lei is for…well…lovers.”
“Thank you Kimo. Megan has tears in her eyes. You’re such a sweet boy. Thank you again!” Carol hugged Kimo.
“And this is for you handsome prince.” Megan kissed Kimo on his cheek.
Kimo took Megan’s hand and kissed it. Then he returned the kiss he received from Megan, by kissing her on her cheek.
“Aloha, Richard, Carol, and Megan! And always remember that the Hawaiian word ‘Aloha’ means both hello and goodbye. Until we meet again, A-L-O-H-A!”
THE END
Note: This story is dedicated to the men and women of America and the world, who take the brave stand for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And everything in the context of the Lord of Heaven and Earth, God Almighty.
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