#32 Back To Waialua

"In the night, an island rain takes me to a child again beneath Waialua Sky"
- The Krush (and they were "Fabulous")

My grandmother's death and funeral recently took me back to Waialua.  Remember that green house on Goodale Avenue across from the gas station and kitty corner to Waialua Park? That was my grandma's house. Some families call their grandmothers Grandma, Tutu, Abuela, etc.  (What did you call yours?) Our grandma was affectionately called Nanny.

Nanny's funeral was held at St. Michael's Church on Tuesday, September 25 (my birthday). As we drove up to the church (and the school), those oddly strange sensations detecting something familiar started creeping into my bones, my arms, my legs, my head, my shoulders, my muscle mass (and fat)....and my heart.  I was back there with you guys, class of '74 (and teachers).

The church was warm and inviting. It was cozy, yet way back when, I remember feeling so small and not-so-warm-and-cozy each time I walked into that huge and sparsely decorated house of God. In reality, St. Michael's Church is a quaint small town local church. The updated pews welcomed my now bigger okole and broader shoulders...but I was instantly transported back to those mandatory all-school Friday masses...the masses where Eric and Alan served as altar boys. (There were other altar boys in our class, yes? Billy? Erick? John? I can't remember.  Urdene, do you remember when you and I knocked on the rectory door and asked Father Anthony - did I spell his name correctly -  if we could be altar girls? And he said "No."?)

The choir was there...all Golden Girls now...singing from their hearts just as I had remembered.

And the Waialua people! The familiar and not-so-familiar faces with warm hearts...big hearts...and lots of stories from the past.

I was a child again. 

As I drove away and looked out onto the playground, I saw us playing kickball in that corner of the basketball court... standing in line at home base ...waiting to give the commands -  "slow and smooth", "fast and bouncey", "slow and bouncey"... hoping to kick away from the boys because they were faster at getting to the ball which meant getting "beaned".

I thought of you all on Tuesday.  It was an amazing birthday gift!

Reynette <3