June 9, 1984
There must have been two hundred people at the service. Far too many to fit into the tiny white church perched above the rolling sea. The memorial was held outside, where the sun shone warmly, and the trade winds blew gently, carrying the scent of the multitude of fragrant and colorful flowers. Andrew sat on a blanket, next to Tessa, as person after person stood up and gave tribute to Sarah. She was so very loved, Andrew realized. His heart swelled with pride, but he also felt, again, the loss of his sister.
Kal rose from his place on the other side of Tessa, resting one large hand briefly atop of her head. Moving with a grace that Andrew still found amazing in a man of such size, Kal took center stage on the grass. Facing Sarah’s friends and family, with the sky, sea and trees behind him, Kal fingered the plumeria lei around his neck, and spoke.
“I am Kalahiki’ola Kaneohe. I thank you all for coming to honor my sister. Many of you knew her as Sarah Hart, a loving wife and mother, a beautiful and generous woman, and that is indeed, who she was. But to me, she was always Kai’nehe, my whispering sea.
From the moment our mother placed her in my arms, I was her protector. I was only six years old, but she was my angel, my baby sister. I taught her to swim and ride. She taught me to laugh and to dance.” He held out his right hand. “I was not the only one who learned the dance from Sarah. She taught many the language of dance. It was a very important part of her life, and we have a farewell dance in her honor.”
Tessa rose from her seat and joined Kal. As the ipu and ukelele were played, the two began to dance. At first it was just the two of them, gracefully moving to the music, framed by the sea and sky. Slowly, they were joined by others; Shelby and Lili Ikahara were the first, but others followed, old and young, large and small, male and female.
Andrew watched, enthralled. The dance, itself was repetitive; the same six or seven motions were used again and again, which allowed the dancers to join in at different points. It was beautiful, joyous, and much to Andrew’s surprise, he began to understand the story the dancers were telling. He saw the beauty of his sister’s soul, shared by many, leaving the earth and being welcomed to Heaven with love and peace, shedding light and even more love, upon those left behind. Before the dance began its fourth cycle, there were tears streaming down Andrew’s face. He couldn’t decide if they were tears of loss, or tears of joy. He decided that it really didn’t matter.
Suddenly, Kal stood before Andrew, his hand outstretched. Startled, Andrew looked up at the man, his pale blue eyes meeting the dark brown ones. Taking the hand, Andrew found himself pulled to his feet, and into the dance. Hesitantly,at first, Andrew followed Kal’s lead, mimicking the steps and motions. He cast a glance at Tessa, and she smiled back at him, encouraging him, even as tears streamed from her eyes. With more confidence, Andrew gave himself over to the music and the moment. He danced.
