Читать книгу Hawaii End of the Rainbow - Kazuo Miyamoto - Страница 13

THUS, A WEEK LATER, SEIKICHI AND HIS bride were landed at Port Allen, near Waimea. The arrival of the boat was not greeted with any gala throng as at Honolulu, for everyone was busy making a living. There were no lei girls with garlands of flowers. Only the few carriage drivers that made regular runs to different points on neighboring plantations were there to accommodate passengers. So, loading the luggage on the back of the vehicle the couple boarded for Makaweli.

As usual, Waimea was simmering with heat. The kiawe trees drooped heavily in the morning sun and the muddy Waimea River looked even dirtier. Only the towering mountains of Kokee that rose abruptly from the shoreland looked cool under the low clouds that seemed to perpetually cloak the summit. Little children, principally Hawaiian, were playing on the vacant ground near the river, while a few were intent on scooping opae, fresh water shrimp, in the shallow part of the stream. The winding government road meandered its way among tall, well-kept sugar cane that was about a year old. Cane did well. Heat, sunlight, and rainfall helped create a most prosperous farming community.

The carriage halted in front of Seikichi's store and they got off. The front approach had been swept clean by Obasan who had anticipated their arrival. After the houses and stores in Honolulu, this shop was unpretentious indeed. There was no ornament, no display, color, or devices to stimulate the urge to buy among his customers. The empty spaces near the shop could be improved with flower beds. A new coat of paint, probably green, might enhance the dignity and render the external appearance more pleasing. Furthermore, now that there was an extra member in the household there must be an extension to the rear of the store.

As soon as the carriage stopped, Obasan came running, along with her grinning three year old daughter. She immediately came to Seikichi and bowed slightly, "Welcome home," she greeted. Then turning to Haru, she made a formal bow, her hand reaching down to her knees. "This is my first meeting with you. I have been deeply obliged to Arata-san these many years. To you, I look forward to be favored in like manner." So saying, she bowed three times; once for each sentence.

Haru returned each bow with much bending and mumbled inaudible phrases; she could not manage to match this woman of thirty who was an old timer and more wordly wise. Even if she could outdo her in the art of formal greetings, it was best to appear and act demurely. Such tact is inborn in womankind.

To the shrewd woman, this helpless creature was likeable. There seemed to be no haughtiness. She could only sense bewilderment in the almost frightened eyes.

To Haru, the realization that here was a female with whom she had to become neighbors, made her a bit afraid. Words froze on her lips. No ingratiating smile would come to soften her taut facial expression. She was afraid her first impression was not good, but the Obasan liked her and took it upon herself to show her the ropes of plantation life. This newcomer was to be her protégé. She led her inside the house and helped her get settled. Like an elder sister she bustled around the place. In a short while, Haru began to feel at ease with her. She discerned that under the coarse exterior this woman had a considerate heart and a genuine fondness for her. At least there seemed to be no attempt at faultfinding and critical scrutiny.

That evening a stream of men and women made their way to the Arata Store to extend their welcome, but chiefly to catch a glimpse of the bride. It was a great event in the monotonous existence. Every new face in the established community was a new topic and became a subject about which gossip and conjecture spread far and wide, like a ripple on the water's surface.

Therefore, according to custom, an announcement party had to be held by Arata for his many friends and customers to make a formal presentation of his wife. Financially, such a party would not set him back very much as everyone invited was expected to bring some sort of gift, usually money. Custom decreed that this gift was mandatory, usually a dollar, whether they came or not. By using his head, Seikichi could make the expenditure low without impairing the quantity or quality of food served. He could ask Hawaiian natives to catch fish: several large ones to prepare as sliced raw fish and a dozen or so medium ones to cook intact would be sufficient. Opihi or shell fish and limu, the Hawaiian edible seaweed, would complete the necessary material from Neptune's domain. From the mountains or land, a medium sized pig might be procured for less than ten dollars and be prepared in the native style. He had seen it done and the taste was delicious.

Contrary to the usual orthodox manner of cooking, a hole was dug in the ground. On the previous evening the pig was slaughtered and dipped in scalding water. The entire surface was then scraped of hair and thick coarse integument. The carcass was eviscerated and the entire surface rubbed with coarse salt. In this condition the pig was hung during the night. On the next morning kiawe wood was burned to produce a great quantity of live coal. A large collection of porous rock was placed on these coals and became red hot. The hole in the ground was then filled with these hot rocks, as was the abdominal cavity of the animal. The body was covered with green ti leaves and wrapped with wet gunny-sacks. It was then lowered into the rock-lined hole. Additional rocks were thrown in the space around the pig and the hole was covered with hot ash and soil and left for two hours. During this time, heat penetrated slowly through the animal and the resulting meat was delicious beyond description. Sweet potatoes and yams were placed around the pig and these were baked intact.

When Seikichi had once eaten it, he was surprised that he found even the fat appetizing. In no other way could he relish fat. He was certain that the novelty of this "stone cooked pig" or as the Hawaiian called it "kalua pig" would be a big hit among his friends and ensure the success of the coming event. For compensation, the natives would be content with getting the head of the animal, which was too grotesque for Japanese taste. For a gallon of "swipe" the Hawaiians would gladly go out fishing for him.

In anticipation of this gala event, he had asked Obasan to prepare some home brew, made of potato mash, sugar, and hops. To make any party lively, liquor must flow in unstinted streams. Japanese liked this beverage hot. The accessory food items would be prepared by the men and women pitching in that morning, which would be Sunday. Materials from Japan were scarce, but enough variety could be gotten together to gladden the gustatory sensibilities of the men whose taste buds had become numbed by the monotony of the daily fare. There would be sushi, the pickled rice prepared in several ways, tempura, consisting of vegetables, small fish, or shrimps, fried in specially prepared batter requiring a secret art, and kanten the pink and white jello-like substance made from dried seaweed or agar-agar.

On Sunday, a corps of men and women were busy from early morning, willingly lending their skill and labor for the occasion. Luckily, fish were plentiful and to have been able to get the red snapper-like uhu and kumu was indeed fortunate. It lent not only color to the table but symbolized an auspicious omen. From the large ones, the skin was carefully dissected to make a flap, and the underlying white flesh was excised en masse and cut obliquely in thin slices. The carved meat was then replaced and to casual observers the fish did not appear to be mutilated at all. The tail was tied taut to the head with a string so that the fish looked as if it were leaping out of the water. Radish was sliced artistically so that the end product became a mesh or net and this was spread like a shawl over the fish.

The display of colors, contrasting one against the other, was a part of Japanese cooking technique. To feast with the eyes was important. Expert seasoning with shoyu and sugar to effect culinary perfection was necessary from the standpoint of taste.

For the banquet, the barrack was converted into a huge hall. Partitions were torn down. Three 12 by 1 lumbers were placed side by side about a foot and a half above the matted floor the entire length of the room. These tables were covered with fresh wrapping paper. The plates were set at intervals and loaded with different foods. Separately, each guest took as much as he could take care of in several mouthfuls on a smaller plate. This was replenished time and again. No waste took place by this procedure. A drinking cup of glazed china, shaped like an inverted cone and capable of holding about an ounce of liquid, was placed alongside plate and chopsticks.

Guests began arriving at about four o'clock and by five they took their seats, squatting on the matted floor. Women dressed gaily for the occasion came in with earthenware bottles of heated "swipes" and passed the liquor around. The tiny cups were usually held between the fingers of the left hand for pouring, and were passed around from one to another. Such exchange of cups was considered conducive to good fellowship, and woe to the one who refused a proffered cup! The women with the steaming liquor floated about here and there urging the men to imbibe more freely by filling empty receptacles. Food was taken liberally as it was supper time. They were well satisfied with the rare, tasteful products of the mountain and sea and everyone marvelled at the "kalua pig." Almost all who had tasted pig prepared in this manner for the first time nodded approval. Contrary to reports that natives ate only poi and salted salmon, this dish was a whole lot more appetizing than their own way of eating pork. They would henceforth "live seventy-five days longer" now that they had eaten something novel.

At a moment when everyone had the edge of his hunger dulled, and the bride and groom had taken their seats, the toastmaster of the evening stood up and announced amidst hand claps, "We are convened tonight to celebrate the wedding of our community leader, Mr. Seikichi Arata. That so many have assembled from varied distances bespeaks well the sentiments with which his friends regard him. On this happy occasion that comes only once in the lifetime of a man and woman, we shall begin the formal part of the ceremony with the time-honored chant of the Takasago by our venerable Mr. Saito."

Gray-haired and solemn-faced for the occasion, Saito straightened his curving back, and in a sitting posture roared out from the depth of his abdomen, a monotonous chant the rhythm of which had been handed down almost without alteration for seven hundred years.

"Waves of the four seas are stilled,

Even the branches of trees fail to bend,

Peace eternal reigns undisturbed,

The twin pines of Aioi symbolically stand,

To bless the good fortune and prosperity of people,

Who dwell under a sovereign so beneficent."

Saito was not very good. His facial muscles worked in contortions. He became flushed and his words were hardly intelligible. But the deep tone of his voice was different from the ordinary, and it did lend dignity to the program.

Like the Tannenbaum of Germany, the evergreen pine stood for longevity and everlasting troth among the common people. The twin pines of Aioi symbolized eternal faith. The legend is that this ballad was written by a priest from the famous shrine of Aso in Kumamoto who made a pilgrimage to Yedo in prehistoric or mythological Japan and on his way came to a place called Aioi. Here he met a gray-haired, dignified man and his wife. The two had apparently aged gracefully, for while they swept the grounds cleanly around the two gigantic pine trees that stood near the highway, they exuded a feeling of calm and peace to the passersby. The priest was filled with reverence and talked to the aged people. He was commended for his piety in return and was instructed to make a pilgrimage to the shrine nearby on his return trip. After bidding them goodbye and going a short way, the priest looked back and discovered the couple gone from the scene. They were, he concluded, the spirits of the twin pines that graced the roadside. In deep awe, he incorporated this incident in his travelogue which he called Takasago.

The above excerpt had been chanted for many centuries at weddings in order to wish peace, happiness, and conjugal faith to the newlyweds. Young people starting on a new voyage of life would need a happily married pair like the couple of Aioi to act as preceptors and advisors. For to "become gray together" signified a mellow marital state after raising a brood of healthy children and enjoying the remaining span of life leisurely and wisely. For this purpose, an old pair happily married for many years would be the ideal. But in a village such as Makaweli, Obasan and her husband would perhaps fill the requirement. So at this announcement they acted as the official "go-between" in Hawaii. It fell to Mr. Fukuda as the official matchmaker to present the bride and groom. With a short biographical narrative he introduced the bride and groom amidst the resounding applause of the assembled throng.

Standing with her husband as they were being presented, Haru felt embarrassed and small, and the tight obi seemed to stifle her breathing. She was conscious of the hundreds of eyes being curiously fastened upon her. Never in her life had she felt such stage fright. It seemed an eternity until she automatically bowed her upper torso in sincere humility and all was over. She sat down but kept her eyes fixed on the table. She half listened to the rather lengthy speech of congratulations by a deep-voiced man who spoke in behalf of the guests. Disclosing his past as a student of the Chinese classics, he profusely used words not in common usage. The speech of thanks rendered by one of Arata's intimate friends in behalf of the host was crisp, short, and to the point.

After this formal portion of the program came to an end and the men began making merry, Mrs. Fukuda led Haru back to her room and let her lie down in a more comfortable kimono. That part being over it was not necessary for her to appear in the midst of the drunken orgy for some were sure to get really drunk and behave in an unruly manner. Those men not used to drinking regularly fell under the influence of alcohol rather quickly. The groom had to stand his ground against the barrage of drinking cups that had to be emptied and returned. Thoughtfully, a woman shoved a bowl under his table and he poured the greater part of the proffered liquor into it. Meanwhile a housewife brought along a samisen, the three-stringed Japanese guitar, and singing started. The latest song hits about the China War were sung lustily, with the whole party joining in with rhythmical clapping to keep up the fervor and cadence.

Japan has declared war on China,

The Imperial fleet out of Shinagawa steam,

Leading is Azuma, the flagship,

Followed by Kongo and Naniwa.