Asafoetida Tres 2022

Donnelly Corpuz was a product of his environment.

Meaning that his behavior mirrored what he saw growing up. His interactions with his friends consisted of calling each other horrible names as if it were commonplace language. Being polite for Donnelly was a struggle, but it only lasted as long as it was needed to apply for a job, for instance, get a loan or while at the doctor. His relationships with women were the same, except those were always verbally and physically abusive. When the former Trisha Mendiola, now Corpuz, decided that she'd finally had enough of Donnelly, she did not go to the police or seek counseling. Instead, by word of mouth, she came to our office. After a careful review of her case, it was merited that a curse needed to be placed on Donnelly. Trisha didn't want him dead for the children's sake, but she did want something to happen so that he would never trouble her and the kids again. Therefore, we had to be creative. So, we used what we jokingly referred to as the wonder woman curse, where Donnelly would randomly blurt out the truth about how badly he abused Trisha and why. Aunty Rita did it, but Rita waited until Trisha and the children went into protective custody. By that time, Donnelly was losing his mind, claiming that he could not live without his family and that he needed them and that any program or counseling which could help him change, he was willing to do it. That desperation and willingness to reconstruct his habits was all for show.

The second Donnelly had Trisha back home, the abuse would start again. On a Wednesday morning, a little after 9 am, Donnelly exited the Alakea and Hotel street court building and stood at the crosswalk. His intent was to sit at the Jack in The Box nearby with a cup of soda and breakfast meal where he could devise his next move. It took longer than usual for the light to change, and Donnelly grew impatient, but he couldn't jaywalk because a couple of police officers were waiting to cross on the opposite side. Rita casually walked up beside Donnelly and balled up her hand into a fist, and whispered into it, "E haʻi ʻoe ka ʻoiaʻiʻo," (tell the truth). Opening her hand, a tiny black cloud of smoke sat in her palm, and Rita blew it into Donnellyʻs face. He choked and gagged while Rita walked toward Fort Street Mall, where she would grab herself a piroshki from Rhadaʻs. Finally, the light changed, and as the crowd of people crossing the street seemed to push Donnelly along with them, Donnelly stopped the two police officers coming toward him. He told them everything about how heʻd abused Trisha for years and how he was eventually planning to kill her to gain custody of their children. He would be arrested after agreeing to write everything down just like he said it. Donnelly was arrested and incarcerated, but here is where unknown to us, Trisha went to see Donnelly at the office. She had gone to gloat and not to reconcile. She told him everything about the curse and how it was rendered and left that news with Donnelly as a way to make him suffer, never thinking that heʻd be released on a technicality. Now, with no way to find Trisha, Donnelly came after us. As I said earlier, Donnelly going to the office and seeing my uncles and aunty as easy pickings because they were kupuna was a big mistake. Mind you, this was the office's early days, which means we hadnʻt yet acquired the services of Kealoha to guard the door downstairs. Donnelly just walked in and took the birdcage elevator to the second floor and came upon my uncles and aunty sitting in the lobby outside the office door.

Casually walking toward them, he removed a knife from his waistband. The three kūpuna stood up and made no effort to run and hide in the office. Instead, they stoically waited for Donnelly to make his move. "You the ones who put the curse on me to tell the truth about my Trisha, right?" He lunged at uncle Ivan who sidestepped him while aunty Rita removed a snub-nosed 38. special and shot Donnelly in the knee. He crumbled to the floor, crying in agonized pain. Uncle Ivan and Tiny stood there shocked, "You mean you've been carrying a gun in your purse this whole time?"

"Yeah," aunty Rita was bewildered as to why Ivan and Tiny were so surprised. "Why?"

"Whatchoo mean, why?" Tinyʻs veins were popping out on his head and neck. 

"Iʻm an old woman, thatʻs why," aunty Rita retorted. "You can never be too careful; besides, think about all the times you pissed me off when I couldʻve shot you, but I didnʻt! Itʻs all about discretion."

While Tiny and Rita argued, Ivan grabbed Donnelly by the back of his collar and dragged him down the back stairwell, and inserted his finger into the bullet wound. Donnelly screamed in pain, but Ivan stuffed his handkerchief into Donnellyʻs mouth. "You come back here again, and we will kill you but not before we make you suffer." Ivan kicked him downstairs, where Donnelly suffered some nasty bruises and contusions. Then walking back up the stairs and closing the door behind him, Ivan made a phone call. A few minutes later, a dark Crown Vic drove up, and two men emerged from the vehicle, collected Donnelly to the back seat, and left him there while they drove off. A thick plastic partition separated the front and back seats, and the rear doors were locked securely. He was driven half a mile past the Dole Plantation, where he was dumped on the side of the road and left to fend for himself. Someone driving by saw Donnelly and called the authorities. This time, Donnelly said nothing about what happened to him, and the police let him go. After removing the bullet at Straub, Donnelly sat in the front round-about and thought about his next move. According to Trisha, one other person was a part of this curse that was put on him. That would be me, Boy Nāpualawa.

~

It was an Italian place on Algaroba street. I liked going there at night, because of how quiet it was. Luckily, Jenny liked it too. I ordered the spaghetti while Jenny had the pasta salad. The wine was magical, and everything was perfect. Even the spumoni had a hint of rum in it, but that we saved for later. I think we smiled at one another more than we talked if Iʻm being honest; the young lady who came through with flowers to purchase caught me at the right time, and I bought a single red rose for Jenny, not knowing that I had accidentally grabbed a yellow one. She couldnʻt help but giggle. "Are you trying to tell me something?"

"What do you mean?" I replied.

"A yellow rose," she nodded at the flower. "Are you trying to tell me to slow down?"

"Oh geeze, I grabbed the wrong one! Iʻm sorry, Iʻll go get a red one," I got up, but Jenny grabbed my hand and made me sit.

"Itʻs the thought that counts," Jenny smiled. "I appreciate the effort," she pulled me towards her and kissed me. Her lips were warm, and she smelled like vanilla. "Thank you," she smiled. "It means a lot."

Three tables away, Donnelly Corpuz sat alone with just himself and his eggplant parmesan and red wine, watching us very closely.

...to be continued

Credit: Flickr

--------------------------

TAKE A GHOST TOUR WITH LOPAKA IN PERSON!

Check out our Mysteries of Hawai'i website and schedule your date with Hawaii's longest-running ghost tour! Visit some of Hawaii's Most Haunted sites with The Ghost Guy himself.

www.Mysteries-of-Hawaii.com/tours/