Molly Riley moved to the islands twenty years ago after purchasing an acreage of land on which she and her husband had a house built, to which they subsequently moved themselves and their family. The fact that more people brought up land around them and built their own dwellings made Molly feel safe about having neighbors nearby. The land was on the island of Kaua'i. Much protest was created by the Hawaiians and the locals because, throughout history, it was proven that the land was an ancient burial ground. However, developers and the powers that be suddenly become deaf and blind in those matters. Molly's husband, Richard, was one of those developers, and he had more than a hand involved in the machinations of what he and his investors hoped would be a sprawling neighborhood. By the time Richard was killed in a freak accident, much of the sacred land had been tilled, turned over, and rented asunder by the development.
On the contrary, Molly fell in love with the culture, people, food, and lifestyle. She enrolled her children in a Hawaiian language immersion school and took a few classes herself. She tried to get Richard involved as much as possible, but all his attention was focused on development. At the same time, something about the estate felt off. Molly could not pinpoint a particular thing, but something felt wrong. There was a constant feeling of uneasiness, especially at night. Her children insisted on sleeping in the same room with the lights on. Even the nanny walked around with her crucifix in her fingers, rubbing on it and praying silently.
One morning on the job site, a sinkhole appeared out of nowhere and took a few pieces of heavy equipment and Richard. The equipment was recovered, but Richard's body was never found. Simultaneously, things became more pronounced at the Riley estate. Molly and the children would hear disembodied voices in Hawaiian, calling their names or pitiful wailing and moaning. Most disturbing were the manifestations of people standing stoically about the house and then disappearing. It was only when the spirits began to physically do things that Molly felt enough was enough, so she sought help from the Hawaiian and local community. When the community realized where she lived and who she was, they refused to help. She was shunned by the other parents at her children's school, and people would not even look at her in public. Only through one of her children's kumu from a chat window online was she finally able to find help.
So, leaving her children in the care of their nanny, Molly flew to Oahu. After procuring her rent-a-car, she used the online map to find the address where she needed to go.
"That's my story," Molly said. "I hope you can help me."
Tiny looked at Ivan, who looked at Rita, who looked at Boy.
"Everyone in the state, Hawaiian or not, knows that the land there is an ancient burial ground, a massive one. I'm not sure how you couldn't have known that?" Boy said.
"My late husband Richard handled everything," Molly said. "We just packed up and moved; that was my contribution to the plan."
"He's the one that was on the news that got sucked into that sinkhole with the bulldozers and everything else?" Boy wanted to confirm.
"Yes," too tired and exhausted to hide her emotions, Molly let her tears fall. "I had a memorial erected on that spot. It's his final resting place."
"So, what do you need from me, Molly?" Boy leaned forward, pouring some whiskey into a shot glass he handed her.
Taking the shot and throwing it back, Molly took a second to let it burn down her throat. "I need someone to bless my estate and make these spirits go away and leave us alone,"
"Molly, I can't help you," Boy said, making sure Molly looked him in the eye.
"What do you mean?" Molly was incredulous. "You can't do a simple blessing to get rid of these spirits?"
"This is beyond your comprehension; I can't help you because your entire estate is built on burial grounds. Which means these are spirits that are attached to the land. We as the living are supposed to adjust for them, not the other way around."
"It's not as if it's a cemetery or a graveyard; as you just said, it's burial grounds," Molly began to be upset.
"It's the same thing. Just because there are no headstones doesn't mean it's less important. Ancient Hawaiian ancestors are buried there. Like your ancestors, they are buried in their graveyards and cemeteries. You even erected a memorial to your husband on that same piece of land. I'm surprised you haven't seen the irony in that." Boy concluded. "You want all the spiritual activity to stop? Tear down your estate or move somewhere else. That's my advice."
~
In less than a year, Molly sold the estate and moved to Oahu. She found a nice place on the slopes of Makiki for herself, her children, and her nanny. Life was as usual every day. She didn't begrudge Boy's advice, because he spoke to her with compassion and not judgement but with a bit of strictness, like a father. On Kaua'i and throughout the Hawaiian archipelago, the battle continues.
Loved it
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