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EYES OF THE NIGHT LIGHTS MAILANI NEAL Originally written for Mr. Oishi’s Eng10 class, Fall 2012, Kamehameha Schools at Kapälama On the slopes of the Mauna Kea summit, the cold winds of Poli‘ahu whispered in the ear of Kia‘i, “It’s time.” Kia‘i opened his eyes to the flawless surface of Lake Waiau casting the perfect projection of the night sky. Burdened by the command given, Kia‘i rose and began to gather his ‘upena, fishing net, and waded into the glacial water towards the never-ending pattern of fish circling each other. He threw his net, encompassing and catching them perfectly, as he had done for many decades. Then, Kia‘i quickly ran the several miles to Lake Hünä. He ran so swiftly that the fish did not die from suffocation, and he released them into the lake to swim until the next night. These fish were no ordinary fish; they were the spirit of the stars. Kia‘i would perform this task to make sure the stars were in the sky every night. His real name was not Kia‘i; his name had been forgotten when he accepted the role as star keeper and became Kia‘i, which means “to guard.” His family had been the star keepers for as long as time, and he was becoming old. Every day he felt his aging pains growing stronger and less endurable . His son, Alaka‘inäi‘aikapö, had refused to accept the role as star keeper and left him without a protégé to take his place. He moved to Kona and became a farmer with a home and wife. Their first born was a girl, whom they named Nämakaonälamaokapö, meaning Eyes of the Night Lights. When she was born, she would not stop crying until she saw the night sky filled with stars. Alaka‘inäi‘aikapö knew this was a sign that she was meant to be a star keeper, but he refused to let her have that fate also. For all of her childhood and her late teenage years, he never allowed her out of the house at night, knowing that the stars would entice her away. But he could not hide away the entire night sky, for she longed to see the night and would often sneak peeks through the entryway. The next night, Kia‘i performed his task then meditated. Through the dream realm, he reached out to his son’s mind and spoke to him, saying, “It 50 MO‘OLELO is time for a new Keeper. She is chosen by the stars. My son, you may have refused your fate, but you cannot refuse hers. Send her to me.” Alaka‘inäi‘aikapö argued with him so angrily that he awoke with a start and ran to make sure Nämakaon älamaokapö was still there. She was asleep safe and sound, but he didn ’t know that he was already too late. In her dreams, Kia‘i had already reached out to her and they were speaking. He explained to her his responsibility of keeping the stars and how his son had refused the task. Nämakaonälamaokapö agreed to accept this responsibility; she had no desire to live in Kona. She packed a small kapa bag with a few belongings and snuck off into the night. Traveling for three days and nights, she crossed Hualälai, Mauna Loa, and ascended the steep shoulders of Mauna Kea to reach Kia‘i. She arrived at Lake Waiau at sunrise, just in time to witness Kia‘i performing his task of gathering the fish. After he returned from securing the fish in safety, Kia‘i and Nämakaon älamaokapö sat on the lakeshore. For hours they discussed the responsibility of keeping the stars and what she would have to do. Kia‘i explained to her the need for perfect balance in her physicality, emotions, mind, and spirit. Nämakaonälamaokapö accepted all of these challenges as her fate to be Keeper of the stars. He showed her the necklace he wore. It had a pendant made of basaltic lava rock that glimmered so brightly that she was sure it was a star too. Kia‘i said to Nämakaonälamaokapö, “When it is your time to be Keeper, you shall wear this necklace.” For many months, Kia‘i taught, trained, and challenged Nämakaonälamaokap ö. For physicality, she would run numerous miles to train her to run...

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