Hi,
This is Kara Bloom.
Tonight I'm going to share a story about Leilani and Koa.
Leilani and Koa had just moved from California to Hawaii,
To the island of Oahu.
This is a series of stories of them discovering their new home.
I hope you enjoy it.
Leilani explores Kailua,
A Hawaiian story of learning and belonging.
Ike,
The gift of understanding.
In Hawaii,
People say that Ike is everywhere.
It's in the sparkle of the sea,
In the sway of the palms,
And in the quiet feeling when something new begins to make sense.
Ike means learning.
It means noticing little things,
Like a fish darting through a tidepole,
Or the way the wind carries a plumeria scent.
Leilani's grandmother once said that Ike is a treasure,
Something you can gather little by little,
Like seashells tucked in a box.
Now,
In her new home of Kailua,
Leilani wondered what treasures of Ike she might find.
Leilani was 10,
Her brother Koa was 6.
They had just left California for a little beach town on Oahu called Kailua,
Where the air smelled of salts and plumeria.
At first,
Koa's shoulders drooped.
I miss our backyard,
He murmured.
Then his eyes caught something moving on the wall.
A bright green gecko clung to the window frame,
Its tiny toes spread wide.
Koa's frown melted into a grin.
Look,
A gecko!
Another peeked out from behind the blinds.
Leilani laughed.
Looks like they've already moved in.
Mom stepped into the room smiling.
Ike begins with noticing,
Even the smallest gecko can make you feel welcome.
Later,
Leilani lifted the lid of her treasure box,
A gift from her grandmother.
Inside were her small treasures.
A notebook about Hawaii,
A pressed flower from her goodbye lei,
And a tiny pouch of California sand.
Just knowing it was there made her feel at home.
Let's pack lunch and go explore,
Mom said.
Maybe we'll find more pieces of Ike along the way.
Back in the kitchen,
Sunlight spilled across the wooden floorboards.
Leilani packed sandwiches and water bottles,
Tucking them into a faded blue cooler.
Ready for a full day of adventure?
She asked.
Kayaking first,
Shouted Koa.
Then he grinned.
But I still think the gecko should come.
They laughed.
Their voices spilling into the sunlit street as they closed the door and stepped into the day.
As they drove through town,
Koa pressed his face to the window.
Look at all those bikes,
He said.
That one has a surfboard rack.
And that one has a dog.
Ike can be noticing what makes a place special,
Mom said.
Sometimes it's the big things,
Like a mountain.
But sometimes it's the little things,
Like the way people get around.
Koa nodded.
This place has lots of little things to notice.
Leilani nodded.
This place has lots of little things to notice.
They arrived at Kailua Beach,
Where the water glimmered like a sheet of glass.
Leilani had never seen the ocean so many shades of blue.
See those twin islands out there?
Mom asked.
They're called the Mokulua Islands.
Mokunui and Mokuiki.
They're seabird sanctuaries,
And you can only land on Mokunui.
They look like two sleeping turtles,
Leilani said.
Or maybe dragons taking a nap,
Koa added.
Mom smiled.
Today we'll paddle out to see them.
With life jackets buckled and paddles in hand,
They launched into the gentle sea.
The kayak bobbed gently,
Steady,
And sure,
Like it had done this a thousand times before.
The ocean smells like salty pancakes,
Koa said.
Leilani laughed.
Only to you.
Then silver flashes leapt across the waves.
Flying fish!
Koa shouted.
Did you see them?
They're called malolo,
Mom explained.
Ike means learning their names and stories.
So we remember we share the sea.
They landed on Mokunui,
Where the tidepool sparkled like glass bowls.
Koa pointed excitedly.
Look!
A sea cucumber!
It wriggled in the shallow water,
Shaped like a long brown bean.
They help keep the ocean clean,
Mom explained.
Leilani bent low,
Spotting tiny crabs scuttling sideways between the rocks.
Each one catching the sunlight like a secret.
Mom smiled.
Ike can be as small as noticing how a crab moves.
Every creature has something to teach us.
Leilani laughed as Koa dropped to the sand and scuttled sideways in his best crab walk.
They ate sandwiches on warm lava rocks,
Toes sandy,
The cooler soon empty,
But their hearts full.
When it was time to leave,
They carried the kayak back to the water.
The waves lapped gently,
And the island seemed to whisper a hui hou,
Goodbye.
On the paddle back,
Koa grew quiet and leaned against Mom's arms.
Within minutes,
He was fast asleep.
Leilani stared out across the sea,
Far above something black circled in the sky.
The Eva bird,
Mom said softly.
Fishermen say they can guide you home.
Leilani squinted.
I think it's watching us.
Ike is noticing,
Mom said.
Sometimes,
We're the ones being seen.
Later,
After returning the kayaks,
They trekked up a steep hill.
Wooden logs made rough steps that climbed towards the ridge.
This is the Lanikai Pillbox Hike,
Mom explained.
During World War II,
Soldiers kept watch from here.
Leilani's eyes widened.
Soldiers?
Up here?
Koa leaned forward,
Suddenly eager.
Let's see it!
They climbed the dusty trail,
Hair dancing in the cool breeze.
Each step carrying them closer to the sky.
At the top,
They peeked into an old concrete bunker painted with bright murals.
It's like a secret fort,
Koa whispered.
From the top of the pillbox,
Kailua stretched wide below.
The beach curving like a crescent moon.
The Mokoluas resting in the distance.
Leilani's breath caught.
It looks even bigger from up here.
The wind carried salt and plumeria.
Mom nodded.
Ike is seen from many views,
Both the near and the far.
After the hike,
They were ready for a dip in the ocean.
They walked down to Lanikai Beach,
Where the waves sparkled in the golden afternoon.
Koa splashed in the shallows,
Sending water high into the air.
Leilani dug her toes in the soft sand,
Letting the tide rush over her feet.
Her fingers brushed something cool and smooth.
She bent and uncovered a spiral shell,
Glistening in the light.
She held it up.
Mom nodded.
Your tutu would say every shell carries a story.
Ike means remembering those stories.
Some treasures you keep in a box,
And some you carry in your heart.
Koa tilted his head.
Do you think it's magic?
Leilani smiled.
Maybe the magic is in the stories.
As the sun slipped low,
They walked back to the car together,
Their day filled with new pieces of Ike,
Each one a gift from Kailua.
That evening,
The house was quiet.
Koa slept soundly,
His hand curled around the corner of his blanket.
Leilani stood at the window,
The spiral shell warm in her palms.
High above the moonlit ocean,
An Eva bird soared across the sky,
Silent,
Steady,
Sure.
She pressed the shell into her heart.
Her grandmother's words whispered back.
Every shell carries a story.
Leilani smiled softly.
I think I'm starting to understand,
She whispered.
And for the first time,
Kailua felt a little more like home.
Later,
She opened her treasure box once more.
She placed the shell besides the flower and the sand.
Her box was filling with stories.
And so was she.
Good night,
Leilani.
Good night,
Koa.
Good night,
Oahu.
Good night,
Kailua.
And good night to you.
Sweet dreams.
