32
Lehua in the Sea
Kaona
A hidden or concealed meaning or reference to a person, place, or thing.
“You’ve seen one?” Jay asked. “Fo’real? You’ve seen a man-eater? You’ve seen Niuhi?”
Here it comes.
Uncle Kahana leaned against the rail.
“I was just a kid the first time I saw a Niuhi shark. These guys came to Lauele Harbor from Kailua, I think. They wanted to go fishing at Keikikai with a big hukilau net. You kids know what I’m talking about? Hukilau—where they put a huge net into the ocean and the whole community stands on the beach pulling it in?”
We nodded. Lili started humming the song and making the hand motions.
“Yes, Lili, like that. My father, Bobby Nickels they used to call him—”
“Why?” I asked.
“Later,” Uncle Kahana said. “That’s another story. My father was a fisherman
