Lure of the Waves

Lure of the Waves

 

The Honolulu Advertiser does just what its name suggests – advertises the many offerings and wares of Honolulu town to its thronging visitors. The lead story, almost always sensational, aims to draw even the casual weekend vacationer into a wishful oneness with the folks of the magic island.

 

‘Don’t mess with the Sea’ is the wisdom the Advertiser chose to spread the day after Blow Hole had claimed its second victim in half a century.

 

 The Hālona Blowhole, one of Hawai‘i’s natural wonders, created thousands of years ago when molten lava tubes were formed from volcanic eruptions, is a must-see scenic stop. Hālona, in Hawaiian, means “lookout,” as from here, visitors can see miles of pristine coastline waters, even the distant islands of Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i.  On days when the tide is high, the waves hit hard against the rocks.  The tubes in the rocks are so formed that a jet of water shoots high into the air, somewhat as in a geyser. An amazing sight that tourists come in large numbers hoping to watch.  Local shutterbugs have an intuitive sense of when next the spout would occur and position their ‘clients’ accordingly for a perfect shot with the spout as the backdrop.

 

          There was a rather unusual occurrence last eventing that was not-so-picture -perfect. A lad from a mainland city had in a fit of arrogant bravado, ignored verbal and written warnings to cross the railings and arch himself astride the Hole. The initial light gush tickled him into laughter much to the amusement of the unsure watchers. A second gush, another with not much force followed which too entertained everyone.  But even before the mirth subsided, came a swooshing burst of torrent that threw the boy high into the air and then sucked him into the gaping darkness of the dark pit.   None knew how to help and by the time the fire engines reached, it was well past dusk.

 

          Wise natives of the island knew that the lad was gone and that his body would emerge from the ocean two days hence. And that is just what happened.

 

          A week earlier, the Advertiser had carried the story of another mid-mainland youth who took the Seas for granted and attempted surfing at high tide on Oahu’s treacherous North shore.  No one noticed when the boy was gone, swallowed, so to speak, by the high waves.

 

The wise of the Island had compared the doability of this recklessness feat to  a toddler attempting the hurdles at the Olympics.

 

         Rinchen, our course mate at the APCSS who hailed from the land-locked Bhutan and otherwise well-travelled,  had not not yet had opportunity to sense the lure of the waves. It was instead by the lush greens of Honolulu’s exotic golf courses that had smitten him.  An impulse of adventure moved Rinchen one Sunday morning to join a dragon boat excursion out of Waikiki beach.  The boat slid on over the calm waters gliding smoothly till the point where the waters turned from the coastal turquoise to a deep purple. 

It was here that the magic of the waves beckoned. The rowers cast off their clothes and plunged into the enticing waters.

 

          As the waves cast their spell and beckoned, Rinchen dropped caution and good sense to take the plunge.  In the rash flurry of taking off his clothes, his wallet dropped off his pocket and fell into the waters – cash, credit cards driving license et al. In desperation, he plunged his hand into the waters as deep as he could, but as the Old Wise of the Island say, ‘What the Sea claims, becomes of it’.

 

          Rinchen sat back, silent and still, head bent on oar, remaining so for many a minute until he reconciled to his loss. As he emerged from his trance,  it was with a smile and expression of deep gratitude to the divine Almighty. His eastern mind had realised that there was some divine hand that underlay all that happened and this a time had come for him to repay some past owe. The Almighty was thankfully benign on him by just his belongings but sparing his life. The loss of his wallet and its contents now seemed a very small price to pay. 

 

         Just like what the high mountains of his native land have taught Rinchen, the vast Sea demands the very same calling - ‘ Be a Friend, bond with humility and respect.’. Only then will it grant the seeker the thrills of hanging loose upon their largest waves. For others the caution in the headlines of the Advertiser the day after the Blow Hole incident is reiterated  – ‘ Don’t Mess with the Sea’.