Night Marchers
The daughter of a Polynesian mother and a haole father, Leilani Seibold was a product of two cultures. As a young man, Wilmott Seibold, Leilani's father, although born and raised in New England, went to work for his uncle, an executive officer at Castle & Cook, one of Hawaii's Big Five sugarcane processing companies. He met Kealoha Kalili shortly after arriving at the U.S. territory, and the two immediately fell in love. Despite objections from both the Kalili and Seibold families, they married and settled on Maui. It was in this lush tropical paradise that Leilani was born in 1919.
As she was growing up, the little girl developed a love of learning. Not only did she have a voracious appetite for books, but she also enjoyed hearing her parents' oral stories. She would listen with rapt attention to her father's accounts of American history, particularly those of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Being born shortly after the 1918 Armistice of the Great War, she had no firsthand knowledge of its horrors; but the concept of armed conflict, of men killing each other for political or religious reasons, fascinated yet repulsed the child.
For that reason, she secretly preferred her mother's stories to her father's. Kealoha did not dwell on factual details. Instead, she weaved wondrous tales incorporating mythology, religion, legends and folklore with history. While Wilmott entertained his daughter with the exploits of America's Founding Fathers, its presidents and its Civil War heroes, his wife spoke of Kāne, the god of procreation and giver of life; Kū, the feathered god of war; Lono, the god of fertility, agriculture, rainfall, music and peace; Kanaloa, the giant squid god of the underworld; Pele, the volcano goddess; and Kamapua, the half-pig/half-man demigod.
Given the child's mixed heritage and her early introduction to both history and mythology, it is no wonder she grew up to be an unusual woman. Both a dreamer and a hopeless romantic, she nonetheless had a practical side to her nature, no doubt one she inherited from her Yankee ancestors.
"You are a strange one," her father once lovingly remarked. "You've got one foot in fact, the other in fiction and your head in the clouds."
Once the inquisitive little girl grew up, she wanted to share her knowledge with others. She began by volunteering at a local school where she taught young Hawaiian children to speak English. It was her knowledge of the native tongue that soon led to a more lucrative job offer.
"We need someone who knows the language to serve as a translator," the manager of Oahu's Alexander Young Hotel told her.
The two-hundred-room hotel, located in Honolulu, was six stories high and nearly a block in length. To Leilani, it seemed like a magic castle. She was especially fascinated by the rooftop garden. Accepting the job offer, however, meant moving from Maui to Oahu. Wilmott and Kealoha were saddened at having their beloved daughter live more than a hundred miles from home, but they realized it was a great opportunity for the girl.
"It's not as though I'm living on the other side of the world," she told them. "I'll be just a boat ride away."
Although Leilani missed her parents, she immediately fell in love with her job. Since her skills as a translator were only occasionally needed, she worked as a hostess most of the time. Her duties were light. Wearing a brightly colored muumuu and fresh flowers in her hair, she stood in the lobby and welcomed hotel guests with a smile, a fragrant lei and a friendly "aloha."
The hotel's patrons and fellow staff members liked her, and it wasn't long before she had dozens of friends, both Hawaiian and haole. Naturally, given her beauty and her sweet disposition, men were attracted to her. Leilani, however, heeded the advice of her mother, who warned her to guard her heart. All sorts of men came and went to the islands. Very few remained. She did not want to fall in love, only to eventually be deserted by the man she desired.
Leilani had been living on Oahu for less than a year when she met Travis Wooding and promptly forgot Kealoha's warning.
* * *
In the days before Hawaii became one of the most popular tourist spots on the planet, it was not difficult to find a deserted beach. On her days off from work, Leilani went to one such spot where she would go swimming. One day, as she was taking off the muumuu she wore over her bathing suit, she saw a man emerge from the water. The tanned, muscular stranger with golden hair reminded her of a prince from a fairy tale. No, not a prince, more of a mythical god, possibly Apollo or Adonis.
"Aloha," he called with a friendly smile.
"Hello," she replied. "I didn't know anyone would be here."
"Does my presence bother you? Would you prefer to be alone?"
She shyly hung her head and failed to answer.
"It's a big ocean," he laughed. "I don't mind sharing if you don't."
The bashful girl looked up into his face and blushed.
"No. I don't mind."
"My name's Travis Wooding," he introduced himself.
"Leilani Kalili."
"That's a pretty name."
"What are you doing here in Hawaii?" she asked as they both walked across the beach to the water.
"I'm a construction worker. I've been doing a lot of work on Ford Island for the Navy. You were born here, I take it."
"Yes, but not on Oahu. I'm from Maui. Where do you come from?"
"New York. I'm surprised you couldn't tell that from my accent. It usually gives me away."
"My father was from New England. He came here to work for his uncle before the Great War. He's been here ever since."
"I'm not surprised. Why would anyone want to leave here? This place is a true paradise."
For more than an hour, the two young people swam in the ocean, sometimes beneath the surface but mostly above it. Finally, Leilani returned to the beach. She dried her face and then sat down on her towel. She watched as the handsome construction worker came out of the water, looking like a male version of Venus rising from the sea.
"Are you done swimming already?" Travis asked.
"No. I just want to rest for a few minutes. And you?"
"I'll be here most of the day. I love the water; I can't get enough of it. I learned to swim at Coney Island, but in New York, you can only go in the ocean during the summer months. That's one of the reasons why I'm thinking about remaining here once the job I'm doing is finished."
Despite their having just met, Leilani's heart quickened at the possibility that Travis Wooding would become a permanent resident of the islands.
* * *
Leilani had been working at the Alexander Young Hotel for six months when her parents came to visit her on Oahu.
"I missed you so much, ku'uipo," her mother cried, touching the girl's forehead with her own in a traditional honi greeting before kissing and hugging her.
"I missed both of you, too."
"How do you like it here in Honolulu?" her father asked.
"It's not home, but it's nice."
Both Wilmott and his wife noticed the blush that suddenly appeared on their daughter's cheek.
"Have you made any friends here?"
Kealoha stared into her daughter's eyes as she waited for an answer to her question.
"Oh, yes. Dozens," Leilani replied. "Everyone here is so nice to me."
"I think what your mother wants to know is," her father explained, "are you dating anyone?"
The blush became more pronounced.
"There's a young man I met on the beach not long after I arrived. He and I have become quite close."
"Is he kama'aina?" Kealoha inquired.
"No, he's from New York. He's working for the Navy."
"So, you have chosen not to take my advice. You come to Oahu and almost immediately begin seeing a sailor."
"He's not a sailor. He's a civilian construction worker hired by the Navy."
"And when his work is done, is he going to remain in Hawaii?"
"He's considering it."
"Why don't we all go get something to eat?" Wilmott suggested, hoping to prevent a possible argument between mother and daughter. "We've been apart for too long. Let's just enjoy our time together."
"Good idea, Dad!" Leilani exclaimed gratefully.
The following day, the Seibolds got to meet Travis Wooding for themselves. Both parents had to admit that he was a personable fellow. Furthermore, they could see that the two young people cared a great deal for each other.
"I suppose we should be happy for our daughter," Kealoha said on the boat ride back to Maui. "She's obviously in love with him and he with her."
"But if he decides not to remain in Hawaii, she may return to New York with him," her husband pointed out. "If she does, we might never see her again."
"I suppose if I must choose between Leilani's happiness and my own, I would choose hers. I want her to be every bit as happy as you and I are."
As Wilmott affectionately squeezed his wife's hand, there were tears in both their eyes.
* * *
Two months later, Leilani visited her parents on Maui.
"It's so good to be home!" she exclaimed.
"How long do you plan on staying?" Kealoha asked.
"I need to go back to Honolulu on Friday. I've been asked to entertain a group of Naval officers and their wives with a hula dance."
"Is that part of your job now?"
"Not exactly, but I like to take every opportunity to share our customs with others."
It was not until later that evening that Leilani told her parents the good news.
"Travis has asked me to marry him."
Kealoha felt as though her heart had fallen into her stomach. She could see by the look in her husband's eyes that the news had affected him in much the same way.
"Did you accept his proposal?" he asked.
"Yes. We plan on getting married in December." Not wanting to cause her parents any unnecessary alarm, she quickly added, "We're going to live in Honolulu."
"Thank God!" Wilmott exclaimed with relief. "I was afraid you'd move to New York, and your mother and I would never see you again!"
"Travis knows I could never live so far away from my family."
"I knew there was something I liked about that boy," Kealoha declared, her eyes bright with joy.
After Leilani left for Oahu on Friday morning, her parents discussed the upcoming marriage.
"I hope they're not rushing into this," Wilmott said. "They haven't known each other long."
"We knew each other for less than a year when we got married," his wife reminded him.
"That was different. We were older. Leilani is just a girl."
"She's twenty-two; I was twenty-four when I met you. That's not much of a difference."
"Yes, but you were more mature for your age."
"How quickly you forget. We were both young and in love, as are Leilani and Travis."
"You seem awfully eager for this marriage to take place," her husband said suspiciously. "Is there something you and our daughter aren't telling me?"
"If you're worried about becoming a grandfather soon, don't be. Leilani is not with child; not yet, anyway."
"When she does become a mother, we'll be faced with a difficult decision."
"What decision is that?" his wife asked.
"Whether to remain here in Maui or move to Oahu to be closer to our grandchildren."
* * *
As their wedding day drew nearer, Leilani and her fiancé prepared not only for the special day but also for their life together. First, they needed to find a place to live. Next, they needed furniture, linens, appliances and other household goods.
"You know," Travis teased after the couple viewed an apartment for rent not far from the Alexander Young Hotel, "once we're married, I'll expect you to cook all my favorite haole meals for me."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I come from a long line of meat-and-potatoes men, so I hope you get a Fannie Farmer Cookbook at your bridal shower. You'll need to learn how to make meatloaf, Yankee pot roast, fried chicken, baked ham and, of course, apple pie."
"Don't worry. I don't intend to feed you pineapples for every meal."
"Just think," the former New Yorker mused as he walked hand in hand along the beach with the woman he loved. "In less than a month, we'll be Mr. and Mrs. Travis Wooding."
"Speaking of which, next week, I must go to Maui. My mother is going to put the final touches on my wedding dress."
"All this fuss over a dress! It doesn't matter to me what you wear. You can show up in a muumuu or a grass skirt, just so long as you promise to love and cherish me until death do us part."
Like most women, however, Leilani wanted to look her best for the ceremony. The holoku gown Kealoha made was a white, loose-fitting garment with a train.
"You look so beautiful!" her mother exclaimed when the bride-to-be tried on the finished dress. "All you need is a plumeria or hibiscus lei on your head, and you'll be set."
"I don't know how to thank you for all your hard work."
"Don't be silly. There's no need to thank me. You're my daughter. It was my pleasure to help you prepare for your wedding."
Tears reddened their eyes as the women hugged each other. Finally, Leilani pulled away.
"Don't make anything for me to eat tonight," she announced. "I'm going to Lahaina to see some old friends while I'm here."
"Good. You might as well enjoy your last days of being a single woman."
"I may spend the night at Maile's house, so don't wait up."
Maile, Kau'i, Nani and Iekika were young women Leilani knew from school. Both Kau'i and Nani were married, but Maile and Iekika were still waiting to meet the right man.
"Maybe we ought to move to Oahu," Maile laughed. "I hear the island is overrun with handsome haoles."
After telling her friends about how she met Travis, Leilani amused them with anecdotes about the wealthy businessmen who stayed at the Alexander Young Hotel.
"I envy you! You have such an exciting life!" Nani exclaimed.
"You and Keoni seem happy together."
"We are, but I teach at Lahainaluna High School, and Keoni works on a pineapple farm. You can't get much duller than that."
"Lahaina isn't Honolulu," Iekika added.
"Believe it or not, there are times I miss Maui," Leilani confessed. "Like the four of you, I grew up here. It's my home. My parents still live here, and since it takes more than four hours to travel here by boat, I don't get to see them nearly as often as I'd like to."
The smile disappeared from the young woman's face, and her friends slipped into silence.
"Hey! This is supposed to be a celebration!" Kau'i cried, breaking the somber mood. "Let's have some more punch."
For the remainder of the evening, the five women reminisced about their school days. For them, their shared past was a time of joy. The future, however, was a mystery. Not one of them, not even the bride-to-be, knew what was in store for them.
* * *
Kau'i and Nani, who had husbands waiting for them at home, were the first to leave. Iekika left shortly after them, claiming she had to get up early for work the next morning. After one last glass of punch, Maile bid her old friend goodnight and went to bed.
Unable to sleep, Leilani went outside. Deep in thought, she walked along the deserted, moonlit beach. The beam from the Lahaina Lighthouse in the harbor reflected on the water. Suddenly, as though it were hit by a tropical cyclone, huge waves formed on the peaceful Pacific. The young woman watched with awe as the spirits of hundreds of ancient Hawaiian warriors emerged from the turbulent waters. The warlike ghosts were dressed for battle. Some carried spears or clubs; others beat war drums or blew a pu (a Hawaiian conch shell).
"It is the huaka'i pō!" she cried. Walking amidst the army of night marchers was Kū, the feathered god of war. But "walking" was not the appropriate word to describe the revenants' movements since their feet never touched the ground. Instead, the night marchers floated on air.
According to ancient Hawaiian beliefs, it is forbidden for any mortal to look upon the huaka'i pō. Fearing for her safety, Leilani hid behind the trunk of a large banyan tree. She remained there, watching the night marchers' progress as they made their way east toward Pu'u Kukui, the highest peak of Mauna Kahalawai. It was not until the ghostly torches were far enough away to resemble a procession of fireflies that she came out of hiding and hurried back to Maile's house.
When her friend got out of bed the next morning, she found Leilani already awake and sitting at the kitchen table.
"You're up early," Maile observed.
"I was up all night. I couldn't sleep."
"Why not?"
"I went for a walk last night," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I saw ...."
"What did you see?"
"Huaka'i pō."
"I think you had way too much punch to drink," Maile laughed.
Leilani described in detail the sight, sound and smell of the dead warriors.
"You've got a good imagination; I'll give you that much! But then you always were one for legends and folklore."
"I didn't imagine them. They were real."
"You saw them, and yet you're still alive. Doesn't that prove anything to you?"
"I'm alive because they didn't see me watching them. I hid behind a banyan tree."
"I know you think what you saw was real, but it couldn't have been. The dead don't march along the streets of Lahaina."
"I suppose you're right. I can just imagine what Travis would say if I told him I saw the Hawaiian god of war walking out of the waves and ascending Pu'u Kukui with the ghosts of a few hundred dead warriors."
"If you tell him that," Maile laughed, "he may have second thoughts about marrying you!"
Leilani never told her fiancé what she saw in Lahaina that night. Nor did she tell her parents. Instead, she went back to their house the following day, picked up her finished wedding dress and returned to Oahu.
It was late when she got back to Honolulu. Since she hadn't slept the previous night, she went straight to bed. At six o'clock, she woke up, bathed, put on her muumuu and went to the hotel lobby to greet guests who might arrive early and to say goodbye to those who were checking out.
Shortly before eight, she heard the first wave of planes fly overhead.
"What's all that about?" the hotel manager wondered and stepped outside into the street.
Leilani and several coworkers followed him.
In the sky above them, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes were heading toward Pearl Harbor.
* * *
December 7, 1941, is, according to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, "a date which will live in infamy." Japanese forces destroyed or damaged nearly twenty Navy vessels and over three hundred airplanes. Far worse, more than twenty-four hundred military personnel and civilians were killed, and more than eleven hundred were wounded.
Among the dead was a construction worker from New York named Travis Wooding.
In the days that followed the attack, people talked about the havoc wreaked on the Pacific Fleet. In the aftermath of the attack, the U.S. Congress declared war on Japan. Although Hawaii was not yet a state, many Hawaiians enlisted in the armed forces.
Leilani, whose dreams ended when Travis was killed, left Oahu and returned to Maui. Rather than live with her parents, she took a job teaching at Lahainaluna High School and moved in with Nani, whose husband, Keoni, left the pineapple farm to join the Navy.
From time to time, the heartbroken young woman would pass by the harbor and remember the night of December 5.
"I did see the Huaka'i pō," she told herself.
She was convinced that on that occasion, the night marchers were harbingers of the attack and the devastating world war that would soon follow in the wake of the war god Kū's appearance.
* * *
Leilani Seibold never married. After her father died in 1972, she moved in with her elderly mother. Kealoha followed Wilmott to the grave two years later, leaving the house to their daughter.
It was not until the year 2000 that eighty-one-year-old Leilani left Maui for a visit to Oahu. So much had changed on the island during the nearly six decades since she left Honolulu that she barely recognized it. The Alexander Young Hotel was demolished in 1981, and many new ones were constructed. Nearly seven million people would visit Hawaii that year, by air and by sea, and they needed places to stay, to eat, to drink and to shop.
Wearing a pair of capris and a T-shirt rather than an old-fashioned muumuu, the elderly woman joined a group of tourists for a guided tour of Pearl Harbor. She put on a pair of sunglasses to hide her tear-filled eyes as they neared Ford Island to see the USS Oklahoma and USS Utah memorials. It had been almost sixty years since the attack took the life of the man she loved, yet she still felt the pain of loss.
The last spot on the tour was the USS Arizona. The eerie sight of the sunken hull of the battleship stretching out from its watery grave on either side of the memorial's floating bridge brought a shiver to the old woman. Bodies of many of the sailors who died during the attack were still entombed in the battleship's wreckage.
Upon the conclusion of the emotionally-charged excursion, the tour bus returned to Honolulu; and after a short plane ride, she was back on Maui. Despite feeling drained from her trip, she was unable to fall asleep that night. As she often did when she was restless, she put a shawl on over her nightgown and went outside. She was not afraid of the dark; in fact, she found it comforting.
Suddenly, for the second time in her life, she heard the plaintive music of a ghostly pu accompanied by phantom drums.
"The huaka'i pō are back."
Her eyesight was not nearly as good as it had been in 1940, so she squinted to see in which direction the distant lights were heading.
They're coming toward me, she realized as she observed the lights draw nearer.
She could have run back into the house and hidden from the danger they represented, but she stayed where she was.
Why bother? Travis and my parents are gone. So are Nani, Maile, Kau'i and Iekika. I'm all alone now.
Thus, she remained standing in full view of the approaching night marchers. This time it was not Kū, the god of war, who floated above the ground with the dead but Kāne, the god of procreation and giver of life. When he saw the fearless Leilani in his path, he smiled and passed by her without incident. Unharmed, the old woman silently watched hundreds of dead Hawaiian warriors ascend the mountain. Behind them were what appeared to be thousands of Americans killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
As she stood steadfast in front of her parents' home, staring at the huaka'i pō, one of the spirits broke rank and approached her.
She recognized his face and fell to her knees.
"Travis!" she cried.
The dead man extended his ghostly hand toward her, and she grabbed it without hesitation.
The following morning, eighty-one-year-old Leilani Seibold was found dead by the boy who delivered her groceries to the house once a week. It was assumed by those who knew her that she died peacefully in her sleep. No one ever guessed at the wondrous sight she had seen before death claimed her soul and reunited it with the man she loved.
This story is based on the Hawaiian legend of night marchers.
While Salem thinks giving flowered leis to visitors is a nice custom, he would prefer being given something to eat.
