Michael Silva
God bless you, i love you like a brother. We were inseparable, HANAI together by our Hawaiian grandparents, raised the Hawaiian way, listening to the Hawaiian language being spoken everyday, how beautiful it was, yes you me and Kalua.
Of the days when Kona had no traffic lights, of matching up our likes and dislikes, days of fishing and swimming off the Kailua Pier when Young Brothers still docked their barges alongside, the warehouse and cattle pen included, those were the days. The small beach, the old King Kam and the Kona Inn. It was when, our grampa and gramma said to us if you walked pass Thurstens and the Waiaka Wing it meant we walked to far. The Ocean View Inn, The Beachboys Den and that Fountain was da bomb places. KTA was at the Banyan tree ahh yes but the thrill was going UP MAUKA Grampa used to drive us up the winding roads so we can go Ben Franklin and Oshimas, ahh yes those were the days.
When we got older, Grampa Spinney taught us fishing and the Hawaiian navigation system. There would be many days out in the ocean that we spent together with our Grampa, learning commercial fishing and sport fishing. He also taught us the principles of navigation and we practiced both systems while fishing. Herbert you was good at that you was the only one that Grampa certified as having passed the Hawaiian navigation practical side.
And yes their also was the cowboy side, i remember Grampa Alapai taking us, me and you in a military jeep through Puu WaWa Ranch
It seemed time came by so fast things that we took for granted changed before our eyes. We graduated High school and went on with our lives, you inlisted in the Army became a Sgt and a Tank commander, stationed in Germany, spent time in Desert Storm.
Got married and had one child a daughter a beautiful girl.
You retired from the Military and settled in Washington got a part time job with United Airlines and visited Kona a couple of times.
Ahh and yes in my silence i would ask myself. "I wonder how is Herbert doing?"
Then one day the last teusday of march our cousin ALANA stopped by and said you passed away.
I felt a void, i lost a bond a source of my pass has left me.
But now i know where you are and how are you doing, for in gods hands in gods kingdom there is only the bright light of the holly spirit that shines through each of our soles and you have the power to visit your mom and dad, gramma and granmpa and all our cousins nieces and nephews and be with them. Ahh lucky you although in mans world here in kona it would be just me and Kalua, i look forward to my day where and when i can see you again.
ALOHA MY BROTHER
from cousin Mike
