Stones Back to Pele

If I say it was difficult sending the stones back, it would be such an understatement. They seemed to make it as difficult as they could.

The most obvious choice was to send them to kamlesh aunty, but she was travelling on a long trip out of Hawai'i. Then Bablu, try as I might, he consistently thought I was joking :)

I meanwhile wrote to the only other person I knew in Hawai'i, Beth Evasong. Beth I'd met at the farmer's market.  She  makes her own little glasswork artifacts, and I'd bought gifts for close friends from her, and we had a sweet conversation, and I had pictures of her, so I just hoped she'd recall. 

The story started with a mail titled 'an unusual request', being sent to her two months after the meet, and quickly receiving a lovely response. She not only said yes, but said she'd do a small prayer and an offering to Pele, the Goddess of the Volcanoes (and added that Pele likes cigarettes and gin :)

Then started the effort to send it.  Multiple visits to the Post Office; this post office to the other, each one saying it should be packed differently, then official sealing.... and the final straw was when all things done, the guy says, "it won't clear customs". Any explanation and he was like, "No".  I reached a point of, "if you can't show me the rule under which it can't go, you cant say No". He finally agreed, but said it would get sent back from Mumbai. At that point I could only appeal with "let's please try".

Beth had similar reservations about issues at US customs. Those were nail biting days, because if anything I didn't want them lost in between countries.

A happy day was the day I received a mail saying "lava back on island" with this picture, and her lovely sense of humour and profundity. She said "madam Pele thanks you for respecting her, but I can only imagine what the US customs thought when they inspected" .

And what was so touching was how she went on to making this a wow experience.

I'm putting here her mail alongwith a couple of pictures she sent me a week later. This is to keep for posterity a reminder of the entire experience.

Aloha Smitha,

We hiked out to lava flow near my house, called Kaloli Point, the most EAST tip of the big island. The lava is from early 1800’s. I made a small alter and placed the stones and coral then snapped a picture with nice wave spray.

Mahalo plenty for the beautiful shawl wrap! I treasure our little encounter and was happy to help with this request.
Wishing you much good fortune now that everything is back home.

Beth

What a lovely picture......the lovingly made altar ... the spray in backdrop, the black lava mountain by the sea, the huge and beautiful hibiscus (the national flower of Hawai'i), and the little stones. Such a beautiful closure to the whole experience. A hug to you Beth. 

Beth.....a picture that will stay etched in memory

Beth, like I'd said, our connection did not happen for nothing.....not the goosebumps you got when we first met at the farmers market, not the goosebumps I got through your gesture and these pictures, not the little altar you created for the stones and Pele.

For all you've done to help me with this.....mahalo, mahalo, and more mahalo.