Christopher Reeve
"The hero draws inspiration from the virtue of his ancestors."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“A hero is a man who does what he can."
Romain Rolland
Her people, "Na Pua" (The Flowers) are the ornament of HawaiiEvery day, all over the world, countless acts of heroism and humanity are accomplished by people who didn't ask to be there. . . The heavy rains we in the islands were "blessed" with last month caused some amazing flooding. Paukauila Stream, near O`ahu's North Shore Town of Hale`iwa, overflowed it's banks, and the waters were lapping at the door of the Gonsalves Ohana before they could be evacuated. Young Mom, Johnell was braving the torrential downpour to get to work on the bus. When she realized how trecherous the storm was, and that her baby Ikaika might be in very real danger, she grew frantic. Soon she was screaming into the phone for her brother, Henry Gonsalves, 24, to do something! Henry, unemployed and looking for work, is an experienced surfer who has lived near some of the most famous big-wave surfing beaches in this world his whole life. In water up to his neck, Henry made his way to the neighbors house where a surfboard awaited him. Somehow, he managed to jump to the cottages roof and then jump the 12 feet to his own. Clambering down through a window he retrieved his screaming nephew and paddled against a raging current to safety. Then he went back for his girlfriend, mother, and aunt. An opportune kayak floated by; Henry placed his relatives aboard and towed them into the arms of Honolulu firefighters (Yay!) who then helped to secure the family's handicapped father. "I got bit by centipedes and cane spiders . . .I wasn't going to let anything happen to my nephew. My sister would have died." he told reporters later. In Hawaii, it is a sign of respect to call folks older den you "Auntie" & "Uncle." That's how we roll in the 808. Well, Uncle Henry is a hero indeed to his nephew and all the local folks on the "country" side of our island. To me too!
A L O H A! Cloudia
