10.04.2015

Pele Visits the Coco Palms Resort

Informant: Male/40's/Filipino
Locationt: Coco Palms Resort

I was a bartender and my wife was a waitress at the Coco Palms Resort in the 1960's. One night as we were closing up the bar, I heard the door bells chime and turned to see a young woman walking up to the bar. She had long brown hair and a long red dress that covered her feet and made her walk seem unusual. She walked up to me and asked, "May I have a puhi paka, please?"

"I don't know what kind of drink that is. Even if I did, I can't make it for you because we're closed. You need to leave!" She seemed angry with my reply. My wife came running from the other side of the restaurant, "No, honey, she's asking for a cigarette." she told me. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. We don't smoke. May I offer you a free soda instead?" I began to object, but my wife quickly cut me off.

"No," the woman said, "Thank you for your kindness." And with that, she turned and walked her unusual walk out of the restaurant.

"You idiot!" My wife yelled at me. "I'm in charge of this bar and I'm not going to give free drinks or cigarettes to anyone that barges in after hours!" I barked back.

"Didn't you see her eyes?" She asked. "When you told her to leave, there was fire in her eyes. You pissed her off! That was the goddess Pele. If she ever asks you for something, you give it to her!"

"How do you know it was her?" I asked.

"Besides the fire in her eyes? I could tell by the way she walked... She was floating."