The Yellow Hibiscus

Tempest Under 1000 Words

According to folklore, Alii Menehune, her father prayed to Kane to spare his only daughter’s life. Life was sacred to Kane. He would save her, but she could not reproduce. Alii Menehune thanked Kane. Growing into a beautiful woman, Tara married and longed for children. She prayed to Hina, the goddess of reproduction to help her conceive. This made Ku very angry.

She gave birth to a daughter after Hina touched her womb. Ku cursed her womb and promised that every female child born to her, would be born with a cross in the middle of their back.

Subconsciously, my right hand reached to touch the middle of my back, where my cross-shaped birthmark was.

The story continued to say that Tara’s descendants would bring pain and misery to mankind. The cross was a symbol of the burden they would carry. They would never know happiness.

Tara, refusing to accept the curse, prayed to Lono, the God of peace. He instructed her to go to the edge of Mokapu (the Garden of Eden) and pick the first flower she saw growing there. The Yellow Hibiscus was the first flower she saw. She was then to dip it into the Waimea River. When Tara did, the flower turned into gold. “Carry it always,” Lono said, “for it will protect you from the curse of Ku.” The Yellow Hibiscus will never die as long as a…