Spring Fevah

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Story by Kathy Collins

Tita Kathy Collins“March come in like one lion, go out like one lamb.”
“April showahs bring May flowahs.”

Small-kid time, we learn dat in school. But nevah make sense to us. My madda said dass only fo’ mainland guys ‘cause they get da kine dis-stink seasons, not like us ova heah who only get rainy season and regulah kine. But we had to mema-rize da sayings anyways. Jus’ like our parents befo’ and our kids aftah us.

My son was born and raise on Maui, and den he wen’ move to Michigan couple, t’ree years ago. Now he know all about dis-stink seasons. His first wintah ova deah, Michigan had da worst ice storm in t’irty-five years. He t’ought he was going freeze his okole off. Febarary still had snow on da ground. But right around Eastah, he said everyt’ing wen’ change. Da weather start fo’ come warm, da plants come back alive, everybody stay happy. He said now he know why da mainland guys make up poems and songs fo’ celebrate spring. He said even dough summah no mo’ school, and fall get da autumn leaves, and wintah get Christmas and New Year’s, spring is da bes’ season of all. Da season of rebirth and new life.

So dat wen’ get me t’inkin’—since we no mo’ da kine drastic change in scenery fo’ mark da diff’rent seasons, we gotta do something fo’ remembah to celebrate da Comin’ of Spring. I know plenny people t’ink of Eastah li’dat, but get plenny odda guys who no balieve in da resurrection of Christ or rabbits that hide eggs. Plus, Eastah move around every year. We gotta try be consistent. Get May Day, but dat feel more like da Comin’ of Summah.

Come to t’ink about ‘em, get plenny odda stuffs we observe from March to May, all kine celebrations and festivals from all kine cultures. Like da Japanee Girls Day (March 3) and Boys Day (May 5), St. Patrick’s Day, Prince Kuhio Day, Cinco de Mayo, and no fo’get April Fool’s! Why no combine ‘em all and make one big holiday? We can call ‘em Spring Fevah Day.

We can hold ‘em on March 1st, everybody get da day off fo’ celebrate da new season an’ appreciate life. Honor our kids, give lei to each odda, drink Irish whiskey and tequila, tell jokes an’ pull pranks (jus’ da kine dat no hurt nobody), an’ get togedda wit’ plenny friends fo’ eat plenny food, of course. Oh wait . . . I get friends who do all dat every single day.

OK, maybe we no need one official day. Maybe we jus’ do like my friends—celebrate and appreciate life every day. But I t’ink at least we gotta have one new spring saying, one dat make sense to us. How’s about:

Da wintah surf pau.
Da whales gone, too.
Odda dan dat,
no mo’ nottin’ new.

Still sunny and warm;
da same ol’ ting.
Every day in paradise
feel like spring.

Tita is the pidgin-speaking alter ego of local actress and Mana’o Radio cofounder/DJ Kathy Collins. Both Tita and Ms. Collins grew up on Maui.

 

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