Our Honolulu
Office mat now sacred ground

By Bob Krauss
Advertiser Columnist

It never occurred to me that a major historic renovation could be done sitting on the floor. But when I took my fine Tongan mat to Auntie Gladys Grace in Palolo, she said, "No, I want to do it in your office."

Since then, columnist Lee Cataluna has shared my floor with Gladys and her partner, Gwen Kamisugi. Cartoonist Dick Adair has taken an interest in lauhala weaving, and my Tongan mat has become a photo opportunity.

There is probably no other office in Our Honolulu where you can step on a fine Tongan mat while wearing shoes, so it seems fitting to describe its history and repair.

A charming couple from Tonga once cleaned The Advertiser's newsroom. The wife and I discussed Tonga while she emptied my koa wastebasket. She spent more and more time emptying the wastebasket. Then the king of Tonga came to town.

Thrilled, she helped cook mountains of food that I helped eat because I went out to La'ie to write about the elaborate ceremony.

The cleaning lady and I had a marvelous time discussing the finer points of Tongan protocol. "What this office needs is a Tongan mat," she said.

I thought she meant a little throw rug I could drape over the rocking chair. The next day she came bearing an enormous, floor-size fine

Tongan mat, double weave, with a black ali'i design and fringed with green, pink and orange knitting yarn woven into the lauhala.

It's the kind of mat you give for a wedding present. Her mother made it.

"No, no," I said. "I can't accept this."

"It belongs in your office," she answered firmly. She installed it herself.

Unfortunately, some termites ate holes in it before I moved across the building.

I discovered that hardly anybody can repair a fine lauhala mat anymore, much less endure the drudgery of it. That's why Auntie Gladys and Gwen rank as indispensible cultural resources.

Gwen, recently retired as assistant administrator for the district court, arrived with a plastic box; Auntie Gladys with a paper shopping bag containing their tools — scissors, tweezers, knife, soldering rod and a poker from a nutcracker set. "Anything that works," they said.

After a couple of hours, I realized why Gwen had come along. Reweaving an old mat is a delicate, slow operation because the brittle ends break and make the hole larger if you're clumsy. They couldn't finish in one afternoon and had to come back twice.

A year ago, it took six people in their lauhala weaving club to repair the mats in an old kama'aina home back of Pounders Beach at Hau'ula. It's a labor of love.

So you can see how grateful I am. They have added their mana, or spiritual power, to my office.

The club meets on the lanai of the Mission Houses on King Street twice a month just for the opportunity to weave together.

Bob Krauss can be reached at 525-8073.