FAMILY MATTERS
Reflection and renewal rise up from the ashes

By Michael C. DeMattos

•	Donations Monetary gifts to help the family rebuild their home can be made at these locations: Amona Kayatani Fire Relief Fund c/o The Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union, Main Branch, 1226 College Walk,Honolulu, HI 96817 or call 534-4300 Amona Kayatani Fire Relief Fund c/o American Savings Bank, any branch. Donations to this account are tax-deductible.

It has been reported that fireworks were thrown into the house and it was quickly razed. Shannon was not home on that fateful night which, in all likelihood, was for the best.

Shannon lived on Hawaiian home lands in historic Papakolea. In fact, his childhood home was believed to be one of the first, if not the first, A-frame homes built in the Islands. It stood in stark contrast to the refined subdivision just two blocks away. It was a remnant of the past amid the hopes and dreams of the future. He and his fiancee had been renovating the house and hoping to move in within the next few months.

To view the aftermath of the fire was devastating. The aluminum roof of the house, which extended from apex to ground, melted through in many places. Clumps of the molten metal sat in piles on the floor of his living room like deadly drops of pahoehoe. The air was pungent with the sick, sweet smell of water and flame.

The charred stairwell leading to the loft was strong enough to hold weight, but the loft itself was black rubble. Perhaps most bizarre of all was the apparent selectivity of the flame. Like an adversary that aims for the jugular while ignoring the arm, the fire seemed to make choices. Ancient Hawaiian artifacts were destroyed and bath towels spared. The flame never touched the curriculum materials that belonged to his educator mother, but the heat melted the plastic casing, forever sealing them from view.

In the end, most of the things that mattered most were lost.

I surveyed the site; it was terrible. The loss was so great and so senseless. I was not surprised, however, to find that my friend, Shannon, was philosophical about the ordeal.

A gentle man and student of social work, Shannon is pursuing his master's degree in the hope of helping others. Others who perhaps are suffering much like he is now.

He has always been there to lend a hand to others. It was time to return the favor.

They say that many hands make the job lighter. That was true last weekend when dozens of family and friends, old and new, gathered to help with the demolition. The house was leveled within just two days, but the home was lost in less than two hours. The contents of an entire life were now packed within a roll-off trash bin.

After the work was done, we gathered in a large circle, hands joined in union. His mother, who flew in from the Big Island, cried as she thanked everyone for their kokua. My head was bowed, but my eyes drifted slowly from my friend to his uncle and then to his mother.

Many hands make the job lighter. Perhaps with enough effort, they can also lift the spirit.

Michael C. DeMattos has a master's degree in social work.