| Party going on at school big room in the evening. Dennis and I were with Ernie and he asked us to go to a dance with him next weekend.We asked him if there were any fights. He told us that they happened but if we were him there'd be no trouble
'cause his gang would be there too. So we went out to the front yard with him to meet his gang. There they were with their cases of Primo looking like Hell's Angels. So I was worried at first but soon began to feel that they were mostly just talk.
They acted like perfect gentleman, very amiable. We asked if there were fights and they gave us the low down on the gangs structure. Ookala has a gang, Honokaa has a gang, every town has a gang. But its the gangs from big Hilo that like to come out to the
country and start fights. So according to them they never start a fight, but of course they always finish them. They described the fights as no holds barred; get your man down and kick him in the face. They claimed that Hilo has scared
Honokaa from many dances but that Ookala is not afraid.
They also related personal fights and their favorite weapons. The largest (and he was huge) guy was really very levelled headed. But some of the others were drunk and at times looked like they were ready to jump us. But he would step in and say:
"Cool it brother, these are our friends" and just like that smiles appeared as if nothing has happened. The main reason for their agression is that Hawaiians don't like Haoles (white people from the mainland States). Contradictions: One guy told us how a fight is just to see who
is the better man and that once its over they both know and admit it. But in the next breath he tells us about a guy who beat him and now he is out to kill that fellow!
Reform schools. They were bragging about which ones they had been in and how theirs was the toughest one. Example of an intitiation ceremony at one place was to jump the new guy the first night while he was in bed. Cover him with a blanket and beat him.
If he can take it and doesn't go whining to the guards he is accepted in and has to beat the next guy in. |
