Jewel of the Pacific (46 page)

“Within the next few days,” she promised, she would proclaim the new Constitution
they
so desired.

The Constitution of Liliuokalani never materialized. Instead, “the next few days” saw the landing of American military from the U.S.S.
Boston.
Coolly and deliberately she resigned from the throne and returned with a guard of twenty to her home, Washington Place. As one of its first acts, the new provisional government annulled the lottery and opium bills.

While the new provisional government under Sanford Dole governed Hawaii as a republic, Liliuokalani and her dedicated followers planned a revolution of their own.

A shipload of rifles were smuggled to Diamond Head. Native Hawaiians,
hapa-haoles
and haoles alike, created a small army to overthrow the government and arrest Sanford Dole.

The rebellion, the many guns brought in, even bombs to be set off in Honolulu, were all foiled by the stronger forces of the provisional government. After years of anger, frustration, and bitterness, the destiny of the Hawaiian Islands was settled in peace.

The long-awaited ceremonies and celebration came on August 12, 1898, when Hawaii was formally annexed by the United States. Two years later it became an official U.S. territory.

Rafe and Eden, with their sons Kip and Rory Easton watched the raising of the Red, White, and Blue over the government building. The Hawaiian Islands were now a territory of the United States.

Keno and Candace with their daughter Dianna and another baby on the way—sure to be a “lad,” Keno insisted—stood with them, as did Zachary and Claudia Derrington with their son, Bradley.

Silas Derrington, recently married to Claudia’s cousin, Margaret, stood on the walkway near the
Gazette.
Great-aunt Nora came out of her office, as sprightly as ever, to behold the political spectacle, shake her head, and return to her desk.

“A lot of noise and silly firecrackers,” she murmured. “They should outlaw those noisy things.”

Grandfather Ainsworth stood as straight as his now stooping shoulders would permit. He had recently buried a son at sea. After the rebellion of 1895, led by Samuel Nowlein for Liliuokalani, a body was discovered on Diamond Head—the man had slipped, while smuggling rifles among the rocks, and fallen to his death. It was Townsend.

Now Ainsworth had tears in his eyes as he stared at the American flag with Pastor Ambrose standing beside him.

“The earliest missionaries would be proud and pleased,” Ambrose commented. “We knew it had to be America—otherwise it almost certainly would have been Japan, Russia, or England.”

“Quite so.” Jerome nodded his graying head. “The scare over that Japanese warship intimidating Hawaii some time back was enough to convince me these Islands needed some strong U.S. backing.”

“I’m assured of that,” Ambrose added soberly. He stood with Noelani who, like others with
hapa
-haole ethnicity, was somewhat undecided on the annexation.

“It is done,” she had said. “I accept it. I think it will be better for all of us in the future.”

Celestine, now a widow, stood beside Parker Judson. He was a happy man today, and not only politically. Bernice had married Oliver Hunnewell in San Francisco, and Celestine had told him just this morning that she would marry him in a year. Rafe approved, so did Ambrose, now that Parker was attending church every Sunday and coming to the men’s Bible study taught by Rafe and Keno on alternate weeks.

As they stood on the balcony of what had once been Iolani Palace, Eden smiled at Rafe, her green eyes reflecting happiness. She was expecting their second child and told him she knew it would be a girl this time. She had already chosen her name, Allison.

Rory pulled at Rafe’s sleeve and pointed to the flag. “Look Daddy, look.”

He was, as Eden suggested, so much like his father that she was sure he would be another Rafe Easton. Kip’s personality was nothing like Townsend’s. He was calm, intelligent, and liked to study books about the solar system.

“Not me,” Rory would say. “I’m gonna be a big planter like Daddy. I like sea and ships, too, like Daddy.”

The sea
, Rafe thought,
and ships
.

For years he had been certain that someday people of these Islands would be thankful that they were under the strong protection of the United States military. He looked thoughtfully toward the old Pearl River, now Pearl Harbor, and envisioned American naval ships at anchor in its calm Pacific waters.

I am satisfied. I worked steadfastly for annexation. No decision is perfect, but becoming a territory of the U.S. is the better destiny
.

As Rory kept tugging and pointing, the flag seemed to tell Rafe that this grand old flag of freedom would fly there for many years to come. The tropical wind carried both shouts of joy, and some quiet tears, as all the Hawaiians joined to face whatever the future would hold.

Eden laughed at Rory. Rafe had lifted him up to see the parade of American flags. Rory clutched Rafe’s neck with both little arms, but still pointed to the bigger flag waving in the breeze.

Thank You, Lord
, she prayed.
Thank You
.

The waves lap dangerously close to the abandoned baby—abandoned by the Molokai leper colony of the late 1800s.

That baby will be at the center of an alternately tense and bittersweet romantic struggle between Eden Derrington and Rafe Easton. Eden and Rafe are in love, but Baby Kip may very well endanger their future together.

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