Interesting Islanders
Introducing Heli Silva

The first time I set eyes on Pahoa resident Heli Silva was on a narrow strip
of tarmac at the Kahului Airport on Maui.
It was an unforgettable moment.
Talk about a humdrum afternoon. The entire plane was full, except for one
vacant seat. It was hot and the sweat was beginning to pour when the flight
attendant announced the last passenger needing to board was slightly delayed
on a connection from Kona.
All eyes gazed forward to the door, waiting for this mystery person to
appear. Many had a list of appointments and responsibilities waiting for
them in Hilo.
The pressures and demands of life quickly melted away, however, when
32-year-old Heli bounded up the stairs and into the plane. There she stood,
smiling, blowing kisses and wishing many of the captives in their seats warm
aloha greetings.
Her presence electrified the cabin, spreading smiles and greetings to the
travel weary crowd.
I heard a collective sigh of relief.
This was, after all, Hawaii. The culture, so endearing to the island, came
alive through Heli. It took bodily form as it stood, breathed, then spoke
without words, ? No worries, no hurries, no hassles.?
Heli?s aloha spirit soared with the plane, reaching new heights as the craft
made its way higher and higher into the clouds.
As the twin engine prop plane leveled off, Heli made her way forward to sit
closer to a cousin on the flight, and the two began conversing in fluent
Hawaiian. The melody of the language soothed and relaxed those who listened.
When they were pau, Heli began to meander, once again, to her seat in the
back of the plane. It seemed only natural to stop her and talk story.
Come to find out she often commutes to work via the air from Hilo to Kona to
work as a full-time customer service representative for Island Air.
This happened to be Heli?s eighth consecutive day in a row to make the trip
from Hilo to Maui to Kona and back again in order to do her job.. That was
32 takeoffs and 32 landings plus a ton of sky miles to cheerfully serve
hundreds of malihini and kaamaina each day.
?I love to represent Island Air,? Heli said with a big smile. ?I love my
work. I love to work with tourists and teach them about Hawaiian culture. I
love everything about it. I enjoy what I do. I?m proud to be a part of it.?
And, it?s a sure bet no one was dissatisfied with the service they received
from Heli. After all, Hawaii is more than a word or place to this Molokai
native. It is Heli?s frame of mind. Her identity. Her very being.
My slogan is ?Just simply Hawaiian,?? she said. ?It?s that simple.?
Heli said she learned the important life lessons to live life to the fullest
and to never take it for granted from her mom, Hattie, and other close-knit
family members.
?I was taught very well,? she said. ?To always cherish each day, and our
ohana.?
The flight was over too quickly. There was so much more to ask. However,
when the plane landed, Heli hit the ground running. On this particular
evening, she had an engagement to sing at a benefit dinner. It turns out
Heli is multi-talented. She is an award-winning Hawaiian falsetto with a
voice equally matching her beautiful spirit. She spends many hours a week
entertaining people all over the Hawaiian Islands with music from her
acclaimed CD ?Ka?ohana Ali?i,? meaning ?The Working of the Royal Family.?
When each working day is over, Heli counts it a privilege to return home to
Pahoa, where this very busy wahine lives in a hale of rest and refuge.
?I live in a beautiful place,? she said. ?I love the lushness that surrounds
me, and the people here are very beautiful. They are very kind.?
In that case, Heli fits right in with a life truly exemplifying all that is
simply aloha in East Hawaii. Mahalo Nui Loa.