On
a sticky, Saturday evening, about 20 people, many of them strangers, gather at
Glen Grant’s The Haunt, a café and bookstore in Mö’ili’ili. Someone shuts off
the lights. Lopaka Kapanui, a Hawaiian man holding a flashlight, asks everyone
to form a circle around him. Kapanui is about to lead them on a four-and-a-half-hour
journey through some of O’ahu’s most haunted sites. Most of the spectators who
signed up for the Ghosthunters Bus Tour will hear chicken-skin tales-some familiar,
others brand-new-at the places where they supposedly happened. There are the spirits
of children who hide in trees at the Mänoa Chinese Cemetery, the faceless woman
who inhabits Kähala Mall and the man who hung himself at Morgan’s Corner. Grant-a
local historian and author of Obake books-started these “Chicken Skin” ghost tours
in 1974. “Glen
was just so talented, so brilliant, and he used all he had,” says Jill Staas,
Grant’s former business partner. “He could write, he could tell a story, he was
mesmerizing and he was open and giving with all of his talents.” When Grant
died last year, Hawai’i lost one of its greatest storytellers. But it didn’t lose
the precious tales he had collected over the years. His stories live on through
Kapanui, who Grant hired in 1997 to lead the bus tour. “One day, Jill and
I were sitting in his office, looking around and really missing him,” Kapanui
says. “Finally, Jill says, ‘Well, Lopaka, it’s all on you now. You gotta carry
on and do all of Glen’s tours.’ I said, ‘I can’t do Glen’s tours. The shoes are
too big to fill.’ She said, ‘If you don’t do them, then who will?'” Kapanui
conceded, but he took it slow, at first. For about a year, he continued hosting
the Ghosthunters Bus Tour. In August, he resurrected Grant’s monthly “Mysteries
of Mö’ili’ili” walking tour and plans to add more tours within the next few months.
While Kapanui shares his mentor’s uncanny timing in telling stories, their
styles differ. Kapanui incorporates his Hawaiian cultural beliefs into the tours,
offering chants or prayers at most sites along the way. “My style is to
approach everything with respect and reverence,” Kapanui says. “I make it a point
to bring in the cultural aspect, as well as parapsychology and historical perspective.”
These days, it’s Kapanui who strangers approach with ghost stories. Like
Grant, Kapanui doesn’t mind. He even includes some of them in the tours. “Glen
always told me, ‘The story’s the thing,'” Kapanui says. “A lot of times,
the story ends up telling itself. It’s almost like I’m just a vehicle.” Glen
Grant’s The Haunt 2634
S. King St.,
Honolulu, HI 96826
943-0371 •Ghosthunters
Bus Tour, Saturdays, 6:30 to 11 p.m. •The
Mysteries of Mo-‘ili‘ili walking tour, last Friday of every month, 7
to 11 p.m.
Call for reservations |
OCTOBER
HEADS UP! Grab
the broccoli and leave the cows alone. It’s World Vegetarian Day on Oct.
1. Make a toast
with German beer. From Oct. 5 to 10, celebrate Oktoberfest at the Ala Moana Hotel
during its Bavarian festival, with drinks and dancing. Call 955-4811 for more
info. It’s
Columbus Day on Oct. 11, a holiday for federal workers. If you don’t work
for the federal government, cheer up! It’s Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day,
too. National
Boss’ Day will be celebrated on Oct. 15 this year, since Oct. 16 is a Saturday,
which is also the Sweetest Day. Give
back to your community on Oct. 23 in celebration of Make a Difference Day. For
a listing of registered projects in your area, visit www.usaweekend.com/diffday. Halloween
falls on Sunday this year, but don’t let that stop you from trick-or-treating
until the witching hour. For those brave enough to fight the crowds, Waikïkï
and Lahaina ,
Maui, are the places to go. Daylight Saving Time also ends on
Oct. 31. October
is also Lupus Awareness Month, Pastor Appreciation Month and National Pizza Month.
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