Along the way, road work at Ninole slowed everything to a stop. I was not happy. I had actually been ahead of schedule until all the cars in front of me were held up. I was doomed. I didn't know if Ookala still had a post office. The last time I'd been there in the 1990s, it was a side shop attached to an ancient, dusty and unused grocery store. Classic. Everything in the store was covered in dirt and dust. A calendar was left there on the wall with a 1980s year.
Finally, traffic resumed and I raced to Ookala. The post office wasn't even on Google Maps. I turned down into the area, eyes searching for anything resembling that old country store. I kept going until I hit a dead end. Nothing. It was 10:40, well past the post office's hours. I turned around and saw a few renovated wooden buildings, painted green, and a small parking lot. I turned in, pretty much having exhausted the options.
Then I saw it. Or them. Two elderly gentlemen chatting. A dog licking at one of their feet. A woman inside the building. It was the new Ookala Post Office. I was jacked up instantly. It was past closing time, yet she was still working. I parked and fast-walked up the steps of this building. It was different from before, but there was an old sign: OOKALA POST OFFICE.
She kindly postmarked my letter and book. She explained she had been there just one month. But I'd heard that without her, this post office would not exist anymore. Ookala was one of many sugar towns from the old days, and now it's a sleepy, very green town of retirees, mostly. One of the best basketball players in Hawaii history, Brandon Cablay of Konawaena, has roots here. Later, I heard that Ookala actually had a basketball gym.
I made friends with the dog, who was both cuddly and ornery. Ornery if you ignored him and wouldn't pet him, so I gave in. Bless this lady who runs the Ookala Post Office. Though I heard around the island that this PO is on its last legs, she was busy and had plenty of mail to transport.
Now it was time to track back down towards Hakalau through the road stoppage by Ninole. I had to get to Ninole Post Office first. That one closes at 11 a.m., and again, the change in schedule meant I was way behind schedule. But again, I refused to give up.
As I pulled out of the parking lot, I took a pic of the area where the old country store and old post office used to be. It's completely plain green grass now. When I was here two decades ago, it was so quiet than the lady in the post office leaped up in shock when I knocked. Her magazine went flying in the air. Back then, they closed at 11:45 a.m. I knew this PO was on its last legs back then, but seeing it still alive now is amazing. Long Live Ookala Post Office.
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