Aia kekahi mea ʻaʻole maopopo iaʻu ka mea e make ai i kēlā me kēia ʻano mālie a me ka maluhia, mai kahi o ka lehulehu huhū. Ma kahi ʻano wao nahele, ma waena o nā cacti a me nā crickets, ola ʻo Elmer lāua ʻo Rose me kā lāua mau kaikamahine ʻelima. Kūleʻa ke ola i ka wikiwiki, hala ka mea maoli me ka cadence o ka manawa i hoʻopaʻa ʻia ma waena o nā ʻāina ʻole o kahi pā nui.
Ka hōʻea ʻana mai o kahi malihini nona ka inoa ʻo Rick, kahi malihini kipa nalo i hāʻawi ʻia i kahi e hoʻomaha ai a hoʻomaha, pau i ka lilo i wahi koʻikoʻi o ka haunaele i loko o ka ʻohana. Maliʻa paha ʻaʻole kipa wale kā Rikua huakaʻi ʻana me he mea lā, ua loaʻa paha i ke keiki kāna mea e ʻimi nei.
Ua hoihoi nā kaikamahine ʻelima i ka malihini, ʻoiai ko lāua mau mākua ʻo Elmer lāua ʻo Rose e hoʻomaka nei e ʻike i kekahi mea ʻē aʻe i alakaʻi iā Rick ma laila. He hoihoi ia pehea i kahi ākea, me ka lehulehu o nā hiki a mamao loa hoʻi, hoʻopili ke ola a hiki i ka manawa e hoʻoulu ai i kahi āpau.
No ka mea ke puka nei ka ʻoiaʻiʻo e like me ka wai ʻeleʻele mai kahi luawai i eli ʻia i kēlā ʻāina neoneo. No ka mea ʻoi aku ka nui ma mua o ka noho ʻana o ka ʻohana kūikawā ma ke kaʻawale. ʻO ka pilikia, ʻo nā kumu i alakaʻi iā lākou ma laila me he mea lā hūnā mau loa ʻia.
Ma ke ala like e hoʻomohala ai ʻo cacti i nā kākalaioa ma kahi o nā lau e hōʻalo ai i ka nalowale o ka wai, hoʻopili ka ʻohana me kēia ʻōnaehana pale. Hōʻike kēlā me kēia ʻano iā mākou i kahi ʻano ʻē kupaianaha i kekahi o nā hanana i ʻike ʻole ʻia e hōʻeuʻeu nei i kēlā ʻano mālie akā hewa.
En Betela puke Ka Hale o Cacti Ua ʻike mākou ʻaʻohe wahi e holo ai mai iā ʻoe iho, mai ka ʻoihana paʻa ʻole, mai ka makaʻu a mai nā hoʻoholo koʻikoʻi.
Hiki iā ʻoe ke kūʻai i kēia manawa i ka puke ʻo The House among the Cacti, ka moʻolelo hou a Paul Pen, ma aneʻi: