Have you heard of the Laie Lady?
She’s that restless soul who roams Laie town in search of her husband and son. Recognized by a flowing white gown and long disheveled hair that hides her face, the Laie Lady remains a mystery to all she encounters. People say she’s the spirit of a young girl named Nalani, who lived here years ago; now she’s back, but no one knows why.
We managed to dig up some info on the Laie Lady. Read on to hear her story.
Born on the west side of Oahu hundreds of years ago, Nalani soon learned the ways of her culture. She weaved with lauhala and harvested kalo from the loi. Nalani grew into a beautiful teen, and against the wishes of her family, married a young sailor visiting the island. They ran away together only to be hunted down by her brothers, who beat her husband to death.
As her husband lay dying, Nalani shared what was supposed to be joyous news for any newly-wed couple; she was pregnant. But as the words slipped from her mouth, so did her husband from life.
Several months later, Nalani gave birth to a handsome baby boy. He was a constant reminder of what she had lost to the unstoppable hands of her brothers. Along with that, she lost her willingness to live; Nalani became more and more of a recluse. Her eyes and ears only focused on her son.
Until one horrible night, when her son went missing. She frantically searched the forest and river banks until she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of her son’s toy next to the coconut tree that marks her husband’s grave. Her son was never found.
For some time after, she was seen roaming the river banks, calling out desperately to her family. But just like her son, she eventually went missing. Some say she wandered into the forests, while others believe she drowned in the ocean. Her spirit, however, still remains wandering Laie with a vengeance.
The coconut tree continues to grow alongside the river, which is now the lagoon of the Polynesian Cultural Center; except, it has grown as mangled and twisted as Nalani had become in her mind. The Kapakahi Tree, as it’s been named, is a constant reminder of Nalani’s losses; it’s perhaps the only hint we have as to what the Lady in White seeks on her return to Laie.
HAUNTED LAGOON • Meet the Laie Lady at this haunted canoe ride • Polynesian Cultural Center, 55-370 Kamehameha Hwy, Laie, HI 96762 • www.hauntedlagoon.com
