Alumanaya: A Tropical Story about Living with Tranquility
Alumanaya: A Tropical Story about Living with Tranquility by Steve Ludwigs is the story of Rumbi, a young island boy, being taught the principles of the island way of life by Makena, the village’s Kamua, or healer. Makena is also Rumbi’s grandmother or Nanua.
Through Makena’s teaching Rumbi learns the basics of living in harmony with life through applying the five island principles of ocean; wind; sand; palm tree and light. Rumbi learns how each of these five principles can be applied in life to help him and to face difficulties when the need arises.
Young Rumbi dreams of being a great fisherman among his island people. Rumbi lives with his great-aunt, or Anate and awakens one day full of rambunctious energy, after spending some time with the village artist and the village musician Rumbi goes to Lookout Rock to decide what to do with the rest of his day. While he stares out at the ocean from Lookout Rock Rumbi decides it is now time for him to become a fisherman. He wants to surprise his grandmother and his aunt with his great skill so he tells no one of his plans. He takes a small outrigger from the village and trying to remember what learned about using a canoe; he sets out on his adventure.
Along the way many trials and storms come Rumbi’s way. When faced with difficulties he must find his own inner resources and strengths in order to face them. He must help not only himself, but others he meets along the way. Will Rumbi ever find his way safely back to his village?
Ludwigs shows remarkable story-telling skills in Alumanaya: A Tropical Story about Living with Tranquility. Time and time again he builds the readers’ interest and anticipation until you find yourself genuinely interested in Rumbi’s adventures as well as learning to use the underlying foundation of the five life principles being artfully demonstrated. I was deeply interested in Rumbi’s plight, and his resiliency throughout the story. I found it was a wonderful way to teach the basics of the five principles without making it seem as though the reader was being “taught” at all. There was no pressure to change, to take in an overwhelming abundance of information or any of the other aspects that so often go along with “self help” books.
What follows is an excerpt from Alumanaya: A Tropical Story about Living with Tranquility:
“Rumbi had been in a canoe only a few other times. Always with Nanua or Anate. They had never gone out very far, always staying within the harbor where the water was calm. Occasionally, they had let Rumbi paddle. His little arms would try to pull the big, carved stick through the water, but the canoe would barely move. They had always instructed him on the proper way to hold the paddle and encouraged him to keep trying. They knew that someday he would be much stronger and would be expected to contribute to the fishing like the other villagers.
Rumbi tried to remember those lessons now as he dipped the paddle into the water and pulled hard. The canoe barely moved. What’s wrong? he thought doesn’t this thing work? He looked over the side and noticed the flat part of the paddle was turned the wrong way. Twisting it around a little, he tried again. This time the canoe moved forward.
“Here we go!” Rumbi shouted as they were off through the waves. We’re going to catch the biggest fish Nanua has ever seen!”
Alumanaya: A Tropical Story about Living with Tranquility by Steve Ludwigs copyright 2005 by Steven M. Ludwigs published and distributed in the U. S. by Palm Canyon Wellness Group, LLC, P.O. Box 64, Cotteville, Missouri 63380 ISBN 0-9767112-0-6 $12.95 plus shipping and handling, available online from http://www.alumanaya.com/Alumanaya/Books.html
Leave a Reply