Elizabeth Hata Watanabe | The Road Back…Long, Difficult, but Well Worth it, With Help from the Kindness of Strangers!
At the beginning of a lush Valley, there’s an eatery on Pauoa Road that is tucked into an unassuming building. In fact, you might miss it, if you didn’t know where you were going. Burgers and Things has no big, flashy sign boasting the delicious treats that are concocted from within. But, as you get closer, the aroma of a braised, not grilled, burger will lead you right to the front door. Once inside, three waitresses sporting their “Burger Hero” T-shirts buzz around, attending to a few late-lunch customers. One of those waitresses is 41-year-old Kathleen Waikiki, a transplant from Maui. She greets everyone with a smile. And, after hearing her story, you might wonder HOW she manages to smile at all! She does so, because she now has hope – hope for a future not marred by drugs, or relationships with men measured by the number of bruises on her lean body. “I thought if they didn’t hit me, it wasn’t okay.” She expected to be hit! “ Growing up, I saw my parents fight a lo...