Huia Short Stories 11 Read online

  ‘Why did you do that, No’o?’ repeated another.

  ‘Yes. Why son? Did your father put you up to it?’ asked Aro’a.

  Eventually he managed an answer.

  ‘I want to be like Taiki,’ he spluttered.

  ‘Nice role model,’ said an elder. The sarcasm went over No’o’s head.

  As if on cue, Taiki arrived to join the small crowd. A small gap opened up allowing him to see who it was. His face lit up in surprise.

  ‘No’o! That was incredible. We were a lot older than you when we could do that. Who put you up to it?’

  ‘No one.’

  ‘Then why did you do it? It’s very dangerous,’ Taiki asked, looking around the circle. Everyone waited with baited breath.

  ‘I just wanted to get strong,’ he said.

  ‘Well, be proud of yourself! My father used to say a strong body is a strong mind and a strong mind is a strong body!’

  Taiki gave No’o a squeeze on the arm.

  ‘Wow, you are strong too.’

  With a smile he patted No’o on the head and went to join Haani, oblivious to how his praise would influence No’o from this day forward.

  Haani stopped weaving when Taiki arrived, getting up to greet him with a kiss.

  ‘Did you see what happened?’ he said.

  Haani nodded. ‘I think it might be my fault. It won’t be the last time we see feats like that! Anyway, how was it over there?’ she said, leaning her head towards the wharenui. ‘Still too much chatter?’

  ‘Let’s go somewhere more private. It might take a while.’

  Today Taiki didn’t take Haani to their usual spot. There was still a crowd gathered around No’o near the lagoon. Instead, he led her to the ocean side of the island, away from prying eyes and big ears. Soon they’d reached another favourite spot, with a wide unhindered view of the outer lagoon, the reef at its edge and the wide open sea beyond. They sat down with their backs against a log, looking out across Moana-roa. Haani could see there was a lot on his mind so told him to just begin where he wanted.

  ‘I’m certain Arepuni and Ave are calling us to come. They found this land called Avaiki-tautau, exactly where Ave said they would, but it’s so incredible, it’s almost too good to be true. I’ve told you about the size of the island, the endless bush, the three huge mountains in a line in the middle, and another near the coast, but you should see the birds. They are huge and deafening. Lots of them don’t even fly, they walk around. Some are as big as men, even bigger! The oceans are full of fish and whales. There are lakes and huge waterfalls, and enormous rivers full of fish and crayfish. There are bubbling pools of hot water, and fountains of water bursting from the earth.’

  A smile spread across Haani’s face as she tried to imagine mountains. She loved hearing the descriptions from people who had been to Aitutaki or Tumu-te-varovaro, but these were nothing compared to what she was now hearing. In reality, though, the geography didn’t interest her at all.

  ‘What about the crew?’

  ‘They are standing on the shore waving. There is a small child with them holding on to the legs of the woman. I think it is a girl, about five years old.’

  ‘There were twelve in their crew. In your dream?’

  ‘Just nine. One is a woman, and one is a child. I can’t see any faces.They’re blurry.’

  ‘Is it possible they’re still alive now? It was twenty years ago.’ asked Haani.

  ‘They would’ve returned. Even if the waka taurua was destroyed, they would’ve rebuilt one by now. Surely?’

  Taiki looked contemplatively at Haani, before looking out to sea. She’d known him long enough to hear the internal dialogue going on in his head. Intuitively she knew his intentions.

  ‘I know,’ she said.

  ‘You do?’

  ‘Yes!’ she said. ‘Of course you must go. Our people have been calling you for twenty years. It’s taken a long time for you to hear it, though.’

  ‘But I may not come back. What if–’

  Haani cut him off.

  ‘Have no fear, Taiki. You were trained as a navigator, and it was the job you were destined to do before you became chief. It’s your destiny. But there is another reason. I believe Avaiki-tautau is a new home for our people. She is calling us and we must go, sooner or later.’

  Taiki knew she was right and felt it in his heart. ‘Then I have to begin preparing.’

  ‘Not you. We!’

  ‘What do you mean, we?’ he asked.

  ‘You feel compelled to go because of your sense of duty to our people and because you held the truth from them. Well, I’ve known everything for as long as you have. I am also responsible. I’m not letting you go without me. Tonight we will stand before our people together and ask for volunteers to come with us.’

  ‘No, Haani. We will be sailing far beyond Tumu-te-varovaro. We will be heading into the unknown. I’ve never sailed further. It’s far too dangerous.’

  Haani smiled gently and took his hand, clasping it between her own. Her mind was made up and any attempt to say no was pointless. They were connected, soul to soul. She knew he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her behind, either.

  ‘I am blessed to have such a wonderful wife!’

  ‘And I am blessed to have a chief and husband in one.’

  They leaned together and embraced for what seemed like eternity. They didn’t cry, they just hugged. There was no reason yet to be sad.

  ‘We should go back to the village now,’ Taiki said eventually. ‘We’ll call a meeting this evening after eating and make sure everyone knows they should attend.’

  ‘Before we go, there are two other things you need to know,’ said Haani.

  ‘What’s that?’ he asked.

  ‘Ave came to me in my dreams last night and said we must take a second navigator. The crew never came back because they couldn’t. Ave died.’

  It was terrible news, but Taiki saw a glimmer of hope.

  ‘Then they’re still alive. Let’s go to the marae and find out if we can garner support.’

  ‘Soon. There is a second thing I want to tell you about. It’s about the woman standing on a beach with a child burying its face in her legs. She gave me a warning.’

  ‘What warning?’

  ‘She said beware of the unborn child.’

  ‘Is it about Inewehi and her child?’ he asked, but it was obvious. With guilt surging through his body he helped Haani to her feet. Together they walked back to the marae. It was time to face the people once again.

  Taku Ao, Tō Mate Kanehe

  Darryn Joseph

  ‘Tērā tētahi kuia,

  tōna tara, tōna ringa kua tuia.

  I te rārangi roa,

  ka hari, ka koa,

  Harirū, harirū,

  HARERUIA!’

  ‘Hehehe!’

  ‘Tumeke, Bro!’

  ‘Mauri ora!’

  Pakē! Pakē! Pakē!

  ‘Whā! Hātekēhi e hoa. Nā wai hoki tērā?’

  ‘Nā.’

  ‘Arā ngā haunga e uru mai ana.’

  ‘Ooo, onionitia tēnei …’

  ‘Hoihoi kōrua! Kei rangona.’

  ‘Fuck you’re a soft cunt!’

  ‘Tō reo! Kia reo rangatira!’

  ‘Kia mārō ake koe, Bro.’

  ‘Purari heahea! Kāore kōrua i Waiouru ināianei.’

  ‘Kia ahatia? Kāore e mārama ana ki tā tātou.’

  ‘Puta noa i te ao, Bro, mōhiotia paitia te putē o ngā karu tāne. Heahea!’

  ‘Heahea? E tā! Nāu te kī. Ko koe tēnā i ia Paraire, i ia Paraire, patipati wahine ai?’

  ‘Āe, patipati ai. Mauri ora.’

  Pakō! Pakō!

  ‘E kōrua, kīia atu rā. He rerekē tāku i mahi ai i tā kōrua.’

  ‘He aha tēnā, Romeo? Tō ure rongonui!’

  ‘Kāore au i te whakaiti ā-kupu pērā i a kōrua. Ehara te wahine i te pēpi, i te kai, i te kararehe.’

  ‘Āna, kaua e kī p
ēnei: “Hei pēpi, kei te hiakai tō poti mahana ki taku kurī wera.”’

  ‘Whā, kōrua!’

  ‘Āe, āe. Ehara te ure i te rākau ā-Tū. Koia tō wānanga hauora tāne.’

  ‘Āe, Bro. Ehara a Tame Ngarengare i te patu, i te taiaha, i te koikoi. Kua rongo, kua rongo.’

  ‘Kua rongo, engari he aha koe tē whakarongo ai?’

  ‘Tē taea te pēwhea, Chief. He patu aroha tōku. Ka nui te patu, ka nui te aroha.’

  ‘Anā, kore whakarongo.’

  ‘Mmm, te mate kē, he kurī tūturu koe. Kua kitea koe e hongihongi ana ki ngā wāhi me kaua rā e hongihongi.’

  Pakī! Pakī!

  ‘Eo! E koe nā! Ko tō mate, he kimi i te wahine urutapu kia moe tūturu i runga i te takapau whāriki. Tērā moemoeā tērā!’

  ‘I tēnei pāpara kāuta? E hika! Me uaua ka kite!’

  ‘Tirohia ērā puke!’

  ‘E ueue mai ana …’

  ‘Ko te tūmau pāpara. Turituri!’

  ‘Can I get you soldier boys something else? Some food?’

  ‘Āna, he tara te kai.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘Excuse my dick of a mate he’s got no manners.’

  ‘Pono, kāore āku tikanga pai. Engari taku taiaha nui.’

  ‘He’d like a large bowl of green lipped mussels and fries thanks.’

  ‘What kind was that?’

  ‘He kūtai mākūkū, mutunga kē mai o te kakara …’

  ‘Green curry thanks. They’ll have two more beers.’

  ‘And yourself, kind sir?’

  ‘Just a Red Bull. I’m the designated driver.’

  ‘Hehe, ko koe hoki te taraiwa reo Pākehā i te pō nei.’

  ‘Thanks a lot. I’ll try to tone them down.’

  ‘Āe, ko te tone ki raro.’

  ‘Yeah. Good luck with that.’

  ‘Kei te hiahiatia koe e tērā, Bro. Ooo, tirohia tana whero. Kei korā katoa.’

  ‘Me wepu koe i te tou o tērā, Bro. Mā mua, mā muri e oti pai ai. Mmmm.’

  ‘He tara te kai!’

  ‘Fuck Bro, he tītoi koe!’

  ‘E hē, kāore anō au kia tītoi i te rangi nei. I waiho mō te whiwhinga i te pō nei.’

  Tekē! Tekē!

  ‘Bro, hoihoi tahi! Kua nui rawa tērā kōrero mā aku taringa.’

  ‘E hoa mā, taku hiakai e kore e ngata. Tekau mā rua marama i roto i te koraha e kai ana i te puehu Awhēketāna. Pokokōhua, Bro! Ki te kore e waimarie i konei kia hoake ki Mermaids. Kua noho au hei minita mō te e hia nei marama.’

  ‘Mō te mermaid rā i ngata taku hiahia i taku hokinga mai mā Piripani.’

  ‘Ooo, whākina, whākina. Kaua e kaiponu, Bro!’

  ‘Ha ha, e kore kōrua e whakapono mai.’

  ‘Ets! Mā te āta kōrero ka āta whakapono …’

  ‘Ā tēnā. Taku hokitanga mai, ka tupu te whakaaro me peka ki te whānau ki Ahitereria …’

  ‘Whānau tahi, Whānau rua, Whānau toru, Bro.’

  Tingi. Tingi.

  ‘Āe, kia kite i te whānau heoi anō mō te paku okioki ki tātahi te take …’

  ‘Eo, tika tonu ki te mahi …’

  ‘Pai te horopaki. Ka ahatia? Whakakorowaitia tō kōrero ki te horopaki.’

  ‘Nā, mutu ana te noho ā-whānau i omaoma au ki Mermaid Beach, tata ki Surfers …’

  ‘Ooo, ngā wāhine o te GC. Kei whea mai. Tirini G. Kore huru C. Kua tata kore kākahu. Ko ngā mea o konei kei te mau teneti kē ki tātahi.’

  ‘Eo, kei te hia whakarongo?’

  ‘Āe, āe. Haere tonu. I reira au.’

  ‘Nā, i a au e oma ana ka kitea tētehi kaioma e whakatata mai ana. He wahine kakama. Tau omaoma, tau tinana. Ka tū au, ka whārōrō waewae, kātahi ka tū hoki ia.’

  ‘He aha? I pai ia ki ō pū tāmoko?’

  ‘Āta koia. He pai ia ki ngā Māori. Nō Wīwī a ia. He mōhio hoki nōna ki Te Hokowhitu-a-Tū i āwhina i te Pakanga Tua …’

  ‘Te mea, te mea, Bro. Kātahi ka aha?’

  ‘I aitia ki raro i te wāpu i te one tonu.’

  ‘Kāore!’

  ‘Āna, kāore, tiri paka! I haere māua ki te kapu kāwhe, ki te tina hoki. Rawe tā māua kōrero. He hōia tōna pāpā. Mōhio pū ia ki ngā tama a Ngāti Tūmatauenga.’

  ‘Oo! He kōrero? Kōrero! Kāore au e hiahia mōhio i rawe te kōrero.’

  ‘Āhaha!’

  ‘He aha rā?’

  ‘Kātahi ka ekeeke māua mō te toru rangi ki tōna hōtēra.’

  ‘Rūkahu!’

  ‘Pono, Bro. Kei whea mai te wahine Wīwī rā. Oui oui oui! Takiri takiri takiri!

  ‘HARERUIA!!’

  ‘Tokomauri!’

  Pakē! Pakē! Pakē!

  ‘Pono mārika?’

  ‘Āna. Tirohia tēnei selfie ki Sea World. Ko māua me ngā aihe.’

  ‘Tumeke, Bro. Tau tonu te wahine nā.’

  ‘Pai kē atu te hōtēra. Kāore i ngaua te tou e te pāpaka.’

  ‘Mmm.’

  ‘He aha?’

  ‘Tētahi mea kē.’

  ‘He aha? He mea Wīwī?’

  ‘He rerekē te tikanga.’

  ‘He aha? Kōrero!’

  ‘I matimatihia te tou …’

  ‘Ka rawe. Pai tonu kia patopato i te kūaha o muri.’

  ‘Ā, kāore …’

  ‘Ei?’

  ‘Kāo …’

  ‘Āe, Bro …’

  ‘He aha …?’

  ‘Wē!! Nāna tō tou …’

  ‘Ehara!’

  ‘Ehara ehara!’

  ‘E koe nā!’

  ‘Homai tō waea. Ehara rawa ia i te hine rākau. Tirohia tana kakī.’

  ‘Hei, he pērā taku karangatahi. Whānau ka tahi …’

  ‘Ē, tēnā tēnā. I pēhea rā tō mirimiri?’

  ‘I ea. Kāore kōrua i te mōhio kei reira te wāhi ihi rangaranga o te tāne.’

  ‘Fuck you, Bro. Engari mō tēnā. Kua rāhuitia taku rua kūmara. Ehara au i te taka …’

  ‘Ets! He rerekē tēnā i tēnā.’

  ‘Āe, ki taku koroua, “He hīti tapu, he hīti noa”.’

  ‘He aha tērā?’

  ‘Kia pēnei pea. He hīti tapu, koirā ngā hīti whakapapa kei ngā pukapuka. Waiho kia rāhuitia. Engari, he hīti noa, koirā ngā hīti moenga. Kāore ōna here.’

  ‘Āna. Kāore he tapu i raro i ngā paraikete.’

  ‘Engari taku pātai ake …’

  ‘Āe?’

  ‘I horoi ringaringa i mua i te mahinga kapu tī māu.’

  ‘Ha! I kai pihikete parāone?’

  Pakō! Pakō!

  ‘Eo! Poua ō kōrua koito!’

  ‘Haha! Kua poua kētia tōu!’

  Pakē! Pakē!

  ‘Taihoa, kei te hoki mai a Maunga-nui.’

  ‘Hey guys here’s your fries. And your mussels. Anything else?’

  ‘Ē, he parae mā taku tōtiti?’

  ‘Sorry?’

  Tekē! Tekē!

  ‘No thanks, we’re good. Cheers … He aha te take ka pērā atu, pokotiwha! Kei te mahi noa iho ia. Ka haramai ngā koretake …’

  ‘Kia tau, Bro. Tāna tē aro mai.’

  ‘Kei te ronga ā-wairua, Bro. Tiro mākutu, hiki tukemata, miti ngutu, katoa he tāmi wairua.’

  ‘Tērā, tērā kōrero me tō wānanga, Chief. Me i a au te kotahi tau hei wānanga i te ao Māori. Engari ko ētehi o tātou ka kaha kē te mahi.’

  ‘…’

  ‘He aha? E kōrua, he pō pai tēnei. Kia tau rā kōrua tahi. Kainga ēnei kūtai. Te mōmona! Te reka hoki o te kīnaki. He kirīmi.’

  ‘…’

  Eo, ō kōrua mata kawa! ā tēnā, ko Ngāti Tūmatauenga e ngunguru nei!’

  ‘AU AU AUĒ HĀ!’

  Tingi. Tingi. Tingi.

  ‘Oo, tika, Bro. Kei whea mai ēnei.’

  ‘Nō reira, kāore koe i te haere mai ki Mermaids?’

  ‘Kāo. Ko te rīki ā te pō nei.’

  ‘E koe!’

  ‘Mea ana koe nōku te pō
– ki Mermaids, Bro. I oati mai ka rangatira tēnei pō!’

  ‘E tā, kia utua te pire ka whai whakaaro.’

  ‘Nei tāku āpirana.’

  ‘E kāo. Māku e haute. Hoki ora mai koe ki Aotearoa.’

  Pakō! Pakē! Tekē!

  ‘Everything all right with the meal?’

  ‘Awesome, kia ora koe.’

  ‘Engari kāore he ipu nui rawa mō taku upoko.’

  ‘Yes sir, there wouldn’t be a big enough bowl for your fat head, nei?’

  ‘Ha?’

  ‘E kāo!’

  ‘Ummm, kōrero Māori ai koe?!’

  ‘Āe, boys. He arero Māori tōku.’

  ‘Whā!’

  ‘Āe. Nō Aoraki ēnei maunga.’

  ‘Taku kupu whakapāha, e te tuahine.’

  ‘Kai te pai. Ehara i a koe te hē. Nō te korira rā …’

  ‘Eei? He kōrero noa iho nei.’

  ‘Heoi, aroha mai …’

  ‘Kai te pai. Me mōhio te makimaki kai ōna rikarika te rokoā.’

  ‘Ha?’

  ‘Hehe! Tika tonu. Haha!’

  ‘Ee?’

  ‘Homai taua āpirana, Bro.’

  ‘Ā, āe …’

  ‘Nei noa rā tana mea whakapāha.’

  ‘Hei! Kāti rā …’

  ‘Tūreiti, Bro. Nōu rawa te hē, haramai rā …’

  ‘Whā. Me pēhea au e mōhio ai he uri ia nō Tahu Pōtiki. Purari Ngāti Urukehu.’

  ‘Ā, mō te urukehu. Hīkoi tātou ki Mermaids?’

  ‘Pēhea te kēmu?’

  ‘Hei te tekau mā tahi. Nui te tāima.’

  ‘Kua mana!’

  ‘Hei, rikarika – ringaringa. E mea ana taua wahine he kaitītoi ahau.’

  ‘Āe, tana whakatoi ki te tītoi.’

  ‘I te hiahia noa ia ki te hikahika i taku harore. Harore rangi tahi, harore pō tahi.’

  ‘Meneti tahi, Bro.’

  ‘E hoa e! Tō mate he kore whakaaro. Me mātua whakaaro i mua i te kōrerotanga atu.’

  ‘Āe, āe, ka pai, ka pai.’

  ‘Āe, Bro. He wā, he wāhi mō ngā mea katoa.’

  ‘Kia ora, kia ora, te hōhonu kē o tō kōrero!’

  ‘…’

  ‘Ā, tēnā. Nei noa tāku. He aha ngā rerenga ātaahua e hinga ai te wahine?’

  ‘Whā, nā wai rā i tika, kua kōtiti kē atu.’

  ‘Nei tāku wai, e hoa mā – E te paihikara, horoia tō ipu para! Pīki whara tō taiaha, he muramura ee!’

  ‘He muramura ee, he muramura ee! Pīki whara tō taiaha he muramura ee!’

  ‘Haha!’

  Pakō! Pakō!