Huia Short Stories 11 (6 page)

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.

‘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 kÄ« pēnei: “Hei pēpi, kei te hiakai tō poti mahana ki taku kurÄ« 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 hÄ«ti tapu, he hÄ«ti 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!

‘E tā! Nō hea aua pounamu?'

‘Ō, nō te pā rā.'

‘Whākana tāhae. Ka rawe hoki ina taka anō koe ki te hē!'

‘Nāu taku āpirana i koha atu ki Te Kāi Tahu rā. Koia hei utu.'

‘Tautoko! Whū! Ira ngā wīra rā me ērā putiputi! KIA ORA PUTIPUTI KANEIHANA!'

‘Whā! Kōrua kōrua, kāore he whakaaro tō runga ake i tō tarau. Ka aroha kē!'

‘
Bro
, kāti te patupatu i ō māua taringa. He tāne te tāne, pau ana te whitu hekona kua toko ake he whakaaro tōkai.'

‘He kōrero kiko kore tērā,
Bro
. Korekore rawa te nuinga o ngā tāne e pērā.'

‘E kāo, nei noa tāku mā te tāne: he rangi kore ai, he rangi kore pai.'

Pakē! Pakē!

‘Tekau mā rua marama koe ki tāwāhi …'

‘Āe rā, kei te hīkoi koe i tā te arewhana hīkoi.'

‘Me ō pōro arewhana, Tautau Raho!'

‘Mā ngā raho arewhana ka tū te ure nui. Tihei!'

‘Mahara ake kua kahurangi ō pōro i te korenga nōu e whiwhi.'

‘Tika tonu.'

‘E hoa mā, ki te tika ake tā kōrua kōrero kātahi pea ka whiwhi.'

‘Haukei, he aha kē tāu, Romeo, mō te hī ake i te taraute?'

‘He nui ngā kīanga tūturu mō te wahine ātaahua.'

‘Karawhiua, Rurutao.'

‘Eee, Ko Hinetītama koe, matawai ana ngā whatu i te tirohanga atu.'

‘He aha tērā?'

‘He kōrero mō tētehi wahine ātaahua ānō nei ko te tamāhine pūrotu a Hineahuone.'

‘He mea ako tērā ki Te Wā?'

‘Āe. tino Māori, nē hā?'

‘Āe. Pai ake tēnei – e hine, kua taka koe i te rangi. He anahera koe!'

‘Tēnā kimikimi tēnā.'

‘He aha atu anō ngā mea tūturu nei?'

‘Eeee, pēhea tēnei. Tēnā koe, etia nei ko Kōpū e rewa nei i te pae.'

‘Pai te tangi – he aha te tikanga?'