Teio

Mrs Christian became like one ghost for long time.

Whole island like a death place. Nobody leave the house at night. And nobody go near those gardens for months, just letting the bodies rot there, eaten by pigs, covered up by weeds and yam plants.

Until one day I heard Mrs Christian and Vahineatua got their husbands’ skulls hidden in the rafters, and Eti Young’s trying to take them away and bury them, Mrs Christian’s shutting him out her house where he’s becoming accustom to pass the time, and threatening to cut off his head too. She got Titriano’s long knife in her hand.

All these sorts of things going on.

And worse.

One time soon, killing the Maohi men too. Manari’i kill Temua and run away up the hills, go hiding with Wim and Matiu up there, never coming back alive. Then Titahiti, that dangerous rogue, and Niau, died one same night, that the work of Teraura and Eti. Better not remember that one time. Too much blood, too much shouting, better not look again those days. Aue.

Now only four men walking alive, and nine men ghosts, and those four alive more frightening than the dead ones, way they’re walking about with their guns and knives, way they’re quarrelling and disputing every little thing, and Matiu’s biting off Tevarua’s ear and Wim McCoy’s growing crazy, crazy in his own house, and Eti and Aleck too, roaming about the island, never know what corner they’ll come around, got one musket on their shoulder make your heart jump.

And Maimiti’s like one ghost too, never say anything. Got Eti Young going to her house every day, while Toofaiti gone to live in Eti’s house, and Teraura’s moved over to live at Matiu’s house, try to protect Tevarua from his fists.

Jenny’s the one try to take a lead. She wouldn’t go with any man after the killings, stayed in her own house and any man comes near she comes out with a musket. One day I come her house and she’s pulling it apart. She’s got tools from the forge and she swinging them full force at the walls, sweat’s running down her naked breasts, her hair’s loose, her arms and legs all streaked with mud and dirt. When she sees me she points another tool and says, ‘Help me Teio, I’m going to build a boat and get off this cursed place.’ She swings her tool again, smash the corner of the house, loosen another plank and start pulling it with her bare hands. ‘I won’t die here like the lowest of wretched dogs! Not Teehuteatuaonoa of Paea, I’ll build a boat and sail back to Tahitinui! Do you think I’m afraid of that ocean, do you Teio? Are you afraid of it? Will you die here and rot without ceremony rather than face the ocean? Better to die at the marae of our ancestors, better to drown, better to be swallowed by the sea monsters than live with these white-dog tyrants!’ She wrenched the plank from the wall and heaved it towards me, almost land on my foot. I jump and grab that tool she pointed to, start swinging it too, otherwise I think she’s so crazy she’ll kill me.

Soon every girl’s there, hear the noise and everybody’s agreed, make a boat. Make a big canoe, take us back to Tahiti, yes, yes, yes.

Not long before we hauling the planks to the cliff edge, sliding them down the Hill of Difficulty, land in a big heap among the rocks there. Then the men coming too, looking at that heap, looking at us, looking at each other. ‘How will you make a canoe, you don’t know how. You got no canoe builders, just women and babies, crazy for think you going to get off this island!’

Jenny jump up in front of them, big as a warrior. ‘Eight of us, four of you,’ she say. ‘Better you help us.’

Even Mrs Christian’s come along to see what’s happening, got that unlucky girl baby on her breast, got her hair all cut off with the scissors, wearing some shirt belong her dead husband with the two boys hanging off the end of it. Eti Young’s go over to her, take her by the shoulder, gentle gentle. ‘Don’t you be feared Mrs Christian my lady,’ he’s saying. ‘Just these girls want to make a boat.’ Then he’s lead her back to her house, carrying Fletcher’s boys one on each arm like that.