‘… Kaua e tukuna kia riro i a Te Au te taonga nei!
Tiakina! Tiakina! …’
Paraire, 15 o Huitanguru 2015
‘E hika, kua whitu karaka kē! Kāore taku pūrari pūoho i tangi!’
Ka tere taku maranga. Ka whakatika atu ki te rūma horoi, hīrere ai, whakarite ai.
He hui tāku hai te waru o ngā hāora me te rangatira o Te Whare Pupuru Taonga. He mea nui te hui tahi ki a ia, ā, kāore tonu ahau i te paku mōhio ki te take o te hui.
Ko Te Haupūawhea tōku ingoa, he kaihura, he kaitiaki taonga ahau i Te Whare Pupuru Taonga o Te Arawa, ki Te Rotorua. Nō mai rā anō ahau e kaingākau ana ki tēnei momo mahi, ā, nā tōku koroua anō i pēnei ai. Ko tōku koroua tētehi o ngā tāngata tuatahi ki te tiaki i ngā taonga Māori o te whare taonga rarā. Heoi anō kāore noa i tīmata mai i a ia, kāore hoki i mutu ki a ia. I tīmata i tōku tupuna, ka heke tonu ki tōku koroua, ki tōku matua, ā, ki ahau nei.
Ka hoki ngā mahara ki ahau e tamariki ana, ka mīharo ki ngā kōrero, ki ngā taonga i taku noho tahi ki tō tōku koroua. Kātahi rā te tangata! Ka maunu tonu ahau ki ngā wai o mahara …
Kātahi ka paopao tētehi i te kuaha matua, ka hoki mai ahau ki te ao o te ora.
Paopao!
‘E Hau, kai te aha koe?! Kia tere!’
Ko Tainui tērā kai te kuaha e paopao ana. Ka nanao atu ahau ki taku pēke rorohiko, ka puta i te whare, ka rakaina. Ka kuhu atu ki te waka, ka takahia te haere, parahutihuti ana!
‘E hika, kua hauwhā ki te waru!!’ tōku māharahara.
Ka tere atu te waka ki te tomokanga o te whare pupuru taonga, ā, kāore anō te waka kia tū noa ka peke atu au i te waka me taku pēke kai aku ringa. I taku pekenga atu, kāore i ngāwari te tau ki te whenua. Ehara! Ka reti, ka rōra, ka pōteketeke, ka kohikohi pūehu i a au e takaporepore ana, kātahi ka tau ki ngā waewae.
‘Kai te pai ahau! Kai te pai ahau!’ taku karanga atu. Ka titiro ake ahau, arā aku kaimahi e katakata mai ana.
‘Ace, e tama!’ Ko Tainui tērā me tana kata anō hoki.
Ka tirohia taku waea, ā, kāore i te pakaru kua rima meneti mai i te waru, aaaaaahhh! Ka tere atu ki te tari o te rangatira, ka tatū ki te kuaha, ka hā ki roto, ka hā ki waho, kātahi ka mauri tau.
TUMU WHAKARAE
ARAPETA TE AU
‘Paopao!’ taku pātōtō atu i te kuaha.
‘Kuhu mai!’
Ka kuhu atu ahau ki te tari. Ka mīharo atu ki ngā momo taonga e iri ana i te pakitara, ina rā tētehi whakaahua. Ka titiro, ka titiro. Ka rongo ahau i tētehi āhua rerekē …
‘E Hau!’
‘Aaaaaaah!’ Ka ohorere ahau i taku rongo atu i te reo o Arapeta, ka aro atu au.
‘E Ara, aroha mai ki tēnei tōmuri.’
‘I ahatia koe?’
‘Kāore taku pere i tangi.’
Ka rūrū te māhunga. Ka tohua mai ki tōku tarau, kua paruparu kē i taku wharanga. Ka titiro kōtaha mai ki a au, me tana āta mātai mai.
Ko Arapeta Te Au, he tangata mōhio ki āna mahi tiaki taonga, ā, pēnei i a au, ka heke mai ia i te kāwai kaihura taonga. Ā, i heke mai ia i Tāmaki Paenga Hira ki konei mahi ai.
‘Na, kia kōrerohia te kaupapa o te hui. E noho.’
Ka tau ki te tūru roa, ko Arapeta e noho hāngai ana.
‘He kaupapa whakaharahara e haere ake nei. E haere mai ana tētehi kāhui kaihura nō Amerika ki te tirotiro, ki te mātai haere i ngā pā tawhito o Te Rotorua me Maketū.’
‘He aha ki a ahau?’ taku pātai.
‘Kua whiria koe hai māngai mō rātau, mō tātau, ā, nā tō iwi anō koe i tono. Hai āpōpō rātau tau mai ai. Ka tūtakitaki atu ki konei hai te tahi karaka i te ahiahi.’ Tana whakautu.
‘Ka pai!’ taku whakautu rikarika atu ki a ia.
Ka mutu tā māua hui, ka heke atu ahau ki taku tari. Kātahi rā taku manahau!
‘Oh yeah, oh yeah!’ Me taku kanikani.
Kāore ahau i paku aro ki te toenga o te rā, e warea ana hoki ki ngā mahi hai ngā rā e haere ake nei. Mutu ana te mahi, ka hoki tahi atu māua ko Tainui ki te kāinga.
‘Hai āpōpō!’ taku pōhiri atu ki a Tainui.
Ka kuhu atu ki te whare, ka whiu taku pēke ki te papa, ā, takoto noa i te tūru roa. I a ahau e takoto ana, ka tirotiro haere, kātahi ka mau atu taku titiro ki taku tupuna e iri mai ana. Ko Te Haupūawhea tōna ingoa, i takea mai tōku ingoa i a ia. He rangatira ia i tōna wā. E ai ki tōku matua me tōku koroua, i tuku ki a ia tētehi taonga kahurangi, he heitiki pounamu. Nā tōna tupuna nō Hawaiki rā anō te taonga i tuku, ā, heke ana, heke ana ki a ia. Heoi, e ai hoki ki taku koroua, he maha kē ngā tāngata e hiahiatia ana kia riro i a rātau te taonga nei, inarā te tupuna nei i a Te Au, he nui tōna mana, he hirahira, he matarahi. He ahakoa te mate!
‘Hoh!’
Kātahi rā ahau ka kite atu i te heitiki i te whakaahua. Kāore i paku aro i mua.
‘Hmm, kātahi te rerekē.’
Ka mau tonu te titiro ki te whakaahua, ā, nāwai, nāwai ka moe.
‘Kaua e tukuna kia riro i a Te Au te taonga nei! Tiakina! Tiakina! …’
‘Tupuna?’
‘… Tiakina! Tiakina! …’
‘Hika!’ Ka ohomauri taku oho. E kihakiha ana te manawa, e heke ana te tōtā, te werawera. Kātahi te moemoeā! Kātahi te tahakura! Engari ko taku rongo, he tūturu, he tūturu rawa.
Ka maranga ake ahau i te tūru roa. E pōuri ana te whare. Ka titiro atu ki waho, kua pō, ā, ko ngā rama o te tiriti anahe e kakā mai ana. Whāia nei, ka kitea tētehi āhua e muramura mai ana, ka whakatata atu ki te whakaahua o tōku tupuna koroua, ka tātata atu, ka tātata atu. Ka kitea ko te heitiki e mau nā ia e muramura mai ana.
‘Whooooaaaaaa! Te heitiki i kōrerohia e koroua. Engari he aha i muramura ai?’
I taku matawai atu ka kitea ngā kupu kua whakairohia ki te taonga, ka tīkina atu e ahau he kōata whakarahi, ka pānui atu, ‘T E-H A U-P U-A-W H E A.’
‘Ha! Taku ing- -’
Kātahi nā ka rongo i te kukume, i te haukume. Ka kūmea, ka kūmea. Kāore i te mōhio e kūmea ana ki hea, kāore hoki taku puku i te rata. Ka rongo kino i te āhua paipairuaki. Kīhai i taro ka taka tonu ki te whenua, hemo ana. Ka oho au i taku hemonga. E pōātinitini ana te māhunga, he makaro te tirohanga. Ka āta noho ake, ā, ka mārakerake te kitea, ‘HUH! H-HE AHA?! K-KAI HEA ...?! KAI HEA TE WHAKAAH- -’
Kāore ahau i te kāinga, kāore ahau i te rūma noho, kāore hoki te whakaahua i mua i a ahau!!
‘Kua henumi ki wāhi kē, ki ao kē! KAI HEA AHAU?!’ Ka rongo ahau i te wehi i roto i ahau anō.
‘He moemoeā noa iho! He moemoeā noa iho! Āe, āe kai te moemoeā,’ taku kōrero whakapakepake ki a ahau anō.
Ka pā atu ahau ki te rākau ki te kite atu mehemea he mea pōhewa noa iho, ‘Awww nope, ehara i te moemoeā!!! Pokotiwha!’
Ka ngaro atu aku kupu i taku rongona atu i te reo manioro i tua o ngā rākau. Ka kōnihi atu ahau ki te putanga. Anana, ka kite atu au i tētehi pā kāinga. Ahakoa i te mau tonu te wehi me te oho mauri, ka whakatata atu au ki tētehi pūkei kōhatuhatu, ki reira huna ai. Ka mātai titiro ahau ki te wāhi nei, kāore i āhukahuka i taku tirohanga, heoi e rongo ana tōku wairua i te taunga ki tēnei whenua.
‘Ko hea tēnei wāhi?’ taku hamumu.
Nā taku mahira, ka whakatata atu ahau ki te titiro ki te pā me tōna iwi. Ka āta kimikimi ahau i tētehi wāhi kia kore ai au e kitea.
‘AAhhhh.’ Ka kitea he wāhi mārakerake, e pai ai taku kite i ngā whakanekeneke a te iwi nei. I taku omanga atu mā te taha katau o te pā, ka rongo atu i ngā reo ō ētehi. Ka tau atu ahau ki muri i tētehi whare puni, ka āta whakarongo atu.
‘Kai taku rangatira, tērā tētehi pōkaitara e haramai nei.’
‘Nō hea?’
‘Nō tua o te Waiwhakareto ki Ōtānewainuku, ko Te Au kai te tātaki.’
‘Te Au?!’
Ka rongo ahau i te makatea.
‘E rapu nei ia te taonga e mau nā koutou ko ō uri.’
‘E kore rawa e tukuna kia riro i taua tangata rā me ōna uri te taonga nei. Korekore rawa! Tēnā, whakaarahia te iwi! He pakanga te haere ake nei!’
Ka tere puta he tangata i te whare, he āhua toa nei te hanga, te āhua nei he kaiwaewae ia. Ka noho tonu ahau ki te whakarongo.
‘E moko, haramai.’
He tangata kē atu kai te whare? Ka haere tonu ngā kōrero a te koroua rā …
‘E tere mai ana te pōkaitara a Te Au. Ko te taonga nei tāna e tōmina ana. Ka riro atu te taonga nei i a ia, ko tō tātau ao te utu. Ko –’
‘PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPUPUUUUUUU!!’
Kātahi rā ka rongo i te tangi a te pūkaea i te pūhara, ka haere tonu ngā kōrero a te rangatira.
‘Ko ngā kōrero, ko ngā whakaakoranga mō te taonga nei kua tuku ki a koe. Kaua e tukuna kia riro i a Te Au te taonga nei! Tiakina! Tiakina!’
‘Kia pēhea nei?!’ tā te tamaiti.
‘Pupurutia kia mau rā anō! Kaua e tukuna kia ngaro, kaua e tukuna kia riro! Tuku tonu ki ngā uri me āna kōrero, ahakoa te aha, kaua e tukuna kia riro i a Te Au me ōna uri …’
‘PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPUPUUUUUUU!!’
Whāia nei, ka whakawarea ahau e te hoihoi, e te reo manioro. Ko ngā tāngata e haere mai ana i wiwī, i wawā. Ko ngā toa e tohutohu ana i te iwi ki ngā puke o muri huna ai. Kāore ahau i rongo i te toenga o ngā kōrero, kāore hoki ahau i tauwhanga noa, ka kotahi tonu atu ki te huna. Ka hoki atu ahau ki te wao, huna ai i waenganui i ngā rākau. Kātahi ka rongo anō i te pūkaea, engari e tangi mai ana i tua o te pā. Ka tere atu ngā toa ki te marae ātea takatū ai, ā, ka rongo atu, ‘TE HAUPŪAWHEA!! TE HAUPŪAWHEA!!’
‘Te Haupūawhea? Huh?!’ Ka ohomauri i te rongo atu i taku ingoa.
Ka rongo anō i taua reo, te reo mōrikarika.
‘TE HAUPŪAWHEA!! KO TE AU E EKE NEI KI RUNGA KI A KOE!’
Ka ū mai ko te wehi, ka maurirere! He hiahia nōku ki te hoki atu ki taku kāinga, KI TAKU AO! ME PĒHEA RĀ?!
Ka kite atu ahau he tokorua e puta ana i te whare. He rangatira tētehi, he tamatāne tētehi. Ka rongo ake i te tatanga mai o te pōkaitara. Ka kite atu au i tētehi mea e kāmuramura mai ana i ngā ringa o te rangatira. Katahi ka tuku atu e ia ki te tamatāne. Ka herea te tāhei ki tōna kakī, me te huna ki raro i tana korowai. Ka mutu, ka hongi rāua, ka oma te tama ki ngā puke huna ai. Ka noho te rangatira ki te mura o te ahi.
‘TE HAUPŪAWHEA!!’
Ka rongo anō i te karanga.
‘TE AU!! KĀORE Ō TAKE I KONEI!’
‘E MŌHIO ANA KOE I TE TAKE, E HAU! KO TE
TAONGA TE TAKE, KUA TAE TE WĀ KIA RIRO I AHAU!’
‘ENGARI ANŌ MŌ TĒNĀ!’
‘Ā, KĀTI, NĀU ANŌ TŌ MATE I WHAKARITE!’
Kātahi ano ka mārama ki ahau, kātahi anō ka taka te kapa. Ka hoki ngā whakaaro ki ngā kōrero a tōku koroua mō te taonga, mō te heitiki me te nui o tōna mana. Ko taua rangatira nā, he uri ki a ahau, waihoki te tama rarā. Ka tahuri ahau ki te oma atu, kātahi ka rongo i ngā kupu a te rangatira, tau tonu ana, ‘A TĒNĀ, HARA MAI!’
Ka pupū ake te aroha mō te koroua rā me tana whakaaro nui ki ōna uri, ki tōna iwi. Ki tōna kī taurangi ki ōna tūpuna i mua i a ia ki te tiaki i te taonga, ka huri ahau, ka oma.
Ka tere taku oma. Ka whakaahu atu ki ngā puke huna ai, engari e whakaaroaro tonu ana i ngā āhuatanga kua pā mai ki ahau, waihoki, ka pēhea taku hoki ki te kāinga! Ka oma tonu, ka oma, ka oma, ka oma! Ko ngā puke kai te pae tata – PĀO! Ka hingaia ahau ki te whenua e te kōtumu, ka hongia a Papa, ka rongo i te kino o te mamae. Ka huri ki taku tuarā, ahakoa taku mamae, me te makaro o te tirohanga, ka titiro ake ka kitea he āhua, ka kīia ake, ‘TE HAUPŪAWHEA.’
Kātahi nā ka rongo i te kukume, i te haukume. Ka kūmea, ka kūmea. Kua rongo kē ahau i tēnei āhua. Ka raru anō te puku i te haukume, ka rongo anō i te kino o te paipairuaki. Kīhai i taro ka taka, hemo ana. Ka oho ahau i taku hemonga - e pōātinitini ana te māhunga, he makaro te tirohanga. Ka āta noho ake, kāore i te rongo i ngā rākau, kāore i te rongo i te paruparu, ā, ka mārakerake te kitea, kua hoki mai au ki taku ao, kua hoki mai au ki te kāinga!
‘Auē.’ Ka pōrori taku ara ake, kāore anō te puku kia tau. Ka tirohia e ahau te wā, kua kotahi o ngā hāora o te atapō! Ka āta whakatika atu ki te moe, tē taea te moe. E ārohirohi ana ngā whakaaro whakaparau mō tāku i kite ai! I KITE AI!
‘Piriiiiii, piriiiiii!’ Te tangi a te waea.
‘Piriiiiii, piriiiiii!’
Ka toro atu au ki te waea, ka oho tētehi karu, ka āta pānui i te pātuhi;
‘E tama, me ko1 mai koe ki te kāinga nei kia kōrero ai tāua. 20mn? Pāpā.’
‘Aaaah, he moata.’ Ka maranga ake, ahakoa taku ngenge, ka whakarite i ahau anō.
I taku putanga i te whare, kāore ahau i paku aro ki te whakaahua, kai hoki atu au ki taua ao, ka ihiiihi, ka tere taku haere.
Kāore e roa ka tae atu ki te kāinga o ōku mātua, ka tomokia te whare, ‘Parps!’
‘Hāni! Kua tae mai tā tāua tama!’ Ko taku whaea tērā.
‘Tonoa mai ki taku tari!’ te ō a Pāpā.
‘I rongo koe,’ tā taku whaea.
‘Ngā mihi, e mā.’
Ka piki atu ahau ki te tari o tōku Pāpā, ka kuhu atu.
‘Hey, Parps.’
‘E noho e tama.’
Ka tau au ki te noho, ka rongo ahau i tētehi āhua rerekē, pēnā anō i taua rongo īnanahi rā. Kua pā mai anō taua rongo, engari he rongo pai. Ka kōrero tonu taku Pāpā, ‘Tēnā, āta whakarongo mai. Ināpō, i a au e noho ana, e pānui ana i ngā pukapuka whakapapa, ka rongo ahau i te tatetate i te kāpata rā. Ka tata atu ahau, ka kaha atu te tatetatetanga. Ka huakina te kāpata, ko te waka huia nei e tatetate ana.’ Ka tohu ia ki te waka huia kai tana tēpu.
‘… Ā, e ai ki tō koroua, e ai ki tō tupuna koia rā te tohu kua tae te wā …’
‘Kua tae te wā ki te aha?’ taku pātai atu.
‘Kua tae te wā kia tuku te taonga ki te tangata māna e tiaki.’
‘He aha te taonga e kōrerohia nei e koe?’ I mōhio kē ahau he aha te taonga e kōrerotia nei.
Ka hīkina te taupoki o te waka huia, ānana! Ka hua mai ko te heitiki me tana ingoa, TE HAUPŪAWHEA, kua whakairotia. Kātahi tōna ātaahua, kātahi hoki tōna rangatira!
‘Whoooa …’
‘Kua eke te wā ki a koe, e tama. Kua rite koe? Ko ētehi o ngā kōrero kua tuku kē ki a koe, hai ākuanei, ka kōrero tahi anō tāua.’
Ka mihi atu ahau ki taku pāpā, ka tāheitia te taonga ki taku kakī, ka huna ki raro i taku poraka, me taku mīharo atu. Heoi, i mua i taku wehenga, ka mea mai taku Pāpā ki a ahau, ‘E tama, kaua e tukuna kia riro taua taonga, tiakina, tiakina ...’
Ka ohomauri au i taua kōrero, ka tūngou atu, kātahi ka wehe.
Ko te kotahi karaka i te ahiahi taku wā tae atu ki te whare pupuru taonga. Ka tau ki te taunga waka, ka mīharo anō ahau ki te taonga kai taku kakī, ā, kotahi atu ana ki te tūtaki i ngā manuhiri o Amerika. Tae rawa au, ka tomokia te tari a te rangatira, ā, ki reira tūtakitaki ai, whakaratarata ai. Ka pai te noho tahi me rātau, he kōrerorero, he matapaki te mahi. Ka āta tirohia ngā taonga, kātahi ka mau anō taku titiro ki te whakaahua e iri mai ana, mau pū ana ki te manarū o taua whakaahua. Ka mīharo hoki te manuhiri ki taua whakaahua kātuarehe. Ka hono mai a Arapeta ki a mātau, ka pātai tētehi, ‘Ko wai tēnei tangata?’
Ka whakaō atu ia, ‘Ko taku tupuna tēnei, a Te Au.’
‘HIKA! Arapeta TE AU!’