Ko Tāwhaki, te tohunga purei whutupōro
Nā Sidney Mead
Ki te hunga tauhou ki te kāinga nei, he wāhi mokemoke a Parahaki. He tāwhitiwhiti ngā whare, arā, ki te titiro atu, itiiti noa ngā tāngata. Engari anō ngā kararehe he maha. Ka kitea atu ngā momo hōiho katoa, pākākā, he aha atu, me ngā poaka "kāpene-kuki" me ētahi momo kāre e kitea ana i ētahi atu takiwā o te motu.
Nā te mea kua tae mai te makariri o te takurua, kātahi ka tino mokemoke rawa atu te āhua o Parahaki. Kua horahia he whāriki hukapapa ki runga i te whenua. Matotoru ana te takoto mai, mārō ana. Kei te auahi mai ngā ahi. Kei te whiti te rā. Marino ana te kāinga mokemoke nei.
I te tekau karaka i te ata, ka puta mai ngā tāngata. Ka haere ētahi ki te hopu i ō rātau hōiho. Ko ētahi kei runga i te rori e āta haere ana ki te takiwā o te kura o Parahaki. Kei te waha pēpi tēnā, kei te wīra tēnā i tāna. Kei mua ngā tamariki e oma haere ana, e haututū ana.
Ka roa, ka puta mai ngā mea eke hōiho. Kei te kōrerorero ētahi.
Ka mea ake a Ngāheu, "E hoa Tāwhaki, e pēhea ana koe mō tō tātau tīma whutupōro? Me purei koe ākuanei."
Ka pātai a Tāwhaki, "Kei te purei koe?"
Ka whakahoki a Ngāheu, "Me aha hoki, ko au tonu rā te tīma o Parahaki! Ka kore a Ngāheu, kāre e wini tō tātau tīma!"
Ka mea atu anō a Tāwhaki, "E tama, tō koretake noa iho! Mā te hau noa, kua hinga koe. Māku koe e whakaako ki tēnā mea ki te whutupōro. Ka kite ana koe i a au e purei ana, kua kite koe i a Hori Nēpia. Ka kite koe a te ahiahi nei!"
Ka kōrero a Tame, "Tērā pea ka mataku ngā tāhae nei i ngā tāngata nunui o Waihau. Ka kite ana kōrua, anei ke te nunui! Mō te mekemeke, koinā rātau!"
Ka ki ake anō a Tāwhaki, "E tama, kua koroua kē ēnā tāhae. Kāre he take mō te oma. Heoi anō tāu he oma, kāre e mau i aua tāngata nunui."
Ka kōrero ngā taitama nei, ā, ka tae ki te kura o Parahaki, kei reira hoki te papatākaro mō te iwi. Ka tae ngā motokā, ngā kāta, ngā hōiho, ngā mea haere mā raro, ngā wāhine waha pēpi, ngā kuia, ngā koroua, ngā taitama, ngā kōhine, ngā tamariki, me ngā kurī. Turituri ana i te nui o te tangata. Ehara kē tēnei i te wāhi mokemoke.
Ka tahuri ētahi o ngā pakeke ki te mahi hāngi, ki te tahitahi rīwai, ki te raranga rourou, ki te tapahi wahie, me ērā atu mahi mō te hāngi. Kei reira ngā taitama nei e mātakitaki ana. Ka kite tētahi o ngā pakeke i a rātau, ka kī atu, "E hoa mā, haere mai ki konei ki te tapahi wahie mō tā tātau hāngi."
Ka kōrero atu a Tāwhaki, "Ko Ngaheu te tohunga mō tēnā mahi! Māna e mahi!"
Ka mea ake a Ngāheu, "He pai tonu tēnā, engari me haere a Tāwhaki ki te tahitahi riwai."
Ka mea anō a Tāwhaki, "Kei te nui ngā ringaringa kei reira. Nē rā, wāhine mā?"
Ka kī mai ngā wāhine rā, "Haere mai, e Tāwhaki!" Ka kata ngā hoa o Tāwhaki ki a ia, ka ākina atu kia haere. Haere ana a Tāwhaki me te kōrero anō, "Ānei a Te Tomo rāua ko Tame hei mahi rourou. Kare hoki he mahi mā rāua!"
Ka oma a Te Tomo ki te tapahi wahie, ka haere a Tame ki ngā pūtia ki te tapahi miti. Ka mahia ngā mahi mō te rā nei, mō te ope whutupōro o Waihau.
Ko te kura o Parahaki, he mea hanga ki runga i te hiwi. He kura pakupaku, engāri he kura tino ātaahua. Tawhiti noa atu ngā motokā, ngā motorore rānei, ka kitea atu e ahu mai ana. Kei te titiro pērā ngā iwi o Parahaki, kei te whanga ki te tīma o Waihau.
Ka mea a Tāwhaki, "Kei te mataku pea te iwi nā ki a tātau. Kāore e haere mai kei patua e Parahaki!"
Ka kōrero ake tētahi, "Nā wai hoki tāu. Kare tērā iwi e mōhio ana ki te mataku. He iwi māia tērā mō te whawhai. Kei a rātau te mana me te wehi o tēnei mea o te tangata whawhai. Me tūpato koe kei kāinga koe e te iwi rā!"
Ka kī mai a Ngāheu, "Taihoa ka kite koutou i a Hori Nēpia e purei ana. Koinei a Hori, ko Tāwhaki Nēpia." Kātahi ka karanga a Te Tomo, "Arā te pahi! Arā te pahi o Waihau! Kei te haere mai!" Ka titiro te iwi ka kite atu ka koa ngā ngākau. Kua tae mai te manuhiri ki runga i te whenua o Parahaki.
Ā, ka roa, ka tae mai te pahi ki te kura, ka pōhiritia te ope, ka tangata whenua. Ka haere ngā taitama ki te whakatikatika i a rātau mō te tākaro whutupōro. Ko te kaiwhakahaere o te tākaro kei runga i te papatākaro e tū ana, e titiro ana ki tana wati, e tatari ana. Ko te tangata nei ko te kura māhita tonu. Pai ana tana tū mai i roto i ōna kākahu mā! Ka titiro anō ia ki tana wati, ka whakatangihia tana wīhara. Ka haere mai ngā kuia, ngā koroua, ngā wāhine waha pēpi, ngā tamariki, ā, ngā tāngata katoa, ki te taha o te whira tatari ai. Ka titiro anō te kaiwhakahaere ki tana wati, ka tangi anō te wīhara, ka whanga anō. Ka whanga hoki te iwi mātakitaki, me ngā kurī o Parahaki! A ka puta mai ngā tima.
Ko Kaihuka te kapene o Parahaki, ko Hoani Muturangi tō Waihau. Ka haere ake ngā tīma. Ka pakipaki te iwi mātakitaki. Ka tae ngā tīma ki waenganui ka tū mai. Kei reira a Tāwhaki me ōna hoa, a Ngāheu mā. Ko ngā tīma nei, he tīma tino karukaru nei ki te titiro atu. Kāre he putu o ētahi, kare he tōkena, anā he tāngari ngā tarau o ētahi. Ko ngā makawe o ētahi he pēnei i ō te wahine te roroa. He pāhau o ētahi.
Ka mutu ngā korero a te kaiwhakahaere ka tīmata te purei. Ka pahupahu ngā kurī. Kei te pai te tū a te hunga mātakitaki. Kua puta mai te pōro ki a Parahaki. Ka tīwaha a Ngāheu, "Hōmai ki a au!" Ka hoaturia, ka oma te tāhae nei. Kei muri a Tāwhaki e whai atu ana. Ka oma kotiti haere a Ngāheu, ka karo. Kātahi anō ka tāia e Waihau. Kei raro e putu ana! Ka rere atu a Tāwhaki ki te pōro, ka kīkia ngā ringaringa e te hoariri. Haere ana te pōro i tana haere. Ka whai haere ngā tāngata nunui o Waihau me te whakakorakora i te tīma o Parahaki. Ā, ka tae. E toru āWaihau. Ka kīkia te pōro, ka rima. Ka koa ngā iwi o Waihau, ka tarapeke ki runga, ka whiu i ō rātau pōtae ki te rangi. Ka karanga tētahi koroua, kāre e tino mōhio ana ki te reo pākehā, "Ka māna Waihau! Ka māna Waihau !"
Ka haere tēnā tākaro, ka haere. Ka mau anō a Ngāheu ki te pōro. Pau katoa tana oma. I tana mahi kotiti haere ka āhua mārakerake te whenua o te hoariri. Ka rongo ia i te reo o Tāwhaki, "Hōmai ki a au, e hoa!" Ka hoaturia e ia. He mīharo, i mau i a Tāwhaki! Ka mea atu ia ki a Tāwhaki, "Haere Hori!" Ka oma a Tāwhaki, pau katoa tōna kaha. Kua kore e mau! Kua umere ngā iwi o Parahaki, kua tīmata te haka me te tarapeke ki runga. Kua tata ki te raina, ka hinga noa a Tāwhaki engāri waimaria i hinga ki tua. Ka toru āParahaki. Ka haruru te whenua i te koa o Parahaki!
Ka kī atu a Ngāheu ki a Tāwhaki, "E hoa, kāre a Nēpia e hinga noa iho pēnā i a koe nā! Tata tonu kāore koe i tae. Nā te aha koe i hinga ai? Nā te hau?"
Ka kata atu a Tāwhaki, "E hoa nā te tere o ōku waewae ki te oma! He tere atu ahau i a Nēpia, koirā au i hinga ai!" Ka mea anō a Ngāheu, "Ki taku mōhio nā te hau noa iho koe i pupuhi atu! Anā hoki, me tarai anō koe."
Ka kī atu a Te Tomo, "Kātahi a Kuia ka tino pīrangi ki a koe, e hoa!"
Ka kīkia e Kaihuka te pōro nei, kāre i whiti. Ka noho e toru ā Parahaki, e rima ā Waihau.
Ka haere anō te purei. Kua āhua ngenge ētahi. Kua tino tē ngā mea mōmona o ia tīma.
Kua tīmata te whutupōro ināianei, arā, ngā mahi ngau taringa, mekemeke, patu tangata. Ka purei, ā, ka whakangā, ko aua tarai anō.
Tangi mai ana te wīhara a te kaiwhakahaere ka purei anō. Kua tae mai te pōro ki a Parahaki. Kua riro anō i te tāhae nei, i a Ngāheu. Ka hoatu ki a Te Tomo, ki a Tame, ki a Tāwhaki anō. Ka oma anō a Tāwhaki. Kua whakaaro te tīma o Waihau ka raru rātau i te taitama nei. Me tino karawhiu kia kore ai e kaha ki te oma. Ei, kātahi, ka karawhiua, ka tāia e tētahi, ka kīkia e tētahi anō! Kei raro te tia o Parahaki e mamae ana!
Ka tīwaha mai tētahi o ngā koroua o Tāwhaki, "Pokokōhua ma, me mutu ēnā mahi kōhuru! Hei, Rewheri puta dose wharas off da whira! Pokokōhua mā!"
Ka kōrero atu tētahi o ngā koroua o Waihau, "Ko wai ēnā e pokokōhuatia nā e koe? Turituri koe! Waiho mā te kaiwhakahaere ngā kōrero!"
Ka kī mai anō te koroua tuatahi, "E kī, me turituri ahau!"
Nā tēnei, whawhai tonu atu ngā koroua nei me te kanga i a rāua anō. Ka rere mai te amapaea mā runga i tana hōiho ki te whakarata i ngā koroua nei. Kātahi ka tino hē rawa atu, kātahi hoki ka tino nui te whawhai. Kua whawhai hoki ngā hoa o Tāwhaki ki te tokorua nā rāua nei i patu tō rāua hoa. Ka rere atu te kaiwhakahaere ka rīria ngā taitama nei mō ā rātau mahi whawhai. Kāre ia i kite i te patunga i a Tāwhaki.
Ka tau te rongo-ā-marae i waenganui i ngā kaipurei, engari kei te mura te ahi i tāhaki. Hoihoi ana ngā awaawa o Parahaki i te whawhai nei. Ka tahuri te kura māhita ki te whakarata i ngā koroua pukuriri nei. Ā, roa noa atu ka pai anō, ka haere anō te purei. Kua totitoti haere a Tāwhaki engari kāore i whara kino. Ka aki ngā kāpene i ō rāua tīma. Ahakoa ngā mahi a tēnā tīma, kore rawa he tarai. Kua tata te mutu kua puta mai anō te pōro ki a Tāwhaki. Ahakoa te mamae kotahi atu ia mō te raina. Ka kī ake tētahi tangata o Parahaki, "Anei anō tā tātau tia e oma nei!" Ka whāia a Tāwhaki, ka mau, ka tāia ki raro. Koinā te mutunga o te tākaro a Tāwhaki, arā, a Tāwhaki Hori Nēpia!
Ka kite mai a Kuia e hikitia ana a Tāwhaki ki tahaki, ka aroha atu, ka huna i tōna kanohi kei kitea ōna roimata, te tohu o tona aroha nui mō te tāhae nei mō Tāwhaki. Ka hinga te toa o Parahaki, a Tāwhaki te tohunga mō te purei whutupōro! Hinga ana hoki te tīma o Parahaki, engāri i te hākari i muri iho pai ana te kai, te katakata, te kōrerorero a te katoa. Ka waiho ngā whawhai o te rā nei, hei kōrerorero mā rātau, hei kīnaki i ngā kai mō ngā rā i muri iho!