‘Then I’ll take you and Daddy home.
Okay?’
Kahu nodded. She put her arms around her grandfather and said again,
‘It’s all right, Paka. Everything will be all right.’
She picked up a small flight bag and carried it up onto the verandah.
We were all getting out of the wagon and climbing towards her when, suddenly, the wind died
away.
I will never forget the look on Kahu’s face. She was gazing
out to sea and it was as if she was looking back into the past. It was a look of calm, of
acceptance. It forced us all to turn to see what Kahu was seeing.
The land sloped away to the sea. The surface of the water was
brilliant green, blending into dark blue and then a rich purple. The illuminated cloud was
seething above one place on the horizon.
All of a sudden there was a dull booming from beneath the water, like
a giant door opening a thousand years ago. At the place below the clouds the surface of the
sea shimmered like gold dust. Then streaks of blue lightning came shooting out of the sea
like missiles. I thought I saw something flying through the air, across the aeons, to plunge
into the marae.
A dark shadow began to ascend from the deep. Then there were other
shadows rising, ever rising. Suddenly the first shadow breached the surface and I saw it was
a whale. Leviathan. Climbing through the pounamu depths. Crashing through the skin of sea.
And as it came, the air was filled with streaked lightning and awesome singing.
Koro Apirana gave a tragic cry, for this was no ordinary beast, no
ordinary whale. This whale came from the past. As it came it filled the air with its
singing.
Karanga mai , karanga mai , karanga
mai .
Its companions began to breach the surface also, orchestrating the
call with unearthly music.
The storm finally unleashed its fury and strength upon the land. The
sea was filled with whales and in their vanguard was their ancient battle-scarred leader.
Karanga mai , karanga mai ,
karanga mai .
On the head of the whale was the sacred sign. A swirling tattoo,
flashing its power across the darkening sky.
I zoomed on my bike through the night and the rain,
rounding the boys up. ‘I’m sorry, boys,’ I said to them as I
yanked them out of bed, ‘we’re needed again.’
‘Not more whales,’ they groaned.
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘But this is different
boys, different. These whales are right here in Whangara.’
Koro Apirana had issued his instructions to Porourangi and me. We were
to gather up the boys and all the available men of the village, and tell them to come to the
meeting house. And we were to hurry.
‘Huh?’ Nanny Flowers had said in a huff.
‘What about us women! We’ve got hands to help.’
Koro Apirana smiled a wan smile. His voice was firm as he told her,
‘I don’t want you to interfere, Flowers. You know as well as I do that
this is sacred work.’
Nanny Flowers bristled. ‘But you haven’t got
enough men to help. You watch out. If I think you need the help, well, I shall change myself
into a man. Just like Muriwai.’
‘In the meantime,’ Koro Apirana said,
‘you leave the organising to me. If the women want to help, you tell them to meet
you in the dining room. I’ll leave them to you.’
He kissed her and she looked him straight in the eyes. ‘I
say again,’ she warned, ‘I’ll be like Muriwai if I have to.
Kahu, also, if she has to be.’
‘You keep Kahu away, e Kui,’ Koro Apirana said.
‘She’s of no use to me.’
With that he had turned to Porourangi and me. As for Kahu, she was
staring at the floor, resigned, feeling sorry for herself.
Together, we had all watched the whale with the sacred sign plunging
through the sea towards us. The attending herd had fallen back, sending long undulating
calls to the unheeding bull whale, which had propelled itself forcefully onto the beach. We
had felt the tremor of its landing. As we watched, fearfully, we saw the bull whale
Okay?’
Kahu nodded. She put her arms around her grandfather and said again,
‘It’s all right, Paka. Everything will be all right.’
She picked up a small flight bag and carried it up onto the verandah.
We were all getting out of the wagon and climbing towards her when, suddenly, the wind died
away.
I will never forget the look on Kahu’s face. She was gazing
out to sea and it was as if she was looking back into the past. It was a look of calm, of
acceptance. It forced us all to turn to see what Kahu was seeing.
The land sloped away to the sea. The surface of the water was
brilliant green, blending into dark blue and then a rich purple. The illuminated cloud was
seething above one place on the horizon.
All of a sudden there was a dull booming from beneath the water, like
a giant door opening a thousand years ago. At the place below the clouds the surface of the
sea shimmered like gold dust. Then streaks of blue lightning came shooting out of the sea
like missiles. I thought I saw something flying through the air, across the aeons, to plunge
into the marae.
A dark shadow began to ascend from the deep. Then there were other
shadows rising, ever rising. Suddenly the first shadow breached the surface and I saw it was
a whale. Leviathan. Climbing through the pounamu depths. Crashing through the skin of sea.
And as it came, the air was filled with streaked lightning and awesome singing.
Koro Apirana gave a tragic cry, for this was no ordinary beast, no
ordinary whale. This whale came from the past. As it came it filled the air with its
singing.
Karanga mai , karanga mai , karanga
mai .
Its companions began to breach the surface also, orchestrating the
call with unearthly music.
The storm finally unleashed its fury and strength upon the land. The
sea was filled with whales and in their vanguard was their ancient battle-scarred leader.
Karanga mai , karanga mai ,
karanga mai .
On the head of the whale was the sacred sign. A swirling tattoo,
flashing its power across the darkening sky.
I zoomed on my bike through the night and the rain,
rounding the boys up. ‘I’m sorry, boys,’ I said to them as I
yanked them out of bed, ‘we’re needed again.’
‘Not more whales,’ they groaned.
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘But this is different
boys, different. These whales are right here in Whangara.’
Koro Apirana had issued his instructions to Porourangi and me. We were
to gather up the boys and all the available men of the village, and tell them to come to the
meeting house. And we were to hurry.
‘Huh?’ Nanny Flowers had said in a huff.
‘What about us women! We’ve got hands to help.’
Koro Apirana smiled a wan smile. His voice was firm as he told her,
‘I don’t want you to interfere, Flowers. You know as well as I do that
this is sacred work.’
Nanny Flowers bristled. ‘But you haven’t got
enough men to help. You watch out. If I think you need the help, well, I shall change myself
into a man. Just like Muriwai.’
‘In the meantime,’ Koro Apirana said,
‘you leave the organising to me. If the women want to help, you tell them to meet
you in the dining room. I’ll leave them to you.’
He kissed her and she looked him straight in the eyes. ‘I
say again,’ she warned, ‘I’ll be like Muriwai if I have to.
Kahu, also, if she has to be.’
‘You keep Kahu away, e Kui,’ Koro Apirana said.
‘She’s of no use to me.’
With that he had turned to Porourangi and me. As for Kahu, she was
staring at the floor, resigned, feeling sorry for herself.
Together, we had all watched the whale with the sacred sign plunging
through the sea towards us. The attending herd had fallen back, sending long undulating
calls to the unheeding bull whale, which had propelled itself forcefully onto the beach. We
had felt the tremor of its landing. As we watched, fearfully, we saw the bull whale
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