Whaitere – te whai ātahu
E noho ana a Koro Pat i runga i tāna tūru tāwhaowhao, e mātakitaki ana i ngā tamariki e toru e kanikani ana i te taha o te ahi, e tahutahu ana i ngā ngārehu, ka rere atu ki te pō.
"I kite koe i tērā?" E tohu whakawaho ana a Koro Pat ki te moana. E rua ngā pākau tapatoru i kitea e pakaru mai ana i waho, e heke ana hoki ki te papaki i te wai.
"He whai!" te tioro a ngā tamariki, me te oma atu ki te takutai. Ka tuohu a Kimi ki te tiki kōhatu, ā, e whakareri ana ki te whiu, ka pā te ringa o Koro Pat ki a ia.
"Hoi, ka whiua e koe he kōhatu ki tō māmā?" Ka noho pōnānā a Kimi, ka taka te kōhatu i tōna ringa.
"Haere mai, noho mai," i a Koro e pā ana ki tāna tūru tāwhaowhao. Ka haere mai a Kimi, rātou ko Jason, ko Marama ki tōna taha noho ai.
"Māku koutou e kōrero mō tētahi whai, he kaitiaki o tēnei wāhi."
"Tō tātau ake, e manaaki nei i a tātau?" te pātai a Marama.
"Āe, nōu, nōku, nō te marae, nō tātau katoa. Ka manaaki tātau i te wai, i te whenua, ā, ka manaakihia tātau e tō tātau kaitiaki."
Ka noho a Kimi ki te tō mai i tōna pāua mai i te ahi, i reira e tunu ana i roto i te anga. Ka noho anō ōna hoa ki te ahi, tuohu haere ai i ngā toka, me te whakarongo. Ka tīmata a Koro.
"He whai a Whaitere, nō te whānau pākau mangu, noho ai rātau i te whanga iti noa iho nei, i Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui. I whakatipungia ia e ōna kātua, pērā ētahi atu – he kohi kai tēnā, me te tākaro me ōna hoa i roto i ngā rimurimu me ngā toka nui.
Ka whakaakongia a Whaitere mai i a ia e pakupaku ana, kia tūpato a ia i te hunga tangata ika, e tāwharau ana i ā rātau kati ika, hei hopu ika ahakoa he aha. Kua mōhiotia he iwi haere runga moana rātau, kua tau ohorere mai ki te whāngai i ā rātau kati hāpiripiri ki roto i te moana.
Kua taea kētia e te hunga tangata ika te harihari haere i ngā ika o te hapori iti a Whaitere mā, heoi, he pakupaku rawa a Whaitere ki te mōhio e kore rātau e hoki mai.
Ka hori ngā tau, ka kitea tonu ngā panonitanga o te kāinga o Whaitere mā. Kua uaua ake te rapu kai, kua ngaro hoki ōna hoa, ā, i tētahi ahiahi, i te hokinga mai o Whaitere ki te kāinga, kāore i kitea ōna kātua.
Ka noho a Whaitere ki te rapu, e kauhoe kāpō ana i te moana pōuriuri, pōkenekene. Ka ara ake ngā kōrero mō te hunga tangata ika, ka puta ake te mataku i roto i a ia. Ka taumaha ngā pākau, me te manawa hoki, ka āta tau a Whaitere ki te papa o te moana, e hono ana ōna roimata ki ngā wai o te moana.
Ka noho a ia ki reira pau noa te pō, ki te rā o muri mai rā anō. Ka uhia ā tōna kiri mangu ki te kirikiri, ka noho ko ōna whatu anake e puku mai ana, e tirotiro ana hoki. Ka noho a Tāmure me ōna hoa ki te rapu i a Whaitere me ōna kātua, e karanga ana ki a rātau. Kore rawa e kitea.
Ka rongo a Rimurimu, i a ia e pōteretere ana i te au o te moana, ka rongo a ia i ngā ika e karanga ana, mōhio tonu a ia, me kōrero atu ia ki a rātau i ōna kitenga. Ka kōhimu atu ia ki ngā tai, "Nā te hunga tangata ika, me ā rātau kati ika, kua toroa ki ngā kāinga, kua haria ā tātau punua, me ngā pākau mangu hoki."
Ka rongo a Whaitere i ngā kōhimutanga i runga i ngā tai, ka puea ake ia i tōna wāhi huna.
"Kāore i haria ōku kātua, kāore, kāore!"
Ka tere haere atu a Whaitere, ka noho papatahi ki runga i te papa o te moana, ka aukatia e ia te ao i tōna hinengaro. Ka noho a Tāmure ki reira ki te whakaahuru i tōna hoa, ka haria mai e ia he kai, kāre tēnā tū āhua i angitū.
I ngā rā i pahure, ko ngā whakaaro o Whaitere e pā noa iho ana ki ōna kātua. Ka whakaaro anō a ia mō te karakia a ōna kātua, e mihi ana ki a Tangaroa rāua ko Hinemoana.
"He aha ai i haria ōku kātua e te hunga tangata ika, he pai hoki rāua ki ētahi atu?" Ka tangi a Whaitere. Ka taumaha ake ōna pākau, ka totohu tonu atu ki te papa o te moana.
He wāhi pōuriuri, heoi anō, ka kitea te āiotanga i roto tonu i tōna hinengaro, ka noho āio tōna manawa. Ā, ka puea ake tētahi karakia i roto i a ia anō, kāore he kupu, engari i rangona te aroha i roto i tōna karakia.
Ka pōteretere haere tōna karakia aroha, ki runga i ngā tai pari, i ngā tai kete, ka whakaekea ngā ngaru, ka kōrero atu ki a Tangaroa, ki a Hinemoana, me ā rāua tamariki katoa. Ka tae atu a Hinemoana, ko tōna āhua he ngaru nui, he ngaru ātahu. Ka kohia a Whaitere e Hinemoana, ka kawea ki te moana. Ki ngā wāhi ninihi o te moana, ki ngā wāhi pōkenekene, hipa atu i ngā waharoa o Hinenuitepō, kātahi atu ki Rarohenga, te ūnga o te hunga mate.
"Koinei a Rarohenga, koinei te kāinga o ō kātua," te kī a Hinemoana, i tōna tukuna i a Whaitere. Ki te pā ngā kai o tēnei wāhi ki ō ngutu, ka noho mai koe ki konei mō ake tonu. Ka hoki mai anō au i te tōnga o te rā."
Mutu ana tēnā, ka ngaro atu a Hinemoana, ka kau atu a Whaitere ki te moana, e pākia ana e ngā tae o te kōpere, ā, ngā kararehe rerekē katoa o Rarohenga.
Kāore i aro a Whaitere ki ōna kātua i tōna kitenga i a rāua, engari mōhio tonu a ia, he whai nā ō rāua āhua. Kua huria kētia o rāua pākau ki ngā tae o te anga pāua, i kitea hoki ētahi whakarei i runga i ō rāua tinana. Ka karangahia tōna ingoa, mōhio tonu a ia, ko ōna kātua ērā e karanga mai rā. Ka huri ake ia ki te awhiawhi i a rāua, me tōna tangi anō.
"He aha au i whakarērea ai? Kāore au e pirangi ki te noho ko au anake!"
Kāore ōna kātua i whakautu mai. Ka huri ake rāua ki te awhi i tā rāua tamāhine, ka haria ki tētahi haerenga ki te tirotiro haere i tēnei wāhi ātaahua.
Ka haere rātau ki te tiro i ngā ana kōataata, e putu nei ngā waiata me ngā reo o ngā momo kararehe o te moana i roto i ngā kōataata maha katoa.
Ka tirohia e rātau te kōpere o te moana, he āwhio nunui rawa o ngā tae katoa o te kōpere, ka noho mā ngā ika tonu e hanga ā rātau ake kanikani o te moana.
Ka tirohia anō ngā māra o ake tonu, e kitea ai ngā kai katoa e mōhiotia ana.
Ka tirikohu atu a Whaitere, ka tau ki ngā kai whānui katoa, me tana mātiro atu ki ngā kai rā.
"Ki te kai au ki Rarohenga nei, ka noho au ki konei ki ō kōrua taha."
Ka tirotiro ōna kātua ki a rāua anō, kātahi ka hoki ake ki tā rāua tamāhine.
"Me whai mai koe i a māua, he wāhi anō hei tirotiro mā tātau", te kī a tōna whāea.
Ka kauhoe atu rātau i te māra o ake tonu atu, heke iho ki te ana porotiti nui. "Koinei te puna wai ariki, te kī o tōna matua, tētahi o ngā uaua tapu o Papatūānuku."
Atu i tērā, ka noho tōna whāea ki te karakia, ka heke iho rātau ki te ana o te raiti, ka totohu ki ngā uaua hōhonu o Papatūānuku.
Kua roa kē rātau e heke iho ana, kātahi ka ū atu rātau ki tētahi ana e peka atu ana ki tētahi o ngā taha, he kākāriki te raiti e whakaata mai ana i ōna pakitara. Nā, i waenganui i te ana nei te pūtakenga o te raiti kākāriki, he papa pounamu e whakairi ana i raro iho i te wai, e riporipo ana i te tūmatarau.
"Me whakatā koe i runga i te toka nei," te tohu o te whāea o Whaitere.
Ka ata pōteretere atu a Whaitere ki te whakatā. I te pānga o tana puku ki te pounamu rā, ka huria a ia, ka whakareia tōna kiri mangu ki ngā tae o te anga pāua. Mai i tētahi taha, ki tētahi, ka pupu ake te kaha o te tūmatarau ki tōna tinana, ngā taonga o tōna kaihanga, arā, a Papatūānuku.
"Ka noho tūhono ngā ao e rua, te ao o raro, ki te ao o runga, ki te kore tēnei, kua kore hoki tērā," te kī o tōna matua.
"Kua tohua koe hei kaitiaki mō te ao o runga, māu e whakaako te hunga kia āta manaakihia tō kāinga," te kī o tōna whāea.
"Engari kei te hiahia au ki te noho i tō kōrua taha!" te āki a Whaitere.
"Mā tō mana tūmatarau koe e āhei ki ngā āhuatanga katoa, pērā i te whakawhiti mai i te ao o runga ki te ao o raro, i te wā e hiahia ana koe," te whakautu ō tōna matua.
Ka pākia e Whaitere ōna pākau tae hou, ka kauhoe atu ia ki runga me tōna whakaaro anō mōna ake, kātahi ia ka hoki atu ki te wāhi e tatari mai ana ōna kātua. Ka toroa e ia ōna pākau tae maha, ka awhiawhitia e ia ōna kātua.
"Ko te mea nui, ka taea e au te hoki mai ki te kite i a kōrua," tana kī atu.
Mutu ana tērā, ka piki ake rātau i ngā uaua o Papatūānuku, tae atu ki Rarohenga, ka hoki anō rātau ki te tirotiro i ngā mīharotanga o tērā wāhi.
I te tōnga o te rā, ka hoki a Hinemoana, ka kawea a Whaitere ki te ao e mōhiotia ana e ia.
Ka noho a Tāmure me ōna hoa ki reira māharahara ai ko wai hoki tēnei tauhou, kia kōrero rā anō a Whaitere.
"Ko au noa iho tēnei" tōna kī atu. "Nā tō tātau tipuna, nā Hinemoana, i kawe au ki Rarohenga, ki te wāhi e noho nei ōku kātua. Kua kite au, kua rongo hoki au i te tūmatarau o Papatūānuku."
"Whaitere – te whai ātahu!" te kōrero a Tāmure.
Ka haere mai ngā kararehe katoa o te moana, ki te tiro miharo atu ki te kiri o Whaitere, me ōna tae anga pāua ātaahua.
Kī katoa te whanga iti i te whakaongaongatanga o ngā kararehe, ā, e koropupū ana te wai i a rātau. Kātahi ka putaputa haere ngā marumaru o te hunga tangata ika, ka tukuna te karanga tūpato. Ka puta ake te maurirere i roto i te whakaminenga, ka tīmata te kōrara haere.
Ka pōteretere atu a Whaitere ki te karetai, ka tiro iho ki ngā mahi mōrearea e haere ana i raro i a ia.
"Kāti!" te kōrero a Whaitere. "Mā tātau kē rātau e whakaako nō tātau anō tēnei wāhi, tēnei kāinga hoki!"
I a Whaitere e kōrero ana ka tō te marumaru ki runga i a ia. Mīharo katoa te whakaminenga i a Whaitere i a ia e karo ana i te marumaru, ka huri ki tōna tuarā. Ka puku ōna pākau i te tūmatarau, ka pākia e ia ōna pākau, ka pupū ake te wai ki runga i te tangata ika rā. Ka kōemiemi, ka tīkoki haere, kātahi ka taka tētahi o ngā tangata ika ki roto i te wai. Ka muia ia e ētahi atu o ngā tāngata ika, heoi he kaha karekare nō te wai.
Ka kauhoe atu ngā tangata ika ki te ākau, hāunga anō tētahi, i totohu kē ia ki te moana. Ka mātakitaki atu a Whaitere me ōna hoa ki tēnei tangata ika, e kīkī haere ana ōna pūkahukahu i te wai, ā, kua rangipūkohu kē ōna whatu, kua toro kē ngā ringa.
"Whakaakongia rātau ki te manaaki i tō kāinga."
Ka rongo a Whaitere i ngā kupu ō ōna kātua i tōna hinengaro.
Ka tiro iho a Whaitere ki ngā whatu o te tangata ika rā, ka kōrero i te reo e mārama ana ia.
"Hoki atu koe ki tō iwi, ka whakaako i a rātau kia āta manaakihia tēnei wāhi. Ka noho tēnei whanga hei tauira mō te katoa o tō iwi, ka noho hei haumarutanga mō mātau hoki."
Mutu ana tērā, ka hikina e ia te tangata ika rā, ka whakahokia ki uta, ki te ākau.
Mai i tērā wā tae noa ki tēnei, kua rāhuitia te whanga iti rā, ā, i noho hoki hei haumarutanga mō ngā kararehe o te moana. Ka noho ko Whaitere hei kaitiaki, ā, nā āna mahi ka manaakihia te hunga kararehe moana e te hunga tangata ika.
Ka haere mai te hunga tangata ika, ka noho mīharo ki ngā kararehe o te moana, ka puea ake ngā waiata hou mai i Rarohenga, kātahi anō ka pai mai ngā ao e rua.
Ka tiro ake a Koro Pat ki ngā tamariki e pute mai ana ki a ia. Ka mauria atu e Kimi tōna anga pāua ki te rangi. "Ko tōku wawata, kia whiwhi tae au pērā i ērā o te pāua, kia tūmatarau hoki," tōna kī.
"Mā te mana tūmatarau e taea te manaaki i tēnei wahi," te whakautu a Koro.
"Koinā te take he itiiti noa iho ngā pāua ka tīkina e tātau hei kai nē rā?" te pātai a Marama.
"Koinā," te kī a Koro.
"Ā, he tino kararehe hoki a Whaitere, i kite mātau i a ia, nē Koro?" te pātai a Jason.
"Koinā, kia pakeke mai koe pēnei i a au nei, kua huri koe ki te kōrero i tēnei pakiwaitara ki ā koutou mokopuna, nē rā?" te pātai a Koro.
"Ka tika hoki tēnā," te whakauru a Kimi.
Ka peke atu ngā tamariki rā, ka toroa ā rātau ringa, ka whaiwhai haere rātau i a rātau anō, pērā i ngā whai ātahu rā, i te ao moana.