He Tai Pari (Upoko Tuaono / Chapter Six)

Ka moemoeā a mō tana noho huna, tana noho koropuku. Ka rongo ia i ētahi tangata e kimi ana i a ia, e karanga ana i tōna ingoa. Kātahi ka huhuti tētahi tangata kaha i a ia kia torotika tana tū.
“Ari! E pēhea koe e moe tonu ana? Matika, e tama!”
Ka taukumekume te hirikapo a Ari. Kei hea ōna whakaaro i tēnei wā.
“Me tere tā tātou puta i konei! Ka turakina te pari nei. Kia kama!”
Nā te kaha heke o te ua, ka hoki mai a Ari ki te ao tūroa, ka āta tirotiro haere.
Nā tōna Pāpā ia i hiki i te poti rā. E kitea ana, kua pokea katoa taua awa marino e te nguha, me te mea nei e koropupū ana te wai. Ka tūpehupehu, ka haruru atu te ia o te awa ki tōna puaha, ki tātahi.
Te hohonu hoki o te wai – i te tere pupū mai te tai, ināianei kua kotahi mita te tawhiti atu i te poti.
“E tama, me kotahi atu tāua ki te kāinga. E mātaratara ana a waho, nā, kei te manawa popore tō māmā.’ Te ūmere a Pāpā. “Waihotia tō pēke. Me whakamahi i ōu ringa e rua e piki rawa koe i te pari nei.” E kitea ana e Ari te ara māniania i takahia e Pāpā kia tae rawa ia ki taku poti. Tāheke mai ana te wai i te paripari. Kua tino māniania ināianei. E tika ana ngā tohutohu o Pāpā, me whakamahi i ōna ringa e rua e piki ai ia i te pari nei, ka kore tonu e māma te pikitanga.
Nā rāua te whiwhi he pakiaka torokaha e koure mai ana i te pari hei puritanga mā rāua. Ka āta piki rāua i te pari. Ka uea te oneone o te pari e ngā waewae o te tokorua i a rāua e piki haere ana.
Ka tūpou a Ari nā te kaha heke o te ua kia kore te wai e mau ki ōna karu. I te whakatata rāua ki te kōmata.
Ka kanga mai a Pāpā, ā, ka taka mai i te taha a Ari, nā, ka whara ki te papa. Ka nguru mai a Pāpā, ā, ka puta anō he kupu kangakanga i a ia.
“Haere tonu, e tama!” Te karanga o Pāpā. “Hoki atu ki te kāinga kia ōhio mai te whānau kei hea ahau. Kua whara tōku reke. Ka kore rawa au e taea te piki i te pari nei.”
Ka tata kata a Ari i tana kaha whakahē kia noho takitahi a Pāpā ki reira me tōna waewae hapehape. Te heahea hoki! Ka tere reti whakararo a Ari ki tōna pāpā, ka mauria hoki ko te pātītī me te one i a ia e pāheke ana.
I a ia ka whakatata ana ki tōna pāpā, ka mānia a Ari mā tōna puku kia tae rawa ia ki te pūtake o te pari. Ka tautau ōna kaka i te nui o te paru me te mākū.
“Tērā pea me whai rautaki hou tāua, e hoa!” Te hangareka atu o Pāpā.
Ka kauparea e Ari ōna whatu ki ōna ringa, kia pai ai tana tirotiro haere. E pupū tonu ana te hohonu o te wai. Ākuni pea ka tukituki ki te poti, hei muri mai ka tae ki a rāua ko Pāpā. Engari, kotahi tonu te huarahi pea e ora ai rāua, mā te kauhoe i te awa.
Ka whakaaro a Ari ki ngā kōrero o Koro “Tirohia te takiwā, e hoa. Kimihia he rauemi …”
Ka toko mai he huatau ki a Ari. “E Pā, ka pai rānei tō tū mehemea ka hikina koe e au?”
Ka whakaae a Pāpā. “Whakatūngia ahau, ā, kōrero mai me aha tāua.”
“Kāore e taea te piki. Kāore hoki e taea te noho. Ka mutu, me kuhu tāua ki te wai, mā te poti! Me whakamātau, e Pā!”
Ka ngaoki rāua ki te poti, me te pana i a ia ki roto i te awa. Kīhai te poti i te neke nā tōna noho tū mō te wā roa kua hanga mau ia ki reira. Ka keria e Ari he awakeri e āmio ana i te poti kia pai ai tā te wai awhi i a rāua ki te whakatere i te poti. Ka tuke whakamua a Ari i te poti, a, ka tou te ihu o te poti ki te wai. “Kuhu mai Pāpā!” Te pararē a Ari.
Ka kuhu a Pāpā ki te poti me te ngana kia kore rāua e tīkoki. Ka panaia e Ari tētahi rākau kia rere pai tā rāua waka i te wai.
Ka peke a Ari, nā, ka tau ki roto i te poti. Ka tikina e Ari te hoe tawhito, ā, ka tukuna ki a Pāpā, ā, ka mea: “Whakamahia tēnei kia kaua ai tāua e tuki ki ngā tahataha. Māku te wai e ipuipu.”
Ka turi ngā taringa a Ari i te kaha o te wai, te hau me te ua.
Ka kauhuri te poti! Ka tata tīkoki te waka. Kua kore rawa e taea te tū tōtika i tenei awa ināianei, nā te hohonu o te wai. Ka wehi katoa a Ari, ka kapakapa tōna manawa.
Ka pōteretere atu rāua ki tētahi riporipo, ā ka huri kōaro te anga o te poti. Whawhati tata mai ana he paku ngū, ka tū te poti mō tetahi wā. Ka pōhēhē a Ari i rongo ia i tētahi e waiata ana. Ka rūrū tōna māhunga.
Ka tuki mai anō te wai ki te poti – ka peia te waka ki raro iho. Nāia, kua uru rāua ki te wāhanga rāhui o te awa. He rāhui nā runga anō i te hohonu, me te mōrearea. Kāore hoki i te mōhio mehemea he wai tai, he wai Māori rānei. Kua tata tae rāua ki te puaha … i te kaha o te ia, ka horomia rāua e te moana.
He aha tērā? Ka rongo anō a Ari i te reo waiata.
Ka tahuri a Ari ki tōna Pāpā e noho ana ki te tinana o te poti, me tana kite ko Pāpā tētā e waiata ana!
He āhua hakahaka tana reo. I te taki waiata tawhito ia, kāore anō a Ari kia rongo i tēnei tūmomo waiata, me te mea nei e rite ana te wairua ki te toto e rere ana i tōna tinana.
Ka māhea ki a Ari, e karakia ana ia ki ngā atua. Ki a Tāwhirimātea, ki a Tangaroa anō hoki kia atawhaitia rāua. Ka mātai whakamua a Ari ki tawhiti, nā, ka kitea he piriti.
Ka mau rānei e a rāua ringa? Me puta rānei mā korā?
Ka keko a Ari i ōna whakangita kia pai ai tana tātari. Ka ō rānei te waka ki raro i te piriti, kāore i te mōhio nā te kaha piki o te wai.
Me tere tana whakatau, kei pau i a ia te wā.
Ka kauhuri anō te poti, ā, ka whakakōaro anō i tā rāua anga. Hihiko ana te haere o te poti. Kōtore whererei atu ana a Ari.
“E HEKE!” te tioro o Pāpā. Ka rutu ia i a Ari kia kore ia e tuki ki te piriti. Ka hīngarungaru te waka.
Ka matapaetia e Ari, he tukinga nui kei te haere, ā, ka kapi ōna karu. . .
Ka rongo ia, i konā, te tinana o Pāpā e whakawātea atu ana, kia pai ai te noho o te poti i te wai. Kāore anō kia tino whakapuaki i roto i a ia ku pēhea rānei rāua.
Nā, kua ora! Ka rere te kōihiihi me te harikoa i tōna tinana.
Kātahi ka rongo ia i te reo pakari o Pāpā. “E Ari, ākuanei ka pouri, e kikī rawa ana te poti ki te wai.” Ka whakatata atu a Pāpā. “Ka kore pea tāua e hoki mai ki uta ki te noho poti tāua. Me kauhoe tāua, e hoa!”
Ka kūwiriwiri a Ari.
Ka hamahama mai te wairua ohorere i roto i a ia.
Ka pōuriuri haere te rangi …

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