A SHORT STORY
One eye slowly opened and gazed out onto a world barely recognisable.
Soon, whispered the wind.
The word rolled around in his awakening mind.
Soon, whispered the wind.
The morning bell jangled across the playground, children scattered to their classrooms, some with an enthusiasm that can only come with being new to school. Others saunter slowly; after all, what’s the rush, school sucks… Eventually, Tapuhi Primary settles into its morning routine. In room six Mrs Foster calls the role, ten eager faces, arms and legs crossed, fighting the urge to fidget on the rough carpet tiles.
“Well, today we have some special visitors. As you know all week we have been learning about the stories and traditions of Aotearoa. Today we are going to learn about taniwha. Who can tell me what a taniwha is?”
Ten eager hands shot into the air.
“Yes Samantha?” Mrs Foster smiles.
“ A taniwha is…a taniwha is a kinda’ monster, like a really big lizard that lives in rivers and lakes and is really scary and likes to eat people!” The words came out in a rush, nine heads nod knowingly in agreement.
“Yes, you could say that, Samantha. But there is much more to taniwha then just eating people and being scary. After morning tea we will be having a visit from The Aunties,” ten little hearts leapt into ten little mouths – The Aunties!
Everyone had heard of The Aunties, most were related to them in some way; everyone listened when they spoke and did as they were told. Except old Dave who ran the only garage for miles around, but then he was scarier than The Aunties. The arguments between old Dave and The Aunties were the stuff legends in themselves. Never mind the taniwha!
The morning flew by quickly. Morning tea came and went in a flurry of biscuit crumbs and half eaten fruit. As the children rushed back into class The Aunties were already there greeting each child by name. The result was instantaneous, the children silently taking their places on the story mat and Mrs Foster briefly wondered if there was any way of bottling that effect…
“Everyone please welcome The Aunties to room six.”
“Kia Ora Aunties,” said room six in a sing song unison.
“Kia Ora children, thank you for having us here today. Mrs Foster has asked to come and tell you about taniwha and we are happy to do this but first you need to tell us what you know about taniwha,” said the Auntie in the middle.
An uncomfortable silence ensued as the children looked everywhere except at the Aunties. Speak to the Aunties? Who were they kidding? The slow tick-tock of the clock could be heard as the Aunties sat watching the children, waiting patiently, still as stone, their eyes missing nothing and just as Mrs Foster was just about to fill the silence a tentative hand reached up.
“Thank you Wiremu, what can you tell The Aunties about taniwha,” said a very relieved Mrs Foster. There had been some raised eyebrows in the staffroom when she had talked about asking The Aunties to visit.
“Umm, taniwha were creatures that lived near water and ate people?” said Wiremu hesitantly remembering what Samantha had said earlier in the day, “and my dad said they’re not real, just stories to scare people,” Wiremu finished quickly.
The Aunties exchanged a quiet look, once more the middle Auntie spoke, “yes, sometimes that is correct, the stories do sometimes tell of taniwha that eat people but they also tell of taniwha who protected people too. Like the taniwha Tuhirangi who was Kupe’s guardian and protected the canoes that crossed the Cook Strait or the taniwha Pane-iraira who took the form of a whale and swam with the Tainui canoe from Hawaiki.”
“So they don’t eat people?” piped up Wiremu, his curiosity getting the better of him.
“Ahh, yes some do. The taniwha Tutaeporoporo he would travel up and down the river eating people, in revenge for being badly treated by the chief of that time.”
“Is he still eating people?”
“No, the great warrior and taniwha slayer Ao-kehu killed him.”
“How?”
“He hid inside a hollow log…” Wiremu who was now thoroughly entranced began to speak again, stopping abruptly when the Auntie held up her hand…“He hid inside a hollow log, the taniwha smelt him and ate the log whole. But, Ao-kehu was clever and had taken with him an axe which he used to chop first through the log and then through the taniwha eventually killing him. Inside the stomach of the taniwha they found two hundred of his victims”.
“Eww!” went a collective noise from room six as they settled in for more.
The hour and half between morning tea and lunch sped by as the children were held enthralled by stories of taniwha, the good and the bad. There were taniwha who could shape shift, there were taniwha who were sharks, whales, dolphins and giant reptiles and even some who were enchanted logs or rakau tipua. There was some disbelief at the last but the Aunties told the story of Humuhumu the guardian of the Ngati Whatua in the Kaipara, he was a totara log drifting in a lagoon near the harbour.
“But how do you know it’s a taniwha and not just some rotten old log?” Nine pairs of eyes widened in alarm – questioning the Aunties knowledge? Unheard of!
The three ageless women exchanged glances, “because Wiremu Collins, the log moved against the current and if it was not a taniwha how could it do that?” Faced with three pairs of eyebrows raised in a silent challenge, a red faced Wiremu had no answer.
Later, sitting on the hard asphalt of the playground eating warm sandwiches Wiremu’s mind began to wander, thoughts of taniwha filling his young head.
“Let’s go hunting for taniwha for real!” Wiremu’s words came out of the blue, as soon as he said it he knew it to be a good idea. His mates looked at him, shook their heads and carried on eating their lunch.
“After school, we head down to the bush and follow the track along the river. I bet there is a taniwha down there somewhere. We can pretend we are like the brave warriors from the olden days, it’ll be cool!”
“But Wiremu, what if we actually find one?” piped up one of the group.
Wiremu smiled, “It’ll be ok, remember what the Aunties said, not all taniwha are bad eh? And anyway Dad said they’re not real, just stories, come on…it’ll be awesome!” Wiremu’s enthusiasm was infectious and soon there was mass showing of hands.
The decision made there was no going back and Wiremu felt his insides clench, part of him wanted to know what he was going to do if he actually found a taniwha and another part of him told him not to be stupid they were never going to find a taniwha because they were just stories – not real just like his dad said.
That afternoon as the going home bell jangled across the school, messages were sent home via brothers, sisters and cousins. Walking out the school gates several curious adult eyes followed them, some smiled to see the kids off on an adventure, better then wasting time playing video games or watching the box.
Afternoon sun filtered through the canopy, a bossy fantail followed them along the path flitting from tree to tree, grumpy at being disturbed. The gurgle of the river calling them down the track to their destination.
“Well Wiremu? You’re the boss which way do we go? Up or down?” Asked one of the would-be taniwha hunters once they arrived at the river.
Wiremu looked up the river and then down, he had no idea. He closed his eyes. At first all he could hear was the rush of the river, the wind in the tree tops and the calls of a tui, but then slowly he heard it, thump, thump. A quiet heartbeat, he turned his head one way and then another – thump, thump. Wiremu’s eyes flew open and walked off up river, the others scrambling to keep up.
“Hey wait!” yelled one of the others, but Wiremu had heard something and without stopping to think his feet followed the sound that resonated up through his soles.
Eventually, little legs began to ache and puku’s rumbled as Wiremu’s relentless pace continued. When the path became little more than a goat track, the merry band of would be warriors mutinied. Wiremu however, was deaf to their pleas, his head filled with the stories of brave and clever warriors, the thump, thump, beneath his feet calling him forward.
“Wiremu! Stop!” they shouted, to no avail. This adventure was no longer fun.
“Come on lets go back, Wiremu will be fine, it’s not like he’ll actually find a taniwha,” one of the others spoke up.
The bush fringing the creek was dense and yet Wiremu carried on, unable to stop no matter how hard the bush tried to stop him. Somewhere along the way he lost a shoe, kicking the other off when he realised. The sharp stones on his bare feet not slowing him. He knew he was close.
Thump, thump, thump…
Eventually the bush stopped getting in his way and a smooth path opened up before him. Wiremu’s feet stopped moving forward, his mind cleared and looking around for the first time he was suddenly very aware. He was alone in the middle of the bush, probably miles from anywhere. Where did everyone go? His brothers had always said he was a dick. Wiremu’s heart leapt in panic.
Looking behind him he saw the dense bush and wondered how he had gotten through in the first place. In front of him lay an easy path, smooth, wide and gentle on young feet.
Come.
It wasn’t long before the path came to an end at the edge of a deep dark pool, the perfect place to find a taniwha. Wiremu shivered. The bush eerily silent, waiting, expecting. Wiremu stood at the edge of the pool, his toes touching the cool water. Looking at his reflection, he saw himself, a small scared boy, his chest heaving.
It is time.
Do taniwha eat people? Some do, some don’t the words of the Aunties echoed around Wiremu’s head. How wrong was my dad, he thought as he watched mesmerised as the still pool began to churn. The ground beneath his feet shook slightly, belatedly he realised that his brothers were right, he was a dick. I am a dick for thinking I could hunt taniwha, I am a dick for not taking the stories of my whanau seriously and now I am a dick because I am about to be eaten by one of those stories.
The warm rancid breath of the taniwha tickled the back of Wiremu’s neck, inviting him to turn around. Wiremu stood still as a stone gazing in terror at his reflection churning at his feet.
Turn, would be warrior, turn and gaze upon me, it is time.
Wiremu’s heart almost stopped. Time for what?
The iridescent blue of a kingfisher fluttered past settling on a branch hanging over the pool. The kingfisher and Wiremu looked at each other, wisdom and knowledge in its small beady eyes, hope. Words filled Wiremu’s mind.
Ina te rua taniwha!
Pute ona karu
Murara te ohi!
Tau mai te po
Takina te whakaihi
Ki Rarohenga rawa iho
Moe ate Po
Te Po-nui
TePo-roa
Te Po riro atu ai e!
Wiremu stumbled over the words, nothing happened, the pool still churned, he could almost feel the lick of a tongue. The kingfisher looked at him head cocked to one side, try again Wiremu, you can do better. Deep breath, his eyes fixed on the bright blue bird, he repeated the words again, stronger, louder. As he finished, the churning pool subsided, the warmth at his back eased. Wiremu began to breathe once more.
“Thank you.”
The kingfisher flew to another branch, Wiremu’s eyes followed. There, below the kingfisher a stepping stone path to the other side of the pool. He didn’t need to be told twice, crossing quickly with wings on his feet he scrambled up the bank on the far side of the pool. As he reached the top, he glanced over his shoulder amazed that all was still and quiet again. It could have been a dream, but it wasn’t. With a shudder he turned his back on the dark pool – time to go home.
Three ageless ladies stood watching, silent witnesses. The words of the karakia still echoed around the pool. Today had been a close call. They had seen it in his face at the school. He was the one. But not on this day.
Soon though. Very soon indeed.
T M Rowe - Writer 