Page 14 - Tamainupō E

Houhia te rongo ki a Māhanga
Ka taka te wā, ka puta i a Tūkotuku tētehi uri tāne. E ai ki ngā tikanga, ka riro mā te taha o te matua te mahi whakarite hei mahi, nō reira ka pātai a Māhanga ko wai tōna matua. I tana aroha nui ki tana tama, ka pono te whakahoki a Tamainupō me tāna, “Ko Kōkako taku matua – e ora tonu ana ia.” Ahakoa i ohorere a Tūkotuku i tēnei, kāore a Māhanga i ohomauri i te ora tonu a Kōkako. Ka pātai atu a Tamainupō, “Tēnā tukuna mai kia haria tā māua tamaiti ki a Kōkako.” Ka whakaaro ake a Māhanga, kātahi ka whakaae. Kua tae te wā kia houhia te rongo ki a Kōkako.
I mua i tā rāua wehenga, i whakaritea rātou e Māhanga ki ngā karakia tauwhiro i a rātou i tā rātou haerenga ki te kāinga o Kōkako, arā, kei tētehi motu kei te awa o Waikato ki Rangiriri, ko Taipōuri te ingoa. Ko āna tohutohu ki a rāua, kia kotahi atu ki te motu, kaua e tū, kaua e karanga ki ētehi tāngata kei ngā tahatika. Nā, ka hoe te tokorua me tā rāua tamaiti mai i te awa o Waipā ki roto tonu o te awa o Waikato. I te ūnga ki te tahatika, nā Tamainupō te tamaiti i kawe i a Tūkotuku e arataki ana i a rātou ki tētehi whare nui e tū motuhake ana. Ko tā rāua whakapae nō Kōkako tēnā whare, he hanga rangatira nō te whare. I te kitenga atu a te hau kāinga i a rātou e whakatata ana ki te whare ka karanga atu, “Kaua koutou e haere ki korā! He tapu!” Tē aro atu ki ngā kōrero whakatūpato, ka haere tonu rātou. Ka kangakanga atu, ka kaioraora atu te hau kāinga ki a rātou i a rātou e tomo ana i te whare. I ohorere a Kōkako ki tēnei ekenga ka whakahau i a Tamainupō kia kōrero. “Ko Tamainupō ahau!” hei tāna, kātahi, ka whakahoki i te kahu me te patu ki a Kōkako. “Ko Tūkotuku tēnei, ko taku wahine, te tamāhine a Māhanga,” ka tohu atu i te pēpē me te kī, “koinei tā māua tamaiti.”
Ka maumahara ake a Kōkako ki āna kupu ki a Whaeatāpoko i taua pō o mua rā anō. I maumahara hoki ki taua tautangata i whakaora i a ia i te pakanga ki a Māhanga. I mua i tana urupare, i rongo a Kōkako i ngā kupu whakaparahako a te iwi i waho, ka tonoa āna toa ki te whakangū i a rātou. I tohu atu a Kōkako ki a Tamainupō ki te whai i a ia ki te tuāhu. Tuatahi, i tohia a Tamainupō hei tama nāna. Kātahi, ka huri ki tana mokopuna me te tapa i a ia ki te ingoa Wairere, mō te wai rere o te awa o Waikato. I whāwhai a Tamainupō kia tere mututetohi,itemeaikiteiaingātoaaKōkakoepatuanaiteiwi. Kuawherokētewhenua i te toto.
Ka mutu ana te tohi, i oma atu a Tamainupō ki waho ki te aukati i te whawhai. I tana hokinga ki te whare i kite ia i te koroua e awhiawhi ana i tana mokopuna. Ka īnoi atu a Tamainupō ki tana matua, “Tēnā homai tēnei ki a au...houhia te rongo ki a Māhanga. Ākuanei e hoki ana mātou ki te kāinga, ā, e hiahia ana kia haere tahi mai koe.” Ka titiro ake ki te mokopuna me ngā roimata aroha, ka whakaae a Kōkako ki te īnoi a tana tamaiti.