Pomare

POMARE

By Arthur

Authors Note:

This story is total fiction and relates to no known person or persons, all the usual age group warnings apply and the copyright remains the property of the auhtor and may not be reproduced for profit without his written consent.

When this story first came to mind I was going to add an index of the maori words used in the story but instead have decided to explain them as they are used so that you will be able to understand them when put in the correct context, I hope that this will not slow your reading of the story or detract from its theme.The characters names will be put in a way that you will be able to accept the pronounciation of them. eg: Pomare (po-marr-ee).

My body now felt alive as my bare feet walked on the softness of the leaves spread over the skin of mother earth. Until two risings of Ra (sun) ago I had no name except those names used to remind me of my place in the Iwi(Eewee, tribe) which were no names at all but words used to keep me beneath the stature of the warriors and women.

The most often used names were Tutaikuri (two-tie-koo-ree, dog shit) or taurekareka (toe-reka-reka, slave) as I was not of this Iwi and had been captured with my mother when I was only two plantings of the Kumara(Sweet Potatoe) old. My mother had seventeen plantings when the warriors of Tuhoe (Two-hoy) lead by their sub chief Rangi Tapuae (tar-poo-eye) invaded our village, slaughtering all the older men and boys and taking with them only the young women and a few tamariki (children) to serve as slaves or in the case of my mother as a second wife for Rangi Tapuae.

Soon in a few more risings of Ra I will be of fifteen plantings and while I am not as tall as a warrior nor as small as a tamariki I know that I will one day find my own place even though I am now without whanau (far-now, family) or Iwi to protect me.

My early days with the Iwi of Rangi Tapuae had been very hard and even though my mother was second wife I was still nothing more than a slave to be used by any who wanted work to be done, usually womens work for which the other tamariki would laugh at me and throw insults at my position. The worst names were about my eyes as they were the colour of the Pomare (Green stone) and not like the colour of the other boys.

My working started when I had made five plantings and it was very rare if a time went past without my being beaten either by women or boys as I went about the village. I was never given anything to wear like the other boys and the old women would grasp hold of the small skin that covered the end of my Rahoa (Rar-hore, penis) and tell me they would soon cut it off with a sharp shell from the Pipi (pip-ee, clam). Many times this would bring great fear to my heart as this was a greater insult than the work of a slave.

My worst time was just after I had made nine plantings, six boys of the Iwi who had more plantings than I and were training to be warriors decided that they need to release their milk but as it was forbidden to take wahine (Waa-heen-ay girls/women) while they were still in training they instead took hold of me and pulled me into the Manuka (Mar-noo-kar, scrub bush) and as two of them held my arms from the front and pulled me over so that my Puku (Belly) was over a low branch, two more held my legs wide apart as the first of the older boys pulled aside his pupu (Pew-pew, grass skirt) and with one hard lunge pushed his rigid rahoa up into my Tero (Ass). I began to cry out and scream at the pain as he pushed himself again and again deep into me. The other boys laughed and joked about their turn soon and then hit me hard over the mouth to stop my cries of pain.

All six boys had their turn until the pain made me collapse onto the branch weak and helpless as they walked away laughing while the blood and their milk ran down my bare legs for all to see. It was nearly the time of darkness when I was able to move and as I made my way back into the village I was immediately set upon by the old woman that wanted me to get the water for her so she could cook her Kumara for her meal.

After the beating from her she looked down at the blood on my legs and the dried milk of the boys and laughed again saying out loud so that all could hear.

"Hey whanau, look the taurekareka is a wahine now, see the young warriors have taken his tero for their use."

The village laughed and pointed at me as I lay there beaten and further disgraced, now I knew I was worthless and good for nothing but the plaything for the young warriors or anyone else that wanted to use me. My mother came during the night and cried for me but there was nothing she could do to take away my shame.

My life was now harder as not only did I have to do the womens work but I also was used by many young warriors when they felt the heat rising in their puku and their rahoa got to strong for them to ease by any other way. Many times they were very rough and I would be left in the manuka bleeding from my tero as they went on to other things, after all I was just the taurekareka, so to them I was nothing but a place to leave their milk.

My time passed in such fashion for five more plantings and then one time as I was laying in the manuka after most of the work was done, I heard loud shouting and laughter of young warriors at practice and so crept up as quietly as I could, which by now I was very good at.

The boys were practicing with the taiaha (tie-a-har, stabbing spear) and the patu (par-two, hand club). I watched from my hiding place as they jumped and leapt about, swinging the taiaha and making big flourishing moves with the patu as they tried to get the better of each other.

As I watched I began to see how they moved and twisted as they fought imaginery enemies and slowly I started to think that maybe if I got a long stick like the taiaha and found some rakau (Rar-kow, wood) and carved a patu then I could practice in secret so that one day I might win my freedom from this life as a taurekareka and wahine of the village.

After that day whenever I could steal the time I would go deep into the home of the mighty Kauri, Totara and Rimu (Native trees) and listen to the spirits of the those mighty timbers tell me how to move and practice with my weapons. Many times I would watch the birds as the flitted from branch to branch calling out to their mates or just singing for sheer pleasure and I would see that if I followed their movements then my own became better and the rough weapons I had made seemed to move without my thoughts to guide them.

My body was already strong from the work and little amount of food I was allowed to eat so that I was very used to doing long practice sessions without eating and this made my mind stronger as well so that if I fell or hit myself in practice I could shut away the pain and continue on.

Now I was approaching my fifteenth planting and as I lay in my whare (far-ee, house) with the dark time out side I would go over all the moves I had taught myself in the cover of the mighty timbers. I had closed my eyes as the sleep time had come over me and then I heard the kuri (Dogs) of the village begin to yap and bark outside the walls of the barracade that surrounded the Pa (Par, fortified village).

The kuri only barked if there was an enemy near by so the warriors were quickly out of the whare and running toward the gates of the Pa to defend the village but it was already to late as the enemy had sneaked up to the guards and killed them and then entered the village with loud shouts and yells as they fell upon the defenders.

The clashing of taiaha and cracking of bones as the stone patu found flesh and bone was terrible to my ears but I had to go out as it would be my head on the ground as well. As I left my whare I was pushed aside roughly by Rangi Tapuae as he lead the charge again at the enemy in an attempt to throw them out of the Pa.

I staggered to my feet just in time to see Rangi's arm shattered by a blow from a patu and as he cried out his taiaha fell to the ground at his feet his hand no longer able to hold it, with his left hand he reached for his patu to defend himself but even I could see he would be to late as the enemy warrior lifted his heavy patu to give Rangi the killing blow on the head.

It was at that momebnt that the chaos around me seemed to stand still, a silence came over the battle ground and then as if in a dream before me rose a tendril of mist, slowly getting larger until it towered over me like the great thunder clouds of the cold times, was hovering before me and then it began to change shape until it took the form of a giant warrior.

He was a terrible sight to see in the midst of the carnage of battle, on top of his head was the top knot of black hair with two white feathers of the huia's tail standing like a V, his face was covered with the moko (Tatoo) of a warrior who had taken many heads in battle.His eyes were like the black stones sometimes found in the ground that could be used in the cooking fires, and his nose was the large strong beak of the Kea(Parrot). The arms that he held wide spread were like the bodies of the mighty Kauri as they glowed with strength and power. His lower bodie was covered by the mist and appeared to me like the body of a Taniwha(tanny-far, evil spirit).

His eyes fell on me as I stood there, they cut into my deepest thoughts, and then with a voice like thunder he spoke to me.

"Tamariki Ma, take up the taiaha of Rangi Tapuae and slay the enemies of the people if you wish to be free of your slavery, for I will guide your Ringaringa (Hands) so that you will be free."

The mists faded and I was standing above Rangi with his Taiaha held firmly in my hands as the enemy warrior was bringing down his patu for the final blow, with unknown power I began to spin the taiaha and my feet danced like the Tui and the Huia in the branches of the Kauri. The warrior lifted his eyes as the taiaha's blade struck him a telling blow on the upper arm and then with a stabbing motion broke the bones in his chest with the point of the spear as he fell I brought down the blade once more onto the back of his neck hearing the bone break.

The lightness in my head was like the mists as I danced and leapt around the enemy striking down any who stood before me, the taniwha, for I knew it had to be a taniwha, guiding my actions as warrior after warrior fell before the taiaha of Rangi Tapuae as it came to life in my hands.

As Ra's light came over the edge of the land the enemy broke and ran for the cover of the surrounding timber, the warriors of the village now in haste after them. Dropping the taiaha I stood and looked around the battle ground that was the village and saw my mother with blood on her hands as she held Rangi's arm as he made his way back to his whare.

Rangi's voice rang out loud for all the village to hear.

"Tamariki, bring my taiaha to the whare, on this rising of Ra you will no longer be taurekareka to this Iwi."

I stooped down and picked up the taiaha and as I rose up I could see the water falling from the eyes of my mother as she helped Rangi to his whare.

On entering the whare Rangi gestured for me to sit before him as my mother tended his wounded arm.

"Tamariki, you have saved many men from death with your actions, for this I give you freedom to come and go as you please, I also give to you my taiaha as a sign of your standing, as you have no name I shall give to you the name that fits your actions as well as my patu that was my fathers before me and his father before him. This patu carries much Mana (Power) and will serve you well as you grow into man hood, your name shall be that of the stone of the patu and the stregnth of the spirits, from this rising of Ra you shall be known as Pomare Kaha."

The water of my eyes ran freely at this giving of a name even more than the great gift of the taiaha and patu with all the mana that went with both it was still not as much as being given a name of strength and honour like that which he gave to me.

"Rangatira (Chief) I will carry this name with honour as I carry the taiaha and patu of your Tupuna(Ancestors)."

"Then Pomare Kaha you are free to come and go as you wish."

"Rangatira, I would like to leave this village and go in search of my own mana."

"If that is your will Pomare Kaha then so be it, rest this rising of Ra and take with you any food or item you may need for your search at the next rising."

When the other warriors returned to the village they looked upon me with different eyes as they saw me standing by my small whare cleaning the taiaha and patu of Rangi Tapuae. The young warriors that had used me as a wahine looked away with shame on their faces as they knew that had I not been in the battle then they would even now be taken as taurekareka by the enemy and used in the same way as they had used me.

Now as my feet glided over the land of the timbers with the soft sound of the new pupu that my mother had made for me to cover my nakedness, my heart lifted and the sounds of the birds and the breath of the wind singing throught the branches as the Tui called out to his mate.

"Look, look there, it is Pomare Kaha the saviour of the village of Rangi Tapuae."

My steps lightened and quickened at the thought of the birds singing about my good deed as I made my way toward the blue Moana (Sea) and the black sands of the coast where I planned to spend the dark time after feeding heavily on kaimoana(seafood), this was indeed a great day to be free to walk the paths of other men.

As I neared the edge of the timber and the water showed among the thinning manuka I could see Ra was readying to sleep as he turned all the land around to the colour of the Pahutakawa flower(Native tree with red flowers), this was to be my first dark time alone and without worry.

The timing had been good for me as the water was low and that left the pipi and the tuatua close to the surface for me to dig and take for my meal. Once full I dug into the sand of the hills close to the shore and settled my small pikau (Woven back pack) down for my head to rest on. The darkness came and with it the sounds of the night creatures as they moved around looking for their first meal of this time.

My sleep was deep amd restful as only a free man can have and with Ra's rising I again looked to the shore for my first meal and then looked the length of the shore to decide where my first steps should go but in the distance I could see something very strange. It looked like a stranded animal laying on the sand but it was like no animal I could think of.

Lifting the pikau onto my shoulders I placed the patu into the waist of my pupu and took up the taiaha, with a final look toward the strange animal far down the sand I stepped out toward it tighteneing my grip on the taiaha.

As I neared the lifeless looking mound on the sand I made out the shape and to my surprise it was a man but like no other man I had ever seen. His skin was the colour of the white shells of the pipi but his hair was like the Kowhai flower(Yellow), on his legs was some kind of wrapping but it was much lighter than his skin, his chest was not covered and Ra had coloured him like the koura(Lobster) after it had been cooked in the fire.

There was much dirt and salt from the moana on him and I could see that he was a young man not much more than I about seventeen plantings. His chest moved very slightly as though he was very tired and had no strength left to walk away from the waters edge.

At last I dragged from deep in my memory the stories I had been told about the men that came from another place to hunt the whales of these Islands, so this must be one of the Pakeha(whiteman) but what was he doing here on this sand, there were no wind blown Waka(Canoe) like they told of, so where did he come from.

As I stood and looked upon this strange man he gave a low groaning sound and tried to move, he was a man so I knew I had to try to help him, it was what had to be done for the sake of hospitality if nothing else. I stooped and laying the taiaha down tried to lift him by his shoulders to take him up higher onto the hills of sand.

It took me a little while to get him settled on some dry soft sand and then after going back for the taiaha I set about starting a fire and gathering kaimoana for him to eat. Something inside me gave a flutter as I saw his face and then I saw what it was that had been different about him, he had eyes like mine, the same colour as the stone of the patu but lighter than my own but more brighter against his pale skin.

He stared up at me with uncertain looks as I stood above him, his mouth said words I could not understand so I offered him the kai(Food) I had gathered for him, he reached out and took it from me and with shaking hands began to place it in his mouth to slowly chew as he watched me like the mopoko (Owl) watches its next meal before taking it in his talons.

His eyes went from my face to the taiaha laying beside my knee and then to the handle of the patu as it showed above my waist band, he was very nervous as he chewed his kai but I tried to tell him that there was nothing to fear from me but he didn't understand my words so I just sat beside him and helped him to eat.

When the eating had been finished I reached for my pikau and took from it the small gourd of titi (Mutton bird) grease and with gentle fingers began to spread it over the skin that Ra had cooked to take away the pain and so that he would not get sick from heat.

The strange pakeha watched my every move as I worked the grease into his skin and as I began to rub it into his puku he moaned and his eyes went misty, inside the wrappings on his lower body his rahoa began to rise to hardness so I placed my hand on it for him and asked if he wanted me like the young warriors in the village had used me.

His look was one of need but he shook his head again not understanding my simple words. I thought to myself that there must be a way for me to make him feel better so without asking again I removed my pupu and lay down beside him taking hold of his hotness once again.

The pakeha boy looked on me in horror as I stroked him softly and then with a loud yell he pushed away my hand and then pushed me from him with a look of sickness on his face. What have I done wrong? is his rahoa not hard? am I not good enough for him to take me like a wahine? does he not know that it is the way of things when the heat rises in you? Ahh this pakeha is indeed strange.

I reached out my hand to touch his skin but he turned from me as he rose to his knees and then very strangely he lowered his head into his open hands and the water fell from his eyes as his shoulders shook and the sounds of words like moans came from his throat.

Rising to my feet I picked up the taiaha and made the gesture for him to follow me down the sand but he seemed to think I had bad things in mind for him as he lifted his arms to cover his head when he saw the taiaha in my hands. Many unknown words came from his mouth as though he was asking me not to lay the taiaha on him, uwe (ooway, exclamation) these pakeha are funny people, does he think I would save him from the moana only to strike him down after feeding him, like some warrior of Ngati Toa(Tribal name).

I shook my head and showed my teeth in friendliness to let him know I would not strike him and then when the water in his eyes cleared he stood up but with a scared look on his face, I turned my back and again signaled for him to follow me as I stepped out toward the far off headland at the end of the coastal sands.

Ra was indeed happy this rising as he sent the hotness down on us and the light breath of the moana played with our skin as we walked, the pakeha still a few paces behind me with eyes of the kuri that is about to be beaten for some wrong doing.

As Ra reached his highest we arrived at the headland and with a deep breath I moved into the dark shadow of the cave I had seen from further away. The pakeha stayed at the entrance and it was not until I laid down the taiaha and began to gather the dry branches that had been thrown into the cave by past rages of the storm that he came and sat with his back against the wall but in a way that he could watch my every move.

He was like the piwakawaka (Bird, Fantail) jumping at every move I made and his eyes leaping about in his head, uwe, this one is so nervous, I think the name piwakawaka is good for him, ai(yes) that will be his name from now on, ah yes my piwakawaka you are aptly named.

I took from my pikau some kumara from the village and a tuna(Eel) that I had caught and cleaned the rising before this one and set about cooking for us both. My piwakawaka watched my every move and then as he saw I was cooking he began to relax his nervous ways.

After eating we lay back and let the food settle in our puku and as I watched him he would look at me from under his eyebrows, with a certain look like the boys would get when they took me in the manuka. Ahh yes my piwakawaka now you feel the heat rising as your strength returns from the good kai we have eaten.

I raised my head and with a pointing finger at my chest told him my name, although not that it was only given to me but two risings ago.

"Pomare Kaha"

I pionted my finger at him.

"Piwakawaka?"

His words were strange.

"James."

Funny words.

"Ne (no) piwakawaka."

This time he said the word that sounded like Ne, then the funny word again.

"No James"

"Uwe, hemes?"

"No J.A.M.E.S"

"Uwe, Hemi is enough"

"Hemi?"

"Ai Hemi"

I pointed again at his chest, his strange sounds were to hard for me to use so he will have to learn my sounds if we are to talk.

Again I pointed and told him the name for his body, then pointed to myself.

"Pakeha, Maori?"

"I'm an englishman, you are maori, yes?"

"Ai, pakeha, maori."

Ah this one is not to slow but what he said was strange to my taringa(Ears), what is elikman, he is pakeha not an elikman.

"What is this parkeehar?"

"Ai pakeha, you are pakeha not elikman."

The lines drew across his head as he was thinking about the new words, ai, give him time he will know how to speak like he should. I reached across and laid my hand on his open knee to let him know that all was well but he jumped up and brushed away my hand with anger.

"Don't touch me like that, I'm not one of your whores on the docks."

What was all this strange babbling, where did his anger come from, does he not know that friendship is more important than loneliness, uwe he should have been taurekareka like me then he would know of loneliness and would not push away my friendship.

"Heathens, all they want is to touch me, damn that captain, he was just like this boy trying to touch me all the time and then throwing me overboard when I refused his bed."

What does he babble at, look now he is like the piwakawaka again.

"Mind you the captain was an unwashed devil and so old, and this boy is good looking, no....no...I'm not going to be like the catamites of Turkey, stalking the docks for men to satisfy them and pay their price."

Ah this pakeha babbles like the Tui in heat for a mate, time to go and maybe he will not continue with his strange words and angry eyes. I gathered up my pikau and the taiaha and began to leave the cave, I would take him into the timber and make a whare for the dark time to come and maybe with the new rising of Ra he will feel better.

With the making of the whare and setting of the fire for our last kai of this rising I lay back in the cover of the whare and looked as he took the far side to lay his head. His eyes were strange as he looked at me laying without my pupu, my skin was hot from the work and the heat of Ra so it was better to not wear the pupu to sleep.

The darkness finally came and as my eyes closed I could hear the call of the Mopoko in the branches and the rustling of the Kiwi on the ground hunting for their meals. Starnge sounds and many movements broke my sleep, looking out I could see it was still the dark time and then a muttering from the pakeha made me look across at him.

The man was moving and talking his strange speach as he slept, it must have been a taniwha in his head as he called out loudly many times.

"Heathen......beautiful copper velvet......emerald eyes....so young........beautiful boy......no god I'm not like that.....a sinner....no....no...not a heathen......love.....no no...god strike me down....not love....boy."

Uwe, so many funny words, I will have to calm him so he sleeps well, the next rising we must travel far. I moved over to him and laid my hand on his chest, quickly he reached in his sleeping and grasped my hand close to him, what to do?

I went to him and lay my back against his puku so that his arm was now holding my hand across my chest, he moved in closer to my body and I felt his heat and hardness against my tero. Ah so he wants me after all, I pushed back into him so that he could feel my heat on his skin.

"Love boy.....heathen....beautiful.....need him......no...no."

Why does he chatter so much, he is grunting like the kunikuni(Pig), why doesn't he take me, the feel of his hot hands on my skin awakens my own rahoa so I thrust back gentley onto him, he pushes forward. Uwe he is so big and hard, bigger than the young warriors that used to take me. I feel deep in the place of my kaha(strength/heart) something special about this pakeha. He does not want to take me like the warriors, it is in his touch that he is not forceful like they were. Wait yes, I know I will take away the coverings on his legs and let him feel my heat closer to him, then he may want to take me and make me his.

I know that I will never have a wahine as I have no whanau to pay the price and a young man like myself is not strong enough to take one from another village or do battle for one. This pakeha is what I desire, it is in my spirit that he will be the one for me.

Slowly I removed his coverings and the hair down there was the same as on his head, just like the kowhai, his rahopa was big and stood proud like a warrior but it was different from my own as he had not the small skin to cover it like mine. I returned to lay beside him and taking his manhood pressed it against my tero so that he would know that it was for him to use.

His frist thrust was small and did not enter me but left a little of his first milk on my tero, the next thrust was harder and the opening of my tero allowed him to enter a little, another thrust as he talked in his strange speach and he was deeper into me. Uwe, he is so big, I am already full of him but he has so much more to give, I push back again.

I feel his hands trelease mine and then both his arms circle around my chest as he pushes deeper into me, now I feel his hair of kowhai hard against my tero, aiyah, I am so full and he is so hot with his breathing. I make a small movement and he starts to take out his rahoa and then when it is almost gone from me he pushes back in to the full depth, ai this is better than the young warriors with their hurry and insults.

Holding his arms close to my chest I roll onto my puku pulling him on top so that he can better enjoy his place inside me. I hear his breath change and knnow that he is now aware of his place and with a loud cry he buries himself deep inside me again.

His pushes are full length as he uses my tero for his release which comes very quickly and then with a great sigh he lays fully down on top of me saying many strange words. I can tell by the way they are softly spoken that he likes to be with me, I clasp his arms closer to me and nod my head as he babbles his funny words.

"Heathen you are so beautiful....I love you....god will slay me for this but I love you....pomeraykar."

He is giving me good feelings, I know that he has feelings for me now, many times he will lay with me and I will make his heat better each time for him, ahhhhhh.. my pakeha Hemi, you will be my man and I will be for you a wahine, to cook and clean for you and to give my tero to you when you desire it.

This now is freedom, he is for me to care for as I like and not as he orders, hmmm let me see if he has the strength of a warrior and can give me his heat and milk again.

End: