Te Hoa Pono

Te Ao Hou, March 1969, Page 6

Te Hoa Pono nā Mere Ana E rua ētahi kuia ko Kato he pouaru, ko Mere he penihana. Tā rāua mahi he hauhake parareka, kūmara, he tari hoki i tā rāua kānga, paukena, kūmara ki rō rua, ngā parareka ki rō pākoro. Te wera hoki o taua rangi, ā, ka whakangā rāua i runga i te parani o te whare o Mere, he titiro i ngā kōrero o te pepa, ko te ‘Times’ te ingoa. Ka mea atu a Mere ki a Kato, “He pānui tēnei. Kai te hiahiatia ētahi kaimahi wāhine i te whare mahi a Wati.” “Ko wai a Wati, ā, kai whea te mahi nā?” “Kai Tūranga. E kī ana te pepa nei, kotahi mano ngā kaimahi e mahi ana i reira, i ngā marama o Pepuere, o Maehe ki āperira, ā kai te karanga tonu he kaimahi mā rātau. E Kato, inā taua e taumaha nei i te nama — he hiko, Tīwī, me te raihana mō ngā waerehe me utu i tēnei marama.” “E Mere, ēngari koe, kāore ō waea; tēnā ko au — ko ngā waea a te tangata, te piki hoki o te utu waea! Te āhua, ka poroa e au taku waea. Kāore e taea e au te utu.” “Pēwhea ki te pāngia koe e te mate?” “ā, waiho rā mā te wā tēnā e titiro. Ka nui tonu taku ora. Kua pau kē taku penihana mō tēnei marama e tū mai nei, ā, he pai hoki kia hōmai e Hiri he nama kai māku i tōna toa. Me hoko rānei ētahi o ā tāua parareka. āhua pai te utu ināianei.” “A ka pēwhea tāua i ngā marama roaroa o te makariri? Ka whakawhata tāua i ngā kōhua, ā, ka mate tāua i te hemokai? E, ko te kore tēnā! Haramai, ka haere tāua ki a Wati i Tūranga, me kore noa tāua e waimarie, ā, ka hōmai he mahi mā tāua.” A Friend Indeed There were two old ladies, Kato who was a widow, and Mere, a pensioner. They had just finished harvesting their potatoes and storing the kumara in the kumara pit. The pumpkins were gathered into the ‘pakoro’, and the corn picked. The heat was terrific, and they were sitting on Mere's verandah reading the ‘Daily Times’. Mere said to Kato, “Here is an advertisement calling for workers at Wattie's factory.” “Who is Wattie, and where is this factory?” “It is in Gisborne. This paper says that nearly one thousand seasonal workers will be employed there during the months of February, March and April, and they are still calling for more labourers. Kato, here we are laden with our bills — electricity, TV and radio licences which have to be paid this month.” “Mere, you are all right, you haven't got a telephone; but for me — with other people's calls, and the increasing cost of the tolls! I think I will disconnect mine. I can't afford to pay it.” “Well, what if you get sick?” “Oh well, I'll just have to trust to my good health. I have already used up my next month's pension, and I hope Syd will give me credit for food at his store. Perhaps we could sell some of our potatoes. The price is pretty good at present.” “But what about the long winter months? Are we going to hang our pots up and starve? Oh no, never that! Let's go to Wattie's in Gisborne and try our luck.”

Kātahi rāua ka rapa he tēneti mō rāua, kia kore noa ai e utu rūma, ka kohi i ā rāua kōhua, parareka, he rātana hei mārama mō rāua, he moenga, he paraikete, nā kātahi ka tatari ki ngā waka taritari hipi ki Tūranga. Ka tae ki Tūranga, ka haere rāua ki te whakatū i tō rāua tēneti ki te one, pēnei anō i ngā ‘turihi’ nei, ā, ka haere rāua ki tā Wati. “E Kato, hoatu koe ki mua. āhua pai tō hanga, kāore i nui te hina o tō māhunga, pēnei i tōku.” Ka tae rāua ki te tari, ka pātai mai te karaka ki ō rāua ingoa, hiahia kākahu mahi anō rāua. Ka kī mai ia, “He mahi mā kōrua ināianei mehemea kōrua e hiahia ana ki te tīmata.” “E koiarā tō māua hiahia, ā, kia nui ngā ora ki a koe.” I te ahiahi, ka mutu tā rāua mahi, ka kite rāua i ngā penihana kaumātua ake i a rāua, ngā tamariki tāne, wāhine hoki, ā he nui ngā mea i mōhio ki a rāua. Ka pau te wiki, ka puta te tiaki a ngā kuia nei, ka katakata rāua, kātahi a Mere ka kī, “E Kato, kai roto i tēnei tangata i a Wati, te aroha pono o Te Karaiti. Kāore ana whiriwhiri i ana kaimahi, ā, e mōhio ana a ia ko ngā pouaru me ngā penihana ngā mea e tino āwhinatia ana i roto i ēnei marama. Nō reira, kia tau te manaakitanga a te Atua ki runga ki a koe, e Wati, te tino hoa pono o ngā pani!” So they looked for a tent to save accommodation charges, collected pots and pans, potatoes, a lantern, mattresses and blankets, then waited for a free ride on a sheep truck bound for Gisborne. When they reached Gisborne, they went to set up their tent on the beach just like campers, then they made their way to Wattie's. “Kato, you go first. You don't look very old, and your hair is not as white as mine.” When they reached the office, the clerk asked for their names and whether they required uniforms. He said, “You can start work straight away if you want to.” “Oh yes, that's what we would like to do, thank you very much.” At the end of the day, while clocking out, they met widows, pensioners older than themselves, young men and girls, many of whom knew them. At the end of the week, both kuias had broad smiles when they looked at their wages. Mere said, “Kato, this man must have the love of Jesus Christ in him because he does not pick and choose his workers. He must know, too, that most of the seasonal workers would be widows and pensioners who need help in these months. God bless you Mr Wattie, the true friend indeed of the needy!”