ki too maaua kaainga. E hara i te mea he kaainga tootika, he anoo he kaainga.” Ka ui mai ia, “E peehea ana koe, e Rapa! hei aha te aawangawanga moo too whare. Ki taku titiro atu he whare tiro aataahua toou. Titiro atu ki ngaa putiputi e kanapa mai raa!” Kei te kuaha maaua inaianei. Ka mea atu ahau ki taku manuhiri, “Kuhu mai ki roto.” Ee tuu mai ana taku hoa-rangatira, aahua whakamaa ana. Ka kii a tu au ki a Pire. “Kaaore a no koe, i tuutaki noa i taku hoa-wahine. Ko ia teenaa e tuu mai naa.” Ka hariru raaua ka uru atu maatau ki roto, ki te noho. Ka kite atu ahau i aa maaua tamariki e piinono mai ana ki te tauhou—ko ngaa karu anake ka kitea atu! Ka ruuruu atu au i taku ringa, ka kore ngaa karu. Ka huri ahau ki taku manuhiri, ka mea atu, “E hia inu ana koe, e Pire? Ka nui te inu kei aau engari kaaore ahau e moohio ana mehemea koinei te momo e pai ana ki a koe!” “Ka mea mai ia.” Ahakoa he aha te momo, e Rapa, he paid katoa ki aau. Koinei te pai o tenna Paakehaa ki aau, he ngaawari. Ka ringihia he inu maa maatau, ka tahuri maatau ki te koorero. I te tiimatatanga kaaore he tino kiko oo aa maatau koorero. Heoi ano he koorero kia hipa ai te waa. Naawai aa, ka huri ngaa koorero ki te iwi Maaori. Kaatahi ka mahi ngaa hinengaro ki te whakaaro hoohonu. Ka mutu te tirotiro haere a Pire ki ngaa whakaahua oo aa maaua tamariki, oo aa maaua tiipuna, e irio ana i ngaa pakitara o te whare. Ka kii ko ia, “Ki taku moohio ko ngaa tikanga Maaori kei te kukume whakamuri i a koutou, i te iwi Maaori. He pai kee atu me whakakore atu aua tikanga. Kaatahi pea ka taatata atu te Maaori ki te iwi Paakehaa.” Ka mea atu au. “Nui noa atu ngaa tikanga Maaori kua ngaro ki te poo. Ko eehea atu me whakakore?” Ka kii ko ia. “Ko te tangi teetahi tinkanga me whakakore atu. Koinaa teetahi tikanga moumou taaima, moumou moni, moumoukai.” Ka whakaaro ahau, ana anoo teetahi Paakehaa mo te whakakore atu i te tangi, ko taku hoa e koorero mai nei ki a au. He aha raa i peenei ai? Me huri koia taatau ki ngaa tikanga nehu tuupaapaku a te Paakehaa? Me peehea e ea ai te aroha o te Maaori mo oona whanaunga? Ka kuutia te roimata, te koorero, kaaore e ea, kaaore e noho pai ngaa whanaunga. Kua kite ahau i te noho mokemoke a te tuupaapaku Maaori i runga i ngaa tikanga Paakehaa. Kua kite ahau i ngaa koroua, i ngaa kuia e rapa ana i teetahi huarahi e maringi mai ai te roimata, te koorero, ki taa te Maaori tikanga. Kaaore i kitea. Kaa raruraru ngaa whakaaro, ka puritia te poouri. Ka aroha atu ki te whanaunga mokemoke e takoto mai raa—kaaore i mihia, i moea raanei, kaaore i tangihia, i poroporoakitia raanei. humble about your home? From what I can see, it is a very attractive house. Look at the flowers disporting their beauty!” We were at the door by now. I said to my visitor, “Come inside!” Standing there was my wife who was looking a little shy. I said to Bill, “You haven't met my wife yet. That's her standing there.” After they shook hands we all went inside and to sit down. I noticed our children staring surreptitiously at the stranger—only their eyes could be seen! I shook my fist and the eyes vanished. I turned to my visitor and said to him, “Do you care for a drink, Bill? There is plenty to drink but I don't know whether this is the brand you prefer.” He replied, “No matter what the brand is, I like them all!” That is what I like about this Pakeha, he is easy to please. Drinks were poured for us all and we settled down to talk. At first our talk was of no consequence, it was merely talk to pass the time. However at length the topic of conversation turned to the Maori people. Then did our minds have to do some deep thinking. Bill stopped glancing at the portraits of our children and ancestors, hanging on the walls. Bill spoke, “To my way of thinking, your Maori customs are pulling you people back. It would be far better to sweep such customs away. Then, perhaps, the Maori people will get a little closer to the Pakeha's.” I said, “Many are the Maori customs which have disappeared into oblivion. Which others should be forgotten?” He continued, “The tangi is a custom you can well do without. That is a custom which wastes time, wastes money and wastes food.” I thought, well, here is another Pakeha who would do away with the tangi, he is my friend who is here talking to me. Why should this be so? Should we adopt the burial rites of the Pakeha? How can the love of the Maori for his relatives be given full expression? Constricted will be the tears and speeches, the debt will not be paid and the relatives will be troubled. For I have seen the utter loneliness of the Maori dead when following the Pakeha rites. I have seen our elders seeking a way by which the tears can flow and the speeches be heard, according to Maori custom. The way is not found. The thoughts became troubled, confused, and sorrow was withheld. One pitied the lonely relative lying there—he was not greeted nor was he kept warm, he was not wept over, nor farewelled. Then they arrived at the cemetery. No longer could sorrow be contained. The tears rushed out like a waterfall. Loud wailed the mouths, to weep the traditional weeping of the ancestors of long ago. Then uncertainty reigned, for fear of transgressing and being wrong. Then there was silence. The tide of tears had ebbed.