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.”