Aue by Becky Manawatu

Author:Becky Manawatu
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: FIC019000, FIC050000, FIC113000, FIC045000, FIC051000, FIC048000
Publisher: Scribe Publications
Published: 2022-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

Ārama

After dinner I got ready for bed. It was still early, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to sleep anyway, but I decided I would rather go to bed than sit around with Uncle Stu and Aunty Kat. My mouth kept almost opening to say something like: ‘I wonder what my teacher will look like?’ or ‘I wonder if the playground has a fort?’ or ‘I hope the kids like me.’ But then I just closed my mouth and kept the words inside because it was better than saying them and no one hearing me.

Uncle Stu wouldn’t hear because he never heard me, and neither would Aunty Kat, because she couldn’t hear me when he was around, because even when he wasn’t talking, he was loud.

I tried calling Nanny again, to tell her. But she still didn’t answer. Ever. And by now her answer service must be packed full of messages from me.

‘Hi, Nanny. How are you? Do you feel better yet? I still feel sad too. Maybe we can cheer each other up.’

‘Hi, Nan … Where are you? I miss you. Call me.’

‘Nanny. Do you know where Tauk is? I think you need to tell him to come back.’

‘Nanny, can you call me?’

‘Nanny, I know someone who will really cheer you up. My friend Beth. Can you call me so I can come over with Beth sometime?’

‘Nanny, did I leave an old rugby ball at your house? Lupo put a hole in my new one.’

‘Nanny. I forgot to tell you. Lupo is Beth’s dog. You will like him. Can I bring him over?’

‘Hi, Nanny, called to tell you Lupo ate another bee. You would laugh at his fat muzzle.’

‘Nanny. Where are you?’

‘Are you so sad, Nanny?’

‘I love you, Nanny.’

‘I watched Django, Nanny.’

‘Uncle Stu said C.U.N.T.’

‘I found your earring, Nanny.’

I thought those last three messages would get her here. Especially the lie, which I felt really so bad about – but it was for the best. I knew that adults lied for the best. So I could too. But she didn’t call me back. Not once. And Aunty Kat said she didn’t know when we could go and visit again.

Aunty Kat came up to read me a goodnight story. She picked up my big book of myths and legends.

‘Would you like Māui tonight?’

‘Yes.’

‘Which one?’

‘How he found his mother.’

I went to the box in my wardrobe and held up both copies of the same story. One was in Māori, the other in Pākehā.

Dad had bought the Pākehā version. To help us learn it. It hadn’t helped. We just read that one instead.

‘Which one?’

‘Ha. English,’ she said.

I liked the story, either way.

When Māui was born his mother thought he was dead and she cut off her hair and wrapped him in it and tossed him into the sea. The wave children of Tangaroa, the god of the sea, carried him on their backs. Tāwhiri, the god wind cooled him under the sun. When he found shore the seabirds wanted to eat him.

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