Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 16:50:00 +1200
From: arthur <rochopa@xtra.co.nz>
Subject: 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: