Hey Peeps!
Sorry again for the extremely long update, but college has started and it's been full on (especially with the never-ending amount of paperwork I have to do XP)
So, expect even longer gaps between updates fellow readers!.#Real-Life.
As usual, this chapter has gone through minor edits, so I apologize for any errors you might spot.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter Eleven: Te Huamo
Hinatea stood there, the words trapped in her throat as she kept her eyes downcast, all the while, Moana kept her eyes on the ruined mask she held. Why—How could her daughter… her own flesh and blood do something so reckless?
Moana asked her again, "Why Hinatea?" The tone of her voice signalled the enormity of her actions and the urgency for her to answer.
"I… don't know." Hina hesitantly replied.
"You don't know," Moana remarked softly before ending her statement with a slight huff of disappointment.
Finally, she forced herself to look at her eldest daughter—the very daughter she didn't want to see at the moment, "You don't know or you don't want me to know?" Moana felt like she wanted to scream in her daughter's face—let loose her fiery rage onto her like hot burning lava.
Her anger burned like a waking volcano ready to explode… only she had to keep it contained so she wouldn't burn away everything, she along with the other chiefs had worked so hard to create. "I have half a mind to cut you out from inheriting the title of Chief—"
Hina's eyes immediately widened in total shock and she opened her mouth and began to argue back, "Mom—you can't do that—"
Her grandfather took a step forward and exerted his role as Tulafale and warned her, "Hinatea." She immediately kept her mouth shut and looked up at her mother—her Chief.
Moana took a deep sharp breath, "Look behind you," She ordered. Hina slowly turned her and was faced with the damage she'd caused. She gave her a full minute to take it before she asked, "Tell me? Is that the work of a responsible Future Chief or a responsible Wayfinder?" Moana paused for a moment as she felt her temper intertwining in her voice. "Your actions prove to me that you're not suited to even be considered an heir to the title."
Hinatea took a step forward with her hand reaching out, "Mom, I—"
Moana raised her right hand up to stop her while her left hand continued gripping the mask and her eyes kept it sights well away from the sixteen-year-old. "I can't even bear to look at you right now." She muttered sharply before taking a deep breath, "You'll stay in fale till I send your grandfather to collect after the council and I finished discussing your possible disinheritance."
Tears filled the corners of Hinatea's eyes before she turned desperately toward her family. Sina took a deep breath and let out a long sigh before she gave her eldest granddaughter an apologetic smile. Tui put his hand on his wife's shoulder before he gave Hina a sharp, stern, but a sympathetic glance. Maui's expression kept changing—bordering between fury for their daughter's defiance and the need he felt to talk Moana out of her impending decision.
Hiapo took a step forward and asked mainly to ease the tension, "Who's won the race?"
Moana slowly looked up at him and took a deep breath before she turned her head and addressed their visitors and said, "I apologize for my daughter's shameless actions and know, that we'll bear the brunt of her recklessness… but, can we all agree that a winner needs to be decided today, at the Fale Fono."
Matai Tūhuruhuru was the first to agree with Moana, and the first one to encourage the other visiting Matais to agree with him as well. Moana looked up at Matai Tūhuruhuru and gave him a grateful nod.
Soon all eyes turned to Hinatea. Many had disgruntled looks on their faces, and Tūhuruhuru's eldest son, Tūwhakararo had a look of complete satisfaction. She looked up and watched as the crowd dispersed, and she noticed Hiapo and her sister Tala were the last ones to remain.
Hiapo's shoulders slumped before he let out one sigh of disappointment before he shook his head and turned to walk away. Tala gave her sister a sympathetic smile as she walked over toward her older sister with a hand of sympathy outstretched and ready to rest on Hina's shoulder left shoulder. Her fingers barely reached the edge of Hinatea's shoulders when she simply turned away and slowly marched in the direction of her fale.
Tala let out a long sigh before she lifted the nguru to her lips. If there was a right time for Hinatea to receive her first gift, it was now. She started playing the tune her first ancestor, Matai Vasa had taught her and carried on playing the melody till the sun came down.
Once the sky turned into shades of red, violet and blue, a soft ethereal bluish illuminated from behind her. Tala turned around and saw Matai Vasa standing there before her. She immediately stopped playing the nguru and got down, folding her knees beneath her before bowed her head before him. Matai Vasa got down one knee and lifted his descendant's chin up.
Tala then smiled at him and said, "Thank you."
IIIIIIIIIIII
Later that night,
Moana sat outside her paepae with her eyes at the fale standing about twenty feet away from hers. She was having second thoughts… she was feeling regret for what she had said. Had she been too hard on her? She kept racking her brain from the previous night and went as far as to replay memories from Hina's infancy to now—trying to find the very seed sowed the vines to her daughter's unbelievable stubbornness.
"Moana." Maui's accusatory came from behind her, "We need to talk." She turned and looked up at him with a shocked expression on her face.
"Excuse me?" She replied to his impudence as she slowly walked over toward him.
"You're way too hard on her." Maui carried on as he began to approach her.
"I'm being too hard on her?" Moana questioned as they two stopped once they were standing within three inches of each other, "She needs to learn responsibility." Moana shot back.
"She's still a kid." Maui argued back as if trying to prove a point, "So… there's plenty of time for her to learn—"
"NO. Ther isn't." Moana said to him with a vexed tone in her voice as she fought not to yell at him and wake their three younger children inside. "You can't keep her making excuses for her, she needs to learn—"
Maui cut her off and once again emphasized, "By being disinherited?"
"I didn't know how else to get through to her," Moana replied, her voice on the verge of obvious desperation.
"Okay, how about start acting like her mom instead of her chief?" Maui asked as his voice grew louder and his tone grew more frustrated.
"I'm doing the best I can!" Moana finally yelled, "But I can't play both parts at the same time, but you can help!"
Maui then exploded, "We're not talking about me! We're talking about our daughter."
"Maui, you're the reason why Hina turned out this way!" She turned away from him, put her left hand on her hip and let out a frustrated sigh.
"Well, whaddya want me to do about it?" Maui nearly shouted before he turned away from her.
"Help me." She said as she fought with every single fiber in her being not to scream in his face, "I need you to help me—I need you to act like her father, not her friend."
He immediately scoffed at her statement and said, "I don't need to act like anything 'kay? I know what I'm doing and you need to stop being so hard on her and don't disinherit her. Moana, it's bad enough that you humiliated her out there in front of everybody—"
"That's my point. She's just like…" Moana paused for a moment and took a deep breath, "She's just like you."
He stared at her perplexed look at first, but that confusion was just a mask to conceal what he really feared… what he hoped wouldn't happen. It was bad enough that she'd inherited most of his features—but she's inherited his insecurities and bravado. Out of all the things she got from him why did it have to be his insecurities and bravado too?
Maui looked up at her and half expected her to proclaim Hina should've never been born—no, he could see it happening at that very moment… he'd been rejected and discarded from birth and Hinatea bore a lot of his likeness… so rejection had to be down her path too. He took a deep mental breath as he waited for Moana to discard their eldest girl too.
Instead, Moana added, "She…" She turned to face their daughter's fale before she let a shaky sigh, "She needs discipline, Maui." She turned to him with desperation and determination in her eyes, as her gaze could pierce through and get him to understand, "Not just from me, not just from my dad. But you."
He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned sideways toward her, "Yeah… No. Last time I did that she cried and I'm never gonna make her cry like that again ever again."
Moana took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak but Maui wasn't going to let her get a word in just yet. "You can call it spoiling all you want, but what I want is just to make her happy…" He paused for a moment and straightened up before he turned to gaze upon their daughter's fale and watched as the glowing firelight emitting inside Hina's home suddenly blew out to welcome the night into her house.
Suddenly Tui's thirteen–year–old words of wisdom echoed through his mind as he finally let out a dejected sigh and carried on as all traces of his combative attitude just washed away, "And safe…"
Moana slowly frowned as she too felt her frustration slowly cooling down. She slowly walked over where he sat down at the paepae and sat down beside him, then waited just in case he wanted to continue talking. But he kept silent as he continued staring at their daughter's house.
Her chiefly nature took over and she faced him and told him, "I want her to be happy too… but she—you two need to understand there's such thing as too much happiness and too much of anything isn't good. And being too lenient on her isn't going to help her find her own happiness in the long run."
She watched as his shoulders slumped slightly and his expressionless gaze turned somber before while he continued eying their daughter's fale. Moana paused for a moment as she tried scrambling the words together unaware that Maui a bit more to say now.
"Parenting's really hard…" He said before sighing, "I mean… half the time I feel like I… don't know what I'm even doing? But every time I see the kids smile… I feel like I've gotten one thing right." He closed his eyes and took a deep, somber breath before he added with a slight hint of dispiritment, "Well, I guess it's a good thing that at least one of us know what we're doing?"
Moana frowned for a moment and then pondered, "You told me that the Gods—"
Maui cut her off just to clarify the state of his relationships with the so-called deities, "The Gods gave me powers and the hook to serve humans, and they taught me a few tricks—a few enchantments… that's it. Once I was ready…" He lifted his hands up and started waving them to and fro, "It was back living among mortals again!"
Now she understood why his past from beyond parents' rejection was another sore subject for him to talk about. Moana reached up and put her hand right on his left shoulder blade. "Maui, I…" She paused and took a deep breath, trying to find the right words for this situation, "…I'm sorry. I didn't kno—"
He cut off her and said, "S'okay. It's not your fault." As he put his right hand on top of hers.
Remorse flickered through her eyes as she stared out into the horizon before them, her eyes then gazed upon the ground as she asked herself, "But if you think I know what I'm doing? You're wrong, sometimes I feel like I'm not trying hard enough… that maybe—just maybe, I'm not as good a mother as I thought I—"
That's when she felt his hand on his shoulder as he said, "Hey, Hey, you stop it. You're being way too hard on yourself and you're an amazing mom. Our kids are lucky to have a mother like you." Those words put to a smile on her lips and for a moment it made Maui smile too. Then he frowned and took his hand off her right shoulder before.
A slow low-spirited five-minute pause stretched out between them till he finally admitted what he never wanted to confess all this time, "Half the time I feel like I don't really know what I'm doing?" Maui tore his gaze away from Hina's fale and slowly fixated his stare toward the ground sitting there eight-feet below them as he continued while coming up with the assumption,
"Maybe… Maybe, I'm not really cut out for the whole fatherhood feat. Heck, beating Te Kā was nothing compared to this." He let out a long sigh and said, "I just wish… I had somebody who could've taught me what to do? To show me what it'll take to be a good dad."
Suddenly he the slight pressure of her touch on his cheek as she gently turned his head to face her as she told him, "Maui, you are a wonderful dad. You know our children better than I do—"
"Except for Tala." He quickly added with a chuckle. She let out several chuckles of her own before she started brushing her thumb against his cheek, their gazes met. Moana saw the glint of admiration in his shimmering eyes and she that same wonderful fluttering in her stomach as a comforting bubbling warmth filling up in her chest. The sensations were welcoming, to say the least… but the timing couldn't be any more off.
Despite the tender feelings, Moana kept a level head and slowly turned her focus on what was important right now, "—you know our children better than I do, Maui. That's another thing you've done right, and you know what? You do have what it takes to be a great dad, and you have us here to show you how to get there."
Maui let out a sound mixed between a laugh and a scoff before he went, "Yeah?"
Moana smiled and replied, "Yeah." As she continued brushing her thumb against his cheek and that's when she saw the warm loving glint in his eyes and for a brief moment, all she could remember was the good memories over the last seventeen years of their marriage.
Since the seventeen years, they spend sharing each other's lives. Her hand slowly slipped down his cheek and rested against his right shoulder before she leaned over and rested her head against his left shoulder. Maui pulled his arm back and put around her shoulders as the two finally set their sights back on their daughter's fale.
Then his arm acted on its own accord and it seemed like his spirit could sense Moana's troubles. She felt his hand rubbing her back to ease her tense as she continued staring at their daughter's house.
"I never should've said those words," Moana sighed.
"Well, you didn't know how else to get through to her? So, maybe a little shock to wake her up wasn't such a bad idea." Maui concluded then frowned when he heard her sigh again.
She whispered with obvious regret in her voice, "I just wish it didn't have to go that far."
He slowly moved his arm to her upper forearm and pulled her closer to him, hoping that way he could squeeze whatever ounce of regret that was building up inside her. "I know." He replied softly after he turned to face her for a moment just to give her a comforting smile that she could see from the corner of her eye before he glanced back at his daughter's fale.
Moana sighed and said as she standing up, "You should get some sleep, Maui." He looked over toward her left and finally took notice of her family's rolled 'ie toga lying beside her and looked up right at her as she continued, "I'll be performing the i'foga tonight."
There were bags under her eyes and a slightly uncharacteristic pale tint into to her usually sun-kissed olive skin. Proof, of the last three sleepless nights she'd spend tending to the preparations for the Tuuga vaa, and their fish shortage. All of her burdens seemed to never end in his eyes—when one was lifted off her shoulder another one is stacked on.
Then an idea struck and he suggested, "Why not let Hina do it?"
Moana immediately shot it down and told him, "No, Maui, the i'foga is something that the ali'i nui has to do, and Hina isn't the ali'i nui."
He opened his mouth and she shot him down again with a stern, "NO. She's done enough." Their earlier conversation of the doubt having now left her mind. Soon the rest of Motunui's Matais were approaching their fale.
Maui frowned the very second Moana got up and her father walked up the stone steps to retrieve the 'ie toga beside her. He watched as she walked down the steps.
He called out, "Moana, Wait!" She immediately stopped in her tracks and slowly looked at him over her shoulder. Maui took a deep breath said with a bright tone in his voice, "Okay, okay, I got a better idea… why not let me do—"
Despite the obvious exhaustion in her eyes, she gave him the sharpest glare he'd ever seen, but he wasn't going to back down. "Look at you, you're exhausted and you clearly need to take a break—"
Her obvious fatigue combined with her guilt, stress and determination had nearly reached her boiling point and it took every fibre of her being not to snap at him. "Maui. Enough. I'm the Chief, I'm the head of the family, and a member of my family has wronged a visiting Matai. It's my responsibility to ask for their forgiveness."
Maui opened his mouth to speak again but then stopped when Tui immediately silenced whatever protest about leave to his lips. He looked up at his father-in-law and fellow village elder and saw the mixed emotions in his eyes. As her father, he was worried for her overall health both emotionally and physically––however as one of the villagers under her watchful eyes, he felt inappropriate to question her decision to perform the Chiefly duties now expected of her since she'd rightly taken the position twenty years ago. And she was right, whether they liked it or not the i'foga was a gesture reserved only for the High Chiefs of a village.
Tui made it up to the paepae and retrieved the 'ie toga, before he carefully slung the rolled up fine mat over his right shoulder, turned around and walked down the stone steps toward where Moana stood. Maui watched as Tui put his arm around her shoulder to steady her steps as they all headed over to the first guesthouse.
Maui let out a soft sigh and then felt a hand on his shoulder. He slowly turned to look behind him and saw Tala standing there. Maui crossed his arms over his chest as he pointed out, "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
Tala crossed her arms over her chest and asked, "Shouldn't you be too?"
Maui then asked her pointedly, "Okay, who's the child and who's the parent here?"
Tala smiled cheekily while raising one eyebrow as she stared at him pointedly. Maui raised an eyebrow and tried to sound stern, "Don't give me that look, it's way too early for to be up—"
She cut him off as she began playing with her long wavy hair, "Y'know, I think you're right about letting Hina take full responsibility and apologize."
Her father gave her a suspicious glance, "Really?"
"Really." Tala chimed with a genuine dimpled smile, "Either way, that's what I think." Then she turned around and added, "But you're right Dad, it's way too early for me to be up—"
Maui then pointed a knowing finger and told her, "Quit being cheeky."
Tala stopped and slowly turned to him as she lifted the pola sheet half-way and remarked as she looked at him over her shoulder, "I learned from the best." Before she stepped back inside the fale.
IIIIIIIIIIII
Tala slowly let the sheet fall back into place and slowly peeked out through the small space between it and the pou lalo. Her father was still sitting down on the paepae, most likely taking in her words. Finally, he stood and tried to walk down the steps as quietly as possible.
She smiled and slowly pulled her hand away from the pola sheet before she retreated back to her sleeping mat, laid her head down, closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep.
IIIIIIIIIIII
Hinatea tossed and turned as she laid on her sleeping mat with beats of sweat pouring down her head. Her expression changed constantly to reflect the panic from the images conjured in her mind.
She woke with a loud gasp as she immediately sat up to catch her breath as chest heaved heavily from whatever dream she had?
Slowly, she had the urge to glance to her right to where the sea could be seen from her fale.
Through the thin spaces between the unrolled pola sheets, she saw the dark sky slowly turning crimson as the first signs dawn began to peek out of the horizon.
Suddenly a sharp burning pain struck her left hand, that went away quickly as it came. Panicked, Hina slowly lifted her hand up and turned it, and right there lying horizontally on the back of her hand was a new tattoo in her image, sleeping on its side. Her eyes widen and she let out an ear-piercing scream.
Her tattoo depiction immediately jumped up and her fists up in front of her in an aggressive fashion. Then stopped when she spotted Hinatea looked down at her with a horrified expression on her face.
The tattoo's mouth opened in a silent scream, the same time Hinatea let out another loud cry of shock. A few seconds later there came the sound of rushing footsteps. Hinatea frantically searched for something she could use to wrap her left hand. Finally, she found a u'a cloth hand and quickly bandaged the tattoo under it just before her pola sheet fluttered open.
"Dad!" Hina greeted with a little too much enthusiasm.
"You okay?" He asked.
Hinatea forced a nervous smile and said to cover up the real issue, "Yep! I just had a bad drea—"
He looked down and saw the bandage and quickly asked while pointing, "What happened to your hand?"
Hinatea quickly hid her wrapped hand behind her back, "Nothing!"
Maui took a step forward, "Hinatea—"
Hinatea waved her right hand in a 'calm down' motion and told him, "Dad, it's nothing. I promise."
He raised an eyebrow and stared at her with obvious disbelief as he folded his arms over his chest. Hinatea immediately gave him an annoyed scowl and she grumbled, "Fine… I'll see Waiola about it later," Then immediately shook off her annoyance and asked with an accusatory tone, "But—what are you doing here?"
"C'mon." He said as he rushed over, grabbed her by the hand and proceeded to pull her out of her home, ignoring her protests and attempts to break herself free.
IIIIIIIIIIII
Hinatea struggled and planted the soles of her feet on the dirt to no avail, especially with his demigod strength. Her father continued pulling her along as the back of her feet left a three-inch trail from him dragging her along.
Hinatea finally growled, "Dad, let go!" By some miracle, she managed to wrestle her right hand free. A loud crack echoed from her wrist, she winced as she shook it off.
Maui turned around as she rubbing her stinging wrist.
Finally, she looked up at him and asked, "What is wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me?" He retorted, pointing to himself before he pointed an accusing finger at her, "What's wrong with you?" He slowly marched over toward her.
Hinatea looked up at him, mirroring the look of disapproval he had as he continued, "Yeah, thanks to your little stunt, your mom's out there by one of the fale talimalo, apologizing for your mistake."
Her eyes went wide in disbelief. "What?"
Maui folded his arms over his chest and said, "You heard me, and you know it's you who should be—"
Hinatea took a deep breath and replied, "Dad… You're right."
He was half-way through to continue his attempt at a lecture when the surprised look came to his face. He slowly turned to his daughter with perplexity.
Hinatea saw the expression on her father's face and took a deep breath, before she relented, "You're right. I'm the one who should apologize—but, Mom told me not stay in my fale and I don't want…" She slowly closed her eyes as she stopped herself from saying the word.
Disappoint her. She knew her actions yesterday gave her the outcome she feared the most.
Maui read her mind and stated, "To disappoint her?"
Hinatea frowned and took a deep breath before she quickly shook her head, "Forget I said anything." She crossed her arms over her chest and turned away for a moment.
She looked up at him and took a deep breath, "Look, Mom said I can't leave my fale till I'm called, and I don't wanna disobey her again."
He frowned and took a deep breath, "You're not gonna get in trouble 'cause I'll take the fall for you—"
"Not the point!" Hina cut him off, "Dad, I've caused enough trouble—"
"Which is why you should be apologizing––" He held his hand up to stop her from talking, "If you're as sorry as you say you are. Prove it. And… yeah, your Mom might get mad, but you'll be doing the right thing and that's all that matters."
He put his hands on his hips and added, "And, I'll have your back when you need it." She raised a skeptical eyebrow as she stared at him, the corners of her lips pulled themselves down into a frown of uncertainty.
"I mean it." Maui replied before he walked over and put a supportive arm over his daughter's shoulder, "What kinda Dad would I be if I didn't have my daughter's back?"
Hinatea rolled her eyes, but then looked up at him with a grateful smile before she gave him sideways hug, "Thanks, Dad."
Maui pulled her closer to him and replied, "Anytime Shark-Bait." They pulled away slightly and exchanged a loving familial glance, then out of nowhere he grinned and ruffled his daughter's thick dark curls the same he did during her childhood.
Hinatea shoved his hand away from her precious hair. He chuckled, and then pulled away. Puzzled, Maui turned to face his daughter with a bewildered look on his face. She looked up at him and said, "Dad, as much as I love to have you there, having my back. This is something I need to do,"
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she looked back at him and added, "On my own."
A sudden look of dreaded realization flashed before his eyes. His little girl was growing up… too fast. Too fast for his own liking, but he knew what he had to do now, and that was back off and let her grow.
He walked to her with a proud smile and gave her a warm encouraging hug. Hina looked up at him and said, "Thanks, Dad." Before she pulled away and rushed off toward the guesthouses.
Maui stood there with a sad smile on his face as muttered to himself, "Don't grow up too fast Shark-bait."
IIIIIIIIIIII
Fifteen minutes later,
Hinatea finally found the guest house where, grandfather, and the Village Elders all gathered. She stopped in her tracks and saw the elevated kneeling form of a person underneath the 'ie toga. That was her mother underneath there. Hinatea took a deep breath and approached them all.
"Grampa." She called out to him. Tui turned his head and was shocked to see his eldest granddaughter walking over them. "Grampa you gotta let me get under there."
Tui gave her stern glance as he told her, "Hina, return to your fale—"
"Grampa please let me fix this—"
"Haven't you done enough already?" One of The Elders lectured. Hinatea looked up at them all in disbelief, then her eyes diverted to the large fine mat before her. Finally, she narrowed her eyes in determination and quickly crawled right under the fine mat before they could stop her.
IIIIIIIIIIII
Moana immediately turned her from the commotion and heard the sound of rustling grass to her right, and her daughter crawled in.
"Hina, what are you doing here?" Moana asked in obvious disbelief, "I told you to stay in your fale."
Hinatea looked up and got a good glimpse of her mother's face. She had bags underneath her eyes, her skin was slightly pale, and the question came out of her mouth, "Are you okay?"
Moana let out a sigh before she said, "I'm fine, thank you. Now, Hina, why are you here?"
Hinatea told her and said, "I'm here to fix the mess I made."
Her mother shook her head in disbelief and said, "Go home Hina."
Hina leaned forward toward her mother and begged her, "Just gimme a chance—just one chance, that's all I ask—"
Moana slowly turned her head away and closed her eyes as she said, "Hina, I don't know if I can even trust you—"
Hina, out of desperation, grabbed her mother's hand and told her, "I'm not asking you to trust me… all I want is a chance, just one chance… to prove to you that I can be the daughter you want me to be."
Her pleas were met with silence, and finally, she added, "Mom, I know I screwed everything up… and I know I have no excuse for what I did, I know I humiliated you, our island, and our family."
She swallowed the lump in her throat and took a deep breath, "But all I want—all I need is one chance. That's all I ask, and if I screw up again… then I deserve to be disinherited and I promise… to accept whatever decision you make. I promise."
Moana and her eldest daughter's eyes met, and Moana saw that her daughter meant every word––but, that small seed of doubt still lingered, buried deep within her heart… and the truth was, her grief from the damage to her late grandmother's keepsakes still stung, and she wasn't sure if she would ever forgive her daughter for that.
But she was still a Chief, and as chief, she had to be just, no matter what. She took a deep breath and relented, "I'll give you one chance, but that's your only one."
Hinatea looked up at her and gave her mother a grateful smile. Moana slowly nodded her head in acknowledgement before she turned and crawled backwards out of the 'ie toga.
She heard her mother bidding her grandfather farewell before she left for her home. Hinatea took a deep shaky breath as her mother's footsteps echoed past till there was nothing but silence.
It was up to her now.
Part of her felt relieved that her mother had given her this chance, but part of her felt worried… what if. What if she screwed up again?
Soon she heard the sounds of footsteps rustling the grass in front of her and soon felt someone lifting the sheet and much to her surprise it was Tūhuruhuru and Hiapo standing before her.
"Hiapo?" Hinatea called out accidentally. Hiapo nodded and then turned to Tūhuruhuru and then took a step back when he reached out for her hand. Hinatea slowly took the Matai's hand, and he pulled her out of the 'ie toga, and ceremoniously invited her and the other Matais inside the fale
Hiapo followed them into the fale talimalo, where Matai Tūhuruhuru and his wife Apakura invited her and the other Matais to sit, and share kava with them, as it was part of the forgiveness process.
Hinatea immediately felt nervous. She'd never done anything like this before and in a moment of self-doubt, she found herself questioning her own motives for going through with this?
Hiapo gave his speech and walked over toward with the kava bowl in his hand. He leaned forward and handed her the kava bowl. Hinatea thanked him and then thanked Tūhuruhuru before she slowly drank it down.
IIIIIIIIIIII
Hours later at dusk,
Hinatea stumbled toward her fale, completely exhausted by completing the i'foga just before it was time for evening meals. She marched up the steps to her paepae, shoved the pola sheet to one side and groaning tiredly, she got down on her knees and collapsed onto her sleeping mat, lying stomach down on the floor, and fell into a deep slumber before her head could even hit her pillow.
Not even five minutes had passed when the sound of small pitter-patter echoed outside, and a tiny hand pushed her pola to one side.
"Na-na?" Melelani called out as she slowly walked into her eldest sister's fale, and approached her sleeping mat. She knelt down beside her sister's sleeping form and leaned forward, she put her little hands on her sister's left shoulder and started shaking her.
"Na-na, wake up Na-na, wake up!" Melelani ordered. Hina answered her calls with a soft tired groan. "Na-na—"
She let out a sharp gasp when she felt a giant hand scooping her up from her sister's sleeping mat. Melelani looked up just in time to see her father putting his finger to his lips and shushing her.
He slowly got down before he set his youngest daughter back on the river stone floor. Then, he reached over the tapa cloth blanket sitting below his eldest daughter's feet and slowly draped over her and tucked her in, the same way he used to back when she was a little girl.
Hina smiled in her sleep as he gently laid the edges of the blanket on her shoulders. A proud smile etched themselves to the corners of his lips as he whispered with fatherly affection, "G'night Shark-bait." He then reached over and scooped Melelani back in his arm before he carried her out.
IIIIIIIIIIII
"I got her!" Maui announced as he walked over to his spot on the malae, with Melelani still perched on his arm.
"Where's Na-na?" Melelani asked her father as she looked up at him.
Maui smiled at as he sat down and set her on his lap, "Sleeping."
"No!" Melelani declared, "Na-na's eating." Maui raised an eyebrow while Moana chuckled.
"And where's Hina's eating?" Moana asked her youngest daughter.
"Here, Na-na eats here!" Their little girl pointed to the spot next to them. Her parents laughed while her grandparents had loving smiles on their faces. Melelani started squirming.
Maui smiled as he set his youngest daughter down. Melelani stood up and then started babbling on while she pointed to various spots on the malae, "Papa sits here, Mama's here." Suddenly she got up and rushed over to where her older brother was sitting and grabbed his hand. She pulled him away from his food and didn't notice his protests till she pointed to a spot and said, "Koa sit here!"
"No! I wanna eat!" Makoa shouted before he wrenched his hand off his sister's and marched back to his spot where his hot meal of kalua pig, chicken and palusami—suddenly he felt his lavalava tightened against the front of his waist and he whirled around to see his Melelani had her hands on the bottom end of his lavalava.
"Let go!" He cried as he secured one hand on the top of his lavalava and tugged the middle with the other. Melelani was determined and she kept trying to pull her older brother back, while he continued trying to tear his lavalava out of his little sister's hands.
He growled as he pulled harder, and she grunted—her cheeks red from her strain as she struggled. Their determination caused a physical tear on his attire, and neither of them noticed the rip till the bottom corner of his lavalava was tore off. The two siblings fell back.
Moana reached over and put her arm behind Makoa's back, while Maui caught Melelani in his hand. The two helped their children up to their feet. Makoa saw the rip and gave his little sister an annoyed scowl.
"Alright, that's enough." Their mother told them both. Melelani whimpered. Moana raised a stern eyebrow, while Maui picked their youngest and settled her on his lap before he picked up a piece of cooked eel and held it in front of her.
"Ooohooo!" Melelani cooed before she opened her mouth and Maui placed the piece of food in her mouth. He chuckled to hear the sounds she made as she ate, "Mumumumum…" She paused for a moment and then pointed to her father's meal.
"Fish?" She asked before she looked up at him.
"You want some fish, kiddo?" Maui asked.
"Yeah please," Melelani replied. He smiled as he reached forward and grabbed a piece of the fish while she was bouncing with excitement. Melelani opened her mouth and started squealing impatiently till Maui put the piece of fish in her mouth. She closed her lips and started chewing while the sounds of Mumumumum… muffledly passed through her closed lips.
Makoa rolled his eyes as he walked back to his spot and sat down. He rubbed his hands together as he reached over to eat the raw fish salad in front of him when out of nowhere Tala quickly grabbed the banana leaf that held his meal and pulled it.
"Hey, that's mine!" Makoa cried out as he lunged at his older sister, but Tala was determined to eat all of his fish. "Give it! Give it! Give it!" He growled as she stood up, started running and ate as she rushed away from him.
By the time she stopped, Makoa tackled her down and crawled over her as the banana leaf accidentally fell out of her hands and landed a few feet in front of her. Makoa leapt off her shoulders and quickly grabbed the leaf.
Tala lifted her head up and laid there with her arms up, her hands to her cheeks and her elbows planted on the ground as she waited with a knowing smile.
3… 2… 1.
Makoa screamed, "Hey! You ate it all!"
Tala shrugged her shoulders and slowly half-turned as her brother raced off, taking the leaf with him as proof while he went to tell their parents what she did.
She didn't mind getting into trouble though.
She didn't mind at all.
IIIIIIIIIIII
The next morning,
The village was silent. No children were out playing, running or flying their kites. Not even the sound of celebrations was in the air, and for those who were up and walking about, found this troubling. Most of the villagers and a couple of the visiting Matais were sick.
Hiapo knelt down by the ever-expanding beach on the island. He reached down and dipped his hands toward the black patches staining the sand. He rubbed the two black patches together against his fingertips.
Ash…
His head turned the line all across the beach. It was everywhere. Soon he heard the sound of slippery slaps in front of him. Then he heard the sound of soft footsteps beside him.
"It's getting worse," Moana spoke out.
Hiapo slowly stood up and then showed her and her father the ash stain on his fingers.
Moana eyes perked up with worry for a moment… could it be possible that Te Kā had risen again? No, that couldn't be it. The crops were plentiful on many islands and the fish….
The fish.
Tui put his hand around Hiapo's wrist and brought his hand closer, so he could get a better look. "What are we going to do?" Hiapo asked.
"We'll call a council meeting immediately," Moana answered as she turned to them both. Her eyes gazed pointedly at her father as she nodded the command. Tui nodded back before he let go of Hiapo's hand, and slowly marched off to pass the message on.
Moana then turned to Hiapo and asked, "And how were this fish this morning?"
Hiapo frowned and told her, "It's reached the freshwater fish too."
Moana frowned as well before she turned her head toward the ever disappearing ocean right before them as a sense of mourning echoed within her. What was happening to the ocean that she loved?
What was happening?
IIIIIIIIIIII
Hinatea slowly turned on her sleeping mat with her right arm stretched over her head as the sun rays shined through the small cracks in between her pola sheets and penetrated through her closed eyes. She let out an irritated groan as she lowered her right arm over her eyes to block out the waking light, so she can welcome the dark and sleep. But the faint sound of whistling resonated all around her fale. Hina grunted as she slowly started to drift away from her dreams and back into everyday life.
Then she heard the twinkling sounds of her tattoo—her eyes shot open and she quickly sat up before she unwrapped her bandaged hand—hoping that all of this was a dream, soon she saw her tattooed image looking up at her with her black arms crossed over her chest.
Hina nearly screamed when suddenly a girl's hand clamped over her mouth to block her cries from coming through.
"Shhh… it's me." Tala whispered as she sat down behind her, "Don't freak out."
"Tala?" Hinatea's muffled voice spoke through her sister's hand. Tala took her hand off her older sister's mouth when she heard a twinkle from Hina's right hand.
"Don't!" Hina screamed as she quickly hid her right hand away. Tala immediately raised an eyebrow. Hina chuckled nervously and said, "It's nothing—really."
"If it's nothing, then why are you trying to hide it?" Tala pointed out.
Hinatea immediately sucked her lips before she rebutted her little sister's outrageous assumption, "Hiding? Who said anything about hiding—I'm not hiding any—"
Tala quickly went over and sat to her sister's right before she grabbed her wrist and turned her hand over. Hinatea immediately closed her eyes—waiting for her sister's dreaded reaction.
"Hmmm… weird, I didn't think this was your gift." Tala replied with a noteful tone in her voice, "Oh! She moves just like Mini-Maui—ah—okay, okay." She continued while giving her sister's hand a gentle, reassuring pat and looked up to see her sister's mouth hanging open in obvious shock as she reassured her, "Don't worry everything's going to be okay." Tala slowly pulled her hand off her sister's, and Hinatea quickly shook off whatever trance had overcome her.
Hina then pointed an accusing finger at her sister before she let a series of grunts and threw her hands up in the air out of sheer frustration about the turn of events. "Wait—what—you—gah!" Tala opened her mouth, but Hina interrupted, "Don't talk to me!"
Tala immediately closed her mouth back up and gave her a smart stare as she listened to her sister's mutters. Hina slowly turned to sister with a suspicious glare. Tala tilted her slightly and raised an eyebrow.
Hina narrowed her eyes, "What did you do?" Tala raised both eyebrows and gave her sister a knowing look while keeping her mouth shut just as she'd asked.
Finally, Hina grunted in frustration and relented, "Fine! You can talk now."
Tala answered. "I just asked Matai Vasa if he wouldn't mind helping you."
Hina rolled her eyes in response and muttered, "Here we go…"
"It wouldn't hurt to ask for help you know." Tala pointed out before she continued examining the animated tattoo for a moment. "Well, hopefully, she'll teach you to listen."
Her sister turned and gave her an annoyed glare. Tala gave her a gentle smile in return, Hina rolled her eyes and then turned away for a moment with an irritated scowl as she turned away from her sister as the two of them sat down in silence.
Then she turned back to her younger sister and asked, "Are you gonna tell Mom or Dad about…" She paused there and nervously lifted her tattooed hand up in front of her.
Tala had a mischievous glint in her eyes as she reached over and clasped her sister's hand with her own. "I'm your sister." She began as she smiled, "This'll be our little secret."
A soft grateful smile came to Hina's lips then she turned toward the entrance to her home, expecting to hear the sounds of cheering and celebration… but it was quiet. Too quiet.
Silence… Hina's eyes slowly perked up in confusion. "Where is everybody?"
Tala frowned, her usual demeanor turned serious as she reached over for the u'a cloth and rewrapped it on her sister's right hand and then got behind her. Tala fixed her sister's hair up into a topknot and handed Hina her tuiga as she explained. "Mom sent me here to come get you."
Hina turned around and saw her sister had her council meeting attire on.
IIIIIIIIIIII
Hinatea and Tala made their way up toward the steps and stopped by the entrance of the fale fono. She saw that all eyes were on them—her, as she and her sister waited to be welcomed in.
Moana turned to her daughters for a moment and motioned for them to come over and sit in their usual spots among the council. Hinatea suddenly felt herself wanting to run back to her fale and hide in shame, fearing for what going to happen next. This was it. Her disownment… she could feel it.
She held herself back and gathering her courage? Promptly walked across the stone floor, passing familiar faces.
Hiapo, his brothers-in-law, two out of his five sisters, several of her old friends and few of the village elders. Hiapo nodded his head reassuringly at her—like he often did whenever he could see she was nervous… and she was more than nervous. She was scared to face the consequences of her actions… why did she have to keep proving to herself?
That's when she saw it—Pretty boy looking up at her with smiling in satisfaction showing off his stupid perfect teeth. Teeth that she'd sooner knock off his mouth if he ever looked at her like that again. Suddenly she felt her sister reaching for her hand before giving it a quick squeeze and letting go.
Hina and Tala continued toward the woven sitting fine mats and Hina sat down to her grandfather's right, Tala walked over and sat down next to her shortly after and sat down next to her.
Tui slowly stood up and began the formal protocols to start the council, all the while Hina gazed over at the villagers sitting before them inside the fale fono.
Among the chatter, she noticed several of the villagers were missing… several important villagers missing. Come to think of it, weren't they suppose to be celebrating right now?
What was going on?
She turned to her grandfather, and then her parents.
"Everyone settle down," Moana commanded before she rose to her feet. The whole building fell silent as she continued, "I understand that you take these signs as the return of Te Kā, but I can assure you, Te Kā is gone and she will never return—"
"I can vouch for that!" Maui announced as he suddenly stood up. Everyone turned to look at him. He slowly turned to Moana and saw the disapproving look on her face. He took a deep breath and asked sheepishly, "Can I talk?"
Moana nodded slowly.
Hinatea and everyone else looked up as her father began narrating his tale. Most parts seemed boring—but a few of them actually peaked her interest… especially the one that involved the sea.
The new creature her father spoke off was made of mud, lightning, cold winds and ash. A lot of ash—a sign of Te Kā.
"It's not her." Maui replied adding the emphasis at the end, "Te Fiti's still around, but all I can say is this thing… is a man—or looks male."
"Were there any distinctive features, Maui?" Moana asked.
Maui nodded before he turned back to face the villagers. "He had tears of the sea flowing down his eyeless sockets—" Matai Tūhuruhuru spoke up and told them. "I know the creature you speak of." Suddenly all eyes were on him, and he continued with a grave tone in his voice as he uttered one word. "Te Huamo."
The Heartache.
Moana turned to Matai Tūhuruhuru with apprehension in her eyes.
Matai Tūhuruhuru then asked, "May I stand, Chief Moana?"
She nodded immediately and Matai Tūhuruhuru rose to his feet. "There is a legend within my island. A tale of a father's grief for his lost daughter."
There was a sense of familiarity with the tale's beginning. Hina felt it gnawing in the back of her head.
But before Matai Tūhuruhuru could continue on with his tale, Waiola's brother Aputi was running as fast as he could toward the fale fono.
"Come quick!" He cried as he rushed in, heaving as he stopped and pointed in the direction where he came. "It's Melelani."
List of Terminologies:
Te Huamo: Te is a Maori determiner and translates to "The" and is often used in both singular and plural nouns. Huamo can be translated to "The Grief, Heartache and sorrow," but it can also be translated to "Rising" or "To be raised in the waves."
i'foga: A Samoan ceremony of apology in which was historically performed by High Chiefs to the offended family or visiting Matai, by kneeling beneath an 'ie toga or fine mat till forgiveness is achieved.
Pou lalo: The outer poles that surround the fale.
Kava: An alcoholic drink made from the root of the kava plant that is traditionally used in ceremonies.