Witi Ihimaera - Uncle's Story

‘The desert campaign? Yes, I was there when Kippenburger decided to use the Maori Battalion at Munassib. That was in August 1942, and he wanted us to take a pre-emptive strike and thwart an anticipated German attack. “Go in with bayonets,” he said, “and take prisoners and not scalps.” He also ordered Reta Keiha and Ngati Porou’s C Company to throw a screen across the front of the entire battalion. Although we struck opposition we continued to attack. Ben Porter was with A Company. Pita Awatere was with D Company. After the withdrawal had been ordered, and the body count taken, it was reckoned that 500 enemy soldiers had been killed. Later, Rommel accused us of massacring prisoners and the wounded because very few prisoners or wounded were found.’

Arapeta chopped the air with his left hand to make his point.

‘All the combat was hand to hand,’ he said. ‘Little quarter was asked. Little quarter was given.’

‘Were you also at Monte Cassino?’ Cliff asked.

‘Yes,’ Arapeta answered. ‘That was two years later, in January 1944. The Germans had a garrison there, the Fourteenth Panzer Corps of the Tenth Army, and they brought the American Second Corps to a standstill. Your 36th Texan Division lost more than 1500 men on their assault but you gained a foothold on the mountain. That’s when the Maori Battalion was ordered forward to help you out. We were assigned to assault across the Rapido River, along the railway line, and to capture the railway station. The plan was that we would use the station to launch a further assault on Cassino. The Germans threw everything they had at us. Then on 15 February the monastery was bombed. Three days later we attacked.’

Sam stole a glance across the table at Cliff and tapped out a message on his fingers.

God, you’re a charmer, you Illinois boy, you!

Without breaking his attention to Arapeta, Cliff signed back.

I love your Dad’s stories. And I love the fact that I’m with you in your house and —

Suddenly, Cliff stopped signing. Momentarily, he paled. Sam waited for Cliff to resume signing. He saw Cliff make a pointing motion:

Someone’s eavesdropping.

Sam was immediately alert. What was Cliff on about? He looked around the table. He looked at Patty. He caught a quick glance from Cliff.

No. Your mother —

Mum had been in the kitchen preparing pudding. She was standing behind Arapeta, waiting for him to finish his story before she put the plates on the table. Her eyes had caught the silent conversation between Sam and Cliff. She was frowning. She glanced at Sam. She glanced at Cliff. She gave a small intake of breath. Her eyes dilated.

‘I was with Colonel Awatere in that attack,’ Arapeta continued. ‘Men began to fall to the fire and the mines. B Company lost 128 men on their attack on the railway station —’

What do we do? Cliff signed.

Florence was trembling, almost spilling the plates. She was trying to hold herself together.

I think she’s guessed about us , Sam answered.

He was panicking. Quickly, he got up from his chair and walked towards Mum.

‘But on the next attack on the station,’ Arapeta said, ‘we did not fail. We hunted the Germans through the rubble and debris of Cassino until every one of them was down.’

‘Utu,’ Cliff murmured.

But his eyes were on Sam as he approached Florence.

‘Can I help you, Mum?’ Sam asked.

Florence looked into his eyes. Her face trembled. Then she smiled, a deep sad smile.

‘No, I’ll be all right, son. You go and sit down.’

Sam knew that smile well. It was one that Mum always used whenever she was sorry for herself. It was as if she knew her son and this American were in love with each other. But she recognised it only because it was something she had never had.

Meantime, ‘You know about utu?’ Arapeta asked Cliff.

He saw Florence putting the pudding plates onto the table.

‘But here I’ve been talking all night! Let’s finish dinner and then — is our guest’s bed made up, Florence?’

‘Yes.’ Florence nodded at Cliff. Be careful of my husband.

‘Good,’ Arapeta continued. ‘We have a busy day ahead. Sam’s got his work to do in the morning before he goes into Gisborne to get the rental car —’

‘Rental car?’ Cliff enquired.

His heart was thudding as he watched Florence, eyes downcast, resume her seat.

‘I forgot to tell you,’ Sam said. ‘You’re coming with us to a wedding. It’s at Tolaga Bay, about three hours’ drive away. Did you bring a tux? The family’s staying there for the night, but Dad wants me to come back to look after the horses. That’s why the rental car. Would you mind coming back with me?’

Cliff’s eyes danced, ‘Sure.’

He looked again at Florence. She was deadly still. The game of double conversation was not over.

It was time for bed.

‘It’s been a great day, Sam. Thank you.’

Sam and Cliff stood close together on the verandah. The sky was spilling over with stars. Dad had retired and Mum and Patty were doing the dishes.

‘I’m glad you’re here,’ Sam said. ‘I’m sorry we didn’t have any time alone today. Perhaps tomorrow.’

The two men stood like that for a long time. A star fell.

‘I have your greenstone pendant. I brought it back to you,’ Cliff said.

‘You should keep wearing it until you leave,’ Sam answered. ‘There’s time enough to return it.’

He wanted to stay out here forever with Cliff. He wondered how he would get through the night, knowing that Cliff was only down the corridor. He needed him.

‘So what do we do about your mother?’ Cliff said.

‘I don’t know,’ Sam began.

For some reason he remembered an old Maori myth. At the very beginning, all the gods were male. Desiring to have offspring, Tane went to his mother, Papatuanuku, and asked her advice. She told him to make a woman from the red earth which he would find on her mount. Tane did this, fashioning Hine ahu one, but when he wanted to enter her, he didn’t know which orifice to use. He tried her mouth, her nose, her armpits, her ears, her eyes and even her anus, and this is why all humans have secretions from these places. Finally, he found her female opening and sanctified it with the full inward thrust of his penis. Some variations of the myth told that it wasn’t only Tane who did this but all his brothers also.

As Sam remembered this he shivered. The male was high and sanctified. Woman was low and common. How much lower were men who loved men —

Sam turned to Cliff. He put his hand up to touch his face, to draw him closer. But he heard a noise, turned, and saw Patty shadowed in the doorway. She had come to show Cliff to his bedroom.

‘You’d better go,’ Sam said. ‘I’ll see you in the morning.’

For a while Sam stood there, and a pang of loneliness hit him. He looked at the night sky, the Southern Cross turning on its axis, and its immensity surrounded him.

‘Where does love come from? Why has this happened?’

He felt someone slipping an arm around his waist. For a moment he thought Cliff had returned. It was Patty, and she was trying to nestle in under his shoulders, pulling his arms around her.

‘Are you cold?’ he asked.

Patty nodded her head. Then, ‘I love you, Sam,’ she said.

‘I know,’ Sam answered. ‘Do you like Cliff?’

‘I think so. I’m not sure. I know he’s your best friend.’

‘Yes, he is.’

‘But I’m afraid —’ Patty burrowed in further.

‘Of Cliff?’ Sam asked, surprised.

‘No,’ she began. Then, ‘Yes,’ and she nodded. But she was still unsure. ‘I don’t know,’ she concluded. Patty sounded as if she was lost somewhere in a black hole in space. She was shivering, uncertain. Then she whirled out of Sam’s embrace and ran into the house.