Lesson 2 Open a Book, Open the World
Gathering of the Whakapapa by Witi Ihimaera
The phone rang, and it was my dad calling ____ my hometown, Waituhi.
“Can you take a week ____ he asked.
“Your Nani Tama wants you here.” “But Dad!” I ____
“My boss won’t let me take any more time ____
The phone went silent, and then I heard my ____ say faintly, “I need your help, Grandson.
I must go to Murupara to f inish the whakapapa. Drive me there. Hurry, I ____ not have much time.”
I just knew I ____ no choice. “All right, Nani,” I replied with a sigh. “I’ll come.”
For some time
For ____ time, my grandfather had been busy writing down the village genealogy, known as the whakapapa.
The whakapapa had been in his old ____
But then ____ the night of the fire, which ran through the house and destroyed our past.
In only one night, everything we knew ____ gone. Nani Tama, in despair, went to stay with his daughter, my Auntie Hiraina.
Trying to f ind a way out of the ashes of the past, Nani began to ____ the whakapapa again with his shaky hands.
He chanted the names of the ancestors, joining ____ past to the present once more.
____ village went quiet and listened to his chanting.
His voice traveled along the lines ____ our genealogy, searching back across the centuries.
Sometimes, there were lines ____ were diff icult to remember. Then his voice suddenly stopped in the middle of the chant.
The village waited in worried silence until the next name burst out of ____ mouth.
It took Nani Tama almost ____ years to gather most of the whakapapa, but there were still missing names he needed to fill in.
Now, he wanted me to drive him to Murupara to ____ his work.
When I arrived at Auntie’s place
When I arrived at Auntie’s place, I was shocked ____ see how thin Nani Tama was.
“Look, Nani,” I said. “I’m ____ taking you anywhere. You could die on me!”
Nani looked at ____ in anger. “You want me to die here in this room?
Looking at these four walls? When the whakapapa is not yet ____ inished?”
____ old man held on tightly to the side of the bed and cried out as he stood up.
Every slow, painful step hurt ____ but he tried to walk.
I ____ not help but carry him to the car, and we set off with Auntie.
We traveled ____ night, mostly in silence, listening to Nani chanting in the darkness.
It was strange but wonderful to hear him. Sometimes, ____ burst into a song that he had taught Auntie.
They sang together, lifting up their voices to send the song flying like a ____ through the sky.
Just before noon
Just ____ noon, we arrived at a small town called Murupara.
“Where do we go ____ I asked Nani.
He did ____ reply, but he was searching inside himself, staring at the small houses.
Then, at a street corner, he told ____ to turn. After turning the corner, we saw an old man standing in front of a house.
He welcomed Nani Tama with a gentle smile, but in his eyes, I ____ the message, “We must hurry.”
____ that day seems like a dream to me.
I remember the two old men sitting at the table and the soft sounds of the Maori ____ as they talked.
All ____ the quiet afternoon and into the evening, they recalled missing names.
I had a strange feeling that there were other ____ in the room.
I ____ as if people from the past were looking over the shoulders of the two old men to see if the work was correct.
Finally, they stopped. It was done. After a moment ____ silence, the old man whispered to Nani, “Goodbye, friend.”
Crying, they pressed ____ noses together to say goodbye.
It was early morning
It was early morning and still dark ____ we returned to Auntie’s place.
All the lights were on, and the village people were waiting ____ us.
Smiling, Nani Tama lifted ____ the whakapapa and offered it to the village.
Our hearts were full because our grandfather ____ saved our past for us.
Our ____ Tama smiled again. His smile grew tired.
He sighed. ____ last, I may go now.” Then, he closed his eyes.
“No, ____ Auntie Hiraina cried. The sun burst across the hills.