11) Pōtiki
The Outcast
11
Pōtiki and Nan arrive home to find Pae laughing as Roto rushes to the toilet again.
Pae asks, “oi, Pōtiki, did you add any water to the sugar pot?”
Pōtiki says, “yeah, those tūī kept stealing from me.”
“You grabbed the dirty water around the harakeke, didn’t you?”
Pōtiki replies sheepishly, “Maybe.”
Pae laughs louder. “So useless! Roto has been on the toilet all day. What’s up with Nan? Did you poison her, too?”
“We all make mistakes. Pōtiki knows better now, doesn’t he?” Nan says, waiting for a response. Pōtiki nods along with her, once again feeling ashamed. She continues, “There is a small rain shower that will be around for a bit. Make sure you boys wear your rain gear if you are going out tonight, please. I am going for a nap.”
Pae rolls his eyes and replies, “Yes Nan.” He then whispers to Pōtiki, “Raukura found out where her uncle stashed the alcohol he makes from the leftover kūmara crops. Everyone is heading out there tonight.”
Taha pops his head inside, “Oi, you ready to… Oh, hey, Pōtiki.”
“He told me. Can I come, too?” Pōtiki begs.
The older brothers exchange a look, one that Pōtiki knows well. The one they use when they are figuring out how to say he is being left behind. “It’s one of the abandoned skyscrapers we’re going into,” Taha states matter-of-factly. “It’s pretty dangerous. I checked it out with Hēmi this morning.”
“WHAT?! You took Hēmi?!” Pōtiki sounded more outraged than he meant to be.
Taha punches him in the shoulder. “Hey, keep it down! He is the best climber, and we needed to set up climbing ropes for everyone else.”
“I’m the village outcast, aren’t I?” Pōtiki says quietly.
Pae sighs. “But yeah, probably.” He picks up his smaller brother, turning him upside down and jiggling him by his ankles until Pōtiki laughs. “Your sadness is killing the vibe! Stop it!”
Taha kneels beside him and whispers, “We all know you fear heights.”
“Fine,” Pōtiki mutters.
With his brothers gone and Nan asleep, Pōtiki climbs up Mata-i-rangi, looking over the ancient city overrun with the forest. The faint glow from a fire illuminates the rooftop of a tall skyscraper in the distance. Every other kid in his village is at the party but him. He buries his hands in his pockets against the cold and finds the pūrerehua he forgot to put away. “A little more rain won’t hurt anyone.” He grins to himself.
Standing high above the forest city with the pūrerehua in his hands, he spins it in wide circles. The hum of it vibrates through his fingers and takes on a life of its own. Lightning strikes around him.
“Oh, crap.”