Milkshake (42 page)

She gazed around the room with fresh eyes. This time it looked
familiar. It was a village hall. Then, in the midst of the crowd,
towards the centre of the room, she saw the open coffin and the
reason for being there came back to her once more.

She felt Anika touch her arm. “I won’t be a moment, there’s
just something I need to do.” She walked off into the crowd towards
where Maaka’s body lay.

As they parted to let her through, Katherine could see a small
group of young men standing at the head of the coffin. They each
listened intently as one by one they spoke to their friend, their
uncle, and their brother, as if he could hear them.

She watched as Anika took a brown envelope from her handbag
and placed it in a large woven flax basket which lay at Maaka’s
feet. When she returned, she saw the question in Katherine’s eyes.
“It’s called a koha. It’s the custom for visitors to contribute a
gift to the marae to help cover food or any other costs involved
with us being here.”

Katherine was embarrassed. “You should have said before, I
could have at least brought something.”

Anika smiled. “Don’t worry, that was from all of us.” She
turned, caught Brent’s eye, and the pair made their way to where
the group was taking it in turns to speak to Maaka. Intrigued,
Katherine turned to her husband who was again at her side. “I think
Captain Piri’s about to speak. Let’s go and listen.”

They made their way towards the front. Captain Brent Piri, in
full dress uniform, stepped forward and cleared his throat. Saving
his people from an uncertain future was easy. Speaking to them at
this time was not. “Mak and me, we joined the army together. We
became men together, and thought we could change the world. No one
expects to bury their brother, do they? In our job, even giving a
little is too much. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to watch your back,
Bro'. It’s what we train to do and I … in the end … I wasn’t there
for you and you made the ultimate sacrifice. I just want your
Whanau to know that your death wasn’t in vain. You died in the
service of your country and one day that will be recognised. Kia
Ora, Bro’.”

Brent stepped back into the crowd, hoping to hide his emotion
among strangers.

Maaka’s father approached him. “Thanks for that, Brent. I know
you can’t say but that didn’t sound like a speech for a man who
died training in the High Country to me.”

Brent looked him in the eye and no words were needed. As they
walked back to the helicopter, Katherine asked Anika. “So this
Koha, what exactly was it that was from all of us?”

“In his will, Patrick left me his shares in Dairytree. I
suppose it was his way of apologising for, well, whatever is was
that he felt guilty about. I don’t want them, so the best thing I
can do is to pass them onto the people who will use them to protect
their legacy. As long as such a large part of that business is in
the hands of Maori, my people, the country is safe. With that
insurance, there is nothing Cowood can do. The Americans are going
to have to find some other way of fuelling their cars.”

Chapter 27

Senator Elmerstein thought that he probably already had the
answer …...