Te Whakakitenga Tuatahi a Hohepa Mete
Nō reira, kia rite ki tēnei, arā, taku whiriwhiringa kia inoi ki te Atua, ka haere ahau ki te ngahere ki te pērā. Ko te ata tērā o tētahi rā ataahua, mārama, i te tīmatatanga o te kōanga, i te tau tekau mā waru rau, e rua tekau. Ko te tuatahi tērā o ōku meatanga pērā i roto i tōku oranga katoa, nō te mea i roto i ōku mānukanukatanga katoa, kāhore ano ahau i inoi-ā-māngai.
Ā i muri i tōku taenga atu ki te wāhi kua oti ahau te whakarite, ka titiro haere ahau, ā ka kite ko ahau rawa anake, nā ka tūturi ahau ki raro, a ka tīmata te hoake i ngā hiahia katoa o tōku ngākau ki te Atua. Kīhai i roa noa taku pērātanga, hohoro tonu te pānga mai o tētahi kaha ki runga i a au, nō ka taea rawatia ahau, ā he nui rawa tōna kaha ki runga i a au, nō ka kore e āhei i a au te kōrero. Ka karapotitia ahau e te pouritanga mātotoru, ā mō tētahi wā ko te āhuatanga, tērā ahau e whakangaromia.
Heoi ka whakapau ahau i ōku kaha katoa ki te karanga atu ki te Atua; kia whakaputaina ahau ki waho i te kaha o tēnei hoariri kua tau nei ki runga i a au, ā i te wā pū anō e tata ana ahau te totohu iho ki roto ki te kore tūmanako, me te tuku atu i a au anō ki te whakangaromanga—e hara i te whakangaromanga i whakaaroa noatia, engari he mea nā te kaha o tētahi mea ora i haere mai i te ao kāhore nei e kitea, i a ia tētahi kaha whakamīharo, kīhai nei ahau i rongo noa i roto i ngā mea ora—i tēnei wā tonu o te ohorere nui, ka kite ahau i te pou o te mārama i runga tonu ake o tōku matenga, kei runga atu i te māramatanga o te rā, ā āta heke mārie mai ana, ā tau noa ki runga i a au.
Kīhai i roa te putanga mai ka kite ahau kua puta ki waho i te here o te hoariri. I te taunga iho o te mārama ki runga i a au ka kite ahau tokorua ngā Tāngata, tō rāua kanapatanga me tō rāua korōria e kore e taea te whakapuaki, e tū ana i te takiwā i runga ake i a au. Ka kōrero mai tētahi o rāua ki a au, whakaahua rawa i tōku ingoa, me te tohu anō ki tērā, ā ka mea—“Ko Taku Tama Tēnei i Aroha ai. Whakarongo ki a Ia!”
Ko te take o taku haere ki te ui atu ki te Ariki, ko tēhea o ngā Hāhi katoa te mea tika, kia mōhio ai ahau ko tēhea hei urunga atu mōku. Nō reira i te wā tonu i whiwhi anō ahau ki tōku kaha, ā i āhei anō i a au te kōrero, ka ui atu ahau ki ngā Tāngata e tū ana i runga ake i a au i roto i te māramatanga, ko tēhea o ngā karakia katoa te mea tika (nō reira i te wā nei kīhai rawa i uru mai ki tōku ngākau kua hē katoa rātou)—ko tēhea hei urunga atu mōku.
Te whakahoki ki a au, kaua ahau e uru atu ki tētahi o rātou, nō te mea e hē ana rātou katoa; ā ko te Tangata i kōrero mai ki a au i mea, ko ō rātou tikanga katoa he mea whakarihariha ki tana titiro iho; ko ēnā kai-whakaako katoa, he poke, arā, “ko ō rātou ngutu e whakatata mai ana ki a au, engari ko ō rātou ngākau e matara noa atu ana i a au; ko ō rātou whakaakoranga, ko ngā whakahaunga a ngā tāngata, ko te āhua o ngā karakia kei a rātou, tōnā kaha ia whakakāhoretia iho.”
I mea mai anō ia ki a au, kia kaua au e uru atu ki tētahi o rātou, ā he maha ērā atu mea i kōrero ai ia ki a au, e kore nei e taea e ahau te tuhituhi i tēnei wā. Ā i te hokinga mai anō o tōku āhua, e takoto ana ahau i runga i tōku tuara, e titiro atu ana ki te rangi. I te wā ka wehe te māramatanga, kua pau taku kaha, engari ka piki haere te ora, ā I hoki au ki te kāinga.