Chapter Text
August 15, 1983. That was a day he would never forget. He was only four-years-old back then, too little to do anything. All he remembered was being put into a car, with his clothes already packed in the sports bag next to him, as several people dressed in important-looking clothes came into their flat.
He had always been taught to listen to his elders, so he didn’t think twice about listening to these adults and getting in the car. If only he’d known then what he knew now, he would’ve fought tooth and nail to stay. The next thing he remembered was being put on a plane and flown out of his country.
Four years later, he was stuck in Western Samoa, a country he despised, with an entirely different last name he hated. He wasn’t a Tauheke anymore; he was a Tupua. His maternal uncle suddenly became his legal dad, and his wife became his new mum.
Most of all, he hated today. April 25, 1987, Anzac Day.
This would be the third Anzac Day; he’d be forced to spend it the Samoan way.
Granted, the dawn parade and services weren’t too different than what they did back in Aotearoa, but it still wasn’t the same. First of all, the Anzac Biscuits they made here were nothing like the ones his real family used to make. Instead, the “cookies” they made used what he considered normal ingredients… all except for coconut milk! Who in their right mind would use coconut milk to make biscuits?!
That’s right; he refused to call biscuits “cookies.” That never sat right with him, and it never would. It was while his supposed mother’s family tried erasing everything that made him James Maui Tauheke.
Although he did think that it was nice of them to call him by his middle name Maui like he asked, but it didn’t make up for the fact that they tried erasing half of him… his Māori heritage, like it was something to be ashamed of. If that were true, wouldn’t they let him call his real mum back home?
After all, she was technically Samoan too, so why couldn’t he call her? If calling her was too expensive, then why couldn’t he write to her?
SPLAT!
Eight-year-old Maui Tupua managed to catch the mosquito buzzing around his cheek. He sat up in his bed, annoyed that despite the mosquito net his uncle had set up above and around his bed the little blood suckers always found a way in somehow. Then came the sound of a jeep heading over to their fale, and all he had to do was roll over to see the small line of light peeking through the dark horizon line.
“Maui, get up.” His uncle ordered with a no-nonsense tone as he stood a few feet away in front of the small mirror they had hooked up to one of the outer supporting beams surrounding this opened house’s main interior. He had his lavalava wrapped around his waist as he was shaving his face in the dimly lit part of their house. “We’ll be heading to Apia in an hour.”
“I’m not going,” Maui declared as he refused to move.
The whole room fell silent. His uncle stopped mid-shave, and his Aunt Pam stared at him in shock at his tone, but she immediately stepped in before her husband could, “And why don’t you want to go?” She asked with her thick Kiwi accent, “I thought you loved Anzac Day?” She walked over as she tied her light brown hair into a messy bun. He remained silent as she knelt beside him and tried coaxing him to tell her what was wrong?
But he wasn’t budging, and she was pushing his buttons, which combined with the fact he was still too tired for this, Maui finally shouted, “Shut up! I’m not gonna go, and you can’t make me!”
“Excuse me?” His Aunt Pam went as her eyes went wide, “What did you just say to me, young man?”
His uncle wasn’t going to put up with disrespect and immediately marched over, “Maui, your mother just asked you a question.”
Pam immediately stood up with her hands out in front of her, “Darling, let me talk to him.” Her husband gave her a sharp look, and in return, she gave him an even sharper one while she narrowed her eyes. Her husband said nothing, but it was clear this matter wouldn’t be resolved till he brought up the issue to their Ali’i during the next Matai meeting.
“You’re not my mum––” Maui declared after Pam knelt beside him again. Lagi quickly turned around, ready to take charge of the situation, but his wife had beaten him to it.
“Well, according to the law, I am your mum now, and I do not appreciate being talked to like that,” Pam stated firmly, “Now, you’re going to get ready so we all can go to Apia as a family, and I don’t want to hear anymore whingeing out of you.”
He squinted his usual round eyes and gave her the stink-eye before he practically shoved the mosquito net to one side with enough strength to nearly rip off from its suspended hook, but at least she got him out of bed, and that was good enough for her.
<III><III><III><III>
Maui stared out through the glassless window as the signs of dawn finally began to appear. He prayed they would be late so the day would end sooner. “You’re going to hurt your back if you keep slouching like that,” His aunt teased as she noticed his posture.
He rolled his eyes at her before he turned away and just stared out the window, watching as the bus passed the familiar grassy plains and several groves of coconut trees from their village. Soon, all he could see was the long stretch of beach as the bus rolled across the unpaved dirt road in the direction of Western Samoa’s capital city: Apia.
<III><III><III><III>
Three hours passed, and morning finally came, and they all could go home. Of course, nothing seemed to be going his way. They had received an invitation to some important guy’s party, and he hated whoever this guy was already. The bus drove past their fale and continued further up their small village. The heat inside the bus was slowly getting intense, and there were two ways to cool off. One, stick your head out the glassless windows or fan yourself. Maui chose the former and stuck his head out the window, his uncle pulled him back down to his seat. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?” His uncle chastised him, “Sit down and sit still. We’re nearly there.”
Maui looked away, just to secretly roll his eyes before he looked out the window and watched as the people walked and climbed the coconut trees. Some carried two baskets full of taro on their carrying poles. He was sick of seeing the same thing day after day.
Soon, his uncle walked up to the bus driver and told him that this was their stop.
“Come on,” His aunt urged him as she took his hand and guided him down the front end of the aisle, where his uncle was waiting outside. Lagi helped his wife down the steps before he reached over to lift Maui off the last step.
Maui protested, “I can get off myself.” He jumped down to prove his point further before he looked up and gave them both a disapproving glare. He knew that would tick his uncle off––and that was the whole point. He needed his uncle to do something so he would get taken away and sent back to New Zealand, and he was so close.
Lagi had a look of realization, and he leaned down to Maui’s level and reprimanded him as he stared him down, “I know what game you’re trying to play. You can continue trying, but you’re not going to win. The sooner you accept this, the better.”
Maui narrowed his eyes as he puffed out his little chest and rebutted, “No, the sooner you accept I’m never going to call you dad, the better.”
“Lagi Tupua, it’s good to see you, old friend.” The two turned and saw a tall, well-built man in a white buttoned shirt and red lavalava approaching them. His shoulder-length curly hair was pulled back neatly, he had a large nose and a properly trimmed beard on his chin. Maui watched as his uncle’s mood immediately changed as he got up and hugged this strange man, “Tui, it’s so good to see you again.”
Maui made a face, “Gross…”
Tui turned and approached his aunt and hugged her as well. “How are you, Pam?” He inquired with a caring tone.
“Oh, y’know as good as I can be,” His aunt answered with a warm smile, “Ten years here, and I’m still going strong.” She turned and beckoned Maui to join them. He didn’t move an inch and instead took one step back to put some distance between them, and he didn’t care when his aunt frowned. Pam cleared her throat and introduced him, “Tui, this is our son––”
“You’re not my mum!” Maui declared as he cut her off. Lagi gave him a hard smack to the back of his head before he gave him a warning look.
Tui eyed both Lagi and Pam before he turned to the angry little boy in their care. Lagi continued the introduction on his wife’s behalf, “Maui Tupua.”
“Ah,” Tui went as he glanced at the boy, “You certainly have your hands full with this one.” Lagi nodded in agreement
Maui tuned them all out as they all stopped paying attention to him and began talking amongst themselves. That’s when another thought came to mind; with the adults distracted, he could just leave. He tried to slip away, but he felt a hand on his wrist. His uncle insisted, “Maui, you’re not to wander off without your mother or I, do you understand me?”
“Okay…” Maui mumbled.
“Do you understand me?” Lagi repeated.
“Okay!” Maui shouted in his face.
“Do not raise your voice to me. Who do you think you’re talking to?” Lagi chastised him.
Pam quickly intervened and reminded him, “Lagi, remember what I said about being patient with him. Your impatience isn’t going to solve anything.”
Lagi argued, “It’s been four years––”
Soon, an elderly woman’s chuckle echoed, and Tui turned around only to see his mother standing there.
“Mother.” Tui greeted her coolly.
His mother had a wide smile on her face and cheeriness in her tone as she approached the family of three, “So, this is the infamous Maui we’ve all been hearing about.”
Tui reluctantly introduced his mother to him, “Maui, this is my mother, Tala.”
Maui wrinkled his nose at the old woman, her graying wavy-curly hair in a bun, dressed in a red manta-ray-themed red puletasi with medium-sized sleeves just barely hid her big flappy arms. “Oh, what’s that face for?” Tala chuckled, “Haven’t you ever seen an old woman before?” Lagi was about to interject when Tala offered, “I can watch him for you while the three of you catch up.”
Lagi sighed, “Tinā, we don’t want to impose––”
“Oh. It’s no trouble, really,” Tala insisted warmly.
“Ew,” Maui responded before his uncle gave him another smack to the back of his head. That hurt more than usual; Maui turned after he rubbed his head and stared daggers at his uncle.
Lagi gave him an even icy glare as he ordered, “Be respectful.”
Tala did a little dance and accidentally elbowed Lagi on the diaphragm, “There’s no need for all that hostility, so, little Maui, what do you say?”
<III><III><III><III>
August 19, 1997, 8 P.M., Apia, Samoa.
'What did he say?’ Nineteen-year-old Maui thought to himself as he drove one of the colorful windowless public buses down the capital city’s streets. ‘No.’ That’s what he thought. He didn’t care if they all were trying to help him adjust, but there was nothing he needed to adjust to. All he needed to do was get back to New Zealand, no matter how long it took.
So, he decided at just eight-years-old to play the long game. Play the good boy, wait till his aunt and uncle let their guard down. Five years later, at thirteen, he just took off with what little he could take with him in the middle of the night while his aunt and uncle were asleep.
Of course, he still remembered the number of times the searchers nearly caught him as he wandered through the thick rainforest trying to find his way to Apia. He recalled hearing his aunt and uncle’s panicked calls as they joined the search, but hearing the genuine pain and worry in their voices wasn’t enough to draw him back to them.
So, he kept going, made sure to stay hidden from the search party, and rationed his food, three days later, by some miracle, he managed to exit right in the direction of the road that led him to the capital and managed to get on a passing bus on the way there––
Suddenly, the sound of someone jumping startled him out of his thoughts, and he turned to see a young Samoan woman… or an older teen? ––he couldn’t tell the difference––in a white puletasi with her curly hair in a disheveled bun that somehow was still held together by the giant blue hairclip.
“Hey!” He began, ready to tell her to get off his bus, but then alarm bells immediately went off in his head the second his round eyes noticed the bottom ends of her white dress were stained with mud and dirt.
She finally lifted her head, and that’s when he confirmed she was an older teen like him.
He assumed she was in some kind of danger and started his bus again. “Hide.” He instructed his late-night passenger. She quickly knelt on the aisle and made herself sparse as he drove. “Which village?”
“I live here,” She answered as she tried to stand up, but her legs were shaking beneath her skirt, and she felt a little dizzy.
“Well then, you should know how crazy it is for you to be out alone at this time of night.” He shot back as he kept his eyes on the road, unaware that his late-night passenger had taken off her slipper and flung it right at his head with surprisingly good aim. “Ow!” He pressed on the brake and whirled his head around to look at her.
“I’m not crazy––” She declared and added as she managed to pull herself up to one of the seats, “And I wasn’t out alone…” She looked out at the glassless window again as she seemed confused about her location. “Where are we?”
“Apia?” He answered with a confused, worried tone, “Are you sure you live here…?”
“I don’t remember…” She admitted before her brain quickly moved on to the next topic, her mind conjured up, “What’s your name?”
“James.” He answered with a rehearsed tone, “And you?”
“Moana Waialiki,” She introduced, though she still looked confused, “You don’t have a last name?”
“Nope.” He answered a little too quickly.
“Well, James.” Moana began as she held the back of her head and looked at her hand as she chuckled at the red stuff on it. “Thanks for your help…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes rolled to the back of her head.
Maui acted quickly and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing completed tattoos on his pectorals and shoulders, as he rushed over to his slumped passenger.
He noticed the blood on the palm of her hand and wrapped and tied his shirt around her head like a makeshift pressure bandage. Then he carefully carried her to the front row seats right next to his driver’s seat, laid her down flat, returned to his driver’s seat, and drove in the direction of the closest clinic in their area.
<III><III><III><III>
August 20, 1997, 2 A.M.
Well, this certainly wasn’t how he’d planned to spend the rest of his night, but he knew he couldn’t go yet, just in case the police needed him to make a witness statement. So, he sat on the uncomfortable plastic waiting room chair while he held his discarded shirt with one hand as he watched a couple of nurses and the clinic's only doctor pass him by. Then, Maui thought he heard a familiar man’s voice down the hall. Panic set in––was it his uncle? The adrenaline kicked, and he immediately went into flight mode as he quickly got up, ready to run away, when he heard that same man utter Moana’s name.
Relief quickly washed over him, and he wanted to kick himself with how stupid he was being. Of course, her parents would show up… and then he paused as her dad spoke again. Maui knew that voice. It was Tui’s
“Okay, okay…” He whispered to himself, “It’s been eleven years... there’s no way he could recognize you.” He nodded as he tried to convince himself. After all, it had to be true; he wasn’t the same eight-year-old boy now. No, he was a superbly chiseled young man now––
“Are you James?” Tui’s voice came out of nowhere.
Maui let out a high-pitched shriek as he instinctively struck a scared pose right in front of him. Tui stared at him with a bewildered look on his face. Maui maintained his pose this time from sheer embarrassment, “Uh… yes.”
Tui eyed him up and down in confusion before he pointed out, “You can relax now.”
Maui chuckled nervously as he finally eased up, though his shoulders remained tense. Then, he spotted a middle-aged woman with a long side braid approaching them. Maui nearly had to do a double-take when he saw her.
Had it not been for the age lines across her forehead, eyes, cheeks, the slightly thinner eyebrows, and the difference in hairstyle, the woman standing next to Tui could’ve easily passed for Moana’s sister rather than mother.
Now, he knew where Moana got her pretty looks––he heard a record scratch in his head as realization hit him like a train. He stood there completely stupefied. Moana was pretty. No, not pretty.
Beautiful.
He found Moana beautiful.
What was this world coming to?
Moana’s mother cleared her throat, and that immediately snapped him out of whatever weird trance his mind decided to put him under. “James, was it?” She inquired just to be sure. He slowly nodded his head in confirmation, and she continued, “My husband Tui and I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for our daughter.”
His over-confident side came out, “Pfft... there’s no need to thank me––I mean what kind of man wouldn’t want to help––”
Tui interjected, “We would like to thank you with dinner.”
Maui raised an eyebrow. “Dinner?” He had to admit the sound of a free meal was tempting... but his pride got in the way, and he quickly waved his hands in front of him, “No, no, no. Look, I appreciate the gesture––but I just did what any person would do. So, thanks, but no thanks. I’ll just be on my––”
“Oh, where are you off to in such a hurry?” Tala questioned from behind Tui and his wife.
Oh no. Maui could never forget her. He looked over Tui’s shoulder and saw Tala walking over with a two-year-old girl holding onto the finger of her left hand while she held on to a cane with her right.
There was more white than gray in her hair, and she only kept a portion of her curly hair in a bun while letting the rest sit on her shoulder. “Don’t tell me you said no to a thank you meal?” She joked as she playfully poked his stomach with the bottom of her cane, “Look at you. You’re all skin and bones.”
He was nervous now... especially with the all-knowing glint in her eyes. He saw it; she knew exactly who he was. But he played it cool and put his hands on his hips as he rolled his eyes. “Fine. If you all insist. I’ll be happy to come for dinner.”
The police finally appeared not too long after he’d accepted Tui’s invitation and called him to follow them into a different part of the clinic to give them his statement. Maui quickly excused himself and followed the two officers. As he walked, he couldn’t help but look over his shoulder as Tui and the rest of his family the tiny examination room.
He prayed that Moana would be alright.