The Last Goodbye

Episode 32 - The Last Goodbye (Based on a True Story) 

You might think that talking to the dead is abnormal, but not if you're Māori! We communicate with them all the time through our whaikōrero, karanga, and waiata. Sometimes, if you're lucky or unlucky (depending on the circumstances), they might even speak to you. A few years back, one of my wife’s whanaunga passed away. We were all very close, and my wife and her whanaunga kept in touch over the years through Facebook, Messenger, and the occasional phone call. One day, we received an odd phone call from the whanaunga....... a year after she died. It was weird because my wife had a personalised ringtone, whanaunga calling – the whole bit.  So, we freaked out when her name came up on the caller ID, we hesitated to answer but couldn't help ourselves and picked up. This story is inspired by what awaited us on the other end of the line. 

 

T.A. Whero