• Stable building with paint peeling off, revealing the base coat..it's age obvious to the naked eye. Coffee-stain wool to warm our feet, rugged stain heat to warm up the house - is where my gramother once lived. Even though the house may be unpretty, there's that special, warm feeling you get once you walk in. I can still remember the place, even now as if stays forever a memory.

    Te Maria Black (Pape) born on August 28th 1948. Lines crumbled up like a scrunched-up paperball, chocolate-coloured gases upon you with wam passion, vertical ebony threads drapeds loosely past her shoulders, born in Manahiki. Once was pure, ivory covering her to protect from the sun, now is chocolate tans over. She's the most important person in my life.

    Beautiful, cultural sheets embroidery of flowers, empasis Cook Island ethnicity in two-tone colours, variety of design to suit different personality all sewn together. Giving out chocolates, buying unnecessary items which we would always be grateful for. Play housie with the kids or with her brothers,sisters or cousins. Her passion to sew these sheets, gave her a career back in the island with other woman back then, later on she could only do so much.

    Out of all the brownie grand-children, she loved us "milky bar" kids whom she rarely visits. Before she passed away, we never had a car but we did our utmose best to visit her as mush as we possibly can. It was fun, having her stay overnight, we learn how much she love to prepare a meal for us, it came out deliciously beautiful.

    Sweat running down that tomato heat, with a stern seriousness tone, you wouldn't want to make her angry...expect the unexpected. That is my father's point of view. But as the time casually goes by, she became soft and tender towards her kids during their teen years. Money has always be sarced then, as she look after the family and kids. Each child or grand-child each remember her in their own way.

    Tragically her secretive, quiet behaviour surprises us how little we know...that she were going to die soon. Blood transfusion inserted into her skin, looks hopeless as she is half lifeless. That was Sunday. Monday 11th September 2006, on 9/11's 5th Anniversaray...Te Maria Black dies of cervical cancer. Buckletloads of water could fill up the sea, just an eighth of it or less, during the funeral.

    To conclude this profile writing about my Grandmother Te Maria Black(Pape), she's a gracious, picturesque, ivory to brown lady. It's extremely sad to see her go, otherwise you would love to get to know her, whether you want to or not. She will always be in my heart through-out my years to come, till I grow old with grey and die. A part of her reflects through me with long hair, not short like mine. And A woman I would never forget.

    Maria Mehau 2008©
    re-editing done in 2013