. Captions by Antony Vlug. www.able.co.nz Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018 So we're gathered, um, together, you and I. Today Fiona and I, we are having a burial service for a baby whose mother couldn't be in attendance of the funeral due to health complications, so Fiona and I are taking care of the baby's funeral service. Sometimes families cannot be present at funeral, so we will go and direct and be the mourners as well. BOTH HARMONISE: # Te hokinga mai. # Tena koutou. The worst part of my job is babies, eh. They're the worst because you can't feel the pain of a parent. # ...i te aroha. Fiona doesn't mind getting wet at all. She's selfless, and she'll do what she needs to do to ensure a beautiful service. # Mauri mai # te mauri tangata. Fiona's singing, her harmonising` I think she's Maori, cos Maoris can sing. # Tu tangata tonu! # (SIGHS) Blowing the leaves. Honestly, me and Tawhirimatea, we have some big fights. I love my leaf blower. I'm always blowing leaves. If there's a family coming, I'll go out there quickly, blow the leaves to make sure it's nice and clean and clear as they walk in. Francis and his leaf blower. Most of the times there are not many leaves. I think he finds excuses to go out there and blow. Just blow leaves or blow something. Yeah. The leaves drive me mad. I have asked my wife for a stronger leaf blower, but she said no. He's got three of them already. So I said, 'Well, you go and blow the leaves,' but then she just said, 'No, you're not getting it.' One day I'll get a big one. At the Mangere Lawn Cemetery, I've seen one of the gravediggers blowing the leaves with a Stihl backpack leaf blower, and it's big and powerful, and I really want one. Really do. (SOMBRE MUSIC) We're going to the Auckland International Airport. We're going to uplift a matua. His name is Mr Sonny Abraham, and he's coming in from Melbourne. Mr Abraham was a kaitito waiata, or a composer of Maori songs, and he was also a kaiako, or a teacher at the Queen Victoria Maori School for Girls. So, the process when we arrive to the airport, we're gonna go straight to Customs, and then we uplift the body. And there there'll be some family awaiting Sonny's arrival. Come. Haere mai tatou. Kapa ko tatou, kia ora. Kia ora tatou. So, are you all gonna come over to the funeral home? Yeah? Over there, we'll unwrap Uncle Sonny, check him over. Hopefully we won't be too long, and then we'll make over to Te Mahurehure in this terrible Auckland traffic. All right? Kia ora. Haere mai. We'll go together. When we receive body's that come in from Australia, the presentation's not always the best. The attention to detail is sometimes crap. Just... body not being, you know, placed in the centre and not property packed or... the lace and, um, the satin. Just being dumped, you know, down the side without any passion. In New Zealand, we do things differently, so in this instance, I need to make a few changes. . We've just uplifted Mr Abraham from the airport, and now we're going to make sure he's presented properly in his casket. Mr Abraham is looking great. He's looking fine, but his casket needs attention. It's just very plain, and it's like it doesn't do anything for him. Francis, what is he like with caskets? Oh. (SIGHS) Where do I start with that? I'll just grab some gloves, and we'll just do a few things to present him a little better. I'm over the top. I mean, I'll admit it, and I think the staff here will tell you so. Oh, yes, two here, dear. This one here, pull it out. He can't help himself. If I've gone home, he'll come downstairs and fix up a little pin that's out of order, and he's going, 'Dear, I had to fix that casket. Did you see how you presented?' I'm like, 'Oh, here we go.' But in my head I'm thinking, 'That's the way he wants to send out, though.' That's his signal to families ` this is my signature ` and that's what I love about him is that he's a perfectionist. Beautiful. Ae. No, kao. (CHUCKLES) Listen to Fiona's deal ` ae, kao. Who was that on the phone, dear? The whaea from Hamilton making their way up. Oh, I was just taken back by your reo. It's amazing. Really. Ae. I'm around Maoris every day. I have to learn it, dear. Well done. What a beautiful attitude. (LAUGHS) Dear, can you come and hold this as I go along, just so it doesn't touch his face. We're going to put a new lining or a side set around his casket so that his body from his chest downwards will be all covered in and that the whanau will only see his face and a little bit of this area here, and then he'll be ready to go to the marae. Now, dear, is it looking better? Hmm. It also feels better, eh? Dear, does it feel better? Hmm? Yes. Neat. When we've finished that, you feel like, 'Oh, there we go. Now you're ready. You're good to go.' Just a little bit of cologne. Some nice pleasant smell. Not that there was anything wrong with his smell. It's just, you know. He's home now, so... Let's present him the best way we can. The tangi will be held over at Te Mahurehure Marae in Point Chev. A beautiful facility there, and it will be over a couple of days. We'll have the funeral service there at the same time, after which we'll go forward and take our matua for a private cremation. (PERFORMS KARANGA) (SOUND MUTED) (SOMBRE MUSIC) (CALM MUSIC) I am at the Mangere Lawn Cemetery, and I'm there to have a hui with Clay, and Clay's gonna let me play with the backpack blower. Hey, brother, how are you? Hey. Good, mate. Long time no see. I have seen him and many others with it, and even during funeral procession driving, I've seen them blowing the leaves, and I've almost crashed the hearse because I haven't been concentrating. What model is that one? Um, this one's a Stihl. It's a 650. Wow. Yeah. I've got a little Makita one at our office that I use to blow our leaves out the front, and, you know, I think it's awesome, but the other day when I come here and I saw you guys doing it, I was like, (GASPS)... I didn't know anything like that existed. The power of that leaf blower compared to my one... different. Way different. It can move leaves. Oh, shit. Is it OK that we're blowing it on the graves? Yeah, yeah, I'll take care of it later. I blew those leaves out of the cemetery. I mean, like, off the road. Real quick. And with this new leaf blower, I could do that whole car park in, like, five minutes. Amazing, so that's why I need to tell my wife this is the reason we need it. What do you reckon? I really need one of these. I really need one. That was so awesome. Is she a big lady or...? She's not, so she'll fit in the 5-7? Denise Radovanovich is the newest member to the team. So little body-wise, but tall? OK, then. Sweet. OK, then. Bye. I love it. I love what I do. It's just something I've been interested in for a very long time. Owing up, just in case, for both of them? Um, 3-4-0. Yeah. That was the one I did on the Sunday night, and they went to Gizzy. Denise came in for work experience. The day she came in, we had bodies everywhere. I thought she was going to freak out, but she didn't. I didn't think there was anything to be scared of. I actually never seen Denise make` put the sides in on the casket. Yay. Cos Denise has never actually done it. (GASPS) No, you have. Yes, you have. (LAUGHS) Oh, look at you, all the pressure. (LAUGHS) Denise is not scared of nothing ` probably the living. Sometimes I'm a shy person, pending how well I know the people. She starts off just immaculately, then runs a little titaha there, and then comes back out and gets` it goes immaculately. I think that's where the tension come in. Possibly there's a bit of tension there, but we can put that down to your trainer, so that's fine. Yes. (ALL LAUGH) So, this is the first funeral I've done by myself. I'm very nervous. I'm going to be her assistant, and she's going to direct. And then I'm going to have to sit there and bear it. When Francis assists you, it is the most nerve-racking thing you could ever ask for when you're doing your job. He's the big boss, and if I muck up, I've just done it right in front of the big boss. I've figured out that I'm a little bit intimidating, and I'm working on that, yeah? I` Let's be honest. I'm working on that. . You're watching the instant Steve conceived that with a wholesale power price, no dodgy estimates and an easy weekly bill, he'd never find a big hairy surprise in his letter box again. That's enough, Steve. . Manaakitia tona wairua. Look after her spirit. I'm observing Denise today. She's the newest funeral director, and so I still need to see what it is that I can offer advice and help with. How she can become totally amazing and how she can feel amazing. Once she feels amazing, you are amazing. You know what I mean? You'll do the best you can. He can't help himself but take over. It's in him. I've brought my guitar today to assist with the himene if need be. I do know the family. So, I'll just help where I need to. Tama Ngakau? Yeah? Ka pai. Ae. It's hard not to take over. So hard. ALL SING: # Tama ngakau marie... # ...wakararu nei. # One of Denise's skills that she does need to work on is being more verbal, being more direct. I guess a funeral director, and she kinda needs to pick up on that a little bit more, and just kinda having that authority in amongst a big mass of grieving crowd. (HYMN CONTINUES) Being a shy person is not` not a good thing, because they are looking to me for guidance, and if I'm speaking, they will follow my direction. I'm just scared about if it's time to call pallbearers. '(CONFIDENTLY) Can I ask the pallbearers to come forward,' rather than, casket? Are you carrying? Come, come,' you know? You know, there's hand signals. We've gotta be a little bit clear and use our voice. Pallbearers. Have we got pallbearers? She opened her mouth and gave instructions nice and clear, loud. Amazing. On three we're gonna lift, whanau. One, two, three and up. Nice. Nice and slow. Just come through the doorway shoulder to shoulder. Middles need to drop off just to come through the doorway. Mrs Ruka was an 81-year-old Maori woman. Beautiful, beautiful whaea. All the way. Nice and straight. Just invite everyone to take a look. If anyone would like to come forward and dedicate a rose to whaea? Step forward, whanau. Come and take a flower if you want to place it on the casket. Haramai. Today Mrs Ruka will be going to Waikumete Cemetery to be cremated. (SOMBRE MUSIC) Some people don't want to see the cremation process take place. They would rather just have a service and then let the casket go privately to be cremated. But some family members want to view the whole cremation process, and especially if it was the wish of the person that is being cremated. I've been really supported by Francis today. I feel that he kinda stepped back but stepped forward when he needed to. They will give us a ring when whaea Charlotte's ready to be collected, and then we'll make contact with you to come pick her ashes up from us. Yeah. Do I need to bring anything to you or...? No, no, no. OK. She'll already come in the... They provide a wooden` It comes in a wooden urn. Up to you whether you want to transfer her into something else, but, yeah. Thank you. Yeah, you're welcome. Denise blew me away today. She was clear, direct, and I was so proud. So proud. And I was like, 'Thank you, Lord. I have made the right decision.' (GENTLE MUSIC) (PEOPLE SING HYMN) Today is the funeral service for Mr Abraham. This will be a big tangi, in terms of numbers, because of the people that he is associated with, has taught. It's going to be lovely to be a part of, really. It's one of those funerals that's quite uplifting, and you're like, 'Man, this is so good to be at.' (ALL SING HYMN) (MEN PERFORM HAKA) (ALL PERFORM HAKA) When a haka is performed ` it is a common occurrence at a funeral, Pakeha funeral or a Maori funeral; it happens everywhere. And it is just another form of aroha and respect that the whanau show and to the person that's passed away. Are you going to ride with me? (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) As we pull out of the marae, driving up the driveway, you see his past pupils and some of the family members are standing there performing a guard of honour and together touching the car, the hearse, on the way out. Very, very beautiful. At the same time when everyone's touching the hearse on the way out, I am thinking within myself, like, '(GROANS) Are there rings? Is there's jewellery? 'Cos I don't want it to scratch, touch the car and make a mess and smudge the...' I mean, what do you do, eh? Aroha. Sweetheart? Hmm. Can I just show you something? Hmm. Do you see this? Just give me a minute. (SIGHS) What do you see? What I have to do is I have to... Like, it's like going to court. You have to build a case, you know? I really wanted to just say, 'OK, darling, shh.' Shh. How come you always go straight to the price? Can I just talk to you about it first before you judge it on` I know it's $1500` Have you come to ask me? $1500, yeah, that's a lot of money; you're right. But it's a good investment. Thank you for showing me. Nah, no. No, no, no, no, he doesn't need another leaf blower. Come back to me in another... six months or something. She's so mean, but... (SIGHS) I do know that without her, we wouldn't be where we are today. Thank you. Anyway, my farts blow louder than my little Makita. They do. Copyright Able 2018