(LIGHT, JAZZY THEME MUSIC) Captions by Kristin Williams. Edited by Tracey Dawson. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2020 (BELL TOLLS) (BRIGHT MUSIC) (FRANCIS GRUNTS) (CHAIRS CLATTER) The chapel is the heart of the funeral home. The chapel is where lots of ceremony takes place, lots of tears are shed, lots of words are spoken. Will we ever get pews? Um... (SIGHS) Not really. I do like the individuality of an individual chair. True. This is where a lot of people let down their barriers and let their grief pour. With individual chairs, you can individually move them. (CHUCKLES) Yeah. So I really... (STAMMERS) You know, this place has a lot of meaning. Oh. Wow. Francis is very particular about the chapel. He is fussy with where things are situated. He's fussy with how things are presented. Oh gosh. This is the centrepiece, and it's all on wheels. 'Everything is on wheels ` so centrepieces, flowers, rubbish bins, 'the lamps that all need to be brought in to make a new chapel in the already existing chapel.' So there's a little bit of setting up. Thanks, e hoa. That's awesome. (VACUUM WHIRRS) I love his attention to detail because it's telling me that he loves our people, and that he cares for us and anyone that comes in, which is great. You know, it doesn't have to be spot on, but near enough so it's not an eyesore. Yeah, he's after that feel-good factor. So if it means to just move just slightly to the left, it'll make him feel good, so we just let him be. (CURIOUS MUSIC) (POIGNANT MUSIC) Today, we have a family that's just walked in, and they've brought in their three-day old baby who passed away. I'm sitting down with Nan, and I hear the mamae. SOFTLY: Instead of having one chromosome from Mum and one from Dad, you have three. There's an extra one in every cell. And so that, um, he's got three different heart problems. Oh. This whanau have come in, and they've requested a casket, and at this point I feel that I need to give them a little bit more care than just giving them a casket. Do I need to fold it or`? No, you're all right. That's all right, eh? Yep. Something just a little tidier than what's under there. Thank you. Yeah. Um... SOFTLY: OK. I'll be here if you need me. OK. Thank you, Auntie Fehi. I'm feeling nervous as well because I just want everything to be perfect for this whanau. (SLOW PIANO MUSIC) Wow. Oh, it's magnificent. (SOBS) (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) Come. (INDISTINCT CONVERSATION) Oh, it's beautiful. (WEEPS) Mm. (WEEPS) SOFTLY: It's OK, baby. 'Mum has struggled with pregnancy before,' and this has been her first, sort of, pregnancy up to 38 weeks. Mm. I guess, when you're ready, we can place him in his moenga. Do you wanna do it with me? Come on. (POIGNANT MUSIC) I generally am OK with our baby cases. It's just because Nana has shared with me so much about what Mum has gone through and what baby's gone through. I'll give you guys a moment. SOFTLY: OK. And then I'll come back in, and then we can place his lid on. OK. Yep. Yep. Thank you. SOFTLY: No worries. I'm feeling a little more personally connected and involved with them right now. (SOBS) (PANTS) I didn't wanna break down in front of the whanau because that's their moment. It's only a little bit over, mate. It's always just a little bit... until you're on the receiving end. One times gold-coloured necklace and pendant. She was alive when I got there. Maybe they'll find a few less K's would've saved her. Imagine having that on your shoulders. (DISTANT ALARM BEEPS, BIRDS CHIRP) Everyone thinks they drive well. (HELICOPTER BLADES WHIRR, POLICE RADIO CHATTER) But I've never seen anyone crash well. (MACHINERY WHIRRS) (CRICKETS CHIRP, WOMAN CRIES) FEMALE OFFICER: Is there anyone we can call for you, Mrs Woolford? (SOBS) MAN: Oh, that speed's fine along here. I know these roads. I know these roads pretty well too, and I'm doing everything in my power to stop you from seeing the things I've seen on them. * (AMBIENT MUSIC) Kia ora. Tena koe. Kaiora. So, now it's time to take baby back home, and the whanau have invited me back to their kainga, and I feel honoured that I can be part of going home with them. Tau mai! Tau mai! Tau mai! Tau mai! And I see a matua ` it's Peter's dad ` and he's performing from what I feel is a form of karanga. He is from Rarotonga. (SPEAKS COOK ISLANDS MAORI) This is the first time that I've seen this, and it is awesome. I almost feel like I want to do the karanga, but at the same time, I can see only a male performing, and I'm unsure if maybe the tane is supposed to do it on this side. So, yeah, no, I don't wanna takahi on any of their tikanga, so I'd better keep quiet during this time. Aere mai ki roto. Aere mai. (AMBIENT MUSIC) We were taking baby inside the house and placing baby on moenga. Whanau have gathered together, and they all want to awhi baby. Sometimes in life, things can be taken from us or things can happen in life where you are stripped away. But one thing that can never be taken from you is who you are, where you're from, and what you believe in. That will always stay with you. Kia ora. I'm grateful that I went back, and I'm grateful to the whanau that they allowed me to share that moment with them. And from our whanau, our family, our whanau to yours, we just extend our love for being here today. The whanau are gonna spend the night at home with baby, and tomorrow they'll be taking baby back to Te Teko, where baby will be laid to rest. (CURIOUS MUSIC) I'd like new curtains for the chapel. Morning, Aaron. Good morning, Francis. Thank you very, very much for this, you know? Yes. We're just waiting for the curtains to be hung up now. OK. They're all ready. Oh. I ordered them a few months ago, but when I see them, I just have this... quite deathly feeling. Hopefully when they're hung on the wall,... Yeah. ...they might look a bit better, eh? Sure. But it's just my own thing. Yep. I just think they're very creamy and everything. It's like baby poo, custardy type, and it's not the feeling that we wanted to come from the curtains. See, this one's quite nice, this one here. What do you think. Yeah. Because, you know, my wall,... Yeah. ...it's, like, white. And then, you know what I'm saying? Look, it blends in. Put that one up against the white, you see? (GROANS) (GRUNTS) Oh. So ugly, eh? What do you think? (CHUCKLES) Or you like? The problem that I'm facing, once again, is that we've, you know, we've paid for them, and I can't exactly go and change them because then we have to deal with my wife. (QUIRKY MUSIC) I might` I might go out,... Yes. ...and then come back. OK. So that` So it's like, you know, like, 'Ta-da!' So I can` (CHUCKLES) Otherwise, I'm looking at it, and I'm going, 'Oh.' Yes. So I can see the difference. I know. Yeah. I'll go out, and I'll come back soon, eh? OK. OK. Won't be long. Yeah. Sure. No worries. All right. He is not happy with these curtains. I thought the curtains were cream. Cream. Well... (CLEARS THROAT) Where are we? (SIGHS) It's really like dealing with my kids sometimes, cos it's like a really sad moment. I was expecting, like, you know, like, wow. It's quite deathly. I didn't really` You know what I'm saying? I didn't want` I didn't` We're already in a funeral home. We don't want to be, you know, sitting in a casket lining, cos that's what it feels like. I think they're fine. I think they look like the curtains from the movie The Sound of Music when the nun makes all of the clothes out of the curtains for the kids. (GRACEFUL MUSIC) (ELEGANT PIANO MUSIC) I te rangi nei e tiaki ana matou i te tupapaku o Michael John Andzue. He is a 78-year-old army veteran, and he passed away from prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease. Was he easy to dress, dear? Yeah. We just, underneath the shoulders, pulled up. Mm. Shirt, jacket. It went well. I love that taonga. That pounamu on the top's beautiful. Mr Andzue's position, in the manner in which he has passed away and post-embalming, has left his neck a little bit off-centre,... And down gently together. Beautiful. ...which will, in my view and opinion and, um, w-will muck things up for his presentation because it'll be slightly off-centre. And, you know, being a regimented matua ` all about straight lines and everything ` I would imagine he would've appreciated, you know, everything to be nice and straight. No. (CHUCKLES) It's all right. It's all right, eh? They can't do anything. They knew he was like that. It's all right. OK. OK. Sorry, Matua. It's... (INHALES) Yeah. It is what it is. You know, let's not disturb or disrupt him. Let him rest in peace, and so we'll let him lie there on a slight angle. * (GENTLE PIANO MUSIC) Hei runga! Hei raro! MEN: Hi ha! Hi ha! Hei runga! Hei raro! MEN: Hi ha! Hi ha! Mr Andzue's nephew welcomes him into the whare, and he's currently a soldier in the army as well. So it's so beautiful that there's a nephew who understands everything, who is in te ao Maori and who's upholding traditions and tikanga for the family. Ki Hawaiku nui, Hawaiki roa, Hawaiki pamamao. Ki Te-Hono-i-Wairua ki te whaiao ki te ao marama, tihei mauri ora. (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) Mr Andzue will remain at his whare for two nights, and the whanau will sleep by him. That's why he's on the floor ` much like the marae. Kia ora. Kia ora. # E tama e # hoki mai ra... # Mr Andzue will have a military funeral with a gun salute at the Manukau Memorial Gardens. (GRACEFUL MUSIC) (MISCHIEVOUS MUSIC) The new curtains have been installed and are now hanging in the chapel. Mm. Did they just do the brown thing just now? It's actually not brown. It's cream. Oh. So, everyone's been saying it's brown. But that's OK, dear. It looks brown. Yeah, I know. See, that's the problem that I have too. The curtains are supposed to be beige or cream. All the staff, including Fehi, are telling me they're brown. But what colour did you`? Well, I thought it would be a really light cream. Sort of... Like an off cream, sort of like that? Yeah. But it's turned out like custard, eh, literally? I think it's because of the light. Or did you just get that colour? No. The blue? No. The brown, creamy-ish... Yeah. It's` It's` It's actually not brown. Yeah. It's cream. Did I know he was getting new curtains? No, not at all. It looks like brown. Yeah. I know but` Dear, I know. That's what I'm saying. If we can refer to it as a 'cream curtain', that would be better. (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) Yeah, no. Not my kind of colour. Look, it's not one of the best purchases I've made. I mean, I've bought some beautiful cars. But this instance, I haven't bought beautiful curtains. (GRACEFUL MUSIC) (POIGNANT MUSIC) Today is the funeral day for Mr Andzue. (INDISTINCT CONVERSATION) This will be my first RSA funeral. They're going to be shooting in the air ` hopefully not shooting at me. (CHUCKLES) But, yeah, it's gonna be amazing to see one of our comrades be laid to rest. (MAN CHANTS IN TE REO MAORI) Mr Andzue is survived by four daughters and one son. Dad would always tell me, 'Nanny, when I pass, don't you ever be sad,' and we've tried our hardest, Dad, to do that. Really, we have. Every single one of Mr Andzue's children have stood at the funeral, along with their families to pay tribute to Mr Andzue. And I think that is such a beautiful thing for everyone who's gathered there to see his descendants ` his uri. This is not goodbye, Papa, until we meet again. (SNIFFLES) Thank you. At the end of the service, the soldiers come forward to the catafalque, and they uplift Mr Andzue and take him. And at that time, normally, that's my job to organise our pallbearers and bring them together and instruct them on how to lift. But they don't need me. They already know what to do. (GUITAR PLAYS, PEOPLE SING IN TE REO MAORI) Mr Andzue is being buried at the returned servicemen's area, and it's time for the gun salute. Load. (RIFLES CLICK) Present. Fire! (GUNFIRE) Reload. (RIFLES CLICK) Present. Fire! (GUNFIRE) With the explosion and the noise, it was just a little taste of what he must've heard on a daily basis. And so it brought it all home. You know, it was like, I mean, that was only, what, a few guns. They would've been surrounded in all this ammunition noise back when they were fighting. And then it made you realise, you know, thank you, Matua. Thank you, Michael, for your service. (TRUMPET PLAYS) (GRACEFUL MUSIC) I've got a new toy for the chapel which helps in our pursuit for perfection,... Oh gosh. ...and it's a laser, a level laser, and it helps with positioning items on the wall, finding centre of and the level of pictures, so it's the best invention I've come across in a long time. Dear? Yeah. Come and look at this. So I call Nona in to show her what, you know, what we've bought,... Are you trying to see how skinny I am? No. Just Nona. (SCOFFS) Sad. Just Nona? Yeah. Why just Nona? (SIGHS) ...and I'm trying not to invite my wife in cos it's another growling that I'll be in for. The more he asks for just Fiona, the more I'm just gonna come anywhere. (SCOFFS) Don't try to keep me out of this cos I'm coming straight in. What are you doing? I'm just showing you this laser, and look what it does. It levels everything. So, whoever's` So when I hang a TV or picture, you can get it level. So can you see if that TV's on straight, then? No, it's not. But turn the light off. Turn the light off, and you have a look. Oh my goodness. We could have, like, a movie theatre here. But I-I've gotta read the instructions to see how it works, but do you know what I mean? (WOMEN SCOFF) I think it's a waste of time. I think it's just a gadget that's only gonna be used once in the year and then thrown away. (EXCLAIMS) Yeah. OK. Youse can go now. Oh, thanks. No. Can you leave it off? Oh, OK. Turn it off. It's OK. He needs a bit of space by himself with his toy. He wants to be` I thought, 'Mm. Should I ask him about how much that was in front of Fiona?' and then I thought, 'No. We can have this discussion after.' I don't think Nona and my wife understand the importance of this levelling tool. And it's just, you know` But I understand them. That's OK. But it's an essential part` It's much like the drill that we have, the Skilsaw, the jig cutter. You know, all of those things are important in my life. Captions by Kristin Williams. Edited by Tracey Dawson.