(GRACEFUL THEME MUSIC) Captions by Stacey Spary. Edited by Kristin Williams. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2022 - Morena, everyone. Thank you again for complying with these new rules ` our weekly covid tests. Wow. (LAUGHS) Sorry, it's just a bit overwhelming at the moment cos only just realised that it's just me here today and not Francis as well. My husband has appendicitis. And... (SIGHS) Well, it ruptured. He's about to have it removed. And I don't want to stress the staff out about that, But um,... (SMACKS LIPS) They need to know that he's not going to be at work. - There is no Francis today. (CHEERING) (LAUGHS) - I've decided to ring in on the telephone to see everyone ` I missed them ` and to see how everything's going at work. - Say hi to everyone. - ALL: Hi. (LAUGHS) - He misses them. (LAUGHS) He wants to see how everyone is going. - FRANCIS: I see everyone's getting their Covid tests and getting their swabs up their noses. And some of them are in pain, some of them are crying, some of them are blowing their nose, which is enlightening for me. You know, a bit of entertainment. - FRANCIS ON PHONE: Any funerals on today? - Any funerals on today, dear? - FEHI: Hopefully not you. - FRANCIS: Pardon? - 'Hopefully not you,' Fehi said. - FRANCIS: Oh no, I'm not ready to die yet. (LAUGHTER) Leave that hearse there. 'I went in to operate and to get the appendix removed. 'We're supposed to wait in hospital for a little while to recover.' And then you go the next day and it's like, 'Wow, I feel so good.' Against the advice, I discharged myself. And so, I went home and did a few things. The boys were doing the lawns. I was told to go home and rest, which I felt I was. I'd just picked up the leaf blower just` There was a couple of spots the boys missed, so I just blew them. And then I went to sit down on the chair at the table, about to eat, and... I wake up back in hospital again. - KAIORA: As a result, he needed to go back to surgery and fix up all that he had damaged. I was scared. I have never seen my husband so helpless. Or just... (SIGHS) You know, it... (SIGHS) The last thing you wanna do is prepare for your own loved one's funeral. - I've learnt a big lesson ` They know what they're doing and talking about. - The leaf blower does... give him life. It makes him feel so good, but it also nearly took his life. (LAUGHS) - You need to use your taringa, eh, and listen to the doctor cos you're not a doctor. - FRANCIS: I know. - We miss you here. But not too soon. Just you, not the work. - Not to soon, eh? We don't want to bring the stretcher. Can you do a pukana for me? - No! (LAUGHTER) - You'll suit it with your attire. (LAUGHTER) Look at that. - Francis. Yeah. I'll-I'll... I'll have a pukana with him any day. - See, I miss you. I got no one to pick on. And no one to pick on me. - OK, dear. - All right. - I'm gonna go now. - Oh, yeah. I was gonna say I'm gonna go too. I've got a funeral to go to, dear. - I'm boring you. - Oh, Mr Boring. (CHUCKLES) Take care, dear. Ofa atu. - All right. - All right. I'll come and give you a shower now. Soon. - Oh, boy. (GENTLE MUSIC) (SOMBRE MUSIC) - Today in our care, we have our uncle. The late Pio Wiremu Jacobs, who passed away of pneumonia and... also a broken heart. He was missing our Aunty Chrissy. - FRANCIS: Uncle Pio and Aunty Chrissy, are both from Pawarenga. And so, that's where I grew up, and so we're same whakapapa, same iwi, hapu and whanau. And so it's just... (SMACKS LIPS) (SIGHS) Just` Yeah. I've got no words, mm. - WHISPERS: Yeah. - It was my duty to take care and prepare Uncle Pio, as my wife prepared Aunty Chrissy - Uncle Pio's wife - when she passed away. And so, that was supposed to be my mahi. - But unfortunately, due to his health reasons, he's unable to fulfil that at the moment. So... I'm now doing this for him and our whanau to see this through. 'It's been a challenging week. 'I'm exhausted. 'My husband needs attention.' - Ready to meet your queen. - 'But we made a promise to Aunty Chrissy and Uncle Pio that we would care for them.' - One, two... Up. There we go. - 'They have done so much for us. 'For our mahi, for our whanau, for our tamariki. And... I just feel that I need to complete those wishes. - (RECITES KARAKIA IN TE REO MAORI) - Uncle is now ready to embark on his journey home. - Thank you, e hoa. - All good. - Your mate, though, he had a bit of a cry before I left. - Aw. Pio's always been supportive, eh? - Yeah. He has. Uncle is now home and we are... taking Uncle back on to his whare. - (CHANTS KARANGA) - I felt the mauri to... whakahoki karanga. To reply back to the karanga. (KARANGA CONTINUES) Now that uncle is home, whanau are having himene and karakia to settle him. And... they're just happy to have Uncle home. (WHANAU SINGS) Uncle is going to lie in state in the whare for one night and return to Pawarenga in the morning. (SINGING CONTINUES) (SINGING CONTINUES) - Oh, he's ready, all right. - Yeah. - Eh? He says, 'I'm gonna see my bride now.' (LAUGHTER) 'See you fellas later.' - 'It is the next day.' And... Uncle was ready to return home back to Pawarenga. - Hi. I'm here with all the whanau and Uncle. - FRANCIS ON PHONE: Kia ora, Uncle. He looks beautiful. All ready to go and see Aunty, eh? - Francis is able to call in and do a poroporoaki to his uncle. - (FRANCIS SPEAKS TE REO) - He's grateful that he can do that, and the whanau are grateful that he can do that too. - Whanau, tena koutou. I'm sorry I couldn't be there. Arohanui ki a koutou. Arohanui. Lots of love to you all. Travel safely. I'm sorry I can't get my wife to drive you home. I need you to come over here and wash my body. (LAUGHTER) - But it was just so nice to be able to see all the whanau on the phone and to feel like you were present. - Well, I've gotta go; I've got a nurse coming. She's blonde and blue eyes, so I better tidy myself up. (LAUGHTER) - Funny, eh? (LAUGHS) - Alright. OK. - OK, darling. I'll see you later. - (CHUCKLES) - Uncle Bobby Newson has arrived, and he will be doing himene and karakia for whanau to set their journey. (WHANAU RECITE KARAKIA) (WHANAU SINGS IN TE REO MAORI) - FRANCIS: Uncle Pio and his wife, Aunty Chrissy, they're a big part of our funeral home. They were our kuia and kaumatua who we called on for guidance. And when we're stuck in this little void where we were like, 'Oh, Tikanga here, technology here,' we never knew what to do, so you'd ring him up and say, 'Uncle, this is the dilemma we're in.' And he'll say, 'Well, try and mix the two of them together.' And those words, 'mixing the two of them together', have been at the forefront of my mahi. (WHANAU SINGS IN TE REO) In lockdown, when a lot of whanau couldn't attend, they were worried about - Oh, what about tikanga? Mixing the two of them together, the old with the new, has been the way in which we move forward. And so those teachings, I'm forever grateful for. (WHANAU SINGS IN TE REO MAORI) - KAIORA: Normally Francis and I would take Uncle Pio back to Pawarenga. But of course, given the circumstances that Francis is unwell, the whanau will be transferring Uncle back home themselves in the hearse. It's hard for us at the moment, but I know Uncle Pio would want me to stay home and look after my husband. And I... I just know that the whanau up home will have a beautiful send-off for Uncle Pio. (CAR TOOTS) (GENTLE MUSIC) (PLAYFUL MUSIC) KAIORA: Another week has gone by, and it's swabbing day, and my husband wants to come in and be part of swabbing with everybody. But this time, he's in a wheelchair. - Morning, dear. - Morning, dear. - Hi. Hi, everybody. - Thank you. - You do. With your shirt. (KAIORA LAUGHS) - And your beard. - My husband, he's, um... come out with a bit of... A bit of pahau, bit of stubble, bit of facial hair. He dyes it and then trims it. In the morning it used to be 30 minutes. It's now... 50 minutes. - Yeah, he looks like he's fading away. - Just a little bit, yeah. But anyway... I think most people who have been in hospital get a bit skinny, don't they? - Yup. That's true. - (LAUGHS) - Yeah. Then they get out and put it all back on. So maybe everyone needs a trip to the hospital. - What are you trying to say? (LAUGHTER) - I've got my stubble facial hair, just because- you know, shaving every day has been a chore. And so I just thought, oh, well, I'm not in front of whanau, not in front of families. Let's just grow it and just be relaxed. And so that was all part of healing as well. - You know, you're not a mongrel. - (LAUGHS) - You're a lovely person. But um... - But the rest- - So is everyone else a mongrel? - But the rest of us- (LAUGHTER) Oh, you gotta have it. You've gotta have that to lift and go (GRUNTS) into the stretcher, you know. Into the car. Big body. But you also gotta be able to lift and not do like a pukana, like- You've got to lift and, 'Oh my goodness me. This is so heavy.' You know? - Man, it was really lifting for one's wairua, for mine especially, and just a nice time to see everyone. Although, you know, I'm not feeling the best. Everyone's sort of looking` They know I'm in a little bit of mamae here. But just really trying to be happy, and I was so happy to see them all. - KAIORA: Thought I'd just bring in our patient to say hello to you fellas cos he's missed you fellas. And it's... yes. No, he really, really misses you guys. (CHUCKLES) (LAUGHTER) - It's becoming a lot at home. So I just thought, oh, come on then. - Really? - Come in. (LAUGHTER) - You get a different perspective when you've been away for long. You walk in, 'Ooh, that's new. Ooh, that's moved. Ooh.' 'They vacuumed here, and they've missed spots.' But anyway. I don't wanna, you know, pull them all up on national TV and talk about where they've missed the vacuuming. - KAIORA: Do you like the Christmas tree? - FRANCIS: Yes, what a lovely tree. Aniwa, I love the decorations. Oh, it doesn't have any. (LAUGHTER) There are times where I do wanna be pushed in with a blindfold just so I could drive, you know, walk past everything. And I think my staff get annoyed, and they go, 'Oh, take him home. Put him back in the wheelchair.' Some of them wanted to push me on to the road, so I'll get hit by a car. (LAUGHS) You know, but I get it. I said, 'Oh, I know. I better go home.' - (SIGHS) OK. Well, I'm going to Princes Street to have a look. With you guys. (KAIORA LAUGHS) - We're going down there now. (LAUGHS) Look at them. They're like, 'OK.' - We better run. Run! - Go home. Nah. - I'm going to look at the clean mortuary. - Why do we have to come down there? (CHUCKLES) - I love you. - Love you guys. - God bless you. - Bye, Santa. - Bye. - Oh, I cleaned it! (LAUGHTER) (SOLEMN MUSIC) - FRANCIS: Today, Uncle Pio's heading back to Pawarenga to Taiao Marae, where the whanau and the hapu up there will undoubtedly be waiting for him. And they'll be treating him with the highest of honours and treating him like the king that we think and know he is, until his burial. - Uncle Pio and Aunty Chrissy just... EMOTIONALLY: ...have done so much for Francis and myself and our whanau. They have prepared ways for us, for our mahi and have been our pillars to guide us in tikanga. - E te Atua... - It's like they've given everything they can to us, and it's up to us to ensure that all those teachings they've taught us, we continue that in the next generations to come. - As we take leave of our brother Pio, give our hearts peace in the firm hope that one day, Pio will live in the mansion you have prepared for him in heaven. - FRANCIS: And now is the time that his body returns to the Earth, and his spirit will return to the heavens, and he can finally be at peace, reunited with the love of his life in paradise - Aunty Chrissy. - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) (LAUGHTER) - So behave yourself, Pio. - KAIORA: Uncle Pio and Aunty Chrissy, I feel were visionary people and... they left messages for us and their mokopuna to encourage us and do well in life. (SOLEMN MUSIC) - Bye-bye. (SOLEMN MUSIC CONTINUES) (GENTLE MUSIC) (PLAYFUL MUSIC) - Can I have a tissue, just for the end of it? Thank you so much. - Now that we've had our swabs, Francis is wanting to have a look at the mortuary. And now I have to wheel him over there. - You know, this funeral home's not very wheelchair-accessible. Does the wheelchair fit in the toilet? - Yes. - Ouch! Mum, go slow. - It's a lot of work being me. - No, go there. - No. Here, here. Oh, this- No. See, there's too many stones. I'll just take you down this way. - (INHALES SHARPLY) Ouch. Careful of the bump. - It's just down the road, but, my gosh, it feels like... A long way. Especially in heels. - Morning. Morning. - Hi. Yeah. What has he done to himself? Yeah, that's right. - 'And I've just got to give him his happiness in his mind to feel that he's at work.' - Do you wanna give me a hand with the patient? We've sort of got to go over the bumps really slow, otherwise you're going to have a complaining` - FRANCIS: Ah, ah. - You're going to have a complaining patient. - She just goes 'bang' and then, oh. - So if he starts saying naughty things, you just ram him over the bump. - Oh, I'll ram you. (KAIORA LAUGHS) - So I'm wheeling him now, and he's got his coffee, and he's complaining about the potholes. In my mind, I'm just saying, you know, 'Just handle it, bruh.' - I never really noticed until you're in a wheelchair and you feel every bump and every uneven pavement and trying to get up from the road on to the driveway, with the little lip there. You know, these things, I'm like, 'Wow.' You know, all the jerking and bumping... And so, I think a couple of my stitches have come undone from her driving. - (GROANS) Oh my... - (LAUGHS) Sorry. (LAUGHS) - Darling. - We've made it to the mortuary in one piece. Well, he's made it to the mortuary in one piece. (CHUCKLES) And I know he's looking at everything. I know he's analysing everything. - They don't call me Hawkeye for nothing. - (GASPS) Look at this. So clean and tidy. Well, it was, I take it. Can I have a look in the fridge? Oh my gosh. How many hours did she spend cleaning that day, Jay? - Oh, 10, I think. - In my mind, I just wanna push him through, you know. Just get through and hopefully zoom past so he doesn't see anything. But no. - The whanau toilets are looking nice and clean, which are very important to me. - Oh, wow. And it's got a smelly in it. Can you straighten this plant? It's crooked. Bring it out this way a little bit, darling. Darling, this plant go that way. - Can you just wait there? - 'I think I should have just left Jay. 'Jay, here.' You... ...take it all on board and clean up everything that he says. I should've just left it with Jay, eh? - Hello. Ooh. - Aw. - Can we go in there? - Kia ora, Matua. - (SMACKS LIPS) Aw. - Kia ora, Whaea. - Jay, who do we have here? - So, this is Mrs Clark. This is Uncle Stan's one. - Aw. - Aw. Hello, dear. Oh, I remember her. Yes, yes. (SMACKS LIPS) Gosh. I've missed dead bodies. You know, when you're in hospital, you're lying down, all you see is the roof. But above my roof, I had a round one like that for air. - Yeah. - And I was having nightmares. I thought I was in a mortuary. - (GIGGLES) - When you're healing and you own a business that's very busy, it takes a toll on your mental health, just sitting there going` Oh, you feel so useless. But to be amongst it, even though you're not doing anything, was just very good for my wairua and mental health. - I think now it's time to take him home. - Whoa. Whoa. (CHUCKLES) I wouldn't do that to you, dear. - Yeah, there's this little bump here, which is annoying, eh. - Oh, we'll get him over the bump, eh. (INDISTINCT CONVERSATION, LAUGHTER) - OK. Do it again. Hako. Tahi, rua, toru, wha. - ALL: Hako!