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Stories 2 of 9
The two spirits surrounded her with their dark arms, and for an instant they brought her to a far and lifeless land. There, they entered inside her body and stole the baby she bore in her belly. From that moment on, Takua would never get pregnant again. Later, silently, the woman came back to life through the waves and the two spirits went away in their cloud.
So the stolen child was raised by the sea itself until he could live alone. The spirits called him Tahoratakarar and with foam and darkness built a big black boat for him. It was Mahina, tied with invisible ropes to the mysteries of the Other World. It sailed by night, and the men felt the chill wind that blew through its sails. It only stopped when somebody was dying, and waited for his soul.
One night, Takua felt that she wanted to take her son back, and she thought he might be the one who was guiding the mysterious boat. She dived deep into the sea, and swimming reached the boat of the souls. There was a rope hanging from a side, and she could climb up to the deck of the boat. In it, there were big corridors in which, without knowing it, hundreds of soul were constantly mingling. There was no sign of life in it, not even a breath. Takua only could see a tall man with a beard, and her blood told her that it was her son.
In the darkness, she touched his shoulder, his face, his eyes.
- You are my son, she said.
- Yes, mother. But now, our duty is to walk together without recognizing each other.
- But your eyes reflect my love, cried the mother.
- Maybe it is because they contain everything. Now you have to go. No living being can remain on this ship.
- What can I do with you, now that I know you? asked the mother.
- When you will reach the island again, everything will be different - finished the son.
When Takua got back to her groom, he found her very different. She had a lost look in her eyes and was always hiding. So he tied her to the table, but the table broke; he lit a fire around her, and the fire died out.
Attracted by her magic powers, many women that had dead relatives came to her, to ask her if she had seen them on the boat, but Takua said she hadn’t. They asked her if she could call one, and Takua could do it, for her son let her. From that day, she always could call the souls of the dead.
And the ghost boat continued sailing forever through the islands, to help people to accept death.
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| Language(s) English, French, Spanish |
| Geographical origin Polynesia |
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