Tall Tales But True

a dark figure walks past

'did you see that, did you see that'

I was about 9 when it happened. We were at a marae in Kenena, Mangonui attending a tangi. Now this place is in the 'back and beyond'; bush clad hills and then mudflats as you get closer to the coast, one good thing was that as you got closer to the coast the dirt road turned in to a tar sealed road.

One night the adults decided to take a trip into the Mangonui township. I think it was to buy some beer for the workers back at the marae. It was one of those little trucks that had an open tray at the back. Uncle drove and mum sat in front with him and I sat between my aunties in the back. We were all rugged up in our coats, hats and gloves, blanket and then uncle put a 'tarp' over us and wedged it down tight on either side of the aunties and then clipped the bottom part under the tailgate, so it wouldn't flap.

It was really cold that night, I don't remember if the stars were out but for me it was one of those places that just scared me. We're travelling along the road, either side of us is like mangrove trees and mudflats, no houses, no street lights and very dark. My aunt to my left is sleeping, I'm all huddled down in the middle and my aunt to my right is half sitting half lying down, then all of a sudden... whoosh and you see this hand on the side of the truck then the tarpaulin is pulled up and of us. It is pulled right off us, right down to the tailgate.

As the tarpaulin is going down and flapping and the truck is travelling along, you see someone walking along the road dressed in a long black coat, it just walked away into the distance, my aunt (the one to the right) and I watched it walk away. My aunt began to scream out to the one that was sleeping, did you see that, did you see that person.... she was also banging on the roof of the truck cab so the truck would stop. She kept saying did you see that, did you see that... she asked me, did you see it.... I was that frightened I wouldn't say anything.

Finally the truck stopped and my uncle got out to see what was wrong, he was shocked to see our tarpaulin had come of and it was only just hanging on by the corner. My aunt said to him and my mum, did you see that person walking along the road, he pulled the tarpaulin off us as he walked past. Both mum and my uncle said they didn't see anything and they should have because of the truck lights and they would have seen everything that was coming towards them.

Well I was that frightened, I got in front with my mum and pretended to be asleep.... kept my eyes shut all the way to Mangonui pub and then all the way back to the marae.

The next day, when we went down to the creek to wash, I told my mum I had seen what aunt was talking about last night... and she told me I was wrong and being silly and I hadn't seen anything.