“Did you see that shadow by the cave?” Amelia whispered into the wind. “I think it was Mom.” As the wind blew off the ocean on a crisp December evening, she pulled her father’s jacket over her shoulders. The sleeves hung down on the ground.
“There’s a story that the people around these parts of New Zealand believe,” Mr. Brown said. “I’m not really sure if I believe it, but I’ll tell you anyhow. Maybe it will cheer you up!”
“I think I just saw Mom’s spirit standing outside those caves,” his 12-year-old daughter said. She had been so sad that her mother had passed away that she could think about nothing else. Sometimes, she could not sleep, just wanting her mother to hold her again.
“If the folklore is true, the shadow might have been the spirit of the warrior Tawhaki,” Mr. Brown said, as he looked out over the coast. The moonlight shone on the water. “He’s an avenger and guardian of justice. Sometimes, grieving people can see him. He might be fighting to bring your mother justice. The car accident wasn’t her fault.”
Amelia teared up and wiped her nose on his jacket sleeve. She had been so afraid after her mother’s death, not knowing what really happened to her.
“I miss Mom every second,” the girl cried. “Why did she have to go so soon?”
The wind blew hard against the large tree with red flowers that clung to the cliff of Cape Reinga. Then, Amelia noticed her mother’s scarf in her father’s pocket. He carried it with him wherever he went. Once when he wasn’t looking, Amelia saw him pull it out and press it against his face. He closed his eyes, as if he was trying to remember her scent.
“Let me tell you a version of the ancient Māori legend,” her father said, as he took his daughter’s hand. “Your mother used to love this story. We came to visit this place before you were born. She thought it was magic, and I wasn’t so sure, but it’s said that these caves are where spirits pass as they travel onto heaven.”
“Then, maybe I really did see Mom,” she said. “Let’s go inside. I have to see her. Just once more.”
“It’s such a nice night outside, honey. I’m not sure that we should really go inside the caves,” her father said, as he walked along the cliff with Amelia. He wiped a tear from his cheek. “This red tree was known as the New Zealand Christmas tree, and it seems to guard the entrance to the caves that wrap around the cliff.”
“But what if we can find Mom?” the girl cried. “What if she is waiting for us?”
“I’m not sure about that, but as the rest of the story goes, and not all the versions of it agree, this Pohutukawa tree emerged from here on Christmas Eve many years ago. Its burning red flowers are said to symbolize the blood of a warrior who died attempting to avenge his father’s death. His name was Tawhaki.”
“Oh, I think Mom just waved at us,” Amelia whispered. She watched the shadow outside the caves. “Can we please go inside?”
“It’s so dark in the caves,” he said, as he looked up at the stars.
“Well, what’s the rest of the story?” his daughter asked.
“Supposedly the warrior tried to get help in heaven on his mission to avenge his father, and then he fell to earth, causing the red flowers to bloom,” Mr. Brown said. “They say he still roams the earth, trying to avenge his father’s death. He hunts injustice and secretly tries to bring justice to those in need of it. Legend has it that he also guides souls on their journeys from earth to heaven through the caves. Now, I bet you thought it was just a tree?” her father said. “Sometimes, I think it still might just be a tree.”
“I always knew there was something special about the tree,” she told him, as she walked toward the entrance to the caves. “It’s so pretty.”
“I hope the story is true,” the father said. “Either way, everything will be all right.”
“Since Mom died last summer, I’ve seen the same shadow following me sometimes,” Amelia said. “Maybe it’s the warrior. I thought it might be Mom’s shadow. I wasn’t sure where it came from. I was too scared to tell you.”
“Really? Well, I wake up at night, and I think I hear her calling me. Sometimes, I think I’m going crazy,” her father said. “The legend of Tawhaki is really just a lot of folklore . . . and it makes you feel better for a while when you pretend it could be true.”
“Maybe I could talk to Mother one last time,” Amelia cried. “I dreamed I met her in the caves by the tree.”
“I want to believe that’s true, Amelia. I really do,” Mr. Brown said with trembling in his voice. “What if I’m wrong? If Tawhaki exists, he will help your mother. One way or another, justice at the court case regarding her car accident will prevail.”
“The shadow following me could have been Tawhaki,” Amelia said with a worried expression. “I’d rather it was Mom following me though.”
“You have no reason to be afraid,” Mr. Brown said. “If Tawhaki exists, he is probably trying to avenge her death, like the death of his father. According to the myth, he fights to bring justice.”
“Oh, I just saw a shadow again, next to the tree,” Amelia said with a gasp. “Did you see it, Dad?”
“No, I didn’t see it,” Mr. Brown said with a sigh. “If you want to, we could walk through the caves just this one time, but then that’s enough, and only for a few minutes.”
“I would like that,” Amelia said, as she dug in her bag for a flashlight to light their way.
Then, Amelia and her father walked into the heart of the caves. The walls were tight, and they had to squeeze through several spots.
“Maybe we should turn back, Amelia,” her father suggested. “I don’t want to get stuck in here.”
“No, we’re going to find Mom,” Amelia said, as she felt the clammy walls beside her. Then, she slipped and landed hard. “Ouch! I just know we’ll find her.”
“The air’s getting thinner,” her father murmured in the dark.
“Oh, come on!” Amelia said, as she pulled her father’s hand. “Just a little bit farther.”
“I love you, Amelia,” her father said. He took a deep breath and squeezed through the next tight spot.
As they descended deeper into the caves, Amelia froze. Light shimmered. Her mother stood before her surrounded by a bright glow. Tears filled Amelia’s eyes. When she looked at her father, he had no reaction, and she realized he was not able to see the spirit of her mother. She didn’t try to convince him.
“Did you see Mom, Amelia?” her father asked, as Amelia watched the spirit of her mother bend over and kiss her cheek. “I don’t see her anywhere!” he said.
Amelia ignored her father. Her mother’s kiss burned like fire, and Amelia was sure it was real. Then, her mother kissed Amelia’s father, but he must have not felt the fire on his cheek. Amelia’s mother slipped off her diamond wedding ring and pressed it into Amelia’s hand.
“Keep this for me, Amelia. I love you,” her mother said. Then, she turned and walked toward the inside of the caves. In a moment, she disappeared like she was taken up to heaven.
“I’ll love you forever,” Amelia whispered.
“Okay, now, it’s time to go home, Amelia,” her father said. “We can cut some of the red flowers from the tree to represent the spirit of your mother and the warrior we hope is helping her with the court case. We’ll put them by your bedside.”
“At least there is someone looking out for me, so I’m not alone without Mom,” Amelia told her dad.
“I’m looking out for you every day!” Mr. Brown said. “You’re never alone.”
She decided that telling him that she just saw her mother might not help him at all, but it helped her more than she could say. Her mother’s wedding ring hid deep in her pocket, although it was too big to fit on any of her fingers. It felt hard and like it could never break.
“Whatever happened to Mom’s wedding ring?” Amelia asked her father out of curiosity.
“Oh, it was lost in the car accident,” her father said. “We never found it.”
Before they left for evening, Mr. Brown walked over to the tree and left a note.
“What’s that?” Amelia asked her father. The envelope read: “For my love.”
“A note I wrote your mother,” he said. “In case she finds it.”
Then, the wind blew, and the Pohutukawa tree shook, as a shadow fell from its branches. Amelia watched it follow the Browns back to their house and sit next to her bedside. The shadow looked different than her mother did in the cave, and she knew it must be Tawhaki.
“If I had picked her up that night, maybe she would still be alive,” Mr. Brown said to Amelia, as she was sure he could not see the shadow. “I’m so sorry. Good night.”
“I love you, Dad. It’s not your fault,” Amelia said. “I know Mom loves you, too.”
When she woke up the next morning, the shadow was gone, but on the day of the court case, Amelia saw the shadow next to the witness stand as the driver who killed her mother testified. She felt courageous when she saw the shadow in the court room.
“It’s Tawhaki!” Amelia said to herself, as the man gave his testimony. She didn’t feel as intimidated as she might have been otherwise. Still, she wished that she could bring her mother back to earth again.
“I can’t take it anymore!” the man yelled. “I was drunk, okay? I killed her! What do you want me to say? I’ve been haunted by this shadow for the past week. It’s easier to tell the truth. The whole thing was my fault!”
“I motion to strike those comments!” the defendant’s attorney yelled.
“At least he told the truth,” Mr. Brown said to Amelia, who secretly held her mother’s wedding ring in her pocket.
Days later, Amelia watched the judge walk into the court room with the jury ready to announce the verdict. She sat next to her father, her mother’s wedding ring hidden in her pocket. Once again, she saw the shadow linger near the jury box. She wondered if he could sway their hearts.
“We, the jury, find the defendant guilty . . .” rang through the courtroom.
“Thank you,” Amelia whispered to Tawhaki. Somehow, she knew that he could hear her. She gave her father a hug and hoped the verdict was a comfort to him.
One day, when she was old enough to wear a wedding ring, Amelia thought she might ask her husband if he could propose to her with it. By then, maybe she could figure out how to explain to her father that her mother had given her the wedding ring the night they had spent together in the caves.
“Justice,” Amelia whispered.
She stood. Tawhaki’s shadow vanished.
“Justice.”
Editor’s Note: This fictionalized story respectfully draws from Māori legend and acknowledges the cultural significance of the Pōhutukawa tree and Tawhaki at Cape Reinga. It is told with admiration for the spiritual heritage it honors.
Copyright 2021, 2025 Jennifer Waters
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