Merepeka Raukawa-Tait: A prisoner on leave and our Waitangi Day to remember

Rimutaka Prison, Upper Hutt, where John was released.

It was a Waitangi Day I'll never forget. Not the one where the queen had a wet T-shirt thrown at her.

That action disgusted me. I was at Waitangi on that occasion. My sister and I got separated. She went off to find a quiet place to sit and eat her icecream. She saw two people walking slowly towards her, they smiled and carried on. The Queen and Sir Kingi Ihaka. Lesley said there was not another person in sight. I bet there was only she probably couldn't see them.

The other Waitangi Day seems quite surreal now. We were living in Wellington at the time.

I had the day all mapped out. And then it happened, Theo said my plans would have to change. One of the men incarcerated in Rimutaka Men's Prison was having his first 72-hour home leave in six years. On Waitangi Day weekend. "So, what's that got to do with me?" I wanted to know.

Apparently he had nowhere to go. His family didn't want him visiting them. They only visited John once in the seven years he was inside.

Again I asked Theo "what's that got to do with me?" He quietly informed me: "I said he could come and stay with us."

I did the haka. I really performed. To no avail. Theo was a lovely man but he could be extremely stubborn if he felt right was on his side. On reflection why on earth was I surprised?

I said John would just have to fit in with our plans, because I was not prepared to change anything.

What I didn't know then was that when you have someone in your home on home leave there are a number of conditions imposed.

He couldn't go to a TAB, race course or any gambling venue. He couldn't consume alcohol or go to a place where alcohol is served or sold. And the list goes on. It may have changed by now.

Waitangi Day that year was a scorcher. John looked very handsome in Theo's clothes. He needed two changes because he had no idea where he was going to, and there was a dress code for one function.

First on the day's programme was a visit to the local marae in Tretham.

A powhiri and then the community celebrations would begin. We were gathering at the gate, when one of the Marae Trustees saw me.

"Please come up and join the official party Merepeka." I did.

Accompanied by Theo and John. We joined the British High Commissioner and had a lovely few hours on the Marae. John told me a couple of prison guards looked at him strangely when they saw him in the official party.

Then we shot into Te Papa to listen to the debate by a number of eminent New Zealanders, including historians, on the Treaty of Waitangi - Relevant or Not in the 21 Century.

Not all views and comments were well received by the audience but I really enjoyed the various arguments put forward and delivered with such passion.

Unfortunately we couldn't stay to the end as we had to do a quick change and then head off to the Governor-General's Waitangi Day reception at Government House.

We only had two tickets but I sat in the front seat of the taxi and as luck would have it when we pulled up at the guard house I knew the guard on duty.

He waved us through. That's how John ended up at Government House. He was very impressed with everything and I have to admit he was a pleasure to be with.

Years of Christian school manners was apparent. Although he told me later it was those years that buggered him up. At one point I heard someone ask him what line of work was he in. I'm sure I heard him say "security".

By that time I was starting to weary. But no, our friends wanted to go on for dinner somewhere. So, contrary to the rules, we took John to a beautiful Wellington hotel for dinner.

I wasn't too worried as half of those present were either judges, barristers or lawyers.

The following day when John hugged me and thanked me for "the best weekend of my entire life", he said his only regret was that he couldn't tell his mates in prison. He'd get the bash for lying.

I know on that occasion I broke every rule in the book but I think Theo was right, to insist John would have a place to go to on his first home leave.

So I was not unhappy when the following year, on his release, John took up residence with us for a year.

- Merepeka Raukawa-Tait lives in Rotorua. She writes, speaks and broadcasts to thwart the spread of political correctness.