I saw a social media quote from Taika where he refers to his tā moko wrist tattoo… the marae (meeting grounds) or wharenui (communal meeting hut). Taika says he shows it to taxi drivers and tells them ‘Take me home’ (I hope that’s true).
And that led me to thinking about the tā moko in the context of Ed’s characterisation, and a different significance of ‘Take me home.’
You can see the wharenui here, and I find it so poignant. Ed’s spent his entire life looking for home. It’s not a place, it’s a feeling. It’s why Ed had riches, but couldn’t do anything with them - home wasn’t to be found in a large house or land.
It’s why Ed just couldn’t retire, because retiring isn’t just stopping work, it’s a state of being too; there was no one to retire with.
Living is about community, people. Which is why Ed is fine with ‘home’ being the Wayward Seaman’s mission, or wherever they were to go next, because Stede is there.
Here, Ed’s saying - Take me home, Stede. Take me with you wherever you go.
Home really can be a person.
