21

The next morning, while they were cooking breakfast, Laura and Daniel within themselves savouring the memories of their night together, Tahu said, ‘Uncle, Uncle Aaron wants you to go with us into Waioha after breakfast.’

Daniel slid out of himself. ‘Who else is going with us?’ he asked.

‘Aleki and Fatu,’ Tahu replied. ‘I think Uncle wants us to meet some of his friends – they have kids my age.’ Because he was still full of Laura and his wild memories, Daniel didn’t consider it an odd reason, and said yes to Tahu.

During breakfast, while he was eating with Laura and Mere and Kepa, he mentioned it casually, and didn’t catch the slight hesitation in Mere’s eyes. But Laura did, and she asked him why they were going into Waioha.

‘Aaron wants me to meet some of his cousins here. He also wants their kids to meet some of ours.’

‘But why just you?’ Laura asked. Daniel shrugged his shoulders again. ‘Don’t you think it’d make sense for Mere to meet them too?’ she asked.

‘I guess so,’ he replied. He got up and hurried to Aaron, who was sitting at the warriors’ table, eating.

‘Hey, bro, I’m sure it’d be great for Mere to meet your mates,’ Daniel said. Laura glimpsed annoyance in Aaron’s stance, in the tensing of his shoulders.

‘That’s okay, Dan, it makes sense for our rangatira to meet our Waioha cousins,’ Aaron admitted.

When they were getting into Aaron’s black truck later, Laura discerned that Kepa wanted to go, and she suggested that to Mere, but Mere just caressed Kepa’s shoulder, once, and slid into the front seat beside Aaron. Daniel slid in after her.

Tahu, Aleki and Fatu were already in the back seat, feeling privileged they’d been chosen.

Aaron kept the truck at a steady pace. Daniel was again snared in the wondrous world of Laura and becoming sexually aroused, but, ten minutes or so into their trip, Mere’s insistent silence started edging into his attention.

Aaron’s cousins’ house was at the end of a gravel road pressed up against the foothills behind the town, shaded, surrounded and screened from view by what Aaron identified for the warriors as kahikatea, rimu, tōtara and other native trees. The wild stand of bush made the property conspicuous in a largely treeless neighbourhood.

In the tar-sealed driveway was an old Ford Falcon that needed painting, a new Holden truck and a grey Mini Minor. There was no one in view. Aaron stopped the truck near the driveway, and they got out. ‘Wait here,’ Aaron told them.

He wove his way past the vehicles and turned on to the front veranda, and they saw him knocking on the front door. The door swung back and in the doorway stood a white-haired Māori man, who whooped at seeing Aaron. He flung his arms round Aaron, who also hugged him tightly, then leaned in to hongi him, pushed him back and, gazing at Aaron’s face, said, ‘Eh cuz, ya look jus’ like ya mum.’

‘So he does have cousins in Waioha,’ Mere said. The warriors were already moving up the driveway.

The man’s hollow-cheeked face was stubbled with grey hair, and revealed he had three missing front teeth when he went to greet and hongi Mere and the others. Close up and despite the white hair, Daniel estimated him to be only in his forties. Dressed in a crumpled blue tartan shirt and tight jeans that emphasised his bow legs, he exuded a confidence that he tried to hide as he repeated his name: ‘Name’s Mike, Mike Poutama.’

Mike led them round the house – Daniel realised the air was laced with the smell of marijuana – to the back, where they found three Māori men and a Pākehā sitting round a wooden table that stood in overgrown grass and was shaded by rimu and ponga. As usual, Daniel recognised the men’s intense attention focusing immediately on Mere; and, as usual, she reacted as if she wasn’t aware of their very sexual appraisal and assumption she was Aaron’s girlfriend. He caught the young Pākehā man, whose bulging rotund body was struggling to burst out of his leather jacket and jeans, hiding the joint in his hand under the table. The other Māori man was squat and thickset, with a well-groomed black beard. He rose now with a huge smile. Aaron rushed to him and they embraced in hongi. The man exclaimed, ‘Shiiitt, boy, you as big as your dad now, and handsomer!’

Aaron replied, ‘But not as tough as you, Henare.’

Quickly, Mike introduced the other men to Aaron, who in turn introduced them to his party.

An attractive woman, with ebony skin and piercing blue eyes, and three teenage children brought out more chairs, and they sat down. The warriors, at the woman’s invitation, went into the house with her children.

Mike took the chair facing Aaron across the table. Frank, the young Pākehā, sat down next to him. ‘You jokers havin’ a good holiday?’ Mike asked.

‘Yeah, thanks to you, Uncle,’ Aaron replied. ‘It’s a beaut house.’ Mike and his friends laughed.

‘Nah, thank ya mates – what’re their names again?’ Mike asked Frank.

‘Bonzy and that Samoan mate of his,’ Frank replied. That attracted Daniel’s attention instantly: Feau and Bonzy were always there in Aaron’s life and Daniel couldn’t understand why Aaron allowed that.

‘Thanks, mate,’ Mike said. “Yeah, Bonzy and Feau. They’ve been very good to us.’ Daniel glanced at Mere, who was also now intensely interested.

‘Bloody useful having them in the city,’ Henare said. ‘Good for business.’

‘Bonzy rang me and I got you the best holiday home in our area,’ Mike reminded Aaron. ‘Jesus, I like that: “holiday home”!’ Mike wheezed with laughter.

‘Yeah, rangatira, very original,’ Frank flattered his boss.

‘Mr Poutama, the “holiday home” we are very grateful to you for belongs to Mr Brent Knowing of Te Awamutu?’ Mere’s intrusion into their males-only discussion was like the clicking of a camera; it caught them completely by surprise. Daniel expected a stern rebuke, but, after a moment of shocked surprise, the men’s faces assumed smiles of condescending tolerance, and he could see their intensifying naked sexual interest in this shit-hot-looking woman who was daring to speak to them as an equal. Beside him, Aaron was trying to hide his annoyance.

While everyone waited, Mike’s stern face melted into a wide grin, and he said, his voice hissing through the gap of his missing teeth, ‘Āe, Mere, it belongs to Mr Brent Knowing, a wealthy farmer and a grateful mate of ours.’ The others nodded and imitated their boss’s laughter. Daniel, now drenched with sweat, prayed Mere would be satisfied with that, and he looked to Aaron to intervene.

Smiling, Mere said, ‘Koro, Aaron hasn’t yet told us what the rental is for Mr Knowing’s beautiful home.’

‘For you, my beautiful kōtiro and my loyal cousin Arona, it is free,’ Mike replied. The others nodded. Now leave it there, leave it there, Daniel hoped; he tried to catch Mere’s attention. Under the table he stepped on Aaron’s foot, but Aaron refused to acknowledge him.

‘Last evening, Koro, two policemen came to welcome us to your marae,’ Mere pressed on. Daniel started noticing that her calm demeanor, commanding beauty and courage and beguiling mana were having their usual captivating effect on her audience, and he breathed easier.

Aaron straightened up to speak, but Mike raised his hand and stopped him. ‘Did they follow correct marae kawa and accord you a proper welcome, my kōtiro?’ They all waited for her reply.

But she turned to Aaron and said, ‘Perhaps Aaron can best answer that, rangatira.’ Brilliant move, Daniel thought; now Aaron had to decide. Mike looked at Aaron.

‘Yes, they did, rangatira, and we want you to thank them for that.’ Aaron replied. Daniel glanced across at Mere, who was gazing with aroha at Aaron.

Mike said, ‘Henare, please visit Sergeant Dickson and thank him on my behalf.’ He paused and, gazing with admiration at Mere, added, ‘Tell them my kōtiro and cousin and their whānau are our guests.’

‘Thank you, Uncle,’ Aaron said, lowering his gaze.

That evening, alone with Mere and Laura, Daniel thanked Mere for her intervention. She chortled easily, and, pressing his hand, said, ‘See, you can sometimes win by getting off the fence, bro, and respecting the law.’

‘What the hell happened?’ asked Laura, puzzled. Daniel and Mere looked at each other and laughed.

‘Bloody Mere stalemated our enterprising and vengeful Aaron,’ Daniel said.

‘In this instance, maybe, but what about the future?’ Laura warned. ‘You know what he’s like – he hates to lose, and he’s tenacious.’

When Laura left to help the warriors washing the dishes, Mere and Daniel sat on the veranda, looking out at the darkening sea and horizon. ‘Laura’s right,’ Mere admitted. ‘We’ve got a lifetime with our beloved Aaron.’

‘We just have to keep an eye on him,’ Daniel replied, without much thought. He paused, then reflected, ‘That’s stupid, isn’t it?’

‘But that’s all we can do, bro,’ she murmured. ‘He’s still connected to Bonzy and Feau, and they’re scarier than Uncle Mike Poutama and his crew.’

Daniel couldn’t sleep for a long while that night, trying to dispel the stark and disturbing memories of Feau, Bonzy, and Aaron abusing Arthur and Martha.