The black and white cat though
quite burly, well nourished,
started dinner watch when the
girls sat down to afternoon tea.
Cat dinner at people dinner time
started after he arrived with the
long departed tabby hunter who led
the assault on dining children
followed by her kitten friend.
Feeding cats at family dinner time
suited Mum so it was continued.
The black and white cat remained
optimistic often appearing as the
girls sat down for afternoon tea
after school, From the chairs round
the dining table he could see
through the kitchen to his empty
bowls on the laundry floor.
In winter he preferred chairs
warmed up by humans as the girls
sat turn by turn with Aunty Jo
with their homework. He quickly
jumped on to vacated chairs to be
squeezed out when a human
occupied the chair again.
But dinner would always finally
arrive for this opportunist optimist.
Previously posted June 2018.
Daytime Sleep
Mum says two year olds need
a daytime sleep daily. Little
brother objects to this. So
much is going on outside his
room he wants to be there for it
all. How can they leave him out ?
The gate catch rattles, a car
drives in – Dad ? – Please !
he wants to see Dad. No.
That’s not Dad’s voice.
An unknown voice talks to
Mum. The car drives away.
Mum is busy in the kitchen.
Little brother calls to her,
talks from behind his closed
door. She leaves him there,
hoping he will give up, sleep.
Grandpa is more persuadable
but he keeps to his instructions.
Put little brother in his cot,
close the door. Little brother
talks loudly through the closed
door, calls excitedly when
Mum at last comes home.
When he keeps talking from
behind his closed door Mum
usually comes and gets him
from his cot thirty minutes later.
Previously posted June 2018.
Along The Driveway
Along the driveway little brother
rapturously explores its wonderful
world step by step with Aunty Jo
as they walk along to the road
to fetch the giant recycling bin.
He stops to pick a camellia
flower, stares at it, twirls it
in his fingers, gives it to Aunty Jo,
Pointed ivy leaves crawling along
the ground, tall torn canna lily
leaves flapping in the wind, tall
fluffy grassy seed heads, violets
tall above their thickly clustered
leaves which he points at in
delighted crowing appreciation.
All draw his joyful attention.
Strangely shaped tiny stones of
the scattered gravel on the concrete
fascinate him, he gives them to her.
After checking the letterbox
he goes on to the roadside with
Aunty Jo to bring in that huge
bin standing so tall on its wheels.
Previously posted June 2018.
A New Van
Dad’s tradesman’s van was getting
on in years not helped by strong
winds on open roads between
nearby local towns needing his
specialised services. Heavy tools
and equipment in back held
down the van’s rear end when
buffeted by gales bt the front
end bounced around shaking
the engine on its mountings.
He grew uneasy as the hundred
year gales increased in frequency
so went online to find another.
Having chosen a suitable model
he placed bids on internet auctions
till he acquired one for a suitable
price. Once checked and paid for
it was duly delivered home to
the joy of excited children.
Dad is still planning where to
place machinery, shelves, and tools
but the children have enjoyed
slow rides in its spacious back
area down the long drive to t he
road and back to the house.
They will miss the new van once
it is fitted out for its new work.
Previously posted June 2018.
Wartime Divorce
After the big Depression Dad
finally got a job saved money
married the girl of his dreams.
She played the piano at recitals
accompanied singers including Dad.
She expected to continue to play
in public he expected her to stay
home produce children that was
how he thought couples lived, for
discussions of expectations
did not always occur back then.
Two years after the wedding at
the outbreak of war he went
to sea. She went home to Mum
stayed there but spent her share
of his naval serviceman’s pay.
After the big Depression Dad
finally got a job saved money
married the girl of his dreams.
She played the piano at recitals
accompanied singers including Dad.
She expected to continue to play
in public he expected her to stay
home produce children that was
how he thought couples lived, for
discussions of expectations
did not always occur back then.
Two years after the wedding at
the outbreak of war he went
to sea. She went home to Mum
stayed there but spent her share
of his naval serviceman’s pay.
Wartime Pacific tours of duty
extended drawn out divorce
proceedings as she spent his pay.
As his ship with the fleet monitored
Japan’s coast after surrender his
divorce came through. He remarried
…… and started married life anew
with no savings from previous years.
Previously posted June 2018.
A Puzzle
As the world settled down after
World War II our family attended
church on Sundays as did other
families except Dad stayed home
like many other Dads who had
been away to war. He said he had
too much church in his childhood.
At our school down the road
children asked why we did not
go to the nearby Anglican church
or the nearer Presbyterian church
instead of a Presbyterian church
still further away where Dad had
to drive us there and back.
Mum grew up and Anglican, said the
wife went to her husband’s church.
But why the one so far away ?
On my twenty first birthday I
learned Dad had divorced his
first wife during World War II.
My conventional correct mother
could not take communion in her
childhood Anglican church.
The strict nearest Presbyterian
church frowned on divorce.
At our Presbyterian church Dad’s
uncle was an elder, the minister
Dad’s naval chaplain in the war.
Both sympathetic to his divorcing
a wife who left him and kept her
large portion of his wartime pay.
So our church was not chosen
for beliefs and teachings but
for its acceptance of divorcees.
Previously posted June 2018.
Renovations
In the mid 1950’s Grandpa’s
childless brother died. Dad’s
share of his estate brought
huge relief after supporting his
ex wife until her recent death.
She had already spent her major
share of his naval pay after
leaving him early in World War II.
Dad and his carpenter mate
renovated our house as Dad
wished. The old back porch
with its bare board unlined
toilet (Brrr !) was torn down
replaced with a bathroom with
shower box and smooth clean
painted hard board alongside
a lined draught free toilet.
When Dad got the plumber’s
bill he said it would have to be
Mum’s Christmas present so
she pinned an enormous red
cellophane bow to its door.
The kitchen moved to the corner
of the house with new cupboards
stove and lino. In other rooms
elderly lino was taken up, new
lino, carpet put down, wallpaper
replaced, ceilings painted.
Best of all a telephone was
installed beside the front door.
Previously posted June 2018.
Resurgence
The Education Act of 1944
ordered that all children of
all races in this country start
school by age six, attend until
age fifteen attendance officers
now enforced this. Bursaries
ensured tertiary education
for more children further financed
by plentiful summer employment.
Servicemen returning from war
in 1945 married, produced
children, moved to cities for
work, both European and Maori.
In a post war world of changing
outward looking attitudes young
educated Maori reached adulthood
in the 1970’s, sought their rights
their land, their language their
culture, artistic expression, seats
in parliament, compensation for
Treaty rights long being ignored.
A hidden people surged forth.
Previously posted June 2018.
200 Arrests – 40 Years On
An anniversary day for what
should never have happened.
Forty years earlier 500 police
surrounded 200 protesters
after 500 days occupying their
own land in tents, in makeshift huts.
Television news showed this thick
blue line surrounding 200 Maori
indigenous New Zealanders young
middle aged elderly then dragging
then away to a line of waiting buses.
Their crime was to own land claimed
by the government, land on the point
with harbour views, craved by
developers for millionaire homes
for billionaire sales. They convinced
the Prime Minister it should be sold
in return for their election support.
Forty years later at the indigenous
meeting house a commemorative
breakfast was held, attended
by Maori, by non Maori, and
by members of the police for
the Maori had kept their land.
A retired policeman remembered
it all, he was a new young recruit.
to this day he remembers 200
protesters sitting together singing
with guitars playing as
500 police arrested them.
It should never have happened he said.
Previously posted June 2018.
Hikoi : A Land March
In 1975 New Zealand indigenous
Maori were blocked by government
legal trickery over Maori land
ownership, by a solid high
stonewall reaching out devouring
their land ownership taking their
land to itself. Court legal processes
were spinning tyres in a quagmire.
Maori from around the country
gathered in the far north under
Dame Whina’s leadership, marched
south down the highway flags
flying. On over the Auckland
harbour bridge through Auckland
south through farmland, smaller
cities, forest covered national parks
to the capital city in the south.
Young people middle aged elderly
altogether – car rides where
needed for elderly between cities.
And white people bringing out
cups of tea and food to sustain
them on their way for many
white people did not like wealthy
business folk buying government
support with their riches.
In time legal trickeries were
repealed, Maori land retained.
Previously posted June 2018.
lifecameos 