Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Kate MacLeod sat in her favourite cane chair on the verandah, just outside the kitchen and family room, with a clear view across the abundant back garden to the sand dunes and the pale strip of beach beyond.
From here she could see Liam and his best friend George sprawled on a picnic rug on the lawn, dinosaur books spread between them, their heads bent together in earnest concentration.
Beyond them, near the fence line, Sam was knocking in a post, his movements solid and purposeful, while Dan stood nearby, offering commentary rather than assistance.
Dan laughed at something Sam said and leaned back against the fence, shifting a hammer from one hand to the other.
He looked relaxed for once. Kate didn’t know what was going on with him.
What had happened in Washington DC to make him turn his back on a stellar career?
She hadn’t asked him directly, unlike, she suspected Lucy.
But whether Lucy had got anything from Dan, she didn’t know.
They’d always been close and Kate suspected Lucy wouldn’t share any secrets.
But that was fine. Kate had sensed a shift in him. She didn’t know whether it was to do with Augi or not. But, as she watched him, she thought it probably was. Weren’t most mood shifts associated with the opposite sex? At least that’s how she remembered it. She sighed.
At first she’d been worried that Dan would inadvertently hurt Augi and Kate didn’t regret suggesting he go gently with her.
Because, despite Augi being at least ten years older and appearing invulnerable, Kate knew better.
The little Augi had let slip about her past life over the years, together with the occasional glimpses of the woman behind the mask had convinced Kate that Augi was sensitive and had suffered. And, so she assumed, had Dan.
But then, in recent days, his interest had seemed to wane. She hadn’t liked to ask why. One thing she knew from having so many children was that direct questions seldom got you anywhere. He’d talk to her when he was ready.
Whatever it was, he’d appeared to resolve it because he seemed more than happy to visit their Māori relatives with Augi. One thing was for certain, they both had their issues so, who knew, maybe the two could help each other.
She smiled as Dan suggested something to Sam who shot him a cynical look but did it anyway. The smile turned into a laugh. Dan had always been good at organising people. He turned to her at the sound of her laughter and caught Kate’s eye. He shot her an answering smile, and walked over.
‘What’s so funny?’ he asked, climbing the steps towards her.
‘You,’ she said. ‘Helping Sam.’
He tossed the hammer in the air before placing it on the table, and picking up his beer. ‘Yeah, I guess practical stuff was never my strong suit.’
‘Indeed. You always saw the big picture and persuaded everyone else to see it, and then do it, too.’
‘Hm,’ he grunted. ‘Not much of a skill really, is it?’ He pointed to the fence which Sam was just finishing. ‘You wouldn’t have a fence if it was only down to me.’
‘Maybe not,’ Kate said with a smile. ‘But it wouldn’t be such a well-considered, aesthetically pleasing fence.’
He grunted again. ‘Anyway, that pre-supposes that I see the big picture accurately.’
Kate shifted in her chair to better observe him. There was something in his voice which worried her. ‘You’re not talking about the fence, are you?’
He pursed his lips and shook his head. ‘No, Mum. I’m talking about my life.
’ He looked out to sea. ‘I had this vision of how to live it.’ He drew an imaginary line across the wide horizon, where the dark edge of the sea met the bright line of the sky.
‘And I was on to it, with work anyway.’ He sighed and looked down.
‘Unlike my private life, and that proved trickier.’
‘A tricky woman?’
He nodded with a swallow. ‘A very tricky woman.’
‘What…’ Kate hesitated, ‘kind of tricky woman?’
He sighed and looked down at the beer bottle he dangled between his fingers.
‘The fair-weather kind, as you used to say. The kind that sticks with you while you’re the one who looks to be going places, and then changes channel when she finds someone — my best friend, incidentally — who has more wealth, more ambition and more connections she’ll find useful. ’
Kate’s mouth formed a grim line. ‘Not the kind of woman for you, then. Whatever happened to end it is a mercy as far as I can see. You certainly can’t trust a woman like that. Nor your “best” friend.’
‘Not sure I can trust anyone.’
‘That’s silly, Daniel!’ said Kate, glaring at him. ‘Not all women are the same. Not all people are the same.’
‘But I can’t seem to figure out how to trust. I mean I trusted Bailey, but she told me so many lies that it would put your head in a spin.’
She leant forward, shaking her head, her brow furrowed. ‘How did it get to that? Surely your father and I brought you up to recognise bad from good?’
He reached over and squeezed her hand. ‘Not your fault, Mum. Truth is I was like a lamb to the slaughter. Completely gullible. So unused to the kind of people I was working and playing with. Dad would have said I’ve been mixing with “the wrong crowd”.’
‘You must have been. Because it’s not the words you trust, it’s the people.’
‘And how do I know when someone is trustworthy? Just wish they came with a label.’
Kate pressed her hands to her stomach. ‘Gut feeling. It works every time. You ignore it at your peril.’
Her phone went and she reached out, shook her head and then slid it back onto the table.
She glanced at Dan. ‘Lucy.’
‘Is she OK?’
‘She wouldn’t tell me if she wasn’t, to be honest. She knows I worry, despite what I may say publicly.’
‘What you say publicly is true. She’ll be fine. Lucy is more than a match for Oliver. I’m sure she’ll sort it out, one way or another.’
‘Yes, I know. But I hate seeing my children hurting.’
Dan glanced down at the photograph sitting on a pile of books. ‘And we don’t like seeing our mother hurting either.’
She picked up the photograph. ‘It’s not a sharp hurt, more an indistinct sadness that I’ll have to leave the family home at some point. Maybe sooner now we know this man’s name.’
‘We don’t have to follow it up. The Michigan lawyers seem to be worse than useless.’
‘If they are doing anything, they’re not keeping us informed.
I mean we’re only the beneficiaries of the trust — or were.
We’re not even that anymore.’ She blinked in the bright light.
‘Which leaves me with two options. I either wait for them to do whatever they’re going to do, whenever they’re going to do it, or I take control. ’
‘Taking control sounds good. There’s nothing worse than feeling at the mercy of other people and events.’
‘Trouble is,’ said Kate, ‘if I pursue it and get the whole thing cleared up, I’ll be hastening my departure from the house.’
‘You don’t have to do it. Who knows, at the rate these solicitors are going, they won’t get the Trust sorted for decades. We don’t need to help them.’
‘True, but it’s the right thing to do. Besides, I’ve had enough of waiting. I want to take control.’ Even saying the words made her feel better. ‘But I’ve been staring at this all afternoon,’ she said, tapping the photograph lightly against her knee. ‘And it’s driving me mad.’
Dan leaned over her shoulder to have a look.
The young marine looked back at her from another time — confident, composed, his gaze unmistakably fixed on the person behind the camera.
There was something in his expression that went beyond friendliness.
His eyes held an intensity, an affection which couldn’t be mistaken.
He wasn’t being photographed by a stranger, but by someone who meant a lot to him.
Dan took the photo from her, his eyes narrowing as he focussed on the small image. ‘Great-grandma Ngaire’s Johnnie.’ He grunted a half-laugh. ‘I wonder what Tamati made of him.’
‘Tamati probably didn’t know him. This was taken in 1942 when Augustini said John Kowalski was stationed at the US Marine camp. Tamati and Ngaire didn’t marry until a few years after that.’
‘Where did Liam find it?’
‘Upstairs in a cupboard, tucked away in a box of Ngaire’s things.’ She shook her head. ‘I don’t know why, but the more I look at this man, the more I feel as if I’ve seen him before. Which makes no sense at all.’
‘That is strange,’ said Dan with a frown. ‘But you wouldn’t have seen anyone in that uniform, surely?’
‘No. Certainly not. I was born in 1962. Seventeen years after the war ended.’
Dan opened his eyes wide. ‘I’d never thought about it before, but your mum was really young when she had you.’
‘She was. It was a mistake, of course. We all make them. But at least she wasn’t punished by her family for it, like so many other girls were in the 60s.’
‘You never knew your Dad?’
Kate shook her head. ‘No. Hope never told anyone who he was.’ She shrugged. ‘Maybe she didn’t even know. Grandma Ngaire said she had a wild streak. Probably explains why I was so conservative, to make up for my mum’s wildness.’
‘Families, eh?’
‘Talking of which, when are you off to the marae?’
‘I’m going along with Augustini when she takes a new batch of library books to Hemi — that’s Moana’s great-grandfather — next week.’
‘That’s nice. Maybe you can bring our families closer.’
‘I’ll try. But I’m not sure what kind of reception I’ll get from him. Augustini told me not to expect much. So how does our family tree intertwine with the Māori around here?’
Kate shrugged. ‘Just Tamati I think.’
‘But Ngaire is a Māori name.’
‘Yes, but there are plenty of people of European descent who were given Māori names.’
‘Yes, I guess so. You weren’t ever tempted to have your DNA done? Augustini was telling me about Ancestry. Made me wonder whether we shouldn’t do a test, find out exactly who our Māori ancestors were, who all our ancestors were.’
She shook her head. ‘No. I am who I am. I don’t need to know anything further. I’m descended from the MacLeods who came from Scotland generations ago and settled here, and with a melting pot of other nationalities, including Māori. I don’t need to know specifics.’
‘That’s more or less what Lucy said. Except Lucy added that she didn’t want “some rando person” around the world rocking up here claiming they’re her long-lost cousin.’
Kate laughed. ‘Sounds like my youngest daughter. And I can’t help but agree. Besides, I don’t need to know who I am. I know who I am.’
‘Maybe Jen would take a test. I mean it could be interesting.’
‘I doubt it. She’s had enough of the past. She wouldn’t want old mistakes, old secrets, things people would prefer to be buried, to rise up and haunt her. She’s had enough of that.’ Kate looked at him. ‘If you’re so keen why don’t you do it?’
‘Hm,’ he said, sitting back thoughtfully. ‘You know? I just might do that. Could be interesting.’
Surprised, she sat back. ‘Really? Why are you so keen, Daniel?’ Dan shifted uncomfortably. ‘This isn’t about our Māori relatives, really is it?’
When he bit his lip she realised she’d hit home. ‘I guess not. I guess it’s about me. Not knowing who I am.’
‘Then go ahead and do a DNA test if you want. It might make you feel more settled in some way.’
‘Maybe.’
Kate smiled. ‘You successfully diverted me from your love life, didn’t you?’
He grinned. ‘I hope so.’
‘Except you didn’t. I think you’ve somehow brought the subject back around to it. I think your ex-girlfriend was only a part of the reason you returned home. I think she probably made you look inside of yourself. Try to figure out your place in the world.’
He shook his head, looking down at the ground.
She put her hand on his shoulder. ‘You’ll be fine, Daniel. More than fine. Do whatever you need to do to make you feel you belong. Even have your DNA tested.’ She leaned in. ‘I promise I won’t tell your sisters.’
He grunted in laughter, kissed his mother on the cheek, and got up.
‘Thanks, Mum.’ He hesitated. ‘By the way, I’ve got an interview.’
‘What?’
‘For a job.’
‘Daniel! That’s marvellous. So that means you’re going to stay!’
‘I guess it does.’
‘You’ve got a job?’
Kate and Dan both turned around to see Jen emerging from the kitchen. They hadn’t heard her arrive.
Dan groaned, as he heard someone shout and a door close with a crash. Lucy appeared behind Jen.
‘What’s going on?’ asked Lucy.
’Nothing,’ said Dan quickly.
‘Dan’s got a job.’ Jen turned to Lucy. ‘Did you know anything about this?’
‘No!’ said Lucy. ‘How come you haven’t told me?’
‘Because I haven’t got a job. I’ve got a job interview.’ He scowled.
‘Same thing. You always get what you go for.’
‘Not always,’ muttered Dan.
‘That’s great,’ said Lucy, ‘isn’t it Mum? We’re slowly collecting our family back where they belong.’
‘Just need to persuade Ellie to return permanently, and Matt,’ said Jen. ‘I haven’t seen him in years.’
‘Nor have any of us,’ said Kate with a sigh. ‘I thought Ellie might stay, but no such luck.’
Lucy grinned at Dan. ‘No pressure, Dan.’
‘Just to be clear, having a job interview doesn’t mean I’m going to stay here forever,’ said Dan.
The girls looked at each other and laughed.
Smiling, Kate leaned forward and patted his hand. ‘Just ignore them. You do whatever is right for you. So tell us about the job.’
He shot a dark look at his sisters who’d already been diverted and gone to join Liam and George.
‘It’s working for an independent policy consultancy. Their clients include anyone who works for the public interest, and it’s the consultants’ job to advocate for their interest with the government.’
‘So, to be clear, you’re still working in government, but now you’re working for the public, rather than big corporations.’
‘That about sums it up.’
Dan stood up and Kate looked up at his handsome face, framed by blonde hair which was longer now than when he’d first arrived home.
He glanced at his sisters, at Liam and George, at Sam, and then out to sea.
She hoped he’d stay. Not only for her, but for him.
Because her gut feeling was telling her loud and clear that he needed to be here, with family, at home.
‘I’m off now, Mum. I’ll see you later.’
She squeezed his hand which he’d rested on her shoulder. ‘Just remember — go with your gut feeling when trying to figure out who you can trust.’
He nodded and she watched him walk away. She smiled to herself as she thought of him as a toddler, faltering steps in the right direction.
He’d be OK. She got up, collected some more drinks and walked out into the bright sunlight of the garden.