Chapter 17 #2
Dan’s eyes rounded. ‘Wait a minute. Are you telling me that my great-great-grandfather lost the house? After generations of the family living there?’
Hemi turned a keen eye on Dan. ‘That’s exactly what I’m telling you boy! Haven’t you got ears?’
Mere placed a calming hand on Hemi’s arm. ‘It’s just come as a shock to him, Uncle, that’s all.’
Hemi grunted dismissively but the irritation receded. ‘Well, it wasn’t a shock to any of us. Ngaire didn’t deserve a father like him. He left them all a few months later.’
‘Was he in the army?’
‘No. He had a limp, but he should have damn well gone to war. Our boys came back — if they came back at all — with more than limps.’ He shrugged.
‘Anyway, we never saw him again. Good riddance.’ He paused and no one spoke, willing him to continue, not knowing where he’d lead the conversation next.
‘She died soon after. Caught pneumonia in that old shack they had to live in.’
‘Who died?’
‘Hm?’ Hemi looked up with rheumy eyes.
‘Who died?’
‘Ngaire’s mum. That just left Ngaire. Her brother had gone to war. He was one of the ones who never came back. It was then that Tamati’s family took pity on her and had her come live with them.’ He paused again. ‘Of course, they didn’t know.’
Dan gritted his teeth, in an effort to control his impatience.
‘Uncle? What didn’t they know about Ngaire?’
‘That she was carrying on with that Marine. Kowalski, or whatever his name was. I remember him, too. Tall, blonde, like a Pākehā movie star.’
Augi swallowed and glanced at Dan who frowned and looked away.
‘And then, of course, they went away.’ Hemi licked his lips. ‘The marines.’
‘And so what happened to Ngaire?’
‘She married Tamati,’ he said at last in a softer voice. ‘He was a good man. Gentle. Different.’
Dan’s jaw flexed. ‘You knew him well?’
Uncle Hemi nodded once. ‘Everyone knew Tamati. Although some pretended they didn’t. Tamati was…’ For once Hemi seemed lost for words.
‘Tamati was…?’ Dan prompted.
Uncle Hemi’s eyes flicked towards him. ‘Not the kind of choice people expected Ngaire to make for her husband,’ he said.
Dan’s throat worked. ‘And Hope?’
Uncle Hemi’s mouth curled, not quite a smile.
‘Ah, Hope.’ He leaned back in his chair, blanket sliding slightly.
‘Beautiful baby. Bright eyes. But a handful from the start. I remember her all right. Came along after the war ended. After she was born they moved back into MacLeod’s Cottage.
’ He paused and then heaved a deep sigh. ‘Tamati loved that girl.’
Dan’s face went still. ‘He was a good father?’
Hemi shot him an intense look. ‘Yes! But him being a father? Of course, that surprised everyone. He was a good man and he wanted to look after Ngaire. He loved her in his own way. But it was Hope who was the apple of his eye.’
Dan opened his mouth to speak, but Mere placed a warning hand on his arm and shook her head.
Hemi closed his eyes and his face settled into deep grooves as he relaxed.
Mere glanced at Augi and Dan. Augi nodded and rose.
‘I think we should go. We don’t want to tire out Uncle Hemi.’
Hemi snapped his eyes open. ‘I’m not tired!’
’But I think we should still leave,’ said Augi, throwing a meaningful glance at Dan. ‘I should get back to open up the library.’
Hemi nodded. ‘Thanks for the books.’
‘My pleasure.’
Dan stood up. ‘Thank you,’ he said simply. ‘For trusting us with that.’
Uncle Hemi waved a dismissive hand. ‘I didn’t trust you,’ he said. ‘I trusted time.’
Dan felt gooseflesh rise along his arms. He turned his gaze fully on Dan then, and there was something almost kind in his expression.
‘So you got your story, then. Got what you needed.’
‘Yes, thank you. Mum asked me if it would be all right if she called on you some day soon.’
Hemi considered Dan silently for a few moments, and Dan wondered where his thoughts were taking him. He eventually nodded. ‘Kate MacLeod.’ He rubbed his eyes again. ‘It will be good to see her.’
‘Time to put the past behind you, eh, uncle?’ prompted Mere.
‘No, girl. Time to remember the past, and to accept it.’
Then Uncle Hemi’s eyes slid back to Augi, and he said, unexpectedly, ‘And you. Librarian. You’re all right.’
Augi blinked. ‘Thank you.’
His gaze sharpened again. ‘You don’t break easy.’
Dan looked at her in concern, but she didn’t seem too perturbed. But he thought it was definitely time to go. Because who knew which direction this conversation would lead them?’
‘Ready?’ Dan asked Augi, deliberately keeping his tone light. She nodded, a grateful expression in her eyes. ‘Right.’ He turned to the others who were watching him carefully. ‘Thanks for everything,’ he said. ‘And I’m sorry it’s taken this long to visit. But Mum and I will be in touch soon.’
Uncle Hemi nodded deeply. ‘I’d like that,’ he said simply.
Mere grinned as if that was the best outcome she could have expected. ‘So would I. I’ll text you and we’ll arrange a day.’
‘Sounds good,’ said Dan, kissing Hemi on each cheek before leaving. Augi did the same.
Hemi raised his hand in farewell as they began to walk away.
‘Tall, blonde and like a Pākehā movie star,’ Hemi called behind them with a laugh.
Dan grinned and waved. ‘John Kowalski sure made an impression.’
‘Yes, I think he did,’ said Mere. ‘And he’s not the only one.’
Dan thought he saw a brief exchange of glances between Mere and Augi but before he could ask what he’d missed he felt Augi’s hand on his arm. ‘Let’s go.’
‘Wow,’ he said as he drove away. ‘So my great-great-grandfather lost the family home through gambling! That’s going to be a tough one to tell Mum.
And then there’s Tamati. Sounds like his relationship with Ngaire was an unusual one to say the least. Mum’s not going to like that either.
She loved Tamati. Will you come with me to tell Mum? We’d better go straight round.’
To Dan’s surprise Augi shook her head. ‘We don’t have to tell her.’
‘What do you mean? If it’s relevant, it should be disclosed, especially to Mum. It’s her history after all. She’ll be affected by it.’
‘She won’t be affected by knowing that her great-grandfather was a gambler who deserted his family. She’s already been affected by that.’
‘But,’ spluttered Dan, ‘it’s a family secret which needs to come out!’
Augi turned to him with her wide eyes. ‘Why? You say “if it’s relevant”.
How are either of these points relevant to Kate?
Her parentage may be, but at the moment that’s only conjecture.
There’s no point upsetting Kate just to divulge a secret, for the sake of it.
I suggest we don’t tell her. Not yet, anyway.
I think it’s more important to protect people from secrets that can hurt, than expose secrets simply because they are secrets. ’
Dan swallowed, and focused on driving over the rutted road, back to the sealed one, back to his own world, and Augi’s. A place where there would always be secrets, but not always a need to reveal them. Not if they were being kept to protect someone. But it still didn’t feel right.
‘Mum needs to know everything. The good and the bad. She probably suspects worse than we’ve discovered. Besides, how else can we explain how her family lost the house?’
‘It could remain a mystery.’
‘No, Augustini,’ he said, determined now, convinced he was right. ‘It can’t. It’s time for the secrets to come out. Mum can take it. We all can.’
He glanced at her but she didn’t look at him for the rest of the drive home.