Kaimoana Tales, Dylan 6

Next morning, they woke, both feeling awkward, but a couple of grins soon got rid of that. They got up, dressed, and had breakfast in the busy kitchen. Sarah wanted to know what they did last night?

“We went to the movies and saw Indiana Jones,” William replied. “It was raining and it was something to do.”

“We did, and it was great,” Dylan added. “It didn’t work though, it was still raining when we came out and we got soaked walking home.”

“Oh, Boys! Why didn’t you ring me? I would’ve come and got you.”

“You would?” Dylan turned to William with a grin. “Want to swap mothers, Wills?”

“Watch it, Dylan James.” His own mother slapped him with a wet dish-cloth. “I’m your mother, whether you like it or not. Don’t answer that!”

“What are your plans for today?” Sarah smiled and changed the subject.

“Not a lot,” Dylan said. “It’s Sunday. That’s my day of rest.”

“Every day is your day of rest,” said his father. “You could come with us. Paul and I are going out to get some firewood and we could do with a couple of strong young backs to help us.”

“Aw, Dad! I’m sure we had something else to do.”

“And I’m sure you didn’t. You’re coming with us.”

Paul agreed. “Sounds good to me. Wills, you’re coming too.”

“Yeah, okay, Dad.” William was in a co-operative mood for once.

Paul’s eyebrows raised. On the way out, he collared Dylan and pulled him aside.

“Dylan, a word with you, please.”

“Oh?” Dylan was instantly nervous, although he didn’t know why.

“Yes,” Paul smiled. “I don’t know what you’re doing with William, but please keep it up. He’s happy. I like it.”

As it turned out, Dylan and William didn’t go with their fathers. Ray and Norm arrived, just in the nick of time, and they finished up going instead. They’d both had their orders and their wives wanted firewood. There was no room in the truck for everybody, so the men went and Dylan and William were free.

They were sitting talking in the barbeque area in the back-yard when Emmy came out.

“Wills, the weather’s looking okay now. Are we still going to do it today?”

He looked up at the patchy blue sky. “Yeah, why not? It should be fine, but we’ll take jackets just in case.”

“Jackets?” Dylan queried. “Where are we going?”

Emmy answered. “We’re going to do the Peninsular Walk, from South Bay around to the seal colony at the north end, and home by the road.”

“Sounds good,” Dylan said.

“It does,” said William. “But you’re not invited.”

“I’m not?”

“You’re not. I’m going to spend some time with my sister and two’s company, three’s a crowd. You’re not coming with us.”

“But . . . why can’t I come too? I’m family, aren’t I?”

“Of course you’re family, Dills, but not today. This is just for Emmy and I; but if you’d drive us out to the start of the track, that’d be cool.”

“But I want to come. Don’t you want to spend time with me?”

“Not today. Dylan, you gave me the whole day yesterday, and the night too. Tomorrow we can spend time together, and maybe tonight too. Today I’m going to be with Emmy. Go and see Brodie or Joyce or someone. You need to see your friends, Dills.”

“Oh. Now I see what this is about. I’d rather be with my best friend, Wills.”

“Well you can’t. Not today. You’ve got a life, Dills, don’t give it up for me.”

“But I want to!”

“Well you’re not.”

“The track’s public property. You can’t stop me from being there.”

“Fine then. You go and do the Peninsular Walk. Take a friend with you because we won’t be there. We’ll go and do something else.”

“You can be a stubborn little swine, William Scott.”

“Stubborn is my second name.”

“If it’s not, it should be.”

“Go and see your mates, Dills.”

What could have grown into an argument didn’t, because Brodie arrived. He came out from the house.

“Hey Dylan.”

“Hey Brodie.”

“You doing anything? Dad took a group, shooting bunnies, up the Kowhai yesterday. One of the bikes broke down and he wants me to go and recover it. I could do with some company.”

“Yeah, okay,” Dylan sighed. “But be honest, it’s not my company you want, it’s my muscles.”

“Yeah, well, that too. I can’t get the damm thing up on the truck by myself.”

“That’s more like it. Okay, let’s do it.”

Dylan stood up, then paused. “You know my cousins, Brodie? That’s Emmy and that’s William.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen Emmy around. Hey Guys.”

“Hey Brodie.”

“Hey.”

Brodie turned and grinned at Dylan. “Were you adopted, or were they?”

“Whatd’ya mean? Nobody was adopted.”

“Yeah? Somebody must’ve been. You can’t really be related to a couple of good-looking kids like these two.”

“Shut up, Hilliard!” Dylan growled.

“Yeah, shut it, Brodie,” William said. “There’s nothing wrong with how Dylan looks.”

“Nothing that a bag over his head wouldn’t fix,” Brodie grinned.

“Yeah, thanks,” Dylan frowned. “Hey! I know. Why don’t Wills and Emmy come with us? It’s a double-cab ute, so there’s lots of room. Come with us, guys. You could help load the bike up too.”

“That sounds okay,” Emmy said.

“William disagreed. “No, forget it. We’re going walking and you and Brodie can go and do your thing.”

“Well, I thought it was a good idea,” Dylan said. “Come with us anyway. Brodie will drop you off at South Bay. Won’t you, My Friend?”

“At South Bay?” Brodie queried.

“Yeah,” William replied. “Emmy and I are doing the Peninsular Walk.”

“Okay, sure. Are we going?”

Dylan, Emmy and William grabbed jackets, put their sneakers on and went out to where Brodie was waiting in the truck. Emmy had a small backpack with a picnic lunch and water bottles.

Dylan got into the front passenger’s seat, the others got in the back and Brodie drove them out to South Bay and dropped them off at the start of the track.

They thanked him as they got out, and said, “Laters.”

“Okay, Guys,” Dylan replied. “Have a good day and don’t do anything stupid. If you’re not home when I get back, I’ll drive around to the north end of the track.”

“Thanks, Dills,” William said. “Thanks, but don’t bother. We can walk that far, it won’t kill us. ‘Bye Guys.”

Dylan and Brodie went off to the Kowhai River to retrieve the broken-down 4 wheel, ATV bike, and William and Emmy started off on the track.

It was a rough ride along the rough track up the stony, braided, Kowhai River. Dylan got his feet wet when his dumb-ass mate plunged through a far-too-deep section of the river.

“Damm, Brodie. It’s not a boat!”

“You’re lucky it didn’t stall, or it would’ve been.”

When they reached the bike, they didn’t have much hope, but they checked it over anyway. Dylan found a loose wire, they reconnected it and the bike started, no trouble at all.

Brodie flipped a coin. Dylan made the call, and lost, so he drove the truck while Brodie rode the bike back to town. That was easier, and more fun, than hauling the big, heavy thing up onto the deck of the utility.

When they were on the highway, heading into town, a police car passed them and Constable Lawry yelled, “Where’s your bloody helmet, Hilliard?”

But he didn’t stop, so that was all right.