Sorry About the Delay!

Hey Guys,

Sorry to keep you waiting. The health is better now, (man-flu is not, quite, fatal), but i've still got nothing, i'm tired and it's way too busy here. (So, what's new?)

NEway, i received a little gift from Lloyd - so here's something while you're waiting.

"I think there was something left out of the last posting!

"Gary and Lachlan went off for a look around and the others went back to Ma’s for the rest of the morning.

After looking over the village, Gary and Lachlan stopped in the Music Center. Two chaps were working there, a tall dark-haired guy and a shorter blond one, both about the same age as Superboy.

The store was impressive, mostly CDs and DVDs including a large DVD rental area but there were also some music instruments and audio/video equipment. There was a section of sheet music and books on music. What particularly caught Lachlan's eye was a placard on the wall "Studio Available -- Hourly and Daily rates" and below it "Demos Made."

Lachlan asked if there was a piano in the studio and if it would be possible to get a recording of his friend playing the piano. Yes there was and it would be easy to make a recording of his friend playing the piano.

Gary was not too keen on the idea but Lachlan so wanted it, he had been talking for some time that he wanted to have Gary record his playing. So Gary agreed. The studio had a piano and a selection of other instruments including drums and extensive recording equipment. Peter, that was the name of the shorter blond man, turned on the recording equipment and nodded to Gary that he could begin.

Gary started with "Whispering Hope" and then went on to other things including a chopin Nocturne and Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Then, with a grin at Lachlan as big as the piano keyboard, he played the Beatles "Do you Want to Know a Secret" and then rolled into the Beatles "Love Me Do" and "Love You To."

The two of them were grinning and laughing. Peter had to ask, "Are you two a couple?" They acknowledged that they most certainly were with some concern as to how that would be received. No worries, Peter thought it was great and told them the he and Jay were as well.

Gary played some more tunes, just about every genre that you could think of, Scott Joplan's ragtime "The Entertainer" and "Maple leaf Rag," some folk including "Danny Boy" from Ireland, "Minstrel Boy" from Wales, a number of songs from musicals including "Love changes Everything" from Aspects of Love and several tunes from Oliver, and a number of American folk, popular and jazz songs.

Peter said that he had recorded as much as he could get on a CD. He was awestruck with Gary which is something that does not happen to Peter often. He said Gary was the best pianist he had heard since Michael McHale.

"Who is Michael McHale?" Lachlan wanted to know.

Peter explained that he was a pianist in his mid twenties from Belfast, Ireland. He described his version of "Danny Boy" which started out like a traditional Irish folk air and finished up as an American New Orleans Dixieland jazz piece. Peter said that he would have the demo records later that day, how many copies did they want? Gary paid with his bank card.

Gary and Lachlan left to join the others at Ma's thinking what a great person Peter was and hoping the would see more of him and his mate, Jay. They had lunch there, and then Ross and Robert took them for a tiki-tour around the town, meeting even more rellies as they went.

Maybe I have at least brought a smile to your face."

Thanks Lloyd - brilliant!

cheers

Virgil, 3

(Okay, got out of my death-bed to post this! :)

Gary was all for a trip to the Coast, as long as Lachlan could come too, which, of course he could. So, they went to Westpoint – Gary driving the Chevy with Lachlan and Virgil next to him and Riley Jacob and Colin in the back. It was just as well the Chevy was a big car, it was full.

They left Friday afternoon, drove across, stayed the night with Mrs. M, and met her sons, Ross and Robert, and also Christian and Roman who lived with them. Ross and Robert were twins, fraternal not identical. They were very much alike, but Ross had blond hair and Robert’s was red. His hair was the exact same colour as Colin and Jacob’s, but, apart from that, they didn’t look much like them.

Christian was a Carver too! It was distant, but he was related.

Saturday morning, they all went into Westpoint in 3 cars, and met the Carvers. Ma Carver was an awesome lady. Virgil was impressed, this was his great grandmother! She didn’t seem old enough, but she was. That’s what you get when you come from a long line of slappers.

She was also Colin and Jacob’s great aunty and Mrs. M was their 2nd cousin. Relationships are complicated, but they were all family and that was good. All day long they were meeting more cousins, uncles and aunties. They’d never remember half of their names.

Saturday night, Christian and Roman went home, Ross and Robert stayed at Ma’s and Virgil, Gary, Lachlan, Riley, Colin and Jacob all spent the night at the Adelphi Hotel.

The Adelphi was nothing flash, it was just an old pub, but it was homely and it was cheap. The best thing about it was that it was the home of another cousin, Billy of Billy’s Burgers! He lived there with his partner, Justin, and their son, Jeremy.

Justin was a man, a husband and father, but everyone called him Superboy, even when he said not to. He was an impressive runner too.

Colin and Lachlan both ran with him, in the Square, on Sunday morning. Colin soon dropped out and sat with the others, watching from the grandstand. Even Lachlan, who was a good runner, couldn’t keep up with him for long.

Gary and Lachlan went off for a look around and the others went back to Ma’s for the rest of the morning.

After looking over the village, Gary and Lachlan stopped in the Music Center. Two chaps were working there, a tall dark-haired guy and a shorter blond one, both about the same age as Superboy.

The store was impressive, mostly CDs and DVDs including a large DVD rental area but there were also some music instruments and audio/video equipment. There was a section of sheet music and books on music. What particularly caught Lachlan's eye was a placard on the wall "Studio Available -- Hourly and Daily rates" and below it "Demos Made."

Lachlan asked if there was a piano in the studio and if it would be possible to get a recording of his friend playing the piano. Yes there was and it would be easy to make a recording of his friend playing the piano.

Gary was not too keen on the idea but Lachlan so wanted it, he had been talking for some time that he wanted to have Gary record his playing. So Gary agreed. The studio had a piano and a selection of other instruments including drums and extensive recording equipment. Peter, that was the name of the shorter blond man, turned on the recording equipment and nodded to Gary that he could begin.

Gary started with "Whispering Hope" and then went on to other things including a chopin Nocturne and Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Then, with a grin at Lachlan as big as the piano keyboard, he played the Beatles "Do you Want to Know a Secret" and then rolled into the Beatles "Love Me Do" and "Love You To."

The two of them were grinning and laughing. Peter had to ask, "Are you two a couple?" They acknowledged that they most certainly were with some concern as to how that would be received. No worries, Peter thought it was great and told them the he and Jay were as well.

Gary played some more tunes, just about every genre that you could think of, Scott Joplan's ragtime "The Entertainer" and "Maple leaf Rag," some folk including "Danny Boy" from Ireland, "Minstrel Boy" from Wales, a number of songs from musicals including "Love changes Everything" from Aspects of Love and several tunes from Oliver, and a number of American folk, popular and jazz songs.

Peter said that he had recorded as much as he could get on a CD. He was awestruck with Gary which is something that does not happen to Peter often. He said Gary was the best pianist he had heard since Michael McHale.

"Who is Michael McHale?" Lachlan wanted to know.

Peter explained that he was a pianist in his mid twenties from Belfast, Ireland. He described his version of "Danny Boy" which started out like a traditional Irish folk air and finished up as an American New Orleans Dixieland jazz piece. Peter said that he would have the demo records later that day, how many copies did they want? Gary paid with his bank card.

Gary and Lachlan left to join the others at Ma's thinking what a great person Peter was and hoping they would see more of him and his mate, Jay. They had lunch there, and then Ross and Robert took them for a tiki-tour around the town, meeting even more rellies as they went.

They ate again, at the original Billy’s Burgers, (for free!), and then went back to Mrs. M’s. They said goodbye and went home, arriving there shortly before midnight.

It was a good weekend. They met a lot of people, made some new friends and cemented their own relationships. Virgil fell into bed, tired but happy, and slept like a log. He was a great grandson, and didn’t even know it! Cool.

He had a weird dream about Ma coming out of a big burning building with her huge family trailing along behind her, like the Pied Piper’s retinue.

He went to school next day in a good mood and with a smile on his dial. He walked down the hill, in the morning, with Dylan James and the very gorgeous William Scott, who was really a nice kid. They were trading stories of their respective weekends in Westpoint and he was feeling on top of the world.

That was the end of the good times. He didn’t realise that at the time, but it was. He thought things were on the up and up when he was actually digging himself into a hole.

It started with a smile. Or, a frown really, but then a smile. They arrived at school and Dylan and William left him and walked away together. Virgil watched them going and sighed. Okay, so he was jealous.

Those two were obviously good mates and they were happy together. Dammit. Dylan and William might be in different year-groups, but at least they were in the same town and the same school. He and Joel weren’t even on the same bloody island!

The gulf that separated them might as well be a million miles. Six weeks! He frowned.

The de Groot brothers, together as always, walked past. For what seemed like the first time ever, one of them, the middle one, looked at him. Their eyes met. Virgil frowned and the Canadian kid smiled at him!

Why? They’d never had any interaction before, they all ignored everybody. But, he smiled and, Damm! What a gorgeous boy. Shit, not even William looked that good.

Also, it was gone in a flash, but he was sure that he saw a look of interest in the kid’s eyes. Whoah. One of the Untouchables was checking him out!

He knew that he shouldn’t care, but he was flattered and he went into school smiling for the second time in a week.

Not even Lachlan could bring him down now. The Kid was positively glowing this morning and had a grin from ear to ear. He was obviously very happy with life, and it showed.

Amazing what some good loving could do. No-one would ever guess what a sad, lonely git he used to be. Virgil was not about to admit it to anyone, but he used to have his suspicions about Gary. He was wrong. Gary was the best thing that could’ve happened for Lachlan and he was happy for him.

He wondered how Joel was doing this morning? Good, he hoped, but not too good. Joel said that he was one of 15 guys on this course, 12 of them were staying in the hostel. He said there was a couple of annoying dorks amongst them, there always is, but most of them were good guys.

He was missing Virgil but keeping busy and he was enjoying the course. He was learning a lot. Good for him, but Virgil hoped he wasn’t too happy up there. Dammit.

He wasn’t looking for trouble, trouble found him. That was his excuse anyway – not much of an excuse, but that was all he had. The middle de Groot brother sat down next to him and smiled.

“Hi ya. How’re you doing? Virgil, isn’t it? I’m Hans.”

(‘Wow. He’s talking to me!’)

“Ah, yeah, I’m Virgil. Hey Hans.”

“Hey. I hear you had a boyfriend?”

“Not had – have. Joel is my mate, he’s away on a course, in Wellington, but he’ll be back.”

“You hope. How long has he gone for?”

“Six weeks,” Virgil sighed.

“Six weeks? Long time!”

“Yeah, it is. It’s a very long time, dammit.”

“Oh?”

The teacher came in and the lesson started so they couldn’t talk anymore. Talking during Mr. Collis’ classes was a sure way of getting thrown out of there. They could still look at each other though, and they did.

Every time Virgil glanced at Hans he was looking back and smiling at him. Wow. He was flattered and it felt good. He had to smile back.

They separated at the break, they had 2 different classes to go to. Hans glanced around, (for his brothers?), and said, “Virgil, I’ll wait for you in the quad at recess.” He grinned and walked away.

Virgil stood watching him go and he was smiling too. He did have a, fleeting, sane moment when he thought, ‘Whoah. What’re you doing? Play with fire and you’ll get burnt.’

But, he didn’t want to listen to that, he liked this Hans. Okay, he was bloody hot! The de Groot brothers had been in town for a couple of weeks now and already they had a reputation for two things. They were all very good-looking, they were bloody gorgeous. Everyone was agreed on that, well they would, wouldn’t they? That was as obvious as the cute little noses on their faces.

The other thing was that they seemed to be snobs. They were stand-offish and never engaged with anybody. They didn’t even talk usually. So, it was flattering that Hans was showing some interest in him. Very flattering.

Virgil felt like he was special, like he was the cutest kid in town or something. He wasn’t of course, he knew that, but if Hans wanted to think so, he wasn’t complaining.

Was he going to meet him? Yes, of course he was. Joel wouldn’t mind. Joel would never bloody know anyway, he wasn’t there. He was away on his dumb course, having fun and he was too busy for Virgil. Why shouldn’t he make a new friend anyway. (Dumbass!)

So, feeling way too excited, he went to the quadrangle at recess and looked around for the cute boy. There were kids everywhere, being kids. It was about time some of them grew up a bit. But there was no sign of the one he was looking for. He wasn’t there.

He waited and he almost came to his senses, like what the hell was he doing there? Joel would not be impressed. What would he know anyway, he was away, having fun in Wellington.

His mind was surging, one way and then the other. His better sense almost won out and he was about to leave when Hans appeared over the other side and Virgil felt insanely happy to see him there. This was reinforced when the boy saw him and flashed a smile. Damm, he looked good.

The boy walked towards him, ignoring everyone else in the crowded quadrangle, and Virgil realised with a shock that it wasn’t Hans at all. This was his brother, the younger one, whatever his name was. He was in year 9, so he was probably only 13. He was smaller than Hans, and shorter too, but otherwise, pretty much identical. His clothes were the same too – well, they would be, it was a school uniform.

“Heya, sexy,” the boy grinned. “I’m Lars. Hans couldn’t make it, he’s stuck in the lab, so you’ve got me instead. Wanna make out?”

“Do I what?” Virgil choked. “Make out? With the whole friggin’ school watching – brilliant idea!”

“Shy, are you. Okay, maybe later then?” Lars grinned.

“You what??” Virgil choked again. Damm. Was this kid for real? No, he had to be joking, of course he was – but, what if? Damm. He was sure that a lot of people would be more than happy to go there – people who didn’t have boyfriends, that is.

(‘No! Pull yourself together, Virgil Cain. Don’t be a bitch!’)

“So Hans is stuck in the lab? I think he wanted me for something, but I don’t know what. Do you have any idea?”

“Probably for sex,” Lars grinned. “No? Okay, I think he wants you to help him learn to drive.”

“To drive a car? Why me? I haven’t even got a car. He should get Ashton to teach him.”

“He doesn’t want to ask Ashton and he probably wouldn’t do it anyway. He’s our cousin’s friend, not ours. Besides, he’s busy all the time. You’re not, you’ve got lots of time to fill in.”

“Oh yes,” Virgil sighed. “I’ve got that. Gran said I need a hobby, maybe this could be it.”

“That’d be cool. Kees is hopeless, he’s never going to drive and Hans is keen. You can get a licence at 15 in NZ, can’t you?”

“So far, yeah. There’s talk of putting the age up, but it hasn’t happened yet.”

“He’d better do it quick then. Okay, Sexy, I’ll see you later. Bye.”

Virgil smiled as he watched Lars walk away. The kid strutted like a peacock. He didn’t know about that ‘gaydar’ stuff, and the boy was only about 13, but he was sure that he was no innocent.

Virgil, 2

It was a dark and stormy night. No, it wasn’t. It was fine and clear and moon-lit, but it should’ve been stormy. That would have fitted his mood better.

Bloody stupid Joel and his bloody stupid course. Six weeks! How was he going to survive 6 weeks without his Joel? He was not happy.

It was a very long night. Sleeping in the late afternoon will do that. He watched a boring movie, tried to read a boring book and ate far too much. He went to bed at 1am and was still awake at 3. It was all Joel’s fault!

He was even tempted to try Gran’s remedy for a sleepless night. There was plenty of beer in the fridge. A can or two would make him tired, wouldn’t it? Yeah, tired and stupid. He wasn’t going there and he was never going to sleep in the afternoon again.

He got to sleep eventually, as you do, but it wasn’t enough and he was still tired and grumpy when he dragged himself down the hill to school next day. Mac and Joyce were ahead of him but he couldn’t be bothered with them and their never-ending squabbles.

Who did they think they were fooling anyway? Everyone knew that they didn’t mean a word of it. He walked alone.

It didn’t help when he arrived at the school and the Chevy pulled up next to him. He scowled at the big grins directed at him. Bloody Gary was going to drive bloody Lachlan to school now was he? Dammit. It should be him and Joel in the Chevy, not those two grinning idiots.

They’d probably been shagging all night in Joel’s caravan too. Lucky Pricks! He didn’t see why Gary had to use the Chevy. He could get his own car, couldn’t he? He had pots of money, didn’t he?

He hurried into the school before Lachlan could catch him and tell him how happy he was. Misery loves company? Bollocks! He just wanted to be by himself.

When he escaped from the chaos of the locker-room and was heading to his first class of the day, he walked past Missy. She was sitting with a younger boy, growling quietly at him. She looked up and smiled at him and he gave her a scowl in return. It was nothing that she didn’t do to everybody everyday. What did she have to grin about anyway?

It was a long and stormy day. By the end of it he’d managed to alienate most of his friends and he walked home alone in his own cloud of misery.

He’d upset Lachlan most of all, he knew that and he didn’t care. To hell with him and his goofy grins. Lachlan had caught him before he left the school and asked if he wanted a ride home? Gary was coming to get him.

Virgil snapped in reply, “No I don’t want a fucking ride anywhere. You can get fat and lazy if you want, I’m not going there with you.”

“Whoah.” Lachlan backed-off. “Be by yourself then. It’s not our fault that Joel had to go and leave you. If you’re going to carry on like a princess, you can do it on your own.”

“Fuck off, McLaughlin!” Virgil walked away. Missy sat and watched.

He got home and there was nobody there. The lawns needed mowing already. Fuck ‘em. He couldn’t be bothered – let them grow. He turned the computer on to check his messages – there weren’t any.

Joel was too busy for him, was he? Fuck him too. How many people did he say were on this course with him? Virgil wondered whether he was sharing a room in that hostel? He bloody hoped not. Fuck ‘im anyway.

He turned the computer off, went to his room and flopped on the bed. He was so bloody tired! He relaxed for a minute or two, and then snapped out of it and dragged himself up off the bed.

He wasn’t going there or he’d have another sleepless night and a miserable day again. He changed his clothes and went out for a walk in the fresh air. He went down to the beach and spent an hour angrily throwing stones at the sea. That was, sort-of, satisfying.

When he got back home, Gran was busy making burgers. He told her that it’d be quicker, easier and cheaper to get take-aways, but he had a couple anyway. He was hungry.

“You’re in a delightful mood today, aren’t you? The tomatoes, lettuce, gherkins and onions are all from the garden. We have to use them up. Have you heard from Joel yet?”

“Joel who? No, I haven’t heard from him, he’s far too busy for me.”

“Give him a chance, Virgil. He’s only just got there and he’s there to work not play.”

“Let’s hope he remembers that.”

“He will. He’s a good boy, Joel, and he’s got his head on right. He’ll be back before you know it.”

“You think? One day so far and 41 more to go. Don’t tell me that it’s good for us, I don’t want to hear it.”

“Maybe you don’t, but it is. You need a hobby.”

“Yeah. Maybe I should take-up drinking? Works for some.”

“Don’t be a smart-alec, Virgil. Go and see your friends.”

“Friends? Fuck ‘em. They’re all too busy being happy.”

“And that’s bad? You just be miserable then.”

“Yeah, thanks Gran. I’ll do that.”

After eating, he checked the computer again. There were 2 messages. ‘Yes!’ However, the first one was just spam. The filters caught most of them but sometimes one slipped through. Bastards.

It was just some poxy outfit trying to sell him Viagra and Cialis shit. Like, why were they even trying? No teenager needs that crap. That stuff was for old guys who couldn’t get it up and shouldn’t be trying anyway. (‘Ewww!’)

He was tempted to reply and tell them to fuck off, but that’d be dumb. He’d only be talking to a ‘bot’ and then they’d know they had a live addy and he’d get heaps more spam. He deleted it and moved on to the next one.

The second message was from a couple of these new cousins that he had over in Westpoint, two girl cousins. They were coming over for a weekend and were looking forward to meeting him.

Could he recommend somewhere cheap that they could stay? Also, did he have an address for their other cousins, Colin and Jacob? No, he didn’t. He didn’t have a bloody clue.

How did they get his address anyway? Oh well, he’d reply to them tomorrow, if he could be bothered. If they were lucky, he might even get an address for them. He could ask the guys tomorrow, maybe. He could ring the Craypot and get it right now, but wouldn’t. He wasn’t running an answer service for these strangers.

He shut the computer down, but, before it closed saw that another message had come through. Dammit. Now he had to go through all the rigmarole of restarting it. This had better be worth it.

Yes, it was worth it – it was a message from Joel, at last! He opened and scanned it and smiled for the first time in his day.

It was a long and chatty letter, telling him all about his trip, the arrival in Wellington, the crummy hostel he had to stay in and the geek he had to share a room with. Best of all, he was, he said, missing Virgil more than he was missing him.

Poor Joel must have it bad then. Damm, he loved that boy. He replied immediately and told him so.

He struggled to keep his eyes open until 8 o’clock, and then crawled into bed and had a much better night’s sleep. He went to school next day in a, slightly, better mood.

He made peace with Lachlan, kind of. He told him that he was sorry for snapping at him, but Lachlan was still pissing him off, a bit. He was envious of him. Lachlan was riding in Joel’s car, sleeping in Joel’s caravan and screwing Joel’s cousin.

It should be him, not Lachlan. Not the cousin, he was welcome to Gary, but the rest of it was supposed to be Virgil’s life not his.

Also, he didn’t know where this happy laughing boy had come from. Lachlan was not at all like the sad kid he was asked to befriend..

Speaking of which, there was another bridge he had to mend. He sought Missy out and greeted her with a smile.

“Hey, Missy. How’re you on this sunny day?”

She scowled, as only Missy could. “Stop grinning at me. Fool!” She stalked away from him.

Whoah. He’d have to try harder. When he could be bothered. The maori kids might all treat Missy like she was a queen or something, but he wasn’t one of them.

He shouldn’t have fallen out with her though, because, like sharks to the slaughter, the Griffins moved in on him. Jerks. There was no sign of his mum anywhere either. (Probably in the staff-room making goo-goo eyes at Mr. Arram). So he was all on his own.

He didn’t need any stroppy women to protect him anyway. He wasn’t scared of this pair and was just in the mood to hit somebody. He’d probably lose, but they’d know that they’d been in a fight. He wasn’t going down easily.

Once again, it didn’t happen. They were squaring-off, like fighting roosters puffing up, when Riley Sullivan and Jacob Richardson lined-up beside him. The Griffins backed-off and left.

“Thanks, Guys,” Virgil shrugged. “I was looking forward to hitting them though.”

“Aren’t we all?” Riley replied. “Trouble is, they’d hit you back.”

Jacob said, “Yeah, and you’d get dirt on your hands. Anyway, they’re not hitting our cousin.”

“Cousins, yeah. We are definitely related then?”

“We are. According to Dianne, our great grandfather was also your great, great grandfather and we’re like 4th cousins, or something.”

“Something like that. Sounds good to me. I’ve never had much family, it’s good to have some rellies.”

“Yeah, it’s good.” Colin arrived. “Dianne’s sending us to Westpoint, to meet the Carvers. You should come with us.”

“Yeah, that’d be cool. When are you going? I’ll clear it with Mum and let you know.”

“We’re going Friday lunchtime. Dianne’s going to take us to Waipara to get the bus from there, and returning Sunday.”

“On the bus? To hell with that! That’s take all day. I’ll ask Gary, he might take us.”

“Gary Stafford? He’s not another cousin, is he?”

“No, nothing like that. Gary’s just Joel’s cousin and he’s got the Chevy while Joel’s away. I’ll ask him if he wants a weekend in Westpoint.”

“Yeah, do that. That’d be better than busing.”

“It surely would. I got a note from a couple of Carver girl-cousins, last night. They want to write to you two too. What’s your addy?”

They exchanged addresses, and then had to hurry off to class. Virgil was smiling widely now. It might be a good weekend and it was good to have some cousins. Good guys too. They’d be friends.

Virgil

“Fuck off, Stafford!”

“Yeah, well, that’s the problem isn’t it? I am going.”

“I’m not very fucking happy about this!”

“I kind of got that impression, yeah.”

“Well I’m not. I’m not happy at all. Six weeks! What the hell am I supposed to do while you’re swanning around in Wellington for six weeks? Am I supposed to live like a fucking monk or something?”

“I don’t think monks did a lot of that really.”

“Shut the fuck up! You’re not funny. There’s nothing funny about this at all. Tell them you’re not going.”

“I can’t do that, Virgil. You know I can’t. I’m not that happy about this either, but I’ve got no choice. I have to go.”

“No you don’t. Tell them to fuck off! What could they do? If you broke a leg or something you wouldn’t be going.”

“Probably not. But then I’d just have to go and do it next year and it would put another year on my apprenticeship.”

“Go next year then. Fuck ‘em!”

“I’m not doing that. That would mean we’d have the same problem next year, if we’re still together.”

“WHAT??? What do you mean IF we’re still together? You planning on dumping me?”

“No I’m not planning on dumping you. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You’re the one that said ‘if’ we’re still together.”

“Yeah, I did. Sorry. Bad choice of words. Of course we’ll be together next year, and the year after and every year after that. I’m not ever letting you go. I love you, now and always.”

“You’d bloody better! I love you, Joel Stafford. You’re the only one I’ve ever loved and the only one I ever will.”

“Oh? What about the lovely Len then?”

“I never loved Crowe. He was a prick and you know it. He just used me and abused me. I was young, lonely and stupid and I let him.”

“Yeah, he was a prick. What about Graeme then? He was your cousin, wasn’t he? You liked him.”

“Graeme was almost my cousin. Yes, I did like him. I didn’t love him though, no more than you loved your cousin. What is this anyway, a re-run of my sex life?

Those guys were just learning experiences. You’re the one I love, I totally love you. How am I going to live without you?”

“You don’t have to live without me. I’m only going for 6 weeks, I’ll be back”

“You bloody better be! Six weeks without my Joel! I’m gong to hate every minute of it.”

“Yeah, me too, but it’s gotta be done. We’ll get through it. I guess we’ve just got to make the most of the time we’ve got.”

“We do. Come over to the back-seat and I’ll make sure you don’t forget me.”

“That is not going to happen.”

“You’re not coming over to the back?”

“Oh, I’m doing that, of course I am, but there is no way I could ever forget about you. Not in this life.”

“Not in the next one either. Come on, Joel.”

It was just as well Joel hadn’t told him sooner. He knew how Virgil would react to the news of their separation. As it was, he told him on Friday that he was leaving Sunday afternoon and he was all-but exhausted by then. The boy could wear him out! Much more of this and he’d be an old man before his time. (It was fun though).

He left his car with Gary who promised to take very good care of it, and he’d better! Gary said that he didn’t plan on using it much anyway, but he and Lachlan might try the back-seat out. That looked interesting.

Joel told him that he didn’t want to think about that and they’d better not make a mess! It was time that Gary got his own car anyway.

“Yeah, one day.”

So, after lunch on Sunday, Joel drove with Virgil, Gary and Lachlan, down to the Adelphi Lodge on the main street and got on the bus to Picton, from where he’d get on the ferry to Wellington.

He could’ve flown there in a fraction of the time, but that cost too much. The ferry was a pretty cool trip anyway.

He got on the bus and settled in a window-seat near the back. The other 3 dorks stood outside, blowing kisses, waving tissues and carrying on like a pack of weepy drama queens.

As soon as the bus started they jumped into the car and raced up the road ahead of it to stop and stand waving again when the bus went past them at the northern edge of town.

After the bus had gone past them, they did it again. They leapt back into the car, overtook the bus and raced up the road to stand and wave again when it went through Hapuku. They did it again at Rakautara, and again at Clarence.

By then the other passengers on the bus were laughing and waving back and the driver blasted them with the horn as he passed them. Joel laughed along at their roadside pantomime, but he was glad when the lovable idiots gave up and went home. Much more of that and they’d be waving to the ferry in Picton.

He was sure that Gary would take good care of the car, but even more, he hoped that they’d take care of his boy. Virgil could be a fiery little thing; it was good that he was leaving him with good friends. It’d be better if he didn’t have to leave him at all, but he did. It was going to be a long 6 weeks, but it would pass.

He was SO tired! He lay back in his seat and went to sleep.

Gary and Lachlan dropped Virgil off at home. They were in a hurry to get back to the caravan which was all theirs now that Joel had gone. Choice!

Actually, it should only be a few days at the most before Gary could take possession of the shop on the main street, if Mrs. Woods would just pull her finger out and get the rest of her junk out of there. Gary couldn’t wait.

Joel was a good guy and they got on well, but life would be easier when they had separate bedrooms. A guy needs privacy sometimes, especially in the bedroom. The flat above the shop had three, which would be great. He and Joel would have one each and the other, smaller, room would be good for visitors, if they had any apart from Lachlan and Virgil.

One person who would not be a welcome visitor was Joel’s pervy uncle and boss, Doug. Gary’d be glad to get away from him. He was friendly enough, but he was creepy the way he undressed them with his eyes and some of his smutty jokes were way over the top. He was a husband and father but he was a pervert if ever there was one – a repressed closet-queen, most likely.

Virgil went into his room, slammed the door and flopped on the bed. He was tired too, but he was not going to sleep, that was not happening.

He’d put on a brave face and hidden his true feelings while they farewelled Joel, but now that he was alone he could let go and feel what he was really feeling – which was seriously pissed-off.

Joel was always so dammed reasonable and mature about everything. Of course he was right when he said that he had to go and do this damm course, of course he was. But, fuck-it! He didn’t want to be responsible, he wanted his Joel!

He was missing him already and the bus wouldn’t even be halfway to Picton yet. It was going to be a long, long 6 weeks. Dammit! He was not a bit tired, he was way too busy being pissed-off at his life, so, of course, he went to sleep.

Natasha left him sleeping there and didn’t disturb him. She felt sorry for him but didn’t know what she could do to help. It was just something he was going to have to deal with. Poor kid. He was being way over-the-top and melodramatic, as usual, but he was genuinely distressed at being separated from Joel.

Like her mum said, life’s a bitch sometimes.

Carvers' Business

(Hey. Last one. A wee surprise here - i don't think anyone saw this coming, but it was planned from way back.

cheers)

The approaching, strange-but-familiar woman, was in Ugg boots, tight blue jeans and, despite the heat of the day, a Swandri jacket. She was kind-of tidy, but kind-of rough. She definitely looked out of place among the tourists and housewives in the street. She’d be more at home out on a farm somewhere.

Cecily was sure that she’d seen that face before, but couldn’t place her.

Apparently, she was right because the woman stopped and exclaimed, “Cecily Carver! You don’t remember me, do you? Ginnie Cain, I used to date your big brother, many years ago.”

“Ginnie? Oh, Good Lord! I remember. That was a long time ago, but I remember. You were a teenager with long hair and short skirts.”

“That was me! I’ve still got the hair, but I wouldn’t get away with a mini-skirt these days. You were just a girl. Look at you now – all grown-up!”

“I’m grown-up. I’m a grandmother, several times over.”

“Really? Time flies. You wear it well, you must’ve started young. But then, most Carvers did, didn’t they?”

“You’re not wrong. They still do start young actually, far too young sometimes. One thing the Carvers have always been good at is having babies.”

“Tell me about it! Where is young Harvey these days?”

“He’s living in Brisbane, has been for years. He went there on holiday, 20 years ago, and hasn’t come home yet.”

“Bloody long holiday! I thought he’d never leave Westpoint.”

“No? Well, some do, sometimes.”

“Obviously. Did he ever get married?”

“Harvey? No, he’s still single.”

“Yeah, me too. I call myself ‘Mrs.’ but I’ve never married, not yet anyway. Harvey’s still gay is he?”

“Yes, Harvey’s gay, apparently.”

“Yes, apparently. Bastard got me pregnant, and then said that he was queer. I haven’t forgiven him for that yet.”

“I remember. You had a little girl, didn’t you? So she was Harvey’s?”

“Definitely! She grew up and had a baby really young too. It must run in the family.”

“Genes will out, so they say.”

“Sure looks like it.”

They spoke for a few minutes, exchanging memories and pleasantries, and then Ginnie moved on. She was in a bit of a hurry because there was a closing-down sale at the liquor store.

“Something bloody wrong when a bottle-shop goes bust! Still, good news for some people. Gotta go, Cecily. It’s lovely to see you again. Give my regards to the Carvers.”

“I’ll do that. Goodbye, Ginnie. Don’t buy all of their stock.”

“Well, you never know.”

She hurried away and Dianne sat down at the table.

“You’re okay here?”

“Yes, I’m fine thanks. I suppose that I should be moving on too.”

“Enjoy your leisure time, I’m sure it’s not always like that.”

“It surely is not!”

“Cecily, I’ve got a question. You are a Carver?”

“Yes, that’s me. Or, I was, I changed my name when I married. Westpoint is full of Carvers, it’s a big family.”

“It must be. Your son, Billy, does he really have red-hair like the company logo?”

“Oh, yes! The logo is a cartoon of Billy, done by Jason, one of the local kids. Billy is a hundred per cent ginga, a lot of Carver kids are.”

“Maybe more than you know.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, have a look at this.”

Dianne opened her wallet, took out a photo and handed it to her. It was a picture of three grinning teenage boys. The one in the middle had dark-brown hair and he was flanked by 2 identical red-heads.

“That’s my Riley with our foster-sons, Colin and Jacob. They’re 15 and they are twins, obviously.”

“Obviously. We’ve got a lot of twins too. It’s another of our family traits. Red-hair and twins both are.”

“Hmm. Colin and Jacob are known as ‘Richardson’, but their legal name is Carver-Richardson, that’s how they were registered at birth. Their father was Ken Richardson. They never knew their mother, she walked out on them as soon as they were born, but she was a Carver. So they are Colin James and Jacob James Carver-Richardson.”

“They’re Carver kids?” Cecily looked again at the photo. “They could be, I guess. That’s, yet another, family trait – a lot of our boys have James as a middle name. I don’t know why, but they do.

My youngest sons are Ross James and Robert James, and they’re twins too. Maybe your boys are long-lost cousins! What was their mother’s name?”

“Buggered if I know. I haven’t been able to find it. All the birth certificate said was “X” Carver.”

“Aha!” Cecily exclaimed. “Try Cecily Carver and you might get somewhere.”

“Cecily Carver? But that was your name.”

“It was my cousin’s name too. She was Cecily and known as Cissie for short. But she hated it and called herself ‘X’. She claimed it made her more exotic and mysterious.”

“Well, the ‘mysterious’ certainly worked. I haven’t been able to track her down at all and I’m good at that. Did your cousin have the red-hair as well?”

“Oh, yes! She did.”

“It must be her then – it has to be! Do you know where she is now?”

“No, sorry. I wouldn’t have a clue. She ran off and I haven’t heard of her in years. Ma might know something. I’ll ask her and let you know.”

“Thanks. That’d be great. I know it’s not important, but the boys have never known their mother and it would be good for them to know where they came from.”

“On the contrary, I don’t agree. It’s VERY important to know where we came from. Our roots are what make us what we are.”

“You might be right. Well, thanks, Cecily and please do let us know. I’d better get back to work. Would you like another coffee?”

“No, I don’t think so. Thanks. Where do I find this famous seal colony that we’ve heard about?”

“The seals? Turn right, go along the Esplanade and just keep going. It’s about 3 or 4 kilometers, I think.”

“I’m not walking that far. I’m an old lady! I’ll get the car and go and have a look. Thanks, Dianne.”

“Thank you. Have a good day now.”

“I will. It’s been good so far. Goodbye then.”

“Yeah, ‘bye.”

The seal colony was not hard to find – dead easy in fact. After the Esplanade, the road continued on around a couple of small bays, passed a fisherman’s wharf and the old pub there which looked back across the water at the town, It went past a small sandy swimming beach and ended in a car-parking area.

Cecily sat for a minute, looking out at the scene. She was almost tempted to forget it and drive away again. There were a lot of seals of all sizes out there on the flat gray rocks, but there were kids everywhere – dozens of them!

They were obviously a large school-group, here to study the seals. Most of them were carrying note-books and other gear. The seals were sedate in comparison. They just lay around watching the busy kids watching them. There was a lot of laughing and joking as they took turns at posing for pics next to the seals.

That was really not the most intelligent thing to do. The excellent information signs all had clear warnings about not getting too close to the seals. They might look slow and sluggish, but they were wild animals and the NZ Fur Seal could move fast in short bursts. However, like kids everywhere, they were invincible and bomb-proof so they were ignoring the danger.

There were no warnings on the signs in the viewing area at the seal colony near Westpoint. They weren’t needed as no-one could get anywhere near them. In Westpoint the seals were viewed from high on a cliff above them and no-one could get down there and close to them. Here the people were walking right in amongst them.

Cecily decided that, oh well, she might as well get out for a closer look. She’d come this far and, although there was a lot of people, it wasn’t crowded. They were spread out and there was plenty of room for everyone.

Besides, she was all too used to being surrounded by hordes of people and they didn’t worry her.

She got out and locked-up the car. There was another Beamer there, probably Ashton’s she decided, but she couldn’t see him anywhere out there.

The flat rocks extended out to sea by, maybe, a couple of hundred meters, with lots of gaps and cuttings between them. However, by choosing the route carefully, it should be possible to walk all the way out to the front without getting her feet wet.

The bulk of the area was so flat and smooth it was probably all underwater at high-tide. She’d timed it just right then, apart from the kids.

No-one took any notice of her as she quietly made her way out past them, which was good. There were a few adults there, (teachers and parents?), but most of the people were teenagers. The adults weren’t much more active than the seals, but the kids certainly were!

A small group of girls and boys were skylarking around and when one boy grabbed a girl and made like he was going to push her into the water, she laughed and squealed, “Get off me, Virgil Cain!”

Cecily stopped in her tracks and looked closely at them. The laughing boy was small and slight but, presumably, mid-teens. He had a big smile and auburn-coloured hair. He was a nice-looking kid.

‘Cain?’ she thought. ‘Virgil Cain?’ Could this boy possibly be Ginnie’s? He’d be a grandson, wouldn’t he? Ginnie had a daughter, but she said that her girl had a baby young as well. She’d have to have been REALLY young, but, she guessed, he could be. It was a small town after all and the name wasn’t that common. She walked over to him.

“Excuse me,” she smiled. “I couldn’t help hearing. Your friend called you Virgil Cain?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” he replied. “I’m Virgil.”

“What is your mother’s name?”

“Mum? She’s Mrs. Cain. She’s not here, she’s back at the school.”

“The local school?”

“Yeah, Kaimoana High. Mum teaches woodwork and metalwork there.”

“That would fit. What’s her first name?”

“Natasha. Why?”

“I’m just interested. Would Ginnie Cain be your grandmother?”

“Yeah, that’s her. You know my gran?”

“I used to, a long time ago. Well, Virgil Cain, I’m delighted to meet you at last. We are related. I’m your, well, great-aunty, I guess.”

“My great-aunty? Really? You’re not very old.”

“Oh, aren’t you lovely? Yes, I’m your great-aunt, your grandfather was my older brother.”

“He was? Wow! That’s great. Gran’s never said anything and I know nothing about him. I’ve grown-up with just Mum, Gran and me, so I’ve got no more family.”

“Oh, you’ve got family all right, a huge family. The way the Carvers are going, we’ll fill Westpoint up.”

“Westpoint? Mum’s from Westpoint. Wow, we are family. That’s great.”

“Yes it is and it’s a great family. Do you know Colin and Jacob Richardson?”

“Colin and Jacob? Yeah, of course. They’re in our school.”

“It appears that they might be in our family as well. They could be distant cousins of yours.”

“Cousins? Yeah, I could handle that. They’re good guys. Damm. Look, I’ve got to go or I’m in trouble again. Are you staying in town?”

“Just for tonight. I’m at the Ocean View motel, unit 5.”

“Could I come around and see you tonight? I’d love to hear more about this family.”

“Yes, of course. That’d be good. Come at around 6 o’clock, I’ll buy you dinner and we’ll get to know each other.”

“Very cool! I’ll do that, thanks. I’ll see you then – Aunty.”

“Yes, see you then, Carver Kid.”

Virgil ran off to join the others and Cecily went, smiling, back to her car. She was so glad that she’d come to Kaimoana, what a productive trip this had been. It looked like their big family had just got bigger.

Bakers' Business

Everyone turned to look at the boys.

“Gary?” Abel said. “You own this trust fund?”

“Some of it, yes,” Gary blushed. “We bought the building. Some of it is going to be a shop, I’m going to live in the flat upstairs, but we’ve been looking for tenants for the rest of it. We were going to advertise, I guess we won’t have to now.”

“That’s great, Gary. Really great. Thank you.”

“Thank you and thanks, Dianne. Having you look after my accounts is the best thing I ever did.”

“You’re welcome, Gary. We’ll all get along fine.”

“I do love doing business in a small town,” Cecily smiled. “Now, about these ovens?”

“Ah, yes, the ovens,” Abel sighed. “We really do need the best – electric powered, gas-fired and stainless steel. They are our biggest expense and our biggest worry. The ovens that would be ideal cost over 300 thousand dollars.

We would love to have 2 sets, but that is totally beyond us. We can compromise with a cheaper model – not ideal but we could make-do. Also, we decided that we will start with one set of ovens and work 2 ten-hour shifts, 6 days a week.”

Jan nodded. “We will be separated again, until we can upgrade, but it can’t be helped.”

Abel agreed, “It can’t. Even financing one oven is going to be a stretch. We can get finance, but they’re asking 20% interest.”

“Twenty per-cent!” Cecily exclaimed. “That’s highway robbery. You can’t afford that, you’ll be working for nothing.”

“I told you, Abel,” Jan said. “That’s not going to work. The only way I can see that we’re going to do this is if Billy’s Burgers would help with finance – either as a loan or for shares in our company.”

They all looked to her, but Cecily shook her head. “Sorry, but that’s not going to happen. It would be against our company policy and, besides, we don’t have that sort of money to throw around. We’re in the middle of a major expansion programme and our finances are fully committed. I’d love to help you, but we can’t.”

“Oh, Dear,” Mrs. de Groot said. “Let’s have another cup of tea.”

Everyone was quiet as she fussed around replenishing their cups. The boys had stopped even trying to work and were watching the discussions. Peter looked at Gary and shrugged.

“Oh well, nothing comes easy. Got a spare $300,000, Gary?”

“Not in my back-pocket.” Gary stood up. “Dianne, can we talk outside for a minute?”

“Outside? Can it wait until later, Gary?”

“No, I don’t think it can.”

“Okay then, if you’re sure. Excuse us for a minute please.”

Gary and Dianne went out of the back-door. They were gone for 5 minutes, and then returned and sat down again. Gary nodded and Dianne smiled.

“Mr. de Groot, Jan, you would offer Billy’s Burgers a share in your business for $300,000? What percentage were you thinking of?”

“Well, we were thinking 15 to 20%. That’s about as far as we could go.”

“I see. I don’t want to pressure you, but you are over a barrel here. What would you say to 30%?”

“Thirty per-cent? I don’t know. Abel, can we afford that?”

Dianne said, “That is a 30% shareholding for $700,000.”

“Seven hundred thousand! Really?”

“Yes, really. Apparently, if you’re going to do something you should do it right.”

“That sort of money would solve all of our problems and make life easier all around. Can you really come up with that much?”

“No, I can’t – not a show in hell, but Gary can and that’s what he is offering.”

“Gary?” All eyes turned on him again.

“Yeah, well,” he shrugged. “I’m rich. I’d like to help. My money is sitting in the bank doing nothing much. I’d rather have it invested locally.”

The de Groot brothers looked at each other and smiled. Jan said, “Thirty per-cent for $700,000. Do we go for it?”

Abel replied, “Are we stupid? Of course we take it! Gary, thank you. You’re the answer to a prayer.”

“Welcome, Mr. de Groot. We’ll be partners, kind-of.”

Mrs. de Groot was standing there crying. She lifted a corner of her apron and wiped her eyes. “Gary, thank you. You are a wonderful boy!”

“Yes, he is.” Peter was so happy for his parents, he was almost crying himself. He stood up and hugged him.

“Thanks, Gary. You’re great. If I didn’t have Ashton, I’d ask you to marry me.”

“You’d marry me for my money?” Gary grinned.

“No, because you are a good person. You’re the best, Gary.”

They hugged again, and then he sat down.

Gary shrugged. “Forget about Ashton, I don’t think Lachlan would let me marry you anyway.”

Cecily said, “I’m sorry but have I have to ask this. You boys are both gay?”

“Well,” Peter hesitated.

His mother leapt to their defence. “Yes they are gay. Ashton is Peter’s boyfriend and there is nothing wrong with that.”

“Indeed there’s not,” Cecily replied. “I’ve got 2 gay sons. They are both in stable relationships. They’re happy and so am I. Actually, it’s no secret – Billy is one of them.”

Gary said, “Billy of Billy’s Burgers is gay? I always did think he was hot.”

Cecily smiled. “His partner is even hotter. They’ve been together for years and they’ve got a son. And you’re gay, Gary?”

“Yes, of course,” Gary nodded. “That’s where I got the money.”

Peter said, “You got money for being gay? How did you manage that?”

“It’s a long story. My family threw me out and an old friend took me in. When he died, he left everything to me.”

Abel said, “That was very generous of him.”

“Yeah, it was. He had no close family and he was a good guy. He left me rich, but I think I’d rather have my old friend.”

“You are a good, good, boy,” Mrs. de Groot smiled. “Do you want another cup of tea?”

“No!” Gary laughed. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll be sloshing when I walk.”

“You’re sure? Have some more cake then. There’s still plenty there.”

“Well, maybe one more.”

“Good boy. Eat. Peter, have you had any?”

“Yes, Mother. I’ve had plenty, thanks.”

“Okay,” Cecily said. “Back to business. I think we can just about wrap this up. Does anyone see any more problems? I don’t. No? Okay, I’ll have a contract drawn-up and sent to Dianne. Billy’s Burgers will sell your Baker Brothers’ cookies in all of our stores and restaurants, here and overseas. We will take all you can produce.

You’d better start looking for good staff. Even with 2 sets of ovens, you’ll be working double shifts. When the time comes that you need another factory, and it will come, please let me know. We would like it to be in Westpoint if possible.”

They talked details for a while, and then wrapped the meeting up. Everyone was more than happy with the agreement. Mrs. de Groot wanted them to stay for lunch. Cecily said that she would, but Dianne said no. She had to get back to the café.

“It’s a sunny day and they’ll probably be busy. I’d better get back and help. We can’t afford to upset the staff, if we lose them we’d be in trouble.”

Cecily said, “Oh? You have a café, Dianne?”

“Yes, we’ve got the Craypot Café, down on the main street. It’s small but it’s a good little business and I enjoy the lifestyle.”

“You don’t practice law full-time then?”

“No, not now. I used to, but tired of all the stress and strain. Plus, I wanted to get my boy away from city living before he got in trouble. These days, I just dabble a bit, for friends and family, to keep my hand in and keep in touch.”

“Sounds good to me. And your boy’s doing all right now?”

“Oh yes, he’s doing very all right. He’s never been happier. He’s in a relationship and he’s in love. I just wish he’d get brave and tell me about it.”

“I take it he’s gay then?”

“Yes, he is. He thinks I don’t know. Goodness knows, I drop enough hints.”

“Teenagers all think that their parents know nothing, but we do.”

“We do. We know more than they think. I’d better get moving. It was a pleasure to meet you, Cecily. You’re not at all like I expected.”

“I’m not like I expected either!” Cecily smiled. “A pleasure to meet you too. I’m sure we’ll all have a long and prosperous relationship. We’ll be in touch.”

“We will indeed!”

Dianne said goodbye to everyone and left. Gary went with her and they walked downtown in the sunshine.

Cecily met the other Mrs. de Groot when she returned from her morning out. It took her about 2 minutes to decide that she didn’t like this one.

An attractive-looking woman and smartly presented, she was years younger than her sister-in-law and not at all like her. This one was obviously a social-climber and she sat around like an idle princess while her sister-in-law did the work. Peter’s mother was a much nicer person.

When she left, she said goodbye to Peter who was mulching in the gardens outside. She drove away with a smile. She really liked that kid and wished him well.

She had the rest of the day to kill. She was not due in Nelson until the following morning, so she went back to the motel to get some more comfortable and casual clothes on. It was a warm sunny day, so she went for a quiet walk along the waterfront.

This was a nice little town. It was in a glorious setting – the scenery was spectacular. The beach looked pretty crappy though, all rocks and pebbles.

At the end of the Esplanade, she strolled through the small memorial-gardens park and under the whale-bone arches. Big bones!

The main street was next, so she wandered along there, enjoying the peace and quiet and just being an anonymous face in the crowd. It was a small but busy street. When she came to the Craypot Café, Dianne was working there, clearing and cleaning the tables outside.

She smiled to see that Dianne was wearing more casual clothes as well. There was an empty table on the street-side deck, so she sat down there.

Dianne greeted her with a smile and took her order for a coffee. She sat quietly watching the people going by. A middle-aged woman, with a spectacular head of very long and graying hair, came along. She looked familiar somehow.

Peter & Gary

Mr. Duncan was an old friend of Peter’s family, so everything went smoothly from there on. Business was quiet at that time of day, he was working there on his own. So he repaired the puncture, threw the wheel onto his truck and left a note saying that he’d be back in 10 minutes.

He drove Peter and the wheel out to Ashton’s car. He took money for repairing the puncture, of course, but he wouldn’t take a cent for driving out there. He said that it was his gift and he smiled and waved as he drove away and left them there.

Ashton put the wheel on the car and he drove Peter home.

Next morning, there was great excitement and trepidation in the de Groot’s crowded little house as the fathers prepared for an important day.

Peter stayed out of the way in the kitchen area and prepared breakfasts for everyone. His mother fussed around his father and uncle as they dressed in their best clothes and readied themselves for their business meeting.

Peter’s aunty stayed out of the way in the bedroom, as she usually did. She was not happy about being transplanted here from her home in Canada and she didn’t care what they did. All she wanted was to get out of this hick-town and go home.

Peter and his parents struggled to like her, but she was family, so they tried. She rarely did anything that she didn’t want to and spent most of her days in the bedroom. Their life there was primitive and she didn’t like it; but her husband, Jan, was very much the head of his household, so she, begrudgingly, went along with his insane plans because she had to.

Their sons were not much better. Peter’s cousins, 17 year old Kees, 15 year old Hans and 13 year old Lars, were a tight-knit closed society and they made it clear that they were not interested in knowing any of the people of Hicksville. They were sneering and condescending and they planned on getting the hell out of there just as soon as they could.

They were all stunningly good-looking boys, but they knew it and they favourite pastime was being admired by the plebs who could look but not touch. Their preening displays were most effective when they were together and they were rarely seen apart. They never helped around the house either. They went to school and, as far as they were concerned, that was all they had to do.

So, instead of having extra hands to help with the load, Peter was busier than ever. He could have refused to help too, but he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t leave his mother to do everything. He said nothing, but he’d be really glad when they got a house of their own and moved out of his.

His aunt was talking about it constantly, and the sooner the better.

The worst thing about them was that they weren’t nice to Ashton and they were forever sneering and making disparaging remarks about Peter and Ashton’s relationship. Like Peter and Ashton weren’t perfectly aware of what the brothers were doing after the lights went out? There wasn’t much privacy in the bus.

Ashton helped him when he could. He was a good gardener, even Peter’s mother was impressed. Also, it was a bit odd carting beach-wood in the BMW, but they did it. It was easier and faster than using the handcart and they could go to the beaches out of town where there was more wood.

The cousins had gone to school and Peter was outside in the garden when his father and uncle came out. He stopped and admired them. They were dressed in their best and looking good. He wished them luck with their meeting and watched them walking away down the street together. He smiled, it was good to see his father with his brother and happy.

They might be getting old, but they were still twins and that was obvious. Peter thought it was just not right for twins to be separated for so many years and he hoped that they never would be again.

Abel and Jan de Groot, looking good and feeling better, walked down to the main street together for, possibly, the most important meeting of their lives. Years of work, saving and planning were all riding on this. They were both nervous but they were ready.

They met Mrs. Sullivan at the Craypot Café. She didn’t practice much now, but she was still a solicitor and she had agreed to come and support them as a friend. She said that it was good for her to keep her hand in and she wasn’t interested in any payment for her time. Peter was her son’s friend and she was delighted to do something for his family.

She was looking very professional in her dark-blue trouser-suit and carrying her laptop and attaché case. The high-heel shoes were killing her, but only she knew that. They looked good.

The three of them walked to the offices of Adams and Hall, Chartered Accountants, and they settled into the small boardroom there. They had hired it for the morning. It was expensive but they needed somewhere that looked professional. It was an important meeting. This could make or break their business plans.

The brothers placed their papers, charts and diagrams, neatly arrayed on the boardroom table. Mrs. Sullivan smiled at the sea of paper. Her laptop could hold all of that and more.

Their meeting was with Mrs. Mathieson, a top-flight manager with the Billy’s Burgers Hamburger restaurants chain, so they were understandably nervous. Even Mrs. Sullivan was and she didn’t have years of her life invested in this.

Mrs. Mathieson was late arriving, so one of the office ladies brought them coffees. It’d probably make the old boys need to pee, but it was something to pass the time.

She finally arrived and was shown in by the office girl. The de Groot brothers, politely, rose to their feet as she swept past them to sit at the far side of the table.

She was a slight, dark-haired woman, late 30ish and in a business suit. Her whole presence was awesome and she was reputed to be a millionairess who had risen from nothing in a very short time, as had the whole of Billy’s burgers.

She didn’t look happy. Her whole face frowned and almost scowled, which was not an auspicious beginning. She opened her laptop and turned on a small recording device, leaving it running on the table next to her.

“All right then. Good morning. Tuesday 14 October, 10.27am. We will begin with introductions. I am Cecily Mathieson, CEO of Billy’s Burgers Hamburger Restaurants Ltd. My sons are the majority shareholders, so you can rest assured that I have full authority to speak on behalf of the business.

What I say goes, and I have all-but final authority in any decisions. So it is me that you need to convince with your proposal.

I also want to apologize for keeping you waiting, that was not my fault. I went on a whale-watching flight this morning. The pilot assured me that we would be back in plenty of time. We were not and his manager will be hearing from me.

Now, you are the de Groot brothers, Master Bakers?”

Peter’s father took the lead. “Good morning, Mrs. Mathieson. I am Abel de Groot and this is my brother, Jan. Mrs. Sullivan here is a solicitor, and a friend, and she has agreed to represent our interests.”

“I don’t see that that will be necessary. Two questions, Mr. de Groot. Are you two twins?”

“Yes, we are actually,” Jan replied. “We are identical twins. We were separated for many years, but now we are together again.”

“That’s very good,” she smiled for the first time and everyone relaxed a bit. “I don’t know whether you are aware of this, but I am first and foremost a mother and I have 2 sets of twins. Not identical though, they are fraternal – boy/girl and boy/boy twins.

My second question, which one of you is Peter’s father?”

“Peter?” Abel said. “I am Peter’s father.”

“I met Peter yesterday, on my way here and I was impressed. He is a fine young man and you can be proud of him.”

“Oh we are!” Mr. de Groot beamed. “We are very proud of our Peter.”

“As you should be. Now, I’ve sampled your products and I liked them, especially the cookies. I don’t mind telling you that Billy and Justin are fans as well. Convince me why we should sell your cookies in our burger bars.”

“I am pleased that you liked them. But, excuse me, Mrs. Mathieson, is that the Billy of Billy’s Burgers?”

“Yes, of course. Billy and Justin are my boys and they are basically the owners. You have a presentation?”

“Yes, Ma’am, we do.”

Abel and Jan began their carefully prepared and rehearsed spiel. Mrs. Mathieson began by taking notes, but soon stopped and they sensed that they were losing her. She sat gazing absently out of the high windows.

Abel asked a question, when there was no reply he said, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Mathieson. Is there a problem?”

“Sorry, Mr. de Groot. Yes, there is a problem. I don’t like this room. The atmosphere in here is oppressive.”

Mrs. Sullivan said, “You don’t like the room? If you prefer, we could go to my place. I’ve got a nice lounge with a view.”

“To your home, Mrs. Sullivan? No, I don’t think so. Thank you, but I want to adjourn to the de Groots’ home.”

“To our house?” Abel said with a worried frown. “We can do that if you wish, but it’s nothing much. We would be much more comfortable in Mrs. Sullivan’s house.”

“You might be but I would not. Mr. de Groot, I’ve seen your house from the outside, now I want to see how you live. You’re asking our company to make a major commitment here, and it is a total change of direction for us. We’ve never carried any desert lines. I want to know who we’re dealing with.”

“Very well, Mrs. Mathieson. We will go to our home, but I must warn you, it is not luxurious. However it is a home.”

“If it produced a boy like Peter, then you have nothing to be ashamed of. Let’s go then.”

They packed up and left the offices. The de Groots were going to walk but Mrs. Mathieson said she was not leaving her car in the main street, and she drove them all around there. The men sat in the back and the women in the front.

“Mrs. Sullivan, do you have a boy named Riley?”

“I do! Goodness me, you’re well informed. How on earth do you know about Riley?”

“You’d be surprised.”

“I am surprised.”

“To tell the truth, my sons told me about Riley and how he found the boys living in a cave. Two Kaimoana boys, Dylan and William, stayed with them last weekend and they told them. I’ve forgotten the boys’ names, but they said that they’re living with you now?”

“That’s right. Colin and Jacob, they needed a home and we had room so we took them in.”

“Good for you. And they’re doing all right now?”

“They certainly are. They’re happy and healthy and their lives are back on track. It’s a pleasure to have them around.”

“That’s good. We got a couple of teenage boy-refugees as well. Christian and Roman were thrown out by their parents and now they live with us. They’re a pleasure to have around as well. Most of my kids have grown-up and left home, so it’s good to have some life around the place again.”

“I just had the one son. How many children do you have, Mrs. Mathieson?”

“I had 8 altogether, 3 girls and 5 boys, 2 sets of twins. There’s only the youngest 2 boys still at home now.”

“Eight children? Wow. No wonder your house was feeling empty.”

“Yes, no wonder. It’s a big old house too. Please call me Cecily, I’m getting tired of the Mrs.’s.”

“Okay, fine. Thanks, Cecily. My name is Dianne.”

“I know that,” she smiled.

“Of course you do.”

They pulled-up in the street outside the de Groot’s small house. Abel untied and opened the driftwood gate and led the way inside. He opened the back-door and there was a squawk from inside.

“Aargh! Don’t you dare come in here with your dirty shoes on!”

Mrs. de Groot was on her hands and knees, scrubbing the wooden floor.

“Sorry,” Abel grimaced. “My wife is scrubbing the floor.”

Mrs. Mathieson removed her shoes with a grin. “Don’t worry about it. If I was scrubbing my floor, you wouldn’t get in there with shoes on either.”

They all left their shoes outside, went in and crossed the kitchen floor to the multi-carpeted living-room area. They stood there waiting while the old lady wiped her floor again.

Mrs. Mathieson looked around the crowded, cluttered room. The two boys, at the desk at the far end, turned to look and she smiled, “Hello Peter. How’re you today?”

“It’s the Lady!” Peter exclaimed. “I’m fine, thank you. How are you?”

“I’m good. You got the car all sorted, did you?”

“Yes, Mr. Duncan fixed the puncture and took me back out. We got home with no more troubles. Father, this is the nice lady who rescued us yesterday.”

Abel said, “Ah, of course! Another BMW driver. I didn’t realise. Thank you for helping the boys, that was good of you.”

“No trouble at all. It was a pleasure. I couldn’t leave a Beamer stranded on the side of the road. Who is your friend, Peter?”

“Oh, this is Gary. Gary is helping me with my study-project on Baroque music. Mrs. Braidwood sent him to help me.”

“Hello, Gary. You’re an expert on classical music are you?”

“I know a bit, but I’m no expert. I think I’m learning as much as Peter is.”

“That’s good.”

“Peter,” his father said, “this is Mrs. Mathieson, from Billy’s Burgers. She is the CEO of all their businesses.”

“Oh, wow! You’re the boss of Billy’s Burgers? I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t, I didn’t tell you.”

“I’m sorry if I said anything I shouldn’t have. I hope I haven’t ruined Father and Uncle’s chances.”

“Ruined their chances? Not at all, Peter. Quite the opposite in fact. As soon as I knew that these are your family, I knew that we could do business with them.”

“Oh good! Thank you, Mrs. Mathieson. Father and Uncle are good people.”

“I’m sure they are, Peter. I’m sure they are.”

“And so is Peter.” Mrs. de Groot joined them. “Peter is a very good boy and you were kind to help him and Ashton. Thank you.”

Abel said, “Mrs. Mathieson, this is my wife, Hilde.”

“Hello, Hilde. Please call me Cecily. Let’s drop the Mr. and Mrs. shall we? Sorry to invade your home like this.”

“You’re very welcome. We don’t have anything flash, but it is comfortable.”

“It is. This is a nice room, warm and friendly. I like it a lot. I love the grandmother clock. We had one just like it when I was growing up. I don’t know what ever happened to it. One of the uncles probably sold it for drinking money.”

“Drinking! Everybody, please sit down and I will make tea.”

“Mother!”

“Shush, Peter. It’s time for tea. You and Gary can come and help me.”

“Okay then,” Cecily sat by the fire. “Let’s get back to it shall we? Relax, Gentlemen. I think we’ll do business.”

They sat talking again while Mrs. de Groot made the tea and Peter and Gary brought over a wide assortment of cakes and other goodies. Abel and Jan continued their proposal in a much more relaxed fashion now.

Peter and Gary went back to the school-desk, but they weren’t working. They sat with their drinks and watched and listened.

The talk got around to their need for premises to set up a bakery factory and Jan said, “We’ve got a bit of a problem there. We are still looking for a suitable building, but something will turn up.

I thought that we had the ideal place, a big old shop in the main street – it’s huge actually, much bigger than it looks. The Woods family were selling it and it would’ve been perfect for us. We put in a bid, but it’s been sold. I tried to contact the new owners, but haven’t been able to locate them.”

Dianne, sitting quietly to one side, choked on her drink when she burst out laughing. Everyone looked as she coughed and spluttered and recovered.

“Oh, my, Dianne,” Mrs. de Groot worried. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine now. Sorry,” she smiled. “Jan, this building, I presume, is the one bought by the Ron Clarke Memorial Trust, Property Investments?”

“Yes! That’s the one. I couldn’t track them down. Do you know these people, Mrs. Sullivan?”

“I certainly do. And you’d be interested in leasing the building?”

“Yes, very interested. We’d love to have it, it’s just what we want.”

She looked around at Gary and they exchanged smiles and nods. She turned back. “It’s yours then. I’ll draw up a lease agreement.”

“Just like that? That would be great, but how can you do that? These people are a mystery, I haven’t been able to find them.”

“You didn’t look hard enough. I know the Ron Clarke Memorial trust, I know it very well. I actually own 3% of it.”

“Really? You are a shareholder? But they’re registered in Wellington. I found that much out.”

“They’re registered there, at my brother’s address, but the shareholders are all right here, in Kaimoana. I have 3%, my foster-sons, Colin and Jacob, have 12% and I act for them.”

“But that’s still not a majority. Won’t you have to consult with the holders of the other 85%?”

“I just did. There is only one other shareholder and I consulted with him. He’s sitting over there, with Peter.”

Peter & ?

Ashton started the car, backed-up a couple of meters, stopped and went forward again. He stopped, opened the door and leant out, looking underneath it.

“Bugger!”

“Have we got a problem?”

“We have. It’s not huge, but it’s a problem. We’ve got a flat tyre. I must’ve run over some glass or something. What are you like at changing a wheel?”

“Hopeless! I know the theory, but I’ve never seen it done.”

“It’s about time you learnt then. It’s not a big deal; it will just take a couple of minutes.”

They got out, opened the back of the car and got the tools out. Ashton fitted the jack in place and loosened the nuts with the wheel-brace.

He started jacking the car up and said, “Can you get the spare wheel out, Peter? It’s under the floor in the boot.”

Peter brought it out and stood watching as Ashton lifted the wheel off.

“Ashton, I think there’s another problem.”

“Problem?”

“Yeah, this one is flat too.”

“It’s what? It can’t be! Oh, damm. Now we’ve really got troubles.”

“Could we try pumping it up? That might get us back to town.”

“Yeah, we could try that, if we had a pump, but we haven’t. Sorry, Peter, I think we’re stuck.”

“You’ve got no pump?”

“No, I’ve never bothered. BMW’s are not supposed to have these troubles.”

“You think? Princesses are not supposed to die in drunken car-crashes, but they do. What do we do now? Do we call for help?”

He put the wheel, with its flat tyre, back in place. “We’d have to call really loud. There’s no cellphone coverage around here."

“Oh dear.”

“Oh dear is right. Bugger, in fact. We’ve got 2 options. I could drive back with a flat tyre, but that would totally stuff it and I can’t afford a new one, or I could walk back with the spare wheel and get it fixed.

I suppose that’s the only thing to do. Hopefully, someone will bring me back once it’s fixed. I’ll go and you stay here and guard the car. Lock yourself in it and don’t talk to strangers.”

“I’ll come with you and help carry the wheel. But, no. Someone does have to stay here in case the car gets trashed. It’s your car, Ashton. You guard it and I’ll take the wheel into town.”

“Peter, you can’t carry it all that way.”

“So I’ll roll it, like a hoop. Someone might feel sorry for me and give me a ride.”

“Well I would, if I could. I’m sorry, Peter.”

“I’m sorry too.”

“What are you sorry for? It’s not your fault.”

“It’s not yours either. These things happen and it’s no-one’s fault so stop apologizing.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks Peter. Give me a hug!”

“Anytime.”

They stood hugging each other on the side of the road and broke apart when another car pulled in beside them. They looked and grinned; it was another BMW. The sole occupant, a dark-haired lady in blue jeans and an old t-shirt, opened the door and got out.

“Hello Boys. Having trouble are you?”

“Yeah, we are,” Ashton answered. “We’ve got a flat.”

“So you’re putting the spare on?”

“We were going to, but that’s flat too. I don’t know how that happened, but it is.”

“And you’ve got no pump?”

“No, we haven’t. I didn’t think I’d need one.

“Neither did I. I haven’t got one either. Sorry. How far is it to Kaimoana now?”

“Not that much. It’s about 10k’s from here.”

“Too far to walk with a wheel. I’m going there now, so I’ll take you into town.”

“Would you? That’d be great! Thanks.”

“Not a problem. We BMW owners have to stick together,” she smiled. “Is it your car, or your father’s?”

“No, it’s mine. I got it for my 16th birthday, kind-of.”

“Kind of?”

“Yeah. Long story. Peter, you go to town with the nice lady, I’ll wait here and watch the car.”

“Is that really necessary?”

“Yeah, it is. It shouldn’t be, but it is. A car sitting out here all alone would get broken into or something. It’s a busy road and there’s lots of clowns around.”

“You’re probably right. Okay then, Peter, put your wheel on the back-seat and you can show me where to go.”

“I will. Thank you, you’re a lifesaver. Wait here, Ashton. I’ll get the puncture fixed, and then ask Mr. Duncan, at the garage, to drive me back. You be careful and lock yourself in the car if there’s any trouble. I’ll get back as soon as I can.”

“Okay, I’ll be careful. A hug before you go?”

“Of course.”

They hugged, unembarrassed, and the Peter got into the other car and they went to town.

As they drove along, the lady said, “Your name is Peter and you live in Kaimoana? Would your other name be de Groot by any chance?”

“Yes it is! I’m Peter de Groot. How did you know that?”

“Just a lucky guess. We had a couple of Kaimoana boys at home last weekend. Do you know Dylan and William?”

“Dylan James and his cousin? Yes, I know Dylan, kind-of. Ashton knows him.”

“That’s Ashton back there? Are you two . . . well, are you a couple?”

“Oh yes! We are and we’re staying there too.”

“That’s good. I’ve got 2 gay sons, so I know what it’s like. It’s not always easy, but it can be good. My boys are both in stable relationships and very happy with them.”

“That’s cool. So are we. Where are you from?”

“Oh, over on the Coast. What do your parents do?”

“Father is a baker. Mother is, well, she’s a mother and a good one too.”

“That’s good. That’s very good. You’re a lucky boy.”

“I am. My parents are good people; they’re the best. I love them and they love me too. It’s all good.”

“Do they know about your relationship with Ashton?”

“Yes, they do. They like Ashton and they’re happy that I’m happy.”

“That’s excellent, Peter. You certainly are a lucky kid. Hang on to what you’ve got.”

“I will, thanks. Are you staying in Kaimoana?”

“Just for a couple of days. I’ve got some business to see to. I’m staying at the Ocean View Motels. Maybe you can tell me where to find them?”

“No trouble. It’s only a little town, but it’s a great town. I hope your business goes well, but do take the time to look around while you’re here. It’s a beautiful place and we’re very proud of it.”

“Thank you, Peter. I’m sure it will go well. In fact, I’m quite certain of it now. Is this the town here?”

“Oh no, that’s just a suburb. That is South Bay. Kaimoana is over on the other side of the hill. Go up to the top of the hill, turn right and I’ll show you where to go.”

They took the right-turn and went down into the town, on the back-road on the other side.

“That’s my home there – the blue house with all the gardens.”

“Should I drop you off here then?”

“No, not yet thanks. Keep going down the street there and turn right at the end. We’ll go to the motel, and then I’ll walk back to the Service Station to get the tyre fixed.

Oh. Could you please wait a minute while I run in to get some money? Ah, no, sorry. Don’t worry. I’ll call in on my way back.”

“You need cash? Don’t you have a bankcard?”

“No, I never have any money of my own. We have to watch every dollar and save for the Plan.”

“What is the Plan?”

“For Father’s business. Everything is for that.”

“I see. And you don’t get pocket-money?”

“No, I don’t need it. I have to help my parents with the Plan.”

“Indeed. You’re a good kid, I think, Peter de Groot.”

“I’m just me.”

“And where have I heard that before?”

“Sorry?”

“Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about another kid I knew. He was a good boy too. You live there with your parents. They’ve got a great garden, do you help them with it?”

“As much as I can. Mother is a good gardener. She grows most of the food we eat.”

“She does? To save for the Plan, I guess.”

“Yes, that’s it. The Plan comes first. Mother always says that a dollar saved is a dollar earned.”

“Sounds sensible to me. They don’t spend their money on a flash house, do they?”

“No, of course not. I know it’s nothing much, it’s little and old, but it’s our home. It’s warm and comfortable and it’s all we need.”

“I totally agree, Peter. If your home is warm and full of love, then you’re as rich as anyone.”

“Oh, we are! We are very rich.”

“I couldn’t agree more. You’re a lucky kid and I think your parents are lucky to have you as well. Let’s find this motel, shall we?”

They carried on down the side-street, turned right and along to the motels on the waterfront.

“It’s a small town,” Peter grinned. “Ashton’s parents own this place.”

“They do? It is a small town. Maybe they will help you to get the tyre fixed.”

“No, they wouldn’t do that.”

“Why not? It’s their boy’s car.”

“Well, they don’t like me. They wouldn’t help me. It’s okay, I’ll get it repaired, no worries.”

“Hmm. They don’t like their son’s friend?”

“They don’t. They don’t like their son much either. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. That is their business.”

“Don’t be sorry, Peter. I’m glad you told me. I’ve got no time for small-minded people.”

“But I shouldn’t have said it. It is a good motel, you’ll be comfortable here.”

“I’d better be! What’s your plan now? Will you call your father to come and get you?”

“No, Ma’am. We don’t have any phones. We don’t have a car either. I’ll roll the wheel along the sidewalks. Mr. Duncan, at the Garage, will fix it and he’ll help us. He’s a good man.”

“And where is Mr. Duncan’s garage?”

“It’s not far. It’s up on the highway at the other end of the main street.”

She backed-out into the street again. “We’ll go there then.”

“You really don’t have to worry. You’ve brought me all the way into town and that’s more than enough. Thank you. I can walk now.”

“You can shut up, Peter,” she smiled. “I’m in no hurry. I’ve brought you this far and I’ll take you to the garage.”

“Okay, thank you. That’s very nice of you. But I’ll have to go home and get some money first.”

“We’ll go back there first then. Don’t argue with me, I’m a mother and I’m used to getting my own way.”

“Aren’t they all? No, sorry,” he blushed. “I shouldn’t have said that either. I’ve got such a big mouth sometimes.”

“No you haven’t,” she laughed. “I think you’re delightfully honest actually.”

Back at Peter’s home, she stopped in the street outside and Peter got out. “Thanks. I’ll just be a minute.”

He ran inside, up the brick path between the house and the gardens. When he returned, there was an older lady with him, wearing a shawl (‘?’) and long, voluminous skirts. They stopped at the gate, she pulled out a purse and handed it to him with a smile. She came over to the car and looked in.

“Hello there. Thank you for helping Peter and Ashton. You are most kind and we appreciate it. I’m sorry, Peter did not tell me your name?”

The lady smiled. “That’s because I didn’t tell him. The name doesn’t matter. I’m just another traveller on life’s highway. You have a delightful son, Mrs. de Groot and it’s a pleasure to help him.”

“Thank you. Peter is a good boy and a good son. Ashton is too. Thank you for helping them.”

“No problems. We couldn’t see another BMW driver stuck, and it really is a pleasure. Shall we go, Peter?”

“Yes, of course. Good bye, Mother, I’ll be back soon.”

“Goodbye my Son, you take care out there. Goodbye Lady, have a nice journey.”

“I will, thanks.”

She drove back to the waterfront, turned left, along the main street and up to the service Station on the highway. “Your mother is a nice lady.”

“Yes, she is. She’s great. Father is too.”

“And so is the son, I think. Have you got any brothers and sisters?”

“No, there’s just me, but my cousins are living with us for a while, there’s three of them, all boys. My Uncle and Aunty are too, so we have a busy house now.”

“In that little house, it must be busy! Where do you all sleep?”

“Uncle and Aunty have the bedroom. There’s only one so Mother and Father are sleeping in the living-room and the boys and I are all in the bus. Everybody has a bed, that’s all we need.”

“If you say so. Is this the Service Station that you want?”

“Yes, this is the one. There’s only two in town, this one is Mr. Duncan’s.”

She stopped in the forecourt. Peter got out and took the wheel out of the back.

“Thank you again. You’ve been great, rescuing us.”

“You’re very welcome, Peter. It was nice to meet you. Will you be okay now? I could wait and take you back to Ashton.”

“No, don’t worry. You’ve done plenty. Mr. Duncan will look after us now. He’s a good man.”

“A friend of yours of course? Okay then, Peter. I’ll leave you for now. But, tell me something. Was that your mother’s purse that she gave you?”

“Yes, it was. It’s all of her housekeeping money.”

“And she trusts you not to waste any.”

“She does. I wouldn’t do that.”

“No, I didn’t think that you would. Goodbye then, and good luck.”

“Thank you and goodbye. Umm. You didn’t tell me your name?”

“I didn’t, did I? But I’m delighted to have met you. It was very timely I think.” She smiled and drove away.

“It was very timely for us,” Peter said to himself. “You are a good lady.”