Page 88 of Catch a Kiwi
“Is that one of your designs that your wife is wearing?” Mum asked.
“Yes, it is,” Hope said, proving that she had better manners than my mum, who’d never addressed her at all, let alone Summer. “Your dress is beautiful as well.”
“Woefully out of fashion,” Mum said. “Not this summer’s look at all. Hemi will know that. I’m embarrassed, honestly.” Her gaze finally flicked over Summer, and she asked, “Is that a Te Mana as well? A friends and family discount, maybe?” Another sparkling look at Hemi. As a hint, it wasn’t exactly subtle.
“No,” Summer said, but didn’t say anything else, probably because she couldn’t think of what it would be.
I said, “Mum. Let’s talk,” and took her elbow.
Daniel said, “Not now. There are heaps of people for her to meet. We’re her whanau now, too. Can’t keep us all to yourself.”
No choice. I was going to have to be direct. “Let’s get this clear,” I told him. “You’re not my father in any way that counts, and you had no right to invite my mother today. She’s no relation to anyone here but me, and if you tell me she’syourgirlfriend, I’m not buying it. You’re a good fifteen years older than she is, and you’ve got no money. It’s never going to be her whanau. It’s notmywhanau, and they all know it. The old man wanted to meet me, and I came. Everyone’s been kind, but they aren’t going to have to keep being that way, because I won’t be asking it.” As a thanks-for-welcoming-me-to-the-family gesture, it was rubbish, but somehow, I’d said it anyway. Fortunately, not everybody had heard it, and I had a feeling Hemi and Hope would forgive me.
Hemi’s sister Ana, the marionette lines gone even deeper,said sharply, “How can you talk like that to your own parents? To your father, who’s acknowledging you out of the goodness of his heart even though you couldn’t be more illegitimate? Tell me, who died and put you in charge of the guest list? Dad is Koro’s son, while you’ve never even met Koro until today, and you think you’re the one to decide? MaybeIwanted to meet your mum, did you think of that?”
I ignored her, because, like Summer, I couldn’t think of anything to say, and said, “Come on, Mum.”
My mother resisted a moment, then went with me, unfortunately with Daniel trailing behind, probably working up something more to say, his own big denunciation speech. My mum, I could deal with. But what was I going to do about Daniel? I’d made things worse, blowing up like that, and everybody else would have to deal with the fallout. I still had Summer’s hand, and I didn’t let go as I walked toward the gate at the corner of the house even as Delilah came through it.
“Whoa,” Delilah said, backing up a step. “Summer texted me it was time to go. I didn’t realize we were going to have drama. Maybe I’ll go back and play some more ping-pong.”
My mum said, “She can be here, and I can’t? I have more right than she does! I’m your mother! Who’s she? Your girlfriend’s cousin? And judging by what they’re wearing, you’re buyingthemclothes. You’re buyingthemshoes, because those aren’t cheap, and I saw what they were wearing before. A couple of fly-by-night tourists, latching onto you like … like … And you callmemercenary? Because that’s what you just did, and in front of everybody! You barely know them and you’re supporting them, while here I am, wearing this old thing from last summer!What will Hemi think of me? Or your grandfather? What will they think ofyou,treating your mother like this?”
I had a pretty good idea what Hemi thought of her. Iwanted to drop her arm and leave her here, just walk out with Summer and Delilah, but how could I let her crash this party?
I was still trying to decide how to get her out of there when I felt a disturbance in the energy field and realized Hemi had come up behind us. He said, “Probably time to go, Dad. Maybe Lola can give you a lift. If you don’t have someplace to stay, I’ll ring up.”
Daniel said, “You can’t tell me to leave the home I grew up in, and you can’t put Lola out, either. You have no right.”
Hemi didn’t answer, just stared at him, and Daniel looked away and muttered, “No loyalty. No gratitude.”
“Oh, I get it,” Delilah said. “Hemi’s probably paying your rent, right? I bet he’s done it forever. Just like Roman’s paying for his mother’severything.You know, I might not be the greatest person in the world, but at least I’ve never let Summer just pay for everything, even when she had, you know, money. At least I got ajob,and I was a teenager! That’s just gross, leeching off your kid like that. Newsflash: parents are supposed to take care of kids, not the other way around, at least not until you’re, you know, ancient and feeble. I mean, my aunt took care of me from the time I was little, and she had zero money and I wasn’t even her kid! Man, I never thoughtI’dbe the one who knew what family values mean, especially when New Zealand is supposed to be all Maori and family-focused and everything.”
Hemi laughed, nothing but a bark of a thing. My mum said, “Howdareyou?” Her face was flushing, her entire body tensing.
I saw her hand come up and grabbed her wrist. “No,” I said. “Not unless you want to find out what it’s like to live in state housing.”
“You’d threaten me with that?” she said. “What did I ever do to deserve this? And I’m surprised at you,” she told Hemi. “You’re going to throw out your own father, after all he’s been through?”
“I’m not threatening you,” I said. “I’m promising you. Whatever I owe you, I’ve paid. I’ll keep doing it, but not if you disrespect Summer and Delilah. Not if you abuse Hemi.”
“Oh, now it’s Hemi, is it?” she flashed back. “Thought you didn’t want anything to do with him. Youarelooking for that investment, no matter what you told me.”
“I don’t need his investment,” I said. Suddenly, I was just tired. I wanted out of here.
“He’s not hurting his chances,” Hemi said. “Actually.”
“No,” I said. “Thanks, but no.”
Summer hadn’t said anything so far, but now, she stepped forward and took my mum’s arm. “This is so awkward,” she said. “So hard, coming in here to find all these people you don’t know. Maybe finding out that … that it isn’t everything you hoped it would be. All this fighting. It’s horrible, isn’t it? Did you drive all the way from Auckland by yourself?”
Mum’s chin wobbled a bit, and she said, “Of course I did. Daniel assured me I’d be welcome.”
“I’m so sorry,” Summer said. “Let’s go down to the town and find a café, just you and me. I could use a cup of tea, and I’m sure you could, too. This is too much for both of us, and I know it isn’t anything like you expected. Can we go someplace quiet and talk it over?”
Mum’s chin did some more trembling, and her eyes got bright. “I wasn’t expecting— I never thought—” she started, then broke off and said, “It’s just?—”
“I know,” Summer said, her hand still on Mum’s arm. “I know exactly. You got dressed up. You wanted to be accepted, and it feels so bad to think you aren’t. I know how much that hurts. I’ve been there. Come on. Let’s go have that tea. Hemi, Hope—where should we go?”
