Nanny Maude sniffs, saying she don't know why they moved to that big, old smelly city anyway. There were too many cars, too much violence. It was much safer here in Waitahi among all their whanau.
Mere is swinging on the old tyre strung from the Magnolia tree at the end of the drive, She swings back and forth, idly picking at a scab on her knee, her worn sneakers scuffing the dust of the drive. She looks up when she hears the old Holden station wagon come rattling along the dirt road. It turns into the driveway, and comes to a sudden halt, sending up clouds of dust. The cousins pour out of the back of the wagon, screeching and yelling, Auntie Huia shouting at them - .
"Hey! You fullas get back here and help unload this car!" The kids all rush to grab armfuls of gear from the back of the car. Nobody would ignore Auntie Huia, even Uncle Tipene jumps when she yells at him and he is a big fella, much bigger than Auntie, who is five foot nothing and round as a barrel.
Finally everything is sorted and Auntie Huia is inside enjoying a cup of tea with Mum and Nanny Maude, catching up on all the local gossip. Mere has taken the cousins to see the new calf, and the fluffy yellow chicks that the little brown bantam hatched yesterday. .
"Let's go to the creek eh? Catch a few eels." Says Mere.
Moana and little Kiri are not too sure about this, but Reuben who is the eldest, as well as the only boy, is all for it.
The creek is not very big, not like the river down the back of the farm. Years ago Meres" brothers had hung a rope from one of the trees. They had spent hours swinging across the creek, only thing was, once one of them landed on the other bank and let go of the rope whoever was on the other side had to send the rope back, if they didn't (which happened quite often) they were stuck, standing there yelling and swearing, threatening to "tell on you fullas" while the perpetrators ran off laughing, leaving them stranded to wade back across the creek.
