The lovely white Cala lilies have a special place in my heart. They used to grow in my paternal grandpa's rubber garden in Sarawak.
These were cut from my garden.
http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/
Before I started blogging in November 2008, I was into writing. I wrote short stories and a novel. But I had no money to get them appraised. My eldest daughter D started my blogs and I posted my stories and my novel in my other blog. I have started writing again but blogging is a lot more fun.
Nadine
Tragedy struck. One day Andy and Finau were fishing off Piha beach. A gale wind suddenly blew: both of them had no life jackets. The wind howled, the sky darkened, big rain drops pelted on them like stones, the waves crashed against the boat, the boat overturned and sank. Miraculously Andy used his last ounce of energy and swam back to the shore: he was dogged tired when he ran for help.
Finau was never found that afternoon. Later they found his limp and bruised body among the rocks. Finau’s bereaved mother tore at Andy, and cursed him. Finau’s uncles had to hold her back. Andy just stood there quietly as if he wanted Anapesi to rant and rage and even beat him. We were surprised that Anapesi swore, she was such a well-mannered and gentle woman. Maybe she learnt it from us.
Andy came home and took it out on Nadine. She feared for her own life and the baby’s. She locked her self in the bedroom, but he kicked the door open. Nadine felt like a trapped fox in a fox hunt, and there was no way she could claw her way out of the danger that Andy was posing. Blow after blow he rained on her, until she pleaded that he was killing the baby.
“It’s all you bloody fault, Finau my mate and I had been fishing for years, and nothing ever happened, and now you cow move in and I lost my best mate.” Andy slammed the door and didn’t come back for two days until it was Finau’s funeral.
The Tongan community had a funeral at Finau’s house, and they buried him in Waikumate cemetery. Andy was full of remorse. Finau’s mother banned him from attending the funeral and burial. Andy sat at the garage overlooking Finau’s house drinking Lion Beer, Finau’s favourite beer. His empty bottles crashed and ended up a million brown glass crystals and broken shards on the driveway. He was still there when Anapesi came back from the cemetery.
The kind natured Anapesi went over across the road, she removed the empty beer bottle from Andy’s hand and told him to go back inside the house. She told him she knew it wasn’t exactly his fault.
“Go back to the house, I am sorry I screamed at you,”
Andy got moody and depressed and beat Nadine more often. Sundays were worst, because he’d got no mate to go fishing with.
“Nadine, I got some grub for you, or Nadine I got some fish and chips. The baby needs to eat even if you don’t.”
Nadine did not have a good time being pregnant. Every morning she opened the window and vomited down to the bed of calla lilies. She told me she got no time to rush to the bathroom. Andy howled at her,
No comments:
Post a Comment