‘We can’t figure out what happened to her during the war.’
‘She got married to Tamati, boy. Plain and simple.’
‘I mean about what happened to MacLeod’s Cottage. We know Ngaire moved out and onto the marae in around 1942, 43, and then she moved back in again 1946 after she was married to Tamati.’ Dan decided to get right to the point. ‘The thing is Mum doesn’t own the house, a trust does, and we can’t figure out why.’
Mere and Hemi both nodded.
‘You don’t seem surprised,’ said Augi.
‘We’re not,’ said Mere.
‘It was all to do with those bloody Americans,’ said Hemi.
‘The Marines?’ asked Dan.
‘That’s right. Came over here, turned our women’s heads, gambled, drank too much, and then left again.’
‘So…’ said Dan, clearing his throat. ‘Was it Ngaire’s head that was turned?’
‘More than turned. Ngaire was just a girl then. I remember her because she was so beautiful, but I would only have been about four or five. And she and her family lived in the big house by the beach.’
‘MacLeod’s Cottage?’ asked Dan.
Hemi nodded. ‘More like a mansion than a cottage,’ grumbled Hemi.
Dan and Augi exchanged smiles. Hemi sighed and looked out into the distance, beyond the clattering flax leaves into the blue sky, as if he were lost in the mists of the past.
Mere tapped Hemi’s knee. ‘Uncle? What else? About the house?’
‘The house? Oh, that was Ngaire’s father’s fault. Stupid bastard. He always liked to gamble but his family had managed to keep him away from it. But when the Marines came, there was more booze around, more gambling, and he lost it.’
Dan leaned forward. ‘Lost what?’
‘The house of course. He lost it in a card game. Some Marine won it.’
‘Was it Johnnie Kowalski?’
Hemi shook his head. ‘No, he came in later.’
‘You knew him!’ said Dan.
Hemi just shrugged.
‘Uncle!’ said Mere. ‘You’re confusing me. What happened?’
Hemi looked impatiently at Mere. ‘Isn’t it obvious? Ngaire’s Dad got carried away, lost the house in a card game and the Yank who won it turfed them out of the house and rented it out to some other family. Incomers.’
Dan’s eyes rounded. ‘Wait a minute. Are you telling me that my great-great-grandfather lost the house? After generations of the family living there?’
Hemi turned a keen eye on Dan. ‘That’s exactly what I’m telling you boy! Haven’t you got ears?’
Mere placed a calming hand on Hemi’s arm. ‘It’s just come as a shock to him, Uncle, that’s all.’
Hemi grunted dismissively but the irritation receded. ‘Well, it wasn’t a shock to any of us. Ngaire didn’t deserve a father like him. He left them all a few months later.’
‘Was he in the army?’
‘No. He had a limp, but he should have damn well gone to war. Our boys came back — if they came back at all — with more than limps.’ He shrugged. ‘Anyway, we never saw him again. Good riddance.’ He paused and no one spoke, willing him to continue, not knowing where he’d lead the conversation next. ‘She died soon after. Caught pneumonia in that old shack they had to live in.’
