Chapter 6

Discussions with colleagues at the school led me to believe that I needed to find a Maori family, preferably one where the husband had served in the Maori Brigade during the War.

"Fierce fighters, protective of the people they work for and not too proud to do lawn, garden and maintenance. Understand though, you are expected to house and feed the entire family ... worth every penny," they said.

So, I contacted the Army ... and they sent letters. One family showed up ... with bag, baggage and offspring. That we would hire them was a foregone conclusion: hadn't the man defeated the other men in single combat? Of course he did. If he hadn't ... another family would be ringing our bell, ready to move in.

And move in they did. They were polite about it, excellent english, excellent manners, the children, baby boomers all, ranged from 14 to 6 years old, were helpful and chattered like magpies ... later we discovered that they were enamored with American speech. As far as wages, £9.17.6 a week was mentioned ... for the whole family. That's about 28 dollars US.

The 37 year old husband went by the name of Fred, "Because you'll never pronounce my name." His last name was Te Wherowhero. His thirtish wife was introduced as "Hineraukatouri," He pronounced it HEE neh roe ka too ree. He said, "It means Goddess of birth." She blushed. He grinned.

"This one," he pulled a dusky match for Grace from behind her mother, "Is 14 and she is Hineahuone (HEE neh ah hwo neh) because she is my first woman child. And THIS one is Trouble."

He tossed a six year old high in the air, she squealed all the way down. He caught her deftly. "Hekeheke (HEH keh HEH keh) because you can never find her when you want her. Her name means disappearing from sight," and he tossed her again.

"The boys, wherever they are, are Bert and Ernie ... named for Bertram and Ernest ... two of my mates who didn't make it back."

When Grace or I were around, their father called the boys Bert and Ernie and something very different when we weren't.

Our informant warned us that we must negotiate with the man and pay him. Anything we worked out with his wife was her money and the man wasn't to know, because it could cause family discord. Grace paid her £6.13.0 a week.

She also took Hineraukatouri around to our grocers, baker, produce and butcher, introduced her to the people and told them that Hineraukatouri was authorized to purchase provisions as she wished ... bills to be mailed as normal. We guaranteed payment no matter what. Hineraukatouri was shocked ... so were the shop owners. That just wasn't done ... Maori, don't you know.

Grace insisted..."We'll be teaching in another month and neither I nor my brother will have time to shop."

Grace was 'easy' when it came to the children. I don't know how much she slipped them on the sly.

Immediately we came to an agreement, Fred and I went to the Local Police Station and I asked for information about employing him as a property and personal bodyguard. They called the Army, and told us to have a seat. Twenty minutes later a Colonel, a Captain and a Sergeant walked in the front door.