The Lost Tohunga Read Online Free PDF Page B

Hine carried Brandi as they made their escape. The sun washorribly bright and she hadn’t remembered her sunglasses, but she wasn’t going to risk going back.
    A southerly stung her cheeks, and for once the three mountains were faintly visible, the low, snowy mass of Tongariro in the foreground, the cone of Ngauruhoe behind, and then the snow- and shadow-streaked Ruapehu hunched behind and dwarfing them both. It was a fine sight and gave her back a little heart. They ambled down towards the lake, Brandi holding Hine’s hand now, while Filli burbled happily in the pram. Ko’s waddling gait meant they moved slowly, and Hine snuck a look back every few seconds to make sure they weren’t being pursued, to be dragged back and chained to a mop. Finally, they were out of sight of the house and she let out a long breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
    They walked in silence to the main road, and crossed to the lakefront. The water lapped at the shingle and sand. A few windsurfers were out, and far to the south triangles of sail unfurled from sleek yachts that swooped like gulls in the stiffening breeze. Brandi ran to the water’s edge to look for shells, while Ko and Hine found a spot under a tree to watch over her, nurse their headaches and puff on a ciggie. Ko took Filli from the pram and let her roll on the ground, gurgling blissfully. She was a happy baby, which was a miracle considering the squalor she was being brought up in. Evan owned the house, left by some dead relative. Hine shared his room, and Ko and Ronnie had the second room with their kids. Brutal had the third room, and Hine refused to go near it, it stank so bad. A bunch of other itinerants came and went. ‘Soul brothers,’ Evan liked to call them. Parasites was Hine’s word for them.
    â€˜So, how’s Ronnie doing at his new job?’ she asked Ko.
    â€˜Yeah, good. Been there two weeks now. Hasn’t stolen nothing.’ The word ‘yet’ stayed unspoken. ‘Hopin’ this’ll last, an’ we can maybe get a place of our own.’
    â€˜Yeah, that’d be sweet. Well, for you guys.’ No bank would ever give you a mortgage, but dreams are free .
    â€˜He tries hard, does my Ronnie. Tries to do his best, mosta the time. When he ain’t drinkin’ an’ talkin’ trash with Brutal and Evan.’
    â€˜It’s Evan,’ said Hine. ‘If it wasn’t for Evan, Ronnie wouldn’t do half the stuff he does.’
    Ko looked at her intently. ‘Evan been smackin’ you ’bout again, hon?’
    You couldn’t hide stuff from Ko. ‘Most ev’ry day now,’ Hine admitted in a whisper, her eyes on the distant mountains, her lower lip quivering.
    They stared out across the water. Ko was talking, but it wasn’t easy to listen when all the thoughts crowding her head kept welling up. She had been a little golden girl when she was younger. She had been tall and athletic, and she wasn’t dumb. Her teachers had told her she had a ‘future’ and spoken about university. None of her family had gone past fifth form, but for her the sky had seemed the limit.
    â€˜Then what happened?’ asked Ko.
    Hine started, and realized she had been thinking out loud. ‘Mum got tired of being on her own. So she took up with Glenn Bale, this Pakeha ex-miner from Huntly.’ The thought of ‘Gentle Glenn’ made her feel nauseous. After Evan had punched Bale, she had been so grateful she would have given him anything. In fact, she had. He had got her awayfrom home, and for a while it had seemed like paradise. She had thought herself safe. Ha! ‘Evan treats me like dirt now. Just another source of welfare money. He’s always angry, an’ ev’rthing’s my fault. I’ve got to get out, Ko.’
    Ko reached out and pulled her in as she began to shake. She clung to the fat woman and bawled like a baby, while Filli