Who would have thought when the above photo was taken on one of our trips to the Hokianga, that all of what is currently taking place in my writing, would come to be. It was not even on the radar back then. I am standing on the knoll of the hill above the area where Keita and Tere’s family home was located below.
When this photo was taken I was in deep thought. I had just been shown the area where father’s mother had given birth to her children, in a tent not far from where I was standing. More will be written about this in the book. Later I sat nearby and took in the panoramic views of the Hokianga Harbour and the hills behind. Obviously, views were not in grandmother Keita’s mind while giving birth to her children. The resilience of these women! I clearly recall a wave of admiration arise and at the same time, a wave of sadness. Grandmother seemed so close, yet so far.
On the other side of this tale, is the unexpected! Yesterday, I received a message from niece, Kiri. Aunty Robin is looking for any photos of Pop and his siblings? I texted back and said, excuse my ignorance but who is Aunty Robin? The next 24 hours turned into an Aladdin’s Cave of photos and messages exchanged. So, a new cousin I have met, through the wonders of technology.
Robin turns out to be one of Dan Diamond’s daughter, my father’s eldest sibling. This is the first time I have seen a photo of Uncle Dan and been in actual contact with one of his children. Well, so I thought? In our exchange of photos, I included one I was not sure of who the couple were photographed with my father. I had my suspicions but reframed from saying. Yes, it turned out to be Robin’s younger brother, Mervyn who has sadly since passed away.
It is like a spider’s web discovering which piece of the family tree connects to the other and how!
Trust you have a great week.
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