Chapter 23

Sunday night is rough. My cut is certainly sore. I can’t sleep on my left side as I usually like to and I am restless. The horror of the day keeps playing back through my mind. At about 2 am I take some more pain relief but still I cannot settle. Now it is 6.50 am. I must have had a few hours sleep. I am not really rested but don’t think I can get back to sleep. Mikaere is very sweet and makes me a cup of tea. He asks if I would like him to stay with me during the day. I instinctively say, “No, you should get to your course.” He seems relieved. He tells me they do have an important piece of assessment today, though he could ask for a special exemption.

I have a meeting and a lecture today. Should I cancel? I am pondering that question when Aroha calls and insists that I cancel all obligations for today at least and stay at home. When she says that, I feel relieved, for I do feel drained even though the cut in itself isn’t a major problem. I shouldn’t have even thought of going in. I agree not to go in today, though I make no promises about later in the week. I get a call from Hope Wilson to say that they are watching my house. A quick look out the front shows a late model Holden with two guys in it parked across the road a few doors down.

After Mikaere leaves for his course I feel lonely and vulnerable. Then I get a call from my student Maria. She was told at the university that I was at home. Do I mind if she comes over to discuss her work? What is my address? I see, we need to be very discreet. I say I have been attacked, which she obviously knows already, and that I am a bit tired and shaken but I would like to see her and we could chat about her work a bit. All of what I say is true but I am conscious of saying it for an audience listening in.

Maria arrives soon after 11 am, carrying coffee and sushi for the two of us. She gives me a hug and takes that opportunity to whisper in my ear that they have left the bugs in. I respond to her hug and, for a while, she lets her face rest lightly on my neck. She asks how I am feeling and I say how pleased I am to see her. We have the coffee and sushi a little later. Afterwards I feel really tired and say I don’t have the energy to discuss her work. She says I should lie down and try to sleep. She will slip out to the pharmacy to fill the prescriptions for the medicines I need and afterwards will work on her laptop. She is very calming and when I lie down on my bed I fall fast asleep immediately.

I wake up slowly and realize that two hours have passed. Maria must have heard me stir, for she comes into my bedroom and sits beside me on the bed, and gives my arm a squeeze. It is comforting having her there. I get up and we have a cup of tea. We do even have a little discussion about her project. It is clear that she is mainly here to support me. Towards the end of the afternoon she asks if it is OK if she leaves. I say it is fine and I even manage to see what I could put together for some dinner.

Mikaere gets home promptly and says I looked better. That is nice of him though that is not my assessment when I look in the mirror at my black eyes and the way the flesh coloured bandage reveals a line of coagulated blood. He finishes off my half-hearted attempts at preparing some dinner and, while he is doing that, he talks about yesterday. He explains that when he came back he happened to look through the kitchen window into the living room and saw me being tied up. He immediately called Hemi and knew that Rāwiri wouldn’t hesitate to come over too. “How is Rāwiri?” I ask.

“I think he is still in Middlemore hospital,” Mikaere replied, “but Hemi would know more.” He gives me Hemi’s phone number and, after dinner, I call him.

I talk to Hemi about how Rāwiri put his body on the line for me. Hemi says the bullet damage was complex but they are going to operate tomorrow morning to remove the bullet from a tricky place in the shoulder and repair some damage.

“I would like to give him a present. What would he like?” I ask.

“Cash,” Hemi promptly replies.

Hemi tells me his ward number and I say I will visit him in the afternoon. I can understand that he isn’t the kind of guy who suits upmarket consumer items but Hemi’s suggestion for a present leaves me with a problem. A particular kind of item suggests a range of prices but with cash you have to think of an amount. I think $100 would be an insult. Here is someone who literally took a bullet for me. I haven’t been spending much money so my account is in good shape. $2,000 sounds like a decent sort of amount that could cover various kinds of expenses in recuperation. I plan to get the cash before going to see him in Middlemore.

On Tuesday morning, Mikaere covers up my bandage to make it look better and puts concealer makeup over my black eyes. I need another day off and cancel my only lecture and a small meeting. Mid-morning, I walk to my bank and successfully withdraw $2,000. I choose one hundred dollar bills and twenty of them doesn’t make too large a bundle. I buy a little box and some ribbon at a convenience store to make the cash look like a gift. After lunch I book an Uber and make my way to Middlemore Hospital. As I walk inside, memories of the events of Sunday flood my mind but I compose myself and ask at reception how to reach Rāwiri’s ward.

I wonder if I will recognize him but, when I see him, there is no doubt. There are three big guys already visiting, all in black leather and with gang patches. I ask him if I should come back but he seems remarkably cheerful and pleased to see me. I am immediately offered the only visitor seat. I just say, “You took a bullet for me and I want to thank you.”

“No worries. How’s your cut?”

“Not too bad. How did your operation go?”

We talked a bit about the operation, which was long but successful. I hesitate to hand over my present in front of those guys and I wish the box weren’t so banknote shaped but it can’t be helped. “Here’s a present. You can open it later.” Soon afterwards, I say goodbye and leave them.