The Spanish Helmet

by Greg Scowen

  ‘We’ll do just that,’ Aimee said. ‘Tomorrow.’

  Matt and Aimee said their thanks and goodbyes to the friendly Maori pair. He wondered if they were married, or just good friends from the same place. It didn’t matter. They were obviously as close as family. He was struck by the affection that he had witnessed and by how friendly the Maori were. He hadn’t known what to expect. His constant incidences with Hemi had put him on guard. But now he knew, despite a minority of bad examples, there was a fantastic group of people in New Zealand that he would love to have the chance to learn more about. Maybe tomorrow would bring him that opportunity.

  * * *

  Hemi had observed the meeting between Matt, Aimee and the Maori couple from the mezzanine floor of the atrium. This time, he had gone unnoticed. Or so he thought. The problem with the whole GPS scenario was not losing his prey, but being unaware of their plans. When he saw the Maori couple that met with Matt and Aimee, he had to ask a student if she knew who they were. Thankfully he had spotted a Maori girl at a table upstairs and she immediately recognised them as Kaumatua from her tribe. Hemi had too much respect for his elders to get in the way of a meeting like that. He wanted to lay low and let things take their course. Hopefully Matt and Aimee could learn something valuable to their research here today. Thank God Warren Rennie wasn’t about to witness this. Speaking of which, it was time to touch base with Warren again. He had managed not to contact him since Nelson so Hemi knew that Warren would probably be pissed. Hemi still wanted to suck Warren into a trap by getting him mad, but likewise he hoped that nothing would get in Matt and Aimee’s way of successfully completing their research. He had to play his cards carefully. Watching Matt and Aimee leave the building, he took his mobile from his pocket and selected Warren from his contacts list.

  ‘Hemi!’ The phone was answered by an angry and blunt voice. ‘Decided to get back in touch, did ya? I wondered how long it would take you.’

  ‘Yeah, sorry. I’ve been rather busy.’

  ‘Not half as busy as I have son. Doing all your work for you. Where are you? What’s happening?’

  ‘I’m at the University of Otago. Observing Dr. Cameron.’

  ‘What’s he doing in Dunedin? Did he go to Moeraki? What about the Banks Peninsula? Waihopai?’

  ‘He went to Moeraki and Waihopai,’ Hemi said.

  ‘Uhuh, and now he’s in Dunedin, eh? And what’s he doing there?’

  ‘I’m not sure exactly.’ Hemi lied. He didn’t like the sound of Warren’s voice. He was mocking him. Hemi wasn’t mocked.

  ‘He wouldn’t be chasing up his father’s theories would he?’

  ‘I don’t know, maybe, maybe not. He could be looking for more Celtic stuff. Big Scottish community you know.’

  ‘Then why was he having morning-tea with two Maori elders?’

  Shit. Hemi spun around and scanned the lobby. Warren had to be here, or had been here. He couldn’t possibly know that Matt had been with the Kaumatua, could he?

  ‘Why so quiet, Hemi?’

  ‘Where are you?’

  ‘That’s not important boy. You haven’t been taking care of your part of the bargain so I’ve come to sort it out for you. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

  ‘Where, when?’ Hemi asked, continuing his room-scan but still coming up empty.

  ‘Don’t worry, I’ll find you.’

  The line went dead.

  Hemi slipped the phone back in his pocket and lifted himself off the chair. As he walked out of the building, trying to look as relaxed as possible, he stole glances in every which direction that he could. Warren was here. Somewhere. Either that or he had someone else in his employ. That was a possibility Hemi didn’t want to have to consider. But he knew he had to now.

  CHAPTER

  41

  Wednesday, November 17, 1526

  Our fears were unfounded. The local natives have proven to be friendly and welcoming, although wary at first. It would seem they have never seen a ship like ours. Their canoes are much smaller and certainly wouldn’t be suitable for crossing an ocean. The colour of our skin is also of much amusement to them. The native men have strong looking bodies wrapped in a very dark brown skin. They have black hair, often a black beard, white teeth, and a few have markings upon their faces. The older men appear to have more markings. Most of the men have none at all. The women mostly appear to wear their hair long, though a few of the older woman have it cut short.

  The natives go about in an array of clothing or with none at all. The clothing they do wear is often basic, made out of a broad leafed grass that we have seen much of. They all wear pieces of shell or stone hanging from the ears and in chains around their necks. Some of the men wear two or three long white feathers in their hair when they are clothed. The women often wear a comb in their hair. The combs are made from bone or wood. There seems to be much respect for the older men from the younger.

  We are struggling with finding a common language for communication. I tried Spanish, a few words of French, some English too. But the natives don’t appear to have had any contact with Europeans before, as I expected. We have, therefore, fallen back on signals. A lot of pointing and the slow pronunciation of words, that we might come to understand each other.

  We have given them some of the sweet potato plants that we brought with us and these have been quickly planted, along with a few other specimens we had on board. The women were delighted with this gift. In return, we were rewarded with some very good fish and we have been shown where we can take water from the stream.

  I think we will be able to get the ship onto the beach here and make repairs in a safe haven. At least for now, we have a good neighbourly relationship with the land’s people. I hope to be able to observe them more and to learn more about their ways.

  Thursday, December 2, 1526

  Communication with the natives is getting much stronger. The people call themselves Waitaha. Their leader, a stout man who has spent much time with me, patiently showing me around his small valley and beach, goes by the name ‘Tane.’ It has been made clear by his actions that we are welcome here. Not only have they invited us to eat with them by the fire, but Tane also had his strongest men help us to bring the ship up onto the beach. This was achieved through the cutting of some round logs and using some ropes and levers accompanied by the brute force of a huge group of men to move the ship on the highest tide.

  We are now in a position to properly set to repairs. The carpenters and shipwrights have assembled a team of ready and able men for this job. The other men and I will go about exploring the surrounding forests and beaches with our new friends. We will go hunting and fishing and build up a good stock for our onward journey. Some of the men have agreed to bring the natives to our Christian faith. The people will be better and happier with our God than without him. I have been told to expect to be here for two months.

  CHAPTER

  42

  ‘So, the elders said these white people lived out on the peninsula?’ Aimee asked, opening a local tourism map out on the breakfast table.

  ‘Yeah. Let’s go to this Otakau marae,’ he pointed at the map, ‘and see if anyone can shed more light on it.’

  Matt repeated their conversation with Matawai and Andrew in his head. It was exciting stuff. His father would have been rapt to hear they’d found out more about the rumoured white people.

  ‘It looks like this road is fastest,’ Aimee said, pointing to Highcliff Road on the map. ‘But the one around the waterfront looks prettier.’

  ‘I’m with you, let’s make the most of it.’

  They finished their breakfast and got straight on the road. As they drove behind the railway station, Matt admired the pretty building.

  ‘It’s a Dunedin landmark,’ Aimee said. ‘Only that yellow tourist train runs through now though. It goes through some local gorge.

  Matt was distracted from the station by the Chinese garden. He made a mental note to visit that if he had a chance. Matt loved Asian ga
rdens. After these two pretty sights, the potential beauty of the harbourside was marred by an awful industrial area.

  ‘I can’t think of many cities with such a beautiful harbour that have managed to do so little with it,’ he said. ‘There’s so much potential here.’

  ‘Yeah, they could make some nice parkland, apartments, a few cafes and restaurants, maybe even a promenade. It would be stunning.’

  They continued on in silence until they reached the edge of town. Cliffs rose over them on the right, and the harbour hugged the curvy road on the left.

  ‘This is more like it,’ Aimee said.

  What a great road.’

  Thirty minutes later Matt fell out of love with the road. Not the scenery, that was perfect. But he had to concentrate so hard on the narrow, winding road that it was a little tiring. After the small village of Portobello, the road straightened out and before long they drove across open countryside beside a golf course. As they arrived back at the water’s edge, Matt saw the sign for Otakau Marae. He turned the car into Tamatea Road and parked at a little gravel area by the marae’s entrance.

  ‘Let’s go see if we can find someone,’ he said.

  They walked around the marae for a while but didn’t see anybody. They even knocked on the door of a nearby house, but there was no answer.

  ‘Looks like no one’s home,’ Matt said. He felt deflated.

  ‘They might be at work.’

  ‘Well, we’re out here now, let’s have a look around and see what we can find on our own. Maybe we can find a beach with a cave above it! If not, a little sightseeing never hurt. We can try here again later.’

  Aimee’s face answered his suggestion without a need for words.

  * * *

  Matt and Aimee studied their Otago Peninsula tourist map.

  ‘There’s too many beaches. Let’s stick to the ones that are close to the roads.’ Matt said.

  ‘Rightio, and I’d like to see the lighthouse and albatross colony. It’s close to here.’

  ‘My picks are these cliffs; Lovers Leap and the Chasm, they sound ominous,’ Matt said, grinning cheekily.

  ‘What about Larnach Castle?’ Aimee asked.

  ‘I’ve seen plenty of castles before. Besides, this one doesn’t even appear to be old. But if you want to see New Zealand’s only castle, we can go.’

  ‘Dunno really, how much does it cost?’

  Matt read from the brochure. ‘Twenty-five dollars for the castle and gardens. Just the garden is ten.’

  ‘What?’ Aimee said, her face full of shock. ‘The botanic gardens were free, let’s skip it.’

  Matt laughed and agreed. Seems like Kiwis were as inclined to complain about the price of tourism as the English were, and he understood Aimee’s point. If you had the chance to visit castles in England, Scotland, Wales, France... oh the list goes on... why would you pay so much to visit a one-hundred-and-forty year old building in Dunedin? Especially when the university clock tower building was just as old?

  They drove off to their first destination. A lot of the roads weren’t sealed. Instead, big gravel stones rolled around under the tyres and a huge dust cloud followed them. It needn’t matter though, since they met no oncoming traffic once they left the main roads. The peninsula was an explorer’s dream. Virtually no one about, beautiful windswept scenery, stunning beaches, and good views. They parked next to one other car and climbed out in preparation for a short signposted walk through the forest.

  ‘Oh God, wait a sec,’ Aimee said, ducking her head back into the car. She withdrew herself with her hands firmly gripping a familiar purple pullover.

  ‘Are we meeting your Mum out here?’ Matt asked, smiling from ear to ear.

  ‘Sometimes it comes in handy for keeping warm too.’ Aimee poked her tongue out at Matt and put the pullover on. Matt couldn’t help but tease her, but he had to admit the wind was crisp and brisk. He locked the car and they walked off in search of Lovers Leap.

  ‘What a beautiful alley,’ Aimee said, as she walked next to Matt through the forest. Her hand brushed against his with every sway back and forward. If he wasn’t such a wimp, Matt would have caught it and held on forever. They broke free from the trees and were greeted by a beautiful little wooden woolshed on their right. But it was the view to the left that captured Matt’s attention. Long tussock grass, sheep roaming the fields, and beyond a handful of trees that were bent over ninety degrees from the enduring winds, a beautiful and completely empty beach.

  ‘We’re so going there next,’ Aimee said.

  They hurried over the hillside towards two wooden platforms which hung over dramatic cliff-top locations. The Chasm was particularly impressive, and made you wonder how many sheep, or people, had fallen off. Only a thin wire fence stood between the fields and certain death. But the cliffs couldn’t hold them anymore, that beach was calling.

  ‘I guess at least we can enjoy a walk,’ Matt said, thirty minutes later, as he pulled his sock back on to warm his now freezing toe.

  ‘I tried to warn you,’ Aimee said, laughing. ‘We aren’t exactly on a tropical island.

  ‘I should know better. It’s the same back home.’

  They walked along the beach and studied the cliffs above them. No caves here. Not up high anyway. There were a few nooks and crannies down at the beach level though and in one they found some penguins. They also walked past a few sleeping sea lions. Aimee warned Matt to keep a respectable distance. Eventually they returned through the lupine-covered sand dunes to the car and drove to the Albatross Colony. They parked and took a quick look at the view over the cliffs and towards the lighthouse before heading into the visitor centre.

  ‘Should we do the tour?’ Aimee asked.

  ‘I’d quite like just to sit on the beach down there,’ Matt said, pointing down to a beach near the car park. ‘But you go on the tour.’

  ‘Nah, let’s just hang out down there.’

  They followed the sign to ‘Pilot Beach.’ Close to where the water gently lapped on the shore, two kayakers paddled around in circles.

  ‘Stop.’ Aimee threw her arm across his chest.

  Matt looked down. Another step and he would have caved in a hole in the ground. A rabbit’s burrow, perhaps.

  ‘That’s a penguin nest,’ Aimee said. ‘We need to keep our eyes open here. The young may be in there while the parents go fishing.’

  ‘That’s incredible,’ Matt said, bending over and peering into the hole, and indeed seeing and smelling the penguin occupants.

  ‘I don’t know who’s having more fun out there,’ Aimee said. ‘The kayakers or the seals.’

  ‘Seals?’ Matt asked, looking up, and then he saw them. Playing among the kayaks were three or four, yes four, seals. They twirled and twisted around like synchronised swimmers, amusing Matt with their fluidity. Aimee pointed at a patch of grass sitting up on the rock-walled edge of the beach.

  ‘Looks just right,’ Matt said, as they collapsed down to a sitting position where they could relax and watch the seals play.

  They took up their places on the grass and Matt was just about to start a meaningless conversation when Aimee came to the party with a dreaded line.

  ‘I’ve been thinking, Matt, and we need to talk.’

  Matt felt the blood drain from his face. He had been waiting for this. The moment where Aimee would tell him that it couldn’t work. Him in England, her in New Zealand, I just think of you as a friend, you’re like my brother. All that stuff. He propped himself up in preparation, ready for the blow.

  ‘It just feels... right. Being with you. It’s.... comfortable. I like you.’

  The warmth crept back to Matt’s cheeks. Had he heard that right?

  ‘You do?’

  ‘Of course! You’re a sweet guy.’

  Blood-cheek restoration complete.

  ‘I fell in love with you on the flight.’ Matt felt his cheeks overfill with blood as he let that line slip. What a charmer.

  ‘I think I did too. You I
mean. You know what I mean. But, I don’t know how it could work. You know, the distance thing. I don’t think distance relationships are for me.’

  Plug pulled. Blood rushes out again.

  ‘Is there a way we can make it work? What if I moved out here?’

  ‘No. You can’t move out here, your job is too important. If anyone’s going to think of moving, it’s me.’

  ‘Are you serious?’

  ‘I’d have to be, and that’s what I want to talk about.’

  ‘OK.’

  ‘If we were going to give this a try, I mean a serious try, then I’d have to move out to the UK. I assume I can transfer my studies there.’

  ‘That would be no problem.’

  ‘But I wouldn’t be lifting my roots for a fling. I need to know that you’re serious, one hundred percent. I want you to think about this too. If you’ve got any doubts, I need to know.’

  ‘I can assure you, one hundred percent. Right now, I have no doubts. If that changes you’ll be the first to know.’

  ‘OK.’

  Matt looked at Aimee blankly.

  ‘OK what?’ he asked.

  ‘OK, I’m going to really think about it. I’ll look into transferring my studies. I’ll talk with my parents, get advice from friends, and if it all pans out right I’ll come to the UK.’ She paused. ‘But if I come it’s the real deal, a serious commitment, are you prepared for that?’

  ‘Aimee,’ Matt said, grabbing her hand, finally making the first move. ‘If you come out to England to be with me, for us, I’d marry you.’

  ‘You’ve only known me a few weeks!’

  ‘I knew the day we met.’

  Aimee said nothing. She reached over and ran a finger down his cheek. Then, leaning in to him, her lips met with his in what was the most beautiful kiss Matt had ever experienced. The kayakers and the seals all vanished into the background. All that Matt could see now was a restored lighthouse, a rose garden, Aimee and their child running towards him.