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3
Manuia Books
Alice Hunt
Palmerston North
email: [email protected]
Book website: www.manuia.org.nz
December 2015
This Story is for all my Family
so that they may recall a Very Special Occasion
Five children with five partnersTwelve grandchildren with seven partners
Fourteen great-grandchildren and one more born in March 2015.
This adds up to forty-four people who celebrated the matriarch’s birthday.
XC DV
7
reat-nana looked
at her big family,
gathered to
celebrate her
90th birthday. They were all
happy, enjoying the
occasion, and sharing a
special time together.
Great-nana thought of all
the planning for this event.
The operation was given a
code-name -
G
First it was just an idea - a long weekend at
Paekakariki Beach, just north of Wellington.
This would be much better than a party or
dinner, as there would be time for the younger
children to get to know each other, and for the
older cousins to rekindle their friendships.
When they were young they met together very
often, but now they were grown up, many of
them married and with children of their own.
They had scattered throughout New Zealand,
and travelled overseas at times.
The real birthday was on 13 January 2015, so it
was decided that the weekend of 17-18-19
might suit everyone. When the 13th arrived,
there were cards, flowers, visitors, phone calls,
emails and Facebook messages, and
everyone rejoiced. Reaching ninety
years was something to celebrate.
XC DV Meaning: Ninety,
Deo Volente (God
Willing)
8
A big surprise was a message from Kyle in
London who had recorded greetings for his Nana
with the three singers of Sol3 Mio presenting
Happy Birthday, Dear Alice.
So heart-warming, reminding the family of their
ancestral home, Samoa.
“It will be like a short beach holiday, and my children
can do all the planning and catering, while I just sit
back and watch over it all,” said Great-nana.
.........Dear Alice.........
ʻHappy Birthday.........
.......Happy Birthday to youʼ
Three large beach houses
had been booked for the
special weekend, and
several cabins at the
Paekakariki Holiday Park.
There was much emailing
to everyone, to make sure
they would be there.
9
The weekend arrived, and Great-nana and Des were
taken by car from their home in Palmerston North,
down the coast to Paekakariki Beach, turning off the
main highway, crossing the railway lines, and then a
short drive to the house. This was a big house set on a
hill, facing the beach front, and looking out towards
Kapiti Island.
From the house there was a path down to the beach
where all sorts of interesting things were waiting for
the children to investigate. A small creek was finding
its way into the sea, cutting a riverbed into the sand.
Just the place for little
children to play.
The families began to
arrive, and were shown to
their homes for the
weekend. A number of
families went to the
Paekakariki Holiday Park,
further up the beach. They
had cabins to sleep in, and
a playground for the
children.
Nana and Des shared
a house with Verena,
Dave and family,
where they could
rest from the busy
activities in the
house where
everyone assembled
during the day.
11
Busy People
Back in the big house,
Great-nana said she felt like
a Queen Bee, sitting in state
with her big family milling
around. All were intent on
their tasks in the kitchen, or
preparing the barbecues,
checking on plans for the
weekend, and all the while
looking after the little
children, playing games
with them, and supervising
visits to the beach. At the
same time they were
catching up on the news
and stories everyone had to
relate. Laughter was
echoing around Queen Bee,
and she was looked after so
lovingly by all.
12
On Saturday more families arrived, and some of Great-
nana’s friends and relations came to visit. There was time
to talk to them all, and share memories. The weather was
fine, so the children played on the beach, trying to dam up
the little creek with a big driftwood log. Some of the Dads
helped and seemed to enjoy the fun as much as the
children.
A big pond formed,
then the waters
escaped, and
everyone had to get
busy again. It was
hard trying to tame
the creek and the sea
tides. The water
always won.
Watching all this activity, Great-nana and Des thought
about the times when they were young. She and Des were
neighbours in Palmerston North, and with Viv (Des’s twin)
they were a happy threesome. Holidays were almost
always at nearby beaches. At Foxton Beach tents were set
up in the campground under the big pine trees, near the
Manawatu River which flowed into the sea. It was a short
walk to the ocean beach. Sometimes the families stayed
with other relations and friends in beach houses. One
holiday they remembered was at Otaki Beach, and another
at Moanaroa Beach, across the Rangitikei River from
Tangimoana.
13
The above photo was taken at Otaki Beach, with the Botcher family who were
friends of the OʼKeefes. Back: Florence Fleck, Mrs Botcher
Middle: Molly OʼKeefe, Botcher childrenFront: Botcher boy, Viv, Alice and Des
The three photos above were taken at Moanaroa
Alice, Edie Oliver, Bill Lennon, Viv
Des, Edie Oliver, Bill Lennon, Viv and Alice
Tent, camping equipment and car, set up on back lawn at home,when a family visited.
Viv and Des
Then the next generation enjoyed
holidays, often at Lake Taupo
14
Then the next generation enjoyed holidays, often at
Lake Taupo
And the O’Keefes went to Ohope Beach. Des’s sons John and Peter,
15
Saturday and
Sunday passed with
more friends and
relations calling in.
The sun shone, and
the beach was very
popular, as well as
games in the house.
Sister-in-law Lois Hunt and Ian
With cousin Isobel
Munro and
daughter Jane
17
The playground at the Holiday Park
was a safe place for the little ones,
with the bigger children supervising.
21
ONDAY was the special day. More family arrived, Kyle and Francesca from London, the OʼKeefes
from Whitby (Liz, Pete, Jessie, Josh) and Australia (John, Adrienne, Claire, Matthew), Vicki, David and Mitchell Hopping who brought Viv, cousins Isobel, Jane, Sarah, Lenora, Opal, and Jacqui. Such a happy gathering.After lunch the entertainment began. The family had hastily practised
some songs accompanied by ukuleles and guitars. What a lot of hidden talent, but a lot of laughter when the singing wavered. Andrea had prepared an action song which included family names in alphabetic order, and when they all tried to sing Tofa mai feleni Great-nana did not know whether to laugh or cry. They were not really familiar with the old Samoan song, but came together with a fine ending. It was a song she had learned when she was very young from her mother, Florence.
Karlo read the poem she had composed at Great-nanaʼs request - In the Beginning was the Word - which echoed her thoughts about her long life.
Then Kyle took Great-nana into an adjoining room where Francesca was to sing for her, as for such a long time Great-nana had wanted to hear her voice. Francesca was shy to perform before all the family, She sang the Lied Du bist die Ruh by Franz Schubert.
It sounded so
beautiful, Great-nana
was overwhelmed.
Suddenly great
applause was heard,
as the whole
company in the next
room had been
listening intently too.
M
22
Now it was time for the traditional candle-lighting, singing of Happy Birthday, cake-cutting and a few brief speeches.
Royce had made two big cakes.
24
In the beginning
was the word
a breath
given sound
an arch of throat
a musical note
a noise
moving its way
into meaning
an intention fluted up from the heart
through the windpipe
throated into utterance
the relief of release.
In the beginning
was the word
a vibration, a hum,
a whistle that flew like a bird
out of the mouth of a God
like a lyrical hiss from a volcano
that landed, rested, nested,
lava reaching the ear of the universe
interrupting the heavy hushed tones of void
reverberating its way
into not-yet-galaxy
a meteor of sound
exploded
into stars, gasses, echo
vibration, frequency,
spinning bits of broken planets
gravity heaving it all in,
gathered with magnetic hands.
The soft, seductive words were
“Let there be light”
and so it was,
stellar and solar.
In the beginning
was the word
there was no return
to the paradise
of the silent wide eyed innocence of fish
of the synchrony of animal gesturing
the beating of chest of the ape
once the upright
word was uttered
two legged mother sounds
were muttered
to comfort the cry of newborns
communicating in primal scream
once, mum, mum, mum
became meaning
and da, da, dad meant ‘him’
and we recognised
the warm hitherto of come
and the ambiguous directive of go
the multiflora ways of saying hello
the farewell of goodbye
fragrant and painful in any language
A 90th
Birthday Poem - for Alice Hunt
Karlo Mila read her poem to the family gathered
to celebrate this special birthday, January 2015.
This poem is dedicated to and inspired by my Nana, who asked me (on her 90th birthday) to think about the words "In the beginning was the word" (John 1:1) intrigued by the fact that as humans, we are distinguished from all other species by our use of the spoken language.
25
then began
the business of naming,
knowing, explaining,
relating, communicating, creating
And then in-between us
was the word
like birds flying out of our mouths
reaching, resting,
holding each other there,
gently, nesting,
and we became such small gods
creating our world around us
giving meaning, tone, shape, nuance, name
following the chain letters
of narrative
it was not long before we found ourselves in story
twisting plots transforming uncertainty
into moralised, anticipated endings
mythology, poetry, fairy tale, legend,
soap opera, drama, reality tv
showing us, teaching us how to be
Then within us
was the word
the bounce of heartbeat
the red-flushed rush of blush
structured into already formed sentences
framing raw emotion
into the shape of words
the repetitive rhythm of cliché
the over-uttered of proverbial
the ever-watchful eye of archetype
the already ingrained of arc, climax, anti-climax
the expected restoration of resolution.
In the beginning
was the word
we inherit the earth
already described, designated
mediated, moulded
meditated upon,
already forged into
the iron type-set of letters
weighed, measured
into organised sounds
uttered by others
for centuries
well worn words
providing a thin skin
over everything
attempting
to fashion the universe
attempting to enunciate
infinity itself
within a limited, finite,
human arrangement,
of sentence.
In the beginning
was the word
and
the
word
was
God.
26
What does it take?(To Alice, with love, from Warren)
What does it take?, I ask myself, to live for ninety years
To have loved and laughed and sighed and cried so many tears
To have raised a beau?ful family and coped with all their fears
And to have lent support and comfort to those in their later years
From whence comes?, I ask myself, this deep compassion for all others
Not enough it seems to limit yourself to those that call you “Mother”
Even ?me maintaining wider family links is never too much bother
And yet you s?ll find ?me for community work of one sort or another
How did you adapt?, I ask myself, with ninety years of change in all your life
From milking cows and feeding pigs and all the du?es of a farmer's wife
To absorbing the flood of latest technology to publish and collate and write
And to document this boom in babies (which takes a computer all right!)
How lucky I am, I have to think, to have shared in this family group
And bring my children up to share the influence of so much good
To delight in occasional reunions which we'd have more of if we could
To mourn together when ?mes are sad as a suppor?ve family should
And what does all it take?: I have to think, a special person such as you.
There was another poem which Warren
Hunt produced some time later.
27
FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS
Mother with Royce, Lynda.
Vaughan, Verena and Gillian
1964
Viv, Des, and Alice,
2015 and 1930
Mother with Royce, Lynda.
Vaughan, Verena and Gillian
28
ROYCES FAMILY: Owen, Royce with Nina, Andrea, Jeremy Askin, Mark Morgan, Cecily, Fraser
Front: Isla, Aria, Brielle
30
GILLIANʼS FAMILY:Back: Francesca, Kyle, Paul Roux de Buisson, Lochlan, Dugan.
Front: Natsume, Tomoko with Masaki, Kazuki, Gillian, Leena, Amy with George.
32
VAUGHANʼS FAMILY:Vaughan, Jeremy, Pam, Oliver
Taylor cousins - Lenora Nysse, Opal
Crossley and Jacqui.
Alice with Munro cousins, Isobel (seated),
Jane and Sarah
33
THE OʼKEEFES:Back: Josh and Jessie Beyer, Pete and Liz, Claire, Adrienne, Matthew
Front: Viv, Des, Alice, John
With Vicki, David and Mitchell Hopping
37
And so the weekend of celebration
came to an end. It was time for
everyone to go home.
This had been an opportunity to renew
family connections, to remember our
past, and to look forward to the future.
XC had been accomplished, God being
willing.
Great-nana was very content.
XC DV
38
Thank you to all who helped in recording this story —
• Owen, and all the photographers at the celebration.• Daughters, Royce, Verena, Gillian and Lynda who checked the text, and found details I could not see. I would not have managed without their practical assistance.• Lincoln Digital Printers who co-operated with us in getting the final print version ready.• Des for his patience and for helping me in so many ways.• Finally, I am grateful for the technology which has developed as I have aged, which makes it possible for me to sit at my desk at home, where I am able to research, communicate, contact people, compose stories, and share them with anyone who is interested in reading them. I do not understand how these things work, to me it is like magic, and I am glad to have lived to take part in this magical experience.