Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2012 17:02:34 +0200
From: A.K. <andrej@andrejkoymasky.com>
Subject: Journey to New Zealand 3/6 (gay - English - Adult friends - Beginnings)

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JOURNEY TO NEW ZEALAND
By Andrej Koymasky © 2012
written on January 14, 2003
Translated by the Author
English text kindly revised by Vin

-----------------------------

USUAL DISCLAIMER

"JOURNEY TO NEW ZEALAND" is a gay story, with some parts containing
graphic scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion,
family, opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better
not to read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't
care, or because you think you really want to read it, please be my
welcomed guest.

-----------------------------

Chapter 3 - A Maori legend

We went on the gondola on top of Port Hills, from which it was possible
to see Christchurch panorama 260 degrees, including the Canterbury plain
and the Lyttelton port. We then had our lunch at the Monte Bell's
Restaurant.

We were having ourselves a good time, chatting, laughing and telling
each other stories. We seemed like two old friendsÉ or two lovers in
their honeymoonÉ

We then went again downtown where I rented a car for all the time I
stayed in New Zealand. We decided to visit some museums too because I
was curious to see some of the Maori art. Christchurch had a history of
only a little more than 150 years; it was therefore, for me who came
from Italy, an incredibly young city. Anyway it had its beautiful things
to showÉ bedsides Graeme, that I didn't stop admiring.

Graeme was living in Aikmans Road, just behind the McDonald's, where he
rented a small room in a widower's house which was too big a house for
him after his children married. That day I proposed to Graeme that he
stayed with me, at my hotel suite, for all the time I stayed in New
Zealand.

Graeme accepted at once and said to me he would leave his rented room
and move his things to my room, as he had just two suitcases to take. I
asked him if it weren't better to keep that room Ð how would he do when
I had to leave? He said that it would not be difficult for him to find
another room, and in the worst case he could anyway go at the YMCA. So
he would at least save the rent money.

So we went to Aikmans Road, he cancelled his room rent, gathered all his
things, loaded them in the car and I took him to my hotel. He settled
his belongings. And when he put his toothbrush in a glass together with
mine, it gave me a feeling of warm intimacyÉ and I embraced him from his
back.

"You want to make love again?" he asked me with a mischievous
expression.

"Why? Don't you?" I retorted with a smile.

"YesÉ It's been all the day since IÉ didn't think of anything but about
it. Being near you and desiring you are the only thing in my mind, don't
you know?"

"Do you find me so desirable, then?" I asked him.

"The more I get to know you, the more I find you desirable, Sergio,
irresistibleÉ" he murmured embracing me tight and brushing his pelvis
against mine, making me feel through our trousers that he already had a
good erection.

"You tempter! If you go on doing so, I will strip you naked, push you on
the bed and jump on you!" I said, making him feel also my strong
erection.

"Sounds like a wonderful plan to meÉ" he said going on to brush against
me. "Should I go on longer before you get on with it?" he asked in a
provokative tone.

No, he didn't have to go on for a long time. Always touching and
kissing, we started to undress each other. For some time we remained
there, standing, totally naked, touching, caressing, teasing each other.

I then kneeled in front of him and starting to take care of his
beautiful straight, warm and hard pole, kissing, gently biting and
licking it. Each time I passed my tongue on his glans, swollen and
smooth like silk, Graeme let out a low moan of pleasure. I took his
glans between my lips and, cupping his small, sinewy and firm buttocks
with both hands, pulled him to me so that his pole slipped entirely
inside my mouth.

Then Graeme took my head between his hands and started to rhythmically
move his pelvis back and forth, fucking my mouth. I raised my eyes and
looked at him. He bent down his head, met my glance and tenderly smiled
at me. I liked being on my knees in front of him, like the worshipper of
a pagan god, to give him pleasure. I wanted Graeme to feel how important
he became to meÉ

After some time he made me stand up and kissed me on the mouth. He then
caressed my cheek.

"Would you like to take me hereÉ standing?" he asked in a whisper.

"As you likeÉ" I answered.

He turned and leaned his hands on the lavabo edge, pushing back his nice
little butt. He was looking at me through the wide mirror in front of
him, and smiled at me, inviting. I aimed with my straight and hard rod
between his buttocks and brushed its tip up and down, passing again and
again on his hidden hole, palpitating in eager waiting. And I finally
aimed at it and started to push. His smile became wider and he pushed
backwards his pelvis to meet my push.

I started to slip inside him, to sink into him with studied slowness. I
embraced him, putting an arm around his waist and the other around his
chest, leaning against him, and started to move my pelvis back and
forth, moving in and out of him with vigorous strokes, at times long and
slow, at times short and fast. Graeme rocked slightly his pelvis at each
of my strokes, emitting a short pleasant moan, barely audible.

We were going on looking at each other through the mirror Ð it was
beautiful to look at us, so united, moving at the unison, smiling
happily for the pleasure we were giving to each other.

"It's so good to feel you inside me, SergioÉ" he whispered-

"And for me feeling so totally welcome inside youÉ It makes me feel ten
years younger, do you know?"

"Harder, SergioÉ harderÉ" he begged me.

I increased the energy of my strokes, "Like this? It's better like
this?" I asked, starting to pant.

"YesÉ yesÉ like thisÉ go onÉ You're a real manÉ I like youÉ go onÉ
hammer inside meÉ fuck meÉ make me feel it allÉ I love your cockÉ it's
the right sizeÉ and you use it wellÉ go onÉ like thisÉ go onÉ yesÉ like
thisÉ yesÉ" he spurred me almost in a whisper.

With a hand I was teasing his nipples, with the other manipulating his
warm and hard genitals. He palpitated his anus so to increase our
pleasure. He looked at me in the mirror and his eyes were bright. He
then turned back his head, and first we played for a while with our
tongues then kissed deeply with tender passion.

All of a sudden he moaned, his moans muffled by our kiss, my hand that
was brushing his pole felt it jerk and strong jets of his lukewarm seeds
filled my hand. The contractions of his orgasm triggered mine and I
emptied inside him. I started to moan too, seized by the indescribable
intensity of the pleasure.

We remained still for some time. Our mouths parted and we both were
lightly panting, satisfied but, I knew, not yet fully sated. When our
bodies resumed some calmness and my penis slowly withdrew from him,
softening, Graeme turned in my arms, embraced me, gave me another long
kiss then emitted a low sigh.

"I'm never tired of making love with youÉ" he whispered.

"Neither I, Graeme. It is so great to do it with youÉ"

"But now let's wear our clothes. Tonight we will make love again, won't
we?"

"You can bet on it!" I answered him, brightly smiling him.

We dressed again. I accompanied him downtown as he had two interviews
for a job, and I waited him in a coffee shop. He came back after some
time. He was serene.

"I didn't get anything. They said they'd keep my c.v. for reference but
that at present they have no positions to offer me."

"Let's hope you can find something soon. Before I have to go back to
Japan. I would be really glad to know that you have a job." I said
caressing lightly and shortly his hand that he had on the table.

"YesÉ at times I forget that you have to leave soon, to go awayÉ" he
said in a regretful tone.

"Yes, unhappilyÉ just two more weeksÉ I would like to be able to stay
longer, now that I found youÉ"

"I'll miss you terriblyÉ" he whispered and lowered his eyes.

"I too will miss you a lot, GraemeÉ a lot!" I said and felt a strong
desire to start crying.

But I didn't want to sadden him more than how he evidently already was,
therefore I tried to control, to assume again a merry and careless tone.

"Where can we go, tomorrow?" I then asked in a forcefully serene tone.

"I'll take you to see the open air museum of the Maori civilisation.
There are ancient houses nicely restored, with all the wooden parts
sculptedÉ they are really fineÉ There's also a community house, possibly
the most beautiful of all." he told me.

"All right. And this evening, what can we do?" I then asked him.

"Before going back to the hotel to make love?" he asked me with a
cunning and provokative smile.

"Yes, and before dinner. We have still some timeÉ"

"We can go to the botanical garden and, if it's open, we can visit the
McDougall galleryÉ We could still be in timeÉ"

We went there, but the gallery closed at 4:30 p.m. so we could not visit
it. Therefore we walked wide and far in the garden, that is in a bight
of the Avon River, chatting. While we were walking, at a certain point
Graeme took my hand and that little intimate gesture, shown so
carelessly in public, gave me a strong emotion. I would have even
embraced and kissed him there, in the paths of the parkÉ but it was
possibly better not to overdo.

We then went back and decided to ride the tramway that toured the
historical centre, just to spend the time. Then we went to eat at the
Friday's, near the cathedral. We went then to the Country Ways, where I
bought a nice woollen jumper, polychrome and cheerful, made in the local
style. And we finally went back to the hotel.

We watch the TV for some time, half embraced on the sofa, caressing each
other in an increasingly intimate wayÉ until none of us was watching it
any more. Then we stood up, to take refuge in each other's arms, feeling
as happy as we never had been.

The following day Graeme went to look for other job offers, unhappily
without any luck again. Then we went to visit the open air Maori museum.

"GraemeÉ" I said to him while we were standing in front of one of the
beautiful typical Maori houses, admiring it.

"Yes?"

"I'm feeling so good, with youÉ"

"And me too, with you. I never felt so good with anybody like with you,
Sergio. And I'm not saying only when we make loveÉ"

"Yes, it's true. And I, GraemeÉ IÉ"

"Yes? Tell meÉ"

"I don't know if I'm right to tell you, butÉ but I am no more able to
keep it inside meÉ it could possibly make everything more difficult,
butÉ I, GraemeÉ I feel that I'm terribly falling in love with you."

"Good Lord, SergioÉ I didn't want to tell you, butÉ at this pointÉ the
problem is that I'mÉ I'm hopelessly in love with you too."

"What can we do? How can we do? I in Japan and you hereÉ We really
didn't need thisÉ I'm so sad, Graeme, knowing that I will soon have to
leave youÉ that who knows when and if we can meet againÉ"

The boy let out a of choked sob. For some time he kept silent, possibly
unable to utter a word, so moved as he was.

He then said, in a low and sad tone, "I tried not to think about it,
butÉ why do have to be so unlucky? It was possibly better if we didn't
meet at the McDonald's that dayÉ or possibly just contented ourselves
with a nice fuck and nothing elseÉ I tried not to fall for you, do you
know? But you are way too special. What can we do, now?"

"I possibly have been wrong telling it to you, we have been wrongÉ"

"No, we couldn't help but to tell itÉ sooner or later it would have come
outÉ what we are feeling is too strongÉ"

We went to sit on a bench. Then Graeme told me about two men who loved
each other, who probably lived around the first half of the 1800's,
whose names were TŸtŠnekai and Tiki, around which a Maori legend
started.

In the centre of the lake Rotorua, up on the north of New Zealand, there
is an island called Mokoia. About one hundred and eighty years ago there
lived a family that had several children, the youngest of whom was
called TŸtŠnekai. Their mother was Rangiuru and their father was Whakaue
Kaipapa, the ancestor of the NgŠti Whakaue tribe that now lives in
Ohinemutu, on the shores of the lake Rotorua. But Rangiuru had cheated
on her husband, lying with TŸwharetoa, the ancestor of the tribe NgŠti
TŸwharetoa that now lives around the lake Taupo. Rangiuru's husband,
Whakaue Kaipapa, who was a generous man with a good heart, accepted
anyway to raise and love TŸtŠnekai as one of his children,
notwithstanding he was an illegitimate son.

When TŸtŠnekai was a kid, he met Tiki, another kid living in that area,
and soon they became intimate friends, so that "their spirits united
like those of two brothers'". And soon the two boys also started to make
love with each other, and so they became lovers.

TŸtŠnekai was playing the pŸtšrino, a flute made with the bone of a leg
of Murirangaranga, the priest that had consecrated him at his birth, but
who had been caught eating too soon after the ceremony, therefore put to
death for having infringed the taboo. This fact had surely given a
special power to the sound of that flute.

Also Tiki played the flute, but a smaller one called kšauau, that had a
more delicate sound than the flute of TŸtŠnekai. The two young lovers,
after they made love, played one for the other, sitting on the platform
that Whakaue built on a cliff of rocks on the south shore of the Mokoia
island, that stands in the centre of the lake Rotorua.

At that time on the island also lived a beautiful girl, the daughter of
a high rank man, and she was called Hinemoa. This girl was the daughter
of a very important chief. Her family lived in Owhata, on the east shore
of the lake Rotorua. Because of her high rank, the girl was declared
"puhi" that is sacred. The elders of her tribe and her family would
choose for her a husband as soon as she reached puberty. Many young men
were going to see her,among which were those who came from very far
away, hoping to get the hands of Hinemoa, whose beauty and grace reached
even the farthest villages. But none of the several suitors did yet get
the approbation either of the girl's family or of the elders of her
tribe.

Each of the elder brothers of TŸtŠnekai declared his love for the pretty
Hinemoa, and all of them were determined to get her hand. But none of
them succeeded in getting the necessary approbation of the people of
Hinemoa.

TŸtŠnekai was incredibly beautiful, and he excelled in the games that in
those times the Maori used to do to develop the coordination and the
skills needed for the war times. These games were held exactly in
Owhata, where Hinemoa lived. So the girl saw TŸtŠnekai and was conquered
by his skill, and even more by his wonderful aspect. Thus the girl fell
in love with TŸtŠnekai, and each time that the tribe gathered and she
could see him again, both were feeling increasingly attracted to each
other. But both could communicate their mutual feeling to each other
only by throwing each other glances, and none of them had yet the chance
to talk with the other one.

It was a sad situation, as none of the two could imagine a way to
express to the other the love they were feeling; it was a hopeless
situation. TŸtŠnekai then went to sit on the shores of the Mokoia island
with his beloved Tiki and played sad music with his flute. His music
floated on the waters of the lake and reached Hinemoa, who was sitting
on the opposite shore, she too filled with sadness because of her
passion for the wonderful boy. Her sadness came from the fact that she
didn't want to marry anybody but the handsome TŸtŠnekai, but she didn't
know how to realise her desire. Her people started to suspect the reason
of her mood, and to prevent her from fleeing away to threw herself in
the arms of that handsome boy, beached all the canoes of the village,
that were too heavy for her alone to push back one in the water.

Nights after nights she listened to the notes of the songs of the boy
she loved, until her heart was so overcome by the sadness that she was
no longer able to stand it. Therefore the girl decided that, if she
couldn't use a canoe, she would reach the boy swimming. So a night the
girl told his family she was going to see the dances but really, after
stealing from the kitchen six big jars made with empty gourds, she went
at the lake's shore. She rested on the rock Iri Iri Kapua that can still
be seen in Owhata, and tying together the gourds, she made a floater.

When she heard the sound of TŸtŠnekai's flute, the noble Hinemoa glided
with her improvised floater on the water, and from the beach called
Wairerawai, she started to swim towards the island of Mokoia. It was the
dead of the night, totally dark, and she could go in the right direction
only following the direction from which the sound of the flute played by
her beloved TŸtŠnekai came, a sound that floated on the waters and
reached her.

She rested for some time on a large stump that was surfacing on the
waters of the lake then, always guilded by the sound of the flute, she
restarted swimming. She finally reached the island of Mokoia, but her
body had frozen because of all the time she swam in the water, so she
immediately walked to the hot sources of Waikimihia, not far from
TŸtŠnekai's house. Once she had warmed up and had some rest, Hinemoa
became aware she was naked, and she was too ashamed to go to TŸtŠnekai's
house in that state, without any clothes to cover her young body.

But it happened in that moment that TŸtŠnekai felt thirsty, so he asked
his lover Tiki to go and take a bowl of water for him. Tiki had to pass
quite close to where Hinemoa was sitting to warm herself.

While, going back, the boy was walking close to the hot water spring, a
low voice asked him, "For who is that water?"

Tiki answered, "It is for TŸtŠnekai."

"Give it to me." Hinemoa asked him, but as soon as Tiki handed her the
bowl made of half of a gourd, she broke it on one of the spring's
stones.

When Tiki went back to TŸtŠnekai and told him what had happened,
TŸtŠnekai sent him again to take some water. Hinemoa challenged Tiki
again and once again broke the gourd bowl. This time TŸtŠnekai got angry
and decided to go in person to the source to see who that so impolite
person was. He wore his clothes, took his weapon made with the green
stone, and went to the spring. Once he was there, he challenged whoever
was hiding there in the spring to show himself. Nobody answered, nobody
moved.

Hinemoa had moved under a hollow rock that granted a little protection
to her naked body. The girl remained still like a little mouse. Then
TŸtŠnekai explored the rock, until he got to the point where Hinemoa was
hiding. He seized her by her hair and tried to pull her out of her
hiding place.

"Who are you?" he yelled, angered, "Who are you to dare to annoy me to
this point?"

The girl answered, "It's me, Hinemoa, and I came here to see you."

TŸtŠnekai didn't believe his ears. When she finally came out of the warm
water of the spring, the boy was sure he never saw such a beautiful
woman in all his life. TŸtŠnekai took off him mantle and wrapped it
around Hinemoa's body, then took her in his house to lie with her, and
so make of her as a fact her spouse.

The following morning all the house people woke up to prepare the
morning meal and they noticed that TŸtŠnekai was still sleeping so late.
It was odd, because usually the boy was the first one in the house to
wake up. After some time his father started to think that possibly his
son was ill, therefore sent Tiki, his son's boyfriend, to look for him.
Tiki went to the hut of TŸtŠnekai and when he looked inside, he saw
coming out of the blanket four feet instead of two. Then Tiki ran to the
his lover's father to tell him what he saw and the man sent him back to
investigate.

Back to his lover's hut, Tiki recognised the pretty Hinemoa. He was at
once so surprised and furious finding her lying with his lover, that he
started to yell, "He is with Hinemoa! It is Hinemoa who lies in the bed
of TŸtŠnekai!"

TŸtŠnekai's brothers didn't believe Tiki's words, and neither did any of
the others. But in the general confusion TŸtŠnekai came out of his hut
hand in hand with Hinemoa. Just in that moment they saw several canoes
rowing towards their island, and guessing that it was Hinemoa's family.
They feared that a new war would start, so they said to TŸtŠnekai that
anyway Hinemoa would be taken away from him forever.

Instead, when Hinemoa's family got there, the girl's people accepted the
accomplished fact so, gathering everybody, a great party was thrown and
the wedding of the two youths was celebrated, than everlasting peace was
sealed between the two tribes.

But Tiki was really angry because of the fact that TŸtŠnekai, now
married to her, would certainly abandon him. He therefore menaced to
leave the island and go to live far away, because he loved TŸtŠnekai too
much to see him every day and feel excluded from his life. He preferred
to live forever alone, with his love inside his heart. TŸtŠnekai felt
greatly pained, and prayed him to stay some longer. He went at once to
see his step father and told him he was feeling a deep pity and love for
his friend-lover Tiki and that he didn't intend and he could not lose
him so.

Whakaue then thought about that for some time, until he found a solution
so that the two boys could remain together Ð he gave Tiki as a wife his
younger daughter Tupa; in this way the two couples lived together in the
same hut. So TŸtŠnekai didn't abandon Tiki and the two young men could
go on loving each other.

When Graeme ended telling me this legend, I told him, "Yes, but I don't
see how we two can sort things outÉ you have to stay in New Zealand, and
I in Japan, and possibly even go back to Italy, that is at the
antipodes, so far that further is not even possibleÉ How could we live
in the same hut? If our common hut is the entire worldÉ it is too wide
in order for us to meet and go on making love, you and IÉ"

Graeme smiled, "I didn't intend to make a parallel between TŸtŠnekai and
Tiki, and us two, SergioÉ and unhappily neither of us has a step father
who can solve our problemÉ But what I wanted to tell you, besides this
interesting story about the two legendary Maori boys who were in love
with each other, is that anyway, even if we should live far away, I am
sure that the love I am feeling for you will never endÉ"



"Yes, it is soÉ but it is a really cold comfortÉ" I answered feeling
even sadder.

On the other side it was true, what other comfort could we get besides
the fact that the memory of those so beautiful days we were spending
together would remain forever inside our hearts?

Anyway, one of those days I wanted to go and visit Rotorua Lake up in
the north, that in New Zealand, being in the other hemisphere, is warmer
than the south. We rented a boat and went on Mokoia Island. The place is
suggestive, and also our pilgrimage was suggestive. I would have liked
to sit on the rocks and play the flute with Graeme, to give voice to the
sadness I was feeling inside my heart, but none of us knew how to play
musicÉ

The story of the two Maori lovers made me reflect on our situation Ð
they lived in a world where a man could marry and keep his relationship
with his male lover, at the light of the sun, without problems. He had
to marry, be it for love or just to give continuity to the tribe,
depending on the cases. I don't know, the legend doesn't explain it, at
most it just lets us guess, if one of the two boys was bisexual and the
other gay or whatÉ at those times these labels didn't exist, it is only
we westerners who need to label everything. What was important in those
times was on one hand the respect for the sentiment of love, and on the
other hand the respect for the tribe's traditions. Tiki accepted the
social rules, as in fact they respected his feeling of loveÉ

I talked about it with Graeme, sitting there on the rocks that witnessed
the two lovers play their flutesÉ He agreed with me. What I liked in
Graeme, when we talked, was that we were exchanging our ideas, concepts,
and values, and that at times, quite often, he shared them with me, but
at times he had a different point of view Ð then each of us tried to
explain to the other the reasons for his point of view, without ever
trying to "convert" the other to his ideaÉ There was, I mean, a deep
mutual respect.

In the following days Graeme toured again looking for a job, but
unhappily he was always back empty handed. I was increasingly worrying
for him, but Graeme seemed to never lose hope or serenity.

He said to me, "If I don't find something I like, I'll just go to clean
the loos, or to wash the dishes in a restaurant, or to work as a garbage
collectorÉ. It doesn't matter. But in a way or another I'll find
something. I'm not worried." Even if he got a bachelor's degree.

I admired and esteemed him also because of this. Respect, admiration and
esteem are the indispensable bases for true love. But also the fact of
being able to live together is essential to feed this love. And we, how
could we do? This thought was tormenting me, and more I thought about
it, less likely it seemed to find a solution, and this saddened me
deeply.

With the passing of days, Graeme could feel how much this sadness was
growing inside me, although I was trying to hide it. But those who are
in loves have a special sensitiveness; he was able to see, or at least
to feel, also what was carefully hidden. In the same way I too was able
to feel his sadness grow. Therefore both of us tried to soothe it by
making love with growing tenderness. At times, in my room, we were
simply embraced, usually Graeme curled against me and I lightly caressed
him, almost rocking him, while we were talking, or we were communicating
in silence, or we watched the TV together.

I don't know where, but during his tours in search of a job, Graeme had
found for me a carving in red wood, a bas-relief fret worked and with
inclusions of ivory and shells, representing Tiki and TŸtŠnekai, covered
with the tattoos that in ancient times covered all the body of the
Maoris, surrounded with an arch of totemic symbols. It was really
beautiful, I asked him how much did he spend for it, telling him he
should not spend his money for me, considering the economic conditions
he was in.

He smiled and told me he could not avoid doing so, as I was way more
important to him than all his savingsÉ and he told me that even if we
weren't in the situation of the two young Maori lovers, that sculpture
for him represented exactly we two. The two lovers were represented
sitting one in front of the other, embracing, and one of them looked
outside but the other looked towards his lover with the corner of his
eye. Even in its primitive style, it was a really refined sculpture.

A day, we were in a pub on the Bealey Avenue, a young Maori asked us if
he could sit at our table. There were several free tables, therefore his
request surprised me a little, but as he was the first Maori addressing
to me, after a glance to Graeme who gave me his assent with his eyes, I
nodded the young Maori my assent.

The young man put on the table his jug of beer and sat with us. He
looked at us then asked me, "You're not from d around here, are you?"

"No. In fact, I am Italian and am here just for tourism. But he is a New
Zealander." I answered him.

"I see. And you are lovers, aren't you?" he asked in  quiet tone.

Somewhat astounded, I looked at Graeme, who answered, "We would like to
be lovers, but he soon has to leave."

"Why? What does he do for a living?"

"He teaches the Italian language in Japan, and he has to go back to his
job." Graeme explained him.

"This's why I could see through your eyes that in your soul there are
both love and sadnessÉ" the young Maori commented.

"You have acute eyesÉ" I then said him.

"YesÉ That's why I asked you to sit with you for a whileÉ"

The barman said aloud, "Hemi-anaru, leave my customers in peace, or else
I'd let you never set foot in here again!"

Graeme told the barman, "No worries. He's not bothering us at all. We're
glad to have him sat here with us."

"He drinks a little too much and then he annoys people! But if you're
happyÉ" the barman commented shrugging his shoulders.

"That man sees only at the length of his nose," Hemi-anaru said, "but he
is not a bad man. He just amuses himself in scolding meÉ So he can feel
as if he was important." he commented with a light smile.

That young Maori was not handsome, or at least he was not so according
to my beauty canons, but he had a frank face and a likeable expression.
His dark eyes were particularly beautiful, anyway, and his look was
penetrating, but open and friendly.

"So, you are a teacherÉ" the young Maori said, addressing to me.

"Yes." I answered.

"Ah. And you came from ItalyÉ"

"Yes. Do you know where Italy is? It is the farthest land from New
Zealand in the world."

"Yes, I know. It is the land in the shape of a boot, a little like New
Zealand. And there lives the Pope of Rome, the great chief of all the
Catholic people. When I was a child I went to a school of Catholic
priests, but then I soon stopped studying. I didn't like what they
taught, and anyway I had to start working to help my family."

"What do you do for a living, now?" Graeme asked him.

"I'm the gardener at the Everglades Golf Club. Today is my day off. When
I have my rest days I always come here. At times I can also meet
interesting people. Like you two, today. But you should'nt be sad, at
times life answers what you look for."

"But at times it doesn'tÉ" I retorted.

"No, it's not like that. At times it's rather that we don't listen to
the answers. But noÉ you two really shouldn't have ny reason to be sad.
Don't be like the barman, whocan't to see beyond the tip of his noseÉ"
he said throwing to the barman a glance with a light smile.

He then stood up and, without a word, went to sit at another table,
alone, and restarted to slowly sip his beer.

-----------------------------

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 4

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In my home page I've put some more of my stories. If someone wants to
read them, the URL is

http://andrejkoymasky.com

If you want to send me feed-back, or desire to help revising my English
translations, so that I can put on-line more of my  stories in English
please e-mail at

andrej@andrejkoymasky.com

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