A Maori girl about her own age walked quickly towards her. Mahu looked at her clothes and pretty face. She wore those tight black Matador trousers, which Mahu had heard so much about, low heeled pumps, yellow sockettes and a bright lemon sweater. Her hair was pulled around into a ‘horse tail’. “Hello,” she said, “my name is Pani. Are you Mahu Herewini?” “Yes,” was all Mahu managed to say. “Good, then come with me. You are staying at our Hostel. You've never been to the city before, eh? Well you'll like it here, just wait until you meet the rest of the gang. We'll get you some clothes, and then we'll show you what fun is. The kids are just dying to meet you. We always …” So the country girl had come to the city. The Big City, the New City, the Pakeha City. During the first week Mahu made preparations for her University Study. She visited a Library and selected the necessary books suggested by Mr Crane, to aid her in Anthropology. She had refused Pani's offer to “do” the town as they called it, until she was properly settled in. At University Mahu met many strange people. She was amazed at the number of Maoris in Auckland, and pleased that there were several at Varsity. She attended morning lectures, made notes and studied hard at Anthropology. As a result of an interview with the University committee, she was now studying Psychology, and Maori studies in conjunction with Anthropology in preparation for an Arts Degree. In the afternoons she would take her notes home to study at the hostel. Often, sitting at her little desk in her room, Mahu would dream of life back home at the village. She would look at her watch, and imagine what her family would be doing at that moment. Dear memories flooded her mind. Dad would be at the hotel now, drinking beer with Uncle Riki, Nana would be home squatting in the corner of her room mending a net, or plaiting a mat for the front porch; and Peni would be eeling with his new spear, which he made from my old kumara hoe. Peni loved eeling. Kina would be down the street riding his Pakeha friend's horse, or fighting with the Tawhiti kids next door. And Mum? Mum would be home cooking tea and cleaning up before everybody walked in! How Mahu missed her old home. There were twenty girls at the “Manurima Hostel” although she was the only University student. She was sharing a room with Makere Mason, a pretty South Islander, who worked in a Department store in Queen Street. At night the girls were often out. Although several times Pani and Makere tried to take Mahu with them, she had refused on the grounds that she had to study. However, Makere informed her that a Maori concert party was performing in the town hall and asked if she would like to go along with the rest of the gang. Now Maori culture was something dear to Mahu, as she had been the club leader back home, so she could do little but accept the invitation. There were ten in their so called gang, and Mahu made the eleventh. Six of these were boys from the Auckland Preston apprentice agency, who arrived in two cars at the hostel at seven. Mahu wore a dark skirt and the pink jersey her father had brought her, and she combed her hair back in the manner Makere had shown her. After introductions to the boys, she was crammed into one of the cars and they all drove off down town. Only one boy was a Maori, and his name was Bob. Mahu liked Bob because of his easy going good nature, and she spent most of the evening with him. The concert party was good, although Mahu had seen many better, and knew much more about such culture than her friends. After the concert, the gang decided they would go to a party and asked Mahu if she would accompany them. “No, I would rather not, thank you,” came the innocent reply, “I have an exam in the morning.” “Oh come on,” Bob urged, “I'll get you home at a reasonable time.” “But I really shouldn't—” The party was a success. Mahu learned to smoke and drink, and arrived at the hostel happy and full of fun. The next day, after the exam, Mahu Herewini knew that she had failed, even before the results were out. She hadn't been able to think clearly. Why had she gone to that party? “Well,” she told herself, “never again.” From now on she would steer clear of Pani, Makere, nice-looking Bob and their parties. She had to work! Work for her parents, work for Nana, for her brothers. Work so that they would be proud of her; proud to be the family of Mahu Herewini.