Our home was an old home… Why! They had never seen our house with its faded wall paper and its borer-eaten floors. Whatever would they think when they came to stay? No decent beds! No congoleum covered bedroom floors! “Trust your father to invite those pakehas! He doesn't care if they see my bare floors! He doesn't care if the bathroom tub is worn! I care a lot! ‘What a housewife!’ they will say. I have no nice things to show except my whale-bone patu and my ancestor on the wall.” I felt sad at my mother's lamentations. I hadn't realised that she felt so deeply about the way the house looked. She had never complained as much before. Now that she had spoken I too felt that the house looked shabby. ‘If only we could sell the whalebone patu for some nice congoleum squares,’ I thought rather sadly. My father remained unruffled during my mother's complaining. “My dear,” he said, “what do you want all these things for? I told Harold to take us as he finds us. I know old Harold will never notice what's lacking. Why! He's just like me. He doesn't know the difference between a carpet and a bare floor! I should never have asked him to bring his wife to stay, if I knew he couldn't sleep in our beds and share our little home.” The day came. The house was scrubbed clean. My brothers milked the cows early and they brought home some cream. My mother baked some apple cake, some plum cake and delicious scented bread. The kitchen was hot and filled with smells of wonderful home cooking. We thought it was like having Christmas though it was now the middle of January. They arrived just as the chicken went into the oven. My mother was very busy so she couldn't go to the door. My father, in his evening best, went out to greet them. “Oh! How lovely!” said the lady friend. “I do like antirrhinums.” My mother rushed out. “Hello Mrs Hemi. What a lovely garden you have at this time of the year.” My mother beamed from ear to ear. “Tena koe,” she said, “I'm glad you've arrived. I do think it's so much worse expecting visitors, than when they do arrive. Come in and make yourselves at home.” And they all came in, chattering and laughing as thought they were old friends. We were watching from the back door. My brothers snorted in disgust. “Hell!” said Hiri. “Didn't daddy say they're on their honeymoon on something? He must be