A VISITOR by Steve Waterman This pakeha lady Came knocking at our door. We watched her through the window. Mum called, ‘What's all that knocking for? You kids jumping on the furniture? Go out into the street.' And when a long silence followed There came the sound of plodding feet. Mum stood there in the doorway Of our very best front room And glared at us till Mihi said, ‘Shh, she's out there wanting you.’ The knocking was repeated And before our Mum could speak Tara flung the front door open wide And their faces turned to meet. The Maori and the Pakeha Both caught in their surprise Stepped back a bit and waited, While blue surveyed brown eyes. ‘Good morning, Mrs Tatana. I'm from the Ladies' Guild. I'm collecting in this district For a hall we hope to build.' Again there came this silence. Mum seems to think in bits. And then she spoke so softly With her swept-up rounded lips. ‘I'm sorry I can't help you, My husband's down the Bay And it's only every second week He comes home with his pay.' The Pakeha looked worried, Her lips went sort of thin. Then Mum's face smiled all over And she said, ‘Well, come again, I'll put some by next pay-day For this hall that's for the kids. We could even have a hangi— That brings in the quids.’ She waited for an answer And readily it came. ‘Well, we didn't think of doing that.' Mum said, ‘Oh, what a shame.’ Suddenly it occurred to her, ‘I'll tell you what I'll do. There's several crates of bottles. We'll put them in your boot.' ‘Well, really …’ said the lady, ‘I'm sure that's very kind … I don't think that's the sort of thing That we had in our minds.' She smiled, then said, ‘Good morning.’ Her heels clacked down the path, She tried to shut the broken gate Then drove off in her car. Mihi sighed in wonder, ‘Gee, that lady sure looked neat.’ While Mum's voice rolled in laughter— ‘I've been talking in bare feet!' Ans Westra Photo A group of Colombo Plan students from many different countries recently visited the East Coast as the guests of the people of Ruatoria. This photograph was taken during their visit to the Maori Room in ‘The Bungalow’, formerly the home of the late Sir Apirana Ngata.