Ma Miha pea e whakatika? Ka ki atu ia ki a Miha, ‘E Miha, ehara koe i te tangata ngoikore. Pai tonu tahau mahi, tahau noho. No te taenga mai o Peta raua ko Whai, katahi ano koe ka porangi haere. Kei a koe tonu te tikanga. ‘He aha to tino pirangi? Ma te hoki ki te kainga ka aha? Kei konei nga mahi, kei konei te moni, engari kei a koe te tikanga.’ Kua riro atu i a Miha te tauera, e whakamaroke taputapu ana. Kare raua e korero ano. Ka mutu nga taputapu, ka haere atu a Hinerau ki te horoi kakahu. Ka noho ano a Miha. Nawai ra, kua tu atu ia ki te whakapaipai whare, e tari ana ki waho nga pounamu pia, e whakatika ana i nga moenga. Haere ana te pakete wai me te parahe, e horoi mai ana i te kihini. E whakawhata ana a Hinerau i nga kakahu, kua karanga mai a Miha, ‘Haere mai ki te kai ti.’ No te haerenga atu o Hinerau ki ro whare, tumeke ana ia, katahi ano a Miha ka mahi penei. Ka ki atu ia, ‘Aue, e Miha! Kei a koe hoki. Katahi ano ka penei rawa te pai o taku whare. Katahi ano au ka noho ki te kai ti ehara naku i mahi.’ Kei te ahua whakama a Miha engari kei te rekareka a ia, e kata ana. ‘E tika ana kia pukuriri noa atu koe ki a matau. Koenei anake te mahi e oti ana i konei, he kai, he moe, he porangi haere. Kare koe e kohete i a matau. Ko nga tokorua kua haere atu nei, maku o raua whero e kiki atu.’ Kare a Hinerau e korero, ka kata mai noa iho. No taua ahiahi ka haere atu a Miha ki tetahi ‘billiard room’ i Poneke. I reira a Peta raua ko Whai. Ka karanga mai a Peta, ‘Hei Miha! Haere mai ki te purei. Kei te patua au.’ ‘Naku tenei miti.’ Ko Whai e korero ana.

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than the others. He was her sister's son, while Whai and Peta were the foster children of her brother. They were all likeable boys—good company for her husband, and they were always spoiling her youngsters. But she was getting very tired of the nonsense that went on. For several weekends now, they had come home with all their friends and a large keg of beer. The drinking and singing had gone on right through the night and into Sunday. She and Heta her husband had not wanted to say anything, hoping that the boys would come to their senses sooner or later and would straighten themselves out. Perhaps Miha was ready to do something about it? He was awaiting her opinion now, so without stopping her work she said, ‘You’re not a waster, Miha. You were doing very well until your cousins arrived. It was only then that you went to the pack a bit. But it's up to you, you know. ‘What do you really want to do? What will going back home do? There are good well paid jobs here. The rest is up to you.’ Miha had taken up the tea towel and was drying the dishes. No more was said, and when the dishes were done Hinerau went off to wash the clothes, leaving Miha to himself. He sat and pondered again for a while, then went about cleaning and tidying the house. He even fetched a bucket of water and the scrubbing brush and scrubbed the kitchen. By the time that Hinerau had hung the washing out, he had finished everything and had made a cup of tea. ‘Come and have a cup of tea,’ he called to Hinerau. Hinerau was more than surprised, for it was the first time that Miha had done anything like this. She was very pleased and said, ‘Gee Miha, you’re a champion. The place has never looked like this before, and it's the first time anyone has made me a cup of tea in my own house.' Miha seemed a little embarrassed, but he was pleased too. ‘You should have been really mad with us,’ he said. ‘All we’ve ever done here is eat. sleep, and act the goat. Why haven't you growled at us? As for those wasters who've just gone, I'll kick their pants for them.' Hinerau just smiled and said nothing. That afternoon Miha found Whai and Peta where he knew they would be—the billiard room. On seeing him Peta called out, ‘Hey Miha, come and play. This bloke is thrasbing me.’