DISCO DUCK!

Kaea, Issue 5, 1 February 1981, Page 30

DISCO DUCK!

A short story

Sitting on the verandah of my daughter’s home I’m turning to the racing section of the morning newspaper when I’m aware of somebody standing over me. “Hi, koro, where’s the races today?” I swing around to see my nephew Jimmy leaning against the door. “Ah Avondale, I think.” He then noisily sits down, hands in his pockets, and suddenly sighs. “I’ve just been down the Labour Department nothing!” “Oh well, might be something tomorrow,” I reply. Jimmy’s just come out of a detention centre. He left school at fifteen, and has been in several jobs before he got into trouble. Now, five years later, he’s got nothing to show for

any effort he may have made. I wonder if I should say something .... no, I might get told I’m too dumb to understand.

I go back to my reading, and then the front gate bursts open and up runs my grandson Paki. “Hey Jimmy hello koro —me and my mates are going to the disco in town tonight, you coming?” Paki searches for an answer in Jimmy’s face. “I dunno,” he replies. “Should be good,” says Paki. “Disco! What’s disco?” I ask. “It’s dancing, koro, dancing.” Dancing, I says quietly to myself. “Can I come?” There is a look of horror on both their faces, and Paki cries out, “You can’t come, it’s only for young people!” I suddenly start laughing. “I was only joking. But, you know, when I was your age whenever there was something going on, we would all pile on the truck and the whole family went along, even our old people right down to the baby. Oh, I know, I can see that times have changed but I think it’s sad in a way.” “Never mind, koro,” says Paki, “maybe somebody will invent a new dance for you old people.” “Yeah, maybe,” I says, smiling to myself.

A. WATENE (Ngapuhi)