My cousins and I

Tu Tangata, Issue 28, 1 February 1986, Page 43

My cousins and I

By Daniella Bidois

\ \ X aniella, your cousins are J coming to stay for the weeky end tomorrow. Tidy up your room, vacuum the passage, scrub the bath, clean the windows. When you're finished, do the dishes, scrub the floors, sweep the porch and tidy the lounge. Oh, and don't forget to feed the cats and dust around the window sills.” Oh no! Good grief, my radio, my cassettes, my Michael Jackson posters. I'd better lock them in the closet. Oh yes, better put that away, that too, oh, and that. Gosh I feel horrible. I do wish I could leave them out but that's like asking Jessie James to hold your purse. "Daniella, what are you doing? You’ve got a lot of work to do. Hurry up!” “You're telling me!” I sigh as I hurry about my work. Every hols my cousins come to visit for a week or so. Apart from having to hide all my things away, we have a pretty good time. The buzz of my alarm woke me. Struggling to keep my eyes open I focus on the

clock face. 6.15. Good grief! I expose a toe and test the air. Cor, it’s freezing. I could jump out of bed and turn on my heater or I could stay here in bed and waste another three minutes. 6.20. Aw. Na, I'll just stay here a while longer. 6.37. Stuff this! I throw the sheets aside and leap for the heater. Turning it to full I look in the mirror. Aw, another pimple! Jeepers, they’ll be here today. I dress and hurry to tidy the house. "Daniella, put that tray on the table will you and make sure that cutlery is shiny.” Gee, here they come. My heart races as their familiar Mark IV clatters up the drive. I love my cousins. They're really good mates.

“Gidday. How are you?" says my uncle. "Been chasing the boys’ eh?” “Yeah”, I say “but when they see me coming they take off!" We all laugh as we go inside.

“Hi Danny, how ya doing?” asks Maia. She's my best cousie. “Oh great. How’s life?" We talk as we help ourselves to some of Mum’s great baking.

After doing the dishes we all go up to the lounge and leave the adults to talk.

“Hey! Don't cheat, pae kare.” That's Jason. He’s paranoid. I didn't even cheat. “Cor, how could I cheat, I’m not even playing!" My cousins all crack up.

After a good game of last card we all go up to the kitchen to see what’s going on. ”Hey you kids, want to go to the hot pools?" asks Dad as we enter the room. We all jump up and down and say

“Yes!” We all cram into one car and set off.

Maia and I rim for the girls changing rooms and by the time we’re out the boys are already splashing about in the warm water. “Hey, who’s for tag?” yells my older cousin Peta. We all start to scream and run all over the place. My cousins all jump out of the water and leave me to Peta’s mercy.

What mercy, I've been tagged. Peta takes off screaming “You can't tag your master”. I peer around the pool. Where is everyone? Aha! I see Rangi, there behind that pakeha lady in the blue swim-suit. He sees me coming. I pull my ugliest face and close in on him. He sees me and so does the pakeha lady, and she leaves the pool in disgust. Poor Rangi. His faces changes from that “ha ha” look to “don’t tag me, please, pretty please”. Later we all buy an ice-block and walk around the mud pools, time for home.

I help Mum make up some beds in the lounge. It's 10.30 and we have to hit the sack. The boys are in the lounge and Maia is going to sleep in my room on the spare bed. “Have you got Prince’s new tape?" “No, I was going to but I got Talking Heads instead.” “Talking Heads, they’re great. Where is it?” “In the cassette rack over there.” “Where?” Oh I forgot it’s in the wardrobe. Thank goodness I decided not to put the tape recorder in there too. “It’s in the wardrobe.” She starts for the closet and as she opens the door I remember my posters. “Oh no wait” I yell. Too late. She’s seen them! I wait for some sort of rude remark like “ooh, do you like that skinny creep!” “Hey, you didn’t tell me you liked Michael Jackson!” I hide my face in shame. Michael Jackson’s music is really outta date but I don't care. ’’Yeah, he’s ok”, I mutter. “What,” she screams, “he’s the greatest!” I smile as she unravels the posters. I love my cousins!