Chapter 2 The Other Side of the World

Half an hour ago Charles and Molly had walked across the tarmac at Auckland International Airport then breezed through customs in five minutes, probably because both of their passports made it abundantly clear that they were military personnel who had been deployed in some very difficult places. They were to be met by Molly's friend, Karena the Kiwi in an hour or thereabouts, so settled on a coffee in James' case and a tea in Molly's while they began to orientate themselves to their new surroundings.

A look at the headlines in a local paper would probably give them some idea of what was going on in New Zealand, so he dropped some coins into an honesty box, picked up the Herald and sat down in the coffee bar, waiting to give their order to the busy waitress. He shook the paper open and could not believe what he was seeing on the front page. Fuck! He had come thousands and thousands of kilometres across the globe because of this bloody tosser, who this time was wearing a yellow, red and black striped rugby jersey, not a Bath one or an All Black one.

The photograph captured Beaver in full flight, kicking the ball high into the air. "Fuck this!" he muttered, "Why does he have to be the first person to catch my attention in this bloody country?"

"Who you talking about, Bossman?" asked Molly , snatching the paper off him and bursting into fits of laughter as she recognised the legs she had admired in the Bath Rugby Club. "He's playing tomorrow night in Hamilton… I wonder how far away that is?" She sniggered as she noticed Charles slipping into his signature sulk as she read the headline out loud. "Donald Expected to Come Off the Bench". Molly really did enjoy teasing him… "Hmmmm,"she continued, gazing distractedly past him, "I wonder if…?"

"Kia ora, Molly!" A tall, fit looking young Maaori woman threw her arms around his wife who had jumped up at the sound of her friend's voice. They hugged and cried at the same time. Charles was reminded of Molly's ability to draw people to her, to create friendships with ease, often in contrast with his own diffidence in situations where he was not sure of himself or of others. He had often thought that this comfort in the company of diverse people probably had its origins in her inner London background with all its cultural influences. And, of course, she grew up in a large, noisy family in contrast to his rather more reserved boyhood as an only child who had gone to boarding school at an early age.

Charles noticed a very large man hanging back as the two women greeted one another with such joy. Smiling, he held his hand out to Charles and introduced himself. "Kia ora, I'm Tai, her husband. Good to meet you, mate." He was taller than James, solid and looked very fit. From what little Molly knew and had told him about Karena's husband, Charles remembered that he was an officer in the army, though he was not sure of Tai's rank. Tai was also, he recalled, a more than capable rugby forward now retired from active play, but coaching a team at the army training base in Waiouru.

Introductions all around followed, the two men gathered up the luggage and they headed out to Tai's Land Rover. Molly and Charles were staying with Karen and Tai for their first night in New Zealand: they would talk about plans for the rest of their three week holiday tomorrow. Whatever they decided to do, they would have the use of the Land Rover to get around in. They were very touched by their hosts' generosity in arranging such excellent transport for them to take them on their adventure.

As they pulled out of the airport and headed towards the motorway, Tai told them that they were heading south towards his home town, Hamilton, and that two motel units had been booked for the night. New Zealand motels, he said, were rather like Travel Lodges, which he had stayed in when he had last been in England a couple of years age, just before he and Karena had married.

Molly and Charles exchanged knowing grins, remembering the time not so long ago when his parents had gone to Lake Garda, ensuring that their house would be empty for Charles and Molly to spend time together. That had meant that the Travel Lodge which Molly had tentatively booked for them, knowing exactly what she and Charles would be doing after their lunch date in Bath, was not needed! Charles was pretty sure his parents were also well aware of what they would be doing…and approved, without coming out and saying so.

"I've arranged a bit of a treat for your first night, Charles," Tai announced. "Karena told me you're a rugby man, a Bath supporter. And Molly, she told me you are football mad. How does that work for you guys?"

"She is that. She used to mock me with her West Ham supporters' jersey that she wore every chance she got on tour in Afghanistan," replied Charles. "All of them in the platoon talked football after every weekend. Used to bloody drive me nuts."

"Things are a bit it different in New Zealand, Molly," Karena chimed in. "Rugby's not for posh people like in England. No offence, Charles," she added hurriedly. "It's a bit of a reversal really and Rugby crowds are a lot like what you get at your Hammer games, I expect. So, Tai and me, we got some tickets for Waikato Stadium tonight."

"Yep, Waikato's playing Southland. A lot of our best players have already left for your country in the All Blacks team, but some pretty classy youngsters and a few older dudes are playing here tonight. Thought we'd give you an easy introduction to an essential part of Kiwi culture. A night rugby match. It'll be bloody freezing …wrap up warm. Oh and by the way, there'll be a little bit of home for you, Charles. There's a player…"

Charles knew, he fucking KNEW, what was coming! That tosser was haunting him, all the way from Bath to New Zealand.

"There's this fella. You might have heard he won us the World Cup last time…Stephen Donald…he's come home and they reckon he's going to play for the last bit of the game tonight, It'll be a real laugh. He's a hero to us and he used to play for your Bath lot. Did you ever meet him?" Molly sounded as if she was about to explode, she was having such trouble holding her laughter in.

"Don't ask!" she howled with mirth as both Tai and Karen sensed the undercurrent and looked to her for an explanation. "It'll probably start World War 3 if I tell you". Charles was very quiet and had turned a recognisable shade of purple. It was obvious that he was struggling to hold himself in check.

Their tickets were excellent, right in the middle of the main stand, in front of the area where a series of very fit young men warmed up, stretched out and generally strutted about before being called onto the field at various stages of the match. Wildly enthusiastic Waikato fans shook the cow bells which made the signature sound of Waikato rugby, chants alternated with the bells and the sea of red, black and yellow surged in Mexican waves. "Beaverrrrr,"the call went out. "BeavAH! BEEEvah!" There were lots of ways to turn the name into a battle cry.

Charles was appalled. This was nothing like the genteel Bath rugger crowd which clapped nicely and cheered politely! Molly was in her element…this was just like the atmosphere at West Ham's stadium, even if it was Rugby, not football. Loud, cheerful, funny!

And there he was in front of them, warming up, hamming it up, stretching, posturing, grinning in response to the announcers who were working the crowd into a frenzy in anticipation of his taking the field. He was the Golden Boy, returned to the fold, after all! It was obvious the coaches had no intention of letting him on before the score line indicated a victory was in the bag. He was clearly not the force of four years ago at the World Cup and he HAD been seen whitebaiting the week before. Molly joined in the raucous cheering as he finally joined the team with six minutes to go till full time. Tai and Karena screamed their approval.

Beaver's very watchable legs stretched out as he raced into his number 10 position, old ladies in the crowd smiled and Molly elbowed Charles in the ribs. As he turned indignantly towards her, ready to berate her for once again ogling Beaver, she treated him to the most enormous, deliberate wink.

"Beaver! BeeeVAH!" she called and then burst into uproarious laughter. "Come on, Bossman. See the funny side of it," she said, as she slipped her hand into his. He squeezed back and began to smile…