Before 24 Billion and Counting

Chapter 16 Part 1 Home to chaos

Auckland again. It was Saturday, and dusk was shading into night as I sought a taxi at the airport. 

The car's engine faded to silence, the security lights illuminated the garden as I walked up the drive encountering the familiar trace scents and microsounds of the place I had called home for twenty years. I unlocked the door and heard the scirring sound of miniature electric motors driving little machines back to the charging station in the kitchen. 

I still felt it was early in the day, except I had missed some sleep. There was a note on the hall table. A delivery of cases from DHL. Mable had them put in the workshop. I made my way there, turning lights on as I went. In the flat prosaic light of 1.5 metre fluorescent tubes, on the bench, having arrived in good order, the packing cases from Turkey now stood in my own reality, tangible evidence of a long journey I had, for a little while, wondered if I had imagined. There was a feeling of relief and then elation at having been successful. I touched each case just to be sure, and turned the lights off - content. 

I returned to the kitchen - silent until the refrigerator tinked and then steadily whirred quietly to itself. I made some coffee, more as a displacement activity, for I was loth to switch on the home communications system which logically would have been the next thing to do. It was certain many messages would be there needing thought and action. I wasn't ready for that. I wasn't ready to tackle Chris's computer. I needed to be rested with all my senses at their best. 

Taking a mug of coffee with me to the bedroom I commenced the mundane task of sorting for the wash, hanging up the clean, and putting travel cases away. I thought the best thing would be a hot bath, an early night with the TV or a video, one and one only shot of whisky and wake up when it's light. Working towards this I had reached the stage of having a bathrobe over a clean but slightly damp body, and wet hair. 

Unusually I heard the noise of a highly tuned engine being driven hard along the road, to stop with a slide of rubber some way past the bungalow. There was another screech of rubber and the vehicle revved up in reverse as indicated by the whine of straight cut gears, to stop with a third screech at the end of the drive. I heard rapid heavy steps coming up the footpath, and thought to turn the security video camera on. There was a banging on the door and I heard Ward's loud voice shouting thickly, "I want to see you, you bastard. You can't get rid of me. You just see what I'll do to you." 

I opened the front door. "You'd better come in and calm down - you've had far too much to drink - and you need help." 

"The fuck I do from you. What's this?" he said clutching in his fist and waving under my nose what I took to be the notice of the board meeting. In a caricature of a mincing woman he mimicked,

"Agenda - to consider the composition of the Board." He resumed his harangue, bringing his meaty face close to mine, breathing beer fumes into my nostrils, "Get rid of bloody Ward. Working class embarrassment to the itsy bitsy Board." 

"For God's sake - you're sick. Come in and sit down. Get some coffee down you and some food by the sound of it." I turned to lead him from the front door into the house. 

He roared, "Don't you turn your back on me you bastard. I'm not having that. You face me like a man." 

I turned back only to meet his fist crashing into my face. Off balance I slipped with my bare damp feet on the polished wood floor and fell - knowing no more. 

"Come on sir - come to - you'll be alright." I saw a rotating blue light through the open front door and a black uniformed figure bending over me and another standing looking at the wreckage of the hall table. Apart from a splitting headache I felt well enough to get up, and with the help of the two police officers struggled to my feet. The policeman handed me a tissue from a box to staunch the ongoing flow of blood partly from my nose and partly from my lip. My next door neighbour said from behind me, "Is he alright?"