War Of Survival

Chapter Seven, Moving To Auckland

February 16, 2017. We moved to Auckland on the 16th February, 2017. I will never forget the moving process. About a week before, my parents spoke to their friends who said we can stay in their garage until we find a house to rent and my parents agreed it was a good idea. They didn't want anyone to know we were moving, that's the weirdest thing about my parents. They never want anyone to know about anything they're doing. On February 15, they turned off the lights of our bus and waited for Ronnie's family to turn off their lights too and go to sleep. My Mum and Dad silently started packing things from our bus and into our pajero and mercedes and then ordered us to go to sleep. The next morning I awoke to my dad's flashlight blinding my eyes as he told us to get in the car, it was about two in the morning. Taina went with my dad and our dog in the pajero and I went with my mum in our grey mercedes. We creeped off ever so silently trying not to wake Ronnie and her family.

Creeping down the driveway, my mum and I, in our grey mercedes chatting away as I try to keep her from stressing about, it was kind of like a robbery, you know? Like we stole something and tried to get away without anyone noticing. I had this massive headache and felt nauseous as we flew across the twisty turny endless roads. By the time we finally reached the nearest town, a thirty minute drive, Tokoroa, we followed my dad as he turned right into the BP, the gas station was always open, usually for the truckers who stop by for some late night or early morning coffees. In my childhood, my parents never bought us anything on long roads no matter how badly I wanted a hot chocolate or milkshake, I guess its to avoid the kids getting car sick and whenever they did buy us one, I always had to share with Taina anyways and she always ended up throwing up as her stomach is very sensitive to all sorts of things. My dad never understood that it doesn't happen to me, I never get carsick, and even if I do, I always tilt my head against the window and fall asleep but then there's the favourite child that comes into talk, I'm not allowed anything without my mother questioning "What about Taina?" or "Why doesn't Taina get any?" It makes me a little mad that my mum favours her, but there's nothing I can do about it.

The smell of gas fills my lungs and I creep out of the car to use the bathroom inside, It's going to be a long ride. After all, we have only completed thirty minutes out of the three hour drive and I knew it was going to be a long time before we pass any big towns with a gas station that actually has a bathroom I can use. Forcing myself back into the car, my mother silently drags her feet over from her conversation with my father and into the driver's seat of our car. My dad does the same and we continue driving. My sleepy eyes tilt to the side until I find myself staring out the window with my chattery mouth moving viciously as my chatter helps my mother stay awake, she always calls me a chatterbox, so that's my way of keeping her awake during the long ride. I realized it's been a while since she's said anything so I ask her what's wrong, she snaps at me that she's just focusing on the road. By now my throat is starting to hurt and feel dry, I desperately need a drink but I can't take a sip from my water bottle otherwise I know I most likely have to use the bathroom again and we're far away from Auckland.

By the time we reach the highways, I know we must be close to Auckland, based off on my childhood and all those years travelling to Auckland, whenever those highways come into sight we at least have about another hour to go before we get to the village where my aunt and my mother's new friends live. The sun crept slowly up the sky and I could tell he wasn't in the mood for the day either. I don't know what lies ahead for the rest of the day or even for the rest of the year, Will we stay in Auckland forever? Will Dad get a job? And will we finally find a house that's not already accommodated by others to stay in? My mind was racing full of questions and thoughts, I forgot that I haven't spoken in a while to keep my mother entertained. But as usual, she was doing fine without me.

It was just after 5 o' clock in the morning and we already passed a majority of the skyscrapers. Even the famous sky tower that stood tall and proud in the middle of the city. We almost reached the famous bridge that connected one half of the city to the other. My mother's worst fear and what she was panicking about during the whole ride, crossing that bridge. I don't understand why, it was easy peasy and by the time we had finished she was screaming wow and breathing heavily like she just ran some sort of marathon or something. She was ecstatic at her actions, she couldn't believe she just crossed the bridge. You could tell that my mother wasn't from the city because she is afraid of driving on the motorway, part of the reason why we left so early so that she could drive when it wasn't busy.

Twenty three, I counted. "What?" my mother replied, a little more chatty than she was before she crossed the bridge. I can tell the stress is off her shoulders now. "I've counted twenty three lights that I could see that went off, oh, twenty four" The sky was now bright enough for the street lights to turn off and I think it was so cool that I could see them individually switch off as we're driving past them. None of the buildings we drove past looked familiar, I had no idea where we were. I saw a sign that said Albany, 1km turn off. I recognized the name Albany, we lived there when I was 2-5 in Paremoremo village about a twenty minute drive from Albany more or less and that's where my cousins and new friends live, It's where I call home. I recognized the warehouse as we drove past it and turned off to get to the village. Endless roads with trees on the side on the way to Riverhead and Coatesville. I only recognized this road but I wasn't familiar with all the little towns around Paremoremo village as usually when we come to visit we only go straight to the village and back home, me being a kid, I wouldn't really pay attention to my surroundings and where we were driving.