Just for Fun (42 page)

“I knew there was a reason we were working so hard for it,”
Nic told him with a grin. “Should’ve guessed, it was your beer money. Glad to
see you still have some judgment, even without me here to put you right.”

Frank grunted. “You were always a pretty good bloke. For a
bloody Kiwi.”

“And so were you. For a bloody Pom,” Nic returned.

“Quite the love-fest you two have going on,” Emma said with
a smile.

“Nah, Nic’s all right,” Frank said. “Always ready with a
word. No side to him, that’s the main thing. Didn’t strut about like he owned
the place, just because he could kick a ruddy ball.”

“Aw, mate,” Nic said with another grin. “That’s just being a
Kiwi, is what that is. You want someone to beat his chest, you gotta look to an
Aussie.”

Frank grunted out a laugh. “They’re not bad blokes either, I
have to say. So you doing all right, down there in the Antipodes? They treating
you OK?”

“Yeh. Treating me better, now that they’ve sent me over my
best girl. Got a son too, though he’s back in London today.”

“Well. Congrats on that. That’s a good thing, that is, being
a dad. You won’t want to stand round here, though, flapping your gums with me.
Go do what you’ve come to do. But mind you come back and find me, when you’re
done. I’ll be in the little office. Wouldn’t want you to get locked in.”

“Thanks, mate,” Nic said. “I owe you one.”

“Nah. It’s all for love, and all that.” Frank winked at Nic,
then turned and left them, a shambling figure in his workmen’s coveralls.

Nic kept hold of Emma’s hand, took her down the long
concrete passage, on out through the gate and onto the wide grassy field. She
stumbled, her heels sinking into the turf.

“Hang on,” she said. “I don’t understand why we’re going out
here, but if we are, I need to take these off.” She steadied herself against
him in the way he loved as she reached down for first one shoe, then the other.
“Oh. Brrr,” she complained, her bare toes shrinking against the cold grass.

Nic laughed and swung her up into his arms. “Didn’t even
think about that. You can see why I need your influence in my life.” He carried
her down the field, all the way to the 22, marked with its white line. To a
spot at dead center, where he gently set her down.

“See here,” he told her, gesturing with an arm across the
expanse of field ahead of them. “This is where I live, down the back. Where I
can see everything that’s happening. I have the best view from here of how the
game’s going. The long view. So I know what I need to do, what my wingers need
to do as well.”

“OK,” she said dubiously. “That’s interesting. But . . .”

“Shush. I’m not finished. I practiced this.” He took a
breath, started again. “That’s my job, to see the game, to decide fast based on
what I’m seeing. And then to back myself. Once I decide, I have to be
committed. All the way. No hesitation, no turning back.”

“And what I’m seeing now,” he said, reaching for the shoes she
was still holding, dropping them to the turf, then taking both her hands in his
and turning her to face him, “taking the long view? Is that I love you, and I
want you with me forever.”

He let go of one hand, reached inside his jacket pocket and
pulled out the small velvet box. Flipped it open with his thumb, then turned it
so she could see it. “If you don’t like it,” he said hurriedly at her silence,
“we can take it back. I thought it was pretty. Feminine, like you. But you can
choose something else, if you’d rather.”

She looked up at him, eyes shining. “Oh, Nic. It’s not that.
I love it. Of course I love it. It’s beautiful. But you need to be sure. For
Zack, and for me.”

“I’m sure. It’s what I told you. I’m in, a hundred percent.
It’s the only way. We’ve both done this before, I know. And that’s why I know
this is right. Because it feels so different. It’s not that it’s the right
time, and I don’t have a clue what the pluses and minuses are. But I’m in. All
the way. All my life. I’m just sorry it’s taken so long, that you’ve had to be
alone this long. But you’ll never have to be alone again, I promise you that.”

“I’m
not, not really. Sorry, that is,” she explained
hastily at his look of surprise. “I had some growing up to do, like I told you.
I never felt like a full-fledged adult, not for years. And now I do, and that’s
important. But it’s been so
hard
sometimes, to do it by myself. To be
the only thing Zack has. To be the only thing
I
have.”

“You’re not the only thing anymore,” he promised. “Because
from now on, you have me. Always. And I have you. Because I need you to marry
me, you know. Once rugby’s through with me and my knees are buggered, I’m going
to need a famous knitwear designer to support me in my old age. So really, this
is my clever plot.” 

She smiled mistily up at him. “Well, I can’t promise to be
famous. Or that I’ll even be a knitwear designer, though I hope so. I’m sure going
to give it my best shot. But one thing I
can
promise. I’ll never chuck
your ring in the rubbish, or let you do it either. Because it isn’t coming off
my finger, ever. Not from now on.”

“It’s coming off once. Because there’s a matching band. And
I can’t wait to take this off, so I can put that on you.” He took her hand in
his, slid the platinum band onto her finger. It looked as gorgeous there as
he’d thought it would, he decided in satisfaction, the two side stones in their
butterfly setting framing the brilliant two carats of flash in the center.

“And it’s time to say yes now, you know,” he added gently.
“Because you haven’t done that yet.”

“Oh!” she gasped, then laughed shakily. “Yes. Yes. You know
I’m saying yes.” She pulled him to her, kissed him. When she drew back again,
he saw tears in her eyes. “No long engagement, OK?” she pleaded. She still
hadn’t really looked at the ring, he realized. Hadn’t looked at anything but him.
“No big wedding, no
Woman’s World
deal. I don’t think you want that
anyway. And I know I don’t.”

“Nah. I hear December’s a pretty good month for weddings. What
d’you think? We may need to start working on a brother or sister for Zack, too.
Because he’s going to make a fantastic big brother.”

“I’d like that,” she agreed, curling against him, one arm
around his neck, the other holding tight around his waist. “December, and some
baby-making practice too. I’d like to have a little girl someday.”

A little girl who looked like her, he thought. Curls, big
blue eyes, and all. Wouldn’t he be the lucky man then. He leaned down to kiss
her again, rubbed his thumb across her cheek. “Know what else I’ve heard?”

“No, what?” she asked, holding him so close. Next to her
heart, where he’d always be, from now on.

“I’ve heard that you can have a pretty good honeymoon in
Fiji. And that it’s the best place in the world to make an awesome baby.”

A few notes about Maori pronunciation:

·
        
The accent is normally on the first syllable.

·
        
All vowels are pronounced separately.

·
        
All vowels except u have a short vowel sound.

·
        
“wh” is pronounced “f.”

·
        
“ng” is pronounced as in “singer,” not as in “anger.”

ABs:  All Blacks

across the Ditch:  in Australia (across the
Tasman Sea). Or, if you're in Australia, in New Zealand!

advert:  commercial

agro:  aggravation

air con:  air conditioning

All Blacks:  National rugby team. Members
are selected for every series from amongst the five NZ Super 15 teams. The All
Blacks play similarly selected teams from other nations.

Aotearoa:  New Zealand (the other official
name, meaning “The Land of the Long White Cloud" in Maori)

arvo, this arvo:  afternoon

Aussie, Oz:  Australia. (An Australian is
also an Aussie. Pronounced “Ozzie.”)

bach:  holiday home (pronounced like
“bachelor”)

backs:  rugby players who aren't in the
scrum and do more running, kicking, and ball-carrying—though all players do all
jobs and play both offense and defense. Backs tend to be faster and leaner than
forwards.

bangers and mash:  sausages and potatoes

barrack for:  cheer for

bench:  counter (kitchen bench)

berko:  berserk

bikkies:  cookies

bit of a dag:  a comedian, a funny guy

bits and bobs:  stuff  (“be sure you get
all your bits and bobs”)

blood bin:  players leaving field for
injury

Blues:  Auckland's Super 15 team

bollocks:  rubbish, nonsense

boofhead:  fool, jerk

booking:  reservation

boots and all:  full tilt, no holding back

bot, the bot:  flu, a bug

Boxing Day:  December 26—a holiday

brekkie:  breakfast

brilliant:  fantastic

bub:  baby, small child

buggered:  messed up, exhausted

bull's roar:  close. “They never came within
a bull's roar of winning.”

bunk off:  duck out, skip (bunk off school)

bust a gut:  do your utmost, make a supreme
effort

Cake Tin:  Wellington's rugby stadium (not
the official name, but it looks exactly like a springform pan)

cardie:  a cardigan sweater

chat up:  flirt with

chilly bin:  ice chest

chocolate bits:  chocolate chips

choice:  fantastic

chokka:  full

Chrissy:  Christmas

chuck out:  throw away

chuffed:  pleased

collywobbles:  nervous tummy, upset stomach

come a greaser:  take a bad fall

costume, cossie:  swimsuit (female only)

cot:  crib (for a baby)

crook:  ill

cuddle:  hug (give a cuddle)

cuppa:  a cup of tea (the universal remedy)

CV:  resumé

cyclone :  hurricane (Southern Hemisphere)

dairy:  corner shop (not just for milk!)

dead:  very; e.g., “dead sexy.”

dill:  fool

do your block:  lose your temper

dob in:  turn in; report to authorities. Frowned
upon.

doddle:  easy. “That'll be a doddle.”

dodgy:  suspect, low-quality

dogbox:  The doghouse—in trouble

Domain:  a good-sized park; often the
“official” park of the town.

dressing gown:  bathrobe

drongo:  fool (Australian, but used
sometimes in NZ as well)

drop your gear:  take off your clothes

duvet:  comforter

earbashing:  talking-to, one-sided chat

electric jug:  electric teakettle to heat
water. Every Kiwi kitchen has one.

En Zed:  Pronunciation of NZ. (“Z” is
pronounced “Zed.”)

ensuite:  master bath (a bath in the
bedroom).

eye fillet:  premium steak (filet mignon)

fair go:  a fair chance. Kiwi ideology:
everyone deserves a fair go.

fair wound me up:  Got me very upset

fantail:  small, friendly native bird

farewelled, he'll be farewelled:  funeral;
he’ll have his funeral.  

feed, have a feed:  meal

first-five, first five-eighths:  rugby back—does
most of the big kicking jobs and is the main director of the backs. Also called
the No. 10.

fixtures:  playing schedule

fizz, fizzie:  soft drink

fizzing:  fired up

flaked out:  tired

flash:  fancy

flat to the boards:  at top speed

flat white:  most popular NZ coffee. An
espresso with milk but no foam.

flattie:  roommate

flicks:  movies

flying fox:  zipline

footpath:  sidewalk

footy, football:  rugby

forwards:  rugby players who make up the
scrum and do the most physical battling for position. Tend to be bigger and more
heavily muscled than backs.

fossick about:  hunt around for something

front up:  face the music, show your mettle

garden:  yard

get on the piss:  get drunk

get stuck in:  commit to

give way:  yield

giving him stick, give him some stick about
it:  teasing, needling

glowworms:  larvae of a fly found only in
NZ. They shine a light to attract insects. Found in caves or other dark, moist
places.

go crook, be crook:  go wrong, be ill

go on the turps:  get drunk

gobsmacked:  astounded

good hiding:  beating (“They gave us a good
hiding in Dunedin.”)

grotty:  grungy, badly done up

ground floor:  what we call the first floor.
The “first floor” is one floor up.

gumboots, gummies:  knee-high rubber boots.
It rains a lot in New Zealand.

gutted:  thoroughly upset

Haast's Eagle:  (extinct). Huge native NZ
eagle. Ate moa.

haere mai:  Maori greeting

haka:  ceremonial Maori challenge—done
before every All Blacks game

hang on a tick:  wait a minute

hard yakka:  hard work (from Australian)

harden up:  toughen up. Standard NZ (male)
response to (male) complaints:   “Harden the f*** up!”

have a bit on: I have placed a bet on
[whatever]. Sports gambling and prostitution are both legal in New Zealand.

have a go:  try

Have a nosy for…:  look around for

head:  principal (headmaster)

head down:  or head down, bum up. Put your
head down. Work hard.

heaps:  lots. “Give it heaps.”

hei toki:  pendant (Maori)

holiday:  vacation

hooker:  rugby position (forward)

hooning around:  driving fast, wannabe
tough-guy behavior (typically young men)

I'll see you right:  I'll help you out

in form:  performing well (athletically)

it's not on:  It's not all right

iwi:  tribe (Maori)

jabs:  immunizations, shots

jersey:  a rugby shirt, or a pullover
sweater