‘If it keeps on I’ll have to do something like that. I don’t think there’s any threat, just a loser venting his spleen. Annoying, though, and a gutless way to criticise anything.’ Pearly rather regretted mentioning it and changed the subject. ‘I’m looking forward to the reunion — seeing guys from way back. You too?’

‘Yeah, I am. There’ll be plenty from my year, I reckon. Let me know if I can be of help to the committee in any way.’

The brothers walked back to the house through the wind that was gradually blowing itself out, the gusts less severe, the dust swirls from the yards less noticeable. By the time Matt brought the mob down it wouldn’t be so bad. Natalie complained, though, when Helen and Pearly came to leave, pointing out the dirt and debris whirled into the corners of the verandah, along the garage frontage and at the front door. Helen sympathised; she would also have a mess to clean up.

On their way home she and Pearly talked about Matt returning and whether he’d decide to stay on the farm, whether he’d marry the Galloway girl. Helen knew Natalie liked the Galloway family. That was important, Helen said. ‘I don’t know them,’ said Pearly. ‘They bought the Welch place after I left home.’ Although that was years ago, it made the Galloways latecomers in Pearly’s mind.

Natalie had talked, too, about the new home they would build on the farm if Matt took over, and she’d asked Pearly’s advice. All of them gave an opinion on what would be the best site, and Pearly and Helen reprised their own choices as they went home. Pearly had enjoyed the visit as always, but he felt a bit down, although he didn’t let his wife see it. The quiet understanding and affection between Richie and his son were a contrast and rebuke to Pearly’s relationship with Kevin. He must try to do something about that. A father and son should have a relationship of friendship and understanding. Men could be close as well as women. Pearly realised the failure to achieve that was his own failure as well as Kevin’s.

Aotearoa Now magazine was preparing a feature on long-serving mayors, eight in all, and Pearly was chosen as a representative of mid-sized provincial centres. He received the editor’s email invitation after returning from a rather gruelling council budget meeting, and the implicit flattery was welcome. Aotearoa Now was a national magazine, and Pearly would feature alongside a couple of city leaders. ‘But there’ll be mayors of smaller places than here as well. It’s to be a cross section,’ he told Helen, ‘so I won’t be tail-end Charlie.’