Chapter Six
Something Smells Funky
Alex
Wow! That was amazing. I didn't really expect her to kiss me like that, I know she liked it and I certainly did. We sat on the wharf for about an hour after that and just looked at the boats coming in and going out. We never got across to Devonport that day. Then we just walked around the city deciding what we would do. Kaylen really wants to head down to Rotorua and Wellington but I don't know if we should leave Rachel. Lucy and Averill said they would stay there until she left New Zealand and her mother is arriving today at some stage. I rang my Mum and told her because I guess I needed some advice. I know that is really wimpy and so be it, sometimes Mum's have their value. J. I still cannot believe Kaylen and me have something going on now. It is almost too much to believe. But it means I should travel around with her. We will come back and see Rachel before she goes back to Canada. We don't have to spend that much time in Rotorua then flit down to Wellington and we'd be back in no time.
Mum did have some interesting news. Her friend's parents are looking for their granddaughter for some reason, I don't know the particulars but they are pretty serious about finding her and want me to keep an eye and an ear around to see if I can find out any information. At this stage all she knows is that she is a British tourist who has been tripping around New Zealand. I don't think my mother realises how big New Zealand is actually. We spent nearly a week travelling around Northland alone, without even thinking about any of the other regions. Maybe when Mum gets more information I will be able to give them a bit more help. An aunt of this girl keeps in touch with her and will pass on more information to Mum when she hears. Mum doesn't have a name yet but will let me know. Hope Kaylen doesn't mind me doing a bit of detective work; she might be able to help out with her keen sense of smell.
Kaylen
Well, it's kind of official. Alex and I have a 'thing' going on. We will have to see how it goes. I don't want to drag out the inevitable and stick around longer than I feel useful at Rachel's beside. She has told us, even in her drugged state, that she wants us all to carry on our holiday and have fun. Rachel wants us to take photographs from the rest of the North Island and get them developed so we can give them to her before she goes back so she has some nice things to show her family. I have spent time in hospital myself when I was younger and had pneumonia and some other illness at the same time. I know how sick you get of people offering assistance and the like. That is the job of nurses and doctors, not friends and family. Rachel and I had a chat about this and she is beginning to feel uncomfortable keeping us in Auckland when we had plans. Hopefully now Alex thinks he is going to get his way with me he will follow me like a little lost puppy J.
I emailed my Aunt earlier in the day and told her what had happened with Rachel. I told her how we were now back in Auckland, waiting for the inevitable time when she will yell at everyone in the room to go away and leave her alone. My aunt is a nurse and knows all about patients wanting their space. This aunt was my mum's youngest sister and has been really good over the past year and is always looking forward to what I have to say.
Alex and I are downtown in an Internet Caf� and he is waiting to hear back from his mother because she has some job for him to help her with or something. He is being very secretive. I am just here typing up the latest addition to my book and here, to my diary. I thought I might as well accompany him because he said he would buy me lunch if I came. He keeps looking at me oddly, silly boy being all smitten. I just smiled at him and now he has this goofy grin on his face. I better shut down so he can buy me something. Just kidding, you know I'm not like all the other girls. I don't care that his family has copious amounts of money, more money than I will ever have in my entire life. I'll just have to get used to it won't I?
Alex
Kaylen and I caught the ferry and went across to Devonport this morning. It was a really nice ride and provided us with a good view of the CBD from a different perspective. We spent hours just walking around the shops doing the couple thing and it didn't feel uncomfortable or uneasy. Everyone was smiling and happy, no one was sad or angry. I think Kaylen even had a nice time. Sometimes she seems hard to please. At the moment she really wants to leave Auckland and travel south as we had planned to do before Rachel landed in hospital. I guess I am afraid that if we go off together that she will suddenly see I am really not that interesting and being with me all of the time is not very cool or fun. I just don't want her to get bored with me. At least while we stay here we see the girls every now and again. I suppose if we leave then we will meet up with more travellers. I'm not sure if I'm ready for it to be just Kaylen and me. I guess it is just the guy in me being a bit cautious when it comes to women. I have had experiences in the past when I have let women take control of my life and they hurt me badly. I really like Kaylen and I don't want to see that happen. I think where we differ is that I know I can trust Kaylen. After the time in Paihia when she told me about her mother, and later when she told me about her father I knew she was different. I feel comfortable talking to her, more than anyone else. I like that we are good friends and have this strange connection. I might sound all girly talking like this but I don't know how else to say what I mean.
Kaylen
For the first time in so long I feel happy and I also feel like nothing can take this buzz away. I don't want to let anything make me sad again, it took so much out of me and I feel like I have just finished grieving. I read through some of my earlier diary entries on this computer, dating back halfway to when my mum died. I was such a wreck back then, and now I can see the difference in the way I talk, the way I laugh and the way I am beginning to like a boy. I know it is kind of girly to think of Alex as some kind of Angel, but when he is around he gives me something to smile about. I feel confident telling him things and knowing he wouldn't tell anyone or walk away from problems. I also feel trusted by him and that is really important. Trust and honesty are two important things in a relationship and I finally have that again with another person. I hope that doesn't sound rude or something, it is not meant to. I only meant that it is nice to trust and admire a man again. The last year with my father was the worst, and during that time a man I thought was nice hurt me and ran off with one of my friends. I want to go away with Alex because I think we need time together to get to know each other as fun, young, and free individuals. Averill is especially loud and I will tactfully call her joyful. It is a bit intimidating for poor old me, shy and retiring. I guess that is my father's influence again. Alex makes me want to try and be someone I never thought I could be, he makes me happy.
Alex
Now it is later in the day and I have received an answer from my mother about the identity of the mystery granddaughter. It turns out that the girl is back in Auckland now because of some accident with a friend. Mum is also telling me more about the situation. This girl is the long lost granddaughter of a couple of highly influential people in England, a Lord and Lady no less! I wonder what happened that meant they lost touch of her. And her name, well that is a bit further down the page. OH MY GOD!!! THIS CAN'T BE RIGHT???!!!!! Mum says the girl's name is Candida Kaylen Knight but goes by the name Kaylen. I know that person, that person is sitting two seats away and is looking right at me!! I wonder what the story is. I mean she has talked to me about most of her family, and the stuff with her dad was pretty heavy, why wouldn't she talk to me about this? What secret is she keeping? I better go because she will be wondering what is happening. I'll put on a happy face and let it go for now, but I will find out. I have told my mother to find out more about the situation, about why the topic would be so taboo. I didn't say that I know Kaylen and don't have to look too far to find her; some things are better left unknown.
Kaylen
I don't know what is up with Alex today. All of a sudden he can't think of anything better to do than jump on a bus (we gave the van back to the hire company branch in Auckland) and head off to Rotorua via Thames and Tauranga for a bit of different sightseeing from the window. Since I first suggested it yesterday I think I approve. But I don't know what the sudden change in his persona is caused by; I don't think I have done anything different. Maybe be just wants to spend some time alone with me now and see how this relationship thing develops, that is actually a really sweet thought. We have been busy this morning getting our tickets ready. We will take an early morning bus to Tauranga and then catch an afternoon bus to Rotorua. There we will spend a few days exploring the seemingly endless list of activities on offer before heading down to Wellington. Right now we are chilling out in another Internet Caf� so Alex can check his email again, that's another thing that has changed. Every day, at least twice, he has to see if his mother has sent him any email. Even when my mum was alive I didn't talk to her more than once, and we were in the same country. It is good though that he gets to have a good relationship with his mother. I wonder what she is like. Alex doesn't talk about his parents much. I think he is somewhat ashamed that they are happy, married and alive with quite a fortune. Here am I with none of those things. I have my other family and a bunch of good friends to help me through. Now I also have Alex and he is so understanding. I am quite lucky, I thought I would have frightened him off by now but he is still here and still listening.
Alex
We have just been to the hospital to see Rachel, she is much more 'with it' now and doesn't need equipment to help her breathe or monitor her heart rate. She has broken ribs, a broken arm and two broken legs so I think that is enough without adding internal injuries. Rachel seems happy for us to leave tomorrow, her mum arrived this morning so she is definitely not going to be lonely. Kaylen and I will also be leaving Lucy and Averill, but will see them again when we get back from Wellington. They are flying down to the South Island to trip around for two weeks before coming back up here and saying bye to Rachel before she is flown to the States.
The news I received from my mother was not very helpful. It was in terms of providing me with more information but I really don't know how to broach the subject with Kaylen. In a brief conversation we had yesterday I found out all of her Grandparents had died, except for her father's mother. So I really don't know how to talk to Kaylen about this without her thinking I am sticking my nose in where it doesn't really belong. I mean the information I have proves that she has lied to me. That really hurts because the basis of our relationship is built on a mutual discussion of our families and our roles within them. Kaylen has 'opened' her heart to me and told me all kinds of things that I no longer can take with any truth. Not only do I have more information, but also I have a whole lot more questions that only she can answer.
Kaylen
We are sitting in the bus on our way from Tauranga to Rotorua. Last night Alex took me out to dinner and all night seemed to be trying to ask me something. Today he has been fairly quiet and I am starting to get worried. This isn't the Alex I have grown to like and admire over the past two weeks. We went out to this really nice restaurant that specialised in seafood. Most of it I have never heard of before, I avoided a lot of it as well because it just looked really unappetising. I know I shouldn't be worrying about Alex, I mean I can not say I have been the easiest person to get along with - what with all my family stuff. These are still not reasons for him to be quiet. I hate this silence! I just want him to open up and be honest with me. Why can't he just tell me the truth? I wonder what is bugging him. Maybe we will have a chance to talk about it in Rotorua.
I must say the scenery in this country is amazing. The places we have gone through just today have been great. I really liked Tauranga, it was just so warm and the people looked really happy. We travelled through more corners and bush earlier and even that was wonderful. Are there any bad parts to this country? Alex would disagree with me and go on about the appalling state of the poor in this country. I wish he would just get off his high horse and just look at all the good things. I mean there are the less fortunate in every country of this world. His problem is that he does not know how to deal with the fact he is rich and they are poor. I think he also looks at me in the same way. He is ashamed that he has more money than I have. I wish he wouldn't worry. I am happy, healthy and have my whole life ahead of me. I just wish he would show more interest in being a part of that future, at least the near future.