I’ve just been speaking to my newly acquired half-uncle, Brent, the artist. He told me that my grandfather died in August 1999 - the time I came back early from Costa Rica. He was 85, he had Alzheimer’s. Until the last couple of years he had been reasonably healthy. He died of pneumonia.
I’m really not sure how I should feel about all this!
He had four sons and a daughter with his second wife. One of them now has an 18 month old, Tyler. My cousin. Given that a couple of weeks ago I only had one aunt and uncle, and now I have one aunt, one uncle, and five halves, it’s quite a dramatic increase!
And I’ve finally solved the mystery of the Maori name, which has always intrigued me. My grandfather’s adoptive mother noticed a cute little girl across the street, and her name was Hinemoa. So she called my grandfather “Merlin Tutanekai,” hoping that one day Hinemoa might fall in love with him.
I can’t decide if that is sweet or just really disturbing!
Posted by Fionnaigh at December 13, 2003 09:15 PMDon't most parents have preferences about who their children should go out with?
Posted by: .carla at December 14, 2003 12:16 AM