Roskill

By Neil Coleman

When John is made redundant from his job in Christchurch he moves his family to Auckland. But things don’t go quite to plan. It’s not long before John’s change in behaviour puts his family at risk.

It’s a change that impacts deeply on his wife Moana and their children Lucy and James. It leaves Moana questioning the move, wondering what she can do and who she can turn to as she watches her family start to self-destruct. And it prompts Lucy and James to seek their own solutions, some of which lead them down dangerous pathways and on to risky adventures.

But, as in any ‘real’ group of teenagers, life isn’t just about problems with family and friends. It’s often full of courageous efforts and humorous moments.

Roskill is a story that is at once disturbing and hopeful. It shows how the scourge of ‘P’ (Methamphetamine) damages lives and draws innocent families into its web. It’s a story that we can see in every city and town in New Zealand and beyond.

Roskill is a must-read for parents and their teenage children, prompting much needed discussion between them about this disturbing and too-common issue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Neil Coleman
• Release date: Jun 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9780473217600

Neil Coleman

I live and work in Auckland, New Zealand as a School Guidance Counsellor. I hear many stories and I am well aware of the issues teenagers face in their everyday lives.The stories I hear have inspired some of my books, and my imagination, fed by my life in New Zealand, provides a rich tapestry for my more off-the-wall blogs and stories.

Book preview

One

‘James! You can’t live on music! Do you want food?’

James pulled his earphones out so that he could hear his Mum. She had been trying to attract his attention for the last minute, and it was only when she shouted that he took notice.

‘Do you have to live in that damned thing, James? I just asked you if you want something to eat.’

‘Sorry, Mum. Yeah, I’m starving. Can we have KFC?’

They were driving through Hamilton, avoiding the main street and heading past Frankton.

‘I think there’s one back on the Te Rapa Strait,’ his Dad said, scratching his head as if that helped his memory.

‘Yeah, come on, Dad.’ The magic words had pulled Lucy out of her daydream.

The Campton family had been travelling all day since leaving Wellington at a ridiculously early hour. They stopped briefly at Taupo to eat the sandwiches Moan had made in the motel that morning. She insisted that they needed to save money, but was now relenting at the thought of a greasy mouth-watering KFC meal. Her husband John needed little encouragement, ignoring the advice his doctor in faraway Christchurch had given about a more healthy way of eating. He thought of the letter for his new doctor in Auckland, telling of his high cholesterol, blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Maybe he should just throw it away. Those thoughts were quickly banished by his wife’s next comment. ‘That will be the last feed of KFC you’ll see for a while. It’s back to the healthy stuff once we get settled.’

‘I’m going to damn well enjoy it then, aren’t I?’ John replied stubbornly.

‘Go Dad,’ James laughed. ‘Mmm, I want the Wicked Wings.’

The car pulled into the car park of the KFC and the Campton family ambled into the restaurant, James happily leading the way. It was a hot late January day, the air-conditioning in the aging Nissan was not working at its best, and they were all hungry. After collecting their trays, they found a quiet corner and for the next ten minutes they were relatively quiet. It was James who brought up the issue that had dominated their lives over the last few months.

‘I’m going to miss Christchurch,’ he said quietly.

‘Don’t you think we know that, James?’ his mother chided him. ‘What choice did we have?’

‘It’s OK, Moana,’ John said in an attempt to avoid yet another argument. The last few weeks before the big move north had taken a toll on his relationship with his wife and the children. ‘The boy’s right. We’ve spent our whole life there, and my parents before that. Maybe it’s a bit easier for you, because you’ll be closer to your family in Auckland.’

‘Don’t you go bringing that up again,’ Moana replied angrily, drawing curious looks from other diners. ‘You forget that I’ve been away from them for the last ten years, apart from quick visits every so often.’

‘I know, love. Let’s not fight. Losing my job and moving as well was always going to be hard but it was either that or having a lot less money.’ John tried to be calm.

‘What about me? All my friends and I’m going to miss Granddad and Nana too,’ Lucy said tearfully.

‘Right, if you are all finished, I think we better get out of here before they call the cops on us for creating a disturbance,’ John said, clearly frustrated with his family.

They left the restaurant and it wasn’t until Taupiri that the mood seemed to lift. Moana asked if they could stop for a few moments before the sacred Taupiri mountain. John parked in the car park and they all stood looking up at the mountain. As with most of the family spats, the short-term events were forgotten.

‘Many of your Tainui relations are buried up there,’ Moana said quietly. ‘I think it’s time that you learnt more of your Maori side.’

‘How come you never talk about them much?’ James asked.

‘It’s a long story. Maybe it’s time I told you, but not today. OK?’

John moved closer to Moana and his arm found its way around her shoulders. She responded by pressing against him, as if to say that things were going to be all right.

‘It’s all right, honey. Let’s go’ she said. ‘Mt Roskill, here we come.’

Thirty minutes later they were passing through the southern suburbs that make up the Greater Auckland area. ‘We’ve been on this motorway for ages and we still aren’t anywhere near Sky Tower,’ James observed. ‘I saw it when we passed Manukau city centre but it’s gone again.’

‘Yeah, Auckland is about three times the size of Christchurch, darling,’ Moana replied.

‘It’s got a lot more Maoris. Look—heaps of the cars have Maoris in them,’ Lucy said excitedly.

‘Some of them are Pacific Islanders, honey,’ Moana corrected her. ‘There aren’t so many of them down in Christchurch. I suspect that you will have lots of different people at your new school near the city.’

James’s face took on the appearance of his earlier mood in the day again as he thought of the move to a new school. Moana noticed his troubled look and attempted to sooth his anxiety. ‘You don’t have to wear uniform, dear, and it’s got an excellent reputation.’

‘Yeah, but we don’t know anyone,’ Lucy said in the tone that usually drove her older brother mad.

‘Since when did that stop you from gabbing away with your friends?’ James teased his sister.

‘That’s enough you two. Here’s the turn-off,’ John said, half-heartedly trying to stop yet another argument between the two siblings.

‘Aw, Dad, aren’t we going to drive through the city first?’ Lucy pleaded.

‘We have to meet the movers, dear,’ Moana informed her daughter. ‘We can go for a drive tomorrow and we can also show you where the school is too.’

‘School starts the week after next, so you have a chance to get to know the bus routes too,’ John added.

‘You said I can drive us to school now that I have my licence,’ James reminded his father.

‘That’s when you get your full licence next month and when we sort out a car,’ John answered.

James thought about the upcoming test and when he looked at the crowded and unfamiliar streets they were passing through, he shuddered at the possibility of failing. ‘They have trains here, don’t they?’ he asked.

‘Yes, son, but not through Mt Roskill. But there are plenty of buses and we can get that sorted next week,’ John said.

‘So where’s our new house?’ Lucy asked.

They were driving along Dominion Road near the Balmoral village and she had noticed the old villas. ‘I hope our house is like these. Look at all the Chinese writing on the shops. Is this Chinatown or something?

‘No, but there are many Asian people in Auckland. I think you will find it all really interesting,’ Moana said, hoping that Lucy wasn’t going to become a problem and act out like some of their neighbours had in Christchurch. She baulked at the thought of the skinheads they had often seen in the Square back in Christchurch. Moana secretly admitted to being happy to leave behind some of the attitudes that had prevailed in the southern city.

‘OK, we’re nearly home,’ John announced as they turned into a side street off Dominion Road, not far from the main Mt Roskill shops.

Lucy’s face dropped when she observed the houses they were passing. ‘These houses look like state houses. Yuk, they’re horrible. Look at all the kids running around in the street. I don’t like it.’

‘Don’t be such a terrible snob,’ Moana admonished. ‘Most of them are probably privately owned and if I told you how much they cost to buy, you’d get a shock. The same money would buy a nice house in a good suburb in Christchurch.’

Her words meant nothing to Lucy, who had made up her mind that they now lived in a bad area.

‘Where’s our school anyway?’ James asked. ‘There’s a sign there about a grammar school near here. Why can’t I go there?’

‘You could if you want,’ John replied, ‘but we’re going to buy nearer the area by the zoo, so I’ve managed to enrol you both there on the understanding that we’re buying in the area. It took a lot of persuasion, I can tell you.’

‘We’re only renting here until we find a house we all like,’ Moana added, ‘so don’t get to like this one too much, eh?’

‘Don’t think there’s much chance of that happening,’ Lucy said sullenly, as the car pulled into the drive of a small house. The lawn had not been mowed for quite some time, adding to the run-down appearance.

‘Look, the removal men are already unloading,’ James observed. He jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped and rushed into the open front door. By the time the others joined him, he had explored the whole house. ‘It’s a bit crappy compared to our old house in Christchurch,’ he said. ‘Look at the carpet—it’s got holes in it.’

‘It will take a bit of work to make it nice but remember, it’s not for long,’ Moana reminded him.

‘Right, let’s start getting this sorted then,’ John said looking at the household and personal items the movers were haphazardly unloading anywhere they could.

‘So much for the labelling system we used,’ Moana sighed.

‘They can forget their bloody bonus too then,’ John retorted angrily.

‘At least we get a room each,’ James said hopefully. ‘Can I have the room at the back of the house overlooking the reserve?’

‘I suppose that’s OK, but remember our deal,’ Moana reminded him. ‘I’m not going to be your slave any more, now that I have a full-time job to contend with. We’re are going to need the extra money if we move to Grey Lynn, and looking at the prices; it’s going to be a close call.’

‘I want to get a part-time job too,’ James said. ‘Then can I get a better car, Dad?’

‘We’ll see. But don’t forget what I said, no more than eight hours a week.’

An hour later the movers left, a little disgruntled about missing out on getting their full bonus. John had relented at the last minute and gave them about half what they had expected, but they seemed to get the message that the Camptons were not pleased at the slack way they had worked. By eight in the evening, the family finally decided to stop for the night. At least they had somewhere to sleep. The rest of the unpacking and setting up house could wait until the morning.

‘Right, don’t go getting used to this, but I think it is going to be the second fast-food meal of the day,’ John announced, ignoring Moana’s feigned horror. She was far too tired to argue the merits of preparing a meal.

‘Cool, Dad,’ James said delightedly.

‘I want vegetarian,’ Lucy suggested. ‘I don’t want to get fat.’

‘Bit late for that, isn’t it,’ James taunted.

‘That’s enough of that. I am just about done in and I don’t want to put up with that crap, OK?’ Moana said wearily.

‘In the car, now, before we just stay and have toast and jam,’ John said, hoping that they didn’t call his bluff. The kitchen was not anywhere near ready for that most basic of food preparation.

They drove down Dominion Road until Lucy spotted a small Thai café. ‘Can we have Thai, Dad? James got what he wanted for lunch, so it’s my turn to choose,’ Lucy pleaded.

‘God, you sound like a spoilt kid when you talk like that,’ James accused his sister.

John jammed on the brakes, almost causing the car behind to run into him. The angry driver gestured as he passed them and shouted a few choice obscenities.

‘Welcome to Auckland, dear hearts,’ John said. ‘Let Lucy have this one, James.’ It had the effect of diverting his quarrelsome offspring to something they both agreed on; they were hungry.

A few minutes later they sat down at a table and looked over the menu. ‘What about the chef’s choice for starters?’ John suggested. ‘I see there’s some vegetarian options on it and the mains will be no trouble. You can have ice cream from the diary if you want dessert. That will keep the cost down.’

The food arrived and the tension seemed to disappear as quickly as they consumed their orders. ‘Nothing like good food to stop the quarrels, eh kids?’ Moana said. ‘Perhaps your father will take us through the main part of town before we turn in for the night.’

John looked hopelessly at his wife. ‘Don’t blame me if I get a bit lost darling,’ he said. ‘I’m buggered if I know my way round there. It’s been years since I drove through the city.’

‘Come on my big brave boy,’ Moana teased her husband, while James pretended to throw up.

True to his worst fears, twenty minutes later, John announced that he was lost. They were in a back street near Karangahape Road. As they drove down the narrow street, James noticed the scantily dressed ‘ladies’. ‘Wow, look at those tarts. Shit, what are they doing standing there like that?’

‘James, stop that language right now or you will be walking home. And if you really want to know, they are not ladies,’ Moana reprimanded her son.

John laughed. ‘You have a lot to learn about life, James. Those ‘ladies’ are actually boys.’

‘Yuk, that’s sick,’ Lucy said disgustedly. ‘They do look sort of pretty in a funny sort of way, though.’

‘I guess you are only thirteen, and year nines don’t really know much,’ James said, unable to resist jibing at his sister.

‘You’re just a year eleven arsehole,’ Lucy whispered in a voice she hoped her mother didn’t hear.

‘If I hear one more angry or disgusting piece of foul language from either of you, I will stop your pocket money for a week!’ Moana shouted angrily at her children. ‘No, make that two weeks!’

‘Here we are,’ John interrupted. ‘I think we are near Queen Street. Let’s just go home and we can explore the city more another day. I’m bushed.’

For the remainder of the journey home, James and Lucy managed to hold their tongues—just. Their looks told another story.

‘Home sweet home,’ John said, relief clear in his tone. ‘Now for Christ’s sake let’s have some peace. OK?’

Two

Later in his room, James looked out through the curtains at the reserve backing onto the section. The fence separating the house from the reserve was a low hurricane type of construction. In the distance, James noticed some flickering lights. ‘Must be some kids smoking,’ he muttered to himself.

James continued to watch the distant lights, unaware that he was clearly visible to whoever was out there. His thoughts turned to the stories and news reports he had heard about the problem of various gangs of young people who frequented some of Auckland’s parks at night.

‘Bunch of bloody wannabes,’ he said as he pulled the curtains closed, leaving a small gap.

In the front bedroom facing the street Moana and John lay together in bed, sleep coming slowly after their stressful day.

‘Do you think those kids will ever stop bickering, honey?’ Moana said.

‘They’re not half as bad as I was with my brothers and sisters,’ John replied. ‘If I got a dollar for every time my arse was kicked for fighting them, I’d be rich. Don’t worry, deep down they sort of look after one another. Remember that time in Christchurch when Lucy was being bullied at intermediate last year, and James gave the guy a quick punch? I don’t agree with him doing that, but I have to admit that it stopped the problem.’

‘It’s Lucy’s first year at college so it will be good having him looking out for her, but she has to learn not to attract attention to herself. He can’t always be there for her,’ Moana said, before yawning. ‘Let’s sleep and sort out a few things tomorrow.’

‘Sure, but I’m a bit worried about some of those kids I saw as we came home tonight. There seemed to be heaps of them just wandering around and they looked pretty damned young,’ John replied sleepily.

Moana didn’t answer. She had finally drifted off.

James took one last look through the gap in the curtains. He was surprised to see that the group had moved in the last few minutes, much closer to the back boundary fence. They seemed focussed on his window and were looking for something on the grass. One of them picked up an empty can and attempted to throw it towards James’s window. It fell harmlessly into the backyard, well short of the window.

Another dark figure picked up a stone and threw it towards James as he continued to watch through the gap. His heart missed a beat when the stone thwacked against his window.

‘Shit, what the hell are you doing?’ James yelled, and then ducked below the windowsill in a failed attempt to hide himself. He was far too late to avoid their attention and he could hear their angry shouts.

‘What the hell have I done? I was only looking at them,’ he thought.

‘Hey, fulla, come out!’ one of the shadowy figures shouted. ‘We know where you live, so stop being a pussy!’ James turned the light out, somehow hoping that they would go away. He was wrong. His window shattered as another stone flew like a missile into his room. A few seconds later, John rushed into the bedroom. ‘What the hell is going on here?’ he shouted as he thrust back the curtains and looked at the broken shards of glass, reflecting in the moonlight. He stepped back, to avoid cutting his bare feet, and then turned the light on.

‘There’re some guys out there and they just threw something at the window,’ James said.

‘Ring the cops. Use 111!’ John yelled at Moana as she came to investigate the noise. She rushed to her room, returning a few moments later with her cell phone, dialling the number while observing the damage in the bedroom.

‘Police. We are being attacked in our own home!’ she shouted into her phone. She gave the address and continued to describe the scene as another rock flew through the smashed window. ‘There seem to be about four youths on the park outside our house.’

Two of the youths managed to climb the fence. They approached the house, brandishing what appeared to be baseball bats. John forced open the smashed window. He leant out while Moana continued talking to the dispatcher on the phone.

‘Get off my property now! The police are on the way!’ he yelled, ignoring the possibility of becoming the target for more missiles.

‘Like we give a stuff, old man,’ one of the hooded figures replied and then seemed to reconsider as the sound of sirens grew stronger.

In the meantime, Moana continued to talk on her phone, describing the scene and the location of the boys outside. Lights appeared behind the boys as a police car approached from the reserve. It came to a halt and two policemen emerged, cutting off any escape the boys outside the fence attempted. Two more policemen and a dog materialised from around the side of the house.

‘Here we go again,’ the first policeman said angrily. The boys were well known to the police from previous encounters. The two inside the fence were roughly thrown to the ground while the dog circled, ready in a moment to join in the fracas. When their hoods were pulled back, they no longer looked tough. They were about fourteen years old and once separated from their mates outside the fence, who were facing similar treatment, they simply looked like any other boys in the area. Their attitude, however, was somewhat different as they hurled abuse at the police.

‘We’ll take them from here,’ the sergeant informed John. ‘I’ll just get the officer here to take a statement from you.’

The two boys were taken around the side of the house, still shouting abuse, some of it directed at James. ‘We’ll be back for you, punk!’ the smaller one yelled while his mates in the park were escorted to the police car.

‘Come on in, officer,’ Moana suggested from the bedroom window. ‘It’s a bit more comfortable in the lounge, but it’s still pretty basic. It’s our first night here.’

‘I wouldn’t judge Mt Roskill on that sad lot,’ the officer said sympathetically. ‘Yes, let’s go inside and get the full story.’

‘James, you’d better sleep in the lounge tonight after we have given our statement. We can clean that lot up in there in the morning,’ John said, shaking his head in disgust at the night’s events.

A few minutes later the family, now joined by a grumpy Lucy, sat with Constable Alex Coleman. Moana fussed about, taking off the wrapping protecting the lounge furniture before everyone could sit.

‘Call me Alex,’ the constable suggested.

‘What’s with these kids?’ John started. ‘Is this what we have to expect from now on? I didn’t like the sound of those threats the punks made.’

‘If that wasn’t an attempted home invasion, I don’t know what is,’ Moana added fearfully. ‘I don’t think I’ll get a wink of sleep tonight now.’

‘Let’s get the statement, and then I’ll try to answer some of your questions,’ Alex suggested.

For the next twenty minutes, Alex wrote up the statement. Listening to the sequence of events, Moana became increasingly angry and fearful. Finally she vented her feelings. ‘I’m sorry, constable, ah, Alex, but from what I can gather these little lowlife’s are almost untouchable. Do we have to just cave in and expect more of the same?’

‘No, of course not,’ Alex said uncertainly. ‘They’ll be dealt with, again, by Youth Justice.’

‘We know that that means,’ John said cynically. ‘They have one of those meetings­—what’s it called?—a Family Group Conference where we sit around and hear the little buggers lie through their back teeth, and then go out and do the same things all over again. The law can’t do a damn thing and in the meantime they make our lives hell.’

Alex sat back. He had heard the same angry sentiments expressed many times in his short career. ‘I’ve seen some really good outcomes to those conferences, actually. I wouldn’t write those kids off. Mostly they’re the result of parenting gone wrong,’ Alex said in an attempt to allay the fears of the family sitting before him.

‘What are we going to do to keep our kids safe?’ Moana pleaded. ‘We came all the way from Christchurch, which I know has its own problems, but I feel so damn powerless. We’re stuck here for a few months while we try to find a house in Grey Lynn.’

‘There are a few things you can do and I suggest you make contact with your local Neighbourhood Watch,’ Alex replied, a little more confidently. ‘I’ll make sure there are regular patrols around here for a few weeks and I’ll call in to see how things are going.’

‘That’s good of you, Alex. I must say you take your job pretty seriously,’ John said. His wife nodded her head in agreement.

Alex left a short time later, after a quick cup of tea served in some cups rescued from their boxes in the kitchen. Alex’s promise to drop in on a regular basis had done little to allay their fears.

While James made himself comfortable in the lounge for the remainder of the night and Lucy returned to her room, John and Moana sat morosely at the kitchen table, drinking another cup of tea. ‘What are we going to do?’ Moana said helplessly. ‘We didn’t come all this way to have this crap happen.’

‘Steady, girl. We’ll get through it. We always have so far, so why should this be any different?’ John said. He had an underlying sense of guilt for transplanting his family from what they knew in Christchurch. ‘I’m sure we will see things in a better light after a good sleep. Besides, that Alex seems a nice guy. Let’s get some sleep.’

‘Not much of the night left now. God, I wonder what the neighbours are thinking of us after all that fuss,’ Moana mumbled, before succumbing to the events of a very long day.

Three

‘Hello, anyone home?’

Moana was having an early morning coffee and watching TV in the lounge. She enjoyed these times to herself. The previous night had been stressful and her sleep had been punctuated by disturbing dreams, leaving her a little jaded. She remembered that she had opened the back door after making her coffee. She was a little wary as to who would be calling at seven in the morning. A woman was standing on the back porch with a plate of freshly baked scones.

‘I’m Kathleen, your neighbour,’ she said, indicating the house to the left.

‘Come in, Kathleen. I’m Moana. Sorry about my appearance,’ Moana replied. She was still in her dressing gown and was about to get some breakfast for the sleeping family. ‘I’ll put the kettle on and we can have a chat. No doubt you heard the kerfuffle here last night—not a very good neighbourly act for our first night, eh?’

‘I should have come over last night, but I was at my sister’s till late,’ Kathleen said as she sat at the kitchen table.

‘I have to say that we got quite a fright last night, especially with the threats those guys made as they were taken away,’ Moana said.

The kettle bubbled away as Moana put out some of the rinsed cups from the night before. ‘We don’t even have the fridge on yet, so there’s no milk,’ she said apologetically.

‘That’s OK. I don’t take it anyway, but I’ll nick across and get you some for the family’s breakfast,’ Kathleen replied and disappeared for a few moments out the door and along the side path.

When she returned Moana had the tea pot ready and waiting, along with some sugar she had found in one of the boxes stacked around the wall.

‘I’ll be glad when this lot’s packed away,’ Moana said. ‘Hopefully another day will see it all done. ‘I’ll just have to stay and help you after we’ve had our cuppa and fed your family,’ Kathleen offered.

‘I’m beginning to change my mind about last night already,’ Moana replied laughing.

By the time the rest of the family wandered into the kitchen, looking as though they had partied all night, Moana and Kathleen had the kitchen organised and another pot of tea on the table. The scones were reheated and Kathleen had returned to her house for more jam.

‘This is yummy, Mum,’ James said as he munched away on his third scone.

The subject of the broken window and attack came up. ‘There are always young ones out there,’ Kathleen said angrily. ‘You’d be surprised at how young some of them are too. I’d like to deal to their bloody parents.’

‘What gets me is that nothing really happens to change things for those families,’ John added. ‘The same thing happens in Christchurch too.’

‘You two just make sure you keep away from them,’ Moana said to her two children. ‘We’re going shopping later, so we can stock up for the kitchen. If you want, you can come too. We’re going to St Luke’s.’

‘OK, I’ll drop you off there and then I can check in with my new boss,’ John suggested. ‘I don’t start officially until next week. Just text me when you are ready for me to pick you up. Take your time. Why don’t you go to the movies first? Then I will have plenty of time with the boss.’

‘Well, sounds like your day’s organised, so I’ll be off. Don’t be strangers now,’ Kathleen said as she left.

‘Right, you two, be ready in an hour. I’m having the first shower,’ John said, pre-empting James’s usual attempt to commandeer the bathroom.

‘Here will be fine dear,’ Moana said as John slowed down outside the mall.

‘I bet it’s not as good as the big one in Christchurch,’ Lucy said in the tone that usually got James going. It didn’t; he ignored her instead, looking intently in the direction of three hooded youths who were sitting in the bus shelter. What drew his attention initially was the obvious discomfort of the other commuters waiting for their buses. Even though there was room for some of them to sit in the shelter, they chose to stay well away from the youths. When John dropped his family off a few metres away, the youths watched closely and then began to talk animatedly, gesturing towards James.

‘I think that’s those guys who broke our window last night,’ James whispered.

‘Oh my god,’ Moana responded. ‘It’s too late to get back in the car.’

‘Just ignore them, Mum. They can’t do anything here. It’s pretty public,’ James reassured his Mum.

‘I hope so,’ Moana said, not at all confident. ‘I just don’t understand that they can do all that damage and be wandering around here a few hours later. So much for Alex’s support.’

When James, Moana and Lucy headed towards the mall entrance, the youths waited for a moment and then followed. As James passed Farmers on the ground floor, one of the youths brushed menacingly against him. ‘You better watch your back, punk,’ he said threateningly. ‘Your sister looks kinda nice. Maybe she wants a bit of fun, eh.’

‘You stay away from her, you filthy bastard,’ James yelled, more than loud enough for his mother to hear. The youth immediately swung a punch at James’s head; missed, then drew a screwdriver from his pocket and poised to strike. His actions did not go unnoticed by a security guard, who ran towards the scene which had now attracted many shoppers. Moana felt a sense of desperation as the youths continued to taunt her children.

‘Help! These creeps that attacked our house last night and now they’re threatening my kids!’

The three youths took off. ‘Are you OK, lady?’ the guard asked as he watched the youths disappearing towards the entrance. ‘Those guys shouldn’t be in here. They were barred from here only a few months ago for the same thing. The cops are coming so they may get picked up’. He broke off for a moment and spoke into his radio, hoping his colleagues would catch the youths before they got too far.

Two policemen approached Moana and her children. After a quick discussion with the security guard, they too used their radios and soon the sound of sirens could be heard outside the mall.

‘We know who they are,’ the younger policeman told Moana. ‘Unfortunately, they just don’t get it. There are several charges pending against them in the Youth Court but in the meantime they continue to create havoc.’

‘I’d call what they are doing to my family a little more than havoc,’ Moana said angrily. ‘Why can’t you lock the sods up?’

‘I know, but it takes so long to get anyone to do anything,’ the policeman said. ‘I’ll get a statement from you and you can be on your way.’

‘This is the second statement we’ve made in the last twelve hours. How much more do we have to put up with before they are seriously dealt to?’ Moana asked.

‘I know how you feel. Actually, very much like we do,’ the policeman said sympathetically. ‘We arrest them, involve CYFS, maybe attend a Family Group Conference, then next thing we know they are back to their old tricks.’

‘These street gangs we see round and about, doing nothing useful. They just sit around planning their next robbery or whatever they get up to,’ Moana pleaded. ‘Now they seem to have it in for my boy. It’s just not fair.’

The two officers left, confident that the family was safe for now. Moana and her two children wandered off to the movies to see what was showing. For Moana, the time just passed in a blur. She hardly took note of the movie and if anyone had asked about the story, she would have been hard-pressed to remember anything. Later, they ate at the food hall before heading to Countdown, where they needed two shopping trolleys to get all they needed to stock up. Even then, Moana said that they would have to return in a few days.

When Moana texted John he didn’t reply. ‘Damn. He must have his phone turned off,’ she said. ‘Oh well, we shall have to get a taxi then.’

The taxi driver wasn’t too pleased when he saw the size of the shopping Moana loaded into his boot, but once he had delivered the family back to the Mt Roskill home, he was pleased enough to receive a little extra for his trouble. On the way home they had driven past the same boys who had tried to assault James in the mall and Moana told him what had happened.

‘I’m not surprised. Nothing is ever really done,’ the taxi driver said. He too had reason to dislike the gangs, as several of his colleagues had been on the receiving end of their attention.

‘You are going to need to be really careful when you are out and about, James. You too for that matter, Lucy’ Moana said.

‘I wouldn’t be scared of them if it was one on one, ‘ James said almost boastfully, ‘but they don’t seem to play by any fair rules.’

‘Don’t you go trying to play the hero. I don’t need you getting injured or worse by those boys,’ Moana countered.

James and Lucy helped Moana to unpack, and they organised dinner, hoping to surprise John with one of his favourites when he returned: roast lamb with all the trimmings. They even made an apple crumble with custard. At six thirty John had still not arrived home and he hadn’t rung or sent a text message.

‘If he’s not here by seven, we’ll eat without him and he can take his chances,’ Moana said in a slightly angry tone. The time passed and they started without him. Just as they were finishing their pudding, they heard the sound of the car coming up the drive.

‘About time,’ Moana said. While not happy, she was relieved at least John was home. She went out to meet him.

From inside, James and Lucy heard the sound of their

Reviews for Roskill

[d.peabody · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Roskill is the story of the Campton family who move from Christchurch to Auckland for a better life. Moana, John, and teens, James and Lucy rent a house in the suburb of Mt Roskill. Immediately trouble finds the family as a group of hoodlums target James for looking at them out a window. From that moment on trouble is everywhere. John (the father) goes out on the first day in town and through a misfortunate meeting in a pub finds himself addicted to 'P'. The two kids have a number of run ins with a local gang of kids which each time ends in a call to the police. Within two days the Campton family have met with the Finaus, the family of two of the hoodlum gang. As John sinks quickly into a world of drugs the rest of the family attempt to find their own methods of coping. Eventually James takes off and Lucy escapes into online chat rooms. Moana and her new support network attempt to save John while holding together the rest of the family and dealing with all the side-line events.First let me say that I like this story. It was compelling, the characters were real and the subject was well dealt with. Then let me say that this book was incredibly hard to read. It was sadly let down by its editing. Firstly the spelling, grammar and plot inconsistencies were hard to ignore (I tried really hard). The other thing that really jumped out was the timeline. This book was action packed! Every page had another run in or skirmish, there was no downtime. In the end we are told that everything that occurred happened within a month. The timing is just not believable and made the story feel extremely contrived. I feel that all teens would benefit from reading this story. Auckland teens would be able to identify easily with many of the circumstances in the novel. Unfortunately I wonder how many will persevere long enough to understand the messages of caution and hope that the novel offers.