Chapter 1 - An unGodly Rant

 there isn't a God I rant

while on the wai piro

My cousins and I couldn't wait for the long weekend to roll around, for we would travel home to Mangamuka for a crazy and happy time of laughing, eating, drinking and some of that horizontal kanikani!

We would do the 400km drive on a Friday afternoon straight after work; pub crawling our way to the north, yes pub crawl! that type of thing is totally 'unthinkable' these days. We would start our pub crawl at the Albany Tavern then move onto Wellsford, Kaiwaka, Whangarei, Kawakawa, Okaihau and finally Mangamuka! We would hit the Mangamuka pub round 8pm and just go for it, laughing, singing, play pool and 'shout-up' large.

Closing time and we would move to uncles' house... the 'pink palace' and party hard, drinking (remember those big bottles of beer, I was a hard-out 'DB' drinker) and making eyes at the kanikani partner, all the while uncle is swearing at the 'so called kanikani partner to not touch, but that didn't stop us.

It was at one of these hard out party nights that in my drunken state (was like the last of the Mohican's to be still drinking) I found myself sitting at the table with my two cousins M and C and uncle and I remember blurting out 'I don't believe in God! He just doesn't exists and it's nothing but a huge fraud!” and, and who said god was a He!'

I remember the cuzzies going quiet and my uncle putting his bottle down, lifting his head up, look me in the eye.... and in a very, very quiet voice he said “don't talk like that France.... God is all around you, and he is here with you now, watching listening. God is here”.

Well needless to say, I couldn't keep my mouth shut and my scorn reigned down on his words... I couldn't stop... I rubbished God and religion, I let it all out the, the anger, the hurt, phew I remember well and truly getting up on my soap box. All the while uncle sat there looking at me, eyes squinting then opening wide and that little sideways grin... and he'd say again “no more France, ssssssh don't say that, God is real”.

Okay if you say he's real, then why can't I see God, why can't I touch him... you know how obnoxious one gets when they're drunk! well that was me! Huh he's rubbish... I rant!

Come to church with me and aunt on Sunday night, says uncle come to church and you will meet God. I snort with ridicule almost blowing my beer out through my nostrils... haha what for, for a laugh I cackle,  yeah okay I'll take you on! Uncle turns and looks at the two cousins who are rolling their eyes at my stupidity and uncles says “and you two are coming as well!” cause you know when uncle talks 'you do'.

(to be continued... chapter 2)