ROAD PETE ’ S NEWS PEOPLE
Being Horace , along the way he ’ d have called in to see a sick friend , a struggling relative , and checked out some fantastic new bit of road , but , you would still be the most important thing in his day . He ’ d never mention the effort to meet you , on time , till you were both having coffee 150km away - having spent a few quickish minutes getting there – and it would drop in passing ... “ I was thinking ... when I left Whanganui ...” “ Whanganui ?” “ Yeah , yeah , I had to drop something off there ..” “ When was this ?” “ This morning ... I had to- ” “ This morning !?” “ Yeah . It was early ...” “ Fuck me ...” Friends like Horace don ’ t come into your life for no reason - they make your life better . Our lives , better . I could talk to Horace about absolutely anything , from health issues to the grief held over a sick child , or of the emotional baggage carried from earlier years , or when I was unleashing politically motivated furies at the boorish , self-seeking , right-wing , paid parlous pricks that pollute our airways . ( Ask me what I really think .) He had great ears . And a bigger heart . Always he had a balance , plus care and concern that wrinkled his gentle brown eyes into helping you laugh at your own selfimportance , but he also gave you old-fashioned respect . And before you go thinking I ‘ m sanctifying the man , he had his faults . He was stubborn as a fucking mule when he ’ d got an idea into his head . Recently I was online texting messages back and forth , as he beat every other bidder online for a bunch of used bikes . It was like a holy mission for him . When I say every bidder , I think he bought nine of them . “ These pricks aren ’ t going to get the better of me ”, he said . It was bloody funny - and just the right kind
82 KIWI RIDER