Dear JaG,
A poignant, melancholy chapter, but an important one!
Dave is contrite about his transgressions, and almost SUPER transgression with Matt, BUT! They did catch themselves; they DID remember Rawiri, and the Ruru and the Tiki.
As Hercules had his challenges from the his Father Zeus and Step-bitch-of-a-Mother Hera to prove his worthiness, so Dave is facing his own, herculean tasks to prove his love and commitment to Rawiri - and Matt is facing them with him, to cleanse his soul, too.
(OK, Hera wanted to get rid of proof of Zeus' repeated infidelity, yeah, yeah. Hercules didn't know that. Go with the noble flow, lol)
Why do I suspect that Matt is probably right that the mother fucker Spike saw it and pocketed it after they left the skirmish?
That may actually turn out to be a relatively good thing, since he's too big a douche bag to be able to keep his mouth shut and sport a good poker face when confronted about it, so Matt will likely be able to retrieve it after soundly kicking the arse-hole's "bell end" in so far he winds up with a vagina instead of a cock, and his testicles turn into ovaries! (But, Spike is really a prince of a guy - love him, don't we all?!

)
Dear, delightfully scatterbrained "idiot savant" Sophie, who gets the details so twisted in their knickers you can't help but chuckle - even Dave does, but who is so spot on about the sum and substance of the heart of the issue.
How can you not love her? She'll make some Eddie Haskle kind of character a great mother some day (of 1960's TV "Leave it to Beaver" fame, for the younger and/or international set who may not know the persona).
He'll think he's pulling the wool over his mum's eyes because she's so scatterbrained, only to be summarily and oh so genuinely innocently put square in his place with his conscience soundly sat back on its arse when she lovingly and without any condescension at all says something out of the blue to make him think, that he'll feel like his ears have just been boxed soundly.
The timing of her "CRS"/Al Z. Heimer moment in not giving Dave the letter from Rawiri until Sunday morning smacks of influence from the ancestors, if you ask me. They knew that Dave, mate, and beloved brother Matt needed to be challenged severely, so they intervened with Sophie's synapses, and made her forget to pass the letter on the day it arrived, when it wouldn't have been anywhere near as powerful a message.
Which brings us to Rawiri, and the letter. The letter, which is simply a physical manifestation of the bond of love that exists between Rawiri and Dave, mate, a love that HAS BEEN BLESSED by the ANCESTORS, as witnessed by the Ruru in the first place. The ancestors set a Ruru to flapping its wings awhile ago, sending Rawiri a message on the breeze, having foreseen the turbulent time that was headed their way. The Ruru, who sacrificed its life for the boys.
Can the Ruru's rebirth, like a Phoenix from the ashes, be far behind? Will it guide them to Spike, and the Tiki?
Will our drama queen, Dave, get his head out of his arse, stop feeling quite so sorry for himself, see that the Sun is still shining, Rawiri still loves him, and Matt, wanker and temptation that he can be, is still, first and foremost, Rawiri's faithful brother and champion in absencia? Does Sophie need to pop down to the local pharmacy and purchase an enema kit, to get the shit from between Dave, mate's, brains?
So, how did I do on my summarization and interpretation? Is my "summary" longer than your chapter was? lol.
Like I said, JaG, a very poignant chapter, so full of meaning and possibilities. Thanks for having such a clear focus for this story, mate. You have us all by the short hairs, taking us just where you want us to go.
It is the vernal equinox, which is the harbinger of our Spring and your Fall. It feels like it is holding the powers of the ancient Druidic and other "Earth Religion" ones, and is washing us in those waves of power. The equinoxes have always represented times of turmoil and upheaval in our Psychic/Astrological worlds. Times of indecision and reflection.
I don't know if you were aware of the timing of your postings when you were fomenting this story in your brain, but I don't think the timing could have been much better.
Thanks, again, JaG. I look forward to your next chapters. It's a long time till Summer Vacation - if Rawiri is able to come home for break - or is he on a continuous year program to try and cram it all in sooner?
